Francis James Child

“ And even amang Willie's horse feet
Brought hame her bonny young son.
When day was gane, and night was come,
And a' man bound for bed,
Sweet Willie and Dow Isbel
In ae chamber were laid.
They hadna been well lien down,
Nor yet well faen asleep,
Till up it wakens Sweet Willie,
And stood at Dow Isbel's feet. ”

“ As Willie's mother was walking alone,
Between the bower and ha,
She thought she heard a bairn's greet
And lady's moan in the sta.
'Gude make ye safe, my ae son Willie,
Gude keep ye safe frae harm;
Ye might hae chosen a lighter foot-boy
Than a women in travilling.'
He hit the table wi his foot,
He kept it wi his knee,
Till silver cups and silver spoons
Into the floor did flee. ”

“ To ssee Faire Ellen swime.
And when shee ouer the water was,
Shee then came to his knee:
He said, Come hither, Ffaire Ellen,
Loe yonder what I see!
'Seest thou not yonder hall, Ellen?
Of redd gold shine the yates;
There's four and twenty ffayre ladyes,
The ffairest is my wordlye make.
'Seest thou not yonder hall, Ellen?
Of redd gold shineth the tower;
There is four and twenty ffaire ladyes,
The fairest is my paramoure.'
'I doe see the hall now, Child Waters,
that of redd gold shineth the yates ”

“ That eer ye loed a man.'
The first water that they cam to,
I think they call it Clyde,
He saftly unto her did say,
Lady Margret, will ye ride?
The first step that she steppit in,
She steppit to the knee;
Says, Wae be to ye, waefu water,
For through ye I maun be.
The second step that she steppit in,
She steppit to the middle,
And sighd, and said, Lady Margret,
'I've staind my gowden girdle.'
The third step that she steppit in,
She steppit to the neck;
The pretty babe within her sides,
The cauld it garrd it squake. ”

“ Wi the clear light o the moon.
He strack the door hard wi his foot,
An sae has he wi his knee,
An iron locks an iron bars
Into the floor flung he:
'Be not afraid, Burd Ellen,' he says,
'Ther's nane come in but me.'
Up he has taen his bonny young son,
An gard wash him wi the milk;
An up has he taen his fair lady,
Gard row her in the silk.
'Cheer up your heart, Burd Ellen,' he says,
'Look nae mair sad nor wae;
For your marriage an your kirkin too
Sal baith be in ae day.'
Child
=
C
=
Kinloch's annotated copy of his Ancient Scottish Ballads, Kinloch MSS, IV, . ”

“ For the pain that strikes me thro my sides
Full soon will gar me fa.'
She's leand her back against the wa;
Strong travail seizd her on;
An even amo the great horse feet
Burd Ellen brought forth her son. ”

“ Ye will be a dead woman.'
Out spak a bonny burd,
Sate on yon tree,
'Gaa on, fair Ellen,
Ye ha scarcly milles three.'
Four-an-tuenty bony ladys
Mett Willie in the closs,
Bat the fairest lady among them a'
Took Willie frae his horse.
Four-an-trenty bonny ladys
Lead Willie to the table,
Bat the fairest lady among them a'
Led his hors to the stable. ”

“ To yer young son an ye.'
' [A] asken, Willie,' she sayes,
'An ye will grant it me;
The smallest bear in yer house
To [yer] young son an me.'
'Ask on, Fair Ellen,
Ye'r sure your asken is free;
The best bear in my house
[To yer young son an ye.]
'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.'
' [A] askent, Willie,' she says,
'An ye will grant [it] me ”

“ As to say, Put on your shoone.
'Ride softlye,' shee said, 'Child Watters;
Why doe you ryde soe ffast?
The child which is no mans but yours
My bodye itt will burst.'
He sayes, Sees thou yonder water, Ellen,
that fflowes from banke to brim? ”

“ Full still that hee did stand,
that hee might heare now Faire Ellen,
That hee might heare now Faire Ellen,
How shee made her monand.
Shee said, Lullabye, my owne deere child!
Lullabye, deere child, deere!
I wold thy father were a king,
Thy mother layd on a beere!
'Peace now,' he said, 'good Faire Ellen,
And be of good cheere, I thee pray,
And the bridall and the churching both,
They shall bee vpon one day.'
=
B
=
a. Jamieson's Brown MS., fol. 22, taken down from Mrs Brown's recitation before . b. A. Fraser Tytler's Brown MS., No 9, as recited by Mrs Brown in . ”

“ Burd Ellen stood in her bowr-door,
Said she'd rin by his side.
He's pitten on his cork-heeld shoone,
An fast awa rade he;
She's clade hersel in page array,
An after him ran she.
Till they came till a wan water,
An folks do ca it clyde ”

“ Bat nou I am among Willie's hors feet,
An the call it will me kell.
'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.'
'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 ”

“ A lish of hons mane lead.'
'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.'
'The dogs sall eat the gued fite bread,
An ye the dou pran,
An ye sall bliss, an na curse,
That ever ye lied a man.'
'The dogs sall eat the whit bread,
An me the dou pran,
An I will bliss, an na curs,
That ear I loved a man.'
She has saddled his hors,
An she has bridled his stead,
An ealky toun att they came throu
A lish of honds did lead. ”

“ Shall baith stand on ae day.
'There is not here a woman living
But her shall be my bride,
And all is for the fair speeches
I got frae her at Clyde.'
=
K
=
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.
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.
Willie stod in stabile dor,
He said he wad ride,
. . . . . .
. . . . . ”

“ Lady Margret made a stand.
[Whan bells were rung, and mass was sung,
And a' men boun for bed,
Lord John, mither, and sister gay
In ae bour they were laid.]
[Lord John had na weel gat aff his claise,
Nor was he weel laid doun,
Till his mither heard a bairn greet,
And a woman's heavy moan.] ”

“ And fears she'll die or day.
'Win up, win up, now Sweet Willie,
At my bidding to be,
And speak some comfort to the maid,
That's dreed sae much for thee.'
He is to the stable door gane,
As fast as gang coud he ”

“ But I wish the maid maist o your love
That dearest hae you bought.'
Four an twenty gay ladies
Led Willie thro bower and ha;
But the fairest lady amo them a'
Led his horse to the sta.
Four an twenty gay ladies
Were a' at dinner set ”