The Baron Of Brackley Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A B C D E F GG HH GG G IJ GG KL GG GG K FM FH G NN LK FK GG LK F GG O PQ GG R F GN FF FF G F GG G GG IS TL GG H HH UH G G JI

The Text is from Alexander Laing's Scarce Ancient Ballads A similar version occurs in Buchan's Gleanings Professor Gummere in printing the first text omits six stanzas on the assumption that they represent part of a second ballad imperfectly incorporated But I think the ballad can be read as it stands below though doubtless 'his ladie's' remark st is out of placeA
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The Story seems to be a combination of at least two An old Baron of Brackley 'an honest aged man ' was slain in by 'caterans' or freebooters who had been entertained hospitably by him In John Gordon of Brackley began a feud with John Farquharson of Inverey by seizing some cattle or horses accounts differ by way of fines due for taking fish out of season This eventually led to the slaying of Brackley and certain of his adherentsB
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Professor Child suspects a commixture of the two episodes in the one ballad or more probably a grafting of a later ballad on to an earlier one The character of the Baron as revealed in the ballad more closely resembles that of the episode while the details of the fray are in keeping with the later storyC
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'Peggy ' the Baron's wife was Margaret Burnet cousin to Gilbert Bishop of Salisbury After Brackley's death she married again but not her husband's murderer as the end of our ballad scandalously suggestsD
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Brackley is near Ballater about forty miles west of AberdeenE
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THE BARON OF BRACKLEYF
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Inverey cam doun Deeside whistlin' and playin'G
He was at brave Braikley's yett ere it was dawin'G
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He rappit fu' loudly an' wi' a great roarH
Cried 'Cum doun cum doun Braikley and open the doorH
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'Are ye sleepin' Baronne or are ye wakin'G
Ther's sharpe swords at your yett will gar your blood spinG
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'Open the yett Braikley and lat us withinG
Till we on the green turf gar your bluid rin '-
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Out spak the brave baronne owre the castell wa'I
'Are ye cum to spulyie and plunder mi ha'J
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'But gin ye be gentlemen licht and cum inG
Gin ye drink o' my wine ye'll nae gar my bluid spinG
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'Gin ye be hir'd widifu's ye may gang byK
Ye may gang to the lowlands and steal their fat kyL
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'Ther spulyie like rievers o' wyld ketterin clanG
Who plunder unsparing baith houses and lan'G
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'Gin ye be gentlemen licht and cum inG
Ther's meat and drink i' my ha' for every manG
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'Gin ye be hired widifu's ye may gang byK
Gang doun to the lowlands and steal horse and ky '-
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Up spak his ladie at his bak where she layF
'Get up get up Braikley an be not afraidM
The'r but young hir'd widifu's wi' belted plaids '-
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'Cum kiss me mi Peggy I'le nae langer stayF
For I will go out and meet InvereyH
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'But haud your tongue Peggy and mak nae sic dinG
For yon same hir'd widifu's will prove themselves men '-
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She called on her marys they cam to her handN
Cries 'Bring me your rocks lassies we will them commandN
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'Get up get up Braikley and turn bak your kyL
Or me and mi women will them defyK
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'Cum forth then mi maidens and show them some playF
We'll ficht them and shortly the cowards will flyK
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'Gin I had a husband whereas I hae naneG
He woud nae ly i' his bed and see his ky taenG
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'Ther's four and twenty milk whit calves twal o' them kyL
In the woods o' Glentanner it's ther thei a' lyK
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'Ther's goat i' the Etnach and sheep o' the braeF
An a' will be plunder'd by young Inverey '-
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'Now haud your tongue Peggy and gie me a gunG
Ye'll see me gae furth but I'll never cum inG
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'Call mi brother William mi unkl alsoO
Mi cousin James Gordon we'll mount and we'll go '-
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When Braikley was ready and stood i' the clossP
He was the bravest baronne that e'er mounted horseQ
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Whan all wer assembled o' the castell greenG
No man like brave Braikley was ther to be seenG
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'Turn bak brother William ye are a bridegroomR
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'Wi' bonnie Jean Gordon the maid o' the millF
O' sichin' and sobbin' she'll soon get her fill '-
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'I'm no coward brother 'tis ken'd I'm a manG
I'll ficht i' your quarral as lang's I can standN
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'I'll ficht my dear brother wi' heart and gudewillF
And so will young Harry that lives at the millF
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'But turn mi dear brother and nae langer stayF
What'll cum o' your ladie gin Braikley thei slayF
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'What'll cum o' your ladie and bonnie young sonG
O what'll cum o' them when Braikley is gone '-
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'I never will turn do you think I will flyF
But here I will ficht and here I will die '-
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'Strik dogs ' crys Inverey 'and ficht till ye're slaynG
For we are four hundred ye are but four menG
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'Strik strik ye proud boaster your honour is goneG
Your lands we will plunder your castell we'll burn '-
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At the head o' the Etnach the battel beganG
At Little Auchoilzie thei kill'd the first manG
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First thei kill'd ane and soon they kill'd twaI
Thei kill'd gallant Braikley the flour o' them a'S
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Thei kill'd William Gordon and James o' the KnoxT
And brave Alexander the flour o' GlenmuickL
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What sichin' and moaning was heard i' the glenG
For the Baronne o' Braikley who basely was slaynG
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'Cam ye bi the castell and was ye in thereH
Saw ye pretty Peggy tearing her hair '-
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'Yes I cam by Braikley and I gaed in thereH
And there saw his ladie braiding her hairH
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'She was rantin' and dancin' and singin' for joyU
And vowin' that nicht she woud feest InvereyH
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'She eat wi' him drank wi' him welcom'd him inG
Was kind to the man that had slain her baronne '-
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Up spake the son on the nourice's kneeG
'Gin I live to be a man revenged I'll be '-
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Ther's dool i' the kitchin and mirth i' the ha'J
The Baronne o' Braikley is dead and awa'I

Frank Sidgwick



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