Kinmont Willie Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A B C D E F G HIGI JGJJ HDHD DKLK GMN GGH GHG GOGO HGHG PGHG GHPH GGPG KJFJ QHHH KGR HSHS HPHT UHPH DGJT HHVH D GP W H HG HGOG JHHH DGXJ DTHV YVTU HHKH P T HUHG JGJG KTJT JTT HTK ITJT IHT TDHD THJH TKH DDHD GZHA2 HTH IJKJ TTG

The Text There is only one text of this ballad and that was printed by Scott in the Minstrelsy from 'tradition in the West Borders' he adds that 'some conjectural emendations have been absolutely necessary ' a remark suspicious in itself and such modernities as the double rhymes in etc do not restore confidenceA
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The Story The forcible entry into Carlisle Castle and the rescue of William Armstrong called Will of Kinmouth took place on April but Kinmont Willie was notorious as a border thief at least as early asB
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The events leading up to the beginning of the ballad were as follow 'The keen Lord Scroop' was Warden of the West Marches of England and 'the bauld Buccleuch' Sir Walter Scott of Branxholm or 'Branksome Ha' ' was the Keeper of Liddesdale To keep a periodical day of truce these two sent their respective deputies the 'fause Sakelde' or Salkeld and a certain Robert Scott In the latter's company was Kinmont Willie Business being concluded Kinmont Willie took his leave and made his way along the Scottish side of the Liddel river which at that point is the boundary between England and Scotland The English deputy and his party spied him from their side of the stream and bearing an ancient grudge against him as a notorious cattle lifter and thief they pursued and captured him and he was placed in the castle of CarlisleC
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This brings us to the ballad 'Hairibee' is the place of execution at Carlisle The 'Liddel rack' in is a ford over the Liddel river Branxholm the Keeper's Hall and Stobs are both within a few miles of HawickD
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The remark in appears to be untrue the party that accompanied Buccleuch certainly contained several Armstrongs including four sons of Kinmont Willie and 'Dickie of Dryhope' was also of that ilk as well as two Elliots though not Sir Gilbert and four Bells 'Red Rowan' was probably a ForsterE
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The tune blown on the Warden's trumpets is said to be a favourite song in Liddesdale See Chambers's Book of Days iF
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KINMONT WILLIEG
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O have ye na heard o' the fause SakeldeH
O have ye na heard o' the keen Lord ScroopI
How they hae taen bauld Kinmont WillieG
On Hairibee to hang him upI
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Had Willie had but twenty menJ
But twenty men as stout as heG
Fause Sakelde had never the Kinmont taenJ
Wi' eight score in his companieJ
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They band his legs beneath the steedH
They tied his hands behind his backD
They guarded him fivesome on each sideH
And they brought him ower the Liddel rackD
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They led him thro' the Liddel rackD
And also thro' the Carlisle sandsK
They brought him to Carlisle castellL
To be at my Lord Scroop's commandsK
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'My hands are tied but my tongue is freeG
And whae will dare this deed avowM
Or answer by the Border lawN
Or answer to the bauld Buccleuch '-
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'Now haud thy tongue thou rank reiverG
There's never a Scot shall set ye freeG
Before ye cross my castle yateH
I trow ye shall take farewell o' me '-
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'Fear na ye that my lord ' quo' WillieG
'By the faith o' my body Lord Scroop ' he saidH
'I never yet lodged in a hostelrieG
But I paid my lawing before I gaed '-
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Now word is gane to the bauld KeeperG
In Branksome Ha' where that he layO
That Lord Scroop has taen the Kinmont WillieG
Between the hours of night and dayO
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He has taen the table wi' his handH
He garr'd the red wine spring on hieG
'Now Christ's curse on my head ' he saidH
'But avenged of Lord Scroop I'll beG
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'O is my basnet a widow's curchP
Or my lance a wand of the willow treeG
Or my arm a ladye's lilye handH
That an English lord should lightly meG
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'And have they taen him Kinmont WillieG
Against the truce of Border tideH
And forgotten that the bauld BuccleuchP
Is keeper here on the Scottish sideH
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'And have they e'en taen him Kinmont WillieG
Withouten either dread or fearG
And forgotten that the bauld BuccleuchP
Can back a steed or shake a spearG
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'O were there war between the landsK
As well I wot that there is noneJ
I would slight Carlisle castell highF
Tho' it were builded of marble stoneJ
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'I would set that castell in a lowQ
And sloken it with English bloodH
There's nevir a man in CumberlandH
Should ken where Carlisle castell stoodH
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'But since nae war's between the landsK
And there is peace and peace should beG
I'll neither harm English lad or lassR
And yet the Kinmont freed shall be '-
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He has call'd him forty marchmen bauldH
I trow they were of his ain nameS
Except Sir Gilbert Elliot call'dH
The Laird of Stobs I mean the sameS
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He has call'd him forty marchmen bauldH
Were kinsmen to the bauld BuccleuchP
With spur on heel and splent on spauldH
