English and Scottish Popular Ballads (part 6 of 10)

V. , sc. iii; Dyce, p. 226

With that came out his paramour, She was as white as the lily-flower. Hey, troul, troly, loly

With that came out her own dear knight, He was as true as ever did fight.

From Bonduca, produced before March, 1619: Act v, sc. 2, Dyce, V, 88.

It was an old tale, ten thousand times told, Of a young lady was turnd into mould, Her life it was lovely, her death it was bold.

From The Two Noble Kinsmen, printed in 1634, Act iii, sc. 4; Dyce, XI, 383.

For I’ll cut my green coat a foot above my knee, And I’ll clip my yellow locks an inch below mine ee. Hey, nonny, nonny, nonny

He’s buy me a white cut, forth for to ride, And I’ll go seek him through the world that is so wide. Hey, nonny, nonny, nonny

* * * * *

The Complaynt of Scotland, 1549, gives two lines of a song on the murder, in 1517, of the Sieur de la Bastie, a distinguished knight in the service of the Regent, Duke of Albany. The song may, or may not, have been a ballad.

God sen the Duc hed byddin in France, And Delabautë hed neuyr cum hame.

ed. Leyden, p. 100.

* * * * *

The History of the Houses of Douglas and Angus, written by Master David Hume of Godscroft, p. 155, Edinburgh, 1644.

Of the treacherous execution of William, sixth Earl of Douglas, at the castle of Edinburgh, in 1440, Hume of Godscroft says: “It is sure the people did abhorre it, execrating the very place where it was done; in detestation of the fact of which the memory remaineth yet to our dayes in these words.” Since Hume mentions no ballad, it is not likely that he knew of more than this single stanza, or that more existed. (Sir Walter Scott, however, confidently assumes that there was a ballad. Minstrelsy, 1833, I, 221 f.)

Edinburgh castle, towne, and tower, God grant thou sinke for sinne! And that even for the black dinner Earle Douglas got therein.

* * * * *

Written on the fly-leaf of a little volume printed at Edinburgh about 1670 (Quevedo’s Novels), Laing MSS, University of Edinburgh, Div. II, 358. (Communicated by Mr Macmath.)

‘He steps full statly on y^e stre[et], He hads y^e charters of him sell, In to his cloathing he is compl[ete], In Craford’s mure he bears y^e bell.

‘I wish I had died my own fai[r] death, In tender age, q^n I was young; I would never have broke my heart For y^e love of any churl’s son.

‘Wo be to my parents all, Y^t lives so farr beyond y^e sea! I might have lived a noble life, And wedded in my own countrë.’

* * * * *

Finlay’s Scottish Ballads, I, xxxii.

A “romantic ballad, of which, unfortunately, one stanza only has been preserved. The tradition bears that a young lady was carried away by the fairies, and that, although invisible to her friends who were in search of her, she was sometimes heard by them lamenting her destiny in a pathetic song, of which the stanza just mentioned runs nearly thus:”

O Alva hills is bonny, Dalycoutry hills is fair, But to think on the braes of Menstrie It maks my heart fu sair.

* * * * *

KING EDELBRODE

Sent by Motherwell to C. K. Sharpe, with a letter dated October 8, 1825. Also entered in Motherwell’s Note-Book, p. 53 (excepting the second line of the first stanza).

King Edelbrode cam owre the sea, Fa la lilly All for to marry a gay ladye. Fa la lilly.

(Then follows the description of a queen, jimp and sma, not remembered.)

Her lilly hands, sae white and sma, Fa la lilly Wi gouden rings were buskit braw. Fa la lilly

“I cannot get any precise account of its subject, but it related somehow to a most magnificent marriage. The old lady who sung it died some years ago.” (Letter to Sharpe.)

“It may be the same ballad as the scrap I have, with something of a similar chorus.” (Note-Book, where the “chorus” is Fa fa lilly.)

The reference seems to be to ‘The Whummil Bore,’ No 27, I, 255.

* * * * *

C. K. Sharpe’s Letters, ed. Allardyce, II, 106 (1813).

‘O come you from the earth?’ she said, ‘Or come you from the skye?’ ‘Oh, I am from yonder churchyard, Where my crumbling relicks lie.’

Sharpe somewhere asks, Where does this belong?

Possibly in some version of ‘Proud Lady Margaret,’ No 47, II, 425.

* * * * *

MS. of Thomas Wilkie, p. 79, “Scotch Ballads, Materials for Border Minstrelsy,” No 73 a, Abbotsford.

The great bull of Bendy-law Has broken his band and run awa, And the king and a’ his court Canna turn that bull about.

* * * * *

“Scotch Ballads, Materials for Border Minstrelsy,” No 86 a, Abbotsford, in the handwriting of Thomas Wilkie.

Red-Cap he was there, And he was there indeed, And he was standing by, With a red cap on his head.

* * * * *

“Scotch Ballads, Materials for Border Minstrelsy,” No 73 a; MS. of Thomas Wilkie, Abbotsford, derived by Wilkie from his father, “who heard a Lady Brigs sing this when he was a boy.”

He took a sword in every hand And on the house did venture, And swore if they wad not gee her up He would make all their doors play clatter.

Her angry father, when he saw this, That he would lose his ae daughter, He swore if he had not been gude at the sword He durst not come to make his doors clatter.

* * * * *

It was far in the night, and the bairnies grat; The mither beneath the mools heard that.

sung in Wuthering Heights, ch. 9, has not unnaturally been taken for a relic of a traditional Scottish ballad of a dead mother returning to her abused children. It is, in fact, a stanza (not literally well remembered) from the Danish ballad ‘Moderen under Mulde,’ Grundtvig, II, 470, No 89, =B= 11, translated by Jamieson, and given in the notes to the fourth canto of Scott’s Lady of the Lake.

* * * * *

The following “fragment,” given in Motherwell’s MS., p. 184, “from Mr William Steele of Greenock, advocate,” I suppose to have been the effort of a self-satisfied amateur, and to have been written as a fragment. The third and fourth stanzas recall the broadside ballad ‘The Lady Isabella’s Tragedy.’

Lady Margaret has bound her silken snood A little aboon her bree, Lady Margaret has kilted her grey mantel A little aboon her knee.

Lady Margaret has left her bonnie bower, But and her father’s ha, And with Lord Hugh Montgomerie Lady Margaret has gane awa.

* * * * * * *

‘I have made a bed, Lady Margaret, Beneath the hawthorn-tree; It’s lang and it’s deep, and there thou shalt sleep Till I come back to thee.’

* * * * * * *

Then out and spake her father dear, As he sat down to dine, ‘Gae, page, and tell Lady Margaret to come And fill for me the wine.

‘Gae, page, and tell Lady Margaret to come And glad her father’s ee; The wine that is poured by her fair, fair hand Is sweetest aye to me.’

Then out and spake the fat earth-worm, That wons beneath the stane; ‘Yestreen I fed on a rosie cheek And on a white hause-bane.

‘Yestreen I fed on a rosy cheek And on a snaw-white bree; But never again Lady Margaret Shall fill the wine for thee.”@

FOOTNOTES:

[117] Stanza 1^{1,2} of Percy’s ballad is from The Taming of the Shrew, iv, 1; 3, 5, 7, are, wholly or in part, from Hamlet, iv, 5; 12, 13, from Fletcher’s Queen of Corinth, iii, 2; 15 from Hamlet, as before; 17, 18, from Much Ado about Nothing, ii, 3; one line of 22 from King Lear, iii, 4.

[118] The verses from this tale are printed separately in Buchan’s Ballads of the North of Scotland, I, 117, ‘The Maid and Fairy.’

[119] But Jamieson confesses: “Of the verses which have been introduced I cannot answer for the exactness of any, except the stanza put into the mouth of the king of Elfland, which was indelibly impressed upon my memory [though J. was only seven or eight years old] long before I knew anything of Shakspere.” The stanza is: [in came the king of Elfland,]

‘With fi, fi, fo and fum! I smell the blood of a Christian man; Be he dead, be he living, wi my brand I’ll clash his harns frae his harn-pan.’

ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS

VOL. I.

1. Riddles Wisely Expounded.

P. 1 a, VI, 496 a. Guess or die. Kristensen, Jyske Folkeminder, X, 2, ‘Svend Bondes Spørgsmaal,’ =B.=

3-5. From Miss M. H. Mason’s Nursery Rhymes and Country Songs, p. 31; sung in Northumberland.

E

1 There was a lady in the West, Lay the bank with the bonny broom She had three daughters of the best. Fa lang the dillo Fa lang the dillo dillo dee

2 There came a stranger to the gate, And he three days and nights did wait.

3 The eldest daughter did ope the door, The second set him on the floor.

4 The third daughter she brought a chair, And placed it that he might sit there.

(To first daughter.)

5 ‘Now answer me these questions three, Or you shall surely go with me.

(To second daughter.)

6 ‘Now answer me these questions six, Or you shall surely be Old Nick’s.

(To all three.)

7 ‘Now answer me these questions nine, Or you shall surely all be mine.

8 ‘What is greener than the grass? What is smoother than crystal glass?

9 ‘What is louder than a horn? What is sharper than a thorn?

10 ‘What is brighter than the light? What is darker than the night?

11 ‘What is keener than an axe? What is softer than melting wax?

12 ‘What is rounder than a ring?’ ‘To you we thus our answers bring.

13 ‘Envy is greener than the grass, Flattery smoother than crystal glass.

14 ‘Rumour is louder than a horn, Hunger is sharper than a thorn.

15 ‘Truth is brighter than the light, Falsehood is darker than the night.

16 ‘Revenge is keener than an axe, Love is softer than melting wax.

17 ‘The world is rounder than a ring, To you we thus our answers bring.

18 ‘Thus you have our answers nine, And we never shall be thine.’

Findlay’s MSS, I, 151, from J. Milne.

‘What’s greener than the grass? What’s higher than the clouds? What is worse than women’s tongues? What’s deeper than the floods?’

‘Hollin’s greener than the grass, Heaven’s higher than the clouds, The devil’s worse than women’s tongues, Hell’s deeper than the floods.’

2. The Elfin Knight.

P. 7 b, III, 496 a, IV, 439 a. ‘Store Fordringer,’ Kristensen, Jyske Folkeminder, XI, 175, No 66 (three copies), 294, No 4. ‘Umulige Fordringer,’ Kristensen, Efterslæt til Skattegraveren, p. 20, No 16.

14 a, II, 495. After the note to 14 a at II, 495, add: C. R. Lanman.

17. Communicated by Mr Walker, of Aberdeen, as sung, 1893, by John Walker, Portlethen; learned by him from his father, above fifty years before.

1 There was a knight on the head o yon hill Blowing his horn lood and shrill. Blow, blow, blow the wind, blow

2 ‘Ye’se get to me a camrick sark Without ae steek o needlewark.

3 ‘An ye will wash it in a wall Where rain never fell nor water sprang.

4 ‘An ye sall dry it on a thorn That never wis sprung sin Adam was born.’

5 ‘Ye’se gie me an acre o red lan Atween the see an the watery san.

6 ‘An ye will plough it wi yer horn, An sa it a’ wi ae pick o corn.

7 ‘. . . . . . . . An cut it doon wi a sheepshank bone.

8 ‘An ye will big it in the sea, An bring the foonshief dry to me.

9 ‘An when ye have done and finished yer wark, Come in, Jock Sheep, an ye’ll get yer sark.’

As delivered, 5-8 precede 2-4.

17, 484 b. =M.= Findlay’s MSS, I, 21, from the recitation of Jeany Meldrum, Framedrum, Forfarshire.

17, II, 495 b. In The Monthly Chronicle of North Country Lore and Legend, III, 7, ‘Whittingham Fair’ is given by Mr Stokoe with a few variations.

1. Second line of refrain, For once she was a true lover of mine.

2, 4. Second line of refrain, Then she shall be a true lover.

3. Second line of refrain, And she shall be a true lover.

5. Second line of refrain, Before he shall be a true lover.

6. Second line of refrain, Then he shall be a true lover.

7, 8, 9. Second line of refrain, And he shall be a true lover.

6^1. to buy.

8^1. to sheer’t.

After 8: Tell him to thrash it on yonder wall, And never let one corn of it fall. Then he shall be a true lover of mine.

17, 484 f., II, 495 f., IV, 439 f.

‘Scarborough Fair,’ taken down by H. M. Bower, December, 1891, from William Moat, a Whitby fisherman. English County Songs, by Lucy E. Broadwood and J. A. Fuller Maitland, 1893, p. 12.

1 ‘Is any of you going to Scarborough Fair? Remember me to a lad as lives there; Remember me to a lad as lives there; For once he was a true lover of mine.

(Second line always twice.)

2 ‘Tell him to bring me an acre of land Betwixt the wild ocean and yonder sea sand; And then he shall be a true lover of mine.

3 ‘Tell him to plough it with one ram’s horn, And sow it all over with one pepper corn; And then he shall be a true lover of mine.

4 ‘Tell him to reap it with sickle of leather, And bind it together with one peacock-feather; And then he shall be a true lover of mine.

5 ‘And now I have answered your questions three, I hope you’ll answer as many for me; And then thou shalt be a true lover of mine.’

6 ‘Is any of you going to Scarborough Fair? Remember me to a lass as lives there; For once she was a true lover of mine.

7 ‘Tell her to make me a cambric shirt, Without any needles or thread, or owt through’t; And then she shall be a true lover of mine.

8 ‘Tell her to wash it by yonder wall, Where water neer sprung, nor a drop o rain fall; And then she shall be a true lover of mine.

9 ‘Tell her to dry it on yonder thorn, Where blossom neer grew sin Adam was born; And then she shall be a true lover of mine.

10 ‘And now I have answered your questions three, And I hope you’ll answer as many for me; And then thou shalt be a true lover of mine.’

Rev. S. Baring-Gould gives me these variations, from the West of England:

‘O tell her to bleach it on yonder fresh grass, Where never a foot or a hoof did pass.’

‘O tell him to thresh it in yonder barn, That hangs to the sky by a thread of yarn.’ (Dartmoor.)

‘Pray take it up in a bottomless sack, And every leaf grows merry in time And bear it to the mill on a butterfly’s back. O thus you shall be a true lover of mine’ (Cornwall.)

4. Lady Isabel and the Elf-Knight.

P. 26 b. =Danish.= ‘Kvindemorderen,’ two fragments; Kristensen, Folkeminder, XI, 62, No 33.

29-37, 486 a, IV, 441 a. =FF.= ‘Schön Hannchen,’ Frischbier und Sembrzycki, Hundert Ostpreussische Volkslieder, 1893, p. 35, No 22, from Angerburg, 51 vv. The ballad is of the third class. Hannchen walks in the wood, and Ulrich advances to meet her. The birds are all singing, and the maid asks why. ‘Every bird has its song,’ says Ulrich; ‘go you your gait.’ He takes her under a briar where there is a pretty damsel (who is quite superfluous). Hannchen lays her head in the damsel’s lap and begins to weep. The damsel asks whether her weeping is for her father’s gear, or because Ulrich is not good enough for her. It is not for her father’s gear, and Ulrich is good enough. ‘Is it, then,’ says the damsel or Ulrich, ‘for the stakes on which the eleven maidens are hanging? Rely upon it, you shall be the twelfth.’ She begs for three cries, which are addressed to God, her parents, and her brothers. The brothers hear, hasten to the wood, and encounter Ulrich, who pretends to know nothing of their sister. His shoes are red with blood. ‘Why not?’ says Ulrich, ‘I have shot a dove.’ They know who the dove is. Hannchen is borne to the churchyard, Ulrich is strung up on the gallows. No 23 of the same collection is =X.=

‘Die schöne Anna,’ Böckel, Deutsche Volkslieder aus Oberhessen, p. 86, No 103, ‘Als die wunderschöne Anna,’ Lewalter, Deutsche V. l. in Niederhessen gesammelt, 1^5 Heft, No 24, p. 51, and also No 25, are fragmentary pieces, varieties of =DD=, I, 486 a.

37 b, 3d paragraph. A variety of =A= is printed in Altpreussische Monatschrift, N. F., XXVIII, 632, 1892, without indication of local derivation, ‘Der Ritter und die Königstochter.’ The knight takes measures (not very summary ones) to drown himself.

43 b (or 44 a), 488 a, III, 497 a, IV, 441 b. =Italian.= Add: Canti popolari Emiliani by Maria Carmi, Archivio, XII, 178, No 2.

44 b, 1st paragraph. Add: ‘El Mariner’ and ‘Giovanina,’ Villanis, Canzoni p. Zaratine, in Archivio XI, 33, 34, Nos 2, 3.

58. =E.= A copy of ‘The Outlandish Knight,’ with unimportant verbal variations, is given in English County Songs, by Lucy E. Broadwood and J. A. Fuller Maitland, p. 164.

III, 497 b. A pair on horseback go a long way without speaking. A trait in Polish, French, and Italian versions of No 4. Add: Munthe, Folkpoesi från Asturien, p. 118 f., VII, =A=, 76 f., =B=, 70 f. (‘Don Bueso,’ Duran, =I=, lxv, no hablara la niña.) Dead lover and maid in Bartoš, Nové národne pisnĕ moravské, p. 150. Lagus, Nyländske F. visor, ‘Kung Valdemo’ (==Ribold), No 1, a, 28, b, 18, ‘Kämpen Grimborg,’ No 3, a, 21, b, 19.

5. Gil Brenton.

P. 62. In Traditionary Stories of Old Families, by Andrew Picken, 1833, I, 289, ‘The Three Maids of Loudon,’ occur the following stanzas:

Seven pretty sisters dwelt in a bower, With a hey-down, and a ho-down And they twined the silk, and they workd the flower. Sing a hey-down and a ho-down

And they began for seven years’ wark, With a hey-down and a ho-down All for to make their dear loves a sark. With a hey down and a ho-down

O three long years were passd and gone, And they had not finishd a sleeve but one.

‘O we’ll to the woods, and we’ll pull a rose,’ And up they sprang all at this propose.

(W. Macmath.)

6. Willie’s Lady.

P. 82 a. ‘Barselkvinden,’ three fragments, Kristensen, Folkeminder, XI, 42, No 23.

85 b, 3d paragraph. Say, of the parish of Logierait.

7. Earl Brand.

P. 88, III, 498 b, IV, 443 a. ‘Hr. Ribolt.’ =Danish.= Add: Skattegraveren, VI, 17, No 257, ‘Nævnet til døde,’ Kristensen, Efterslæt til Skattegraveren, p. 81, No 76; Folkeminder, XI, 36, No 22, A-D.

91 f. 489 b, III,498 b, IV, 443 a. =Swedish.= [‘Ridborg,’] Thomasson, Visor från Bleking, Nyare Bidrag, etc., VII, No 6, p. 12, No 7.

96 b. =Danish.= ‘Hertug Frydenborg,’ Danmarks g. Folkeviser, No 305, V, II, 216. =A a=, =b=, =h=, =n=, =o=; =B b=, =c=; =E= =k=, =l=; =F b=, =c=, =e=, =f=; with diversities, the plant nearly always lilies. (A few of these, from Kristensen, have been already cited.)

9. The Fair Flower of Northumberland.

P. 116. =D.= In a copy sent by Motherwell to C. K. Sharpe with a letter, October 8, 1825, this version is said to have been obtained from Mrs Nicol, of Paisley.

117, 493 a.

G

‘The Heiress of Northumberland,’ from C. K. Sharpe’s first collection, p. 7.

Sir W. Scott, commenting on this copy (to which he by mistake gives the title of The Stirrup of Northumberland), says: “An edition considerably varied both from Ritson’s and the present I have heard sung by the Miss Tytlers of Woodhouselee. The tune is a very pretty lilt.” Sharpe’s Ballad Book, ed. 1880, p. 142.

At the end of the ballad we are told: Tradition’s story is that the hero of this song was one of the Earls of Douglass, who was taken captive and put in prison by Percy, Earl of Northumberland.

1 ‘Why, fair maid, have pity on me,’ Waly ‘s my love wi the life that she wan ‘For I am bound in prison strong, And under the heir o Northumberland.’

2 ‘How can I have pity on thee,’ Waly’s my love, etc. ‘When thou hast a wife and children three, All dwelling at home in fair Scotland?’

3 Now he has sworn a solemn oath, And it was by eternity, That wife and children he had none, All dwelling at home in fair Scotland.

4 Now she’s gone to her father’s bedstock, Waly’s my love, etc. And has stolen the key of the dungeon-lock, And she the great heir o Northumberland.

5 And she’s gone to her father’s chest, She has stolen away a suit of the best, Altho she was heir o Northumberland.

6 Now she’s gone to her father’s coffer, And has taen out gold nane kens how meickle, Altho she, etc.

7 She’s gane to her father’s stable, And taen out a steed baith lusty and able, For a’she was heir, etc.

8 The rade till they came to Crafurdmoor, He bade her light down for an English whore, Altho she, etc.

9 The rade till the came to the water o Clyde, He bade her light down, nae farer she should ride, ‘For now I am at hame in fair Scotland.’

10 ‘Yonder view my castle,’ said he; ‘There I hae a wife and children three, All dwelling at home,’ etc.

11 ‘O take me by the middle sae sma And thro me oer your castle-wa, For I darena gang hame to Northumberland.’

12 When she came to her father’s yett, She durst hardly rapp thereat, Altho she was, etc.

13 Out then spoke her stepmother sour, She bad her pack off for an impudent whore, ‘For thou shalt not be heir o Northumberland.’

14 Out then spock her bastard brother; ‘She’ll hae nae mair grace than God has gien her, And she shall be heir o Northumberland.’

15 Out and spoke her father sae mild, ‘She’s no the first maid a false Scot has beguild, And she shall be,’ etc.

10. The Twa Sisters.

P. 125, 493 b, II, 498 b, III, 499 a, IV, 447 b. ‘Les roseaux qui chantent, Revue des Traditions Populaires, VII, 223 (blue flower); ‘L’os qui chante,’ discussion of the tale by M. Charles Ploix, Rev. des Trad. Pop., VIII, 129 ff.

11. The Cruel Brother.

P. 142 b, 496 a, III, 499 a, IV, 449 a. Add a ballad of Rissiäld, Canti popolari Emiliani, Maria Carmi, Archivio, XII, 185, No 7.

144 a, l. 18. ‘Le Testament de Marion.’ Another version, ‘La belo Marioun,’ Laroche, Folklore du Lauraguais, p. 247.

144 b, 2d paragraph. Add at the end: the (she) ass, Testament de l’Âne, Buchon, Noels et Chants pop. de la Franche-Comté, p. 89, No 28; and elsewhere.

147. =E.= For this stanza we find, whatever may be the explanation, the following in Findlay MSS, I, 146. “From Miss Butchart, Arbroath.”

There were three sisters livd in a bouer, With a hech hey an a lillie gay There cam a knicht to be their wooer. An the primrose springs sae sweetly Sing Annet, an Marrot, an fair Maisrie, An the dew hangs in the wood, gay ladie.

12. Lord Randal.

=P.= 152 b, 498 b, III, 499 b. =Italian.= Three imperfect versions (Sardinian) in Ferraro, C. p. in dialetto logudorese, 1891, pp. 3-5.

156 a, last paragraph, northern ballad. Add: ‘Den onde svigermoder,’ Kristensen, Jyske Folkeviser, I, 332, No 122; Skattegraveren, V, 84, No 635.

157, 499, IV, 449.

‘Lairde Rowlande, or Ronalde,’ The Sporting Magazine, XXV, 209, January, 1805; communicated by Philodice, as recited by a “peasant’s girl” at Randcallas, Perthshire. (Reprinted by Mr Edward Peacock in The Athenæum, August 27, 1892, p. 288.)

1 ‘Ah, where have you been, Lairde Rowlande, my son? Ah, where have you been, Lairde Rowlande, my son?’ ‘I’ve been in the wild woods; mither, mak my bed soon, For I’m weary wi hunting and faine would lie down.’

2 ‘Oh, you’ve been at your true-love’s, Lairde Rowlande, my son,’ etc. ‘I’ve been at my true-love’s; mither,’ etc.

3 ‘What got you to dinner?’ etc. ‘I got eels boild in brue; mither,’ etc.

4 ‘What’s become of your warden?’ etc. ‘He died in the muirlands; mither,’ etc.

5 ‘What’s become of your stag-hounds?’ etc. ‘They swelled and they died; mither,’ etc.

‘Jacky, my son,’ written out by Miss F. J. Adams, a Devonshire lady, and derived by her from her Devonshire nurse, sixty or seventy years ago. (Rev. S. Baring-Gould.)

1 ‘Where hast thou been to-day, Jacky, my son? Where hast thou been to-day, my honey man?’ ‘Oh, I’ve been a courting, mother, make my bed soon, For I am sick to the heart, fain would lie down.’

2 ‘Where shall I make it to?’ etc. ‘Oh, in the churchyard, mother,’ etc.

3 ‘What wilt thou leave thy mother?’ etc. ‘Oh, I’ll leave her my money, mother,’ etc.

4 ‘What wilt thou leave thy father?’ etc. ‘Oh, I’ll leave him my ’state, mother,’ etc.

5 ‘What wilt thou leave thy sweetheart?’ etc. ‘A rope for to hang her, mother,’ etc.

‘The Croodin Doo.’ Findlay MSS, I, 192.

1 ‘Whare did ye get your dinner the day, My wee, wee croodin doo?’ (Twice.)

2 ‘I got it in my step-mither’s ha, Oh, granny, mak my bed noo.’ (Twice.)

3 ‘What did ye get to your dinner the day, My wee, wee croodin doo?’ (Twice.)

4 ‘I got a wee fishie wi four wee feeties, Oh, granny, mak my bed noo.’ (Twice.)

5 ‘Did ony body eat it but yoursel, My wee, wee croodin doo?’ (Twice.)

6 ‘I gied the banes to my wee, wee dogie, Oh, granny, mak my bed noo; He streekit out his head an died at my feet, O, granny, een as I do noo.’

Among C. K. Sharpe’s papers, and in his handwriting, is a piece in dialogue between Mother and Son headed, Death of Lord Rounal, a Gaelic ballad founded on a tradition of his receiving poison by treachery at the castle of his mistress’ father, and dying on his return home. This is the familiar Scottish ballad made over in English and mildly sentimental phraseology. All the Celtic in it is “dark Dungael, the chief of meikle guile,” the father.

13. Edward.

P. 167 b, 501 b, III 499 b. =Swedish.= ‘Sven i Rosengård’ in Thomasson, Visor från Bleking, Nyare Bidrag, etc., VII, No 6, p. 16, No 9.

168 a, second paragraph, ‘when stones float,’ etc. Compare Sir John Mandeville, as to the Dead Sea, ch. 9 (of the Cotton MS.): “And zif a man caste iren therein, it wole flete aboven, and zif men caste a fedre therein, it wol synke to the botme.”

14. Babylon, or, The Bonnie Banks o Fordie.

P. 170, II, 499 a, III, 500. Add to the French ballad, ‘C’est trois garçons dépaysés,’ Pineau, Le Folk-Lore du Poitou, p. 281; ‘Les Coumpagnons,’ Laroche, Folklore du Lauraguais, p. 245.

171 a. =Danish.= Add: Hr. Tures Døtre, Kristensen, Folkeminder, XI, 145, No 56.

15. Leesome Brand.

P. 178 b. =Danish.= Add: ‘Barnefødsel i Lunden,’ Kristensen, Folkeminder, XI, 102, No 45, =A-I=, 9 copies.

181 b, II, 499 a. =French=, =B.= Add: ‘La-bas, sus ces grands champs,’ Pineau, Le Folk-Lore du Poitou, p. 315.

16. Sheath and Knife.

P. 185, III, 500. In C. K. Sharpe’s papers there is the following version, in Motherwell’s handwriting, sent by him to Sharpe with a letter dated Paisley, 8th October, 1825.

F

‘The Broom blooms bonnie,’ from the recitation of Agnes Lyle, Kilbarchan.

1 ‘There is a feast in your father’s house, The broom blooms bonnie, and so is it fair It becomes you and me to be very douce.’ And we’ll never gang up to the broom nae mair

2 ‘Will you go to yon hill so hie, Take your bow and your arrow wi thee.’

3 He’s tane his lady on his back, And his auld son in his coat-lap.

4 ‘When ye hear me give a cry, Ye’ll shoot your bow and let me ly.

5 ‘When ye see me lying still, Throw awa your bow and come running me till.’

6 When he heard her gie a cry, He shot his bow and he let her lye.

7 When he saw she was lying still, He threw awa his bow and came running her till.

8 It was nae wonder his heart was sad, When he shot his auld son at her head.

9 He howkit a grave lang, large and wide, He buried his auld son down by her side.

10 It was nae wonder his heart was sair, When he shooled the mools on her yellow hair.

11 ‘Oh,’ said his father, ‘son, but thou’rt sad, At our braw meeting you micht be glad.’

12 ‘Oh,’ said he, ‘father, I’ve lost my knife, I loved as dear almost as my own life.

13 ‘But I have lost a far better thing, I lost the sheathe that the knife was in.’

14 ‘Hold thy tongue and mak nae din, I’ll buy thee a sheath and a knife therein.’

15 ‘A’ the ships ere sailed the sea Neer’ll bring such a sheathe and knife to me.

16 ‘A’ the smiths that lives on land Will neer bring such a sheath and knife to my hand.’

III, 500. =E.= Colonel W. F. Prideaux has printed this piece, from a manuscript of Motherwell’s in his possession, in Notes and Queries, Eighth Series, I, 372, with the trifling variations (or confirmations of doubtful readings) here annexed.

1^1 Ane.

3^1. we’ll hunt

6^1. let me doun by the rute o the.

7^2. And wanting: as ony.

9^2. faithless.

10^1. The ae.

17. Hind Horn.

P. 196 a (7). Historia: Hertzog Heinrich der löw, XVI, 221, of the edition of the Litt. Verein in Stuttgart, ed. Goetze, 228 vv.

198 a. Tales. Add: Stier, Ungarische Volksmärchen, p. 53.

198 b, 502 b, II, 499 b, IV, 450 b. ‘Le retour du mari,’ Pineau, Le Folk-Lore du Poitou, p. 385; La Tradition, VI, 207 f.

199 b. =Romaic.= Add: Manousos, II, 73; Ζωγραφεῖος Ἀγών, p. 76, No 26.

205. =G.= Kinloch has made numerous small changes. The ballad will now be given as first written down, Kinloch MSS, VII, 117. It appears to have been derived by Miss Kinnear from Christy Smith.

