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' shall I gang, my ain true love? Where shall I gang to hide me? For weel ye ken i yere father's bowr It wad be death to find me.' 'O go you to yon tavern-house, An there count owre your lawin, An, if I be a woman true, I'll meet you in the dawin.' O he's gone to yon tavern-house, An ay he counted his lawin, An ay he drank to her guid health Was to meet him in the dawin. O he's gone to yon tavern-house, An counted owre his lawin, When in there cam three armed men, To meet him in the dawin. 'O woe be unto woman's wit! It has beguiled many; She promised to come hersel, But she sent three men to slay me.' = = ' are the Duke of Athol's nurse, And I'm the new-come darling; I'll gie you my gay gold rings To get ae word of my leman.' 'I am the Duke Athol's nurse, And ye're the new-come darling; Keep well your gay gold rings, Ye sall get twa words o your leman.' He leand oure his saddle-bow, It was not for to kiss her: 'Anither woman has my heart, And I but come here to see ye.' 'If anither woman has your heart, O dear, but I am sorry! Ye hie you down to yon ale house, And stay untill 't be dawing, And if I be a woman true I'll meet you in the dawing.' He did him down to yon ale-house, And drank untill 't was dawing; He drank the bonnie lassie's health That was to clear his lawing. He lookit out of a shot-window, To see if she was coming, And there he seed her seven brithers, So fast as they were running! He went up and down the house, Says, 'Landlady, can you save me? For yonder comes her seven brithers, And they are coming to slay me.' So quick she minded her on a wile How she might protect him! She dressd him in a suit of woman's attire And set him to her baking. 'Had you a quarterer here last night, Or staid he to the dawing? Shew us the room the squire lay in, We are come to clear his lawing.' 'I had a quarterer here last night, But he staid not to the dawing; He called for a pint, and paid as he went, You have nothing to do with his lawing.' They searchd the house baith up and down, The curtains they spaird not to rive em, And twenty times they passd The squire at his baking. = = I went down by the Duke of Athole's gates, Where the bells of the court were ringing, And there I heard a fair maid say, O if I had but ae sight o my Johnie! 'O here is your Johnie just by your side; What have ye to say to your Johnie? O here is my hand, but anither has my heart, So ye'll never get more o your Johnie.' 'O ye may go down to yon ale-house, And there do sit till the dawing; And call for the wine that is very, very fine, And I'll come and clear up your lawing.' So he's gane down to yon ale-house, And he has sat till the dawing; And he's calld for the wine that's very, very fine, But she neer cam to clear up his lawing. Lang or the dawing he oure the window looks, To see if his true-love was coming, And there he spied twelve weel armd boys, Coming over the plainstanes running. 'O landlady, landlady, what shall I do? For my life it's not worth a farthing!' 'O young man,' said she, 'Tak counsel by me, And I will be your undertaking. 'I will clothe you in my own body-clothes And I'll send you like a girl to the baking:' And loudly, loudly they rapped at the door, And loudly, loudly they rapp d. 'O had you any strangers here late last night? Or were they lang gane or the dawing? O had you any strangers here late last night? We are now come to clear up his lawing.' 'O I had a stranger here late last night, But he was lang gane or the dawing; He called for a pint, and he paid it as he went, And ye've no more to do with his lawing.' 'O show me the room that your stranger lay in, If he was lang gane or the dawing:' She showed them the room that her stranger lay in, But he was lang gane or the dawing. O they stabbed the feather-bed all round and round, And the curtains they neer stood to tear them; And they gade as they cam, and left a' things undone, And left the young squire by his baking. = = I cam in by the Duke of Athole's gate, I heard a fair maid singing, Wi a bonny baby on her knee, And the bells o the court were ringing. 'O it's I am the Duke of Athole's nurse, And the place does well become me; But I would gie a' my half-year's fee Just for a sight o my Johnie. * * * * 'If ye'll gae down to yon ale-house, And stop till it be dawing, And ca for a pint o the very, very best, And I'll come and clear up your lawing.' O he's gane down to yon ale-house, And stopt till it was dawing; He ca'd for a pint o the very, very best, But she cam na to clear up his lawing. He looked out at the chamber-window, To see if she was coming; And there he spied ten armed men, Across the plain coming running.