(BALLADS AND LYRICS OF OLD FRANCE,p.63)YOUNG BEICHAN,OR YOUNG BICHAMThis is the original of the Cockney LOVING BALLAD OF LORD BATEMAN,illustrated by Cruikshank,and by Thackeray.There is a vast number of variants,evidence to the antiquity of the story.The earliest known trace is in the familiar legend of the Saracen lady,who sought and found her lover,Gilbert Becket,father of Thomas e Becket,in London (see preface to LIFE OF BECKET,or Beket),Percy Society,1845.The date may be CIRC.1300.The kind of story,the loving daughter of the cruel captor,is as old as Medea and Jason,and her search for her lover comes in such MARCHEN as "The Black Bull o'Norraway."No story is more widely diffused (see A FARTRAVELLED TALE,in the Editor's CUSTOM AND MYTH).The appearance of the "True Love,"just at her lover's wedding,is common in the MARCHEN of the world,and occurs in a Romaic ballad,as well as in many from Northern Europe.The "local colour"-the Moor or Saracen-is derived from Crusading times,perhaps.Motherwell found the ballad recited with intervals of prose narrative,as in AUCASSIN AND NICOLETTE.The notes to Cruikshank's LOVING BALLADare,obviously,by Thackeray.
THE BONNY HOUSE O'AIRLY
Lord Airly's houses were destroyed by Argyll,representing the Covenanters,and also in pursuance of a private feud,in 1639,or 1640.There are erroneous versions of this ballad,in which Lochiel appears,and the date is,apparently,transferred to 1745.
Montrose,in his early Covenanting days,was not actually concerned in the burning of the Bonnie House,which he,when a Royalist,revenged on the possessions of "gleyed Argyll."The reference to "Charlie"is out of keeping;no one,perhaps,ever called Charles I.by that affectionate name.Lady Ogilvie had not the large family attributed to her:her son,Lord Ogilvie,escaped from prison in the Castle of St.Andrews,after Philiphaugh.A Lord Ogilvie was out in 1745;and,later,had a regiment in the French Service.Few families have a record so consistently loyal.
ROB ROY
The abductors of the widowed young heiress of Edenhelly were Rob's sons,Robin Oig,who went through a form of marriage with the girl,and James Mohr,a good soldier,but a double-dyed spy and scoundrel.Robin Oig was hanged in 1753.James Mohr,a detected traitor to Prince Charles,died miserably in Paris,in 1754.
Readers of Mr.Stevenson's CATRIONA know James well;information as to his villanies is extant in Additional MSS.(British Museum).
This is probably the latest ballad in the collection.It occurs in several variants,some of which,copied out by Burns,derive thence a certain accidental interest.In Mr.Stevenson's CATRIONA,the heroine of that name takes a thoroughly Highland view of the abduction.Robin Oig,in any case,was "nane the waur o'a hanging,"for he shot a Maclaren at the plough-tail,before the Forty-Five.The trial of these sons of Alpen was published shortly after Scott's ROB ROY.
KILLIECRANKIE
Fought on July 27,1689.NOT on the haugh near the modern road by the railway,but higher up the hill,in the grounds of Urrard House.Two shelter trenches,whence Dundee's men charged,are still visible,high on the hillside above Urrand.There is said,by Mr.Child,to have been a contemporary broadside of the ballad,which is an example of the evolution of popular ballads from the old traditional model.There is another song,by,or attributed to,Burns,and of remarkable spirit and vigour.
ANNAN WATER
From THE BORDER MINSTRELSY Scott says that these are the original words of the tune of "Allan Water,"and that he has added two verses from a variant with a fortunate conclusion."Allan Water"
is a common river name;the stream so called joins Teviot above Branxholme.Annan is the large stream that flows into the Solway Frith.The Gate-slack,in Annandale,fixes the locality.
THE ELPHIN NOURRICE
This curious poem is taken from the reprint of Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe's tiny BALLAD BOOK,itself now almost INTROUVABLE.It does not,to the Editor's knowledge,occur elsewhere,but is probably authentic.The view of the Faery Queen is more pleasing and sympathetic than usual.Why mortal women were desired as nurses (except to attend on stolen mortal children,kept to "pay the Kane to hell")is not obvious.Irish beliefs are precisely similar;in England they are of frequent occurrence.
JOHNNIE ARMSTRANG
Armstrang of Gilnockie was a brother of the laird of Mangertoun.
He had a kind of Robin Hood reputation on the Scottish Border,as one who only robbed the English.Pitscottie's account of his slaying by James V.(1529)reads as if the ballad were his authority,and an air for the subject is mentioned in the COMPLAINTOF SCOTLAND.In Sir Herbert Maxwell's HISTORY OF DUMFRIES ANDGALLOWAY is an excellent account of the historical facts of the case.
EDOM O'GORDON
Founded on an event in the wars between Kingsmen and Queensmen,in the minority of James VI.,while Queen Mary was imprisoned in England."Edom"was Adam Gordon of Auchindown,brother of Huntley,and a Queen's man.He,by his retainer,Car,or Ker,burned Towie House,a seat of the Forbes's.Ker recurs in the long and more or less literary ballad of THE BATTLE OF BALRINNES.In variants the localities are much altered,and,in one version,the scene is transferred to Ayrshire,and Loudoun Castle.All the ballads of fire-raising,a very usual practice,have points in common,and transference was easy.
LADY ANNE BOTHWELL'S LAMENT