"O ye my errand weel sall learn, "Before that I depart."

Then drew a knife, baith lang and sharp, And pierced him to the heart.

Then up and got the queen hersell, And fell low down on her knee: "O spare my life, now, Fause Foodrage! " For I never injured thee.

"O spare my life, now, Fause Foodrage, "Until I lighter be!

"And see gin it be lad or lass,

"King Honour has left me wi."

"O gin it be a lass," he says,
"Weel nursed it sall be;
"But gin it be a lad bairn,
"He sall be hanged hie.

"I winna spare for his tender age,

"Nor yet for his hie hie kin;

"But soon as e'er he born is,

"He sall mount the gallows pin."

O four and twenty valiant knights
Were set the queen to guard;
And four stood aye at her bour door,
To keep both watch and ward.

But when the time drew near an end,

That she suld lighter be,

She cast about to find a wile,

To set her body free.

O she has birled these merry young men
With the ale but and the wine,

Until they were as deadly drunk
As any wild wood swine.

"O narrow, narrow, is this window, "And big, big, am I grown!"

Yet, through the might of Our Ladye, Out at it she has gone.

She wandered up, she wandered down, She wandered out and in;

And, at last, into the very swine's stythe, The queen brought forth a son.

Then they cast kevils them amang,
Which suld gae seek the queen;
And the kevil fell upon Wise William,
And he sent his wife for him.

O when she saw Wise William's wife,
The queen fell on her knee;
"Win up, win up, madame!" she says:
"What needs this courtesie?"

"O out o' this I winna rise,

"Till a boon ye grant to me; "To change your lass for this lad bairn, "King Honour left me wi'.

"And ye maun learn my gay goss hawk
"Right weel to breast a steed;
"And I sall learn your turtle dow*
"As weel to write and read.

"And ye maun learn my gay goss hawk "To weild baith bow and brand;

"And I sall learn your turtle dow

"To lay gowd† wi' her hand.

*Dow-Dove.

+ Lay gowd-To embroider in gold. "At kirk and market when we meet, "We'll dare make nae avowe,

"But-Dame, how does my gay goss hawk?? "Madame, how does my dow?"

When days were gane, and years came on,
Wise William he thought lang;
And he has ta'en King Honour's son
A hunting for to gang.

It sae fell out, at this hunting,
Upon a simmer's day,
That they came by a fair castell,
Stood on a sunny brae.

"O dinna ye see that bonny castell,
"Wi' halls and towers sae fair?
"Gin ilka man had back his ain,
"Of it ye suld be heir."

"How I suld be heir of that castell,
"In sooth I canna see;
"For it belangs to Fause Foodrage,
"And he is na kin to me"

"O gin ye suld kill him, Fause Foodrage, "You would do but what was right; "For I wot he kill'd your father dear, "Or ever ye saw the light.

"And gin ye suld kill him, Fause Foodrage, "There is no man durst you blame; " For he keeps your mother a prisoner, " And she darna take ye hame."

The boy stared wild like a gray goss hawk : Says-" What may a' this mean?" "My boy, ye are King Honour's son, "And your mother's our lawful queen."

"O gin I be king Honour's son,

"By Our Ladye I swear, "This night I will that traitor slay, " And relieve my mother dear!"

He has set his bent bow to his breast,

And leaped the castell wa';

And soon he has seized on Fause Foodrage, Wha loud for help 'gan ca'.