Then in and starts him Brown Adam,55
Says—"I'm just at your hand."—
He's gar'd him leave his bonny bow,
He's gar'd him leave his brand,
He's gar'd him leave a dearer pledge—
Four fingers o' his right hand.60
LIZIE LINDSAY.
Complete copies of this pretty ballad are given in Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, ii. 102, and in Whitelaw's Book of Scottish Ballads, p. 51. [The latter we have printed with the present version], which, though lacking a stanza or two, is better in some respects than either of the others.—Robert Allan has made a song out of this ballad, Smith's Scottish Minstrel, ii. 100.
"Transmitted to the Editor by Professor Scott of Aberdeen, as it was taken down from the recitation of an old woman. It is very popular in the north-east of Scotland, and was familiar to the editor in his early youth; and from the imperfect recollection which he still retains of it, he has corrected the text in two or three unimportant passages." Jamieson's Popular Ballads, ii. 149.
"Will ye go to the Highlands, Lizie Lindsay,
Will ye go to the Highlands wi' me?
Will ye go to the Highlands, Lizie Lindsay,
And dine on fresh cruds and green whey?"
Then out spak Lizie's mother,5
A good old lady was she,
"Gin ye say sic a word to my daughter,
I'll gar ye be hanged high."
"Keep weel your daughter frae me, madam;
Keep weel your daughter frae me;10
I care as little for your daughter,
As ye can care for me."