Volume 2 — 94 YOUNG WATERS
Reading edition
Percy's Reliques, 1765, II, 172.
Percy took this ballad "from a copy printed not long since at Glasgow, in one sheet 8vo," and he informs us that the world was indebted for its publication to the Lady Jean Hume, sister to the Earl of Hume. Maidment, Scotish Ballads and Songs, Historical and Traditionary, II, 62, gives the title of the first edition as follows: Young Waters, an Ancient Scotish Poem, never before printed. Glasgow: printed and sold by Robert and Andrew Foulis. MDCCLV. Small 4to, pp. 8. He does not say whether he prints from the original edition. The ballad was repeated in Herd's Ancient and Modern Scots Songs, 1769, p. 238; in Ritson's Scotish Song, 1794, II, 181, with the variation of a word or two; and in Pinkerton's Select Scotish Ballads, 1783, I, 72, with arbitrary changes.
Motherwell, Minstrelsy, Introduction, p. lxviii, note 16, says he had never met with any traditionary version of this ballad. There is a copy in the Skene MSS, p. 23, which in all likelihood was learned by the writer from print. Buchan, who may generally be relied upon to produce a longer ballad than anybody else, has 'Young Waters' in thirty-nine stanzas, "the only complete version which he had ever met." Of this copy I will only say that everything which is not in the edition of 1755 (itself a little the worse for editing) is a counterfeit of the lowest description. Nevertheless it is given in an appendix; for much the same reason that thieves are photographed.
It is possible, and Aytoun, I, 93, thinks highly probable, that this ballad may have been founded on some real event in Scottish history; but Aytoun shows a commendable discretion in his conclusion that, "though various conjectures have been hazarded as to its origin, none appear sufficiently plausible to warrant their adoption," an opinion in which Maidment fully concurs. Chambers, who unhesitatingly accepted Buchan's ballad, did not, in 1829, entertain the least doubt that Young Waters was one of the Scottish nobles executed by James I after his return from his captivity in England, and very probably Walter Stuart, second son of the Duke of Albany: The Scottish Ballads, p. 34. Thirty years later he had no more doubt that the ballad was composed by Lady Wardlaw.
A Scandinavian ballad, historical to the extent that one version has historical names, exhibits the principal incidents of the short story of 'Young Waters.' Danish. 'Folke Lovmandsøn og Dronning Helvig,' texts of the 16th century, Grundtvig, III, 691, No 178, A-D.[153] Swedish. A, 'Falkvard Lagermanson,' tradition of this century, Arwidsson, II, 62, No 80. B, manuscript of the last century, Grundtvig, III, 697. The king and queen, Danish B, are Magnus I of Sweden and his wife Helvig (died 1290, 1325). Folke Lovmandsøn is in high favor with dames and maids, but especially with the queen, to whose service he is devoted. A little wee page plays the part of the wily lord of 'Young Waters' in exciting the king's jealousy. The innocent young knight is rolled down hill in a tun set with knives.
Translated by Grundtvig, No 7, p. 48; Herder, II, 68; Döring, p. 383; Allingham's copy by Knortz, Lieder und Romanzen Alt-Englands, No 8, p. 33; Buchan's by Gerhard, p. 8.
1 About Yule, when the wind blew cule, And the round tables began, A there is cum to our king's court Mony a well-favourd man. 2 The queen luikt owre the castle-wa, Beheld baith dale and down, And then she saw Young Waters Cum riding to the town. 3 His footmen they did rin before, His horsemen rade behind; Ane mantel of the burning gowd Did keip him frae the wind. 4 Gowden-graithd his horse before, And siller-shod behind; The horse Young Waters rade upon Was fleeter than the wind. 5 Out then spake a wylie lord, Unto the queen said he, 'O tell me wha's the fairest face Rides in the company?' 6 'I've sene lord, and I've sene laird, And knights of high degree, But a fairer face than Young Waters Mine eyne did never see.' 7 Out then spack the jealous king, And an angry man was he: 'O if he had been twice as fair, You micht have excepted me.' 8 'You 're neither laird nor lord,' she says, 'Bot the king that wears the crown; There is not a knight in fair Scotland But to thee maun bow down.' 9 For a' that she could do or say, Appeasd he wad nae bee, Bot for the words which she had said, Young Waters he maun dee. 10 They hae taen Young Waters, And put fetters to his feet; They hae taen Young Waters, And thrown him in dungeon deep. 11 'Aft I have ridden thro Stirling town In the wind bot and the weit; Bot I neir rade thro Stirling town Wi fetters at my feet. 12 'Aft have I ridden thro Stirling town In the wind bot and the rain; Bot I neir rade thro Stirling town Neir to return again.' 13 They hae taen to the heiding-hill His young son in his craddle, And they hae taen to the heiding-hill His horse bot and his saddle. 14 They hae taen to the heiding-hill His lady fair to see, And for the words the queen had spoke Young Waters he did dee.
Quhen, zoung, etc., are printed when, young.
33. And corrected to Ane in the second edition of the Reliques.
51. But. Ritson, Maidment, Out.
101, 3. Waters and: and is carried on to the following line.
