t76 Rattling, Roaring Willie. By the late Sir W. Elliot. 



" The lasses o' Oasenam water, 



Are rugging and tearing their hair. 

 And a' for the love o' Willie, 



Because he was sae fair. 

 Because he was sae fair, 



And pleasant for to see, 

 And drink will be dear to Willie, 



For sweet milk will gar him die. 

 199 

 " O Willie pu'd out his rapier, 



It was o' the steel sae clear, 

 And he has encountered sweet milk 



Without e'en dread or fear. 

 Without e'en dread or fear, 



And fought most manfulie ; 

 But Willie has stabbd sweet milk, 



And the wound has gart him die." 1 



Robert Chambers also supplies a fragment received from 

 Aberdeenshire, commencing in much the same terms as the last : 



" Itattlin', roarin' Willie, 



Where have ye been sae late ? 

 I've been to see my Peggy 



Sae weel as I keu the gate ! 

 Sae weel as 1 keu the gate, 



And the tirliu' o' the pin ; 

 And gang I late or ear', 



She'll rise and let me in!" 2 



This adventure is described at greater length in Buchan's MS. 

 Collection: — 



I. 

 " My rautin' roarin' Willie, 



Where hae ye been sae late ? 

 I hae been at my Meggie, 



Sae weel's I kent the gate. 

 Sae weel's I kent the gate, 



And far better kent the gin, 

 Sleep ye, or wake ye, Meggie, 

 Ye' 11 open and lat me in. 

 II. 

 " My rantin' roarin' Willie, 

 Ye're welcome aye to me, 

 My rantin' roarin' Willie, 

 Ye're welcome aye to me j 



1 Sir Hugh Hume Campbell's MSS. 



2 Songs of Scotland prior to Burns, 1862, p. 138. 



