‘Ride hooly, hooly,³ gentlemen,
   Ride hooly now wi’ me!
For never, I am sure, a wearier burd
   Rade in your companie.’—

But little wist Marie Hamilton,
   When she rade on the brown,
That she was gaen to Edinburgh,
   And a’ to be put down.

‘Why weep ye so, ye burgess wives,
   Why look ye so on me?
O I am going to Edinburgh town,
   A rich wedding to see.’

When she gaed up the Tolbooth stairs,
   The corks frae her heels did flee;
And lang or e’er she cam down again,
   She was condemn’d to die.

When she cam to the Netherbow port,
   She laugh’d loud laughters three;
But when she cam to the gallows foot
   The tears blinded her e’e.

‘Yestreen the Queen had four Maries,
   The night she’ll hae but three;
There was Marie Seaton, and Marie Beaton,
   And Marie Carmichael, and me.

‘O often have I dress’d my Queen
   And put gowd upon her hair;
But now I’ve gotten for my reward
   The gallows to be my share.

‘Often have I dress’d my Queen
   And often made her bed;
But now I’ve gotten for my reward
   The gallows tree to tread.

‘I charge ye all, ye mariners,
   When ye sail owre the faem,
Let neither my father nor mother get wit
   But that I’m coming hame.

‘I charge ye all, ye mariners,
   That sail upon the sea,
That neither my father nor mother get wit
   The dog’s death I’m to die.

‘For if my father and mother got wit,
   And my bold brethren three,
O mickle wad be the gude red blude
   This day wad be spilt for me!

‘O little did my mother ken,
   The day she cradled me,
The lands I was to travel in
   Or the death I was to die!

386   Binnorie

THERE were twa sisters sat in a bour;
   Binnorie, O Binnorie!
There cam a knight to be their wooer,
   By the bonnie milldams o’ Binnorie.

He courted the eldest with glove and ring,
But he lo’ed the youngest abune a’ thing.

The eldest she was vexàed sair,
And sair envàied her sister fair.

Upon a morning fair and clear,
She cried upon her sister dear:

‘O sister, sister, tak my hand,
And let’s go down to the river-strand.’

She’s ta’en her by the lily hand,
And led her down to the river-strand.

The youngest stood upon a stane,
The eldest cam and push’d her in.

‘O sister, sister, reach your hand!
And ye sall be heir o’ half my land:

‘O sister, reach me but your glove!
And sweet William sall be your love.’