APPENDIX.
Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, I, 15.
1 It fell about the gude Yule time, When caps and stoups gaed roun, Down it came him Young Waters, To welcome James, our king. 2 The great, the great, rade a' together, The sma came a' behin, But wi Young Waters, that brave knight, There came a gay gatherin. 3 The horse Young Waters rade upon, It cost him hunders nine; For he was siller-shod before, And gowd-graith had behin. 4 At ilka tippit o his horse mane There hang a siller bell; The wind was loud, the steed was proud, And they gae a sindry knell. 5 The king he lay ower's castle-wa, Beheld baith dale and down, And he beheld him Young Waters, Come riding to the town. 6 He turnd him right and round about, And to the queen said he, Who is the bravest man, my dame, That ever your een did see? 7 'I've seen lairds, and I've seen lords, And knights o high degree, But a braver man than Young Waters My een did never see.' 8 He turnd him right and roun about, And ane angry man was he: 'O wae to you, my dame, the queen, Ye might hae excepted me!' 9 'Ye are nae laird, ye are nae lord, Ye are the king that wears the crown; There's nae a lord in fair Scotland But unto you maun a' bow down.' 10 'O lady, for your love-choicing, Ye shall win to your will; The morn, or I eat or drink, Young Waters I'll gar kill.' 11 'And nevertheless,' the king coud say, 'Ye might hae excepted me; Yea for yea,' the king coud say, 'Young Waters he shall die. 12 'Likewise for your ill-wyled words, Ye sall hae cause to mourn; Gin ye hadna been sae big wi child, Ye on a hill sud burn.' 13 Young Waters came before the king, Fell low down on his knee: 'Win up, win up, Young Waters, What 's this I hear o thee?' 14 'What ails the king at me,' he said, 'What ails the king at me?' 'It is tauld me the day, sir knight, Ye 've done me treasonie.' 15 'Liars will lie on fell gude men, Sae will they do on me; I wudna wish to be the man That liars on wudna lie.' 16 'Nevertheless,' the king coud say, 'In prison strang gang ye; O yea for yea,' the king coud say, 'Young Waters, ye shall die.' 17 Syne they hae taen him Young Waters, Laid him in prison strang, And left him there wi fetters boun, Making a heavy mane. 18 'Aft hae I ridden thro Striveling town Thro heavy wind and weet; But neer rade I thro Striveling town Wi fetters on my feet. 19 'Aft hae I ridden thro Striveling town Thro heavy wind and rain; But neer rade I thro Striveling town But thought to ridden't again.' 20 They brought him to the heading-hill, His horse bot and his saddle; And they brought to the heading-hill His young son in his cradle. 21 And they brought to the heading-hill His hounds intill a leish; And they brought till the heading-hill His gos-hawk in a jess. 22 King James he then rade up the hill, And mony a man him wi, And called on his trusty page To come right speedilie. 23 'Ye'll do ye to the Earl o Mar, For he sits on yon hill; Bid him to loose the brand frae his bodie, Young Waters for to kill.' 24 'O gude forbid,' the Earl he said, 'The like sud eer fa me, My bodie eer sud wear the brand That gars Young Waters die.' 25 Then he has loosd his trusty brand And casten't in the sea; Says, Never lat them get a brand Till it come back to me. 26 The scaffold it prepared was, And he did mount it hie, And a' spectators that were there, The saut tears blint their ee. 27 'O had your tongues, my brethren dear, And mourn nae mair for me; Ye're seeking grace frae a graceless face, For there is nane to gie. 28 'Ye'll tak a bit o canvas claith And pit it ower my ee; And Jack, my man, ye'll be at hand The hour that I sud die. 29 'Syne aff ye'll tak my bluidy sark, Gie it fair Margaret Grahame; For she may curse the dowie dell That brought King James him hame. 30 'Ye'll bid her mak her bed narrow, And mak it naeways wide; For a brawer man than Young Waters Will neer streek by her side. 31 'Bid her do weel to my young son, And gie him nurses three; For gin he live to be a man, King James will gar him die.' 32 He calld upon the headsman, then, A purse o gowd him gae; Says, Do your office, headsman, boy, And mak nae mair delay. 33 O head me soon, O head me clean, And pit me out o pine; For it is by the king's command; Gang head me till his min. 34 Tho by him I'm condemnd to die, I'm lieve to his ain kin; And for the truth, I'll plainly tell, I am his sister's son. 35 'Gin ye're my sister's son,' he said, 'It is unkent to me;' 'O mindna ye on your sister Bess, That lives in the French countrie?' 36 'Gin Bess then be your mither dear, As I trust well she be, Gae hame, gae hame, Young Waters, Ye'se neer be slain by me.' 37 But he lay by his napkin fine, Was saft as ony silk, And on the block he laid his neck, Was whiter than the milk. 38 Says, Strike the blow, ye headsman, boy, And that right speedilie; It's never be said, Here gaes a knight Was ance condemnd to die. 39 The head was taen frae Young Waters, And mony tears for him shed; But mair did mourn for fair Margaret, As raving she lyes mad.