FOOTNOTES:
[58] "The editor... must plead guilty to the charge of concealing his own share in the amendments under some such general title as a Modern Copy, or the like:" Reliques, 1794, I, xvii. See, further, 'The Rising in the North' and 'Northumberland betrayed by Douglas,' in the same volume, pp 288, 297.
[59] We have paynim four times in the first edition, and only twice in the fourth. And ever I feare that paynim king, b 213, gives place to I cannot blame him if he doe. Laught loud laughters three, b 584, was not (as who needs to be told?) the reading of the folio; but was lough a loud laughter the reading of the folio?
The statement that 'King Estmere' was "unfortunately torn out in sending the... piece to the press" is far from intelligible. Since readings were given from the manuscript in the fourth edition for the first time, one would suppose that the original was still in the editor's hands when that edition was prepared. But the three leaves from the manuscript would have been much less convenient to send to the press than the copy already three times printed in the Reliques; and Percy himself pleads in excuse for his taking out leaves from the manuscript, to save the trouble of transcribing, that he was very young, and "had not then learnt to reverence it." The readings from the manuscript, which first appear in the fourth edition, may possibly be from notes; one would hope that Percy would not trust his memory after the lapse of thirty years. Hales and Furnivall, I, lxxiv, II, 200; also II, 600 ff, where the texts of the first and of the fourth edition are printed in parallel columns.
[60] Grundtvig, No 11, A-F, I, 159-69, IV, 715, and Kristensen, I, 246, No 93; Swedish, A, Arwidsson, II, 445, B-E, Grundtvig, IV, 720-22; Norwegian, Landstad, No 8; Icelandic, 'Ormars rímur,' in an abstract, Grundtvig, III, 775-77.
[61] Derived from the Färöe ballad, 'Arngríms synir,' Hammershaimb, Færöiske Kvæder, p. 15, No 3; Hervarar saga, Örvar-Odds saga, Fornaldar Sögur, I, 411, II, 161, 504; etc. The pertinent chapters of the Hervarar saga are translated by Prior, I, 194, and 'Child Orm and the Berm Giant,' in the same volume, p. 132; the ballad also in the London Magazine, 1821, IV, 415, and by George Borrow, in Targum, or Metrical Translations from Thirty Languages and Dialects, St Petersburg, 1835, p. 59 (Grundtvig).
[62] I, 384; translated by Prior, I, 297.
[63] Grundtvig's Gamle Folkeviser, IV, 704-712.
[64] Esmer, or something similar, is, as Grundtvig remarks, I, 236, a name of rather frequent occurrence. King Esmer is one of King Diderik's champions; Grundtvig, I, 78. Esmère is a name in Le dit de Flourence de Romme, Jubinal, Nouveau Recueil de Contes, etc., I, 93; Esmerés, or Essmer, in the Knight of the Swan, Reiffenberg and Borgnet, Le Chevalier au Cygne, III, 533, Grimm, Deutsche Sagen, II, 302. It may be added, though the fact certainly appears to be of but slight moment, that there is a King Easter, with a King Wester, in the ballad of '[Fause Foodrage],' and these are called in one version (Motherwell's Minstrelsy, p. lix) the Eastmure King and the Westmure King. The fifteenth tale enumerated in The Complaint of Scotland is How the King of Estmure land married the King's daughter of Westmure land.
[61]
SIR CAWLINE
Percy MS., p. 368; Hales and Furnivall, III, 3.
The copy of this ballad in the Percy manuscript, the only one known to exist, shows very great carelessness on the part of the transcriber, or of some predecessor. It begins with these two stanzas, which manifestly belong to an historical ballad, and have only a verbal connection with what follows:
Jesus, lord mickle of might,
That dyed ffor us on the roode,
To maintaine vs in all our right[65]
That loues true English blood.
Ffor by a knight I say my song,
Was bold and ffull hardye;
Sir Robert Briuse wold fforth to ffight,
In-to Ireland ouer the sea.
There is a large omission after the 125th verse (the 28th stanza as here printed), though the writing is continuous. There are also several difficult or unintelligible passages, even more than are usually met with in this manuscript.
As published in the Reliques of Ancient English Poetry, I, 35, ed. 1765, I, 41, ed. 1794, 'Sir Cawline' is extended to nearly twice the amount of what is found in the manuscript, and a tragical turn is forced upon the story.
