THE KNIGHT, AND SHEPHERD'S DAUGHTER.
"This ballad (given from an old black-letter copy, with some corrections) was popular in the time of Queen Elizabeth, being usually printed with her picture before it, as Hearne informs us in his preface to Gul. Neubrig, Hist. Oxon, 1719, 8vo. vol. i. p. lxx. It is quoted in Fletcher's comedy of the Pilgrim, act 4, sc. 2." Percy's Reliques, iii. 114.
The Scottish ballad corresponding to Percy's has been printed by Kinloch, p. 25. Besides this, however, there are three other Scottish versions, superior to the English in every respect, and much longer. They are Earl Richard, Motherwell, p. 377; (also in Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, ii. 81;) a ballad with the same title in Kinloch's collection, p. 15; and Earl Lithgow, Buchan, ii. 91. In all these, the futile attempts of the knight to escape marrying the lady, and the devices by which she aggravates his reluctance to enter into the match, are managed with no little humour. We give [Motherwell's edition] a place next to Percy's, and refer the reader for Kinloch's [to the Appendix].
There was a shepherds daughter
Came tripping on the waye,
And there by chance a knighte shee mett,
Which caused her to staye.
"Good morrowe to you, beauteous maide,"5
These words pronounced hee;
"O I shall dye this daye," he sayd,
"If Ive not my wille of thee."
"The Lord forbid," the maide replyd,
"That you shold waxe so wode!"10
[But for all that shee could do or saye,]
[He wold not be withstood.]
"Sith you have had your wille of mee,
And put me to open shame,
Now, if you are a courteous knighte,15
Tell me what is your name?"
"Some do call mee Jacke, sweet heart,
And some do call mee Jille;
But when I come to the kings faire courte,