Peebles to the Play At Beltane, when ilk body bounes
To Peebles to the play,
To hear the singin’ and the soundis
The solace, sooth to say;
By firth, and forest, furth they foun’ ;
They graithit them fu’ gay,
God wot, what wald they do that stoun’,
For it was their feast day,
They said,
Of Peebles to the play.
All the wenches of the west
Were up ere the cock crew;
For reeling there might nae man rest,
For garray and for glew;
One said, My curches are not press’d,
Then answer’d Meg, fu’ blue,
To get ane hood I hald it best ;
By God’s saul that is true,
Quoth she,
Of Peebles to the play.
She took the tippet by the end,
To let it hing she leit not.
Quoth he, Thy back shall bear ane bend ;
In Faith, quoth she, we meit not.
She was so guckit and so gend,
That day ane bit she eat not ;
Then spak her fallow, that her ken’d,
Be still, my joy, and greet not,
Now,
Of Peebles to the play.
Ever, alas, then said she,
Am I not clearly tynt,
I dare not come yon market to,
I am so ill sun-brynt :
Among yon merchands my duds do,
Marie I sall ance mynt,
Stand off far, and keik them to,
As I at hame was wont,
Quoth she.
Of Peebles to the play.
Hope, Kailyie, and Cardrona,
Gather it out thick-fauld,
With hey, and how, rohumbelow,
The young folk were fu’ bauld :
The bag-pipe blew, and they out-threw,
Out of the towns untauld ;
Lord ! sic ane shout was them amang,
When they were ower the wald,
There west,
Of Peebles to the play.
Ane young man stert into that steid,
As cant as ony colt,
Ane birken hat upon his head
With ane bow, and ane bolt ;
Said, Merry maidens, think not lang,
The weather is fair and smolt.
He cleekit up ane hie ruf sang,
“Thair fure ane man to the holt,”
Quoth he,
Of Peebles to the play.
They had not gane half of the gait
When the maidens came upo’ them,
Ilk ane man gae his conceit,
How that they wad dispone them :
Ane said, the fairest falls to me,
Tak ye the lave and fond' them.
Anither said, Waes me ! let be,
On Tweddell side, and on them,
Swith,
Of Peebles to the play.
Then he to gae, and she to gae,
And ne’er ane bade abide you :
One winklot fell, and her tail up —
Wow ! quoth Malkin, hide you ;
What neidis you to maik it sae ?
Yon man will not ower-ride you.
Are ye ower gude, quoth she, I say,
To let them gang beside you,
Yonder,
Of Peebles to the play.
Then they cam to the town’s end,
Withouten more delay ;
He before, and she before,
To see wha was maist gay :
All that lookit them upon
Leugh fast at their array ;
Some said that they were mercat folk ;
Some said the Queen of May
Wast comit,
Of Peebles to the play.
Then they to the tavern-house
With meikle oly prance ;
Ane spak wi’ words wonder crouse,
A done with ane mischance
Braid up the buird (he “hydis” tyt),
We are all in ane trance,
See that our napery be white.
For we will dine and dance,
There out,
Of Peebles to the play.
Aye as the gudewife brought in
Ane scorit upon the wauch.
Ane bade pay, another said nay,
Bide while we reckon our lauch.
The gudewife said, Have ye nae dread,
Ye sall pay that ye “auch.”
Ane young man stert upon his feet,
And he began to lauch,
For heyden,
Of Peebles to the play.
He gat ane trencher in his hand,
And he began to count :
Ilk man twa and ane happenny,
To pay thus we were wont.
Ane other stert upon his feet,
And said, thou art ower blunt,
To tak sic office upon hand ;
By G—d thou ’servit ane dunt
Of me,
Of Peebles to the play.
Ane dunt ! quoth he, what devil is that ?
By G—d thou dar not do’t,
He stert till ane broggit staff,
Winchand as he were wud.
All that house was in ane reird,
Ane cryit, The haly rude !
Help us, Lord, upon this yird
That there be spilt nae blude,
Herein,
Of Peebles to the play.
