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 ye 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.’
16. bab have.
32. bide. Cf. B 3, G 1, I 1, J 1.
203. I an.
204. me gell.
212. my hell again.
214. And an.
302. 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.
12. Are a’.
14. she’ll hae.
2, 3, wanting.
41,2.
They woo’d her up, they woo’d her doun,
They woo’d her in the ha.
51. my lords, she said.
52. on me.
54. And I have na mair to gie.
61. father’s wily page.
63. For he has awa to her bauld brother.
71. O are my father and mother.
72. brethren.
81. are weel.
82. Likewise your brethren.
84. But she’s shamed thy name and thee.
91. true, thou little page.
92. A bluidy sight thou’s see.
93. thou tells.
94. High hanged sall thou be.
101. O he has gane to.
104. Kaming.
11. A stanza with “modern” in the margin.
121. The lady turnd her round about.
122. The kame fell.
123,4.
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.’
141. ye hae gotten knights and lords.
142. Within.
143. drew.
151. your English love.
153. For shouldst think of him an hour langer.
154. Thy.
161. I wad gie up my English love.
163. 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.’
171. where are a’ my wight.
174. this strumpet.
182. at my.
191. and spake.
192. Stude weeping by her side.
193. wad rin this.
20. wanting.
211, 221. And when.
213. to grass growing.
221,5. yate.
222. bade na chap nor.
223. to his.
225. And er.
231. O are.
232. Or are.
233. Or has my lady gien to me.
234. A dear: or a.
241. biggins are na broken, lord.
242. Nor yet.
243. a’ Scotlande.
244. This day for you.
251. to me the black horse.
252. O saddle to me.
253. Or saddle to me.
254. ere yet rode.
262. neeze.
263. your fire, my fierce.
264. no yet at.
271. And when: yate.
281,2.
And still, Mend up the fire, she cried,
And pour its rage round me.
284. will mend it soon for.
291. O had my hands.
292. Sae fast.
294. To save thy infant son.
301,3. for thee.
302. Thy sister and thy brother.
304. Thy father and thy mother.
311. for thee.
312. a’ thy.
313. that I make.
314. I sall.
115. B. Variations of C. K. Sharpe’s own MS. (“second collection”):
24. on my (wrongly).
44. It’s liars.
82. That’s what I’ll.
102. brother.
133. But when.
201, 211, 221. rode on.
224. Janet’s excit (Motherwell, exite).
241. said.
274. 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.”
14. their bonneur.
82. to kill.
111. boy says.
112. An will.
141,3. line that he.
151. (bacon).
164. she wanting.
182,4. garl, marl, are Sharpe’s corrections for words struck out, which seem to be guell, meal.
191. and that.
212. saft.
231. twice, so did I.
261. did stand.
314. he wanting.
Only 141,3, 164, 231, 314, are wrongly given in Motherwell.
Scott’s MS.—The name Maisery is wanting throughout.
233. only for one.
28. wanting.
303. had.
312. 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.
42. There may have been a word between book and alean.
56. bay: cf. 64.
162. flamd is doubtful.
214. farie.
233. 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, 23 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.
33, 43. Ruchley hill.
53. give me.
6. Do not you mind, etc.: not written in full.
7 wanting.
81. turned round.
101. It’s awa.
103. have got the.
131. that he.
141. Let down, let down.
143. late wanting.
153. morrow.
154. 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, 45, b 35, p. 195, No 171, 21, 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.