How They Held The Bass For King James'1691-1693 Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BBCD EEFFGHIIEEFFBBJJJKLJ JMM LLAA LLLJJEEA NNMM IIAA OOAA PPQRDDRRJJSS LKJJ| Time of Narrating | A |
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| Ye hae heard Whigs crack o' the Saints in the Bass my faith a gruesome tale | B |
| How the Remnant paid at a tippeny rate for a quart o' ha'penny ale | B |
| But I'll tell ye anither tale o' the Bass that'll hearten ye up to hear | C |
| Sae I pledge ye to Middleton first in a glass and a health to the Young Chevalier | D |
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| The Bass stands frae North Berwick Law a league or less to sea | E |
| About its feet the breakers beat abune the sea maws flee | E |
| There's castle stark and dungeon dark wherein the godly lay | F |
| That made their rant for the Covenant through mony a weary day | F |
| For twal' years lang the caverns rang wi' preaching prayer and psalm | G |
| Ye'd think the winds were soughing wild when a' the winds were calm | H |
| There wad they preach each Saint to each and glower as the soldiers pass | I |
| And Peden wared his malison on a bonny leaguer lass | I |
| As she stood and daffed while the warders laughed and wha sae blithe as she | E |
| But a wind o' ill worked his warlock will and flang her out to sea | E |
| Then wha sae bright as the Saints that night and an angel came say they | F |
| And sang in the cell where the Righteous dwell but he took na a Saint away | F |
| There yet might they be for nane could flee and nane daur'd break the jail | B |
| And still the sobbing o' the sea might mix wi' their warlock wail | B |
| But then came in black echty echt and bluidy echty nine | J |
| Wi' Cess and Press and Presbytery and a' the dule sin' syne | J |
| The Saints won free wi' the power o' the key and cavaliers maun pine | J |
| It was Halyburton Middleton and Roy and young Dunbar | K |
| That Livingstone took on Cromdale haughs in the last fight of the war | L |
| And they were warded in the Bass till the time they should be slain | J |
| Where bluidy Mitchell and Blackader and Earlston lang had lain | J |
| Four lads alone 'gainst a garrison but Glory crowns their names | M |
| For they brought it to pass that they took the Bass and they held it for King James | M |
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| It isna by preaching half the night ye'll burst a dungeon door | L |
| It wasna by dint o' psalmody they broke the hold they four | L |
| For lang years three that rock in the sea bade Wullie Wanbeard gae swing | A |
| And England and Scotland fause may be but the Bass Rock stands for the King | A |
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| There's but ae pass gangs up the Bass it's guarded wi' strong gates four | L |
| And still as the soldiers went to the sea they steikit them door by door | L |
| And this did they do when they helped a crew that brought their coals on shore | L |
| Thither all had gone save three men alone then Middleton gripped his man | J |
| Halyburton felled the sergeant lad Dunbar seized the gunner Swan | J |
| Roy bound their hands in hempen bands and the Cavaliers were free | E |
| And they trained the guns on the soldier loons that were down wi' the boat by the sea | E |
| Then Middleton cried frae the high cliff side and his voice garr'd the auld rocks ring | A |
| 'Will ye stand or flee by the land or sea for I hold the Bass for the King ' | - |
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| They had nae desire to face the fire it was mair than men might do | N |
| So they e'en sailed back in the auld coal smack a sorry and shame faced crew | N |
| And they hirpled doun to Edinburgh toun wi' the story of their shames | M |
| How the prisoners bold had broken hold and kept the Bass for King James | M |
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| King James he has sent them guns and men and the Whigs they guard the Bass | I |
| But they never could catch the Cavaliers who took toll of ships that pass | I |
| They fared wild and free as the birds o' the sea and at night they went on the wing | A |
| And they lifted the kye o' Whigs far and nigh and they revelled and drank to the King | A |
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| Then Wullie Wanbeard sends his ships to siege the Bass in form | O |
| And first shall they break the fortress down and syne the Rock they'll storm | O |
| After twa days' fight they fled in the night and glad eneuch to go | A |
| With their rigging rent and their powder spent and many a man laid low | A |
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| So for lang years three did they sweep the sea but a closer watch was set | P |
| Till nae food had they but twa ounce a day o' meal was the maist they'd get | P |
| And men fight but tame on an empty wame so they sent a flag o' truce | Q |
| And blithe were the Privy Council then when the Whigs had heard that news | R |
| Twa Lords they sent wi' a strang intent to be dour on each Cavalier | D |
| But wi' French cakes fine and his last drap o' wine did Middleton make them cheer | D |
| On the muzzles o' guns he put coats and caps and he set them aboot the wa's | R |
| And the Whigs thocht then he had food and men to stand for the Rightfu' Cause | R |
| So he got a' he craved and his men were saved and nane might say them nay | J |
| Wi' sword by side and flag o' pride free men might they gang their way | J |
| They might fare to France they might bide at hame and the better their grace to buy | S |
| Wullie Wanbeard's purse maun pay the keep o' the men that did him defy | S |
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| Men never hae gotten sic terms o' peace since first men went to war | L |
| As got Halyburton and Middleton and Roy and the young Dunbar | K |
| Sae I drink to ye here To the Young Chevalier I hae said ye an auld man's say | J |
| And there may hae been mightier deeds of arms but there never was nane sae gay | J |
Andrew Lang
(1)
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