cing this improbability--that
the details of a Russian court scandal of 1718 should exactly correspond
to a previously extant Scottish ballad--against the improbability of the
eighteenth century producing such a ballad, Child afterwards concluded
the latter to be the greater. The coincidence is undoubtedly striking;
but neither the story nor the name are uncommon.

[Footnote 1: See Waliszewski's _Peter the Great_ (translated by
Lady Mary Loyd), vol. i. p. 251. London, 1897.]

It is, of course, possible that the story is older than 1563--it should
not be difficult to find more than one instance--and that it was first
adapted to the 1563 incident and afterwards to the Russian scandal, the
two versions being subsequently confused. But there is no evidence for
this.

MARY HAMILTON

1.
Word's gane to the kitchen,
And word's gane to the ha',
That Marie Hamilton gangs wi' bairn
To the hichest Stewart of a'.

2.
He's courted her in the kitchen,
He's courted her in the ha',
He's courted her in the laigh cellar,
And that was warst of a'.

3.
She's tyed it in her apron
And she's thrown it in the sea;
Says, 'Sink ye, swim ye, bonny wee babe,
You'll ne'er get mair o' me.'

4.
Down then cam the auld queen,
Goud tassels tying her hair:
'O Marie, where's the bonny wee babe
That I heard greet sae sair?'

5.
'There was never a babe intill my room,
As little designs to be;
It was but a touch o' my sair side,
Come o'er my fair bodie.'

6.
'O Marie, put on your robes o' black,
Or else your robes o' brown,
For ye maun gang wi' me the night,
To see fair Edinbro' town.'

7.
'I winna put on my robes o' black,
Nor yet my robes o' brown;
But I'll put on my robes o' white,
To shine through Edinbro' town.'

8.
When she gaed up the Cannogate,
She laugh'd loud laughters three;
But whan she cam down the Cannogate
The tear blinded her ee.

9.
When she gaed up the Parliament stair,
The heel cam aff her shee;
And lang or she cam down again
She was condemn'd to dee.

10.
When she cam down the Cannogate,
The Cannogate sae free,
Many a ladie look'd o'er her window,
Weeping for this ladie.

11.
'Ye need nae weep for me,' she says,
'Ye need nae weep for me;
For had I not slain mine own sweet babe,
This death I wadna dee.

12.
'Bring me a bottle of