1 ‘Hynde Horn’s bound, love, and Hynde Horn’s free; Whare was ye born? or frae what cuntrie?’

2 ‘In gude greenwud whare I was born, And all my friends left me forlorn.

3 ‘I gave my love a gay gowd wand, That was to rule oure all Scotland.

4 ‘My love gave me a silver ring, That was to rule abune aw thing.

5 ‘Whan that ring keeps new in hue, Ye may ken that your love loves you.

6 ‘Whan that ring turns pale and wan, Ye may ken that your love loves anither man.’

7 He hoisted up his sails, and away sailed he Till he cam to a foreign cuntree.

8 Whan he lookit to his ring, it was turnd pale and wan; Says, I wish I war at hame again.

9 He hoisted up his sails, and hame sailed he Until he cam till his ain cuntree.

10 The first ane that he met with, It was with a puir auld beggar-man.

11 ‘What news? what news, my puir auld man? What news hae ye got to tell to me?’

12 ‘Na news, na news,’ the puirman did say, ‘But this is our queen’s wedding-day.’

13 ‘Ye’ll lend me your begging-weed, And I’ll lend you my riding-steed.’

14 ‘My begging-weed is na for thee, Your riding-steed is na for me.’

15 He has changed wi the puir auld beggar-man.

16 ‘What is the way that ye use to gae? And what are the words that ye beg wi?’

17 ‘Whan ye come to yon high hill, Ye’ll draw your bent bow nigh until.

18 ‘Whan ye come to yon town-end, Ye’ll lat your bent bow low fall doun.

19 ‘Ye’ll seek meat for St Peter, ask for St Paul, And seek for the sake of your Hynde Horn all.

20 ‘But tak ye frae nane o them aw Till ye get frae the bonnie bride hersel O.’

21 Whan he cam to yon high hill, He drew his bent bow nigh until.

22 And when he cam to yon toun-end, He loot his bent bow low fall doun.

23 He sought for St Peter, he askd for St Paul, And he sought for the sake of his Hynde Horn all.

24 But he took na frae are o them aw Till he got frae the bonnie bride hersel O.

25 The bride cam tripping doun the stair, Wi the scales o red gowd on her hair.

26 Wi a glass o red wine in her hand, To gie to the puir beggar-man.

27 Out he drank his glass o wine, Into it he dropt the ring.

28 ‘Got ye’t by sea, or got ye’t by land, Or got ye’t aff a drownd man’s hand?’

29 ‘I got na’t by sea, I got na’t by land, Nor gat I it aff a drownd man’s hand;

30 ‘But I got it at my wooing, And I’ll gie it to your wedding.

31 ‘I’ll tak the scales o gowd frae my head, I’ll follow you, and beg my bread.

32 ‘I’ll tak the scales o gowd frae my hair, I’ll follow you for evermair.’

33 She has tane the scales o gowd frae her head, She’s followed him, to beg her bread.

34 She has tane the scales o gowd frae her hair, And she has followd him evermair.

35 Atween the kitchen and the ha, There he loot his cloutie cloak fa.

36 The red gowd shined oure them aw, And the bride frae the bridegroom was stown awa.

19. King Orfeo.

P. 215. Professor Sophus Bugge maintains that the Scandinavian ballad ‘Harpens Kraft’ shows acquaintance with the English romance, and indeed, like the English ballad, is derived from it. (Arkiv för nordisk Filologi, VII, 97 ff., 1891.)

20. The Cruel Mother.

P. 218. Findlay’s MSS, I, 58 f., derived from his mother.

1 I lookëd ower the castle-wa, Hey rose, ma lindie, O Saw twa bonnie babies playin at the ba. Doon in the green wood-sidie, O

2 ‘O bonnie babies, an ye were mine, I wad feid ye wi flour-breid an wine.’

3 ‘O cruel mother, when we were thine, You did not prove to us sae kin.’

4 ‘O bonnie babies, an ye were mine, I wad cleid ye wi scarlet sae fine.’

5 ‘O cruel mother, when we were thine, You did not prove to us sae fine.

6 ‘For wi a penknife ye took our life And threw us ower the castle-wa.’

7 ‘O bonnie babies, what wad ye hae dune to me For my bein sae cruel to thee?’

8 ‘Seven yeare a fish in the flood, Seven yeare a bird in the wood.

9 ‘Seven yeare a tinglin bell, Seventeen yeare in the deepest hell.’ Under the green wood-sidie, O

219 b, 504 a, II, 500 a, III, 502 b, IV, 451 a. Add =S=, Deutsche Volksballaden aus Südungarn, Grünn und Baróti, in Ethnologische Mitteilungen aus Ungarn, II, 201, No 4, 1892.

21. The Maid and the Palmer.

P. 228. M. G. Doncieux has attempted to arrange “Le cycle de Sainte Marie-Madelaine,” in Revue des Traditions Populaires, VI, 257.

22. St Stephen and Herod.

P. 233 ff. ‘Stjærnevisen,’ Kristensen, XI, 207, No 76 =A=, =B=, has nothing about Stephen, but is confined to the scripture-history, piety, and New Year’s wishes.

P. 236 a, IV, 451 b. =French.= An imperfect French ballad in Mélusine, VI, 24, from a wood-cut “at least three centuries old.”

Add a Piedmontese popular tale communicated by Count Nigra to the editor of Mélusine, VI, 25 f.

M. Gaidoz, at the same place, 26 f., cites two versions of the resuscitation of the cock, from example-books. The first, from Erythræus (i.e. Rossi), ch. CLV, p. 187, is essentially the same as the legend of St Gunther given from Acta Sanctorum (p. 239 a). The other, from the Giardino d’ Essempi of Razzi, is the story told by Vincentius (p. 237, note †).

25. Willie’s Lyke-Wake.

P. 250, II, 502 a, III, 503 a. =Italian.= Add: Canti pop. Emiliani, Maria Carmi, Archivio, XII, 187, No 9. A fragment in Dalmedico, Canti del popolo veneziano, p. 109, seems, as Maria Carmi suggests, to belong to this ballad.

26. The Three Ravens.

P. 253. It has already been noted that traditional copies of ‘The Three Ravens’ have been far from infrequent. When a ballad has been nearly three hundred years in print, and in a very impressive form, the chance that traditional copies, differing principally by what they lack, should be coeval and independent amounts at most to a bare possibility. Traditional copies have, however, sometimes been given in this collection on the ground of a very slight chance; and not unreasonably, I think, considering the scope of the undertaking.

The copy which follows was communicated by E. L. K. to Notes and Queries, Eighth Series, II, 437, 1892, and has been sent me lately in MS. by Mr R. Brimley Johnson, of Cambridge, England, with this note:

“From E. Peacock, Esq., F. S. A., of Dunstan House, Kirton-in-Lindsay, Lincolnshire, whose father, born in 1793, heard it as a boy at harvest-suppers and sheep-shearings, and took down a copy from the recitation of Harry Richard, a laborer, who could not read, and had learnt it ‘from his fore-elders.’ He lived at Northorpe, where a grass-field joining a little stream, called Ea, Ee, and Hay, is pointed out as the scene of the tragedy.”

1 There was three ravens in a tree, As black as any jet could be. A down a derry down

2 Says the middlemost raven to his mate, Where shall we go to get ought to eat?

3 ‘It’s down in yonder grass-green field There lies a squire dead and killd.

4 ‘His horse all standing by his side, Thinking he’ll get up and ride.

5 ‘His hounds all standing at his feet, Licking his wounds that run so deep.’

6 Then comes a lady, full of woe, As big wi bairn as she can go.

7 She lifted up his bloody head, And kissd his lips that were so red.

8 She laid her down all by his side, And for the love of him she died.

6^2. Var. child.

27. The Whummil Bore.

P. 255. Serving the king long without sight of his daughter. Prof. Wollner notes that this trait is rather frequently found in Slavic. For example, in Karadžič, II, 617, No 96, Yakšič Mitar serves the vojvode Yanko nine years and never sees his sister.

29. The Boy and the Mantle.

P. 268 ff., II, 502 a, III, 503, IV, 454 a. Tests of chastity. On the Herodotean story, I, 271, see =E.= Lefébure, Mélusine, IV, 37-39.--St Wilfred’s Needle, in Ripon Minster. ‘In ipso templo, avorum memoria Wilfridi acus celeberrima fuit. Id erat augustum in cryptoporticu foramen quo mulierum pudicitia explorabatur; quæ enim castæ erant facile transibant, quæ dubia fama nescio quo miraculo constrictæ detinebantur.’ Camden, Britannia, ed. 1607, p. 570; see Folk-Lore Journal, II, 286. (G. L. K.)

31. The Marriage of Sir Gawain.

P. 293. Mr Clouston, Originals and Analogues of some of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, p. 520 cites a pretty story from a modern Turkish author, in which, as so often happens, parts are reversed. A young king of the fairies of a certain realm is cursed by his mother to appear old and ugly until a fair mortal girl shall love him enough to miss his company. This comes to pass after forty years, and the ugly old man becomes a beautiful youth of seventeen. (Phantasms from the Presence of God, written in 1796-97 by ‘Ali ‘Aziz Efendi, the Cretan.)

33. Kempy Kay.

P. 301. =A= was communicated to C. K. Sharpe by Robert Pitcairn with the stanzas in the order printed by Sharpe. The arrangement in =A= would seem, therefore, to have been an afterthought of Pitcairn’s. There is some slight difference of reading, also, in Pitcairn’s MS., and one defect is supplied. The variations in the copy sent Sharpe are (besides the order, as aforesaid) as follows:

2^1. I’m coming.

2^4. o weir.

3^4. three heire wanting.

4^4. Shone.

5^2. bruchty.

5^3. the night.

6^3. And in.

7^4. Between.

9^4. a lintseed bow (with the variant a bruchtit ewe).

10^1. lauchty.

10^4. A’ wanting.

12^3. teeth into.

13^2. sheets (no doubt erroneously). A stanza between 8 and 9 is noted as deficient, and something after 13.

303. =C.= In a copy of =C= sent Sharpe by Motherwell in a letter of December 6, 1824, the fourth stanza is lacking, the fifth is third.

3^2. span: years.

5^2. stool.

‘Knip Knap,’ taken down in the summer of 1893 by Mr Walker, of Aberdeen, at Portlethen, from the singing of an old man, as learned more than fifty years before from an old blacksmith at Dyce, near Aberdeen.

1 Knip Knap a hunting went, Out-ower the head o yon hill, aye, aye Wi a lust o pig-staves out-oer his shouther, An mony a dulchach forby, aye, aye.

2 There he met an old woman, Was herdin at her kye; ‘I’m come yer ae dochter to woo,’ She’s a very good servant,’ said I.

3 The wife gaed hame to her ain hole-house, Lookit in at her ain spunk-hole, An there she saw her ain foul flag, Loupin across the coal.

4 ‘Win up, win up, my ae foul flag, An mak yer foul face clean, For yer wooer is comin here the nicht, But yer foul face canna be seen. na, na’

5 She’s taen the sheave-wisps out o her sheen, An in behint the door, An she has faen to the stale strang, Seven year auld an more.

6 An aye she scrubbit, an aye she weesh, Out-ower the pint o her chin, Till a knip-knap cam to the door, She kent it was her wooer.

7 He’s taen her in his airms twa, Kissd her cheek an chin: ‘An I hae gotten kisses twa, Whaur I never thocht to get ane.’

8 The verra hair was in her head Was like the heather-cowe, An ilka louse at the reet o that Was like a brockit ewe.

9 The verra ee was in her head Was like a muckle pan, The hunkers and clunkers that hang frae her sheen Wad hae covered an acre o lan.

10 The verra teeth was in her head Was like a tether’s check, An the sneeters and snotters that hang frae her nose Wad a gart a frozen mill gang.

11 The verra tongue was in her head Wad been a guid mill-clap, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . An ye may know very weel by that She was a comely woman.

34. Kemp Owyne.

P. 309. From a manuscript collection of Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe’s, p. 2; “Second Collection,” see Sharpe’s Ballad Book, ed. 1880, p. 144. This copy closely resembles =A=.

1 Her mother died when she was young, And was laid in the silent tomb; The father weded the weel worst woman This day that lives in Christiendom.

2 She served her with hands and feet, In every way that well could be, Yet she did once upon a day Throw her in over a craig of sea.

3 Says, Ly you there, you dove Isabeal, And let you never borrowed be Till Kempenwine come ower the sea And borrow you with kisses three; Whatever any may do or say, O borrowed may you never be!

4 Her breath grew strong, and her hair grew long, And twisted thrice about a tree, And so hideous-like she did apear That all who saw her from her did flee.

5 Now Kempenwine gat word of this Where he was living beyond the sea; He hied him straight unto that shoar, The monstrous creature for to se.

6 Her breath was strong, and her hair was long, And twisted was around the tree, And with a swing she cried aloud, Come to craig of sea and kiss with me.

7 ‘Here is a royal ring,’ she cried, ‘That I have found in the green sea, And while your finger it is on Drawn shall your blood never be; But if you touch me, tail or fin, I vow this brand your death shall be.’

8 He steppëd in, gave her a kiss, The royal ring he brought him wi; Her breath was strong, and [her] hair was long, Yet twisted twice about the tree, And with a swing she came about, ‘Come to craig of sea and kiss with me.

9 ‘Here is a royal belt,’ she cried, ‘That I have found in the green sea, And while your body it is on Drawn shall your blood never be; But if you touch me, tail or fin, I vow this brand your death shall be.’

10 He steppëd in, gave her a kiss, The royal belt he brought him wee; Her breath yet strong, her hair yet long, Yet twisted once about the tree, And with a swing she came about, ‘Come to craig of sea and kiss with me.

11 ‘Here is a royal brand,’ she cried, ‘That I have found in the green sea, And while your body it is on Drawn shall your blood never be; But if you touch me, tail or fin, I vow my brand your death shall be.’

12 He steppëd in, gave her a kiss, The royal brand he brought him wee; Her breath now soft, her hair now short, And disengagëd from the tree, She fell into his arms two, As fair a woman as ever could be.

Written in long lines, and not divided into stanzas.

8^2. him with.

6^4, 8^6, 10^6. Craig of sea.

35. Allison Gross.

P. 314. Gifts offered by a hill-maid. ‘Bjærgjomfruens Frieri,’ Kristensen, Skattegraveren, II, 100, No 460; XII, 22 ff., Nos 16, 17; Folkeminder, XI, 20 ff., No 18, A-E.

36. The Laily Worm and the Mackrel of the Sea.

P. 315. Though Skene has rendered this ballad with reasonable fidelity, for an editor, it shall, on account of its interest, be given as it stands in the old lady’s MS., where it is No 2. It proves not absolutely true, as I have said, that the Skene ballad has “never been retouched by a pen.”

1 ‘I was bat seven year alld Fan my mider she did dee, My father marrëd the ae warst woman The wardle did ever see.

2 ‘For she has made me the lailly worm That lays att the fitt of the tree, An o my sister Meassry The machrel of the sea.

3 ‘An every Saterday att noon The machrl comes ea to me, An she takes my laylë head, An lays it on her knee, An keames it we a silver kemm, An washes it in the sea.

4 ‘Seven knights ha I slain Sane I lay att the fitt of the tree; An ye war na my ain father, The eight an ye sud be.’

5 ‘Sing on your song, ye l[a]ily worm, That ye sung to me;’ ‘I never sung that song But fatt I wad sing to ye.

6 ‘I was but seven year aull Fan my mider she [did] dee, My father marrëd the a warst woman The wardle did ever see.

7 ‘She changed me to the layel[y] worm That layes att the fitt of the tree, An my sister Messry [To] the makrell of the sea.

8 ‘And every Saterday att noon The machrell comes to me, An she takes my layly head, An layes it on her knee, An kames it weth a siller kame, An washes it in the sea.

9 ‘Seven knights ha I slain San I lay att the fitt of the tree; An ye war na my ain father, The eight ye sud be.’

10 He sent for his lady As fast as sen cod he: ‘Far is my son, That ye sent fra me, And my daughter, Lady Messry?’

11 ‘Yer son is att our king’s court, Sarving for meatt an fee, And yer doughter is att our quin’s court, A mary suit an free.’

12 ‘Ye lee, ye ill woman, Sa loud as I hear ye lea, For my son is the layelly worm That lays at the fitt of the tree, An my daughter Messry The machrell of the sea.’

13 She has tain a silver wan An gine him stroks three, An he started up the bravest knight Your eyes did ever see.

14 She has tane a small horn An loud an shill blue she, An a’ the came her tell but the proud machrell, An she stood by the sea: ‘Ye shaped me ance an unshemly shape, An ye’s never mare shape me.’

15 He has sent to the wood For hathorn an fun, An he has tane that gay lady, An ther he did her burne.

Written without division into stanzas or verses.

3^2. comes ea (aye); but, on repetition in 8^2, comes simply, with better metre.

15^1. hes has.

15^3. that that.

316. ‘Nattergalen,’ in Kristensen, Folkeminder, XI, 25, No 20, A-C.

In a Kaffir tale a girl marries a crocodile. The crocodile bids her lick his face. Upon her doing so, the crocodile casts his skin and turns into a strong and handsome man. He had been transformed by the enemies of his father’s house. (Theal, Kaffir Folk-Lore, 1882, p. 37, cited by Mr Clouston.)

39. Tam Lin.

P. 339. Teind to hell. See Isabel Gowdie’s case, in the Scottish Journal, I, 256, and compare Pitcairn’s Criminal Trials.

345. =D a.= This copy occurs in “the second collection” of Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe, p. 3, with a few variations, as follows. (See Sharpe’s Ballad Book, ed. 1880, p. 145.)

1^3. Charters wood, and always.

3^1. the seam.

3^3. is gone.

5^2. ye.

6^4. ask no.

10^4. we have.

11^1. to me.

12^2. aft.

12^3. the Lord of Forbes.

12^4. all his.

15 occurs after 24.

15^1. Tho Elfin.

15^4. the tenth one goes.

15^5. I am an, or, I a man.

16^5. if that.

16^6. miles Cross.

17^1. go unto the Miles cross.

20^4. next the.

23^1, 24^1. int.

25^1. She did her down.

27^2. so green.

27^3. Where.

27^4. ride next.

28^4. he is.

29^4. He.

32^2. and cry.

34^1. I thought.

40. The Queen of Elfan’s Nourice.

P. 358, II, 505 b, III, 505 b, IV, 459 a. Mortal midwife for fairies. ‘La Sage-femme et la Fée,’ R. Basset, Contes pop. berbères, 1887, No 26, p. 55 (and see notes, pp. 162, 163). (G. L. K.)

41. Hind Etin.

P. 361 b, III, 506 a, IV, 459 a. =Danish.= ‘Jomfruen i Bjærget,’ fragment, in Kristensen, Folkeminder, XI, 6, No 12.

364 a, III, 506 a, IV, 459 a. =Danish.= ‘Agnete og Havmanden,’ Kristensen, Skattegraveren, III, p. 17, No 34, XII, 65 ff., Nos 136, 137; Efterslæt, p. 2, No 2, p. 174, No 126; Folkeminder, XI, 7, No 13, A-D.

42. Clerk Colvill.

P. 371, No 42, p. 389. =C= in Findlay MSS, I, 141: ‘Clerk Colin,’ from Miss Butchart, Arbroath, 1868. Miss Butchart, who died about 1890, aged above ninety years, was the daughter of the Mrs Butchart from whom Kinloch got certain ballads, and niece to the Mrs Arrot who was one of Jamieson’s contributors. In the MS. there are these readings:

2^3. To gang.

4^3. maun gae.

5^2. could gang.

6^1. To Clyde’s.

374 b, IV, 459 a. =Danish.= ‘Elveskud,’ Kristensen, Skattegraveren, XII, 54, No 125; ‘Elvedansen,’ Folkeminder, XI, 15, No 17, =A-C=.

380, II, 506 a, III, 506 a, IV, 459 a. =TT=, ‘La chanson de Renaud,’ Pineau, Le Folk-Lore du Poitou, p. 399; =UU=, ‘La Mort de Jean Raynaud, Wallonia, I, 22.

=VV, WW=. Versions de la Bresse, one, and a fragment, J. Tiersot, Revue des Traditions Populaires, VII, 654 ff.

382, II, 506 a, III, 506 a. =Italian.= =N.= ‘El conte Anzolin,’ Villanis, Canzoni pop. Zaratine, Archivio, XI, 32. A burlesque form in Canti pop. Emiliani, Maria Carmi, Archivio, XII, 186, and a Venetian rispetto of the same character (noted by Maria Carmi) in Bernoni, Canti pop. Veneziani, 1873, Puntata 7, p. 12, No 62.

44. The Twa Magicians.

P. 400 a, III, 506 b, IV, 459 b. =French.= =Y.= ‘Les Transformations,’ Wallonia, I, 50.

401 b, 3d paragraph. Say: Cosquin, Contes lorrains, I, 103, No 9, and notes.

402 a, last paragraph, Gwion. See the mabinogi of Taliesin in Lady Charlotte Guest’s Mabinogion, Part VII, p. 358 f.

45. King John and the Bishop.

P. 405 b, II, 506, IV, 459 b. Another Magyar version in Zs. f. vergleichende Literaturgeschichte, N. F. V, 467.

46. Captain Wedderburn’s Courtship.

P. 414. Rev. J. Baring-Gould informs me that there is an Irish version of this piece in Ulster Ballads, British Museum, 1162. k. 6, entitled ‘The Lover’s Riddle.’ The lady, who in =B=, =C= is walking through the wood ‘her lane,’ is in the Ulster copy walking ‘down a narrow lane,’ and she meets ‘with William Dicken, a keeper of the game.’ The only important difference as to the riddles and the answers is that the young lady remembers her Bible to good purpose, and gives Melchisedec as an example of a priest unborn (Hebrews vii, 3).

415, note †. Miss M. H. Mason gives two copies in her Nursery Rhymes and Country Songs, pp. 23, 24, ‘A Paradox.’

417, note †, II, 507 b, III, 507 a, IV, 459 b. “They were told that in front of the king’s house there were twenty-score poles, with a head on each pole with the exception of three.” ‘The Lad with the Skin Coverings,’ J. G. Campbell, The Fians, p. 261. (There are three adventurers in this case.) (G. L. K.)

421. =B. h.= ‘Captian Wederburn,’ “The Old Lady’s Collection,” No 38.

=B.= =a.=

1 The lard of Roslie’s doughter was walking on the green, An by came Captain Wederburn, a servant to our king, An he said to his livery-man, Wer it no agenst our laa, I wad take her to my ain bed an lay her neast the waa.

=a.=

2 ‘I am in my father’s garden, walken among my father’s trees, An ye dou latt me walk a whill nou, kind sir, if ye pleas; For the supper-beals they will be rung an I will be mised awa,

=a.=

4^3. An my father will ate nae supper gine I be mised awa.’

=a.=

6. He lighted off his hors an sett the lady one, . . . . . . . . .

=A.= =a.=

6^{1,3}. He sett her ahind his livery-man, was leath to latt her faa:

=A.= =a.=

5^4. ‘We’s baith lay in ae bed, an ye’s lay neast the wa.’

=B.= =a.=

7 Fan they came to his quarter-house, his landl[ad]y came ben: ‘Ther is mony bonny lady in Edenbrugh toun, Bat sick a bonny lady is no in it aa;’ Says, ‘Lass, mak up a doun-bed, we will lay her nist the waa.’

=a.=

8 ‘Hold yer toung, young man,’ she says, ‘an latt yer folly be; I winnë come to my bed till ye gett to me things three. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

=a.=

9 ‘Ye gett to my supper a cherrey without a ston, An ye gett to my suppeer a chiken without a bone, An ye gett to my super a burd that flayes without a gaa, Or I winnë lay in your bed, nether att stok nor waa.’

=a.=

10 ‘The cherry when it is in the bloum, it is without a ston; The chiken when it is in the egg is without a bon; The dove she is a harmless burd, she flays without a gaa; An we’s baith lay in ae bed, an ye’s lay nist the waa.’

=a.=

15 ‘Hold off yer hands, young man,’ she says, ‘an dou not me perplex; I winnë gae to my bed till ye tell me qustens six; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

=a.=

16 ‘What is greaner nor the grass? what is hig[h]er the[n] the tree? What is war nor woman’s wish? what is deaper nor the sea? What burd sings first? what life buds first, an what dos on it faa? I winnë lay in your bed, nether att stok nor waa.’

=a.=

17 ‘Death is greaner nor the grass; heaven is higher nor the tree; The devill is war nor woman’s wish; hell is deaper nor the sea; The coke crous first; the suderen wood springs first, the due dos on it faa; An we’s baith lay in ae bed, an ye’s lay neast the waa.’

=a.=

11 ‘Hold off yer hands, young man,’ she says, ‘an yer folly gie our, I winne come to your bed till ye gett to me things four; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

=a.=

12 ‘Ye gett to me a cherry that in December grou; Leguays a fine silk mantell that waft gad never throu; A sparrou’s horn, a prist unborn, this night to join us tua; Or I winnë lay in your bed, nether att stok nor waa.’

=a.=

13 ‘Ther is a hote-bed in my father’s garden wher winter chirrys grou, Lequays a fine silk mantell in his closet which waft never gaid throu; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

=a.=

14 ‘Ther is a prist nou att the dore, just ready to come in, An never one could say he was born, For ther was a holl cut out of his mother’s side, an out of it he did faa; An we’s baith lay in ae bed, an ye’s lay nist the waa.’

=a.=

18 Littel kent the lassie in the morning fan she raise That wad be the last of a’ her maiden days; For nou she is marrëd to Captian Wederburn, that afore she never saa, An they baith lay in ae bed, an she lays nest the waa.

7^4. Lays, Lass.

10^1. bloun.

12^1. grous.

49. The Twa Brothers.

P. 436 a, 3d paragraph. It ought to have been remarked that it was a William Somerville that killed John. The names being the same as in the ballad, “unusually gratuitous” is not warranted.

438. =A= was derived by Sharpe from Elizabeth Kerry. The original copy was not all written at one time, but may have been written by one person. The first and the last stanza, and some corrections, are in the same hand as a letter which accompanied the ballad. The paper has a watermark of 1817. A few trifling differences in the MS. may be noted:

1^1. twa.

1^2. school (Note. “I have heard it called the Chase”): the githar.

1^4. a far.

2^1. wrestled.

4^4. And.

5^1. brother.

6^3. both.

7^2, 8^2, 9^2. Should for Gin.

8^1. what shall.

10^1. But wanting.

10^3. in fair Kirkland. (Letter. “I remembered a fair Kirk something, and Kirkland it must have been.”)

10^4. again wanting.

H

‘Perthshire Tredgey.’ From a copy formerly in the possession of Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe. This fragment has some resemblances to =F.= “Copied 1823” is endorsed on the sheet (in the hand which made an insertion in st. 11) and crossed out.

1 Two pretty boys lived in the North, The went to the school so rare; The one unto the other said, We’ll try some battle of war.

2 The worselaid up, the worselaid down, Till John lay on the ground; A pen-knife out of William’s pocket Gave John a deadly wound.

3 ‘O is it for my gold?’ he said, ‘Or for my rich monie? Or is it for my land sa broad, That you have killed me?’

4 ‘It’s neither for your gold,’ he said, ‘Or for your rich monie, But it is for your land sa broad That I have killed thee.’

5 ‘You’ll take [me] up upon your back, Carry me to Wastlen kirk-yard; You’ill houk a hole large and deep, And lay my body there.

6 ‘You’ll put a good stone ou my head, Another at my feet, A good green turf upon my breast, That the sounder I m[a]y sleep.

7 ‘And if my father chance to ask What’s come of your brother John, . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

* * * * * * *

8 ‘What blood is this upon your coat? I pray come tell to me;’ ‘It is the blood of my grey hound, It would not run for me.’

9 ‘The blood of your greyhound was near so red, I pray come tell to me;’ ‘It is the blood of my black horse, It would not hunt for me.’

10 ‘The blood of your black horse was near so red, I pray come tell to me;’ ‘It is the blood of my brother John, Since better canna be.’

* * * * * * *

11 He put his foot upon a ship, Saying, I am gane our the sea; ‘O when will you come back again, I pray come tell to me.’

12 ‘When the sun and the moon passes over the broom, That[’s] the day you’ll never see.’

* * * * *

2^1. worse laid, misheard for warseled.

3^3. lands abroad for land sae broad (misheard).

4^1. After your, la and half of an n, lan caught from 3^3.

4^3. land abroad. The reciter, or more probably the transcriber, has become confirmed in the error made in 3^3.

11^3. come inserted in a different hand.

11^{3,4} should probably be the first half of stanza 12.

50. The Bonny Hind.

P. 444 a. Motherwell MS., p. 485, professes to copy the ballad from Herd’s MS. by way of supplying the stanzas wanting in Scott. There are, however, in Motherwell’s transcript considerable deviations from Herd, a fact which I am unable to understand.

53. Young Beichan.

P. 454. ‘Lord Beichim,’ Findlay’s MSS, I, 1, from Jeanie Meldrum, Framedrum, Forfarshire, has these verses, found in =G= and in Spanish and Italian ballads.

(“She meets a shepherd and addresses him.”)

‘Whas are a’thae flocks o sheep? And whas are a’thae droves o kye? And whas are a’thae statelie mansions, That are in the way that I passd bye?’

‘O these are a’Lord Beichim’s sheep, And these are a’Lord Beichim’s kye, And these are a’Lord Beichim’s castles, That are in the way that ye passd bye.’

There are three or four stanzas more, but they resemble the English vulgar broadsides. There must have been a printed copy in circulation in Scotland which has not been recovered.

468. =D= is now given as it stands in “The Old Lady’s Collection,” from which it was copied by Skene: ‘Young Beachen,’ No. 14.

1 Young Beachen as born in fair London, An foiren lands he langed to see, An he was tean by the savage Mour, An they used him mast cruely.

2 Throu his shoulder they patt a bore, An throu the bore they patt a tree, An they made him tralle ther ousen-carts, An they used him most cruelly.

3 The savige More had ae doughter, I wat her name was Susan Pay, An she is to the prison-house To hear the prisenor’s mone.

4 He made na his mone to a stok, He made it no to a ston, But it was to the Quin of Heaven, That he made his mone.

5 ‘Gine a lady wad borrou me, Att her foot I wad rune, An a widdou wad borrou me, I wad becom her sone.

