21 Out it spake his father dear,
A noble lord was he:
If ye gang to England, Johnny,
Ye'll neer come back to me.
22 Out it spake a noble lord,
A noble lord, I wat, was he:
Fifteen of our Scottish lords
Will bear his honour companie.
23 The first town that they eer came till,
They gart the bells be rung;
The next town that they came till,
They gart the mass be sung.
24 And when they came to the king's court,
They gart the trumpet soun,
Till the king and all his merry young men
Did marvel at the tune.
25 'Is this the Duke of Marlborough,
Or James, the Scottish king?
Or is it else some Scottish lord,
Come here a visiting?'
26 'It's not the Duke of Marlborough,
Nor James, the Scottish king:
It is Love John of fair Scotland,
Come here a visiting.'
27 'If this be John of fair Scotland,
He's dearly welcome to me;
The morn ere he eat or drink,
High hanged he shall be.'
28 He's taen his broadsword in his hand,
And stripd it oer a stane;
Then thro and thro the king's high court
With broadsword now is gane.
29 They fought it up, they fought it down,
Till they were weary men,
When the blood, like drops of rain,
Came trickling down the plain.
30 Out it spake the king himsel,
Ane angry man was he:
I have ane Italian within my court
Will fight ye three and three.