THE PROVOST'S DOCHTER. See p. [180].
Kinloch's Ancient Scottish Ballads, p. 131.
The Provost's dochter went out a walking,
A may's love whiles is easie won;
She heard a puir prisoner making his meane,
And she was the fair flow'r o' Northumberland.
"Gif onie ladie wad borrow me5
Out into this prison strang,
I wad make her a ladie o' hie degree,
For I am a gret lard in fair Scotland."
She has dune her to her father's bed-stock,
A may's love whiles is easie won!10
She has stown the keys o' monie braw lock,
And she has lows'd him out o' prison strang.
She has dune her to her father's stable,
A may's love whiles is easie won!
She has tane out a steed, baith swift and able,15
To carry them baith to fair Scotland.
Whan they cam to the Scottish corss,
A may's love whiles is easie won!
"Ye brazen-faced hure, licht aff o' my horse,
And go, get ye back to Northumberland."20
Whan they cam to the Scottish muir,
A may's love whiles is easie won!
"Get aff o' my horse, ye brazen-fac'd hure,
So, go, get ye back to Northumberland."
"O pity on me! O pity!" said she,25
"O that my love was so easie won!
Have pity on me, as I had upon thee,
Whan I lows'd ye out o' prison strang."