. iii. pp.
83-4. His introduction states that it was obtained from recitation in
the Forest of Ettrick, and that it relates to the execution of a Border
freebooter, named Cokburne, by James V., in 1529.

+The Story+ referred to above may have once existed in the ballad, but
the lyrical dirge as it now stands is obviously corrupted with a
broadside-ballad, _The Lady turned Serving-man_, given with
'improvements' by Percy (_Reliques_, 1765, vol. iii. p. 87, etc.).
Compare the first three stanzas of the _Lament_ with stanzas 3, 4, and 5
of the broadside:--

3.
And then my love built me a bower,
Bedeckt with many a fragrant flower;
A braver bower you never did see
Than my true-love did build for me.

4.
But there came thieves late in the night,
They rob'd my bower, and slew my knight,
And after that my knight was slain,
I could no longer there remain.

5.
My servants all from me did flye,
In the midst of my extremity,
And left me by my self alone,
With a heart more cold then any stone.

It is of course impossible to compare the bald style of the broadside
with the beautiful Scottish dirge; and the difficulty of clothing a
bower with lilies, which offends Professor Child, may be disregarded.

THE LAMENT OF THE BORDER WIDOW

1.
My love he built me a bonny bower,
And clad it a' wi' lilye flour;
A brawer bower ye ne'er did see,
Than my true love he built for me.

2.
There came a man, by middle day,
He spied his sport, and went away;
And brought the king, that very night,
Who brake my bower, and slew my knight.

3.
He slew my knight, to me sae dear;
He slew my knight, and poin'd his gear;
My servants all for life did flee,
And left me in extremitie.

4.
I sew'd his sheet, making my mane;
I watched the corpse, myself alane;
I watched his body, night and day;
No living creature came that way.

5.
I took his body on my back,
And whiles I gaed, and whiles I sate;
I digg'd a grave, and laid him in,
And happ'd him with the sod sae green.

6.
But think na ye my heart was sair,
When I laid the moul' on his yellow hair?
O think na ye my heart was wae,
When I turn'd about, away to gae?

7.
Nae living man I'll love again,
Since that my lovely knight is slain;
Wi' ae lock of his yellow hair,
I'll chain my heart for evermair.

[Annotation:
3.2: 'poin'd' = poinded, distrained.]

BO