Royal Forester Lyrics

I am a forester of this land As you may plainly see It's the mantle of your maidenhead That I would have from thee
He's taken her by the milk white hand And by the leylan sleeve He's lain her down upon her back And asked no man's leave
Now since you've lain me down young man You must take me up again And since you've had your wills of me Come tell to me your name
Some call me Jim, some call me John Begad, it's all the same But when I'm in the king's high court Erwilian is my name
She being a good scholar She's spelt it o'er again Erwilian, that's a Latin word But Willy is your name
Now when he heard his name pronounced He mounted his high horse She's belted up her petticoat And followed with all her force
He rode and she ran A long summer day Until they came by the river That's commonly called the Tay
The water, it's too deep, my love I'm afraid you cannot wade But afore he'd ridden his horse well in She was on the other side
She went up to the king's high door She knocked and she went in Said, "One of your chancellor's robbed me And he's robbed me right and clean"
Has he robbed you of your mantle? Has he robbed you of your ring? No, he's robbed me of my maidenhead And another I can't find
If he be a married man Then hanged he shall be And if he be a single man He shall marry thee?
This couple, they got married They live in Huntley town She's the Earl of Airlie's daughter And he's the blacksmith's son