And gleuves of green and feathers blueT
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They were five and five before them a'U
Wi' hunting horns and bugles brightH
And five and five came wi' BuccleuchP
Like Warden's men arrayed for fightH
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And five and five like a mason gangD
That carried the ladders lang and hieG
And five and five like broken menJ
And so they reached the WoodhouseleeT
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And as we cross'd the Bateable LandH
When to the English side we heldH
The first o' men that we met wi'V
Whae should it be but fause SakeldeH
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'Where be ye gaun ye hunters keen '-
Quo' fause Sakelde 'come tell to me '-
'We go to hunt an English stagD
Has trespass'd on the Scots countrie '-
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'Where be ye gaun ye marshal men '-
Quo' fause Sakelde 'come tell me true '-
'We go to catch a rank reiverG
Has broken faith wi' the bauld BuccleuchP
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'Where are ye gaun ye mason ladsW
Wi' a' your ladders lang and hie '-
'We gang to herry a corbie's nestH
That wons not far frae Woodhouselee '-
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'Where be ye gaun ye broken men '-
Quo' fause Sakelde 'come tell to me '-
Now Dickie of Dryhope led that bandH
And the nevir a word o' lear had heG
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'Why trespass ye on the English sideH
Row footed outlaws stand ' quo' heG
The neer a word had Dickie to sayO
Sae he thrust the lance thro' his fause bodieG
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Then on we held for Carlisle tounJ
And at Staneshaw bank the Eden we cross'dH
The water was great and meikle of spaitH
But the nevir a horse nor man we lostH
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And when we reach'd the Staneshaw bankD
The wind was rising loud and hieG
And there the laird garr'd leave our steedsX
For fear that they should stamp and nieJ
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And when we left the Staneshaw bankD
The wind began full loud to blawT
But 'twas wind and weet and fire and sleetH
When we came beneath the castel wa'V
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We crept on knees and held our breathY
Till we placed the ladders against the wa'V
And sae ready was Buccleuch himsellT
To mount the first before us a'U
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He has taen the watchman by the throatH
He flung him down upon the leadH
'Had there not been peace between our landsK
Upon the other side thou hadst gaedH
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'Now sound out trumpets ' quo' BuccleuchP
'Let's waken Lord Scroop right merrilie '-
Then loud the Warden's trumpets blewT
'Oh whae dare meddle wi' me '-
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Then speedilie to wark we gaedH
And raised the slogan ane and a'U
And cut a hole thro' a sheet of leadH
And so we wan to the castel ha'G
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They thought King James and a' his menJ
Had won the house wi' bow and spearG
It was but twenty Scots and tenJ
That put a thousand in sic a stearG
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Wi' coulters and wi' forehammersK
We garr'd the bars bang merrilieT
Untill we came to the inner prisonJ
Where Willie o' Kinmont he did lieT
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And when we cam to the lower prisonJ
Where Willie o' Kinmont he did lieT
'O sleep ye wake ye Kinmont WillieT
Upon the morn that thou's to die '-
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'O I sleep saft and I wake aftH
It's lang since sleeping was fleyed frae meT
Gie my service back to my wyfe and bairnsK
And a' gude fellows that speer for me '-
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Then Red Rowan has hente him upI
The starkest man in TeviotdaleT
'Abide abide now Red RowanJ
Till of my Lord Scroop I take farewellT
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'Farewell farewell my gude Lord ScroopI
My gude Lord Scroop farewell ' he criedH
'I'll pay you for my lodging maillT
When first we meet on the border side '-
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Then shoulder high with shout and cryT
We bore him down the ladder langD
At every stride Red Rowan madeH
I wot the Kinmont's airns play'd clangD
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'O mony a time ' quo' Kinmont WillieT
'I have ridden horse baith wild and woodH
But a rougher beast than Red RowanJ
I ween my legs have ne'er bestrodeH
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'And mony a time ' quo' Kinmont WillieT
'I've pricked a horse out oure the fursK
But since the day I backed a steedH
I never wore sic cumbrous spurs '-
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We scarce had won the Staneshaw bankD
When a' the Carlisle bells were rungD
And a thousand men in horse and footH
Cam' wi' the keen Lord Scroop alongD
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Buccleuch has turned to Eden WaterG
Even where it flow'd frae bank to brimZ
And he has plunged in wi' a' his bandH
And safely swam them thro' the streamA2
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He turned him on the other sideH
And at Lord Scroop his glove flung heT
'If ye like na my visit in merry EnglandH
In fair Scotland come visit me '-
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All sore astonished stood Lord ScroopI
He stood as still as rock of staneJ
He scarcely dared to trew his eyesK
When thro' the water they had ganeJ
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'He is either himsell a devil frae hellT
Or else his mother a witch maun beT
I wad na have ridden that wan waterG
For a' the gowd in Christentie '-

Frank Sidgwick



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