l ca' me Parcy Reed,
And speak my praise in tower and town
It's little matter what they do now,
My life-blood rudds the heather brown.

35.
'There's some will ca' me Parcy Reed,
And a' my virtues say and sing;
I would much rather have just now
A draught o' water frae the spring.'

36.
The herd flung aff his clouted shoon,
And to the nearest fountain ran;
He made his bonnet serve a cup,
And wan the blessing o' the dying man.

37.
'Now, honest herd, you maun do mair,--
Ye maun do mair as I you tell;
You maun bear tidings to Troughend,
And bear likewise my last farewell.

38.
'A farewell to my wedded wife,
A farewell to my brother John,
Wha sits into the Troughend tower,
Wi' heart as black as any stone.

39.
'A farewell to my daughter Jean,
A farewell to my young sons five;
Had they been at their father's hand,
I had this night been man alive.

40.
'A farewell to my followers a',
And a' my neighbours gude at need;
Bid them think how the treacherous Ha's
Betrayed the life o' Parcy Reed.

41.
'The laird o' Clennel bears my bow,
The laird o' Brandon bears my brand;
Whene'er they ride i' the Border side,
They'll mind the fate o' the laird Troughend.'

[Annotations:
1.2: 'reaving,' robbing.
1.4: 'staig,' horse; 'stot,' ox.
26.4: 'graithed,' accoutred.
28.3: 'fankit,' entangled.
31.4: 'the airt o',' _i.e._ in the direction of.]

BEWICK AND GRAHAME

+The Text+ is from several broadsides and chap-books, but mainly depends
on a stall-copy entitled _The Song of Bewick and Grahame_, approximately
dated 1740. Sir Walter Scott considered this ballad 'remarkable, as
containing probably the very latest allusion to the institution of
brotherhood in arms' (see 14.4, and the use of the word 'bully'); but
Child strongly suspects there was an older and better copy than those
extant, none of which is earlier than the eighteenth century.

+The Story+ is concerned with two fathers, who boast about their sons,
and cause the two lads to fight. Christy Graham is faced with the
dilemma of fighting either his father or his brother-in-arms, and
decides to meet the latter; but, should he kill his friend, he
determines not to return alive. Young Bewick takes a similar vow. They
fight two hours, and at last an 'ackward' stroke kills Bewick, and
Christy falls on his sword. The two fathers lame