The Outlaw Murray (Child 305B)

Etterick Forest’s a pleasant land,
And it grows mony a bonny tree;
With buck and doe and a’ wild beast,
A castle stands right bonnilie.

Yon castle has twa unicorns,
The like I never saw wi my ee,
The picture of a knight and lady bright,
And the green hollin’s aboon her [bree].

Word is gane to Edinbro town
That there’s an Outlaw in Etterick forest
That keeps as fine a court as he.

The king has sworn a solemn oath,
And he has sworn by [the Virgin Mary],
He would either be king of Etterick forest,
Or king of Scotland the Outlaw should be.

He has ca’d up Mr James Boyd,
A highland laird I’m sure was he:
‘Ye must gae to Etterick forest
And see of wha he hads his land,
And wha pays yon men meat and fee.’

He’s tane his leave o the king and court,
Een as hard as he may dree;
When he came in o’er Loudon edge,
He viewed the forest wi his eee.

He thought it was as pleasant a land
As ever his two eyes did see,
But when he came in oer ...,
They were a’ ranked on Newark lee.

O waly, but they were bonny to see!
Five hundred men playing at the ba;
They were a’ clad in the Lincoln green,
And the Outlaw’s sell in taffety.

‘Weel met you save, Outlaw,’ he says,
‘You and your brave companie;
The King of Scotland hath sent me here,
To see whom on you hold your lands,
Or who pays thir men meat and fee.’

The first ae man the answer made,
It was the Outlaw he:
‘The lands they are all mine,
And I pay thir men meat and fee,
And as I wan them so will I lose them,
Contrair the kings o Cristendie.

‘I never was a king’s subject,
And a king’s subject I’ll never be;
For I wan them i the fields fighting,
Where him and his nobles durst not come and see.’

O out bespeaks the Outlaw’s lady,
I wot she spake right wisely;
‘Be good unto your nobles at home,
For Edinbro mine shall never see;’
But meat and drink o the best I’m sure got he.

He has taen his leave o the Outlaw free,
And een as hard as he may dree,
While he came to the king’s court,
Where he kneeld low down on his knee.

‘What news? what news, James,’ he says,
‘Frae yon Outlaw and his company?’
‘Yon forest is as fine a land
As ever I did see.

‘Yon Outlaw keeps as fine a court
As any king in Cristendie;
Yon lands they are here all his own,
And he pays yon men meat and fee,
And as he wan them so will he lose them,
Contrair the kings of Cristendie.

‘He never was a king’s subject,
And a king’s subject he’ll never be;
For he wan them in the fields fighting,
Where the king and his nobles durst not come to see.’

The king has sworn a solemn oath,
And he has sworn by the Virgin Mary,
He would either be king of Etterick forest,
Or king of Scotland the Outlaw should be.

The king has ca’d up Mr James Pringle,
Laird of Torson[s]e at the time was he:
‘Ye must gae to Etterick forest,
And see wha of he hads his land,
And wha pays yon men meat and fee.’