Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE OUTLAW MURRAY, by ANONYMOUS


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE OUTLAW MURRAY, by                    
First Line: Ettrick forest is a fair forest
Last Line: As did outlaw murray of the forest frie?
Variant Title(s): The Song Of The Outlaw Murray
Subject(s): Crimes & Criminals;forests; Woods


Ettrick Forest is a fair Forest,
In it grows manie a semelie trie;
The Hart, the Hynd, the Dae, the Rae,
And of a' beistis grete plentie.
There 's a Castell biggit with Lime and Stane--
O gin it stands not pleasantlie;
In the fore front o' that Castell fair
Twa unicorns are bra' to see.
There's the picture of a knight and a Ladye bright,
And the grene Hollin aboon their brie;
There an Outlaw keepes five hundir men,
He keipis a Royal Companie.
His Merry Men are in liverie clad
Of the Lincoln grene so fair to see;
He and his Ladie in purple clad--
O, if they live not royallie!
Word is gane to our Nobil King,
In Edinburgh where that he lay,
That there was an Outlaw in Ettrick forest
Counted him nought and all his courtry gay.
I mak a Vowe, then the goode King said,
Unto the Man that dear bought me;
I'se either be king of Ettrick forest,
Or king of Scotland that Outlaw's be.
Then spak the Erle hight Hamilton,
And to the Noble King said he:
My Sovereign Prince, sum counsel tak
First of your Nobles, syne of me.
I redd you send yon bra' outlaw till
And see gif your Man cum will he;
Desyre him cum and be your Man,
And hald of you yon forest frie.
And gif he refuses to do that
We'll conquess both his Lands and he;
Or else we'll throw his Castell down
And mak a Widow of his gaye Ladie.
The King called on a gentleman,
James Boyd, Earl of Arran, his brother was he;
When James he came before the King
He fell before him on his knee.
Welcum, James Boyd, said our Noble King,
A Message ye man gang for me;
Ye man hie to Ettrick forest
To yon Outlaw where dwelleth he.
Ask him of whom he haldis his Lands,
Or, Man, wha may his Master be;
Desyre him cum and be my Man
And hald of me yon forest frie.
To Edinburgh to cum and gang
His safe Warrand I sall be;
And gif he refuses to do that
We'll conquess baith his Lands and he.
Thou may'st vow I'll cast his Castell down
And mak a Widow of his gay Ladie;
I'll hang his merry men pair by pair
In ony frith where I may them see.
James Boyd took his leave of the Nobil King,
To Ettrick forest fair came he;
Down Birkendale Brae when that he cam
He saw the fair forest with his e'e:
Baith Dae and Rae and Hart and Hynd
And of all wylde beastis grete plentie.
He heard the Bows that bauldly ring,
And arrows whidderand him near by.
Of the fair Castell he got a sight
The like he ne'er saw with his e'e;
On the fore front of that Castell
Twa unicorns were bra' to see;
The picture of a Knight and a Ladye bright,
And the grene Hollin aboon their bree;
There at he spyed five hundred men
Shuting with Bows upon the Lee.
They a' were in ae Liverie clad
Of the Lincoln grene sae fair to see;
The Knight and his Ladye in purple clad--
O gif they lived right Royallie!
There fore he ken'd he was Master-man,
And served him in his ain degree.
God mot thee save, brave Outlaw Murray,
Thy Ladie and a' thy chivalrie!
Marry, thou 's wellcum, gentleman,
Sum King's Messenger thou seems to be.
The King of Scotland sent me here
And, gude Outlaw, I'm sent to thee;
I wad wat of whom ye hald your Lands,
Or, Man, wha may thy Master be.
Thir Lands are mine, the Outlaw said,
I own nae King in Christentie;
Frae Soudron I this forest wan,
When the King nor 's knights were not to see.--
He desires you'l come to Edinburgh
And hald of him this Forest frie;
And gif you refuse to do this,
He'll conquess both thy Lands and thee.
He has vow'd to cast thy castell down
And mak a Widow of thy gaye Ladie.
He'll hang thy merry men pair by pair
In ony frith where he may them finde;
Ay, by my troth, the Outlaw said,
Then wad I think me far behinde.
Ere the King my fair country get,
This Land that 's nativest to me,
Mony of his Nobils sall be cauld,
Their Ladies sall be right wearie.
Then spak his Ladie, fair of face;
She said, Without consent of me
That an outlaw shuld come before the King,
I am right rad of treasonrie.
Bid him be good to his Lords at hame,
For Edinburgh my Lord sall never see.--
James took his leave of the Outlaw keene,
To Edinburgh bound is he.
And when he came before the King
He fell before him on his knee.
Welcum, James Boyd, said the Nobil King;
What foreste is Ettrick forest free?
Ettrick forest is the fairest forest
That ever man saw [w]ith his e'e;
There 's the Dae, the Rae, the Hart, the Hynd,
And of all wild beastis grete plentee.
There 's a pretty Castell of Lime and Stone--
O gif it staunds not plesauntlie;
There 's on the foreside of that Castell
Twa Unicorns sae bra' to see.
There 's the picture of a knight and a Ladye bright,
And the grene hollin aboon their brie;
There the outlaw keeps five hunder men--
O gif they lived not royallie!
His merry men in liverie clad
O' the Lincoln grene is fair to see;
He and his Ladye in purple clad--
O gi[f] they live not royallie!
He says yon forest is his ain,
He wan it from the Soudronie;
Sae as he won it, sae will he keep it
Contrair all kings in Christentie.
Gar 'ray my Horse, said the Nobil King,
To Ettrick hie will I me;
Then he gard graith five thousand men
And sent them on for the forest frie.
Then word is gane the Outlaw till,
In Ettrick forest where dwelleth he,
