146. The Death of Parcy Reed

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I

God send the land deliverance
Frae every reaving, riding Scot;
We’ll sune hae neither cow nor ewe,
We’ll sune hae neither staig nor stot[1268].

II

The outlaws come frae Liddesdale,
They herry Redesdale far and near;
The rich man’s gelding it maun gang,
They canna pass the puir man’s mare.

III

Sure it were weel, had ilka thief
Around his neck a halter strang;
And curses heavy may they light
On traitors vile oursels amang!

IV

Now Parcy Reed has Crosier taen,
He has delivered him to the law;
But Crosier says he’ll do waur than that,
He’ll make the tower o’ Troughend fa’.

V

And Crosier says he will do waur,
He will do waur if waur can be;
He’ll make the bairns a’ fatherless,
And then, the land it may lie lee.

VI

‘To the hunting, ho!’ cried Parcy Reed,
‘The morning sun is on the dew;
The cauler breeze frae off the fells
Will lead the dogs to the quarry true.

VII

‘To the hunting, ho!’ cried Parcy Reed,
And to the hunting he has gane;
And the three fause Ha’s o’ Girsonsfield
Alang wi’ him he has them taen.

VIII

They hunted high, they hunted low,
By heathery hill and birken shaw;
They raised a buck on Rooken Edge,
And blew the mort[1269] at fair Ealylawe

IX

They hunted high, they hunted low,
They made the echoes ring amain;
With music sweet o’ horn and hound,
They merry made fair Redesdale glen.

X

They hunted high, they hunted low,
They hunted up, they hunted down,
Until the day was past the prime,
And it grew late in the afternoon.

XI

They hunted high in Batinghope,
When as the sun was sinking low;
Says Parcy then, ‘Ca’ off the dogs,
We’ll bait our steeds and homeward go.’

XII

They lighted high in Batinghope,
Atween the brown and benty ground;
They had but rested a little while
Till Parcy Reed was sleeping sound.

XIII

There’s nane may lean on a rotten staff,
But him that risks to get a fa’;
There’s nane may in a traitor trust,
And traitors black were every Ha’.

XIV

They’ve stown the bridle off his steed,
And they’ve put water in his lang gun;
They’ve fixed his sword within the sheath
That out again it winna come.

XV

‘Awaken ye, waken ye, Parcy Reed,
Or by your enemies be ta’en!
For yonder are the five Crosiers
A-coming owre the Hingin-stane!’—

XVI

‘If they be five, and we be four,
Sae that ye stand alang wi’ me,
Then every man ye will take one,
And only leave but two to me:
We will them meet as brave men ought,
And make them either fight or flee.’—

XVII

‘We mayna stand, we canna stand,
We daurna stand alang wi’ thee;
The Crosiers haud thee at a feud,
And they wad kill baith thee and we.’—

XVIII

‘O turn thee, turn thee, Johnie Ha’,
O turn thee, man, and fight wi’ me;
When ye come to Troughend again,
My gude black naig I will gie thee;
He cost full twenty pound o’ gowd,
Atween my brother John and me.’—

XIX

‘I mayna turn, I canna turn,
I daurna turn and fight wi’ thee;
The Crosiers haud thee at a feud,
And they wad kill baith thee and me.—

XX

‘O turn thee, turn thee, Willie Ha’,
O turn thee, man, and fight wi’ me;
When ye come to Troughend again,
A yoke o’ owsen I’ll gie thee.’—

XXI

‘I mayna turn, I canna turn,
I daurna turn and fight wi’ thee;
The Crosiers haud thee at a feud,
And they wad kill baith thee and me.’—

XXII

‘O turn thee, turn thee, Tommy Ha’,
O turn now, man, and fight wi’ me;
If ever we come to Troughend again,
My daughter Jean I’ll gie to thee.’—

XXIII

‘I mayna turn, I canna turn,
I daurna turn and fight wi’ thee;
The Crosiers haud thee at a feud,
And they wad kill baith thee and me.’—

XXIV

‘O shame upon ye, traitors a’!
I wish your hames ye may never see;
Ye’ve stown the bridle off my naig,
And I can neither fight nor flee.

XXV

‘Ye’ve stown the bridle off my naig,
And

[1268] stot = steer.

[1269] mort = death of the deer.

[1270] graith’d = harnessed, in armour.

[1271] fankit = entangled.

[1272] airt = direction.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

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