XII.

GILDEROY

Was a famous robber, who lived about the middle of the last century, if we may credit the histories and storybooks of highwaymen, which relate many improbable feats of him, as his robbing Cardinal Richelieu, Oliver Cromwell, &c. But these stories have probably no other authority than the records of Grub-street. At least the _Gilderoy_, who is the hero of Scottish songsters, seems to have lived in an earlier age; for, in Thompson's _Orpheus Caledonius_, vol. ii. 1733, 8vo. is a copy of this ballad, which, tho' corrupt and interpolated, contains some lines that appear to be of genuine antiquity: in these he is represented as contemporary with Mary Q. of Scots: _ex. gr._

"The Queen of Scots possessed nought, That my love let me want: For cow and ew he to me brought, And een whan they were scant. All these did honestly possess He never did annoy, Who never fail'd to pay their cess To my love Gilderoy."

These lines perhaps might safely have been inserted among the following stanzas, which are given from a written copy, that appears to have received some modern corrections. Indeed, the common popular ballad contained some indecent luxuriances that required the pruning-hook.

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[The subject of this ballad was a ruffian totally unworthy of the poetic honours given to him, and the poem itself can in no way be looked upon as historic. To mention but one instance of its departure from truth--the song is said to have been written by a young woman of a superior station in society who had been induced to live with the freebooter, but the fact was that one thousand marks having been offered for his apprehension, he was betrayed by his mistress Peg Cunningham, and captured after killing eight of the men sent against him, and stabbing the woman.

He was one of the proscribed clan Gregor, and a notorious lifter of cattle in the Highlands of Perthshire for some time before 1636. In February of that year seven of his accomplices were taken, tried, condemned, and executed at Edinburgh. These men were apprehended chiefly through the exertions of the Stewarts of Athol, and in revenge Gilderoy burned several of the houses belonging to the Stewarts. In a few months, however, he was captured, as before mentioned, and in July, 1636, was hanged with five accomplices at the Gallowlee, between Leith and Edinburgh. As a mark of unenviable distinction, Gilderoy was hanged on a gallows higher than the rest. It is curious that this wretched miscreant, who robbed the poor and outraged all women who came in his way, should have become popular in the south of Britain. His adventures, with the various details noticed above by Percy, are related in Captain Alexander Smith's _History of Highwaymen_, &c., 1719, and in Johnson's _Lives and Exploits of Highwaymen_, 1734.

The earliest known version of this song was printed in London in 1650, and another is included in _Westminster Drollery_, 1671. The latter consists of five stanzas, the first being:

"Was ever grief so great as mine Then speak dear bearn, I prethee, That thus must leave my Gilderoy, O my benison gang with thee. Good speed be with you then Sir she said For gone is all my joy: And gone is he whom I love best, My handsome Gilderoy."

The second stanza is Percy's fifth, with some of the "luxuriances" he refers to. The third stanza is a variation of Percy's first.

"Now Gilderoy was bonny boy Would needs to th' King be gone With his silken garters on his legs, And the roses on his shoone. But better he had staid at home With me his only joy, For on a gallow tree they hung My handsome Gilderoy."

The fourth stanza is a variety of Percy's eleventh, and the fifth of his ninth.

There is another version of this song in the _Collection of Old Ballads_, 1723 (vol. i.), entitled "The Scotch Lover's Lamentation, or Gilderoy's last farewell," which contains some few "luxuriances," but is on the whole superior to the "improved" one here printed. This was altered by Lady Wardlaw, who added the stanzas between brackets, besides the one quoted above by Percy.

Gilderoy is now, perhaps, better known by Campbell's song than by this ballad. The name is a corruption of the Gaelic _gille roy_, red-haired boy.]

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Gilderoy was a bonnie boy, Had roses tull[1016] his shoone, His stockings were of silken soy,[1017] Wi' garters hanging doune: It was, I weene, a comelie sight, 5 To see sae trim a boy; He was my jo[1018] and hearts delight, My handsome Gilderoy.

Oh! sike twa charming een he had, A breath as sweet as rose, 10 He never ware a Highland plaid, But costly silken clothes; He gain'd the luve of ladies gay, Nane eir tull him was coy: Ah! wae is mee! I mourn the day 15 For my dear Gilderoy.

My Gilderoy and I were born, Baith in one toun together, We scant were seven years beforn, We gan to luve each other; 20 Our dadies and our mammies thay, Were fill'd wi' mickle joy, To think upon the bridal day, Twixt me and Gilderoy.

For Gilderoy that luve of mine, 25 Gude faith, I freely bought A wedding sark[1019] of holland fine, Wi' silken flowers wrought: And he gied me a wedding ring, Which I receiv'd wi' joy, 30 Nae lad nor lassie eir could sing, Like me and Gilderoy.

Wi' mickle joy we spent our prime, Till we were baith sixteen, And aft we past the langsome time, 35 Among the leaves sae green; Aft on the banks we'd sit us thair, And sweetly kiss and toy, Wi' garlands gay wad deck my hair My handsome Gilderoy. 40

[Oh! that he still had been content, Wi' me to lead his life; But, ah! his manfu' heart was bent, To stir in feates of strife: And he in many a venturous deed, 45 His courage bauld wad try; And now this gars[1020] mine heart to bleed, For my dear Gilderoy.

And when of me his leave he tuik, The tears they wat mine ee, 50 I gave tull him a parting luik, "My benison gang wi' thee; God speed thee weil, mine ain dear heart, For gane is all my joy; My heart is rent sith we maun part, 55 My handsome Gilderoy."]

My Gilderoy baith far and near, Was fear'd in every toun, And bauldly bare away the gear,[1021] Of many a lawland loun: 60 Nane eir durst meet him man to man, He was sae brave a boy; At length wi' numbers he was tane, My winsome[1022] Gilderoy.

Wae worth[1023] the loun that made the laws, 65 To hang a man for gear, To 'reave of life for ox or ass, For sheep, or horse, or mare: Had not their laws been made sae strick, I neir had lost my joy, 70 Wi' sorrow neir had wat my cheek, For my dear Gilderoy.

Giff Gilderoy had done amisse, He mought hae banisht been; Ah! what fair cruelty is this, 75 To hang sike handsome men: To hang the flower o' Scottish land, Sae sweet and fair a boy; Nae lady had sae white a hand, As thee, my Gilderoy. 80

Of Gilderoy sae fraid they were, They bound him mickle strong, Tull Edenburrow they led him thair, And on a gallows hung: They hung him high aboon the rest, 85 He was sae trim a boy; Thair dyed the youth whom I lued best, My handsome Gilderoy.

Thus having yielded up his breath, I bare his corpse away, 90 Wi' tears, that trickled for his death, I washt his comelye clay; And siker[1024] in a grave sae deep, I laid the dear-lued boy, And now for evir maun I weep, 95 My winsome Gilderoy.

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FOOTNOTES:

[1016] [for _till_ to.]

[1017] [silk.]

[1018] [sweetheart.]

[1019] [shift.]

[1020] [makes.]

[1021] [property.]

[1022] [winning.]

[1023] [woe betide.]

[1024] [secure.]