But on the morn at fair daylight,
When they had ended a’ their cheer,
Behold the Wanton Brown was gane,
And eke the poor blind Harper’s mare!
XVIII
‘Allace! allace!’ quo’ the silly blind Harper,
‘And ever allace that I cam here!
In Scotland I’ve tint a braw colt foal,
In England they’ve stown my gude gray mare!’—
XIX
‘Come! cease thy allacing, thou silly blind Harper,
And again of thy harping let us hear;
And weel paid sall thy colt-foal be,
And thou sall have a far better mare.’
XX
Then aye he harpit, and aye he carpit,
Sae sweet were the harpings he let them hear!
He was paid for the foal he had never lost,
And three times ower for the gude gray mare.
FOOTNOTES:
[1257] thole = suffer, be capable of.
[1258] laigh = low.