How They Held the Bass for King James—1691–1693
Time of Narrating—1743
YE hae heard Whigs crack o’ the Saints in the Bass, my faith, agruesome tale;How the Remnant paid at a tippeny rate, for a quart o’ ha’penny ale!But I’ll tell ye anither tale o’ the Bass, that’ll hearten ye up tohear,Sae I pledge ye to Middleton first in a glass, and a health to theYoung 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, andpsalm,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 soldierspass,And Peden wared his malison on a bonny leaguer lass,As she stood and daffed, while the warders laughed, and wha sae blitheas 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, saythey,And sang in the cell where the Righteous dwell, but he took na a Saintaway.There yet might they be, for nane could flee, and nane daur’d breakthe 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 thewar: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 itfor 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 gaeswing,And England and Scotland fause may be, but the Bass Rock stands forthe King!
There’s but ae pass gangs up the Bass, it’s guarded wi’ strong gatesfour,And still as the soldiers went to the sea, they steikit them, door bydoor,And this did they do when they helped a crew that brought their coalson shore.Thither all had gone, save three men alone: then Middleton gripped hisman,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’ theboat by the sea!Then Middleton cried frae the high cliff-side, and his voice garr’dthe auld rocks ring,‘Will ye stand or flee by the land or sea, for I hold the Bass for theKing?’
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 andshame-faced crew,And they hirpled doun to Edinburgh toun, wi’ the story of theirshames,How the prisoners bold had broken hold, and kept the Bass for KingJames.
King James he has sent them guns and men, and the Whigs they guard theBass,But they never could catch the Cavaliers, who took toll of ships thatpass,They fared wild and free as the birds o’ the sea, and at night theywent on the wing,And they lifted the kye o’ Whigs far and nigh, and they revelled anddrank 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 Rockthey’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 laidlow.
So for lang years three did they sweep the sea, but a closer watch wasset,Till nae food had they, but twa ounce a day o’ meal was the maistthey’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 thatnews.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 Middletonmake them cheer,On the muzzles o’ guns he put coats and caps, and he set them abootthe wa’s,And the Whigs thocht then he had food and men to stand for theRightfu’ Cause.So he got a’ he craved, and his men were saved, and nane might saythem nay,Wi’ sword by side, and flag o’ pride, free men might they gang theirway,They might fare to France, they might bide at hame, and the bettertheir grace to buy,Wullie Wanbeard’s purse maun pay the keep o’ the men that did himdefy!
Men never hae gotten sic terms o’ peace since first men went to war,As got Halyburton, and Middleton, and Roy, and the young Dunbar.Sae I drink to ye here, To the Young Chevalier! I hae said ye anauld man’s say,And there may hae been mightier deeds of arms, but there never wasnane sae gay!