6 ‘Bat an a maid wad borrou me, I wad wed her we a ring, I wad make her lady of haas an bours, An of the high tours of Line.’

7 ‘Sing our yer sang, Young Bichen,’ she says, ‘Sing our yer sang to me;’ ‘I never sang that sang, lady, Bat fat I wad sing to ye.

8 ‘An a lady wad borrou me, Att her foot I wad rune, An a widdou wad borrou me, I wad becom her son.

9 ‘Bat an a maid wad borrou me, I wad wed her we a ring, I wad mak her lady of haas an bours, An of the high tours of Line.’

10 Saftly gaid she but, An saftly gaid she ben; It was na for want of hose nor shone, Nor time to pit them on.

11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . An she has stoun the kees of the prison, An latten Young Beachen gang.

12 She gae him a lofe of her whit bread, An a bottel of her wine, She bad him mind on the leady’s love That fread him out of pine.

13 She gae him a stead was gued in time of nead, A sadle of the bone, Five hundred poun in his poket, Bad him gae speading home.

14 An a lish of gued gray honds, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

15 Fan seven lang year wer come an gane, Shusie Pay thought lang, An she is on to fair London, As fast as she could gang.

16 Fan she came to Young Beachen’s gate, . . . . . . . . ‘Is Young Beachen att home, Or is he in this country?’

17 ‘He is att home, [H]is bearly bride him we;’ Sighan says her Susë Pay, ‘Was he quit forgoten me?’

18 On every finger she had a ring, An on the middel finger three; She gave the porter on of them, ‘Gett a word of your lord to me.’

19 He gaed up the stare, Fell lau doun on his knee: ‘Win up, my proud porter, What is your will we [me]?’

20 ‘I ha ben porter att your gate This therty year an three; The fairest lady is att yer gate Mine eays did ever see.’

21 Out spak the brid’s mother, An a haghty woman was she; ‘If ye had not excepted the bonny brid, Ye might well ha excepted me.’

22 ‘No desparegment to you, madam, Nor non to her grace; The sol of yon lady’s foot Is fairer then yer face.’

23 He’s geen the table we his foot, An caped it we his knee: ‘I wad my head an a’my land It’s Susie Pay come over the sea.’

24 The stare was therty steps, I wat he made them three; He toke her in his arms tua, ‘Susie Pay, y’er welcom to me!’

25 ‘Gie me a shive of your whit bread, An a bottel of your wine; Dinner ye mind on the lady’s love That freed ye out of pine?’

26 He took her Doun to yon garden green, An changed her name fra Shusie Pay, An called her bonny Lady Jean.

27 ‘Yer daughter came hear on high hors-back, She sall gae hame in coaches three, An I sall dubel her tocher our, She is nean the war of me.’

28 ‘It’s na the fashon of our country, Nor yet of our name, To wed a may in the morning An send her hame att none.’

29 ‘It’s na the fashon of my country, Nor of my name, Bat I man mind on the lady’s love That freed me out of pine.’

* * * * *

5^2. I att her foot I: cf. 8^2.

9^3. tours: cf. 6^3.

13^4. spending.

17^3. Sigh an.

18^2. niddel.

After 29:

Courtes kind an generse mind, An winne ye ansur me? An fan they hard ther lady’s word, Well ansuared was she.

P. 476, II, 508. =L.= For the modern vulgar ballad, Catnach’s is a better copy than that of Pitts. See Kidson, Traditional Tunes, p. 34, for Catnach.

VOL. II.

54. The Cherry-Tree Carol.

P. 1 b. (Apple tree.) Chanson de la Corrèze, Mélusine, VI, 40.

55. The Carnal and the Crane.

P. 7. The Sower: La Tradition, VII, 312.

56. Dives and Lazarus.

P. 10 b, IV, 462 b. ‘Lazare et le mauvais riche,’ L’Abbé Durdy, Anthologie pop. de l’Albret, Poésies gasconnes, p. 6.

Esthonian, Hurt, Vana Kannel, II, 210, No 296.

57. Brown Robyn’s Confession.

P. 13 b, IV, 463 a. =Danish.= ‘Sejladsen,’ Kristensen, Efterslæt til Skattegraveren, p. 22, No 18, p. 161 ff., Nos 116, 117; Folkeminder, XI, 148, No 57.

15 b. For Sadko, see Vesselofsky in Archiv für slavische Philologie, IX, 282.

58. Sir Patrick Spens.

P. 17. Among Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe’s papers there is a copy of this ballad, which, from its being entirely in Sharpe’s hand excepting the first line, we may suppose to have been intended as a reply to some person who had inquired for a ballad so beginning. This copy is mainly compounded, with a word altered here and there, from =D= (which Sharpe gave Motherwell), ten stanzas of =H=, and two resembling =L= 2, 3. The Sir Andrew Wood of =D= is changed to Sir Patrick Spens, and there is this one stanza which I have not observed to occur elsewhere, following =D= 7, or =H= 21:

O laith, laith war our gude Scots lords To weet their silken sarks, But lang or a’ the play was playd The weet gade to their hearts.

62. Fair Annie.

P. 65 a. =Danish.= ‘Skjön Anna,’ Kristensen, Folkeminder, XI, 91, No 92.

63. Child Waters.

P. 83. ‘Fair Ellen,’ from “The Old Lady’s Collection,” No 30, a version resembling =J.= The first two stanzas belong to ‘Glasgerion;’ compare No 67, =C=, 1, 2, II, 140.

K

1 Willie was a harper guid, He was a harper fine; He harped the burds out of the tree, The fish out of the flood, The milk out of a woman’s brist That bab had never nean.

2 He harped out, an he harped in, Till he harped them a’ aslep, Unless it was her Fair Elen, An she stood on her feett.

3 Willie stod in stabile dor, He said he wad ride, . . . . . . . . . . . .

4 ‘Na women mane gae we me, Hellen, Na women mane gaie we me Bat them that will saddle my hors, An bridell my steed, An elky toun that I come to A lish of hons mane lead.’

5 ‘I will saddle yer hors, Willie, An I will bridel yer steed, An elky toun att we come tell A leash of honds will lead.’

6 ‘The dogs sall eat the gued fite bread, An ye the douë pran, An ye sall bliss, an na curse, That ever ye lied a man.’

7 ‘The dogs sall eat the whit bread, An me the douë pran, An I will bliss, an na curs, That ear I loved a man.’

8 She has saddled his hors, An she has bridled his stead, An ealky toun att they came throu A lish of honds did lead.

9 The dogs did eatt the whit bread, An her the douey pran, An she did bliss, an she did na curs, That ever she loyed a man.

10 Fan they came to yon wan water That a’ man caas Clayd, He louked over his left shoder, Says, Ellen, will ye ride?

11 ‘I learned it in my medder’s bour, I wiss I had learned it better, Fan I came to wane water To sume as dos the otter.

12 ‘I learned in my midder’s bour, I watt I learned it well, Fan I came to wan water, To sume as dos the ell.’

13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Or the knight was in the middell of the water, The lady was in the eather side.

14 She leaned her back to a stane, Gaa a call opon: ‘O my back is right sore, An I sae farr frae hame!

15 ‘Hou monny mill ha ye to rid, An hou mony I to rine?’ ‘Fifty mill ha I to rid, Fifty you to rine, An by that time I dou supos Ye will be a dead woman.’

16 Out spak a bonny burd, Sate on yon tree, ‘Gaa on, fair Ellen, Ye ha scarcly milles three.’

17 Four-an-tuenty bony ladys Mett Willie in the closs, Bat the fairest lady among them a’ Took Willie frae his horse.

18 Four-an-tuenty bonny ladys Lead Willie to the table, Bat the fairest lady among them a’ Led his hors to the stable.

19 She leaned betuen the gray folle an the waa, An gae a call opon; ‘O my back is fue sore, An I sae far fra home!

20 ‘Fan I was in my father’s bour, I ware goud to my hell; Bat nou I am among Willie’s hors feet, An the call it will me kell.

21 ‘Fan I was in my midder’s bour I wear goud to my head; Bat nou I am among Willie’s hors feet, And the calle will be my dead.’

22 ‘Fatten a heavey horse-boy, my son Willie, Is this ye ha brought to me? Some times he grous read, read, An some times paill an wane; He louks just leak a woman we bairn, An no weis es leak a man.’

23 ‘Gett up, my heavey hors-boy, Gie my hors corn an hay;’ ‘By my soth,’ says her Fair Ellen, ‘Bat as fast as I may.’

24 ‘I dreamed a dream san the straine, Gued read a’ dreams to gued! I dreamed my stable-dor was opned An stoun was my best steed. Ye gae, my sister, An see if the dream be gued.’

25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . She thought she hard a baby greet, Bat an a lady mone.

26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ‘I think I hard a baby greet, Bat an a lady mone.’

27 ‘A askend, Willie,’ she says, ‘An ye man grant it me; The warst room in a’ yer house To your young son an me.’

28 [‘Ask on, Fair Ellen, Ye’r sure yer asken is free;] The best room in a’ my house To yer young son an ye.’

29 ‘[A] asken, Willie,’ she sayes, ‘An ye will grant it me; The smallest bear in yer house To [yer] young son an me.’

30 ‘Ask on, Fair Ellen, Ye’r sure your asken is free; The best bear in my house [To yer young son an ye.]

31 ‘The best bear in my house Is the black bear an the wine, An y_e_ sall haa that, Fair Ellen, To you an yer young son.’

32 ‘[A] askent, Willie,’ she says, ‘An ye will grant [it] me; The warst maid in yer house To wait on yer young son an me.’

33 ‘The best maid in my house Is my sister Meggie, An ye sall ha her, Fair Ellen, To wait on yer young son an ye.

34 ‘Chire up, Fair Ellen, Chire up, gin ye may; Yer kirking an yer fair weding Sail baith stand in ae day.’

* * * * *

1^6. bab have.

3^2. bide. Cf. =B= 3, =G= 1, =I= 1, =J= 1.

20^3. I an.

20^4. me gell.

21^2. my hell again.

21^4. And an.

30^2. sure yours.

64. Fair Janet.

P. 102. (See III, 497 b, No 5.) Add: ‘La Fiancée du Prince,’ Revue des Traditions Populaires, VIII, 406-409, two versions.

65. Lady Maisry.

P. 114. =A.= The variations in the Abbotsford MS. “Scottish Songs” are of the very slightest value; but as the MS. is in Scott’s hand, and as Scott says that they were from his recollection of recitation in the south of Scotland, they may be given for what they are worth. (See the note, IV, 387.)

‘Lady Maiserye,’ fol. 34, back.

1^2. Are a’.

1^4. she’ll hae.

2, 3, wanting.

4^{1,2}. They woo’d her up, they woo’d her doun, They woo’d her in the ha.

5^1. my lords, she said.

5^2. on me.

5^4. And I have na mair to gie.

6^1. father’s wily page.

6^3. For he has awa to her bauld brother.

7^1. O are my father and mother.

7^2. brethren.

8^1. are weel.

8^2. Likewise your brethren.

8^4. But she’s shamed thy name and thee.

9^1. true, thou little page.

9^2. A bluidy sight thou’s see.

9^3. thou tells.

9^4. High hanged sall thou be.

10^1. O he has gane to.

10^4. Kaming.

11. A stanza with “modern” in the margin.

12^1. The lady turnd her round about.

12^2. The kame fell.

12^{3,4}. The bluid ran backward to her heart And left her cheek sae wan.

13. ‘O bend nae sae, my dear brother, Your vengefu look on me! My love is laid on Lord William, And he is married to me.’

14^1. ye hae gotten knights and lords.

14^2. Within.

14^3. drew.

15^1. your English love.

15^3. For shouldst think of him an hour langer.

15^4. Thy.

16^1. I wad gie up my English love.

16^3. or an hour.

After 16 this stanza, not marked “modern:”

‘Ah, faithless woman, trow nae sae My just revenge to flee, For a’ your English lordling’s power, Our ancient enemy.’

17^1. where are a’ my wight.

17^4. this strumpet.

18^2. at my.

19^1. and spake.

19^2. Stude weeping by her side.

19^3. wad rin this.

20. wanting.

21^1, 22^1. And when.

21^3. to grass growing.

22^{1,5}. yate.

22^2. bade na chap nor.

22^3. to his.

22^5. And er.

23^1. O are.

23^2. Or are.

23^3. Or has my lady gien to me.

23^4. A dear: or a.

24^1. biggins are na broken, lord.

24^2. Nor yet.

24^3. a’ Scotlande.

24^4. This day for you.

25^1. to me the black horse.

25^2. O saddle to me.

25^3. Or saddle to me.

25^4. ere yet rode.

26^2. neeze.

26^3. your fire, my fierce.

26^4. no yet at.

27^1. And when: yate.

28^{1,2}. And still, Mend up the fire, she cried, And pour its rage round me.

28^4. will mend it soon for.

29^1. O had my hands.

29^2. Sae fast.

29^4. To save thy infant son.

30^{1,3}. for thee.

30^2. Thy sister and thy brother.

30^4. Thy father and thy mother.

31^1. for thee.

31^2. a’ thy.

31^3. that I make.

31^4. I sall.

115. =B.= Variations of C. K. Sharpe’s own MS. (“second collection”):

2^4. on my (wrongly).

4^4. It’s liars.

8^2. That’s what I’ll.

10^2. brother.

13^3. But when.

20^1, 21^1, 22^1. rode on.

22^4. Janet’s excit (Motherwell, exite).

24^1. said.

27^4. mony one.

66. Lord Ingram and Chiel Wyet.

P. 128. =A.= Collated with Sharpe’s MS., p. 17. The MS., which is in the handwriting of Sharpe, contains the same ballads as an Abbotsford MS. called North Country Ballads, but the two copies are independent transcripts. In a note to Sharpe, without date (Sharpe’s Ballad Book, ed. 1880, p. 148), Scott says, “I enclose Irvine’s manuscripts, which are, I think, curious. They are at your service for copying or publishing, or whatever you will.” Hugh Irvine, Drum, communicated to Scott a copy of ‘Tam Lin’ (see IV, 456), and it is possible that the manuscripts referred to in Scott’s note were the originals of the “North Country Ballads.”

1^4. their bonneur.

8^2. to kill.

11^1. boy says.

11^2. An will.

14^{1,3}. line that he.

15^1. (bacon).

16^4. she wanting.

18^{2,4}. garl, marl, are Sharpe’s corrections for words struck out, which seem to be guell, meal.

19^1. and that.

21^2. saft.

23^1. twice, so did I.

26^1. did stand.

31^4. he wanting.

Only 14^{1,3}, 16^4, 23^1, 31^4, _are wrongly given in Motherwell_.

Scott’s MS.--The name Maisery is wanting throughout.

23^3. only for one.

28. wanting.

30^3. had.

31^2. beg wrongly copied by.

68. Young Hunting.

P. 145. =A= 22. Findlay’s MSS, I, 146, gives a corresponding stanza, from Miss Butchart, Arbroath:

‘Ye’ll gie ower your day’s doukin An douk upon the nicht, An the place Young Redin he lies in The torches will brin bricht.’

148. =C= 21, 22. At the same place in Findlay’s MSS we find these stanzas, from Miss Bower:

The firsten grasp that she got o him, It was o his yellow hair; O wasna that a dowie grasp, For her that did him bear!

The nexten grasp that she got o him, It was o his lillie hand; O was na that a dowie grasp, For her brocht him to land!

69. Clerk Saunders.

P. 156 b, 2d paragraph. Austerities. ‘Mijn haer sel onghevlochten staen,’ etc. ‘Brennenberg,’ Hoffmann, Niederländische Volkslieder, p. 33, No 6, st. 17.

IV, 468 a, 3d line. Add: also four versions of Karl Hittebarn, No 294.

71. The Bent sae Brown.

P. 170. =Danish.= ‘Jomfruens Brødre,’ Kristensen, Skattegraveren, II, 145 ff., Nos 717-23 V, 81 ff., Nos 632-34; Efterslæt til Sk., p. 15, No 13, p. 84, No 79, ‘Den ulige Kamp;’ Folkeminder, XI, 139, No 53, A-C, p. 307, No 53.

73. Lord Thomas and Fair Annet.

P. 181, III, 510 b, IV, 469 a. Add another version of ‘Le Rossignolet,’ Rev. des Trad. pop., VIII, 418.

192. =G= as it stands in “The Old Lady’s Collection,” No 24.

1 Suit Willie an Fair Annë, They satt on yon hill, An fra the morning till night this tua Never ta’ked ther fill.

2 Willie spak a word in jeast, An Anny toke it ill: ‘We’s court ne mare mean madens, Agenst our parents’ will.’

3 ‘It’s na agenst our parents’ will,’ Fair Annie she did say; . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4 Willie is hame to his bour, To his book alean, An Fair Anni is to her bour, To her book an her seam.

5 Suit Willie is to his mider dear, Fell lou doun on his knee: ‘A asking, my mider dear, An ye grant it me; O will I marry the nut-broun may, An latt Faire Anny be?’

6 ‘The nut-broun may has ousen, Willie, The nut-broun may has kay; An ye will wine my blissing, Willie, An latt Fair Anny be.’

7 He did him to his father dear, Fell lou doun on his knee: ‘A asken, my father, An ye man grant it me.’

8 ‘Ask on, my ae sin Willie, Ye’r sear yer asking is frea; Except it be to marry her Fair Anny, An that ye manna deei.’

9 Out spak his littel sister, As she sat by the fire; The oxe-lig will brak in the plough, An the cou will droun in the mire.

10 ‘An Willie will hae nathing Bat the dam to sitt by the fire, An Faire Annie will sit in her beagly bour, An wine a eearl’s hire.’

11 ‘Fair faa ye, my littel sister, A gued dead matt ye dee! An ever I hae goud, Well touchered sall ye be.’

12 Hi’se away to Fair Annie, As fast as gang coud he: ‘O will ye come to my marrag? The morn it’s to be.’ ‘O I will come to yer marrag the morn, Gin I can wine,’ said she.

13 Annie did her to her father d[ea]r, Fell lou doun on her knee: ‘An askin, my father, An ye mane grant it me; Latt me to Suit Willie’s marrage, The morn it is to be.’

14 ‘Your hors sall be siler-shod afor, An guid read goud ahind, An bells in his main, To ring agenst the wind.’

15 She did her to her mother dear, Fell lou on her knee: ‘Will ye latt me to Willie’s marrage? To-morraa it is to be.’ ‘I ill latt ye to Willie’s marrage, To-morray it is to be.’

16 Fan Annë was in her sadel sett, She flamd agenst the fire; The girdell about her sma middell Wad a wone a eearl’s hire.

17 Fan they came to Mary kirk, An on to Mary quir, ‘O far gat ye that water, Annë, That washes ye sae clean?’ ‘I gat it in my fa(t)hers garden, Aneth a marbell stane.’

18 ‘O fare gatt ye that water, Annë, That washes ye sae fett?’ ‘I gat it in my mider’s womb, Far ye never gat the leak.

19 ‘For ye ha ben cirsned we mose-water, An roked in the reak, An sin-brunt in yer midder’s womb, For I think ye’ll never be faitt.’

20 The broun bride pat her hand in Att Annë’s left gare, An gen her. .. .. .. . A deap wound an a sare.

21 O Annë gid on her hors back, An fast away did ride, Batt lang or kok’s crawang Fair Annë was dead.

22 Fan bells was rung, an messe was sung, An a’ man boun to bed, Suit Willie an the nut-broun bride In a chamber was lead.

23 But up an wakned him Suit Willie, Out of his dreary dream: ‘I dreamed a dream this night, God read a’ dreams to gued!

24 ‘That Fair Annë’s bour was full of gentelmen, An her nen sellf was dead; Bat I will on to Fair Annie, An see if it be gued.’

25 Seven lang mille or he came near, He hard a dulfull chear, Her father an her seven bretheren Making to her a bear, The half of it guid read goud, The eather silver clear.

26 ‘Ye berl att my love’s leak The whit bread an the wine, Bat or the morn att this time Ye’s de the leak att mine.’

27 The tean was beared att Mary kirk, The eather att Mary quir; Out of the an grue a birk, Out of the eather a brear.

28 An ay the langer att they grue They came the eather near, An by that ye might a well kent They war tua lovers dear.

* * * * *

4^2. There may have been a word between book and alean.

5^6. bay: cf. 6^4.

16^2. flamd is doubtful.

21^4. farie.

23^3. might.

74. Fair Margaret and Sweet William.

P. 199. The Roxburghe copy, III, 338, Ebsworth, VI, 640, is a late one, of Aldermary Church-Yard.

200 b. =A c= is translated by Pröhle, G. A. Bürger, Sein Leben u. seine Dichtungen, p. 109.

75. Lord Lovel.

P. 204 f., note †, 512 b, IV 471 a. Add ‘Der Graf und das Mädchen,’ Böckel, Deutsche V.-l. aus Oberhessen, p. 5, No 6; ‘Es schlief ein Graf bei seiner Magd,’ Lewalter, Deutsche V.-l. in Niederhessen gesammelt, 2^3 Heft, p. 3, No 2: ‘Der Graf und sein Liebchen,’ Frischbier u. Sembrzycki, Hundert Ostpreussische Volkslieder, p. 34, No 21.

205 a, note, III, 510 b, IV, 471 b. =Scandinavian=, Other copies of ‘Lille Lise,’ ‘Greven og lille Lise,’ Kristensen, Efterslæt til Skattegraveren, p. 18, No 15, Folkeminder, XI, 159, No 62, A-D.

205. ‘Den elskedes Død,’ Berggreen, Danske Folkesange, 3d ed., p. 162, No 80 b; Svenske Fs., 2d ed., p. 84, No 66 b.

The ballad exists in Esthonian: Kaarle Krohn, Die geographische Verbreitung estnischer Lieder, p. 23.

76. The Lass of Roch Royal.

P. 213. =B= was received by Herd, with several other ballads, “by post, from a lady in Ayrshire (?), name unknown:” Herd’s MSS, I, 143.

215 b, 2d paragraph, tokens. Add: Ζωγραφεῖος Ἀγών, p. 90, No 67, p. 91, No 69, p. 95, No 81.

The lady demands love-tokens of Clerk Saunders’ ghost, No 69, =G=, 33, II, 166.

219. =C= occurs in C. K. Sharpe’s small MS. volume “Songs,” p. 40, and must have been communicated to Sharpe by Pitcairn. Collation:

2. It’s open, etc.: not written in full.

3^3, 4^3. Ruchley hill.

5^3. give me.

6. Do not you mind, etc.: not written in full.

7 wanting.

8^1. turned round.

10^1. It’s awa.

10^3. have got the.

13^1. that he.

14^1. Let down, let down.

14^3. late wanting.

15^3. morrow.

15^4. of mine.

16, 17, wanting.

77. Sweet William’s Ghost.

P. 228, note †. Add: Zingerle, in Zeitschrift für Volkskunde, II, 147.

229. =C= is translated by Pröhle, G. A. Bürger, Sein Leben u. seine Dichtungen, p. 106.

78. The Unquiet Grave.

P. 236 b, last paragraph. See the preface to ‘The Suffolk Miracle’ in this volume, p. 58 ff.

This “fragment,” in a small MS. volume entirely in C. K. Sharpe’s handwriting (“Songs”), p. 21, “from the recitation of Miss Oliphant of Gask, now Mrs Nairn” (later Lady Nairne), evidently belongs here.

O wet and weary is the night, And evendown pours the rain, O, And he that was sae true to me Lies in the greenwood slain, O. P. 21.

80. Old Robin of Portingale.

P. 240. ‘Sleep you, wake you.’ So, ‘Soldatenlohn,’ Zeitschrift für Volkskunde, II, 426, sts. 6, 7; Hruschka u. Toischer, Deutsche Volkslieder aus Böhmen, p. 183, No 147 a, 4^5, b 3^5, p. 195, No 171, 2^1, No 172, 4.

240, 513 a, III, 514, IV, 476. Two religious persons from India display to the Pope a cross burned on the breast in token of Christian faith, and also a baptismal mark on the right ear, “non flumine sed flamine:” Chronicon Adae de Usk ad ann. 1404, ed. E. M. Thompson, p. 90. See also the reference to York’s Marco Polo, 1875, II, 421, in Mr Thompson’s note, p. 219. (G. L. K.)

81. Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard.

P. 242. ‘Little Musgrave’ is entered to Francis Coules in the Stationers’ Registers, 24 June, 1630: Arber, IV, 236.

85. Lady Alice.

P. 279.

C

Miss M. H. Mason’s Nursery Rhymes and Country Songs, p. 46, ‘Giles Collin.’

1 Giles Collin he said to his mother one day, Oh, mother, come bind up my head! For tomorrow morning before it is day I’m sure I shall be dead.

2 ‘Oh, mother, oh, mother, if I should die, And I am sure I shall, I will not be buried in our churchyard, But under Lady Alice’s wall.’

3 His mother she made him some water-gruel, And stirred it up with a spoon; Giles Collin he ate but one spoonful, And died before it was noon.

4 Lady Alice was sitting in her window, All dressed in her night-coif; She saw as pretty a corpse go by As ever she’d seen in her life.

5 ‘What bear ye there, ye six tall men? What bear ye on your shourn?’ ‘We bear the body of Giles Collin, Who was a true lover of yourn.’

6 ‘Down with him, down with him, upon the grass, The grass that grows so green; For tomorrow morning before it is day My body shall lie by him.’

7 Her mother she made her some plum-gruel, With spices all of the best; Lady Alice she ate but one spoonful, And the doctor he ate up the rest.

8 Giles Collin was laid in the lower chancel, Lady Alice all in the higher; There grew up a rose from Lady Alice’s breast, And from Giles Collin’s a briar.

9 And they grew, and they grew, to the very church-top, Until they could grow no higher, And twisted and twined in a true-lover’s knot, Which made all the parish admire.

90. Jellon Grame.

P. 303 b, 513 b, III, 515 b, IV, 479 b. Precocious growth.

The French romance of Alexander. Albéric de Besançon: Alexander had more strength when three days old than other children of four months; he walked and ran better from his first year than any other child from its seventh. (The same, nearly, in Lamprecht, vv. 142-4: he throve better in three days than any other child of three months; 178-80, in his first year his strength and body waxed more than another’s in three.) MS. de l’Arsenal: the child grew in vitality and knowledge more in seven years than others do in a hundred. MS. de Venise: he grew more in body and knowledge in eight years than others in a hundred. P. Meyer, Alexandre le Grand, I, 5, v. 56 f., 6, v. 74 f., 27, v. 39 f., 240, v. 53 f. ‘Plus sot en x jors que i. autres en c:’ Michelant, p. 8, v. 20. A similar precocity is recorded of the Chinese Emperor Schimong: Gützlaff, Geschichte der Chinesen, hrsgg. v. Neumann, S. 19, cited by Weismann, Lamprecht’s Alexander, I, 432.

In the romance of Mélusine it is related how, after her disappearance in serpent-form, she was seen by the nurses to return at night and care for her two infant sons, who, according to the earliest version, the prose of Jehan d’Arras, grew more in a week than other children in a month: ed. Brunet, 1854, p. 361. The same in the French romance, l. 4347 f., the English metrical version, l. 4035-37, and in the German Volksbuch. (H. L. Koopman.)

Tom Hickathrift “was in length, when he was but ten years of age, about eight foot, and in thickness five foot, and his hand was like unto a shoulder of mutton, and in all parts from top to toe he was like a monster.” The History of Thomas Hickathrift, ed. by G. L. Gomme, Villon Society, 1885, p. 2. (G. L. K.)

305. =B.= The following, a variety of =B=, is from the papers of Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe, “second collection,” p. 6.

1 Word has come to May Young Ro, In her bower where she sat, ‘You’r bidden come to good green wood And sew your love a shirt.’

2 ‘I wonder much,’ said May Young Roe, ‘Such word is come to me; Ther’s not a month throwout this year But I have sewed him three.’

3 Then out it spake her mother, And a wise word spoke she; Said, Stay at home, my daughter, They want to murder thee.

4 ‘I will cast off my gloves, mother, And hing them on a pin; If I come never back again, You’l mind on your daugh[t]er young.

5 ‘Come here, my boy,’ she cried, ‘And bring my horse to me, That I may ride to good green wood, The flowers in it to see.’

6 When she was got to good green wood, No further did she ride Till up did start him Hind Henry, Just at the ladie’s side.

7 ‘O stop, O stop there, May,’ he cried, ‘O stop, I say to thee; The boy who holds your bridle-reins Shall see your body wea.’

8 Then out he drew a large long brand, And struck it ower a str[ow], And throw and throw that ladie’s side He made the cold steel go.

9 Said, Take you that now, May Young Roe, Just take you that from me, Because you loved Brown Robin, And never would love me.

10 The boy was in a dreadful fright, And in great haste rode home, Lamenting sadly all the way, And made a piteous moan.

11 And when her mother heard his tale She took the bed of care; Her sister ran to good green wood, A tearing of her hair.

12 There was small pity for that lady, Where she was lying dead, Compared with for the pretty babe, Weltring among the blood.

13 ‘I will take up this babe,’ she said, ‘And lull him on my sleeve; Altho his father should wish me woe, His mother was to me live.’

14 Now she has taken the boy up, And she has brought him hame, And she has called him Brown Robin, It was his father’s name.

15 And she has nursed him carefuly, And put him to the school, And any who affronted him He soon did make cry dule.

16 And it fell ance upon a time It was a haly day, And all the boys at that school On it they got the play.

17 He hied him unto good green wood, And leap from tree to tree, And there did pull some hollin wands, To play his own self we.

18 And aft he looked on a spot, And at it marvelled sair, That all the wood was clad with leaves, And that one spot was bare.

19 And he said unto Hind Henry, ‘I wonder very sair That all the wood is clad with leaves, And this one spot is bare.’

20 ‘You need not wonder, boy,’ he said, ‘You need not wonder none, For it is just the very spot I killed your mother on.’

21 The boy’s pulled out his daggar then, And struck it ower a strow, And even to Hind Henry’s heart He made the cold steel go.

22 Says, Take you that, you vile Henry, Just take you that from me, For killing of my mother dear, And she not harming thee.

91. Fair Mary of Wallington.

P. 314, IV, 480 a. =D.= 10^3 in Kinloch MSS, V, 363, reads, I hear this babe now from her side; but in Mr Macmath’s transcript of Burton’s MS., No 2, I bear ... my side.

316. ‘The Lady of Livenston,’ from “The Old Lady’s Collection,” No 32.

