"From a copy in the Editor's folio MS., corrected by another in Allan Ramsay's Miscellany."
Balow, my babe, lye still and sleipe!
It grieves me sair to see thee weipe:
If thoust be silent, Ise be glad,
Thy maining maks my heart ful sad.
Balow, my boy, thy mothers joy,5
Thy father breides me great annoy.
Balow, my babe, ly stil and sleipe,
It grieves me sair to see thee weepe.
Whan he began to court my luve,
And with his sugred wordes to muve,10
His faynings fals and flattering cheire
To me that time did not appeire:
But now I see, most cruell hee
Cares neither for my babe nor mee.
Lye still, my darling, sleipe a while,
And when thou wakest, sweitly smile:
But smile not, as thy father did,
To cozen maids; nay, God forbid!
But yett I feire, thou wilt gae neire20
Thy fatheris hart and face to beire.
Balow, &c.
I cannae chuse, but ever will
Be luving to thy father still:
Whaireir he gae, whaireir he ryde,25
My luve with him doth still abyde:
In weil or wae, whaireir he gae,
Mine hart can neire depart him frae.
Balow, &c.
But doe not, doe not, pretty mine,30
To faynings fals thine hart incline;
Be loyal to thy luver trew,
And nevir change her for a new:
If gude or faire, of hir have care,
For womens banning 's wonderous sair.35
Balow, &c.
Bairne, sin thy cruel father is gane,
Thy winsome smiles maun eise my paine;
My babe and I'll together live,
He'll comfort me when cares doe grieve:
My babe and I right saft will ly,40
And quite forgeit man's cruelty.
Balow, &c.
Fareweil, fareweil, thou falsest youth,
That evir kist a womans mouth!45
I wish all maides be warned by mee
Nevir to trust mans curtesy;
For if we doe bot chance to bow,
They'll use us then they care not how.
Balow, my babe, ly stil and sleipe,
It grieves me sair to see thee weipe.50