"Ye're welcome here, my billie dear, And thrice ye're welcome unto me!""But I'm wae to say, I've seen the day, When I am come to fight wi' thee.

My father gaed to Carlisle town,
Wi' your father Bewick there met he:
He
says I'm a lad, and I am but bad,

And a baffled man I trow I be.

"He sent me to schools, and I wadna learn;

He gae me books, and I wadna read;

Sae my father's blessing I'll never earn,

Till he see how my arm can guard my head."

"O God forbid, my billie dear,

That ever such a thing suld be!

We'll take three men on either side,

And see if we can our fathers agree."

"O hald thy tongue, now, billie Bewick,
And of thy talking let me be !

But if thou'rt a man, as I'm sure thou art,
Come o'er the dyke, and fight wi' me."-

"But I hae nae harness, billie, on my back,
As weel I see there is on thine."-
"But as little harness as is on thy back,
As little, billie, shall be on mine."-

Then he's thrown aff his coat o' mail
His cap of steel away flung he;
He stuck his spear into the ground,
And he tied his horse unto a tree.

Then Bewick has thrown aff his cloak,
And's psalter-book frae's hand flung he;
He laid his hand upon the dyke,

And ower he lap most manfullie.

O they hae fought for twae lang hours;
When twae lang hours were come and gane,
The sweet drapp'd fast frae aff them baith,
But a drap of blude could not be seen.
Till Græme gae Bewick an ackward* stroke,
Ane ackward stroke strucken sickerlie;
He has hit him under the left breast,
And dead-wounded to the ground fell he.
"Rise up, rise
up, now billie dear!

Arise and speak three words to me!-
Whether thou's gotten thy deadly wound,

Or if God and good leeching may succour thee?"—

"O horse, O horse, now, billie Græme,

And get thee far from hence with speed;

And get thee out of this countrie,

That none may know who has done the deed."

"OI have slain thee, billie Bewick,

If this be true thou tellest to me;
But I made a vow, ere I came frae hame,
That aye the next man I wad be."

He has pitch'd his sword in a mowdie-hill,

And he has leap'd twenty lang feet and three,

And on his ane sword's point he lap,

And dead upon the ground fell he.

*Backward.

'Twas then came up Sir Robert Bewick,

And his brave son alive saw he; “Rise up, rise up, my son," he said,

"For I think ye hae gotten the victorie."

"O hald your tongue, my father dear!
Of your prideful talking let me be !
Ye might hae drunken your wine in peace,
And let me and my billie be.

"Gae dig a grave, baith wide and deep,
And a grave to hald baith him and me;
But lay Christie Græme on the sunny side,
For I'm sure he wan the victorie.'

"Alack! a wae!" auld Bewick cried, "Alack! was I not much to blame?

I'm sure I've lost the liveliest lad

That e'er was born unto my name."

"Alack! a wae!" quo' gude Lord Græme—
"I'm sure I hae lost the deeper lack!
I durst hae ridden the Border through,
Had Christie Græme been at my back.
"Had I been led through Liddesdale,
And thirty horsemen guarding me,
And Christie Græme been at my back,
Sae soon as he had set me free!

"I've lost my hopes, I've lost my joy,
I've lost the key but and the lock;
I durst hae ridden the world round,
Had Christie Græme been at my back."

HOBBIE NOBLE.

[Hobbie Noble was an Englishman, who finding less difference in the laws of "mine and thine" on the Scotch side of the border, and more sympathy with such loose notions of property as he possessed, established himself among the Scotch and helped them to ravage the country, to Carlisle southward, whenever opportunity offered. The Scotch, however, proved false to him, as will be found described in the ballad.]

Foul fa' the breast first Treason bred in!

That Liddesdale may safely say;

For in it there was baith meat and drink,
And corn unto our geldings gay.

And we were a' stout-hearted men,
As England she might often say;
But now we may turn our backs and flee,
Since brave Noble is sold away.

Now Hobbie was an English-man,
And born into Bewcastle dale;
But his misdeeds they were so great,
They banish'd him to Liddesdale.

At Kershope foot the tryste was set,
Kershope of the lilye lee;

And there was traitour Sim o' the Mains,
And with him a private companie.

Then Hobbie has graithed his body fair,
Baith wi' the iron and wi' the steel;
And he has ta'en out his fringed grey,

And there, brave Hobbie, he rade him weel.

Then Hobbie is down the water gane,

E'en as fast as he could hie;

Tho' a' should hae bursten and broken their hearts,

Frae that riding-tryst he wad na be.

"Well be ye met, my feres* five!

And now, what is your will wi' me?"

Then they a' cried wi' ae consent,

"Thou'rt welcome here, brave Noble, to me.

"Wilt thou with us into England ride,
And thy safe warrand we will be?
If we get a horse worth a hundred pound,
Upon his back thou sune sall be."
"I dare not by day into England ride;
The Land-Sergeant has me at feid:
And I know not what evil may betide,

For Peter of Whitfield, his brother, is dead.

"And Anton Shiel he loves not me,

For I gat twa drifts o' his sheep;
The great Earl of Whitfield loves me not,
For nae gear frae me he e'er could keep.
"But will ye stay till the day gae down,
Until the night come o'er the grund,
And I'll be a guide worth ony twa

That may in Liddesdale be found?

"Though the night be black as pick and tar, I'll guide ye o'er yon hill sae hie;

And bring ye a' in safety back,

If ye'll be true and follow me."

* Companions.