G

1 ‘We was sisters, we was seven, Five of us dayed we child, An you an me, Burd Ellen, Sall live maidens mild.’

2 Ther came leards, an ther came lords, An knights of high degree, A’courting Lady Messry, Bat it widne deei.

3 Bat the bonny lord of Livenston, He was flour of them a’, The bonny lord of Livenston, He stole the lady awaa.

4 Broad was the horses hoves That dumped the water of Clide, An a’ was for honor of that gay lady That day she was Livenston’s bride.

5 Fan she came to Livenston Mukell mirth was ther; The knights knaked ther whit fingers The ladys curled ther hear.

6 She had no ben in Livenston A tuall-month an a day, Till she was as big we bearn As a lady coud gaa.

7 She had ne ben in Livenston A tuall-month an a hour, Till for the morning of the may The couldne ane come near her bour.

8 ‘Far will I gett a bonny boy That will rean my earend shoun, That will goo to leve London, To my mother, the quin?’

9 ‘Hear am I, a bonny boy Will rin yer earend sune, That will rin on to fair London, To yer mother, the quin.’

10 ‘Hear is the bruch fra my breast-bane, The garlands fra my hear; Ye ge that to my mider, Fra me she’ll never gett mare.

11 ‘Hear is the rosses fra my shoun, The ribbons fra my hear; Ye gee that to my mider, Fra me she’ll never gett mare.

12 ‘Hear is my briddel-stand, It is a’ goud to the heam; Ye gie that to Burd Ellen, Forbed her to marry men.

13 ‘Ye bid them and ye pray them bath, If they will dou it for my sake, If they be not att my death, To be att my leak-wake.

14 ‘Ye bid them and ye pray them baith, If they will dou it for my name, If they be not att my leak-wake, To be att my birrien.’

15 Fan he came to grass grouen, He strated his bou an rane, An fan he came to brigs broken He slaked his bou an swam.

16 An fan he came to yon castell, He bad nether to chap nor caa, But sait his bent bou to his breast An lightly lap the waa; Or the porter was att the gate, The boy was in the haa.

17 ‘Mukell meatt is on yer table, lady, An littil of it is eaten, Bat the bonny lady of Livenston Ye have her clean forgotten.’

18 ‘Ye lie, ye lie, ye bonny boy, Sae loud as I hear ye lie; Mukell ha I sold the [meatt], An littel hae I bought, Batt the bonny lady of Livenston Gaas never out of my thought.

19 ‘Mukell have I bought, bonny boy, An littel haa I sale, Bat the bonny lady of Livenston She couls my heart fue cale.’

20 ‘Hear is the ribbings fra her hear, The roses fra her shoun; I was bidden gie that to her midder, To her midder, the quin.

21 ‘Hear is the bruch fra her breast-bean, The garlands frae her hear; I was bidden gee that to her mother, Fra her she’ll never gett mare.

22 ‘Hear is her bridell-stand, The’r a’ goud to the heam; I was bidden ga that to Burd Ellen, Forbid her to marry man.

23 ‘She bids ye an she prays ye bath, Gin yee’ll di et for her sake, If ye be not att her death, To be att her leak-wake.

24 ‘She bidds yee an she prays ye bath, Gine ye’ll dou et for her name, If ye be not att her leak-wake, To be at her burrien.’

25 ‘Garr saddell to me the blak, Saddle to me the broun, Gar saddel to me the suiftest stead That ever read fraa a toun, Till I gaa to Livenston An see hou Measry fairs.’

26 The first stead was saddled to her, It was the bonny black; She spured him aftt and she spared him na, An she tayened him at a slap.

27 The neast stead that was saddled to her Was the berrey-broun; She spured him aftt an she spared him not, An she tayned him att a toun.

28 The neast an steed that was saddled to her, It was the milk-white: ‘Fair faa the mear that folled the foll Had me to Meassry’s leak!’

29 Fan she came to Livenston, Mukel dolle was ther; The knights wrang ther whit fingers, The ladys tore ther hear.

30 The knights they wrang ther whit fingers, The rings they flue in four: ‘Latt haas an tours an a’ doun fan! My dear thing has gine it our.’

31 Out spak him Livenston, An a sorry man was he; ‘I had rader lost the lands of Livenston, Afor my gay lady.’

32 ‘Had yer toung nou, Livenston, An latt yer folly be; I bare the burd in my bosom, I man thole to see her diee.’

33 Fan she came to her doughter’s boure, Ther was littel pride; The scoups was in her doughter’s mouth, An the sharp shirrs in her side.

34 Out spake her Burd Ellen, An she spake ay threu pride; The wife sall never bear the sin Sall lay doun by my side.

35 ‘Had your toung nou, Burd Ellen, Ye latt yer folly a be; Dinnë ye mind that ye promised yer love To him that is ayond the seaa?’

36 ‘Hold yer toung, my mother, Ye speak just leak a fooll; Tho I wer marred att Martimes, I wad be dead or Yeull.’

37 ‘I have five bonny oyes att heam, Ther was never ane of them born, Bat every are of them Out of ther midder’s sides shorn.’

* * * * *

5^2. The knights knaked ther whit fingers is certainly an anticipation. This is always done for anguish: see 29^{3,4}, 30^{1,2}.

7^{3,4}. Till ther couldne ane come near her bour For the morning of they may. Perhaps moaning.

16^2. he had.

18^3. Perhaps the meat.

19^{2,4}. sale, cale (for sold, cold).

22^2. hean.

22^3. bidden ga.

35^3. Didde.

92. Bonny Bee Horn.

P. 317. ‘The Lowlands of Holland.’ In ‘The Sorrowful Lover’s Regrate, or, The Low-Lands of Holland,’ British Museum 1346. m. 7(40), dated May the 5th, 1776, a threnody in eleven double stanzas. 1, 2 of the copy in Johnson’s Museum are 1, 2; Johnson, 3==7, 4==4, 5==6, 6==3, and the stanza added by Stenhouse is 9 (with verbal divergences). ‘The Maid’s Lamentation for the loss of her true love,’ Museum 11621. c. 3(39), “Newcastle, 1768?,” the fifth piece in The Complaining Lover’s Garland, has five stanzas: 1 corresponding to 2 of Johnson, 2 to 5, 5 to 6, 3 to 5 of the Regrate, and 4 to 9, with considerable differences. ‘The Seaman’s Sorrowful Bride,’ Roxburghe, IV, 73, Ebsworth, VI, 444, begins with two stanzas which resemble Johnson, 2, 1. This last was printed for J. Deacon, in Guilt-spur-street, and the date, according to Chappell, would be 1684-95.

93. Lamkin.

P. 331, =I=, as it stands in “The Old Lady’s Collection,” No 15.

1 Lamken was as gued a masson as ever did hue ston; He bigged Lord Weary’s house, an pament never got non.

2 It fell ance on a day Lord Weary went from home, An Lamkin came to the fause nirice, . . . . . . .

* * * * * * *

3 ‘O still my bairn, nirice, still him we the kniff:’ ‘He winnë still, lady, tho I sud lay doun my life.’

4 ‘O still my bairn, nirice, still him we the bell:’ ‘He winnë still, lady, till ye come doun yersell.’

5 The first step she came on, it was the stane; The nest step she mett him Lamkin.

6 ‘O spare my life, Lamkin, an I ell gee ye a peak of goud well laid on; An that dinnë pleas ye, I ell heap it we my hand.’

7 ‘O will I kill the lady, nirice, or will I lat her gang?’ ‘O kill her, Lanken, she was never gued to me.’

8 ‘O wanted ye yer meatt, nirice? or wanted ye yer fiee? Or wanted ye the other bountys lady’s are wont to gee?’

9 . . . . . . . . . . . . ‘Kill her, Lanken, she was never gued to me.’

10 ‘Ye wash a bason, nirice, an ye wash it clean, To cape this lady’s blode; she is come of high kine.’

11 ‘I winnë wash a bason, nor wash it clean, To cap this lady’s blod, tho she be come of high kine.’

12 Bonny sang yon burd as he satt on the tree, Bat sare grat Lamkin fan he was hanged hie.

13 Bonny sang the burd that satt on the hill, Bat sare grat the nirice fan the caldron began to boill.

14 Lankin was hanged, . . . . . high, An the faus nirice was burnt in the cadron was she.

* * * * *

339 ff., 513, IV, 480.

Y

‘Lammikin,’ Findlay’s MSS, I, 173, “from J. Milne, who wrote it down from recitation by John Duncan.”

1 Lie in your room, my wife, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2 ‘You’ll fasten doors and windows, you’ll fasten them out an in, For if you leave ae window open Lammikin will come in.’

3 They’ve fastened doors an windows, they’ve fastened them out an in, But they have left ae window open, an Lammikin cam in.

4 ‘O where are a’ the women that dwell here within?’ ‘They’re at the well washin, and they will not come in.’

5 ‘O where are a’ the men that dwell here within?’ ‘They’re at the. .. ., and they will not come in.’

6 ‘O where is the lady that dwells here within?’ ‘She’s up the stair dressin, an she will not come doun.’

7 ‘It’s what will we do to mak her come doun? We’ll rock the cradle, nourrice, an mak her come doun.’

8 They [hae] rocked the cradle to mak her come doun, . . . . . . the red bluid out sprung.

9 ‘O still the bairn, nourrice, O still him wi the bell:’ ‘He winna still, my lady, till ye come doun yersel.’

10 The first step she steppit, it was upon a stane; The next step she steppit, she keppit Lammikin.

11 ‘O mercy, mercy, Lammikin, hae mercy upo me! Tho ye hae killed my young son, ye may lat mysel abee.’

12 ‘O it’s will I kill her, nourrice, or will I lat her be?’ ‘O kill her, kill her, Lammikin, she neer was gude to me.’

13 ‘O it’s wanted ye your meat? or wanted ye your fee?’ . . . . . . . . . . . .

14 ‘I wanted not my meat, I wanted not my fee, But I wanted some bounties that ladies can gie.’

95. The Maid freed from the Gallows.

P. 346, III, 516 a, IV, 481 b. =Italian.= Maria Carmi, Canti pop. Emiliani, Archivio, XII, 189. Brunetina, after she has been rescued by her lover, is informed, while she is dancing at a ball, that her mother is dead. Bury her, she replies, I will dress in complete red, and she goes on dancing. So of her father. But when told that her lover is dead, she says she will dress in complete black, and bids the music stop, for she wishes to dance no more. ‘La Ballerina,’ Nigra, No 107, p. 469, is no doubt the last half of this ballad corrupted at the conclusion. The woman will not stop dancing for the reported death of father, mother, brother, sister, husband, but when told that her boy is dead asks the players to cease, her legs are broken, she can dance no more.

In ‘Leggenda Marinesca’ (di Catanzaro), La Calabria, October, 1893, VI, 16, a wife (or perhaps an affianced young woman) is ransomed from pirates by her husband (or betrothed), after father, mother, and brother have refused. If her father, mother, brother, should die, she would deck her hair, dress in red, yellow, or white, bid the guitar strike up, and dance; but if her true-love died, she would put on black, cut her hair, and throw the guitar into the sea.

349. Mr Kaarle Krohn, of the University of Helsingfors, has favored me with the following study of the very numerous Finnish and Esthonian versions of this ballad, incorporating therein the researches of his father, Julius Krohn, already referred to at IV, 482 a. (Estlander’s discussion, which I had not seen, “Sången om den friköpta,” occupies pp. 331-356 of the tenth volume of Finsk Tidskrift.)

I. The West Finnish versions, dispersed over West and East Finland and Ingria. These are in the modern metre, which came into use hardly before the end of the seventeenth century, and it is in the highest degree probable that they were learned from the Swedes. About thirty copies known. Specimen, Reinholm’s collection, H 12, No 76, from the Nystad district northward from Åbo, in Southwest Finland; J. K., p. 11[120].

Prevailing traits: 1. The maid is sitting in a little room, less frequently in a ship’s cabin or a boat. 2. The father has three horses. 3. The mother has three cows. 4. The brother has three swords. 5. The sister has three crowns, or, in copies from further east, where crowns are not used for head-gear, three silk kerchiefs. 6. The lover has three ships, or almost as often three castles (mansions). There are variations, but rarely, as to the objects possessed, and sometimes exchanges, but only two cases are of importance. In one copy from the extreme of Southeast Finland, the father has three oxen, which seems to be the original disposition, the change to horses coming about from the circumstance that oxen are seldom employed for ploughing in Finland. In four copies from the most eastern part of Finland the sister has three sheep, perhaps owing to the influence of the East Finnish versions. 7. The imprecations and benedictions at the end occur regularly. May the horses be knocked up or die at ploughing-time; may the cows die, dry up, etc., at milking-time; the swords shiver in war-time; the crowns fall off or melt at wedding or dance (the silk kerchiefs tear, fade, spoil with wet); and on the other hand, may the ships sail well, do well, make money at trading-time; the castles rise, flourish in time of destitution, of bad crops. Etc.

II. The later Esthonian versions, Esthonia and Livonia, in modern metre, of more recent origin, probably, than in Finland. About twenty copies known. Specimen, J. Hurt, Vana Kannel, II, 365, No 367. Lilla is sitting in the little room in weary expectation. She sees her father walking on the sea-beach. ‘Dear father, beloved father, ransom me!’ ‘Wherewith ransom you, when I have no money?’ ‘You have three horses at home, and can pawn one.’ ‘I can do better without my Lilla than without my three horses; the horses are mine for all my life, Lilla for a short time.’ In like fashion, the mother is not willing to sacrifice one of her three cows, the brother one of his three swords, the sister one of her three rings. But the lover, who has three ships, says, I can better give up a ship than give up my dear Lilla; my ships are mine for a short time, but Lilla for all my life. Lilla breaks out in execrations: may her father’s horses fall dead when they are ploughing in summer, may her mother’s cows dry up in milking, her brother’s swords shiver in war, her sister’s rings break in the very act of marrying; but may her true-love’s ships long bring home precious wares.

Prevailing traits: 1. Lilla; in some copies from East Livonia, Roosi. 2. Little room; quite as often prison-tower. 3. The father has horses, the mother cows, the brother swords, as in the West Finnish versions. The independency of the Esthonian ballad is exhibited in the sister’s three rings. It must, as far as I can at present see, have been borrowed directly from the Swedish, not through the medium of the Finnish. The lover has always three ships, and it is often wished that these ships may sail well in storm and in winter. The maledictions occur regularly, as in the example cited. There are some divergences as to the items of property, mostly occasioned by the older Esthonian version: thus, the father has sometimes oxen or corn-lofts, the brother horses, the sister brooches.

III. The older Esthonian versions, disseminated in Esthonia and Livonia, and also among the orthodox Esthonians beyond Pskov. These are in the old eight-syllable measure of the runes (and of Kalevala). More than a hundred copies have been obtained.

a. Best preserved and of most frequent occurrence in the island of Ösel. Twenty copies. Specimen from J. Hurt’s manuscript collections. Anne goes into the cow-house and soils her cap. She proceeds to the sea-beach to wash her cap. Ships come from Russia, from Courland. Anne is made captive. She weeps, and begs that the ship may be stopped; she wishes to take a look homewards. Her father has three oxen, one of which has silver horns, another copper, the third golden, but he will give none of them for her. Her mother has three cows, with silver, copper, golden udders; her brother, three horses, with the same variety of manes; her sister, three sheep, with wool of the three sorts; a neighbor’s son, three lofts full of wheat, rye, barley. She wishes that the oxen may die in ploughing-time, the cows in milk-time, the horses at wooing-time, the sheep at wool-time; but may the corn-lofts of the neighbor’s son grow fuller in the direst famine-time.

Prevailing traits: 1. The maid’s name is Anne. 2. The pirates are Russians (10 times), Poles (6), Courlanders (2), Swedes (1), Germans (1), English (1). 3. The father has commonly oxen; the mother, cows always; the brother, almost always horses; the sister, sheep, six times, oftener than anything else; the lover, ordinarily corn-lofts. 4. The cursing occurs ten times. There are in a few cases exchanges of the sorts of property (thus, the father has corn-lofts, the sister has brooches, each four times), and in two instances the lover is omitted. The ballad has perhaps been affected by another (see II, 347 f.) in which a girl receives information that she has been sold by her relations: by her father for a pair of oxen (25 cases) or for a horse (18), by her mother for a cow, by her brother for a horse (24) or for a pair of oxen (14), by her sister for a brooch; and she curses all that they have got by the sale.

b. Less perfect and not so well preserved on the Esthonian mainland. About 100 copies, more or fewer. Specimens, Neus, p. 109, No 34, Hurt, Vana Kannel, I, 166, No 103, II, 310, No 442.

Prevailing traits: 1. The name of the maid, Anne, and the introduction linked to it, are often dropped, especially in the southeast of the Esthonian district, and a passage about a young conscript who wishes to be bought off from serving is substituted. The maid, whose brothers have hidden away, is pressed instead of them, and sent into service. As she is driven by the house of her parents in the military wagon she entreats her guards not to make sail! 2. The kidnapper is most frequently a Russian, then Pole, Swede, less commonly German, Courlander. In the northeast of the Esthonian district, on the border of Ingria, Karelian, four times. 3. The father often keeps the oxen, but almost as often has horses; the brother, in these last cases, has seldom oxen, generally horses as well as the father. The alteration is in part owing to the same material occasion as in the West Finnish versions; sometimes an influence from the ballad of the maiden who has been sold by her relatives may be suspected (in which ballad it is not easy to say whether the oxen belong originally to father or brother). Frequently the father has corn-lofts, the lover, to whom these would belong, having dropped out. The mother has almost always cows; in the northeast, on the Ingrian border, three times, aprons. The brother has generally horses, five times oxen, with other individual variations. The sister has preserved the sheep only four times; eight times she has brooches, and in one of these cases the ballad of the maid sold by her relatives is blended with ours, while in the remainder the influence of that ballad is observable. In six cases she has rings, perhaps under the influence of the later Esthonian versions. In the southeast she has chests seven times, and in most of these cases the lover has the rings. Other variations occur from one to four times. The lover has his corn-lofts nine times. Eight times he has horses, and in half of these instances he has exchanged with the brother, or both have horses. Twice he has ships, through the influence of the later Esthonian versions; or rings, in which cases the father ordinarily has the corn-lofts. 4. The imprecation in the conclusion is but rarely preserved.

IV. The East Finnish versions. Diffused in Ingria, East Finland, and Russian Karelia. In the old rune-measure, about forty copies. Specimen, Ahlqvist’s collection, from East Finland, No 351: see J. K., p. 11.

Prevailing traits: 1. The maid is in a boat on the Neva. 2. The kidnapper is a Russian. 3. The father has a horse, the mother a cow, the brother a horse, the sister a sheep (each with an epithet). 4. The imprecation is almost without exception preserved. This version arose from a blending of the West Finnish, I, the older Esthonian, III, and the ballad of the maid sold by her relatives. This latter occurs in West Ingria in the following shape: The maid gets tidings that she has been sold. The father has received for her a gold-horse (may it founder when on the way to earn gold!), the mother a portly cow (may it spill its milk on the ground!), the brother a war-horse (may the horse founder on the war-path!), the sister a bluish sheep (may wolf and bear rend it!). In some copies the father or the brother has oxen (may they fall dead in ploughing!), as in the Esthonian ballad, from which the Ingrian is borrowed. The sister’s sheep instead of brooch shows perhaps the influence of the older Esthonian ballad of the maid begging to be ransomed, or it may be an innovation.

The ballad of the maid sold by her family occurs in West Ingria independently, and also as an introduction to the other, and has been the occasion for the changes in the possessions of the relatives. North of St Petersburg the combination is not found, though it has left its traces in the course of the spreading of the ballad from Narva to St Petersburg.

The maid’s sitting in a boat may come as well from the older Esthonian as from the West Finnish version, although it is more common in the latter for her to be sitting in the “little room.” The Russian as the kidnapper is a constant feature in the older Esthonian version, but occurs also three times in the West Finnish (once it is the red-headed Dane, in the copy in which the oxen are preserved). Besides Russian, the kidnapper is once called Karelian in West Ingria, often in East Finland, and this denomination also occurs in Northeast Esthonia. The influence of the older Esthonian versions is shown again in some copies preserved in West Ingria which are not mixed up with the ballad of the maid that has been sold; the mother having three aprons in two instances, as in some Northeast Esthonian copies.

The river Neva as a local designation is preserved in East Finland, and shows that the version in which it occurs migrated from Ingria northwards. In the course of its migration (which ends in Russian Karelia) this version has become mixed with the West Finnish in multiform ways. The prelude of the East Finnish has attached itself to the West Finnish, notwithstanding the different metre. The trilogy of the latter has made its way into the former, and has spoiled the measure. It is no doubt owing to the influence of the Western version that, in North Ingria and Karelia, the brother, more frequently the lover, has a war-sword, the lover once a sea-ship, or the brother a red boat or war-boat.

Finally it may be noted that in those West Ingrian copies in which the ballads of the maid sold and the maid ransomed are blended the ransomer is a son-in-law, and possesses “a willow castle” (wooden strong-house?), the relation of which to the castle in the West Finnish version is not clear.

If we denote the West Finnish versions by =a=, the older Esthonian by =b=, the ballad of the maid sold by her family by =c=, the status of the East-Finnish versions may be exhibited thus:

In West Ingria, =b= + =c= + =a=. In North Ingria, =b= + =c= + =a= + =a=. In Karelia, =b= + =c= + =a= + =a= + =a=.

That is to say, there has been a constantly increasing influence exerted by the West Finnish versions upon the East Finnish Ingrian versions, and reciprocally. This circumstance has caused it to be maintained that the East Finnish versions were derived from the West Finnish, in spite of the difference of the metre.

353 a. =F= was communicated by Rev. W. Findlay: Findlay MSS, I, 100.

353. =H. c.= Mrs Bacheller, of Jacobstown, North Cornwall (sister of Mrs Gibbons, from whom 78 =H= was derived, see IV, 474 b), gave Rev. S. Baring-Gould the following version of the tale, taught her by a Cornish nursery maid, probably the same mentioned at the place last cited.

“A king had three daughters. He gave each a golden ball to play with, which they were never to lose. The youngest lost hers, and was to be hung on the gallows-tree if it were not found by a day named. Gallows ready, all waiting to see the girl hung. She sees her father coming, and cries:@

‘Father, father, have you found my golden ball, And will you set me free?’

‘I’ve not found your golden ball, And I can’t set you free; But I am come to see you hanged Upon the gallows-tree.’

The same repeated with every relationship, brother, sister, etc.; then comes the lover:

‘Lover, lover, have you found the golden ball,’ etc.

‘Yes, I have found your golden ball, And I can set you free; I’m not come to see you hung Upon the gallows-tree.’”@

* * * * *

354, IV, 481 f.

K

‘The Prickly Bush,’ Mr Heywood Sumner, in English County Songs, by Lucy E. Broadwood and J. A. Fuller Maitland, p. 112. From Somersetshire.

1 ‘O hangman, hold thy hand,’ he cried, ‘O hold thy hand awhile, For I can see my own dear father Coming over yonder stile.

2 ‘O father, have you brought me gold? Or will you set me free? Or be you come to see me hung, All on this high gallows-tree?’

3 ‘No, I have not brought thee gold, And I will not set thee free, But I am come to see thee hung, All on this high gallows-tree.’

4 ‘Oh, the prickly bush, the prickly bush, It pricked my heart full sore; If ever I get out of the prickly bush, I’ll never get in any more.’

The above is repeated three times more, with the successive substitution of ‘mother,’ ‘brother,’ ‘sister,’ for ‘father.’ Then the first two stanzas are repeated, with ‘sweetheart’ for ‘father,’ and instead of 3 is sung:

5 ‘Yes, I have brought thee gold,’ she cried, ‘And I will set thee free, And I am come, but not to see thee hung All on this high gallous-tree.’ ‘Oh, the prickly bush,’ etc.

In this version, a man is expressly delivered by a maid, contrary to the general course of tradition. So apparently in =J=, IV, 481, as understood by Dr. Birkbeck Hill.

96. The Gay Goshawk.

P. 355. M. G. Lewis, in a letter of May 29, 1800 (Letters at Abbotsford, I, No 30), refers to a copy of this ballad (and one of ‘Brown Adam’) which he had furnished Scott. This might perhaps be the “MS. of some antiquity” (printed, IV, 482).

As to the bird’s part in this ballad, compare the following passage. A son, in prison, sending a letter to his mother by a bird, gives this charge:

Quando giugnerete alla porta mia, Là sta un ulivo. Posati su quell’ ulivo, V’agita e dibatti l’ali, Ché di te caderà il foglio di carta.

De Rada, Rapsodie d’un poema Albanese, I, canto xvi, p. 29.

P. 356 a, III, 517 a, IV, 482 a. =French.= Add: ‘La belle qui fait la morte,’ ‘La fille du duc de Montbrison,’ Pineau, Le Folk-Lore du Poitou, p. 311, p. 389 (each, six stanzas); ‘La belle dans la tour,’ six copies (besides Belle Idoine repeated), M. Wilmotte in Bulletin de Folklore, Société du Folklore Wallon, 1893, p. 35.

356 b, 3d paragraph, III, 517 a. Add: A copy of ‘Les trois capitaines,’ in Mélusine, VI, 52, 183; Wallonia, I, 38; “Fréd. Thomas, La Mosäique du Midi, V, 1841; C. Beauquier, Mém. de la Soc. d’Émulation du Doubs, 1890,” Mélusine, VI, 220, where also a Catalan version, which had escaped my notice, Milà y Fontanals, Romancerillo, p. 259, No 264, is registered by M. Doncieux. A Breton version, Mélusine, VI, 182.

99. Johnie Scot.

P. 379. =A.= Considering that Sir Walter Scott professes to have derived some variations from recitation in the south of Scotland (see the note, IV, 387), the copy in “Scottish Songs” may be fully collated, small as will be the value of the result.

‘John the Little Scott,’ fol. 24.

1 John the Scot was as brave a knight As ever shook a speir, And he is up to fair England, The king’s braid banner to bear.

2 And while he was in fair England, Sae fair his hap did prove That of the king’s ae daughter dear He wan the heart and love.

3 But word is gane to the English king, And an angry man was he, And he has sworn by salt and bread They should it dear abye.

* * * * *

4 wanting.

5^1. Then Johny’s gane.

5^{2,4}. I wot.

5^3. the English.

6^{3,4}.

To hear some news from his true love, Least she had sufferd wrang.

7^2. That will win hose and shoon.

7^3. will gang into.

8^1. Then up there.

9 wanting.

10^3. to grass growing.

11^1. And when: to the king’s castle.

11^3. saw that fair ladye.

12^2, 13^2. ain sel.

12^4. And speer na your father’s.

13^1. Here take.

13^3. to feir Scotland.

13^4. Your true love waits.

14^1. The ladie turned her round about.

14^4. Unless.

15^2. In prison pinching cold.

15^3. My garters are of.

15^4. the silk and gold.

16^3. And hie thee back to yon Scottish knight.

17^1. quickly sped.

18^1. He told him then that ladie’s words.

18^2. He told him.

18^{3,4}.

But ere the tale was half said out Sae loudly to horse he did ca.

19^4. That should have been my bride.

20^1. And spak his mither dear.

20^3. For gin you’re taen.

20^4. ye’ll.

21^1. and spak.

21^2. And Johny’s true.

21^4. And his surety I will.

22.

Then when they cam to English ground They gard the mass be sung, And the firsten town that they cam to They gard the bells be rung.

23^1. And the nextin: cam to.

23^4. Were.

24^1. And when: the high castle.

24^2. rode.

25^3. Or is it.

26^1. I’m not.

26^2. James our.

26^3. But Johny Scot, the little Scot.

27^1. is thy name.

27^3. eer.

28^1. and spak the gallant.

28^3. hundred.

28^4. That will die or.

29^1. and spak.

29^2. And sae scornfully leugh he.

29^3. my bower.

30^1. boon, said the little Scot.

30^2. Bring forth your.

30^3. falls.

30^4. I hae.

31 Out then cam that Italian knight, A griesly sight to see; Between his een there was a span, Between his shoulders three and three.

And forth then came brave John the Scot, He scarcely reachd his knee, Yet on the point of Johny’s brand The Italian knight did die.

32 And syne has he waved his bludie glaive, And slait it on the plain; ‘Are there any more Italian dogs That you wish to be slain?’

33 ‘A clerk, a clerk,’ the king he cried, ‘To register this deed;’ ‘A priest, a priest,’ Pitnochtan cried, ‘To marry us wi speed.’

34 wanting.

384. A copy of =D= was sent by Motherwell to C. K. Sharpe with a letter of December 6, 1824, in which many of the variations of =b= were introduced into =a=.

101. Willie o Douglas Dale.

P. 407. =A.= Collated with the copy in the Abbotsford MS. “Scottish Songs,” as to which see the note at IV, 387.@

‘Willie of Douglas-dale,’ fol. 16.

1^1, was a gallant squire.

2^1. the English court.

2^3. When.

2^4. But her he neer could.

3^1. once.

3^2. the wanting.

3^4. By the ae.

4^1. louted low.

4^2. His cap low in his.

4^3. I greet ye well, ye gentle knight.

4^4. your cap.

5^1. knight, fair dame.

5^2. Nor eer can hope.

5^3. am but a humble squire.

5^4. That serves.

6^1. Gae.

6^2. baith night.

6^3. tempting written before face and struck out.

6^4. ever I.

7 wanting.

8^2. He watchd that ladye’s.

8^3. passd the twa between.

9^1. O narrow is my gown, Willy.

9^3. And short are my petticoats.

9^4. sae wide.

9^6. is laid.

10^1. gin my father get wit.

10^2. never eat.

10^{3,5}. get wit.

10^4. gae.

10^6. Ah, Willy, you’ll.

11^1. O gin ye’ll.

11^2. gang.

11^3. into.

12 wanting.

14^1. day was come.

14^2. den.

14^3. That gentle ladye.

14^4. While the.

15^{3,4}, Or lack ye ony tender love That may assuage your pain.

16^1. wan na.

16^2. for my.

16^3. And alas, alas.

17^1. He’s felld the thorn in.

17^2. And blawn it to a flame.

17^3. He’s strewd it.

17^4. To cheer that lovely dame.

18^1. He’s: in gude.

18^2. And laid the fair ladye.

18^3. he’s happed her oer wi withered.

18^4. his coat and goun.

