She bored the coble in seven pairts, I wat her heart might hae been sae sair; For there she got the bonnie lad lost, Wi' the curly locks and the yellow hair. 20
He put his foot into the boat, He little thocht o' ony ill: But before that he was mid waters, The weary coble began to fill.
"Woe be to the lass o' Balathy toun, 25 I wat an ill death may she die; For she bored the coble in seven pairts, And let the waters perish me!
"O help, O help I can get nane, Nae help o' man can to me come!" 30 This was about his dying words, When he was choaked up to the chin.
"Gae tell my father and my mother, It was naebody did me this ill; I was a-going my ain errands, 35 Lost at the coble o' bonnie Cargill."
She bored the boat in seven pairts, I wat she bored it wi' gude will; And there they got the bonnie lad's corpse, In the kirk-shot o' bonnie Cargill. 40
O a' the keys o' bonnie Stobha', I wat they at his belt did hing; But a' the keys of bonnie Stobha', They now ly low into the stream.
A braver page into his age 45 Ne'er set a foot upon the plain; His father to his mother said, "O sae sune as we've wanted him!
"I wat they had mair luve than this, When they were young and at the scule; 50 But for his sake she wauked late, And bored the coble o' bonnie Cargill.
"There's ne'er a clean sark gae on my back, Nor yet a kame gae in my hair; There's neither coal nor candle licht 55 Shall shine in my bouer for ever mair.
"At kirk nor market I'se ne'er be at, Nor yet a blythe blink in my ee; There's ne'er a ane shall say to anither, That's the lassie gar'd the young man die." 60
Between the yetts o' bonnie Stobha', And the kirkstyle o' bonnie Cargill, There is mony a man and mother's son That was at my luve's burial.
Percy's _Reliques of English Poetry_, iii. 88.
"From an ancient copy in the Editor's folio MS., which was judged to require considerable corrections.
"In the former edition the hero of this piece had been called Sir Robin, but that title not being in the MS. is now omitted.
"Giles, steward to a rich old merchant trading to Portugal, is qualified with the title of _Sir_, not as being a knight, but rather, I conceive, as having received an inferior order of priesthood." PERCY.
Let never again soe old a man Marrye soe yonge a wife, As did old Robin of Portingale; Who may rue all the dayes of his life.