Select collection No. XXVIII/The bonny house of Airly

The bonny House of Airly.

It fell on a day, and a bonny summer day,
When the corn grew green and yellow,
That there fell out a great dispute
Between Argyle and Airly.

Argyle has raised a hundred men,
A hundred men and mairly,
And he has gone to the back of Dunkeld,
To plunder the bonny house of Airly.

The lady look'd over her window,
And oh! but she look'd weary,
And she espy'd the great Argyle
Coming to phinder the bonny house of Airly.

Come down, come down, Madam, he says,
Come down and kiss me fairly;
I will not kiss thee, great Argle,
If ye should not leave a standing stone in Airly.

He has ta'en her by the middle so small,
Says, Lady, where is your dowry;
It is up and down the bonny burn-side,
Among the plantings of Airly.

They sought it up, they sought it down,
They sought it late and airly,
And found it in the bonny palm tree,
That shines on the bowling green of Airly.

He has ta'en her by the left shoulder,
And O but she look'd weary,
And laid her down on the green bank,
Till he plunder'd the bonny house of Airley.

O! if my good Lord was at home,
As this night he is wi' Charlie.
Great Argyle and all his men
Durst not plunder the bouny house of Airly.

Tis ten bonny sons I have born,
And the eleventh ne'er saw his daddie;
And if I had a hundred more,
I w ould give them all to Charlie.

---

---