19 wanting.

20^1. branch red.

20^2. grew in gude grene wood.

20^3. And brought her a draught.

20^4. I wot they did her good.

21-23 wanting.

24^1. to shoot.

24^2. has he wanting.

25 (after 30).

26^{1,2}.

Syne has he sought the forest through, Sum woman’s help to gain.

26^3. he came to a bonny.

27^1. O will ye leave the sheep, he says.

27^2. And come.

27^3. ye.

27^4. give.

28^2. She fell down.

28^3. fair dame.

28^4. For a.

29^2. but wanting.

29^3. ye: flocks.

29^4. And gang to fair.

30^3. for you.

30^4. marry wanting: Scottish man.

After 30 (see 25):

O taen has she the bonny knave-boy And washd him in the milke, And she has tended the sick lady, And rowd her in the silk.

31^1. maid.

31^3. took to fair.

32^1. an wanting.

32^3. they gat safe.

32^4. Himself was lord therein.

411. From “The Old Lady’s Collection,” No 33, ‘Willie of Duglass Daill.’ The Dame Oliphant of the other versions is somewhat disguised in the old lady’s writing as Demelefond, Demelofen, etc.

D

1 Willie was a rich man’s son, A rich man’s son was he; Hee thought his father lake to sair, An his mother of mine digree, An he is on to our English court, To serve for meatt an fee.

2 He hadno ben in our king’s court A tuall-month an a day, Till he fell in love we Mary, Dem [Ele]fon, An a great buity was she.

3 He hadno ben in our king’s court A tuall-month an a houre, Till he dreamed a lady of buty bright Gave him a rosey flour.

4 The lady touk her mantell her about, Her gooun-teall in her hand, An she is on to gued grean woud, As fast as she could gang.

5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . An ther she spayed a gellant knight, Kamen his yallou hear.

6 ‘What is yer name, sir knight? For a knight I am sure ye be;’ ‘I am called Willie of Duglas Dall, Did ye never hear of me?’ ‘If ye be Willie of Duglass Daill, I afft have heard of thee.’

7 ‘What is yer name, ye lovely dame? For a lady I trou ye be;’ ‘I am called Mary, Dem Elefond, Did ye never hear of me?’

8 ‘In ye be Mary, Dem Elefon, As I trust well ye be, . . . . . . . My heart ye haa ye we.’

9 The lady was fair an rear, The knight’s heart had she; The knight was tall an straght withall, The lady’s hart had he.

10 It fell ance upon a day Dem Elofen thought lang, An she is on to Willie’s bour, As fast as she could gang.

11 ‘Narrou is my pettecot, Willie, It ance was saa wide, An narrou is my stays, Willie, Att ance wer saa wide, An paill is my chikes, Willie, An laigh, laigh is my pride.

12 ‘. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . An the knights of my father’s court gat word of this, I feer they wad gare ye diee.’

13 He touke . . . . . . . . . The lady by the hand, An they are one to gued green woud, As fast as they coud gang.

14 It fell ance upon a day Strong travileng came her tell, . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

15 ‘Ye take your boue on yer shoulder, Yer arrous in yer hand, An ye gaa farr throu green woud, An shout some veneson.

16 ‘Fan ye hear me loud cray, Bide far awaa fra me, Bat fan ye hear me laying still Ye may come back an see.’

17 Fan he hard her loud cray, He bad far awaa, Bat fan he heard her laying still He did come an see, An he got her An her young son her wee.

18 He milked the goats, An feed his young son wee, And he made a fire of the oken speals, An warmed his lady wee.

19 It fell ance upon a day The lady though[t] lang: ‘An ye haa any place in fair Scotland, Willie, I wiss ye wad haa me hame.’

20 ‘. . . . . . . I ha lands an reants saa friee, The bonny lands of Duglass Daill, They a’ lay bread an friee.’

21 He’s taen the knight-bairn in his arms, His lady by the hand, An he is out throu gued green woud, As fast as they coud gang.

22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Till they came to a maid kepping her goats, . . . . . . . .

23 ‘Hallë, ye maid, For a maid ye seem to be; Will ye live your goats kepping An goo we me?

24 ‘I cannot live my father, I canno live my midder, Nor yet my brethren three; I cannot live my goats kepping, An goo along we the.

25 ‘Fatt is your name, ye lovely dame? For a lady I am shour ye be;’ ‘I am called Mary, Dem Elifond, Did ye never hear of me?’

26 ‘If ye be Mary, Dem Elifond, As I trust well ye be, I will live my goats kepping An goo along we the.

27 ‘For I will live my father, an I will live my mother, An my brothers three, An I will live my goats, An go along we thee.’

28 The maid touke the knight-bairn in her ar[m]s, An his lady took he, An they are to gued ship-bourd, And took God to be ther foresteed, an didne fear to droun.

29 An they landed att Duglas Dalle, Far the lands was braid an frie, An the knight-bairn was Black Sir James of Duglas Dall, An a gallant knight was hee.

* * * * *

Written, like all the other pieces in the collection, without division into stanzas or verses.

2^3. Demefon; contracted at the edge.

9^3. was tell.

11^2. Read side?

14^2. Perhaps her tee.

105. The Bailiff’s Daughter of Islington.

P. 426 f. Of the Italian ballad there are many more versions, but it is needless to cite them. Add for =Spanish=: ‘La Ausencia,’ Pidal, Asturian Romances, Nos 31, 32, p. 152 f.

107. Will Stewart and John.

P. 433 b, 2d paragraph. Beating of daughters.

Elizabeth Paston, a marriageable woman, was “betyn onys in the weke, or twyes, and som tyme twyes on a day, and hir hed broken in to or thre places.” (1449.) Paston Letters, ed. Gairdner, I, 90.

110. The Knight and the Shepherd’s Daughter.

P. 457, IV, 492. From “The Old Lady’s Collection,” No 34, ‘Earl Richerd,’==Skene, =M=.

N

1 Ther was a sheperd’s daughter Keeped hogs upon yon hill, An by came [t]her a gentell knight, An he wad haa his will.

2 Fan his will Of her he had taiin, ‘Kind sir, for your curtisy, Will ye tell me yer name?’

3 ‘Some they caa me Joke, An some caa me John, Bat fan I am in our king’s court Hichkoke is my name.’

4 The lady being well book-read She spealled it our agen: ‘Hichkoke in Latin Is Earl Richerd att heam.’

5 He patt his liag out-our his stead An to the gate has gain; She kilted up her green clathing An fast folloued she.

6 ‘Turn back, ye carl’s dother, An dinnë follou me; It setts no carl’s dothers King’s courts to see.’

7 ‘Perhaps I am a carle’s dother, Perhaps I am nean, Bat fan ye gat me in free forest Ye sud haa latten alean.’

8 Fan they came to yon wan water That a’ man cas Glide, He luked our his left shoulder, Says, Fair maid, will ye ride?

9 ‘I learned it in my mother’s bour, I watt I learned it well, Fan I came to wan water To soum as dos the eall.

10 ‘I learned it in my mother’s bour, I wiss I had learned it better, Fan I came to wan watter To sume as dos the otter.’

11 She touk a golden comb, Combed out her yallou hear, . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

12 ‘Far gatt ye that, ye carl’s dother, I pray ye tell to me;’ ‘I gatt it fra my mither,’ she says, ‘To begulle sick sparks as ye.’

13 ‘Gin ye be a carl’s gett, As I trou well ye be, Far gatt ye a’ that fine clothing, To cloath yer body we?’

14 ‘My mother was an ill woman, An ill woman was she, An she gatt a’ that fine clathing, Frae sick chaps as ye.’

15 Fan they came to our king’s court, She fell lou doun on her knee: ‘Win up, ye fair may, What may ye want we me?’ ‘Ther is a knight in your court This day has robbed me.’

16 ‘Has he robbed you of your goud? Or of your whit monie? Or of your meadnhead, The flour of your body?’

17 ‘He has no robbed me of my goud, Nor yet of my fiee, Bat he has robed me of my madinhead, The flour of my body.’

18 ‘Wad ye keen the knight, If ye did him see?’ ‘I wad keen him well by his well-fared face An the blieth blink of his eay.’ An sighan says the king, I wiss it binë my brother Richie!

19 The king called on his merry men a’, By an, by tua, by three; Earl Richerd had ay ben the first, Bat the last man was he.

20 By that ye might a well kent The gulty man was he; She took him by the hand, Says, That same is hee.

21 Ther was a brand laid doun to her, A brand batt an a ring, Three times she minted to the brand, Bat she took up the ring; A’that was in the court ’S counted her a wise woman.

22 ‘I will gee ye five hundred pound, To make yer marrage we, An ye gie hame, ye carl’s dother, An fash na mare we me.’

23 ‘Ye keep yer five hundred pound, To make yer marreg we, For I will ha nathing bat yer sell, The king he promised me.’

24 ‘I ill gee ye a thousand poun, To make yer marrage we, An ye gae hame, ye carl’s gett, An fash na mare we me.’

25 ‘Ye keep yer thousand pound, To make yer marreg we, For I ill ha nathing batt yer sell, The king he promised me.’

26 He toke her doun An clothed her in green; Fan she cam up, She was fairer then the quin.

27 Fan they gaid to Mary Kirk, The nettels grue by dike: ‘O gin my midder war hear, Sai clean as she wad them peak!’

28 He drue his hat out-our his eayn, The tear blinded his eay; She drue back her yallou loaks, An a light laughter luke she.

29 Fan she came by yon mill-toun, . . . . . . ‘O well may the mill goo, An well matt she be! For aften ha ye filled my poke We the whit meall an the gray.’

30 ‘I wiss I had druken the water Fan I drank the aill, Or any carl’s dother Suld ha tald me siken a teall.’

31 ‘Perhaps I am a carl’s dother, Perhaps I am nean; Fan ye gatt me in frie forest, Ye sud ha latten alean.

* * * * * * *

32 ‘Take awa yer silver spons, Far awa fra me, An ye gee me t[he] ram-horn [s]pons, Them I am best used we.

33 ‘Ye take awa yer tabel-cloths, Far awa fra me, An ye gee me a mukell dish I am best used we.

34 ‘For if I had my mukel dish hear, An sayn an it war fou, I wad sup till I war sared, An sayn lay doun my head an slep like ony sou.

35 ‘Ye take away yer hollan shits, Far awa fra me, An ye bring me a cannas, It’s the thing I ben eased we.’

36 Fan bells wer rung, an mess was sung, An a’ man boun to bed, Earl Richerd an the carl’s dother In a bed [were laid].

37 ‘Lay yond, lay yond, ye carl’s dother, Your hot skin . . me; It setts na carl’s dothers In earls’ beds to be.’

38 ‘Perhaps I am a carl’s dother, Perhaps I am nean; Bat fan ye gat me in free forest Ye might a latten alean.’

39 Up starts the Bellie Blind, Att ther bed-head: ‘I think it is a meatt marrage Betuen the ane an the eather, The Earl of Heartfourds ae daughter An the Quien of England’s brother.’

40 ‘If this be the Earl of Heartfourd’s ae doughter, As I trust well it be, Mony a gued hors have I redden For the love of the.’

* * * * *

2^2. ha had.

8^2. cas es: perhaps caes was meant.

9^4. to eull.

18^5. sigh an.

21^3. courts.

32^3. t with an imperfect letter, for the.

37^2. Perhaps we.

39^5, 40^1. The t is not crossed in Heartfourd, and Hearlfourd may be meant.

O

Kidson’s Traditional Tunes, p. 20, from Mr Benjamin Holgate, Leeds.

1 There was a shepherd’s daughter Who kept sheep on yon hill; There came a young man riding by, Who swore he’d have his will. Fol lol lay Fol lol di diddle lol di day

* * * * *

2^{1,2}.

He took her by the lilly-white hand And by her silken sleeve,

3^4.

Or tell to me your name.

4

‘Oh, some they call me Jack, sweetheart, And some they call me Will, But when I ride the king’s high-gate My name is Sweet William.’

4^4. But name.

P

Findlay’s MSS, I, 208, from Mr McKenzie, Advie, Morayshire.

1 ‘T is said a shepherd’s ae daughter Kept sheep upon a hill, An by there cam a courteous knight, An he wad hae his will.

2 He’s taen her by the milk-white hand An by the grass-green sleeve, He’s laid her doon at the fit o a bush, An neer ance speired her leave.

112. The Baffled Knight.

P. 480 a, 4th paragraph. ‘The Politick Maid’ was entered to Thomas Lambert, 16th May, 1637: Arber, Stationers’ Registers, IV, 385.

481 b, III, 518 a, IV, 495 a. Tears. ‘Chasseur, mon beau chasseur,’ Pineau, Le Folk-Lore du Poitou, p. 251.

Varieties. ‘La jolie Couturière,’ Pineau, p. 285.

483 b. ‘La jolie Batelière,’ Romania, XIII, 410; La Tradition, VII, 110.

VOL. III.

117. A Gest of Robyn Hode.

P. 40 b. References to Robin Hood in the 15th century.

And many men speken of Robyn Hood And shotte nevere in his bowe.

Reply of Friar Dow Topias, in Wright’s Poetical Poems and Songs relating to English History, II, 59, dated by Wright 1401, which may be rather too early. The proverbial phrase shows that Robin Hood had long been familiar to the English People.

120. Robin Hood’s Death.

P. 103 a, note *. ‘Give me my God’ is not perhaps too bold a suggestion. We have ‘yeve me my savyour’ in the Romance of the Rose, Morris, v. 6436, translating ‘le cors nostre seigneur.’

132. The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood.

P. 155. The following copy, entitled ‘Robin Hood and the Proud Pedlar,’ is from a garland in a collection of folio sheet-ballads mostly dated 1775, in the British Museum, 1346. m. 7(9). The Museum catalogue assigns the ballads to Edinburgh. I owe my knowledge of this piece to Mr P. Z. Round.

1 There was a proud pedlar, a fine pedlar, a proud pedlar he seemd to be, And he’s taen his pack upon his back, and went linking over the lee.

2 Where he met two troublesome men, troublesome men they seemd to be, The one of them was Robin Hood, the other Little John so free.

3 ‘O what is that into thy pack? thou pedlar proud now tell to me;’ ‘There’s seven suits of good green silk, and bow-strings either two or three.’

4 ‘If there’s seven suits of good green silk, and silken bow-strings two or three, Then be my sooth,’ says Little John, ‘there’s some of them must fall to me.’

5 Then he’s taen his pack off his back, and laid it low down by his knee: ‘Where’s the man fit to drive me frae’t? then pack and all to him I’ll gie.’

6 Then Little John pulld out his sword, the pedler he pulld out his brand, They swapped swords till they did sweat; ‘O pedlar fine, now hold thy hand!’

7 ‘O fy! O fy!’ said Robin Hood, ‘O fy! O fy! that must not be, For I’ve seen a man in greater strait than to pay him and pedlars three.’

8 ‘Then try him, try him, master,’ he said, ‘O try him now, master,’ said he, ‘For by me sooth,’ said Little John, ‘master, ’tis neither you nor me.’

9 Bold Robin pulld out his sword, the pedlar he pulld out his brand, They swapped swords till they did sweat; ‘O pedlar fine, now hold thy hand!

10 ‘O what’s thy name,’ says Robin Hood, ‘now, pedlar fine, come tell to me;’ ‘No, be my sooth, that will I not, till I know what your names may be.’

11 ‘The one of us[’s] calld Robin Hood, the other Little John so free, And now it lies into thy breast whether thou’lt tell thy name to me.’

12 ‘I’m Gamwell gay, of good green wood, my fame is far beyond the sea; For killing a man in my father’s land my native land I was forcd to flee.’

13 ‘If thou be Gamwell of the green wood, thy fame is far beyond the sea; And be my sooth,’ said Little John, ‘my sister’s son thou needs must be.

14 ‘But what was that was on thy back? O, cousin Gamwell, tell unto me;’ ‘It is seven sarks and three gravats, is all the kitt that I carry.’

15 They smoothd their words and sheathd their swords, and kissd and clapt most tenderly; To a tavern then they went to dine, and drank about most heartily.

July, 1775.

* * * * *

Captain Delany’s Garland, containing five new songs, ... II, Robin Hood and the Proud Pedlar.

6^2, 6^4, 9^4. padler.

152. Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow.

P. 223. Letter shot to its address on an arrow. Afanasief, Russian Popular Tales, V, 183.

155. Sir Hugh, or, The Jew’s Daughter.

P. 233, IV, 497.

T

‘Little Sir William,’ Miss M. H. Mason’s Nursery Rhymes and Country Songs, p. 46.

1 Easter Day was a holiday, Of all days in the year, And all the little schoolfellows went out to play, Bat Sir William was not there.

2 Mamma went to the Jew’s wife’s house, And knockëd at the ring, Saying, Little Sir William, if you are there, Oh, let your mother in!

3 The Jew’s wife opened the door and said, He is not here to-day; He is with the little schoolfellows out on the green, Playing some pretty play.

4 Mamma went to the Boyne water, That is so wide and deep, Saying, Little Sir William, if you are there, Oh, pity your mother’s weep!

5 ‘How can I pity your weep, mother, And I so long in pain? For the little penknife sticks close in my heart, And the Jew’s wife has me slain.

6 ‘Go home, go home, my mother dear, And prepare my winding sheet, For tomorrow morning before eight o’clock You with my body shall meet.

7 ‘And lay my Prayer-Book at my head, And my grammar at my feet, That all the little schoolfellows as they pass by May read them for my sake.’

U

Notes and Queries, Eighth Series, II, 43, July, 1842. ‘The Jew’s Daughter,’ communicated by Mr C. W. Penny, as repeated to his brother, the vicar of Stixwould, Lincolnshire, by one of the oldest women in the parish. “A song sung by his nurse to a Lincolnshire gentleman, now over sixty years of age.”

1 You toss your ball so high, You toss your ball so low, You toss your ball into the Jew’s garden, Where the pretty flowers grow.

2 Out came one of the Jew’s daughters, Dressed all in green: ‘Come hither, pretty little dear, And fetch your ball again.’

3 She showed him a rosy-cheeked apple, She showed him a gay gold ring, She showed him a cherry as red as blood, And that enticed him in.

4 She set him in a golden chair, She gave him kisses sweet, She threw him down a darksome well, More than fifty feet deep.

156. Queen Eleanor’s Confession.

P. 259. =B.= Here given as it stands in “The Old Lady’s Collection,” No 6.

1 Our quin’s seek, an very seek, She’s seek an leak to dee, An she has sent for the friears of France, To speak we her spedely.

2 ‘Ye’ll pit on a frier’s robe, An I’ll put one anether, An we’ll goo to madam the Quin, Leak frayers bath together.’

3 ‘God forbid,’ sayes Earl Marchell, ‘That ever the leak sud be, That I sud begule madam the Quin; I wad be hangëd hei.’

4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The King suar by the croun an the septer roun Eearl Marchell sudne dei.

5 The king pat on a frier’s rob, Eearl Marchell on anether, The’r on to the Quin, Like frayers bath together.

6 ‘Gin ye be the frayers of France,’ she says, ‘As I trust wiell ye be, Bat an ye be ony eather men Ye sall be hangëd he.’

7 The king he turned him roun, An by his troth suare he, ‘We ha na sung masse San we came fra the sea.’

8 ‘The first sin ever I did, An a very grat sin it was tee, I gaa my medenhead to Earl Marchell, Below a green-wood tree.’

9 ‘That was a sin, an a very grate sin, Bat pardoned it man be;’ ‘We menement,’ said Earl Marchell, Bat a heavë, heavë heart had he.

10 ‘The nist sin ever I did, An a grat sin it was tee, I pusned Lady Rosomon, An the King’s darling was she.’

11 ‘That was a sin, an a grat sin, Bat pardoned it may be;’ ‘We menement,’ said King Henry, Bat a heavë, heavë heart had he.

12 ‘The nist sin I ever did, An a grat sin it was tee, I keepet pusin in my bosom seven year To pusin him King Henre.’

13 ‘That was a sin, an a grat sin, Bat pardoned it may be;’ ‘We menement,’ sa[i]d King Henrie, Bat a heavë, heavë heart had he.

14 ‘O see ye na yon bony boys, As they play att the baa? An see ye na Earl Merchal’s son? I lee him best of all.

15 ‘But see ye na King Henry’s son? He is headed leak a bull an baked like a bore, I leak him warst of a’:’ ‘An, by my soth,’ says him King Henry, ‘I leak him best of the twa.’

16 The king he turned him roun, Pat on the coat of goud, The Quin turned her roun, The king to behald.

17 ‘. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gin I had na sworn by the croun an the septer roun, Eearl Marchell sud ben gared dee.’

* * * * *

Written without division into stanzas or verses.

2^2. An ye’ll.

157. Gude Wallace.

P. 265. From C. K. Sharpe’s “first collection,” p. 18.

I

“An old song shewing how Sir Wm Wallace killed thirty Englishmen.” This copy resembles =C=.

‘Decencey’ in 8^2 is the reciter’s rendering of the bencite (benedicite) of =C= 6^2.

1 ‘I wish I had a king,’ brave Wallace he said, That every brave Scotsman might leave by his oun, For between me and my sovreign leige I think I see some ill [seed] sowen.’

2 Brave Wallace out-oer yon river he lap, And he lighted low down on the plain, And he came to a gay lady, As she was at the well washing.

3 ‘Some tidings, some tidings,’ brave Wallace he said, ‘Some tidings ye most tell unto me; Now since we are met here togither on the plain, Some tidings ye most tell unto me.’

4 ‘O go ye down to yon wee ale-house, And there is fifeteen Englishmen, And they are seeking for good Wallace, And him to take and him for to hang.’

5 ‘I wish I had a penny in my pocket,’ he says, ‘Or although it were but a bare baubee, And I wad away to the wee ale-house, The fifeteen Englishmen to see.’

6 She’s put hir hand in hir left pocket, And fifeteen shillings to him she told down: ‘If ever I live to come back this way, The money’s be well paid agein.’

7 He louted twafauld oer a stick, And he louted threefauld oer a tree, And he’es gane awa to the wee ale-house, The fifeteen Englishmen to see.

8 When he came to the wee ale-house, He walked ben, says, Decencey be there! The Engilish proud captain he awnsered him, And he awnsered him with a graid domineer.

9 ‘Why, where wast thou born, thou old crooked carle? Where and of what country?’ ‘I am a true Scotsman bred and born, And an auld crooked carle, just sic as ye may see.’

10 ‘I wad gee fifeteen shillings,’ the captain he said, ‘To an auld crooked carle, just sic a ane as thee, If ye wad tell me of Willie Wallace, For he’s the man I wad fain see.’

11 ‘O hold your hand,’ brave Wallace he said, ‘And let me see if yeer coin be good; If ye wad give fifeteen shillings more, Ye never bade a better boad.’

12 He’s tean the captain out-oer the chaft-blade, Till a bitt of meat he never did eat mair; He stickit a’ the reste as the sat aroun the table, And he left them all a spraulling there.

13 ‘Get up, get up, goodwife,’ he says, ‘Get up and get me some denner in haste, For it is now three days and nights Since a bit of meat my mouth did taste.’

14 The denner was not well made ready, Nor was it on the table sett, Till other fifeteen English men Were a’perading about the yett.

15 ‘Come out, come out now, Wallace,’ they crys, ‘For this is the place ye’es sure for [to] die;’ ‘I lippen not sae little to good,’ he says, ‘Although I be but ill-wordie.’

16 The goodman ran butt, the goodwife ran ben, They put the house in such a fever! Five of them he sticket where they stood, And other five he smoddered in the gitter.

17 Five of them he folowd to the merry greenwood, And these five he hangt on a grain, And gin the morn at ten o’clock He was wi his mirry men at Lochmaben.

* * * * *

6^2. 15.

8^2. Perhaps we should read be here, as in =A= 10^2, but other copies have bad ... there, and it is likely enough that there is a confusion of the oblique and the direct form.

14^4. =a.=

265 b, note †. ‘Let me see if your money be good, and if it be true and right, you’ll maybe get the downcome of Robinhood,’ from a recited copy, in the preface to Finlay’s Scottish Ballads, I, XV.]

158. Hugh Spencer’s Feats in France.

P. 276. What is narrated of Walter in the Chronicon Novalese is likewise told of Ogier by Alexander Neckam, De Naturis Rerum, ed. T. Wright, p. 261 ff. (see also the note at p. lvi), in a copy of Turpin’s Chronicle, Ward, Catalogue of Romances, I, 579 f., and (excepting the monastery) in La Chevalerie Ogier, ed. Barrois, v. 10390 ff.; of Heimir, Saga Ðiðriks af Bern, c. 429 ff., Unger, p. 361 ff.; and in part in the ballad of ‘Svend Felding,’ Grundtvig, No 31, I, 398. See Grundtvig’s preface to No 15, I, 216 ff.; Ward, as above; Voretzsch, Ueber die Sage von Ogier dem Dänen, p. 113 ff.

161. The Battle of Otterburn.

P. 289, IV, 499. From C. K. Sharpe’s “first collection,” p. 21. Tradition in this copy, as in Herd’s, =B=, ascribes the death of Douglas to an offended and treacherous page.

1 It was about the Lammes time, When moorland men do win their hay, Brave Earl Douglass, in armer bright, Marchd to the Border without delay.

2 He hes tean wi him the Lindseys light, And sae hes he the Gordons gay, And the Earl of Fife, without all strife, And Sir Heugh Montgomery upon a day.

3 The hae brunt Northumberland, And sae have [the] Northumbershire, And fair Cluddendale they hae brunt it hale, And he’s left it all in fire fair.

4 Ay till the came to Earl Percy’s castle, Earl Percey’s castle that stands sae high: ‘Come dowen, come dowen, thou proud Percey, Come down and talk one hour with me.

5 ‘Come down, come down, thou proud Percey, Come down and talk one hour with me; For I hae burnt thy heritage, And sae will I thy building high.’

6 ‘If ye hae brunt my heritage, O dule, O dule, and woe is me! But will ye stay at the Otter burn Untill I gather my men to me?’

7 ‘O I will stay at the Otter burn The space of days two or three, And if ye do not meet me there, I will talk of thy coardie.’

8 O he hes staid at the Otter burn The space of days two or three; He sent his page unto his tent-door, For to see what ferleys he could see.

9 ‘O yonder comes yon gallent knight, With all bonny banners high; It wad do ony living good For to see the bonny coulers fly.’

10 ‘If the tale be true,’ Earl Douglass says, ‘The tidings ye have told to me, The fairest maid in Otterburn Thy bedfellow sure shall she be.

11 ‘If the tale be false,’ Earl Douglass says, ‘The tidings that ye tell to me, The highest tree in Otterburn, On it high hangëd shall ye be.’

12 Earl Douglass went to his tent-door, To see what ferleys he could see; His little page came him behind, And ran him through the fair body.

13 ‘If I had a little time,’ he says, ‘To set in order my matters high, Ye Gordons gay, to you I say, See that ye let not my men away.

14 ‘Ye Linseys light, both wise and wight, Be sure ye carry my coulers high; Ye Gordons gay, again I say, See that ye let not my men away.

15 ‘Sir Heugh Montgomery, my sistir’s son, I give you the vangaurd over all; Let it neer be said into old England That so little made a true Scot fall.

16 ‘O lay me dowen by yon brecken-bush, That grows upon yon liley lea; Let it neer be said into old England That so little made a true Scot die.’

17 At last those two stout knights did meet, And O but they were wonderous keen! The foght with sowards of the temperd steel, Till the drops of blood ran them betwen.

18 ‘O yeald thee, Percie,’ Montgomery crys, ‘O yeald ye, or I’ll lay the low;’ ‘To whome should I yeald? to whom should I yeald? To whom should I yeald, since it most be so?’

19 ‘O yeald ye to yon breckan-bush, That grows upon yon lilley lea; And if ye will not yeald to this, In truth, Earl Percey, I’ll gar ye die.’

20 ‘I will not yeald to a breckan-bush, Nor yet will I yeald to a brier; But fain wad I yeald to Earl Douglass, Or Sir Heugh Montgomery, if he were here.’

21 O then this lord begun to faint, And let his soward drop to the ground; Sir Heugh Montgomery, a courtious knight, He bravely took him by the hand.

22 This deed was done at the Otter burn, Betwen the sunshine and the day; Brave Earl Douglass there was slain, And they carried Percie captive away.

* * * * *

6^3, 7^1, 8^1, 22^1. Otterburn.

292 b, 2d paragraph, 9th line. =C= 20^{3,4} may have been supplied by Scott; not in Hogg’s copy. See IV, 500, st. 21.

294, 520 a, IV, 499. St George, Our Lady’s Knight.

O seynt George, oure lady knyght, To that lady thow pray for me!

Lydgate, Kalendare, vv. 113, 114, ed. Horstmann, in Herrig’s Archiv, LXXX, 121.

O blessyd Lady, Cristes moder dere, And thou Seynt George, that called art her knyght!

Fabyan’s Chronicles, ed. Ellis, 1811, p. 601. (G. L. K.)

162. The Hunting of the Cheviot.

P. 306, IV, 502. Fighting on stumps. Agolafre, fighting on his knees after his legs were broken, ‘had wyþ ys axe a-slawe an hep of frenschemen:’ Sir Ferumbras, v. 4603 ff., ed. Herrtage, The English Charlemagne Romances, I, 143. (The French text does not represent him as fighting on his knees: Fierabras, ed. Kroeber and Servois, 1860, v. 4878 ff., p. 147.) (G. L. K.)

163. The Battle of Harlaw.

P. 317 a, 2d paragraph. Of course Sir James the Rose and Sir John the Gryme came in from the ballad of ‘Sir James the Rose.’

164. King Henry Fifth’s Conquest of France.

P. 323. There is a copy (‘The Battle of Agincourt’) in C. K. Sharpe’s “first collection,” p. 29, from which some variations may be given.

n. 2^4. And bring home the tribute that’s due to me.

4^{1-3}.

My master the king salutes thee well, Salutes thee well, most graciously; You must go send, etc.

5^{2-4}.

And darna come to my degree; Go bid him play with his tenish balls, For in French lands he dare no me see.

7^{3,4}.

Such tidings from the king of France As I’m sure with him you can ner agree.

8^3. He bids you play with these tenish balls.

10^4. They were a jovial good company.

After 10: He counted oer his merry men, Told them by thirty and by three, And when the were all numberd oer He had thirty thousand brave and three.

