Child has 5 (A-E) versions of Babylon or The Bonnie Banks o Fordie

[ A | B | C | D | E ]

Version A

Name: Babylon, or The bonnie Banks o Fordie

Note: a. Motherwell s Minstrelsy, p. 88. b. The same. 
c.The same, Appendix, p. xxii, No XXVI, apparently from South
Perthshire.
	
1 THERE were three ladies lived in a bower,
Eh vow bonnie
And they went out to pull a flower.
On the bonnie banks o Fordie

2 They hadna pu'ed a flower but ane,
When up started to them a banisht man.

3 He's taen the first sister by her hand,
And he's turned her round and made her stand.

4 'It's whether will ye be a rank robber's wife,
Or will ye die by my wee pen-knife?'

5 'It's I'll not be a rank robber's wife,
But I'll rather die by your wee pen-knife.'

6 He's killed this may, and he's laid her by,
For to bear the red rose company.

7 He's taken the second ane by the hand,
And he's turned her round and made her stand.

8 'It's whether will ye be a rank robber's wife,
Or will ye die by my wee pen-knife?'

9 'I'll not be a rank robber's wife,
But I'll rather die by your wee pen-knife.'

10 He's killed this may, and he's laid her by,
For to bear the red rose company.

11 He's taken the youngest ane by the hand,
And he 's turned her round and made her stand.

12 Says, 'Will ye be a rank robber's wife,
Or will ye die by my wee pen-knife?'

13 'I'11 not be a rank robber's wife,
Nor will I die by your wee pen-knife.

14 'For I hae a brother in this wood.
And gin ye kill me, it 's he '11 kill thee.'

15 'What's thy brother's name? come tell to me.'
'My brother's name is Baby Lon.'

16 '0 sister, sister, what have I done!
0 have I done this ill to thee!

17 '0 since I've done this evil deed,
Good sall never be seen o me.'

18 He's taken out his wee pen-knife,
And he's twyned himsel o his ain sweet life.


 Version B

Name: The Banishd Man

Note: Herd's MSS, i, 38, it, 76. b. The Scots Magazine, Oct.,
1803, p. 699, communicated by Jamieson, and evidently
from Herd's copy.	

1 THERE wond three ladies in a bower,
Annet and Margret and Marjorie
And they have gane out to pu a flower.
And the dew it lyes on the wood, gay ladie

2 They had nae pu'd a flower but ane,
When up has started a banished man.

3 He has taen the eldest by the hand,
He has turned her about and bade her stand.

4 'Now whether will ye be a banisht man's wife,
Or will ye be sticked wi my pen-knife?'

5 'I will na be ca'd a banished man's wife,
I'11 rather be stieked wi your pen-knife.'

6 And he has taen out his little pen-knife,
And frae this lady he has taen the life.

7 He has taen the second by the hand,
He has turned her about and lie bad her stand.

8 'Now whether will ye be a banisht man's wife,
Or will ye be sticked wi my pen-knife?'

9 'I will na be ca'd a banished man's wife;
I'll rather be sticked wi your pen-knife.'

10 And he has taen out his little pen-knife,
And frae this lady he has taen the life.

11 He has taen the youngest by the hand,
He has turned her about and he bad her stand.

12 'Now whether will ye be a banished man's wife,
Or will ye be stieked wi my pen-knife?'

13 'I winnae be called a banished man's wife,
Nor yet will I be sticked wi your pen-knife.

14 'But gin my three brethren had been here,
Ye had nae slain my sisters dear.'

*     *     *     *     *     *

 Version C

Name: None

Note: Motherwell's MS., p. 172. From J. Goldie, March, 1825.


1 THERE were three sisters on a road,
Gilly flower gentle rosemary
And there they met a banished lord!
And the dew it hings over the mulberry tree

2 The eldest sister was on the road,
And there she met with the banished lord.

3 '0 will ye consent to lose your life,
Or will ye be a banished lord's wife?'

4 'I'll rather consent to lose my life
Before I'll be a banished lord's wife.'

5 'It's lean your head upon my staff,'
And with his pen-knife he has cutted it alt.

6 He flang her in amang the broom,
Saying, 'Lye ye there till another ane come.'

7 The second sister was on the road,
And there she met with the banished lord.

8 '0 will ye consent to lose your life,
Or will ye be a banished lord's wife?'

9 'I'11 rather consent to lose my life
Before I'll be a banished lord's wife.'

10 'It's lean yonr head upon my staff,'
And with his pen-knife he has cutted it aff.

11 He flang her in amang the broom,
Saying, 'Lie ye there till another ane come.'

12 The youngest sister was on the road,
And there she met with the banished lord.

13 '0 will ye consent to lose your life,
Or will ye be a banished lord's wife?'

14 '0 if my three brothers were here,
Ye durstna put me in such a fear.'

15 'What are your three brothers, altho they were here,
That I durstna put you in such a fear?'

16 'My eldest brother's a belted knight,
The second. he 's a . . . . . 

17 'My youngest brother's a banished lord,
And oftentimes he walks on this road.'