They thrang out of the door at anes,
Withouten ony reddin ;
Gilbert in a gutter glaid,
He gat nae better beddin.
There was not ane of them that day
Wad do ane ither’s biddin ;
Thereby lay three and thretty, some
Trundlind in a middin
Of draff,
Of Peebles to the play.
Ane cadger on the mercat-gait
Heard their bargain begin ;
He gave ane shout, his wife came out,
Scantly she might o’erhie him :
He held, she drew ; for dust that day,
Might no man see a styme,
To redd them,
Of Peebles to the play.
He sterdt to his great grey meir,
And off he tumblit the creils ;
Alas, quoth she, hald our gude man ;
And on her knees she kneels.
Abide, quoth she ; why, nay, quoth he ;
Intill his stirups he leapt,
The girthin brak, and he fell aff,
And up stert baith his heills,
At anes,
Of Peebles to the play.
His wife cam out, and gave ane shout,
And by the foot she gat him,
And all be dirten drew him out ;
Lord G—d ! right weel that sat him !
He said, where is yon cullion knave ?
Quoth she, I reed ye lat him
Gang hame his gaitis. By G—d, quoth he,
I shall anes have at him,
Yet,
Of Peebles to the play.
You fyl’d me, fie for shame, quoth she,
See as you have drest me ;
How felt you, sir, as the girdin brak
What mickle devil may lest me ;
I wat not weel what it was,
My ain grey meir, that kest me,
Or gif I was forfochen-faint,
And syne laid doun to rest me,
Yonder,
Of Peebles to the play.
By that the bargain was all play’d,
The strings stert out of their nocks ;
Sevinsome, that the tulyie made,
Lay gruffling in the stocks.
John Nickson of the Nether ward
Had lever have given ane ox,
Or he had come in that companie
He swore by Goddisocks,
And mannis baith,
Of Peebles to the play.
With that, Will Swain came sweitand out,
Ane mickle miller man ;
Gif I sall dance, have done, let see,
Blaw up the bagpipe than :
The schawman’s dance I maun begin,
I trow it sall not pain ;
So heavily he hochit about,
To see him, lord ! as they ran,
That tide,
Of Peebles to the play.
They gatherit out of the toun,
An nearer till him dreuch ;
Ane bade gie the dancers room,
Will Swain maks wonder teuch.
Then all the wenches “Tehee” they cry it ;
But Lord, as Will Young leuch ;
Gude gossip come hyn your gaitis,
For we have danced aneuch,
At anes,
At Peebles at the play.
So fiercely fire-het was the day,
His face began to freckle ;
Then Tibby took him by the hand,
Was new come frae the heckle ;
Alas, quoth she, what shall I do ?
And our door has nae steckle,
And she to gae as her tail brynt,
And all the carles to heckle,
At her,
Of Peebles to the play.
The piper said, Now I begin,
To tire, for playin to you,
But yet have I gotten naething,
For all my pipin’ to you ;
Three happennies for half a day,
And that will not undo you :
And if ye will give me richt nought,
The mickle deil gang wi’ you,
Quoth he,
Of Peebles to the play.
By that, the dancin was all done,
Their leave took less and mair,
When the winklots and the wooers twin’d
To see it was heart-sair.
Wat Atken said to fair Alice,
My bird now will I fare :
The deil a word that she might speak,
But swoonit that sweet of swair,
For kindness,
Of Peebles to the play.
He fippit like ane featherless fowl,
And said, Be still, my sweet thing ;
By the haly rood of Peebles,
I may not rest for greeting :
He whistlit and he pipit baith,
To mak her blyth that meeting :
My bonnie heart, how says the sang ?
“There sall be mirth at our meeting,”
Yet,
Of Peebles to the play.
By that the sun was setting fast,
And near done was the day ;
There men might hear shukin of chafts,
When that they went their way.
Had there been mair made of this sang,
Mair sould I to you say :
At Beltan when ilka bodie bounes
To Peebles to the play. |
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