12 The first that fird, it was the French, Upon our English men so free, But we made ten thousand of them fall, And the rest were forc’d for there lives to flee.

13^1. Soon we entered Paris gates.

13^2. trumpets sounding high.

13^4. Have mercy on [my] men and me.

14^{1,2}.

Take home your tribute, the king he says, And three tons of gold I will give to thee.

There is also a copy in “The Old Lady’s Collection,” No 7, but it is not worth collating.

167. Sir Andrew Barton.

P. 338 b, IV, 502 b. Gold to bury body. Apollonius of Tyre. So in Gower, Confessio Amantis, bk. viii, ed. Pauli, III, 312; in the English prose Kynge Apollyn of Thyre, Wynkyn de Worde, 1510, c. 19, fol. 48, of Ashbee’s fac-simile, 1870; in the German prose Appollonius Tyrus and Appolonius von Tiria, C. Schröder, Griseldis, Apollonius von Tyrus, aus Handschriften herausg., pp. 46, 110, Leipzig, 1873. (G. L. K.)

170. The Death of Queen Jane.

P. 372. Communicated by Rev. S. Baring-Gould, as recited by Samuel Force.

H

1 Queen Jane, O! Queen Jane, O! what a lady was she! And six weeks and a day in labour was she; Queen Jane was in labour for six weeks and more, Till the women grew weary and fain would give oer.

2 ‘O women, O women, good wives as ye be, Go send for King Henry and bring him to me.’ King Henry was sent for, and to her he came: ‘Dear lady, fair lady, your eyes they look dim.’

3 King Henry came to her, he came in all speed, In a gown of red velvet, from the heel to the head: ‘King Henry, King Henry, if kind you will be, Send for a good doctor, and let him come to me.’

4 The doctor was sent for, he came with all speed, In a gown of black velvet from the heel to the head; The doctor was sent for and to her he came: ‘Dear lady, fair lady, your labour’s in vain.’

5 ‘Dear doctor, dear doctor, will you do this for me? O open my right side, and save my baby:’ Then out spake King Henry, That never can be, I’d rather lose the branches than the top of the tree.

6 The doctor gave a caudle, the death-sleep slept she, Then her right side was opened and the babe was set free; The babe it was christened, and put out and nursd, But the royal Queen Jane lay cold in the dust.

I

Macmath MS., p. 99. Received November, 1892, from the recitation of Mary Cochrane (Mrs Joseph Garmory), Abbey-yard, Crossmichael, Kirkcudbrightshire. Written down by her husband.

1 Queen Jeanie was in labor for seven weeks in summer, The women all being tired and quite gave her over: ‘O women, dear women, if women you be, Send for my mother to come and see me.’

2 Her mother was sent for and instantly came, Knelt down at the bedside where Queen Jeanie lay on: ‘O mother, dear mother, if mother you be, Send for my father to come and see me.’

3 The father was sent for and instantly came, Knelt down by the bedside where Queen Jeanie lay on: ‘O father, dear father, if father you be, Send for King Henry to come and see me.’

4 King Henry was sent for and instantly came, Knelt down by the bedside where Queen Jeanie lay on: ‘O Henry, King Henry, if Henry you be, Send for the doctor to come and see me.’

5 The doctor was sent for and instantly came, Knelt down by the bedside where Queen Jeanie lay on: ‘O doctor, dear doctor, if doctor you be, Open my left side and let the babe free.’

6 Her left side was opened, the young prince was found: ‘O doctor, dear doctor, lay me down on the ground.’

7 Her bones were all broken and laid at her feet, And they anointed her body with the ointment so sweet, And ay as they weeped they wrung their hands sore, For the fair flower of England will flourish no more.

173. Mary Hamilton.

P. 379. Stanzas 1, 2, 10 of =C= are printed in Motherwell’s Minstrelsy, p. 315, and 4, 9 of =L= at p. 316.

380 a, line 13. Say Stewart, or stewart.

384. =A= =a=. Found in a small MS. volume, with the title “Songs” on the cover, entirely in Sharpe’s handwriting, p. 29. The only variations, besides a few in spelling, are these:

9^1. stairs.

17^3. the night’s.

18^2. they’l.

389. =F.= This version was rendered by Skene with comparative fidelity. Still, the original, ‘Quin Mary’s Marreys,’ No 12 of “The Old Lady’s Collection,” would of course have been given if it had been in hand, and should be substituted, opportunity occurring. It is therefore printed here.

1 ‘My father was the Duck of York, My mother a lady frie, My sell a dainnty damisall, Quin Mary sent for me.

2 ‘The quin’s meat it was so suit, An her clething was sae rair, It made me lang for Suit Willie’s bed, An I ill rue it ever mare.

3 ‘Mary Beeten, an Mary Sitton, An Lady Livenston, a’ three, We’ll never mett in Quin Mary’s bour nou, Marrys tho we be.’

4 Quin Mary satt in her bour, Suing her selver seam; She thought she hard a baby greet Bat an a lady mean.

5 She throu her neddel frae her, Her seam out of her han, An she is on to Lady Marry’s bour, As fast as she could gang.

6 ‘Open yer dor, Lady Mary,’ she says, ‘An lat me come in; For I hear a baby greet, Bat an a lady meen.’

7 ‘Ther is nae bab in my bour, madam the Quin, Nor never thinks to be, Bat the strong pains of gravell This night has sesed me.’

8 She paat her fitt to the dor, Bat an her knee, Bolts of brass an irn bands In flinders she gart flee.

9 She pat a han to her bed-head A nether to her bed-feet, An bonny was the bab Was blabring in its bleed.

10 ‘Wae worth ye, Lady Mary, An ill dead sall ye die! For in ye widne keepet the bonny bab Ye might ha gen ’t to me.’

11 ‘Lay na the witt on me, madam, Lay na the witt on me, For my fals love bare the v[e]pan att his side That gared my bern dee.’

12 ‘Gett up, Lady Betton, get up, Lady Setton, An Lady Livenston, three, An we will on to Edenbrugh An tray this gay lady.’

13 As she cam in the Cannogate, The burgers’ wives they crayed hon, ochon, ochree!

14 ‘O had yer still, ye burgers’ wives, An make na mane for me; Seek never grace out of a graslass face, For they ha nan to gee.

15 ‘Ye merchants an ye mareners, That trad on the sea, Ye dinnë tell in my country The dead I am gaine to dee.

16 ‘Ye merchants an ye mareners, That traid on the fame, Dinnë tell in my countray Bat fatt I am coming hame.

17 ‘Littel did my father think, Fan he brouch[t] me our the sea, That he woud see my yallou lokes Hang on a gallou-tree.

18 ‘Littel did my midder think, Fan she brought me fra hame, That she maugt see my yallou lokes Hang on a gallou-pine.

19 ‘. . . . . . O had yer han a wee! For yonder comes my father, I am sure he’ll borrou me.

20 ‘O some of yer goud, father, An of yer well won fee, To safe me [fra the high hill], [An] fra the gallage-tree.’

21 ‘Ye’s gett nane of my goud, Ner of my well wone fee, For I wead gee five hundred poun To see ye hanged hee.’

22 ‘. . . . . O had yer han a wee! Yonder is my love Willie, He will borrou me.

23 ‘O some of yer goud, my love Wille, An some of yer well wone fee, To save me fraa the high hill, An fraie the gallou-tree.’

24 ‘Ye’s gett a’ my goud, An a’ my well won fee, To save ye fra the heading-hill, An fra the galla-tree.’

* * * * *

4^2. Perhaps silver.

6^3. lady greet: cf. 4^3.

7^1. næ.

11^2. watt.

11^3. vpan?

23^1. son Willë.

392 a, =H= 8^4. The nine. “Anciently the supreme criminal court of Scotland was composed of nine members.” Kinloch’s note, Ancient Scottish Ballads, p. 259. This may afford a date.

=I. b.= The three stanzas were given as written down from memory by Finlay: see VIII, 507 b.

174. Earl Bothwell.

The following entry in the Stationers’ Registers may refer to this ballad: “24 March, 1579, Thomas Gosson. Receaved of him for a ballad concerninge the murder of the late Kinge of Scottes.” Arber, II, 349.

178. Captain Car, or, Edom o Gordon.

P. 423, IV, 513.

I

From “The Old Lady’s Collection,” No 28, ‘Edom of Achendoon.’

1 It fell about the Martimas time, Fan the wind blue loud an calld, Said Edom of Gordon to his men, We man dra till a hall.

2 ‘An fatten a hall will we dra tell, My merry men a’ an me? We will to the house of Rothes, An see that gay lady.’

3 The lady louked our castell-wa, Beheld the day ga doun, An she saa Edun of Gordon, Fase Edom of Ach[en]doun.

4 ‘Gee our yer house, ye gay lady, Gee our yer house to me; The night ye’s be my leall leman, The morn my lady free.’

5 ‘I winnë gee our my bonny house, To leard nor yet to loun, Nor will I gee our my bonny house To fase Edom of Achendoun.

6 ‘Bat ye gett me Cluny, Gight, or Glack, Or get him young Lesmore, An I ell gee our my bonny house To ony of a’ the four.’

7 ‘Ye’s nether gett Cluny, Gight, nor Glack, Nor yet him young Lesmore, An ye man gee our yer bonny house, Winten ony of a’ the four.’

8 The ladie shot out of a shot-windou, It didne hurt his head, It only grased his knee . . . . . .

9 ‘Ye hast, my merry men a’, Gather hathorn an fune, . . . . . . . To see gin this lady will burn.’

10 ‘Wai worth ye, Joke, my man! I paid ye well yer fee, An ye tane out the quinë-stane, Laten in the fire to me.

11 ‘Wae worth ye, Joke, my man! I paid ye well yer hair, An ye t[a]en out the qunie-stane, To me laten in the fire.’

12 ‘Ye paid me well my meatt, lady, Ye paid me well my fee, Bat nou I am Edom of Gordon’s man, Mane eather dee’d or dree.

13 ‘Ye paid me well my meatt, lady, Ye paid me well my hire, But nou I am Edom of Gordon’s man, To ye mane lat the fire.’

14 Out spak her doughter, She was bath jimp an smaa; ‘Ye take me in a pair of shets, Lat me our the castell-waa.’

15 The pat her in a pair of shets, Lute her oure the castell-waa; On the point of Edom of Gordon’s lance She got a deadly faa.

16 Cherry, cherry was her cheeks, An bonny was her eyen; . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

17 He turned her about, . . . . . . . ‘I might haa spared that bonny face To ha ben some man’s delight.

18 ‘Chirry is yer chik, An bonny is yer eayn; Ye’r the first face I ever saa dead I wist liveng agen.’

19 Out spak one of his men, As he stad by a stane; ‘Lat it never be sade brave Edom of Gordon Was dantoned by a dame.’

20 Out spake the bonny barn, It sat on the nurce’s knee; ‘Gee our yer house, my mider dear, The reak it smothers me.’

21 ‘I wad gee a’ my silks,’ she says, ‘That lays in mony a fall, To haa ye on the head of Mont Ganell, To gett three gasps of the call.

22 ‘I wad gee a’ my goud,’ she says, ‘Far it lays out an in, To haa ye on the head of Mount Ganill, To get three gasps of the wind.’

23 . . . . . . . that gued lord, As he came fraa the sea, ‘I see the house of Rothes in fire, God safe my gay ladie!’

* * * * *

15^3. land.

VOL. IV.

190. Jamie Telfer of the Fair Dodhead.

P. 4. I am now able to give the unprinted copy, referred to in the Border Minstrelsy, in which the Elliots take the place assigned in the other version to the Scotts. This I do by the assistance of Mr Macmath, the present possessor of the manuscript, which was formerly among the papers of Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe. The hand “is a good and careful one of about the beginning of this century, with a slight shake in it, and probably that of a person advanced in life.” Be it observed that the title, in this case, is ‘Jamie Telfer in the Fair Dodhead,’ signifying, according to Scottish usage, that Telfer was tenant simply, whereas ‘of’ would make him proprietor.

Hogg, writing to Sir W. Scott (Letters, vol. i, No 44), says that ‘Jamie Telfer,’ as printed in the Minstrelsy, differs in many particulars from his mother’s way of giving it. Mrs Hogg’s version may very likely have been a third copy.

In this version, Telfer, after the loosing of his nolt and the ranshakling of his house, runs eight miles to Branxholm, to seek aid of Buccleugh, who refers him to Martin Elliot, to whom, and not to himself, Buccleugh affirms, Telfer has paid blackmail. Telfer, as in the other version, runs up the water-gate to Coultart Cleugh, and invokes the help of Jock Grieve, who sets him on a bonny black to take the fray to Catlock Hill, as in the other version again. Catlock Hill Mr R. B. Armstrong considers to be probably Catlie Hill, marked in Blaeu’s map as near Braidlie. It was occupied by an Elliot in 1541. At Catlock Hill Martin’s Hab sets Telfer on a bonny black to take the fray to Prickenhaugh, a place which, Mr Armstrong observes, is put in Blaeu’s map near Larriston. Auld Martin Elliot is at Prickenhaugh, and he orders Simmy, his son, to be summoned, and the water-side to be warned, including the Currers and Willie o Gorrenberry, who in the other version, st. 27, are warned as owing fealty to Scott; but an Archibald Elliot is described as “in Gorrenberrie” in 1541,[121] and Will Elliot of Gorrombye was concerned in the rescue of Kinmont Willie in 1596, Sim Elliot takes the lead in the pursuit of the marauders which Willie Scott has in the other version, and like him is killed. Martin Elliot of Braidley had among his sons, in 1580, a Sym, an Arche, and a Hob,[121] and was, during a portion of the second half of the sixteenth century, says Mr Armstrong, perhaps the most important person of his name.[122] This Martin Elliot would fit very well into our ballad, but that he should be described as of Prickenhaugh, not of Braidley, raises a difficulty. Braidley, at the junction of the Braidley burn with the Hermitage water, is well placed for our purposes; Prickenhaugh, down by the Liddel water, seems rather remote.

5, 582. See more as to Dodhead in The Saturday Review, May 20, 1893, p. 543.

Jamie Telfer in the Fair Dodhead.

1 It fell about the Martinmas, When steads were fed wi corn and hay, The Captain of Bewcastle said to his lads, We’ll into Tiviotdale and seek a prey.

2 The first ae guide that they met with Was high up in Hardhaugh swire, The second guide that they met with Was laigh down in Borthick water.

3 ‘What tidings, what tidings, my bonny guide?’ ‘Nae tidings, nae tidings I hae to thee; But if ye’ll gae to the Fair Dodhead Mony a cow’s calf I’ll let ye see.’

4 When they came to the Fair Dodhead, Right hastily they clam the peel, They loosd the nolt out, ane and a’, And ranshakled the house right weel.

5 Now Jamie’s heart it was right sair, The tear ay rowing in his eye; He pled wi the Captain to hae his gear, Or else revengëd he would be.

6 Bat the Captain turnd himsel about, Said, Man, there’s naething in thy house But an auld sword without a scabbard, That scarcely now would fell a mouse.

7 The moon was up and the sun was down, ’Twas the gryming of a new-fa’n snaw; Jamie Telfer has run eight miles barefoot Between Dodhead and Branxholm Ha.

8 And when he came to Branxholm Ha He shouted loud and cry’d well he, Till up bespake then auld Buccleugh, ‘Whae’s this that brings the fray to me?’

9 ‘It’s I, Jamie Telfer i the Fair Dodhead, And a harried man I think I be; There’s naething left i the Fair Dodhead But only wife and children three.’

10 ‘Gae seek your succour frae Martin Elliot, For succour ye’s get nane frae me; Gae seek your succour where ye paid blackmail, For, man, ye never paid money to me.’

11 Jamie he’s turnd him round about, And ay the tear blinded his eye: ‘I’se never pay mail to Scott again, Nor the Fair Dodhead I’ll ever see.’

12 Now Jamie is up the water-gate, Een as fast as he can drie, Till he came to the Coultart Cleugh, And there he shouted and cry’d weel he.

13 Then up bespake him auld Jock Grieve, ‘Whae’s this that bring[s] the fray to me?’ ‘It’s I, Jamie Telfer i the Fair Dodhead, And a harried man I think I be.

14 ‘There’s naething left i the Fair Dodhead But only wife and children three, And sax poor calves stand i the sta, A’ routing loud for their minnie.’

15 ‘Alack, wae’s me!’ co auld Jock Grieve, ‘Alack, alack, and wae is me! For ye was married t’ the auld sister, And I t’ the younges[t] o the three.’

16 Then he’s taen out a bonny black, It was weel fed wi corn and hay, And set Jamie Telfer on his back, To the Catlock hill to take the fray.

17 When he came to the Catlock hill, He shouted loud and cry’d weel he; ‘Whae’s that, whae’s that?’ co Martin’s Hab, ‘Whae’s this that brings the fray to me?’

18 ‘It’s I, Jamie Telfer i the Fair Dodhead, And a harried man I think I be; There’s neathing left i the Fair Dodhead But only wife and children three.’

19 ‘Alack, wae’s me!’ co Martin’s Hab, ‘Alack, awae, my heart is sair! I never came bye the Fair Dodhead That ever I faund thy basket bare.’

20 Then he’s taen out a bonny black, It was weel fed wi corn and hay, And set Jamie Telfer on his back To the Pricken haugh to take the fray.

21 When he came to the Pricken haugh, He shouted loud and cry’d weel he; Up then bespake auld Martin Elliot, ‘Whae’s this that brings the fray to me?’

22 ‘It’s I, Jamie Telfer i the Fair Dodhead, And a harried man I think I be; There’s naething left i the Fair Dodhead But only wife and children three.’

23 ‘Ever alack!’ can Martin say, ‘And ay my heart is sair for thee! But fy, gar ca on Simmy my son, And see that he come hastily.

24 ‘Fy, gar warn the water-side, Gar warn it soon and hastily; Them that winna ride for Telfer’s kye, Let them never look i the face o me.

25 ‘Gar warn the water, braid and wide, And warn the Currers i the shaw; When ye come in at the Hermitage slack, Warn doughty Willie o Gorrenberry.’

26 The gear was driven the Frostily up, From the Frostily into the plain; When Simmie lookëd him afore, He saw the kye right fast driving.

27 ‘Whae drives the kye,’ then Simmy can say, ‘To make an outspeckle o me?’ ‘It’s I, the Captain o Bewcastle, Simmy, I winna lain my name frae thee.’

28 ‘O will ye let the gear gae back? Or will ye do ony thing for me?’ ‘I winna let the gear gae back, Nor naething, Simmy, I’ll do for the[e].

29 ‘But I’ll drive Jamie Telfer’s kye In spite o Jamie Telfer’s teeth and thee;’ ‘Then by my sooth,’ can Simmy say, ‘I’ll ware my dame’s calfskin on thee.

30 ‘Fa on them, lads!’ can Simmy say, ‘Fy, fa on them cruelly! For or they win to the Ritter ford Mony toom saddle there shall be.’

31 But Simmy was striken oer the head, And thro the napskape it is gane, And Moscrop made a dolefull rage When Simmy on the ground lay slain.

32 ‘Fy, lay on them!’ co Martin Elliot, ‘Fy, lay on them cruelly! For ere they win to the Kershop ford Mony toom saddle there shall be.’

33 John o Biggam he was slain, And John o Barlow, as I heard say, And fifteen o the Captain’s men Lay bleeding on the ground that day.

34 The Captain was shot through the head, And also through the left ba-stane; Tho he had livd this hundred years, He’d neer been loed by woman again.

35 The word is gane unto his bride, Een in the bower where she lay, That her good lord was in ’s enemy’s land Since into Tiviotdale he led the way.

36 ‘I loord a had a winding sheed And helpd to put it oer his head, Or he’d been taen in ’s enemy’s lands, Since he oer Liddle his men did lead.’

37 There was a man in our company, And his name was Willie Wudëspurs: ‘There is a house in the Stanegarside, If any man will ride with us.’

38 When they came to the Stanegarside, They bangd wi trees and brake the door, They loosd the kye out, ane and a’, And set them furth our lads before.

39 There was an auld wif ayont the fire, A wee bit o the Captain’s kin: ‘Whae loo[s]es out the Captain’s kye, And sae mony o the Captain’s men wi[t]hin?’

40 ‘I, Willie Wudëspurs, let out the kye, I winna lain my name frae thee, And I’ll loose out the Captain’s kye In spite o the Captain’s teeth and thee.’

41 Now on they came to the Fair Dodhead, They were a welcome sight to see, And instead of his ain ten milk-kye Jamie Telfer’s gotten thirty and three.

* * * * *

16^2. feel fed: cf. 20^2.

195. Lord Maxwell’s Last Goodnight.

P. 34 b, 525 a. =B.= The ballad has no title in the Glenriddell MS. The table of contents was the work of a copyist.

196. The Fire of Frendraught.

P. 39 b. Thirteen stanzas of =C= are given, in the course of an article on The Burning of the House of Frendraucht, in the Aberdeen Magazine, 1832, II, 561.

P. 44. =A a.= Collation with Sharpe’s MS. and with another copy of the same pieces in “North Country Ballads,” Miscellanea Curiosa, Abbotsford Library.

4^1. Well, turn.

12^5. were.

15^4. Let Rothiemay may ly, may ly. But Rothiemay lie, written under, probably as an emendation by Sharpe (not in Scott).

16^4. Turn in Scott, an easy misreading of Twin.

26^1. Ahon. With a few slight differences of spelling.

we in 9^2 is a misprint for he.

IV, 522 a. The Satyr begins:

O world of woes, O grief of griefs, to see This damned den wher sure brave sp’rits did dye.

197. James Grant.

These verses occur in a manuscript collection of C. K. Sharpe’s (“second collection”), with slight verbal differences. They are written in long lines not divided into stanzas. Sir W. Scott remarks, Sharpe’s Ballad Book, 1880, p. 145, “I conceive Ballindalloch, being admitted by Grant, set upon him, and that there should be asterisks between the fourth line [the second stanza] and those which follow.”

1^1. Away, away now, James the Grant.

1^2. You’ll.

1^3. For Ballendalloch is at your gate.

2^{1,4}. Badendalloch.

2^2. Nor I.

2^3. Set up my gat both.

2^4. And let.

3^1. James the.

3^4. no get so.

4^3. he get but one mile in the highland hill.

4^4. defy the.

198. Bonny John Seton.

P. 52. =A.= Found in a MS. of Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe, and in “North Country Ballads,” Miscellanea Curiosa, Abbotsford Library (another copy of the same pieces), with the following variations.

Sharpe. 1^3. The Southeron lords to.

2^1. And bonny: Pitmedden, and always.

2^2. bald.

2^4. And the.

3^4. Sat on.

5^2. Cried, Brave soldiers.

5^5. my steed back.

5^6. But let me never see thee.

6^3. And his.

7^4. That dang Pitmedden’s middle in three.

8^{1,2}. rade.

8^3. But bonny John Seton of Pitmedden.

9^1. Then up it came a.

9^2. from Drimmorow.

9^3. Says, There thou lies.

9^4. ride thee thorow.

10^1. Craigyvar (always): man.

10^2. your fiddle.

10^3. land.

12^1. They’ve taken.

14^4. ring.

15^1. For cannons roars: summer’s.

15^2. Like thunder.

15^4. cannons fair.

Scott (also).--3^1. lands.

None of the readings in Aytoun given in the notes at p. 53 were derived from Sharpe’s copy except =A= 8^3, and all of them may now be dropped.

199. The Bonnie House o Airlie.

P. 56. In a small MS. volume with the title “Songs” on the cover, entirely in Sharpe’s handwriting. =A a= is found at p. 24 (with some variations, undoubtedly arbitrary) prefaced with these words: “This song [referring to a copy presently to be given], like most others, would suffer amendment: here follows a copy somewhat improved. I have availed myself of a fragment in a former page of this work, and introduced a stanza [9] marked *, picked up in Perthshire.” Had =A a= been known to be an “improved” copy, it would not have been made so prominent.

The fragment (of slight value) was “from the recitation of Miss Oliphant of Gask, now Mrs Nairn” (afterwards Lady Nairne). It is (p. 21)--disregarding things misunderstood or avowedly added:

‘Come down, come down, my lady Ogilvie, Come down, and tell us your dower:’ ‘It’s east and west yon wan water side, And it’s down by the banks of the Airly.

‘Had my lord Ogilvie been at hame, As he was wi King Charlie, There durst nae a Campbel in a’ Argyle Avowd to the plundering o Airly.’

‘Come down, come down, ye lady fair, Come down, and kiss me fairly:’ ‘I wunna come down, ye fause Argyle, If ye sudna leave a standing stane in Airly.

The unimproved copy, p. 22, is as follows.

1 It fell on a day, and a bonny summer day, When corn grew green and yellow, That there fell out a great dispute Between Argyll and Airly.

2 Argyll has raisd an hundred men, An hundred men, and so many, And he is away by the back of Dunkeld For to plunder the bonny house of Airly.

3 Lady Margaret looks oer her bower-window, And O but she looks weary! And there she spied the great Argyll, Coming to plunder the bonny house of Airly.

4 ‘Come down, come down, Lady Margret,’ he said, ‘Come down, and kiss me fairly:’ ‘O I will not kiss the great Argyll, If he should not leave a standing stone in Airly.’

5 He hath taken her by the left shoulder, Says, Lady, where lyes thy dowry? ‘It’s up and it’s down by the bonny bank-side, Amongst the planting of Airly.’

6 They have sought it up, they have sought it down, They have sought it both late and early, And they have found it in the bonny plumb-tree That shines on the bowling-green of Airly.

7 He hath taken her by the middle so small, And O but she lookd weary! He hath laid her down by the bonny burn-side Till he hath plunderd the bonny house of Airly.

8 ‘If my good lord were at home this night, As he is with Prince Charly, Nouther you nor no Scottish lord Durst have set a foot on the bowling-green of Airly.

9 ‘Ten bonny sons I have born unto him, And the eleventh neer saw his daddy; Although I had an hundred more, I would give them all to Prince Charly.’

* * * * *

58 c. This is one of the pieces contained in “The Old Lady’s Collection,” No 1. The differences from Skene (save spelling) are as follows:

3^1. ore castell-waa.

3^3. an his three hundred men.

4^{1,2}. Come doun the stare, Lady Airly, he says, an kiss me fairly.

4^4. Altho ye live no.

5^2. An tell fare layes yer.

7^2. An he leed.

10^2 (7^2). his.

10^3 (7^3). An tho.

10^4 (7^4). I wad gie them a’.

200. The Gypsy Laddie.

P. 66. =B a.= A copy of this version in C. K. Sharpe’s papers, “written from recitation in Nithisdale, November, 1814,” shows that improvements had been introduced by two hands, one of them Sharpe’s, neither of them the writer’s. The changes are of no radical importance; simply of the familiar kind which almost every editor has, for some reason, felt himself called upon to make. It may be thought that they are no more worth indicating than they were worth making, but it has been an object in this book to give things exactly as they were delivered. The original readings are as follows.

1^1. C for Cassilis throughout.

1^3, so.

1^4. Till.

2^4. cast.

3^1. to wanting.

3^{2,3}, give.

3^4. rings of her fingers.

4^{1,2}. you.

4^3. hilt of.

4^4, 9^4, 16^4. no more.

6^{1,3}. Jackie.

7^3, 8^3. farmer’s barn.

8^3, 11^3. most.

8^4. crae.

9^{1,2}. O wanting.

10^3, 11^1, 14^3. on water.

11^1. Many a time have.

17^4. mother bore me.

18^3. And wanting.

73.

L

Communicated to the Journal of The Gypsy Society, II, 85, by Mr John Sampson, from the dictation of Lias Robinson, a Gypsy. A translation into Gypsy, by Robinson and his brothers, is given at p. 84 of the same.

1 A band of gypsies, all in a road, All so black and brawny, oh Away come a lady all dressed in silk, To follow the roving gypsies, oh The gypsies, oh! The gypsies, oh! To follow the roving gypsies, oh!

2 Her husband came home at ten o’clock of night, And asked for his lady fair; The servant informed him very soon She had gone with the roving gypsies.

3 ‘Saddle to me my bonny gray mare, Saddle to me my pony; I will go where the green grass grow, To find out the roving gypsies.

4 ‘Last night she slept in a fair feather-bed, And blankets by bonins; Tonight she sleeps in a cold shed-barn, Through following the roving gypsies.

5 ‘Why did you leave your houses and your lands? Why did you leave your babies? Why did you leave your decent married man, To follow the roving gypsies?’

6 ‘What cares I for my houses and my lands? What cares I for my babies? What cares I for my decent married man? I will go with the roving gypsies.’

* * * * *

1^2. Var. and bonny.

From a small MS. volume, “Songs,” entirely in C. K. Sharpe’s handwriting, p. 32 (corresponding to =B= 11, =D= 6, =E= 7.)

Yestreen I rade yon wan water, Wi my gude lord before me; The day I maun pit down my bonnie fit and wade, What ever may come oer me.

201. Bessy Bell and Mary Gray.

P. 76 a, 4th paragraph, 1st line. The date 1666 is corrected to 1645 by Cant in his Errata.

77. In the small MS. volume, “Songs,” entirely in C. K. Sharpe’s handwriting, p. 26, =a= 3 is given “from the Catalogue of the Edinburgh Exhibition of Pictures, 1810” as here, excepting that in the second line the reading is (absurdly) “royal kin.”

203. The Baron of Brackley.

P. 79. Fragment from Findlay MSS, I, 209, derived from Mrs McKenzie, Advie, Morayshire.

1 ‘O are ye sleepin, baul B[r]achlie, or are ye at hame? For the caterans are at ye, an a’ your kye ’s taen.’

2 . . . . . . . . ‘Ye’ll fling your rocks, lasses, we’ll fecht them our lane.

3 ‘We’ll fecht them an fleg them, an gar them rin hame, We’ll stand them in battle, as gin we were men.

4 ‘There’s four-an-twenty milk-white kine in Glentanner free, In the parks o Glentanner sae fain’s I wad be!’

5 He’s called on his lady to give him his gun: ‘I’m gaun oot, Katie, but I’ll never come home.’

6 She’s a’ her gates wide open flung, an she’s welcomed them in, An she sleeps wi the villain that slew her baron.

* * * * *

1^1. Baulbachlie.

5^2. home originally; altered to in.

The stanzas have been arranged by the light of =A=.

87. =D=, as it stands in “The Old Lady’s Collection,” No 25, ‘The Barron of Breachell.’

