LORD MAXWELL'S GOODNIGHT.
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* * * * Adieu, madame, my mother dear,But and my sisters three!Adieu, fair Robert of Orchardstane!My heart is wae for thee.Adieu, the lily and the rose,The primrose fair to see:Adieu, my ladie, and only joy!For I may not stay with thee. "Though I hae slain the Lord Johnstone,What care I for their feid?My noble mind their wrath disdains:He was my father's deid.Both night and day I laboured oftOf him avenged to be;But now I've got what lang I sought,And I may not stay with thee. "Adieu! Drumlanrig, false wert aye,And Closeburn in a Land!The laird of Lag, frae my father that fled,When the Johnston struck aff his hand.They were three brethren in a band--Joy may they never see!Their treacherous art, and cowardly heart,Has twin'd my love and me, Adieu! Dumfries, my proper place,But and Carlaverock fair!Adieu! my castle of the Thrieve,Wi' a my buildings there:Adieu! Lochmaben's gates sae fair,The Langholm-holm where birks there be;Adieu! my ladye, and only joy,For, trust me, I may not stay wi' thee, "Adieu! fair Eskdale up and down,Where my puir friends do dwell;The bangisters[197] will ding them down,And will them sair compell.But I'll avenge their feid mysell,When I come o'er the sea;Adieu! my ladye, and only joy,For I may not stay wi' thee." "Lord of the land!"--that ladye said,"O wad ye go wi' me,Unto my brother's stately tower,Where safest ye may be!There Hamiltons and Douglas baith,Shall rise to succour thee.""Thanks for thy kindness, fair my dame,But I may not stay wi' thee." Then he tuik aff a gay gold ring,Thereat hang signets three;"Hae, take thee that, mine ain dear thing,And still hae mind o' me;But, if thou take another lord,Ere I come ower the sea--His life is but a three day's lease,Tho' I may not stay wi' thee." The wind was fair, the ship was clear,That good lord went away;And most part of his friends were there,To give him a fair convey.They drank the wine, they did na spair,Even in that gude lord's sight--Sae now he's o'er the floods sae gray,And Lord Maxwell has ta'en his Goodnight. [Footnote 197: _Bangisters_--The prevailing party.]
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