Ban and Arriere Ban | Page 4

Bass, that'll hearten ye
up to hear,
Sae I pledge ye to Middleton first in a glass, and a health
to the Young Chevalier!
The Bass stands frae North Berwick Law a league or less to sea, About
its feet the breakers beat, abune the sea-maws flee,
There's castle
stark and dungeon dark, wherein the godly lay, That made their rant for
the Covenant through mony a weary day. For twal' years lang the
caverns rang wi' preaching, prayer, and psalm,
Ye'd think the winds
were soughing wild, when a' the winds were calm,
There wad they
preach, each Saint to each, and glower as the soldiers pass,
And
Peden wared his malison on a bonny leaguer lass,
As she stood and
daffed, while the warders laughed, and wha sae blithe as she,
But a
wind o' ill worked his warlock will, and flang her out to sea.
Then
wha sae bright as the Saints that night, and an angel came, say they,

And sang in the cell where the Righteous dwell, but he took na a Saint
away.
There yet might they be, for nane could flee, and nane daur'd
break the jail,
And still the sobbing o' the sea might mix wi' their
warlock wail, But then came in black echty-echt, and bluidy echty-nine,

Wi' Cess, and Press, and Presbytery, and a' the dule sin' syne, The
Saints won free wi' the power o' the key, and cavaliers maun pine!
It
was Halyburton, Middleton, and Roy and young Dunbar,
That
Livingstone took on Cromdale haughs, in the last fight of the war:

And they were warded in the Bass, till the time they should be slain,

Where bluidy Mitchell, and Blackader, and Earlston lang had lain; Four
lads alone, 'gainst a garrison, but Glory crowns their names, For they
brought it to pass that they took the Bass, and they held it for King

James!
It isna by preaching half the night, ye'll burst a dungeon door, It wasna
by dint o' psalmody they broke the hold, they four, For lang years three
that rock in the sea bade Wullie Wanbeard gae swing,
And England
and Scotland fause may be, but the Bass Rock stands for the King!
There's but ae pass gangs up the Bass, it's guarded wi' strong gates four,

And still as the soldiers went to the sea, they steikit them, door by
door,
And this did they do when they helped a crew that brought their
coals on shore.
Thither all had gone, save three men alone: then
Middleton gripped his man,
Halyburton felled the sergeant lad,
Dunbar seized the gunner, Swan; Roy bound their hands, in hempen
bands, and the Cavaliers were free.
And they trained the guns on the
soldier loons that were down wi' the boat by the sea!
Then Middleton
cried frae the high cliff-side, and his voice garr'd the auld rocks ring,

'Will ye stand or flee by the land or sea, for I hold the Bass for the
King?'
They had nae desire to face the fire; it was mair than men might do,

So they e'en sailed back in the auld coal-smack, a sorry and shamefaced
crew,
And they hirpled doun to Edinburgh toun, wi' the story of their
shames,
How the prisoners bold had broken hold, and kept the Bass
for King James.
King James he has sent them guns and men, and the Whigs they guard
the Bass,
But they never could catch the Cavaliers, who took toll of
ships that pass,
They fared wild and free as the birds o' the sea, and at
night they went on the wing,
And they lifted the kye o' Whigs far and
nigh, and they revelled and drank to the King.
Then Wullie Wanbeard sends his ships to siege the Bass in form, And
first shall they break the fortress down, and syne the Rock they'll storm.

After twa days' fight they fled in the night, and glad eneuch to go,

With their rigging rent, and their powder spent, and many a man laid
low.

So for lang years three did they sweep the sea, but a closer watch was
set,
Till nae food had they, but twa ounce a day o' meal was the maist
they'd get.
And men fight but tame on an empty wame, so they sent a
flag o' truce,
And blithe were the Privy Council then, when the Whigs
had heard that news.
Twa Lords they sent wi' a strang intent to be
dour on each
Cavalier,
But wi' French cakes fine, and his last drap
o' wine, did Middleton make them cheer,
On the muzzles o' guns he
put coats and caps, and he set them aboot the wa's,
And the Whigs
thocht then he had food and men to stand for the Rightfu' Cause.
So
he got a' he craved, and his men were saved, and nane might say them
nay,
Wi' sword by side, and flag o' pride, free men might they gang
their way,
They might fare to France, they might bide at