o may his master be,
Desire him come and be my man,
And hold of me yon forest free.

13.
'To Edinburgh to come and gang,
His safe-warrant I sall be;
And gif he refuses to do that,
We'll conquer baith his lands and he.

14.
'Thou may'st vow I'll cast his castell down,
And mak a widow o' his gay ladye;
I'll hang his merry men pair by pair
In ony frith where I may them see.'

15.
James Boyd took his leave of the noble king,
To Ettrick Forest fair cam he;
Down Birkendale Brae when that he cam,
He saw the fair forest with his ee.

16.
Baith doe and roe and hart and hind
And of a' wild beastis great plentie;
He heard the bows that bauldly ring,
And arrows whidderand near him by.

17.
Of that fair castell he got a sight;
The like he nere saw with his ee;
On the forefront o' that castell
Twa unicorns were bra' to see.

18.
The picture of a knight, and a lady bright,
And the green hollin abune their bree;
Thereat he spy'd five hundred men,
Shooting with bows upon the lee.

19.
They a' were in ae livery clad,
O' the Lincoln green sae fair to see;
The knight and his ladye in purple clad;
O gif they lived right royallie!
Therefore he kend he was master-man,
And served him in his ain degree.

20.
'God mot thee save, brave Outlaw Murray,
Thy ladye and a' thy chivalrie!'
'Marry, thou's welcome, gentleman,
Some king's-messenger thou seems to be.'

21.
'The King of Scotland sent me here,
And, gude Outlaw, I'm sent to thee;
I wad wot of whom ye hold your lands,
Or, man, wha may thy master be?'

22.
'Thir landis are mine,' the Outlaw said;
'I own na king in Christentie;
Frae Soudron I this forest wan,
Whan the king nor 's knights were not to see.'

23.
'He desires you'll come to Edinburgh,
And hold of him this forest free;
And gif you refuse to do this,
He'll conquer baith thy landis and thee;
He has vow'd to cast thy castell down,
And mak a widow o' thy gay ladye;

24.
'He'll hang thy merry men pair by pair
In ony frith where he may them find.'
'Aye, by my troth!' the Outlaw said,
'Than wad I think me far behind.

25.
'Ere the king my fair countrie get,
This land that 's nativest to me,
Mony o' his nobles sall be cauld,
Their ladyes sall be right wearie.'

26.
Then spak his ladye, fair of