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Musselburgh Field

No: 172; variant: 172A

  1. ON the tenth day of December, And the fourth yeere of King Edwards raigne, Att Musleboorrowe, as I remember, Two goodly hosts there mett on a plaine.
  2. All that night they camped there, Soe did the Scotts, both stout and stubborne; But 'wellaway,' it was their song, For wee haue taken them in their owne turne.
  3. Over night they carded for our English mens coates; They fished before their netts were spunn; A white for sixpence, a red for two groates; Now wisdome wold haue stayed till they had been woone.
  4. Wee feared not but that they wold fight, Yett itt was turned vnto their owne paine; Thoe against one of vs that they were eight, Yett with their owne weapons wee did them beat.
  5. On the twelfth day in the morne The made a face as the wold fight, But many a proud Scott there was downe borne, And many a ranke coward was put to flight.
  6. But when they heard our great gunnes cracke, Then was their harts turned into their hose; They cast down their weapons, and turned their backes, They ran soe fast that the fell on their nose.
  7. The Lord Huntley, wee had him there; With him hee brought ten thousand men, Yett, God bee thanked, wee made them such a banquett That none of them returned againe.
  8. Wee chased them to D[alkeith]