That the King was cummand to his cuntrie
To conquess baith his Lands and he.
I mak a Vow, the Outlaw said,
I mak a Vow and that truelie;
Were there but three men to tak my part
Yon King's coming full deir should be.
Then Messengers he called forth
And bad them haste them speedilie:
Ane of you go to Halliday,
The Laird of the Corehead is he.
He certain is my Sister's Son;
Bid him come quick and succour me;
Tell Halliday with thee to cum
And sha' him a' the veritie.
What news, What news, said Halliday,
Man, frae thy Master unto me?
Not as ye wad--Seeking your aid;
The King 's his mortal Enemie.
Aye, by my troth, quoth Halliday,
Even for that it repenteth me;
For gif he lose fair Ettrick forest
He'll tak fair Moffatdale frae me.
I'll meet him wi' five hundred men,
And surely mae, if mae may be;
The Outlaw call'd a Messenger
And bid him hie him speedily.
To Andrew Murray of Cockpool--
That Man 's a deir cousin to me;
Desire him cum and mak me aid
With all the power that he may be.
The King has vow'd to cast my castell down
And mak a Widow of my gay Ladye;
He'll hang my merry men pair by pair
In ony place where he may them see.
It stands me hard, quoth Andrew Murray;
Judge if it stands not hard with me
To enter against a King with Crown
And put my Lands in Jeopardie.
Yet gif I cum not on the day
Surelie at night he sall me see.--
To Sir James Murray, Laird of Traquair,
A Message came right speedilie.
What news, what news, James Murray said,
Man, frae thy Master unto me?
What needs I tell, for well ye ken
The King 's his mortal Enemie.
He desires ye'll cum and mak him aid
With all the powers that ye may be;
And by my troth, James Murray said,
With that Outlaw I'll live and die.
The King has gifted my Lands lang syne,
It cannot be nae war with me.
The King was cummand thro' Caddenford,
And fiftene thousand Men [h]as he;
They saw the forest them before,
They thought it awsom for to see.
Then spak the Erle hight Hamilton,
And to the Nobil King said he:
My Sovereign Prince, sum counsel tak
First at your Nobles, syne at me.
Desire him meet you at Penman's core
And bring four in his companie;
Five Erles sall gang your sell before,
Gude cause that you suld honour'd be.
And if he refuses to do that,
Wi' fire and sword we'll follow thee;
There sall never a Murray after him
Have Land in Ettrick forest free.
The King then called a Gentleman--
Royal Banner-bearer then was he--
James Hope Pringle of Torsonse by name;
He cam and knelit upon his knie.
Welcum, James Pringle of Torsonse,
Ye man a Message gae for me;
Ye man gae to yon Outlaw Murray
Surely where bauldly bideth he.
Bid him meet me at Penman's core
And bring four of his companie;
Five Erlis sall cum wi' my sell,
Gude reason I should honour'd be.
And if he refuses to do that,
Bid him look for nae gude o' me;
There sall never a Murray after him
Have Land in Ettrick forest frie.
James cum before the Outlaw keene
And served him in his ain degree:
Well cum, James Pringle of Torsonse,
What tidings frae the King to me?
He bids ye meet him at Penman's core
And bring four of your companie;
Five Erles will cum with the King,
Nae mae in Number will he be.
And gif you refuse to do that,
I freely here upgive with thee
There will never a Murray after thee
Have Land in Ettrick forest frie.
He'll cast your bonny Castell down
And mak a Widow of your gay Ladie;
He'll hang your Merry Men pair by pair
In ony place where he may them see.
It stands me hard, the Outlaw said,
Judge if it stands not hard with me;
I reck not of losing of my sell,
But all my offspring after me.
Auld Haleday, Young Haleday,
Ye sall be twa to gang wi' me;
Andrew Murray and Sir James Murray,
We'll be nae mair in cumpanie.
When that they came before the King
They fell before him on their knie:
Grant mercy, mercy, royal king,
E'en for his sake that died on trie.
Sicken like mercy sall ye have,
On Gallows ye sall hangit be.
God forbid, quo' the Outlaw then,
I hope your grace will better be.
Thir Lands of Ettrick forest fair,
I wan them frae the enemie;
Like as I wan them, sae will I keep them
Contrair all Kings in Christentie.
All the Nobilis said, the King about,
Pitye it were to see him die.--
Yet graunt me mercy, sovereign Prince,
Extend your favour unto me.
I'll give you the keys of my Castell
With the blessing of my fair Ladye;
Mak me the Sheriff of the forest
And all my offspring after me.
Wilt thou give me the Keys of thy Castell
With the blessing of thy fair Ladye,
I'll mak thee Sheriff of the forest
Surely while upward grows the trie.
If you be not traytour to the King,
Forfaulted sall ye never be.
But, Prince, what sall cum o' my men?
When I gae back, traitour they'l ca' me;
I had rather lose my Life and Land
E'er ony merry men rebuked me.
Will your merry men amend their lives
And all their pardouns I grant thee.
Now name thy Lands whe'ere they be,
And here I render them to thee.
Fair Philiphaugh, Prince, is my awin,
I biggit it wi' Lime and Stone;
The Tinnies and the Hanginshaw,
My Leige, are native steeds of mine.
I have mony steeds in the forest shaw
But them by name I dinna knaw.
The Keys of the Castell he gave the King
With the blessing of his fair Ladye;
He was made Sheryff of Ettrick forest
Surely while upward grows the trie;
And if he was not traytour to the King
Forfaulted he suld never be.
Wha ever heard in ony tymes
Sicken an Outlaw in his degre
Sic favour get before a King,
As did the Outlaw Murray of the forest frie?








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