From Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, Vol. III., by Walter Scott (Edinburgh: Printed by J. Ballantyne for Longman and Rees, and sold by Manners and Miller, 1803):

THIS ballad, which is a very great favourite among the
inhabitants of Ettrick Forest, is universally believed to
be founded in fact, and is therefore placed among the
historical pieces. The editor found it easy to collect a
variety of copies; but very difficult, indeed, to select
from them such a collated edition, as may, in any degree,
suit the taste of "these more light and giddy-paced
times."

Tradition places the event, recorded in the song, very
early; and it is probable that the ballad was composed
soon afterwards, although the language has been gradually
modernized, in the course of its transmission to
us, through the inaccurate channel of oral tradition.
The bard does not relate particulars, but barely the striking
outlines of a fact, apparently so well known, when
he wrote, as to render minute detail as unnecessary, as it
is always tedious and unpoetical.

The hero of the ballad was a knight, of great bravery,
called Scott, who is said to have resided at Kirkhope, or
Oakwood castle, and is, in tradition, termed the baron
of Oakwood. The estate of Kirkhope belonged anciently
to the Scotts of Harden: Oakwood is still their property,
and has been so from time immemorial. The hero of the
ballad was therefore, probably, of this family, and may,
perhaps, be identified with John Scott, sixth son of the
laird of Harden, murdered in Ettrick Forest by his kinsmen,
the Scotts of Gilmanscleuch (see notes to Jamie Telfer,
vol. 1. p. 110), This appears the more probable, as
the common people always affirm, that this young man
was treacherously slain, and that, in evidence thereof,
his body remained uncorrupted for many years; so that
even the roses on his shoes seemed as fresh, as when he
was first laid in the family vault at Hassendean.

Tradition affirms, that the hero of the song (be he who
he may) was murdered by the brother, either of his wife,
or betrothed bride. The alledged cause of malice was,
the lady's father having proposed to endow her with half
of his property, upon her marriage with a warrior of
such renown. The name of the murderer is said to have
been Annan, and the place of combat is still called Annan's
Treat. It is a low moor, on the banks of the Yarrow,
lying to the west of Yarrow kirk. Two tall unhewn
masses of stone are erected, about eighty yards distant
from each other; and the least child, that can herd a
cow, will tell the passenger, that there lie "the two lords,
who were slain in single combat."

It will be, with many readers, the greatest recommendation
of these verses, that they are supposed to have suggested
to Mr Hamilton, of Bangour, the modern ballad,
beginning,

"Busk ye, busk ye, my bonny bonny bride."

A fragment, apparently regarding the story of the following
ballad, but in a different measure, occurs in Mr
Herd's MSS., and runs thus:

"When I look east my heart is sair,
But when I look west its mair and mair;
For then I see the braes o' Yarrow,
And there, for aye, I lost my marrow."

THE DOWIE DENS OF YARROW.

LATE at e'en, drinking the wine,
And ere they paid the lawing,
They set a combat them between,
To fight it in the dawing.

"O stay at hame, my noble lord!
O stay at hame, my marrow!
My cruel brother will you betray,
On the dowie houms of Yarrow."

"O fare ye weel, my ladye gaye!
O fare ye weel, my Sarah!
For I maun gae, though I ne'er return,
Frae the dowie banks o' Yarrow.

She kissed his cheek, she kaimed his hair,
As oft she had done before O;
She belted him with his noble brand,
And he's awa' to Yarrow.

As he gaed up the Tennies bank,
I wot he gaed wi' sorrow,
Till, down in a den, he spied nine arm'd men,
On the dowie houms of Yarrow.

"O come ye here to part your land,
The bonnie forest thorough?
Or come ye here to wield your brand,
On the dowie houms of Yarrow?

"I come not here to part my land,
And neither to beg nor borrow;
I come to wield my noble brand,
On the bonny banks of Yarrow.

"If I see all, ye're nine to ane;
And that's an unequal marrow;
Yet will I fight, while lasts my brand,
On the bonny banks of Yarrow."

Four has he hurt, and five has slain,
On the bloody braes of Yarrow,
Till that stubborn knight came him behind,
And ran his bodie thorough.

"Gae hame, gae hame, good-brother* John,
And tell your sister Sarah,
To come and lift her leafu' lord!
He's sleepin sound on Yarrow."

"Yestreen I dream'd a dolefu' dream;
I fear there will be sorrow!
I dream'd, I pu'd the heather green,
Wi' my true love, on Yarrow.

"O gentle wind, that bloweth south,
From where my love repaireth,
Convey a kiss from his dear mouth,
And tell me how he fareth!

"But in the glen, strive armed men;
They've wrought me dole and sorrow;
They've slain—the comeliest knight they've slain—
He bleeding lies on Yarrow."

As she sped down yon high, high hill,
She gaed wi' dole and sorrow,
And in the den spyed ten slain men,
On the dowie banks of Yarrow.

She kiss'd his cheek, she kaim'd his hair,
She search'd his wounds all thorough;
She kiss'd them, till her lips grew red,
On the dowie houms of Yarrow.

"Now, haud your tongue, my daughter dear!
For a' this breeds but sorrow;
I'll wed ye to a better lord,
Than him ye lost on Yarrow."

"O haud your tongue, my father dear!
Ye mind me but of sorrow;
A fairer rose did never bloom
Than now lies cropp'd on Yarrow."


*Good-brother—Beau-frere, Brother-in-law.


NOTE ON THE DOWIE DENS OF YARROW.

There are many additional verses of the song; but it is much for
the credit of the bard to conclude as in the text. The double
rhyme to Yarrow, the recurrence of which he had imposed on himself,
fettered his genius terribly, notwithstanding his good fortune
in having a heroine, so conveniently named Sarah. But, for the information
of the reader of sensibility, who may interest himself in
the lady's fate, I insert the last stanza, as it occurs in most copies:

That lady, being big with child.
And full of consternation,
She swooned in her father's arms,
Amidst that stubborn nation.

Nation, I presume, is here used in the limited sense of her father's
attendants; for it would appear that brother John, and his
retinue, had all perished in the battle, or died of their wounds.