1

King Gregory sat in Dumbarton tower,
He looked a far o'er land and sea;
He saw his grey hills round him stand,
And the vale and the greenwood tree

He saw the links and the shores of Clyde,
And the sea that rowed wi' ceaseless play;
It was dyed wi' green, it was dyed wi' red,
And it tried to climb the rock so grey,
But aye it fell wi' a grumbling sound,
And left behind the dewy spray.

It was not the mountain, it was not the dale,
Nor the fairy hues that dyed the sea,
Nor the wave that wrestled wi' the rock,
That drew King Gregory's wistful e'e;

It was the maidens of Leven side

That walked or played with blythsome glee, For they were lythe of lire and limb,

And O but they were bright of blee!

King Gregory went into his bower,

That bower was fair and that bower was wide;

King Gregory went into his hall,

And he strode it o'er from side to side.

King Gregory went to his chamber,

And looked around with joyful brow,

He looked into his royal bed,

And he found there was meet room for two.

And sore he wondered that so long
Something awanting he should ken;
Something he lacked of happiness,

But knew not what it was till then.

King Gregory called his nobles in ;

"My gallant knights, pray list to me; My day of life is past the noon,

And the grey hairs wave aboon my bree.

"Seek me a may of noble kin,

I reck nought of her dower or land,

Be she a fair and comely dame,

As fits the queen of fair Scotland.”

Then every baron rose with speed

Who had fair daughters of his own,

And ilk ane roosed the child he loved
Aboon all maids that e'er were known.

O they were all sae fair and sae good,
King Gregory was in extacy;
And every ane that was defined,

King Gregory thought "that's she for me."

But up spake Douglas of the dale,
A grim and stalwart carl was he ;
"My liege, I have two maidens young,
But they're somewhat dark like you and me,

"But John of Erol has a maid,

For comely maik and courtesye, Her like ne'er clove the summer gale Since Scotland rose up frae the sea;

"That ever was bred a form sae fair Of earthly life I could not ween, And ever since I saw her face

I deemed her formed to be a queen."

Then every noble lord stood dumb,
And cast at him an angry e'e,

But all allowed in sullen mood

That Erol's maid was fair to see.

The king has written a broad letter,
And he sealed it with his signet ring,
And he has sent to Erol's lord

To bring his daughter to the king;

"And see that she be robed in silk,

All fringed wi' the gouden cramasye,
For I have neither spouse nor child,
And queen of Scotland she shall be."

When Erol looked the letter on,
A blythe and happy man was he,
But ere the half of it was done

There was something glistened in his e'e..

Then Erol turned him round about,

And he stamped and he cried, " O woe is me,

I have pledged my word to Athol's lord,
And a queen my child must never be.

"O might I live to see that day,

How blythely would I close my e'en f
I've seen enough could I but see
My bonny Hay the Scottish queen.

"Haste to the king, my little page,
And say my daughter he shall see,
That she's o'ercome with grateful love,
Say that, and leave the rest to me."

O but King Gregory was fain,

The beauteous Hay was all his dream,
And he combed his raven locks,
aye

And he bathed him in the stream,
aye

And aye he haunted Leven side,

And bent above the wave so cool; For there was no mirror in the land

But the streamlet or the standing pool.

And King Gregory saw his buirdly form
With pleasure never known before;
And King Gregory thought his hanging brow
Of majesty the signal bore,

But the rimy fringe upon his beard

O but it grieved his heart to see, And ill he brooked the silver hairs That floated o'er his dark e'e-bree.

But John of Erol he was sad,

Nor wist he how to win the day;
He feared the pride of Athol's lord,
And he feared the heart of bonny Hay.

For well he knew he long had wooed
With fondest love and fervency,
And rowed her in his highland plaid
When there was never an eye to see;

And well he knew that maiden's love
Is by such lone endearments won,
And much he feared that Athol's lord
Erol and Stormont would o'er-run ;

He knew that should the king assay
To wear him in his highland glen,