*     *     *     *     *     * 

 Version D

Name:  None

Notes: Motherwell's MS., p. 174. From the recitation of Agnes
Lyle, Kilbarchan, July 27, 1825.


1 THERE were three sisters, they lived in a	bower,
Sing Anna, sing Margaret, sing Marjorie
The youngest o them was the fairest flower.
And the dew goes thro the wood, gay ladie

2 The oldest of them she's to the wood gane,
To seek a braw leaf and to bring it hame.

3 There she met with an outlyer bold,
Lies many long nights in the woods so cold.	

4 'Istow a maid, or istow a wife?
Wiltow twinn with thy maidenhead, or thy sweet life ? '	

5 '0 kind sir, if I hae't at my will,
I'll twinn with my life, keep my maidenhead	still,

6 He's taen out his we pen-knife,
He's twinned this young lady of her sweet life

7 He wiped his knife along the dew;
But the more he wiped, the redder it grew.

8 The second of them she's to the wood gane,
To seek her old sister, and to bring her hame.

9 There she met with an outlyer bold,
Lies many long nights in the woods so cold.

10 'Istow a maid, or istow a wife?
Wiltow twiun with thy maidenhead, or thy sweet life?'

11 '0 kind sir, if I hae't at my will,
I'll twinn with my life, keep my maidenhead still.'

12 He's taen out his we pen-knife,
He's twinned this young lady of her sweet life.

13 He wiped his knife along the dew;
But the more he wiped, the redder it grew.

14 The yonngest of them she's to the wood gane,
To seek her two sisters, and to bring them hame.

15 There she met with an outlyer bold,
Lies many long nights in the woods so cold.

16 'Istow a maid, or istow a wife?
Wiltow twinn with thy maidenhead, or thy sweet life?'

17 'If my three brethren they were here,
Such questions as these thou durst nae speer.'

18 'Pray, what may thy three brethren he,
That I durst na mak so bold with thee?'

19 'The eldest o them is a minister bred,
He teaches the people from evil to good.

20 'The second o them is a ploughman good,
He ploughs the land for his livelihood.

21 'The youngest of them is an oatlyer bold,
Lies many a long night ire the woods so cold.'

22 He stuck his knife then into the ground,
He took a long race, let himself fall on.


Version E

Name: Duke of Perth's Three Daughters

Note: Kinloch's Ancient Scottish Ballads, p 212.
From Mearnsshire.

1 THE Duke o Perth had three daughters,
Elizabeth, Margaret, and fair Marie;
And Elizabeth's to the greenwud gane,
To pu the rose and the fair lilie.

2 But she hadna pu'd a rose, a rose,
A double rose, but barely three,
Whan up and started a Loudon lord,
Wi Loudon hose, and Loudon sheen.

3 'Will ye be called a robber's wife?
Or will ye be stickit wi my bloody knife?
For pu'in the rose and the fair lilie,
For pu'in them sae fair and free.'

4 'Before I'11 be called a robber's wife,
I'll rather be stickit wi your bloody knife,
For pu'in,' etc.

5 Then out he's tane his little pen-knife,
And he's parted her and her sweet life,
And thrown her oer a bank o brume,
There never more for to be found.

6 The Duke o Perth had three daughters,
Elizabeth, Margaret, and fair Marie;
And Margaret's to the greenwud gane,
To pu the rose and the fair lilie.

7 She hadna pu'd a rose, a rose,
A double rose, but barely three,
When up and started a Loudon lord,
Wi Loudon hose, and Loudon sheen.

8 'Will ye be called a robber's wife?
Or will ye be stickit wi my bloody knife?
For pu'in,' etc.

9 'Before I'll be called a robber's wife,
I'11 rather be stickit wi your bloody knife,
For pu'in,' etc.

10 Then out he's tane his little pen-knife,
And he's parted her and her sweet life,
For pu'in, etc.

11 The Duke o Perth had three daughters,
Elizabeth, Margaret, and fair Marie;
And Mary's to the greenwud gane,
To pu the rose and the fair lilie

12 She hadna pu'd a rose, a rose,
A double rose, but barely three,
When up and started a Loudon lord,
Wi Loudon hose, and Loudon sheen.

13 '0 will ye be called a robber's wife?
Or will ye be stickit wi my bloody knife?
For pu'in,' etc.

14 'Before I'll be called a robber's wife,
I'11 rather be stickit wi your bloody knife,
For pu'in,' etc.

15 But just as he took out his knife,
To tak frae her her alit sweet life,
Her brother John cam ryding bye,
And this bloody robber he did espy.

16 But when lie saw his sister fair,
He kennd her by her yellow hair;
He calld upon his pages three,
To find this robber speediie.

17 'My sisters twa that are dead and gane,
For whom we made a heavy maene,
It's you that 's twinud them o their life,
And wi your cruel bloody knife.

18 'Then for their life ye sair shall dree
Ye sall be hangit on a tree,
Or thrown into the poisond lake,
To feed the toads and rattle-snake.'