Contents -BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
Scotland: Vols. VI–VIII. 1876–79.

Ballads: Cromdale

The Haws of Cromdale

By Anonymous

AS I came in by Achendown,

A little wee bit frae the town,

When to the Highlands I was bown,

To view the haws of Cromdale,

I met a man in tartan trews,

I spier’d at him what was the news;

Quoth he, “The Highland army rues

That e’er we came to Cromdale.”

“We were in bed, sir, every man,

When the English host upon us came;

A bloody battle then began

Upon the haws of Cromdale.

“The English horse they were so rude,

They bath’d their hoofs in Highland blood,

But our brave clans they boldly stood,

Upon the haws of Cromdale.

“But alas! we could no longer stay,

For o’er the hills we came away,

And sore we do lament the day

That e’er we came to Cromdale.”

Thus the great Montrose did say,

“Can you direct the nearest way?

For I will o’er the hills this day,

And view the haws of Cromdale.”

“Alas, my lord, you ’re not so strong;

You scarcely have two thousand men,

And there ’s twenty thousand on the plain,

Stand rank and file on Cromdale.”

Thus the great Montrose did say,

“I say, direct the nearest way,

For I will o’er the hills this day,

And see the haws of Cromdale.”

They were at dinner, every man,

When great Montrose upon them came;

A second battle then began

Upon the haws of Cromdale.

The Grants, Mackenzies, and M’Kys,

Soon as Montrose they did espy,

O then they fought most vehemently,

Upon the haws of Cromdale.

The M’Donalds, they return’d again,

The Camerons did their standard join,

M’Intosh play’d a bonny game,

Upon the haws of Cromdale.

The M’Gregors fought like lyons bold,

M’Phersons, none could them controul,

M’Lauchlins fought like loyal souls,

Upon the haws of Cromdale.

(M’Leans, M’Dougals, and M’Neals,

So boldly as they took the field,

And made their enemies to yield,

Upon the haws of Cromdale.)

The Gordons boldly did advance,

The Fraziers (fought) with sword and lance,

The Grahams they made their heads to dance,

Upon the haws of Cromdale.

The loyal Stewarts, with Montrose,

So boldly set upon their foes,

And brought them down with highland blows,

Upon the haws of Cromdale.

Of twenty thousand Cromwells men,

Five hundred went to Aberdeen,

The rest of them lyes on the plain,

Upon the haws of Cromdale.