"He'll hang thy merryemen, payr by payr,
In ony frith where he may them finde."100
"Ay, by my troth!" the Outlaw said,
"Than wauld I thinke me far behinde.
"Ere the King my feir countrie get,
This land that's nativest to me,
Mony o' his nobilis sall be cauld,105
Their ladyes sall be right wearie."
Then spak his ladye, feir of face,
She seyd, "Without consent of me,
That an Outlaw suld come befor a King;
I am right rad of treasonrie.110
Bid him be gude to his lordis at hame,
For Edinburgh my lord sall nevir see."
James Boyd tuik his leave o' the Outlaw kene,
To Edinburgh boun is he;
When James he cam before the King,115
He knelit lowlie on his kné.
"Welcum, James Boyd!" seyd our nobil King;
"What foreste is Ettricke Foreste frie?"
"Ettricke Foreste is the feirest foreste
That evir man saw wi' his ee.120
"There's the dae, the rae, the hart, the hynde,
And of a' wild bestis grete plentie;
There's a pretty castell of lyme and stane,
O gif it standis not pleasauntlie!
"There's in the fore front o' that castell,125
Twa unicorns, sae bra' to see;
There's the picture of a knight, and a ladye bright,
Wi' the grene hollin abune their brie.
"There the Outlaw keepis five hundred men,
He keepis a royalle cumpanie;130
His merryemen in ae livery clad,
O' the Lincome grene sae gaye to see:
He and his ladye in purple clad;
O gin they live not royallie!