1 ‘Barron of Breachell, are ye withen? The sharp sourd is att yer gate, Breachell, will gar yer blod spine.’

2 ‘The’r at yer gate, Brichell, the’r nether men nor lads, Bat silly heard widifaus, we belted plaids.

3 ‘O if I had a man,’ she says, ‘as it louks I haa nean, He widne sit in the house an see my kay tean.

4 ‘Bat, lasses, tak doun yer rokes, an we will defend,’ . . . . . . . . ..

5 ‘O kiss me, d[ea]r Peggey, an gee me doun my gun, I may well gaa out, bat I ill never come in.’

6 Out spak his brother, says, Gee me your hand, I [ill] fight in your caus as lang as I may stan.

7 Fan the Barron of Brechell came to the closs, A braver barron never read upon horse.

8 . . . . . . . . . . ‘I think the silly heard widdefus are groun fighten men.’

9 First they killed an, and sayn they killed tua, An the Barron of Brichell is dead an awa.

10 They killed Sandy Gordon, Sandy Gordon of the Knok, The miller an his three sons, that lived att Glenmuke.

11 First they killed ane, an sayn they killed tua, An the Barron of Brichell is dead an awaa.

12 Up came Crigevar an a’ his fighten men: ‘Had I come an houre sinner, he sudna ben slain.’

13 For first they killed an, an sayn they killed tua, An the Barron of Breachell is dead an awa.

14 ‘O came ye by Brechell, lads? was ye in ther? Saw ye Peggie Doun, raving her hear?’

15 ‘We came by Breache[l], lads, we was in ther; We saa Peggie Doun, curling her hear.

16 ‘She ate we them, drank we them, bad them come in To her haas an her bours that had slain her barron.’

17 ‘Come in, gentelmen, ate an drink we me; Tho ye have slain my barron, I ha na ill well att thee.’

18 ‘O was ye att Glenmuck, lads? was ye in ther? Saa ye Catren Gordon, raving her hear?’

19 ‘We was att Gleanmuck, lads, we was in ther, We saa Catren Gordon, ravi[n]g her hear.

20 ‘We the tear in her eay,. . . . . . Seven bearns att her foot, the eaght on her knee.

21 They killed Peater Gordon, Peater Gordon of the Knok. The miller an his three sons, that lives att Glenmuck.

22 First they killed an, an sayn they killed twa, An the Barron of Breachell is dead an awaa.

208. Lord Derwentwater.

P. 116 b. Add at the end of the first paragraph: Robert Patten, The History of the Rebellion in the Year 1715, 4th ed., 1745, p. 47.

123. From “The Old Lady’s Collection,” second part, p. 6.

J

1 The king has written a brod letter, An sealled it our with gould, An sent it to Lord Darnwater, To read it if he could.

2 Whan Lord Darnwater saa the letter, A light laughter lough he; Bat or he read it to an end The tear blinded his eye, An sighan said him good Lord Darnwater, I am near the day to dei.

3 Out spak his lady, In child-bed wher she lay; ‘My d[ea]r Lord Darnweter, what is to becom of me, An my young famely?’

4 ‘I will leave my young famely As well as I cane; For I will leave to my lady The third part of my land, An I will live to my e[l]dest son, The tua part of my land.

5 ‘An I will live to my eldest daught[er] Five thousand pound of gold, An I will live to my second daughter Three thousand pound of gold.

6 ‘Ye saddel to me my littel gray horse, That I had wont to ried; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7 The first stape Lord Darnwater staped, He stumbled on a ston; Said Lord Darnwater, I feer I ill never come home.

8 When he came to fair London city, An near unt[o] the toun, ‘A trater! a trater!’ said they, ‘A trator we see!’

9 ‘A trater?’ said good Lord Darnwater, ‘A trator I nier could be, Unless it was bringen three hundred men To fight for young Jamie.’

10 But when he came to Tour Hill Befor him came a bold man, . . . . . . . . With a broad aix in his hand.

11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ‘Hear is five ginies of gold an my green velvet coat, For to be your fee.’

12 ‘Ye nobels all, Come hear to see me die, An ye peopell of fair Sco[t]land, Be kind to my family.’

13 Lord Darnuater was dumed to die, to die, Good Lord Darnwater was dumed to die.

* * * * *

2^5. sigh an.

2^6. am doubtful.

4^4, 5^4, 9^3. 3.

4^5. will live twice.

4^6, 5^3. 2.

5^2, 11^3. 5.

7^3, 9^1. L. D.

13^2. Daruan Water.

314. The Braes o Yarrow.

P. 160 ff., 522 ff.

S

Findlay’s MSS, I, 181; The Dowie Dens o Yarrow, “from Banffshire, through James Milne, Arbroath.”

1 There lived a lady in the South, Ye would scarcely find her marrow; She was courted by nine gentlemen An a ploughman-lad frae Yarrow.

2 Ae nicht the nine sat drinkin wine To the lass wha had nae marrow, When the ploughman swore, tho they were a score He wad fecht them a’ in Yarrow.

3 It’s he’s gane ower yon high, high hill, And doon yon glen sae narrow, An there he saw nine armëd men, To fecht wi him in Yarrow.

4 ‘There’s nine o you an I’m but ane, An that’s an unequal marrow, But wi this gude blade and powerfu arm I’ll lay you low on Yarrow.’

5 It’s three he slew, and three withdrew, And three lay dead on Yarrow, But in behind cam her brother John, An pierced his body thorough.

6 ‘Gae hame, gae hame, you fause young man, An tell your sister sorrow, That her true-love John lies dead and gone In the dowie dens o Yarrow.’

7 ‘O father dear, I’ve dreamed a dream, I’m feared it will prove sorrow; I dreamed I was puin the heather-bells sweet On the bonny braes o Yarrow.’

8 ‘O daughter dear, your dream is read, I’m feared it will prove sorrow; Your true-love John lies dead and gone In the dowie dens o Yarrow.’

9 It’s she’s gane ower yon high, high hill, An doon yon glen sae narrow, An there she saw her true-love John Lyin cauld an dead on Yarrow.

10 She washed his face an combed his hair, Wi muckle grief an sorrow, She rowed him i the plaid she wore, In the dowie dens o Yarrow.

11 Her hair it was three quarters lang, The colour being yellow; She tied it round his middle sma, An carried him hame frae Yarrow.

12 ‘O daughter dear, I pray forbear, I’ll wed you to another marrow; I’ll wed you to some fitter match Than the lad that died on Yarrow.’

13 ‘O father dear, you hae seven sons, Should you wed them a’ to-morrow, A fairer flower never grew in June Than the lad that died on Yarrow.’

14 This lady, being six months with child To the ploughman lad of Yarrow, She fell into her father’s arms An died wi grief on Yarrow.

* * * * *

5^1. slew should of course be wounded, or hurt, as in =A= 9^1, =B= 9^1, =D= 7^1, =E= 8^1, =I= 7^1, =K= 7^1, =Q= 6^{1,2}.

215. Rare Willie drowned in Yarrow, or, The Water o Gamrie.

P. 180. =D= stands as follows in “The Old Lady’s Collection,” No 10, ‘The Water of Gamry.’

1 ‘Willie is fair, an Willë’s rair, An Willë’s wondres bonny, An Willë has promised to marey me, Gin ever he marred ony.’

2 ‘Ye’s gett Jeamie, or ye’s gett Jonny, Or ye’s gett bonny Piter; Ye’s gett the walle of a’ my sins, Bat live to me Willë the writter.’

3 ‘I winnë ha Jamie, I winnë ha Jonny, Nor will I ha bonny Peter; I winnë ha ony of yer sins, In I gett na Willie the writter.’

4 Ther was three score an ten brisk young men Was boun to brid-stell we him.

5 ‘Ride on, ride on, my merry men a’, I forget some thing behine me; I [ha] forgetten my mider’s blissing, To boun to bridstell we me.’

6 ‘God’s blissing an mine gae we ye, my son Willie, A’ the blissings of God ga we ye; For y’er na an hour but bare ninten, Fan y’er gain to meet yer Meggey.’

7 They road on, an ferder on, Till they came to the water of Gamry; An they all wen safe throu, Unless it was Suet Willie.

8 For the first an step att Willie’s hors steped, He steped to the bridel; The nixt an step att Wellie’s hors steped, Toom grue Willë’s sadle.

9 They rod on, an forder on, Till they came to the kirk of Gamry, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ‘A rounin, a rouning,’ she says, ‘An fat means a’ this rouning?’

11 Out spak the bonny bried, Just att the kirk of Gamrie; ‘Far is the man that was to gee me his han This day att the kirk of Gamry?’

12 Out spak his breder John, An O bat he was sorry! ‘It fears me sair, my bonny brid, He slipes our sune in Gamry.’

13 The ribbons they wer on her hare, They wer thik an mony; She rive them a’, late them doun faa, An she is on to the water of Gamry.

14 She sought it up, she sought it doun, She sought it braid an narrow, An the depest pot in a’ Gamry, Ther she got Suit Willie.

15 She has kissed his comly mouth, As she had don befor, O: ‘Baith our miders sall be alike sory, For we’s baith slep soun in Gamry.’

216. The Mother’s Malison, or, Clyde’s Water.

P. 187. =A= is now given as it stands in “The Old Lady’s Collection,” ‘Clide’s Water,’ No 11. It will be observed that 19, 20 repeat No 215, =D=, 13, 14 (14, 15, of the copy just given).

1 ‘Ye gie corn to my hors, An meatt to my man, For I will gai to my true-love’s gates This night, gin I can wine.’

2 ‘O stay att home, my son Willie, This a bare night we me; The best bed in a’ my house Sall be well made to the.’

3 ‘I care na for your beds, mider, I care na a pin; For I ill gae to my love’s gates This night, gin I can wine.’

4 ‘O stay, my son Willie, This night we me; The best hen in a’ mey reast Sall be well made ready for the.’

5 ‘I care na for your heans, midder, I care na a pin; For I ull gae to my love’s gates This night, gin I can wine.’

6 ‘Gin ye winnë stay, my son Willie, This a bare night we me, Gin Claid’s water be dip an fue of flud, My malicen droun ye in.’

7 He road up yon high hill, An doun yon douë den; The roring of Clid’s water Wod ha flied ten thousand men.

8 ‘O spair me, Claid’s water, Spare me as I gaa! Make me yer wrak as I come back, Bat spare me as I gaa!’

9 He raid in, an forder in, Till he came to the chin; An he raid in, an forder in, Till he came to dray lan.

10 An fan he came to his love’s gates He tirled att the pin: ‘Open yer gates, May Meggie, Open yer gates to me, For my bets is fue of Claid’s water, An the rain rins on a’ my chine.’

11 ‘I ha ne loves therout,’ she says, ‘I haa ne love theren; My true-love is in my arms tua, An nean will I latt in.’

12 ‘Open yer gates, Meggie, This night to me, For Clide’s water is full of flood, An my mider’s mallison will droun me in.’

13 ‘An of my chambers is full of corn,’ she says, ‘Anether is full of hay, The other is full of gentelmen, An they winnë remove till day.’

14 Out waked her May Meggie, Out of her drussie dream: ‘I dreamed a dream nou san the streen, God read a’ dreams to gued! That my true-love Willie Was staning att my bed-feet.’

15 ‘Nou lay still, my a dather, An keep my back fraa the call; It’s na the space of haf an hour Sayn he gade fra your hall.’

16 ‘Hey, Willie! an hou, Willie! An Willie, winnë ye turn agen?’ But ay the louder that she crayed He read agenst the wind.

17 He raid up yon high hill, An doun yon douë den, An the roring that was in Clid’s water Wad ha fleed ten thousand men.

18 He raid in Tell he came to the chine, An he raid forder in, Bat never mare came out agen.

19 She sought him up, she sought him doun, She sought him braid an narrou; In the depest pot in a’ Claid’s water, Ther she gat Suit Willie.

20 She has kissed his comly mouth, As she had den afore: ‘Baith our midders sall be alike sorry, For we’s bath slipe soun in Clide’s water.’

21 Ther was na mare seen of that gued lord Bat his hat frae his head; There was na mare seen of that gued lady Bat her keem an her sneed.

22 Ther mideers went up an doun the water, Saying, Clayd’s water din us wrong!

* * * * *

10^6. on =a=.

18^4. ther follows agen, intended perhaps as a beginning of 21.

217. The Broom of Cowdenknows.

P. 195. =D b.= Macmath MS., p. 105; from the recitation of Mary Cochrane (Mrs Garmory), Abbey-yard, Crossmichael, August 12, 1893.

1 Bonny May to the ewe-buchts is gane, To milk her daddie’s yowes, And aye as she sang, her bonny voice it rang Outoer the taps o the knowes, knowes, Outoer the taps o the knowes.

2 . . . . . . . . . . . . A troop o noble gentlemen Came riding merrily by.

5 He took her by the middle sae sma, And by the green gown sleeve, And he’s laid her down on the dewy, dewy ground, And he’s askëd no man’s leave.

9 He’s mounted on his milk-white steed, And he’s rode after his men, And all that his merry men said to him Was, Dear master ye’ve tarried long.

10 ‘I have ridden east and I have ridden west, And I’ve ridden among the knowes, But the bonniest lass that eer I saw Was milking her daddie’s yowes.’

11 She’s taen the milk-pail on her head, And she’s gane singing hame, And all that her father said to her Was, Dear daughter, ye’ve tarried long.

13 ‘O there cam a tod amang my yowes, An a waefu tod was he; Afore he had taen my wee yowe-lamb, I wad rather he had taen ither three.’

15 It happened on a day, and a bonny summer day, As she was ca’in in her father’s kye, The same troop o noble gentlemen Came riding merrily by.

16 One of them calls out Lassie, have ye got a man? She turned her head right saucy about, Saying, I’ve got ane at hame.

17 ‘Hold your tongue, my bonny lass, How loud I hear ye lee! Do you no remember the caul mirky nicht When ye were in the yowe-buchts wi me?’

18 He’s ordered one of his merry men To licht and set her on behind him, Saying, Your father may ca in his kye when he likes, For they’ll neer be ca’ed in by thee.

19 ‘For I am the laird o the Ochiltree walls, I have fifty ploughs and three, And I have got the bonniest lass In a’ the North Countrie.’

219. The Gardener.

P. 212. Rev. S. Baring-Gould has pointed me to a printed copy of this ballad, considerably corrupted, to be sure, but also considerably older than the traditional versions. It is blended at the beginning with a “Thyme” song, which itself is apt to be mixed up with ‘I sowed the seeds of love.’ The second stanza is from the “Thyme” song; the third is a traditional variation of a stanza in ‘I sowed the seeds of love.’ (See the piece which follows this.) The ballad begins with the fourth stanza, and the fifth is corrupted by being transferred from the gardener to the maid. Mr Baring-Gould has lately taken down copies of the “Thyme” song in the west of England. See one in Songs and Ballads of the West, No 7, and the note thereto in the preface to Part IV of that work, p. xv; also Campbell’s Albyn’s Anthology, I, 40, Bruce and Stokoe, Northumbrian Minstrelsy, p. 90, and Chappell’s Popular Music, p. 521 f. Rev. S. Baring-Gould has given me two copies, one from recitation, the other from “a broadside published by Bebbington, Manchester, Brit. Mus., 1876. d., A Collection of Songs and Broadsides, I, 264.”

Five Excellent New Songs. Edinburgh. Printed and sold by William Forrest, at the head of the Cowgate, 1766. British Museum, 11621. b. 6 (8).

1 The wakeing all the winter night, And the tippling at the wine, And the courting of a bonny lass, Will break this heart of mine. Brave sailing here, my dear, And better sailing there, Brave sailing in my love’s arms, O give I were there!

2 I had a bed of thyme, And it flourishd night and day, There came by a squire’s son That stole my heart away. Brave sailing, etc.

3 Then up comes the gardener-lad, And he gave me profers free, He gave to me the jully-flowers, To clothe my gay bodie.

4 The gardener stood in his garden, And the prim-rose in his hand, And there he spi’d his own true love, As tight’s a willy wand.

5 ‘If he’ll be a lover true,’ she said, ‘A lover true indeed, And buy all the flowers of my garden, I’ll shape to thee a weed.’ Brave sailing, etc.

6 ‘The prim-rose shall be on thy head, And the red rose on thy breast, And the white-rose shall be for a smock, To cover thy body next. Brave sailing, etc.

7 ‘Thy glove shall be the jully-flower, Comes lockren to thy hand, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

8 ‘Thy stockings shall be of the thyme, Fair maid, it is a pleasant view; Put on, fair maid, whenever you please, And your shoes shall be of the rue.’ Brave sailing here, my dear, And better sailing there, And brave sailing in my love’s arms, O if I were there!

9 ‘You shape to me, young man,’ she says, ‘A weed amongst the flowers, But I will shape to you, young man, A weed amongst the flowers.

10 ‘The hail-stones shall be on thy head, And the snow upon thy breast, And the east-wind shall be for a shirt, To cover thy body next.

11 ‘Thy boots shall be of the tangle, That nothing can betide, Thy steed shall be of the wan water, Loup on, young man, and ride.’ Brave sailing there, my dear, And better sailing here, And ’t is brave sailing twixt my love’s arms, O if I were there!

* * * * *

Five Excellent New Songs. II. The New Lover’s Garland. III. The Young Maid’s Answer.

5^1 should read, If thou’lt ... he said.

5^2 should read nearly as in =B= 8^3, Among all.

6^4, 10^4. next should be neist.

7^1. grove.

7^{1,2}, 8^{1,2}, make a stanza.

After 8: The Young Maid’s Answer, printed as No 3 of the five songs.

9^1. to be a.

9^{3,4} could be easily corrected from =A= 7^{5,6}, =B= 15^{3,4}.

11^1. stangle.

11^2 should read to the effect, That’s brought in by the tide.

The piece which follows is little more than a variation of ‘I sow’d the seeds of love’ (one of “three of the most popular songs among the servant-maids of the present generation,” says Mr Chappell: see a traditional version of the song, which was originally composed by Mrs Habergham towards the end of the seventeenth century, in Popular Music, p. 522 f.). But the choosing of a weed for a maid from garden-flowers is here, and is not in the song. It will be observed that the maid chooses no weed for the gardener, but dies of a thorn-prick, a trait which is found in neither the song nor the ballad.

Taken down by Rev. S. Baring-Gould from the singing of Joseph Paddon, Holcombe Burnell. Printed, with changes, in Baring-Gould and Sheppard’s Songs and Ballads of the West, No 107, Part IV, p. 50, 1891 here as sung.

Dead Maid’s Land.

1 A garden was planted around With flowers of every kind, I chose of the best to wear in my breast, The flowers best pleased my mind.

2 A gardener standing by I asked to choose for me; He chose me the lily, the violet, the pink, But I liked none of the three.

3 A violet I don’t like, A lily it fades so soon, But as for the pink I cared not a flink, I said I would stop till June.

4 ‘The lily it shall be thy smock, The jonquil shoe thy feet, Thy gown shall be of the ten-week stock, Thy gloves the violet sweet.

5 ‘The gilly shall deck thy head, Thy way with herbs I’ll strew, Thy stockings shall be the marigold, Thy gloves the violet blue.’

6 ‘I like not the gilly-flower, Nor herbs my way to strew, Nor stockings of the marigold, Nor gloves of violet blue.

7 ‘I will not have the ten-week stock, Nor jonquils to my shoon, But I will have the red, red rose That flowereth in June.’

8 ‘The rose it doth bear a thorn That pricketh to the bone;’ ‘I little heed what thou dost say, I will have that or none.’

9 ‘The rose it doth bear a thorn That pricketh to the heart;’ ‘O but I will have the red, red rose, For I little heed its smart.’

10 She stoopëd to the ground To pluck the rose so red, The thorn it pierced her to the heart, And this fair maid was dead.

11 A gardener stood at the gate, With cypress in his hand, And he did say, Let no fair may Come into Dead Maid’s Land.

A fragment in Motherwell’s MS., obtained from Widow Nicol, ‘It’s braw sailing here,’ p. 110, has something of both pieces without any suggestion of the flower-dress.

1 It’s braw sailing here, And it’s braw sailing there, And it’s braw sailing on the seas When wind and tide are fair.

2 It’s braw drinking beer, And it’s braw drinking wine, And it’s braw courting a bonnie lass When she is in her prime.

3 O the gardener sent me word, He that pued the rose for me, The willow, primrose, the red rose, But I denied all three.

4 The willow I’ll deny, The primrose it buds soon, But I’ll chuse for me the red rose, And I vow it’ll stand till June.

5 In June my red rose sprung, It was not a rose for me, So I’ll pull the top of my red rose, And I’ll plant the willow-tree.

6 For the willow I must wear, With sorrows mixed amang, And all the neighbours far and near Say I luved a false luve lang.

* * * * *

2^2. braw altered to better.

221. Katharine Jaffray.

P. 222. =E=, as it stands in “The Old Lady’s Collection,” No 17, ‘Bony Catrain Jaffry.’

1 Bonny Catrain Jaffrie, That proper maid sae fare, She has loved yong Lochinwar, She made him no compare.

2 He courted her the live-lang winter night, Sa has he the simmer’s day; He has courted her sae lang Till he sta her heart away.

3 Bat the lusty lard of Lamerdall Came fra the South Countrey, An for to ga[i]n this lady’s love In intred he.

4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . An he has gained her friends’ consent, An sett the weding-day.

5 The weding-day it being sett, An a’ man to it boun, She sent for her first fair love, Her wedding to come to.

6 His father an his mother came, . . . . . . . They came a’, but he came no, It was a foull play.

7 Lochenwar an his comrads Sat drinken att the wine; ‘Faue on you!’ sad his comrads, ‘Tak yer bride for shame.

8 ‘Had she ben mine, as she was yours, An den as she has don to you, I wad tak her on her bridell-day Fra a’ her compinay.

9 ‘Fra a’ her compinay, Without any other stay; I wad gee them frogs insted of fish, An take ther bride away.’

10 He got fifty young men, They were gallant an gay, An fifty madens, An left them on a lay.

11 Fan he came in by Callien bank, An in by Calline bray, He left his company Dancing on a lay.

12 He came to the bridel-house, An in entred he; . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

13 ‘Ther was a young man in this place Loyed well a comly may, Bat the day she gaes anether man’s bride, An has plaed him foull play.

14 ‘Had it ben me, as it was him, An don as she has dien him tee, I wad ha geen them froges insteed of fish, An tane ther bride away.’

15 The Englesh speared gin he wad fight, It spak well in his mind; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

16 ‘It was na for fighten I cam hear, But to bear gud fileshap gay; Wan glass we yer bridgrom, An so I goe my way.’

17 The glass was filled of gued read wine Betuen them tua: ‘Wan word we yer brid, An so I goo my waa.’

18 He was on gued horse back, An whipt the bride him we; She grat an wrang her hands, An said, It’s foull play!

19 . . . . . . . . ‘An this I dar well say, For this day I gade anether man’s bride, An it’s ben foull play.’

20 Bat nou she is Lochenw[ar]’s wife, . . . . . . . . An he gaed them froges insted of fish, An tain ther bried away.

* * * * *

1. him imperfect; might be hir.

5^2. boung.

225. =G.= Collated with a MS. of Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe’s and with another copy of the same pieces in “North Country Ballads,” Miscellanea Curiosa, Abbotsford Library.

Sharpe, p. 13. 1^1. O wanting: Jaffray.

1^3. For she has lovd young L.

3^{1,2}. Lauderdale’s come.

3^3. That pretty.

4^3. He agreed with.

5^3. lossing of the.

6^1. were you, L.

7^1. Ye get.

7^2. And send through.

7^3. Get 150.

7^4. be all.

8^3. And still: trumpets.

9^2. And sent.

9^3. Gat full.

9^4. To be all.

10^1. To be.

10^2. to obey.

10^3. And still: trumpets.

11^3. When he went in upon.

12^2. who was.

12^3. Come never.

13^1. They’ll.

14^3. Askd if he had.

15^1. ever.

15^2. As was.

15^4. Was.

16^3. I did.

16^4. Was leaping on the hays.

17^3. with you, =b=.

17^4, 18^4. bound.

18^2. drank.

19^1. taken.

19^4, 20^4. no.

20^1. so great.

20^2. And so.

20^3. That.

21^1. take their.

21^3. trumpets.

22^1. There was.

22^2. Was walking on a hay.

22^3. Gave them the bonny bride by the hand.

22^4. bad them bound.

23^1. pieces nine.

Scott. 15^2. array miscopied away.

222. Bonny Baby Livington.

P. 231. ‘Bonnie Annie Livieston’ in C. K. Sharpe’s first MS. collection, p. 24, resembles =D= and =B=, and has as many commonplaces as =B=, ending with the last three stanzas of several versions of ‘Lord Thomas and Fair Annet’ or of ‘Lord Lovel,’ =I=.

1 Bonny Anny Livieston Went out to see the play, By came the laird of Glenlion, And [he’s] taen hir quite away.

2 He set hir on a milk-white steed, Himself upon a gray, He’s teen hir oer the Highland hills, And taen hir quite away.

3 When they came to Glenlion’s gate, The lighted on the green; There was mony a bonny lad and lass To welcome the lady hame.

4 They led hir through high towers and bowers, And through the buling-green, And ay when they spake Erse to hir The tears blinded hir een.

5 Says, The Highlands is no for me, kind sir, The Highlands is no for me; If that ye would my favour win, Take me unto Dundee.

6 ‘Dundee!’ he says, ‘Dundee, lady! Dundee you shall never see; Upon the laird of Glenlion Soon wadded shall ye be.’

7 When bells were rung, and mas was sung, And all were bound for bed, And bonny Annie Livieston By hir bridegroom was laid.

8 ‘It’s O gin it were day!’ she says, ‘It’s O gin it were day! O if that it were day,’ she says, ‘Nae langer wad I stay.’

9 ‘Your horse stands in a good stable, Eating both corn and hay, And you are in Glenlion’s arms, Why should ye weary for day?’

10 ‘Glenlion’s arms are good enough, But alais! the’r no for me; If that you would my fevour win, Taike me unto Dundee.

11 ‘Bat fetch me paper, pen and ink, And candle that I may see, And I’ll go write a long letter To Geordie in Dundee.

12 ‘Where will I get a bonny boy, That will win hose and shoon, That will gang to my ain true-luve, And tell him what is done?’

13 Then up then spake a bonny boy, Near to Glenlion’s kin, Says, Many time I hae gane his erand, But the lady’s I will rin.

14 O when he came to broken brigs He bent his bow and swame, And when he came to grass growing Set down his feet and ran.

15 And when he came to Dundee gate Lap clean outoer the wa; Before the porter was thereat, The boy was in the haa.

16 ‘What news? what news, bonny boy? What news hes thou to me?’ ‘No news, no news,’ said bonny boy, ‘But a letter unto thee.’

17 The first three lines he looked on, A loud laughter gied he, But or he wan to the hinder en The tears blinded his eie.

18 ‘Gae saddle to me the black,’ he says, ‘Gae saddle to me the broun, Gae saddle to me the swiftest steed That eer took man to towen.’

19 He burst the black unto the slack, The browen unto the brae, But fair fa on the siller-gray That carried him ay away!

20 When he came to Glenlion’s yett, He tirled at the pin, But before that he wan up the stair The lady she was gone.

21 ‘O I can kiss thy cheeks, Annie, O I can kiss thy chin, O I can kiss thy clay-cold lips, Though there be no breath within.

22 ‘Deal large at my love’s buriell The short bread and the wine, And gin the morn at ten o clock Ye may deal as mukle at mine.’

23 The taen was biried in Mary’s kirk, The tither in St Mary’s quire, And out of the taen there grew a birk, And the ither a bonny brier.

24 And ay they grew, and ay they threw, Till they did meet aboon, And a’ that ere the same did see Knew they had true lovers been.

* * * * *

17^3. hinderen.

21^1. thy thy.

223. Eppie Morrie.

P. 239. Collated with a MS. of Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe’s, and with another copy of the same pieces, “North Country Ballads,” in Miscellanea Curiosa, Abbotsford Library.

Sharpe, p. 21.

1^2. all.

1^3. away.

1^4. Because.

2^1. Out it.

2^2. moonlighty.

3^{1,2}. Hald.

3^4. That shall be wedded.

5^1. He has.

5^2. it wanting.

5^3. Says, Marry.

6^{1,2}, 7^{1,2}, 10^{1,2}, 15^{1,2}. Hold.

6^4. be married.

7^3. dare not avow to marrying.

7^4. she were.

8^2. could not.

8^3. are away.

9^1. bells was.

9^2. all men bound.

10^{1,2}, 15^{1,2}. away from.

10^3. I loss.

12^3. Scallater.

13^1. Says, Get.

13^4. sure I am: as ye.

14^1. fall.

14^2. you could not.

14^3. taken.

14^4. kis[s]ed your hand.

15^3. For there’s.

15^4. that’s be wedded to me.

16^1. in it came Belbardlane.

16^3. Says, come away home.

17^2. And get to me.

17^4. came.

18^2. and hey the light.

Written in long lines, without division into stanzas.

Scott. Norrie throughout.

2^2. moonlight.

16^3. home wanting.

225. Rob Roy.

P. 245. =A.= This version is No 9 of “The Old Lady’s Collection,” and was copied by Skene without much variation. The following original readings may be noted.

2^3. Or she.

3^1. serundad.

3^4. fra each other.

6^4. to me has.

7^4. Him sell beside her.

8^1. came by Black.

8^4. not be.

10^{1,2}. Be content twice only.

11^2, 12^2. lady wanting.

12^1. land.

12^2. for his.

12^3. An wanting.

12^4. took them.

13^1. he wanting.

13^3. pound.

14^1. Y’er.

249. =E.= In Sharpe’s small MS. volume, “Songs,” p. 42.

1^2. Cam to.

2^1. It’s when.

2^4. her to.

5^3. hasted.

7^3. cries for sighs.

7^4. was laid behind.

8^1. He says to her, etc., Oh, be.

Readings from =A= 1, 2, are added, in a later hand, in the margin of 1, 3.

254.

L

From a copy formerly in the possession of Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe, now belonging to Mr Macmath. The paper on which it is written has the water-mark 1822. This version closely resembles =C= and =K=.

1 Rob Roy’s from the Highlands come Down to the Lowland border, And there he’s stole a fair lady away, To keep his house in order.

2 As he came in by Blackhill gate, Twenty men his arms did carry, And he has stole a fair lady away, On purpose hir to marry.

