"Here take her, Child of Elle," he sayd,
And gave her lillye hand;190
"Here take my deare and only child,
And with her half my land.
"Thy father once mine honour wrongde,
In dayes of youthful pride;
Do thou the injurye repayre195
In fondnesse for thy bride.
"And as thou love her and hold her deare,
Heaven prosper thee and thine;
And nowe my blessing wend wi' thee,
My lovelye Emmeline."200
SIR ALDINGAR.
Of this very remarkable ballad two copies have been printed in English, Sir Aldingar, from the Percy MS. (Reliques, ii. 53), "with conjectural emendations and the insertion of some additional stanzas," and [Sir Hugh Le Blond], by Scott, from recitation. The corresponding Danish ballad, Ravengaard og Memering, first published by Grundtvig, is extant in not less than five copies, the oldest derived from a MS. of the middle of the 16th century, the others from recent recitations. With these Grundtvig has given an Icelandic version, from a MS. of the 17th century, another in the dialect of the Faroe Islands, and a third half Danish, half Faroish, both as still sung by the people. The ballad was also preserved, not long ago, in Norway.—Danmarks Gamle Folkeviser, i. 177-213, ii. 640-645.
All these ballads contain a story one and the same in the essential features—a story which occurs repeatedly in connection with historical personages, in Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, as well as England,—and which has also furnished the theme for various modern romances, poems, and tragedies.
The connection of the different forms of the legend has been investigated by the Danish editor at considerable length and with signal ability; and we shall endeavor to present the principal results of his wide research in the few pages which our narrow limits allow us to give to such questions.