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136 THE RAID OF THE EEIDSWIEE. |
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With gun and genzie, bow and speir, Men might see mony a cracked crown J
But up amang the merchant geir, They were as busy as we were down.
The swallow taill frae tackles flew, i<w
Five hundredth flain into a flight: But we had pestelets enew,
And shot among them as we might.
With help of God the game gaed right, Fra time the foremost of them fell; "°
Then ower the know, without goodnight, They ran with mony a shout and yell.
But after they had turned backs.
Yet Tindail men they turn'd again, And had not been the merchant packs, us
There had been mae of Scotland slain.
But, Jesu ! if the folks were fain To put the bussing on their thies ;
And so they fled, wi' a' their main, Down ower the brae, like clogged bees. '«>
Sir Francis Russell ta'en was there, And hurt, as we hear men rehearse ;
115. The ballad-maker here ascribes the victory to the real cause; for the English Borderers dispersing to plunder the merchandise, gave the opposite party time to recover from their surprise. It seems to have been usual for travelling merchants to attend Border meetings, although one would have thought the kind of company usually assembled there might have deterred them.—S.
121. This gentleman was son to the Earl of Bedford, and |
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