Now brave Montrose he went to France,61
And to Germany, to gather fame;
And bold Aboyne is to the sea,
Young [Huntly] is his noble name.
Montrose again, that chieftain bold,65
Back unto Scotland fair he came,
For to redeem fair Scotland's land,
The pleasant, gallant, worthy Graham!
At the water of Carron he did begin,
And fought the battle to the end;70
Where there were kill'd, for our noble king,
[Two thousand of our Danish men].
[Gilbert Menzies], of high degree,
By whom the king's banner was borne;
For a brave cavalier was he,75
But now to glory he is gone.
Then woe to Strachan, and [Hacket] baith!
And, Leslie, ill death may thou die!
For ye have betray'd the gallant Grahams,
Who aye were true to majestie.80
And the Laird of Assaint has seized Montrose,
And had him into Edinburgh town;
And frae his body taken the head,
And quarter'd him upon a trone.
And [Huntly]'s gone the self-same way,85
And our noble king is also gone;
He suffer'd death for our nation,
Our mourning tears can ne'er be done.
But our brave young king is now come home,
King Charles the Second in degree;90
The Lord send peace into his time,
And God preserve his majestie!