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Lang, Andrew, 1844-1912

"Sir Walter Scott and the Border Minstrelsy"

"
Oh, some rade like corn-cadger men,
And some like merchants o' linen and hose;
They slept by day and they rade by nicht,
Till they a' convened at St. George's close.
Ilka mounted man led a bridded mear,
I trow they had won on the English way;
Ilka belted man had a brace o' swords,
To help their friends to fend the fray.
Then Simmy he heard a hoolet cry
In the chamber strang wi' never a licht;
"That's a hoolet, I ken," did Simmy say,
"And I trow that Teviotdale's here the nicht!"
They hae grippit a bench was clamped wi' steel,
Wi' micht and main hae they wrought, they four,
They hae burst it free, and rammed wi' the bench,
Till they brake a hole in the chamber door.
"Lift strae frae the beds," did Simmy say;
To the gallery window Simmy sped,
He has set his strength to a window bar,
And bursten it out o' the binding lead.
He has bursten the bolts o' the Elliot men,
Out ower the window the strae cast he,
For they bid to loup frae the window high,
And licht on the strae their fa' would be.


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