I have said that the copy of 'Sir Cawline' in the Percy manuscript is the only one known. There are nevertheless two Scottish ballads, one hitherto unpublished and one printed by Buchan, which narrate Sir Colvin's winning the king's daughter by vanquishing the elritch knight. These, I conceive, however, to be simple rifacimenti of the ballad in Percy's Reliques. They will be given in an appendix.
'Sir Cawline' may possibly be formed upon a romance in stanzas[66] which itself was composed from earlier ballads. There are two adventures in the ballad, one with an elritch knight, and a second with a five-headed giant who is at the same time a hend soldan, and there seem to be traces of another in the now unintelligible twenty-ninth stanza. The first adventure, though not of the same commonplace description as the second, is still by no means unique. We are immediately reminded of the beautiful romance of Eger, Grime and Gray-Steel: how Gray-Steel kept a forbidden country beyond seven days of wilderness, and how Grime slew the up to that time unmatched Gray-Steel with the sword Erkyin [Egeking], brought from beyond the Greekës sea, and cut off his hand, with fingers thrice a common man's size, and on every finger a gay gold ring.[67] Gray-Steel, to be sure, is pictured rather as a giant than an elf, but still gives the impression of something out of the ordinary, as having perhaps lost an elritch character in the course of tradition. The elritch knight in our ballad haunts the moors, far from any good town, like Grendel, who held the moors and fens, but there is only a hint of that supernatural terror which attends the awful "march-stepper" in Beówulf. Gervase of Tilbury has a story of an ancient entrenchment in the bishopric of Ely, where anybody could have a passage at arms with an unearthly warrior, by moonlight only, by simply calling out, "Come, knight, and meet knight."[68] Scott has introduced a spectral combat of this sort into his Marmion, Canto III, xxiii-xxv, and in a note (4) cites a similar encounter from Heywood's Hierarchy of Blessed Angels. He adds that a forest in the North Highlands is believed to be haunted by a martial spirit called Lham-dearg, or Bloody Hand, who insists on all whom he meets doing battle with him. Villemarqué has a tale like that of Gervasius, Les Romans de la Table Ronde, etc., 1860, p. 392 f (Liebrecht). These combatants and combats are rather shadowy compared with Grendel, Gray-Steel, our Elritch King, and an encounter with them.
'Liden Grimmer og Hjelmer Kamp,' a ballad of the 'Orm Ungersvend' class, Grundtvig, No 26 (I, 352, from manuscripts of the 16th and the 17th century, IV, 762, from recent tradition), has the same remote and general resemblance to 'Sir Cawline' that 'Orm Ungersvend' has to '[King Estmere],' the points of agreement permitting the supposition of a far-off connection, or of no connection at all.[69] In Danish A, Grimmer, a young man who never went to a dance except with a drawn sword in his hand or sat down to table out of his corselet, sails to the heathen-king's land and asks him for his daughter. The king tells him that he will not get the fair maid unless he fights with Hjelmer Kamp and wins. The king's daughter, who is as favorably inclined to Grimmer as King Adland's daughter is to Estmere (and King Ardine's daughter to Adler), though in neither case has there been a previous meeting, tells him that no man ever came back from a fight with Hjelmer, and that Grimmer is far from understanding her father, who really wishes his death. Grimmer is not at all daunted, and so the lady gives him a sword with which he is sure to prevail. Thus equipped he makes sail for Hjelmer Kamp, who receives him with contemptuous remarks upon his size, but is presently cut to bits. Stopping only long enough to make boot of Hjelmer's gold, Grimmer returns to the heathen-king's court, and receives the princess in marriage. The resemblance of the Danish ballad is to be found in Cawline's second adventure, that with the giant, where the elritch sword represents the invincible weapon bestowed by the princess. In Danish B a coat of mail goes with the sword, "som icke skal suerd paa bide." This coat is like Estmere's after Adler has brought his magic to bear, and Cawline's fight with the giant, Estmere's with Bremor, and Hjelmer's with the kemp have all an obvious similitude.
Two verbal peculiarities in this ballad will not fail to be remarked: a superfluous and, 74, without and a good leedginge, 83, and take you doe and the baken bread, 271, and hee tooke then vp and that eldryge sword, 391, but take you doo and your lands broad, and again 261(?); for used, apparently, in the sense of but (as in "for and a shrouding sheet"), 113, ffor if you wold comfort me with a kisse, 133, ffor some deeds of armes ffaine wold I doe, 225, ffor they tooke and two good swords; in this last we have the superfluous and again. These were, perhaps, only tricks of some ballad-singer, eking out his measure with half-articulated syllables.[70]
Percy's ballad is translated by Bodmer, I, 134, and by Bothe, p. 25; Buchan's by Gerhard, p. 32.
