The Tempted Lady

Scottish Fairy and Folk Tales, by George Douglas, [1901], at sacred-texts.com

THE TEMPTED LADY. ²

"Noo, lasses, ye should never be owre proud; for ye see there was ance a leddy, and she was aye fond o' being brawer than other folk; so she gaed awa' to take a walk ae day, her and her brother: so she met wi' a gentleman--but it was nae gentleman in reality, but Auld Nick himsel', who can change himsel' brawly into a gentleman--a' but the cloven feet; but he keepit them out o' sight. So he began to make love to the young leddy:--

'I'll gie you a pennyworth o' preens, ³
That's aye the way that love begins;
If ye'll walk with me, leddy, leddy,
If ye'll walk with me, leddy.'

p. 80

'I'll no hae your pennyworth o' preens,
That's no the way that love begins;
And I'll no walk with you, with you,
And I'll no walk with you.'

'O Johnie, O Johnie, what can the matter be,
That I love this leddy, and she loves na me?
And for her sake I must die, must die,
And for her sake I must die!

'I'll gie you a bonny silver box,
With seven silver hinges, and seven silver locks,
If ye'll walk,' etc.

'I'll no hae your bonny silver box,
With seven silver hinges, and seven silver locks,
And I'll no walk,' etc.

'O Johnie, O Johnie' [as in third verse].

'But I'll gie you a bonnier silver box,
With seven golden hinges, and seven golden locks,
If ye'll walk,' etc.

'I'll no hae' [as in fifth verse].

'O Johnie' [as in third verse].

'I'll gie you a pair o' bonny shoon,
The tane made in Sodom, the tother in Rome,
If ye'll walk,' etc.

p. 81

'I'll no hae' [as in fifth verse].

'O Johnie' [as in third verse].

'I'll gie you the half o' Bristol town,
With coaches rolling up and down,
If ye'll walk,' etc.

'I'll no hae' [as in fifth verse].

'O Johnie' [as in third verse].

'I'll gie you the hale o' Bristol town,
With coaches rolling up and down,
If Ye'll walk with me, leddy, leddy,
If ye'll walk with me, leddy.'

'If ye'll gie me the hale o' Bristol town,
With coaches rolling up and down,
I will walk with you, with you,
And I will walk with you."

And aff he flew wi' her! Noo, lasses, ye see ye maun aye mind that."

Footnotes

79:2 Chambers, Popular Rhymes of Scotland.

79:3 Pins.