{
 "id": "james-mcintyre/lady-ann",
 "title": "Lady Ann",
 "ordinal": null,
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "James McIntyre",
 "poet_slug": "james-mcintyre",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "Poems of James McIntyre",
 "book_slug": "poems-of-james-mcintyre",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": 80,
 "container": null,
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1889,
  "venue": "Poems of James McIntyre (1889)",
  "note": "First located printing is this volume; an earlier periodical printing has not been established.",
  "uncertain": false,
  "sources": [
   "https://archive.org/details/cihm_11791"
  ]
 },
 "source": {
  "kind": "standard-ebooks",
  "repo": "standardebooks/james-mcintyre_poetry",
  "file": "poetry.xhtml",
  "upstream": [
   "https://archive.org/details/cihm_09542",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/36068",
   "https://archive.org/details/cihm_11791"
  ],
  "rights": "public domain (SE dedication; underlying text pre-1931)"
 },
 "verification": {
  "level": "structural-only",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-20"
 },
 "stats": {
  "n_lines": 56,
  "n_stanzas": 14,
  "n_parts": 0,
  "longest_line_chars": 42,
  "max_indent": 0
 },
 "site_ready": true,
 "parts": [],
 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "A Highland clan were in despair",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Because their chief he had no heir,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And even the women of the clan,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Enchantments tried ’gainst Lady Ann.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "They consulted prophets and seers,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And they at last did quell their fears;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "If the clan would pilgrimage pay",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To Saint Botham’s Shrine on Christmas Day.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "If they but visited this shrine,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Then would a miracle divine",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Make Chief and Lady happy pair,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And they would be bless’d with an heir.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The day arriv’d, it chill’d their blood,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For river was a mighty flood,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And through the storm they must trudge,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Then cross o’er a dangerous bridge.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Though great dimage the flood had made,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "They reached the shrine, devotions paid;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And homeward now they wend their way",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To cross again the flooded Spey.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Bridge was built of rough long plank,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Which halfway reached from bank to bank;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But while crossing this flooded stream",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Lady Ann gave a sudden scream.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "For Carlock push’d her in the river,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And she was borne away forever;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "So at least old ruffian thought,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Though wicked schemes oft come to naught.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Superstitious was old Carlock;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "He believed in witch and warlock,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And that oft times departed spirit",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Would its home again inherit.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "One night he sees a horrid sight,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "It was Lady Ann dress’d in white;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To ruffian a deadly shock,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "He flung himself from castle rock.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The chief at first o’ercome with fear,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Then to his heart press’d Lady dear,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Whom he had nivnn up for lost,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And thought at first she was a ghost.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "But the kind miller of Clack Clam,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "With the great flood had lost his dam;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Himself, and son, and wife and daughter,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "All were working near the water.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Quite suddenly the miller’s son",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Ran to the house to get his gun;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "He saw what he methought was swan,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Which prov’d to be the Lady Ann.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "At first they thought that she was dead,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And carried her to a warm bed;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "There full soon she did recover,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And was happier than ever.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "After her floating on the waters,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "She gave birth to sons and daughters,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And ne’er had cause for to repine",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Her pilgrimage into the shrine.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ]
 ]
}