* * * * *
1 And in that land dwells a king
Which does beare the bell ouer all,
And with him there dwelled a curteous knight,
Sir Cawline men him call.
2 And he hath a ladye to his daughter,
Of ffashyon shee hath noe peere;
Knights and lordes they woed her both,
Trusted to haue beene her feere.
3 Sir Cawline loues her best of onë,
But nothing durst hee say
To discreeue his councell to noe man,
But deerlye loued this may.
4 Till itt beffell vpon a day,
Great dill to him was dight;
The maydens loue remoued his mind,
To care-bed went the knight.
5 And one while he spread his armes him ffroe,
And cryed soe pittyouslye:
'Ffor the maydens loue that I haue most minde
This day may comfort mee,
Or else ere noone I shalbe dead!'
Thus can Sir Cawline say.
6 When our parish masse that itt was done,
And our king was bowne to dine,
He sayes, Where is Sir Cawline,
That was wont to serue me with ale and wine?
7 But then answered a curteous knight,
Ffast his hands wringinge:
'Sir Cawline's sicke, and like to be dead
Without and a good leedginge.'
8 'Ffeitch yee downe my daughter deere,
Shee is a leeche ffull ffine;
I, and take you doe and the baken bread,
And drinke he on the wine soe red,
And looke no daynti is ffor him to deare,
For ffull loth I wold him tine.'
9 This ladye is gone to his chamber,
Her maydens ffollowing nye;
'O well,' shee sayth, 'how doth my lord?'
'O sicke!' againe saith hee.
10 'I, but rise vp wightlye, man, for shame!
Neuer lye here soe cowardlye!
Itt is told in my ffathers hall,
Ffor my loue you will dye.'
11 'Itt is ffor your loue, ffayre ladye,
That all this dill I drye;
Ffor if you wold comfort me with a kisse,
Then were I brought ffrom bale to blisse,
Noe longer here wold I lye.'
12 'Alas! soe well you know, Sir knight,'
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
13 . . . . . . .
I cannott bee your peere:
'Ffor some deeds of armes ffaine wold I doe,
To be your bacheeleere.'
14 'Vpon Eldrige Hill there growes a thorne,
Vpon the mores brodinge;
And wold you, sir knight, wake there all night
To day of the other morninge?
15 'Ffor the eldrige king, that is mickle of might,
Will examine you beforne;
And there was neuer man that bare his liffe away
Since the day that I was borne.'
16 'But I will ffor your sake, ffaire ladye,
Walke on the bents [soe] browne,
And Ile either bring you a readye token,
Or Ile neuer come to you againe.'
17 But this ladye is gone to her chamber,
Her maydens ffollowing bright,
And Sir Cawlin's gone to the mores soe broad,
Ffor to wake there all night.
18 Vnto midnight [that] the moone did rise,
He walked vp and downe,
And a lightsome bugle then heard he blow.
Ouer the bents soe browne;
Saies hee, And if cryance come vntill my hart,
I am ffarr ffrom any good towne.
19 And he spyed, ene a litle him by,
A ffuryous king and a ffell,
And a ladye bright his brydle led,
That seemlye itt was to see.
20 And soe fast hee called vpon Sir Cawline,
Oh man, I redd the fflye!
Ffor if cryance come vntill thy hart,
I am a-feard least thou mun dye.
21 He sayes, [No] cryance comes to my hart,
Nor ifaith I ffeare not thee;
Ffor because thou minged not Christ before,
Thee lesse me dreadeth thee.
22 But Sir Cawline he shooke a speare;
The king was bold, and abode;
And the timber these two children bore
Soe soone in sunder slode;
Ffor they tooke and two good swords,
And they layden on good loade.
23 But the elridge king was mickle of might,
And stiffly to the ground did stand;
But Sir Cawline, with an aukeward stroke,
He brought ffrom him his hand,
I, and fflying ouer his head soe hye,
[It] ffell downe of that lay land.
24 And his lady stood a litle thereby,
Ffast ringing her hands:
'For the maydens loue that you haue most minde,
Smyte you my lord no more.