3 No tidings came unto the house, Nor none went in before him, Or else she had been run away, For she did still abhor him.

4 But with his men he surunded the house, Himself went in unto hir, And when that he had found her out He profest how much he lovt hir.

5 ‘O wilt thou be my dear?’ he says, ‘O wilt thou be my hony? O wilt thou be my wedded wife? For I love you far better than ony.’

6 ‘I will not be your dear,’ she says, ‘I will not be your honey, I will not be your wedded wife; You love me for my money.’

7 But he hir drew amongst his crew, She holding by hir mother; With doleful cries and watry eyes The parted from each other.

8 He gave hir no time for to dress As brides do when the marry, But fast he hurried hir away, And rowd hir in his plaidy.

9 He set hir on a milk-white steed, Himself lept on behind hir, And he has carried hir away, Hir friends the could not find hir.

10 The lady’s cries were oftimes heard, But none durst venture to hir; She gaurded was on every side, Hir friends could not rescue hir.

11 As the went over hills and rocks, The lady oftimes fainted; Cries, Wo be to my curst mony, These roads to me invented.

12 As the came in by Drummond town And at Bachannan tarried, He bought to her a cloak and gown, Yet wad she not be married.

13 And when she came the priest before He askd if she would marry, But the parson’s zeal it was so hot For her will he did not tarry.

14 Four held hir up before the priest, Tow laid hir in hir bed, O, But still she cried, with watry eyes, When she was by him laid O.

15 ‘Now you’r to the Highlands come, Out of your native clime, lady, Never think of going back, But tak it for your hame, lady.

16 ‘Be content, be content, Be content to stay, lady, Now you are my wedded wife, Until your dying day, lady.

17 ‘Rob Roy was my father calld, McGregor was his name, lady, And all the country where he dwelt None could exceed his fame, lady.

18 ‘I’ll be kind, I’ll be kind, I’ll be kind to thee, lady, A’ thy kindred for thy sake Shall truly favoured be, lady.

19 ‘My father reignd as Highland king, And ruled at his will, lady, There was nether lord nor duke Durst do him ony ill, lady.

20 ‘Ay through time, ay through time, Ay through time was he, lady, Filled was w[ith] sweet revenge On a’ his enemys, lady.

21 ‘He was a hedge about his friends, A heckle till his foes, lady, And every ane that did him rang, He took them oer the nose, lady.

22 ‘I’m as bold, I’m as bold, [As bold] as forest boar, lady, Every ane that does thee rang Shall feell my stell claymore, lady.

23 ‘Neer a man from Highlands came That ever did him dare, lady, But if those persons did escape He sized upon there gear, lady. Ay through time, etc.

24 ‘My father dealt in horse and cows, But thou in goats and sheep, lady, Thre and twenty thousand merk Makes me a man complete, lady. Be content, etc.

25 ‘Of all the exploits my father did I do him now outshine, lady; He never took a prize in ’s life With sic a face as thine, lady.’

* * * * *

Title: Old Song, Rob Roy. Tune, Jonny Fa, the Gipsy Laddy.

After 14. Tune, Had away frae me, Donald.

Here may be added, as an appendix, a fragment of a ballad on the “Abduction of Nelly Symon.” “The chorus is in Gaelic and the song is sung to one of the finest native airs.” From The Aberdeen Herald and Weekly Free Press, February 3, 1883.

1 They hoised her up upon a mare; It was not for her gowd nor gear; ’T was for her beauty, keen and rare, That they stealt Ellen Symon. Se ho or so gur tallum tallum, Se ho or so gur e so hallum; Bheir mis ma chinteach ghuds gur tallum, Chaileig, Eilie Symon.

2 Her father made a bow o bere, Her uncle he gae twa pound mair, To hang the rogue he vowed and sware That stealt his Ellen Symon.

3 When they came on till Allanqooich, They drank the whisky oot o a quaich, And ilka are was blythe eneuch, But wae was Ellen Symon.

4 When they came to the brig o Don, Peter swore he would move on; Says Charlie, Lad, ye sanna win, For my brave Ellen Symon.

226. Lizie Lindsay.

P. 255.

H

From “The Old Lady’s Collection,” No 39.

1 Ther lives a maid in Edinbrugh citty, Elisa Lindsy they call her by name; Monye an came to court her, But a’ ther suit was in vain.

2 Out spak the hear of Carnussë, An out spak he; ‘Fat wad ye think of me if I wad gae to Edinbrugh citty An bring this fair creatur we me?’

3 ‘If ye gae to Edinbrugh city An bring this fair creatur we the, Bring her home we ne flatry, But by grait policy.’

4 Fan he came to the Netherbou, Elisa Lindsy for to see, She drank we him a bottel of cherry, And bare him gued company.

5 ‘Will ye goo to the Hillands we me, Lisee? Will ye go to [the] Hillands we me? . . . . . . . . Ye’s gett cruds an grean why.’

6 Out spak Lissy’s mother, An out spak she; ‘If ye say so to my daughter, [I] swaer I ell gar ye die.’

7 ‘Keep well yer dother, old lady, Keep well yer dother fra me, For I care as littel for yer dother As she dos for me.’

8 Out spak Lissie Lindsy, We the tear in her eay; ‘I will gie ye ten gunies, If ye wad bat sitt in my roum bat a whill Till I dra you[r] picter, To mind me on your swit smill.’

9 ‘I care as littel for your ten gunies As ye dou for mine, But if ye love my person, Goo we me if ye inclayn.’

10 Fan they came to Carnusie, an even to the glen, Out came the old day: ‘Ye’r welcom home, Sir Donall, ye’r welcom home, An that fair creatur ye we.’

11 ‘Caa na me mare Sir Donald, Bat caa me Donall, yer son, An I’ll caa ye my mother, An caa me Donall, yer son:’ The words wer spoken in Ears, Lissie she had nean.

12 ‘Gett us a supper of cruds, [A supper of cruds] an green whay, An a bed of the best of yeer rushes, Besids a covering of gray.’

13 Lissy Lindsy bieng weary, She lay over long in they day: ‘Win up, Lissy Lindsy, Ye haa layen our lang in the day; Ye might haa ben out we my mider, Milken the eus an the kay.’

14 Out spak Lissie Lindsy, The tear in her eay; ‘I wiss I wer in Edenbrugh citty, I cannë milk eus nor kay.’

15 ‘Hold your toung, Lissie Lindsy, An dou not freat on me, For I will haa ye back to Edenbrugh citty, Nou we grait safity.’

16 Out spak Lissie Lindsy, The tear in her eay; ‘If I wer in Edenbrugh citty, They woud think littel of me.’

17 He touk her by the milk-white hand, Some other forest to vue; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

18 Fan they came to Carnusy, out came Donal’s father, A gay old knight was he; Out cam Donald’s father, An four-an-tuenty him we.

19 ‘Ye’r welcom, Lissie Lends[y], Dear welcom to me; Ye’s be Lady Carnusie, An gett Donal, my son.’

20 Out came Donald’s mother, An four-an-tuenty her we: ‘Ye’r welcom, my son, An that fair creatur ye we.’

* * * * *

17^2. Forest: doubtful.

227. Bonny Lizie Baillie.

P. 266. h. ‘Elisa Bailly,’ “The Old Lady’s Collection,” No 37.

3 As I came in by Carron sid, An in nou by Dumblain, Ther I mett we Dugall Grame: He said he wad see me hame.

4 ‘My bonny Lisey Ballie, I ill rou ye in my plady, An ye wad gaa along we me, I wad make ye a Heallend lady.’

5 ‘If I wad gaa along we ye, They wad say I wer na wise; For I cane nether milk cou nor ewe, Nor can I speak Ears.’

6 ‘My bonny Lisie Bailly, For that ye nead na fear; For onye that I cane dou, I ill learn to you, my dear.’

19, 21 ‘Then I ill cast off my bra nou goun, Made of the silk an saten, An I ell pitt on the hame-made grays, To skip among the breachan.’

‘My bonny Lisie Bailly, I ill rou ye in my plaidy, An ye will go along we me, I ill make ye a Healand lady.’

20 ‘Then I ell cast aff my bra nou shous, Made of the Turky lader, An I ell pit on the hame-made broges, To skip among the header.’

‘My bonny Lisie Bailly, I ell rou ye in my plady; Since ye’r to goo along we me, I ell make ye a Healend lady.’

16 Foull faa the logarheaded Loland lads That lives near Castell Carey, Has latten the bonny lass away The Heallend lad to marry.

* * * * *

16^2. Carey written so as to look like Carly.

228. Glasgow Peggie.

P. 271. =A= is extant among Sharpe’s relics, written on paper having 1819 in the water-mark, in two hands: stanzas 1-6, 8, 9^1, in one, 7 (inserted in the margin) and the rest in another. Sharpe has made a few slight changes in the text, besides regulating the spelling. The ballad is now given as it stands in the original copy.

1 ‘As I cam in by boney Glassgow town, The Highland troops were a’ before me, And the bon[ey]est lass that ere I saw, She lives in Glassgow, tha ca her Peggy.

2 ‘I wad gie my boney black horse, So wad I my good gray nagie, If I were a hundred miles in the North, And nan wee me but my boney Peggy.’

3 Up then spoke her father dear, Dear vow! but he was wondrous sorey; ‘Weel may yea steel a cow or a ewe, But ye darna steel my boney Peggy.’

4 Up then spoke her mother dear, Dear vow! but she spoke wondrious sorey; ‘Now, since I’ve brought ye up this length, Wod ye gang awa wee a Highland fellow?’

5 He set her on his boney black horse, He set himsel on his good gray nagy; They have riden over hill[s] and dales, Now he is awa wee his boney Peggy.

6 They are riden or hills and dales, They have riden or mountains maney, Untill that thay com to a low, low glen, And there he’s lain down wee his boney Peggy.

7 Up then spoke the Earll o Argyle, Dear vow! bet he spoke wondrous sorry; ‘The bonniest lass in a’ Scotland Is af an awa wi [a] Highland fellow!’

8 There bed was of the boney green grass, There blankets was o the hay sa boney; He falded his philabeg below her head, Now he’s lawing down wee his boney Peggy.

9 Up then spoke the boney Lawland lass, And oh, but she spoke wondrous sorry; ‘A’s warruant my mother would hae a gae soir heart To see me lian here wi you, my Willie!’

10 ‘In my father’s house there’s feather-beds, Feather-beds an blankets many; The’re a’ mine, an the’ll shoon be thine, An what needs your mother be sae sorry, Peggie?

11 ‘Dinna you see yon nine score o kye, Feding on yon hill sae boney? The’re a’ mine, an the’ll shoon be thine, An what needs your mother be sorry, Peggie?

12 ‘Dinna you see yon nine score o sheep, Feeding on yon brae sae bonny? The’re a’ mine, an the’ll shoon be thine, An what needs your mother be sorry for you?

13 ‘Dinna you see yon bonny white house, Shining on yon brae sae bonny? An I am the earl o the Isle o Sky, And surely my Peggie will be calle[d] a lady.’

* * * * *

1^2, 2^3. where.

2^3. =a=: not unlike 2, but really =a=.

9^2. she sape.

9^3. soir: i not dotted.

10^3. be the thene.

275.

G

Macmath MS., p. 93. Taken down at Crossmichael, Kirkcudbrightshire, 24th August, 1892, from the recitation of Miss Jane Webster, who had learned it more than fifty years before, at Airds of Kells, from the singing of Rosanna McGinnies.

1 It was on a day, and a fine summer’s day, When the Lowlands they were making ready, There I espied a weel-far’d lass, She was gaun to Glasgow, and they ca her Peggy.

2 It’s up then spak a silly auld man, And O but he spak wondrous poorly! Sayin, Ye may steal awa my cows and my ewes, But ye’ll never steal awa my bonny Peggy.

3 ‘O haud yer tongue, ye silly auld man, For ye hae said eneugh already, For I’ll never steal awa yer cows and yer ewes, But I’ll steal awa yer bonny Peggy.’

4 So he mounted her on a milk-white steed, Himsel upon a wee grey naigie, And they hae ridden ower hill and dale, And over moors and mosses many.

5 They rade till they cam to the head o yon glen, It might hae frightened anybody; He said, Whether will ye go alongst with me, Or will ye return back again to your mammie?

* * * * * * *

6 Their bed was o the green, green grass, And their blankets o the bracken sae bonnie, And he’s laid his trews beneath their head, And Peggy’s lain doun wi her Heilan laddie.

7 They lay till it cam to the break o day, Then up they rose and made them ready; He said, Whether will ye go alongst with me, Or will ye return back again to your mammie?

8 ‘I’ll follow you through frost and snow, I’ll follow you through dangers many, And wherever ye go I will go alongst with you, For I’ll never return back again to my mammie.’

9 ‘I hae four-and-twenty gude milk-kye, They’re a’ bun in yon byre sae bonny, And I am the earl o the Isle o Skye, And why should not Peggy be called a lady?

10 ‘I hae fifty acres o gude land, A’ ploughed ower and sawn sae bonny, And I am young Donald o the Isle o Skye, And wherever I’m laird I’ll make ye lady.’

231. The Earl of Errol.

P. 284. =B= as it stands in “The Old Lady’s Collection,” No 26.

1 Earell is a bonny place, Itt stands upon yon plain; The gratest faut about the toun, Earell’s na a man. For fat ye caa the danton o’tt, According as ye ken, For the pearting. .. ., Lady Earel lays her lean.

2 Eearel is a bonny place, It stans upon yon plain; The rosses they grou read an whit, An the apples they grou green.

3 ‘Fatt nead I my apron wash An hing upon yon pinn? For lang will I gaa out an in Or I hear my barn’s dinn.

4 ‘Fatt nead I my apron wash, Or hang upon yon dor? For side an wid is my petecot, An eaen doun afore.

5 ‘Bat I will laice my stays agean, My middel jump an smaa; I ull gaa a’ my days a meaden, Awaa, Earell, awaa!’

6 It fell ance upon a day Lord Earell Went to hunt him lean, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7 He was na a mill fra the toun, Nor yett sae far awaa, Till his lady is on to Edinbrugh, To tray him att the laa.

8 Littel did Lord Earell think, Fan he satt doun to dine, That his lady was one to Edinbrugh, Nor fatt was in her mind.

9 Till his best servant came For to latt him kenn, . . . . . . . . . . . .

10 She was na in att the toun-end, Nor yett sa far awa, Till Earell he was att her back, His goudy lokes to sha.

11 She was na in att the toun-head, Nor just att the eand, Till Earell he was att her back, Her earent for to ken.

12 ‘As lang as they caa ye Kett Carnegë, An me Sir Gilbert Hay, I us gar yer father sell Kinnerd, Yer tougher for to pay.’

13 ‘For to gar my father sell Kennerd, It wad be a sin, To gee’t to ony naughty knight That a toucher canna wine.’

14 Out spak the first lord, The best among them a’; ‘I never seed a lady come to Edinbrugh We sick matters to the laue.’

15 Out spak the nixt lord, The best of the toun; ‘Ye gett fiften weell-fared maids, An pitt them in a roun, An Earl in the midst of them, An latt him chouss out ane.’

16 They ha gotten fiften well-fared maids, An pat them in a roun, An Earel in the mids of them, An bad him chuse out ane.

17 He voued them a’ intell a rau, Even up an doun, An he has chossen a well-fared may, An Meggie was her name.

18 He touk her by the hand, Afore the nobles a’, An tuenty times he kissed her moue, An lead her throu the haa.

19 ‘Louk up, Meggie, luke up, Meggie, An thinkne sham[e]; As lang as ye see my goudy loks, Lady Earel’s be yer name.’

20 Thir was fifteen nobelmen, An as mony ladys gay, To see Earel proven a man . . . . . .

21 ‘Ye tak this well-fared may, An keep her three roun reaths of a year, An even att the three raiths’ end I ull draue near.’

22 They ha tane that well-fared may, An kepeed her three roun reaths of a year, An even att the three raiths’ end Earel’s son she bare.

23 The gentelmen they ga a shout, The ladys gaa a caa, Fair mat faa him Errel, But vou to his lady!

24 He was na in at the toun-head, Nor just att the end, Till the letters they wer metting him That Errol had a son.

25 ‘Luke up, Megie, luk up, Meggie, An think na shame; As lang as ye see my bra blak hat, Lady Earrol’s be yer name.

26 ‘I will gie my Meggie a mill, Bat an a pice of land, . . . . . . To foster my young son.

27 ‘Fare is a’ my merry men a’, That I pay meat an gair, For to convë my Meggie hame, .. .. .?’

28 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Even in Lord Earrel’s coach They conved the lassie hame.

29 ‘Tak hame yer dother, Lord Kennard, An take her to the glen, For Earell canno pleas her, Earell nor a’ his men.’

30 ‘Had I ben lady of Earrol, Of sick a boony place, I wadne gain to Edinbrugh My husband to disgrace.’

* * * * *

Refrain. Given only at the end.

15^4, 16^2. roum.

20^2. gay ladys.

24^4. that that.

288. =E= is also in the small MS. volume of C. K. Sharpe’s, “Songs,” p. 17. The reading in 3^4 is “toss,” “top” being a mis-copy.

289. Findlay MSS, I, 135; ‘Airlie,’ from Miss Butchart, Arbroath.

1 Lord Airlie’s courted mony a lady, He’s courted mony a ane, O An he’s awa to bonny Kinnaird, Lady Katrine’s love to win. O

2 An when he cam to bonny Kinnaird, An on the bowlin-green, There he saw his ain Katrine, Was walking there alane.

3 ‘O will ye go to bonnie Airlie, Alang wi me to dine? Or will ye go to bonny Airlie, To be my lady fine?’

4 ‘I winna go to bonny Airlie Alang wi you to dine, But I will go to bonny Airlie To be your lady fine.’

* * * * * * *

5 He would not hae the lady gay, That rustled in her silk, But he would hae the country-girl, Goin to sell her milk.

6 He took his Peggie by the hand An led her through the ha, An twenty times he kissëd her, Before the nobles a’.

7 He took his Peggie by the hand An led her through the trance, An twenty times he kissëd her Before he bade her dance.

Findlay MSS, I, 153, from Bell Harris, Muirside of Kinnell, Forfarshire, “once a servant of the family of Carnegie, and now upwards of eighty years of age (1868).”

1 They hae made a marriage o’t, An they hae made it sune, O An they hae made a marrige o’t, It stood at Earlstoon. O

2 When een was come, an bells were rung, An a’ men boond for bed, The earl and his gay ladie In ae chamber were laid.

3 It’s up i the mornin the earl rose, Went to anither room; Up she rose an away she goes, An to Kinnaird she came.

4 They socht her up, they socht her doon, They socht her through a’ the toon, An she was seen walkin her lane, An her bed-goon it was on.

5 He wissd his horse had broken’s neck When first he to Kinnaird did come.

6 There was na ane bade him come in But John Lindsay him lane.

7 When he was at bonny Kinnaird, An on the bowlin-green, His hair was like the threeds o gold, An his eyes like diamonds sheen; He micht’ll ae served the best Carnegie, That ever bore the name.

8 He said, Tho ye be Kate Carnegie, I am Sir Gilbert Hay; I’ll gar your father sell Kinnaird, Your tocher-gude he maun pay.

9 ‘To gar my father sell his land I think it were a sin, For ony silly brat like you; Ye couldna tocher win.

10 ‘I may wash my apron An hing it on the tower, An I may kilt my petticoats, They’re even doon afore.’

11 But the earl he’s awa to Edinbro, To prove himself a man; The lady she fast followd him, To swear that he was none.

12 An when they cam to Edinbro, And into the ha, There she saw her ain gude lord, Amang the nobles a’.

13 He took the tapster-lass An led her through the room, An twenty times he kissed her mou, Afore his lady’s een.

14 She took the cocks all frae her head An dashed them at the wa; ‘Awa! awa, Lord Earl!’ she says, ‘Awa, Lord Earl, awa!’

15 But the earl he hae gotten leave To choise a maid unto himsel, An he hae choised a country-lass, Cam butter an eggs to sell.

16 He took the lassie by the hand An led her through the room: ‘I’d gie thee three times three hundred pound, If you’d bear to me a son.’

17 ‘Haud aff your hands, Lord Earl,’ she said, ‘Haud aff your hands frae me; For I wad think it a great disgrate For a’ my kin an me.’

18 But he has called for a private room, An there he laid her doun, An there he took his will o her, Upon a bed o down.

19 She was three quarters of a year Confined to a room, And bonny was the babe she bore, Sir John Hay was his name.

20 ‘Wae be to you, Peggie Stuart, That ae sister o mine! Ye’ve pairted me an my gude lord, We’ll never meet again.’

21 Up spak her sister, Lady Jean, . . . . . . An I could gain sick an estate, I wad gien my husband up to disdain.

* * * * *

6^2. John Lindsay is explained to be the gardener.

11^3. They lady.

13^4. Followed by Wi twenty lookin on, perhaps an alternative verse.

14^1. She is explained as the tapster-lass.

20^1. Query by Mr Findlay: Lady Jean?

290. =D b.= Now collated with a MS. of Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe, and with another copy of the same pieces in “North Country Ballads,” Miscellanea Curiosa, Abbotsford Library.

Sharpe, p. 15. Burden ^{1,3}. of it.

Burden ^3. you call: of it.

^4. lies alone O.

1^3. at it grows.

2^2. upon a.

2^4. He’s not.

4^1. It’s sure.

6^3. good witness.

7^3. Said, Had I been the lady of Errol.

7^4. of such.

8^3. And he gave her an.

10^1. lien down.

10^2. And a.

12^1. Take home.

12^2. take.

12^3. cannot please her.

Scott.

7^4. O come.

12^4. No can.

232. Richie Story.

P. 292 b, 2d paragraph, first line. Say: L. F., a daughter of John, third Earl.

3d paragraph. Say: Lord John Fleming was created Earl of Wigton, Lord Fleming of Biggar and Cumbernauld, by letters patent dated 19th March, 1606. Hunter (2d ed.), p. 547.

293. =B=, as it stands in “The Old Lady’s Collection,” No 21.

1 Comarnad it is a very bonny place, An ther is ladys three, madam, Bat the farest an rarest of them a’ Has marred Richerd Storry.

2 ‘O hear is a letter to ye, madam, Hear is a letter to ye, madam; The Earl of Hume, that galant knight, Is fain in love we you, madam.

3 ‘Ther is a letter to you, madam, [Ther is a letter to you, madam;] The Eearl of Hume, that galant knight, Disers to be yer servant trou, madam.’

4 ‘I ill haa nan of his letters, Richerd, I ill hae nane of his letters, [Richerd,] I have voued, an I ill keep it trou, I ill marry nane bat ye, Richie.’

5 ‘Say na saa to me, lady, Sai na saie to me, lady, For I ha nether lands nor rents For to manten ye on, lady.’

6 ‘Hunten Tour an Tillebarn, The house of Athell is mine, Richë, An ye sall haa them a’, Fan ever ye inclen, Richë.

7 ‘For we will gaa to sea, Richë, I ill sitt on the deak, Richë, I ill be yer servant air an lait, Att any houre ye laek, [Richë.]’

8 ‘O manie ye be sad, sister, An mennie ye be sorry, Nelly, To live the has of bony Comernid, An follou Richert Storry?’

9 ‘O fatt neads I be sad, sister, Or fou cane I be sorry, Anna? A bony lad is my delit, An my lot has been laid afore me.’

10 As she wen[t] up the Parliment Closs, We her lassed shene so fine, Monny an bad the lady good day, But fue thought she was Richert’s lady.

11 As she went up the Parliment Closs, We her laised shon so fine, Monny an halled that gay lady, But fue halled Richerd Storry.

* * * * *

The first, second, and fourth verse, perhaps, certainly the second and fourth, should have the trochaic ending which we find in stanzas 2, 5. It may have been supplied ad libitum.

296. =F a.= Preserved in a small MS. volume with the title “Songs” on the cover, entirely in Sharpe’s handwriting, p. 27.

297. =I.= A stanza from the authority of Nannie Blake, an old servant at Peebles: Robert Chambers, in Sharpe’s Ballad Book, 1880, p. 131.

‘Fair Rosewoodie is a’ my ain, My father left it to me so lately; Gin ye’ll consent to be my ain, I’ll gie ye’t a’, my Ritchie Storie.’

235. The Earl of Aboyne.

P. 314. =C.= Here given as it stands in “The Old Lady’s Collection,” No 8.

1 The Earl of Aboyn he’s carrlis an kind, An he is nou come frae Lonon; He sent his man him befor, To tell of his hame-coming.

2 First she called on her chambermad, Sayn on Jeanie, her gentelwoman: ‘Bring me a glass of the best claret wine, To drink my good lord’s well-hame-coming.

3 ‘My sarvants all, be ready att a call, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . For the Lord of Aboy[n] is coming.

4 ‘My cooks all, be ready at a [c]all, . . . . . . . . We the very best of meatt, For the Lord of Aboyn is coming.

5 ‘My maids all, be ready at a call, . . . . . . . . The rooms we the best all to be drest, For the Lord of Aboyn is coming.’

6 She did her to the closs to take him from his hors, An she welcomed him fra London: . . . . . . . . . ‘Yer welcome, my gued lord, fra London!’

7 ‘An I be saie welcom,’ he says, ‘Ye’ll kiss me for my coming, For the morn sud ha ben my weding-day Gif I had stayed att London.’

8 She turned her about we a disdanfull look, O dear, she was a pritty woman! ‘Gin the morn sud ha ben yer weding-day, Ye may kiss yer houers at London.’

9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ‘So I shall, madam, an ye’s ha na mare to say, For I ill dine we the markes of Huntly.’

10 She did her to his servant-man, I wat they caed him Peater Gordon: ‘Ye will ask my good lord if he will late me We him a singel mille to ride [to London].’

11 ‘You ned not, madam,. .. . I haae asked him already; He will not lett you a singel mille ride, For he is to dine we the markes of Huntly.’

12 She called on her chamber-maid, Sine on Jean, her gentelwoman: ‘Ye make my bed an tay up my head, Vou’s me for his hear coming!’

13 She lived a year an day, we mucell grife an wae, The docters were we her dealing; Withen a crak, her heart it brack, An the letters they went to London.

14 He gae the table we his foot, An caped it we his knee, Gared silver cup an easer dish In flinders flie.

15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ‘I rader I had lost a’ the lans of Aboyne Or I had lost bonny Margrat Irven.’

16 He called on his best servang-man, I wat they [caed] him Piter Gordon: ‘Ye gett our hosses sadled we speed, Vou’s me for our hear coming!

17 ‘.. .. .. .. . . . . . . . . For we’ll a’ be in black, fra the hose to the hat, Vou’s me for bonny Margrat Irvicen!

18 ‘We must to the North, to burry her corps, Aless for our hear coming! I rather I had lost a’ the lands of Aboyn Or I had lost bonny Marg[ra]t Irvien!’

* * * * *

1^1. carliss: perhaps courtis.

8^2. pritty: doubtful.

318-20. Copies of =G=, =I=, =J=, were sent by Motherwell to C. K. Sharpe, in a letter dated December 6, 1824. In all the transcripts there are some slight changes of the MS. text, such as Motherwell was quite in the way of making. To =I= he added the following lines, which are found substantially in =J=. They may have been subsequently recollected by the reciter of =I=.

10 She has called her servant-maid, And Jean, her gentlewoman: ‘Go make me a bed and lay me down, I’m as sick as any woman.’

11 Word has to new London gane, To the tavern where he was dining; He gave such a rap on the table where he sat Made all the house to wonder.

12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ‘I would rather hae lost a’ the lands o Aboyne Or I’d lost my Peggy Irvine!’

* * * * *

11^1. Motherwell suggests: Word has now to.

321. Findlay MSS, I, 120. ‘The Yerle o Aboyne,’ from Mrs Main, Inchmarlo, Kincardineshire.

1 The Yerle o Aboyne’s to London gane, He met in wi a temptin woman; For she sat an sang an birld at the wine, An she wadna lat him hame fae Lunon.

* * * * * * *

2 ‘My cook-maids a’, be well in ca, Had pots an pans a boilin, Wi the roast an the boil, To attend my guid lord’s comin.’

3 She steppit sae neatly oot the way, She gaed, she went an met him: ‘Ye’re welcome home, my ain guid lord, You’r thrice weelcome fae Lunon.’

4 ‘An I be welcome home,’ he says, ‘Ye’ll kiss me for my comin, For this very day I’d been wedded to a maid Gin I’d staid langer in Lunon.’

5 She turnd her about wi a sorrowfu look, Such a sorry an angry woman! ‘An the letters be true I receivd last frae you, Gae kiss your whores in Lunon.’

6 Haem she gaed frae. .. . . . . . . . . But wi a crack her heart did brak, . . . . . . .

7 Fifty letters seald wi black, An they are on to Lunon, An when he lookd the letters upon He says, O wae’s me for my pairtin!

* * * * * * *

8 When he cam to bonny Aboyne He thocht that she was sleepin, But when he drew the sma curtain by Then he fell oot a weepin.

9 ‘O dear! is she dead? and a wow! is she dead? Ah, woe’s me for our pairtin! I rather had lost a’ the lands o Aboyne Or I’d pairted wi Peggie Irvine.

* * * * * * *

10 ‘A’ my friends did me disdain For marryin the name o Irvine.’

The first stanza is also given thus (p. 121):

The Earl of Aboyne he’s courtous an kin, He’s kin to every woman; He’s kind when he comes, an he’s kind when he gangs, But he never brings his lady to London.

From Miss Butchart, Arbroath, p. 146.

1 The Earl o Aboyne’s to London gane, An taen Duke Huntly wi him,

* * * * * * *

2 She called on Jack, her gentleman, An Jean, her gentlewoman: ‘Gae dress my fair body in some finer dress, For the Earl o Aboyne is comin.’

* * * * * * *

3 She’s gaen doun by yon burnside, An there she saw him comin: ‘Ye’re welcome, welcome, Earl o Aboyne, Ye’re welcome hame frae Lunon.

* * * * * * *

4 ‘Gae back, gae back then, Earl o Aboyne, Nae thanks to you for comin; Gin tomorrow wad hae been your fair weddin-day Gae kiss your dames in Lunon.’

236. The Laird o Drum.

P. 324. =B=, as it stands in “The Old Lady’s Collection,” No 16, ‘The Lard of Drum.’

1 Ther was a knigh[t], An a gillan knight was he, An he’s faein in love we his shiperd’s daughter, . . . . . . .