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RICHIE STORY
A. ‘Ritchie Storie,’ Motherwell’s MS., p. 426.
B. Skene MS., p. 96.
C. a. ‘Richie Story,’ “Scotch Ballads, Materials for Border Minstrelsy,” No 65, MS. of Thomas Wilkie, 1813–15, p. 53, Abbotsford. b. ‘Ritchie’s Tory Laddie,’ Campbell MSS, II, 116.
D. ‘Richy Story,’ the late Mr Robert White’s papers.
E. ‘Richard Storie,’ “Scotch Ballads, Materials for Border Minstrelsy,” No 76, Abbotsford.
F. a. ‘Richie Storie,’ Sharpe’s Ballad Book, 1823, p. 95. b. ‘Richie Storrie,’ Nimmo, Songs and Ballads of Clydesdale, 1882, p. 211.
G. a. ‘Richard Storry,’ Kinloch MSS, I, 203. b. ‘Richie Tory,’ Gibb MS., p. 77. c. ‘Ritchie’s Lady,’ Murison MS., p. 82. d. ‘Richie’s Lady,’ Christie’s Traditional Ballad Airs, I, 72. e. Kinloch MSS, VII, 263, a fragment. f. ‘The Earl of Winton’s Daughter,’ Buchan’s MSS, I, 87.
H. The Scots Magazine, 1803, LXV, 253, one stanza.
The youngest (eldest, A) and fairest of the daughters of the Earl of Wigton, A, F (bonniest of his sisters, E), has fallen in love with her footman, Richie Story (Tory). Richie brings her a letter from a nobleman who desires to be her suitor; the Earl of Hume, A, B, F, G a, d, e; the Earl of Hume’s son, D; the Earl of Aboyne, E; of Cumbernauld, G b; of Mohun, G c; of Wemyss, G f and a variant of E; the Earls of Hume and Skimmerjim, Skimmerham (Kimmerghame), C. The lady has made a vow, and will keep it, to marry none but Richie. Richie deprecates; he has nothing to maintain her with; she is ready to descend to the lowest fortune. (In several versions she has enough of her own. Hunten Tour and Tillebarn and the House of Athol are hers, B; Musselburgh, C; the House of Athol and Taranadie, G d; Blair-in-Athol and Dunkeld, H.) Asked by her sister, by Richie, or by some one else, whether she is not sorry to have left Cumbernauld (Castle Norry, G f) to follow a footman, she answers that there is no reason, she has her heart’s desire and the lot that was ordained her. As she goes up the Parliament close, rides through Edinburgh town, Glasgow city (London city, C b, absurdly), she is greeted by many a lord, but few or none of them thought she was a footman’s lady. Arrived at the domicile of the Storys, her good-mother bids her, gars her, kilt up her coats and muck the byres with Richie.