25 'And hees neuer come vpon Eldrige [Hill],
Him to sport, gamon, or play,
And to meete noe man of middle-earth
And that liues on Christs his lay.'
26 But he then vp and that eldryge king,
Sett him in his sadle againe,
And that eldryge king and his ladye
To their castle are they gone.
27 And hee tooke then vp and that eldryge sword,
As hard as any fflynt,
And soe he did those ringes fiue,
Harder then ffyer, and brent.
28 Ffirst he presented to the kings daughter
The hand, and then the sword,
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
* * * * *
29 'But a serre buffett you haue him giuen,
The king and the crowne,' shee sayd:
'I, but four and thirty stripes
Comen beside the rood.'
30 And a gyant that was both stiffe [and] strong,
He lope now them amonge,
And vpon his squier fiue heads he bare,
Vnmackley made was hee.
31 And he dranke then on the kings wine,
And hee put the cup in his sleeue,
And all thé trembled and were wan,
Ffor feare he shold them greeffe.
32 'Ile tell thee mine arrand, king,' he sayes,
'Mine errand what I doe heere;
Ffor I will bren thy temples hye,
Or Ile haue thy daughter deere;
I, or else vpon yond more soe brood
Thou shalt ffind mee a ppeare.'
33 The king he turned him round about,
Lord, in his heart he was woe!
Says, Is there noe knight of the Round Table
This matter will vndergoe?
34 'I, and hee shall haue my broad lands,
And keepe them well his liue;
I, and soe hee shall my daughter deere,
To be his weded wiffe.'
35 And then stood vp Sir Cawline,
His owne errand ffor to say:
'Ifaith, I wold to God, Sir,' sayd Sir Cawline,
'That soldan I will assay.
36 'Goe ffeitch me downe my eldrige sword,
Ffor I woone itt att ffray:'
'But away, away!' sayd the hend soldan,
'Thou tarryest mee here all day!'
37 But the hend soldan and Sir Cawline
Thé ffought a summers day;
Now has hee slaine that hend soldan,
And brought his fiue heads away.
38 And the king has betaken him his broade lands,
And all his venison;
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
39 'But take you doo and your lands [soe] broad,
And brooke them well your liffe;
Ffor you promised mee your daughter deere,
To be my weded wiffe.'
40 'Now by my ffaith,' then sayes our king,
'Ffor that wee will not striffe,
Ffor thou shalt haue my daughter dere,
To be thy weded wiffe.'
41 The other morninge Sir Cawline rose
By the dawning of the day,
And vntill a garden did he goe
His mattins ffor to say;
And that bespyed a ffalse steward,
A shames death that he might dye!
42 And he lett a lyon out of a bande,
Sir Cawline ffor to teare;
And he had noe wepon him vpon,
Nor noe wepon did weare.
43 But hee tooke then his mantle of greene,
Into the lyons mouth itt thrust;
He held the lyon soe sore to the wall
Till the lyons hart did burst.
44 And the watchmen cryed vpon the walls
And sayd, 'Sir Cawline's slaine!
And with a beast is not ffull litle,
A lyon of mickle mayne:'
Then the kings daughter shee ffell downe,
'For peerlesse is my payne!'
45 'O peace, my lady!' sayes Sir Cawline,
'I haue bought thy loue ffull deere;
O peace, my lady!' sayes Sir Cawline,
'Peace, lady, ffor I am heere!'
46 Then he did marry this kings daughter,
With gold and siluer bright,
And fiftene sonnes this ladye beere
To Sir Cawline the knight.
The first two stanzas of the MS. have been omitted, as belonging to another ballad.
12. ouer all does beare the bell.
14. men call him Sir Cawline.
24. her peere.
34. this mayd.
55. Only half the second n of noone in the MS. Furnivall.
72. wringinge his hands.
84. and eene on: MS. edne? Furnivall. I feel no confidence in the emendation.
85. no daytinesse.
86. teene.
102. lye soe cowardlye here.
115. MS. now? Furnivall.
121, 132, 3, 4 make a stanza in the MS.
181. they Moone.
223, 5. 2.
234. him ffrom.
236. There may be a bold ellipsis of It.
248. for they... most meed: cf. 53.
251. heest.
273. 5.
282. they hand... they sword.
291. serrett buffett.
293. 34.
303. 5.
326. in or.
326. mee appeare.
374. 5.
391. you too.
463. 15.