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There were twa knights in fair Scotland, And they were brothers sworn; They made a vow to be as true As if they'd been brothers born. The one he was a wealthy knight, Had lands and buildings free; The other was a young hynde squire, In rank of lower degree. But it fell ance upon a day These squires they walkd alone, And to each other they did talk About the fair women. 'O wed a may,' the knight did say, 'For your credit and fame; Lay never your love on lemanry, Bring nae gude woman to shame.' 'There's nae gude women,' the squire did say, 'Into this place but nine;' 'O well falls me,' the knight replied, 'For ane o them is mine.' 'Ye say your lady's a gude woman, But I say she is nane; I think that I could gain her love Ere six months they are gane. 'If ye will gang six months away, And sail upon the faem, Then I will gain your lady's love Before that ye come hame.' 'O I'll gang till a far countrie, And far beyond the faem, And ye winna gain my lady's love Whan nine lang months are gane.' When the evening sun did set, And day came to an end, In then came the lady's gude lord, Just in at yon town's end. 'O comely are ye, my lady gay, Sae fair and rare to see; I wish whan I am gane away Ye keep your mind to me.' She gae 'm a bason to wash in, It shin'd thro a' the ha; But aye as she gaed but and ben She loot the saut tears fa. 'I wonder what ails my gude lord He has sic jealousie; Never when we parted before, He spak sic words to me.' When cocks did craw, and day did daw, This knight was fair at sea; Then in it came the young hynde squire, To work him villanie. 'I hae a coffer o gude red gowd, Another o white monie; I woud gie you 't a', my gay lady, To lye this night wi me.' 'If ye warna my lord's brother, And him sae far frae hame, Even before my ain bower-door I'd gar hang you on a pin.' He's gane frae the lady's bower, Wi the saut tear in his ee, And he is to his foster-mother As fast as gang coud he. 'There is a fancy in my head That I'll reveal to thee, And your assistance I will crave If ye will grant it me. 'I've fifty guineas in my pocket, I've fifty o them and three, And if ye'll grant what I request Ye'se hae them for your fee.' 'Speak on, speak on, ye gude hynde squire, What may your asking be? I kenna wha woud be sae base As nae serve for sic a fee.' 'O I hae wagerd wi my brother, When he went to the faem, That I woud gain his lady's love Ere six months they were gane. 'To me he laid his lands at stake Tho he were on the faem, I wudna gain his lady's love Whan nine lang months were gane. 'Now I hae tried to gain her love, But finds it winna do; And here I'm come, as ye her know, To seek some help frae you. 'For I did lay my life at stake, Whan my brother went frae hame, That I woud gain his lady's love Whan he was on the faem.' But when the evening sun was set, And day came to an end, In it came that fause carline, Just in at yon town's end. 'O comely are ye, my gay lady, Your lord is on the faem; Yon unco squire will gain your love, Before that he come hame.' 'Forbid it,' said the lady fair, 'That eer the like shoud be, That I woud wrang my ain gude lord, And him sae far at sea.' 'O comely are ye, my gay lady, Stately is your fair bodie; Your lovely visage is far chang'd, That is best known to me. 'You're sair dune out for want o sleep Sin your lord went to sea; Unless that ye do cease your grief, It will your ruin be. 'You'll send your maids unto the hay, Your young men unto the corn; I'll gar ye sleep as soun a sleep As the night that ye were born.' She sent her maids to ted the hay, Her men to shear the corn, And she gard her sleep as soun a sleep As the night that she was born. She rowd that lady in the silk, Laid her on holland sheets; Wi fine enchanting melodie, She lulld her fast asleep. She lockd the yetts o that castle Wi thirty locks and three, Then went to meet the young hynde squire To him the keys gae she. s opend the locks o that castle, Were thirty and were three, And he's gane where that lady lay, And thus to her said he. 'O wake, O wake, ye gay lady, O wake and speak to me; I hae it fully in my power To come to bed to thee.' 'For to defile my husband's bed, I woud think that a sin; As soon as this lang day is gane, Then I shall come to thine.' Then she has calld her niece Maisry, Says, An asking ye'll grant me, For to gang to yon unco squire And sleep this night for me. 'The gude red gowd shall be your hire, And siller's be your fee; Five hundred pounds o pennies round, Your tocher it shall be.' She turnd her right and round about, And thus to her did say; O there was never a time on earth So fain's I woud say nay. But when the evening sun was set, And day drawn to an end, Then Lady Maisry she is gane, Fair out at yon town-end.