Percy MS., p. 292. Hales and Furnivall, II, 328.
'Young Andrew' is known only from the Percy manuscript. The story recalls both '[Lady Isabel and the Elf-Knight],' No 4, and '[The Fair Flower of Northumberland],' No 9. The lady, Helen, 253, is bidden to take, and does take, gold with her in stanzas 5-7, as in No 4, English E 2, 3, D 7, Danish A 12, E 7, 9, I 5, L 5, 6, and nearly all the Polish copies, and again in No 9, A 14. She is stripped of her clothes and head-gear in 8-17, as in No 4, English C-E, German G, H, and many of the Polish versions. These are destined by Young Andrew for his lady ("that dwells so far in a strange country") in 10, 12, 14, as by Ulinger for his sister, and by Adelger for his mother, in German G 18, H 15. In 15 the lady entreats Young Andrew to leave her her smock; so in No 4, Polish L 8, "You brought me from home in a green gown; take me back in a shift of tow," and R 13, "You took me away in red satin; let me go back at least in a smock." 18 has the choice between dying and going home again which is presented in 'Lady Isabel,' Polish AA 4, H 10, R 11, and implied in 'The Fair Flower of Northumberland,' D 2-5; in A 25 of this last the choice is between dying and being a paramour. In 20, 21, the lady says, "If my father ever catches you, you're sure to flower a gallows-tree," etc.; in No 4, Polish J 5, "If God would grant me to reach the other bank, you know, wretch, what death you would die." The father is unrelenting in this ballad, v. 26, and receives his daughter with severity in 'The Fair Flower of Northumberland,' B 13, C 13. The conclusion of 'Young Andrew' is mutilated and hard to make out. He seems to have been pursued and caught, as John is in the Polish ballads, O, P, T, etc., of No 4. Why he was not promptly disposed of, and how the wolf comes into the story, will probably never be known.
1
As I was cast in my ffirst sleepe,
A dreadffull draught in my mind I drew,
Ffor I was dreamed of a yong man,
Some men called him yonge Andrew.
2
The moone shone bright, and itt cast a ffayre light,
Sayes shee, Welcome, my honey, my hart, and my sweete!
For I haue loued thee this seuen long yeere,
And our chance itt was wee cold neuer meete.
3
Then he tooke her in his armes two,
And kissed her both cheeke and chin,
And twise or thrise he pleased this may
Before they tow did part in twinn.
4
Saies, Now, good sir, you haue had your will,
You can demand no more of mee;
Good sir, remember what you said before,
And goe to the church and marry mee.
5
'Ffaire maid, I cannott doe as I wold;
. . . . . . .
Goe home and fett thy fathers redd gold,
And I'le goe to the church and marry thee.
6
This ladye is gone to her ffathers hall,
And well she knew where his red gold lay,
And counted fforth five hundred pound,
Besides all other iuells and chaines:
7
And brought itt all to younge Andrew,
Itt was well counted vpon his knee;
Then he tooke her by the lillye white hand,
And led her vp to an hill soe hye.
8
Shee had vpon a gowne of blacke veluett,
(A pittyffull sight after yee shall see:)
'Put of thy clothes, bonny wenche,' he sayes,
'For noe ffoote further thoust gang with mee.'