Highland Laddie (II), The

DESCRIPTION: "Princely is my lover's weed, Fu' his veins o' princely blude." "Brows wad better fa' a crown" "a hand the sceptre bruiks," "a hand the broad sword draws." "He'll wake the snorers round the throne, Till frae his daddie's chair he blaw"
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1810 (Cromek)
KEYWORDS: rebellion return nonballad Jacobites
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland)
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Hogg-JacobiteRelicsOfScotlandVol2 63A, "The Highland Laddie" (1 text, 1 tune)
ADDITIONAL: R. H. Cromek, Remains of Nithsdale and Galloway Song, (London, 1810), pp. 150-153, "Highland Laddie"
NOTES [142 words]: The alternate lines are minor variations on "Bonnie laddie, Highland laddie." In this case the subject is clearly Bonnie Prince Charlie himself.
"Cromek died [1812] shortly after the issue [1810] of Remains of Nithsdale and Galloway Song, which was mostly written by Cunningham, though palmed upon Cromek as recovered antiques." (source: J. Ross, The Book of Scottish Poems: Ancient and Modern, (Edinburgh, Edinburgh Publishing Co, 1878), "Allan Cunningham 1784-1842," p. 738; other sources agree)
Cromek: "The Highland Laddie seems to be the son of James VII [the 'Old Pretender' James Francis Edward Stuart]"; in other "Highland Laddie" fragments that Cromek prints it's clear that Charlie is the Highland laddie.
Cromek: "It is printed from the recitation of the young girl who contributed 'Derwenwater' [but see the note above on Cunningham]." - BS
Last updated in version 2.5
File: Hog2063A

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