And when they came to Kelso town, And the tail turned up wi' green ;— O at the saft and silly bridegroom When up there spake the bridegroom's man, For woman's love's a wilfu' thing, Then hey play up the rinaway bride, For she has ta'en the gee. There is a lively and original spirit in this song such as few songs possess. It first found a place in Yair's collection, and then in David Herd's; but it was popular among the peasantry before, and few districts are without numerous variations. The present copy seems more complete and consistent than the others, and the concluding verse is without the indelicacy which polluted the earlier versions. OUR GUDEMAN CAME HAME AT E'EN. Our gudeman came hame at e'en, And hame came he, And there he saw a saddle-horse, Where nae horse should be: And how came this horse here, And how can it be? O how came this horse here Without the leave o' me? A horse! quo' she,-aye, a horse, quo' he. Ye blind donard bodie, And blinder may ye be, 'Tis but a dainty milk-cow My mither sent to me. A milk cow! quo' he,—aye, a milk cow, quo' she. O far hae I ridden, And meikle hae I seen, But a saddle on a milk-cow Our gudeman came hame at e'en, And he spied a pair of jack-boots Where nae boots should be: What's this now, gudewife, What's this I see? How came these boots here Without the leave o' me? Boots! quo' she,-aye, boots! quo' he. Shame fa' yere cuckold face, And waur may ye see, It's but a pair o' milking pails My minnie sent to me. Milking-pails! quo' he,-aye, milking-pails! quo' she. But siller spurs on milking-pails Saw I never nane. Our gudeman came hame at e'en, And there he saw a shining sword What's this now, gudewife, O how came this sword here Without the leave o' me? A sword! quo' she,-aye, a sword! quo' he. Shame fa' yere cuckold face, And waur may ye see, My mither sent to me. A spurtle! quo' he,-aye, a spurtle! quo' she. Far hae I ridden, love, And meikle hae I seen, But silver hilted spurtles Saw I never nane. Our gudeman came hame at e'en, And hame came he, And there he spied a powdered wig Where nae wig should be ; What's this now, gudewife, What's this I see? How came this wig here Without the leave o' me? A wig! quo' she,-aye, a wig! quo' he. Shame fa' yere cuckold face, And waur may ye see, "Tis nothing but a clocking-hen My mither sent to me. A clocking-hen! quo' he,—aye, a clocking-hen! quo' she. Far hae I ridden, love, And meikle hae I seen, But powder on a clocking-hen Our gudeman came hame at e'en, And hame came he, And there he saw a meikle coat Where nae coat should be: And how came this coat here, And how can it be? O how came this coat here Without the leave o' me? A coat! quo' she,-aye, a coat! quo' he. Ye blind donard bodie, And blinder may ye be; It's but a pair o' blankets My mither sent to me. Blankets! quo' he,—aye, blankets! quo' she. Far hae I ridden, love, And meikle hae I seen; But buttons upon blankets Saw I never nane. Ben went our gudeman, And there he spied a sturdy man How came this man here? And how can it be? How came this man here Without the leave o' me? A man! quo' she,―aye, a man! quo' he. Ye silly blind bodie, And blinder may ye be ; 'Tis a new milking maiden My mither sent to me. A maid! quo' he,-aye, a maid! quo' she. Far hae I ridden, love, And meikle hae I seen; VOL. III. с |