“ Lord Gregory tore his gowden locks
And made a wafu’ moan;
Fair Annie’s corpse lay at his feet,
His bonny son was gone.
XLVI
O cherry, cherry was her cheek,
And gowden was her hair,
And coral, coral was her lips,
Nane might with her compare!
[Pg 192] XLVII
Then first he kiss’d her pale, pale cheek,
And syne he kiss’d her chin,
And syne he kiss’d her wane, wane lips,
There was na breath within.
XLVIII
‘O wae betide my ill mither,
An ill death may she die!
She turn’d my true-love frae my door,
Who cam so far to me.
XLIX
‘O wae betide my ill mither,
An ill death may she die! ”

“ Fair Margaret sat in her bower-window
Combing her yellow hair,
She saw Sweet William and his brown bride
Unto the church draw near.
[Pg 282] IV
Then down she laid her ivory comb,
And up she bound her hair;
She went out from her bower alive
But alive never more came there.
V
When day was gone, and night was come,
And all men fast asleep,
Came in the ghost of fair Margaret,
And stood at William’s feet.
VI
‘How like ye the lady, Sweet William,
That lies in your arms asleep? ”

“ XXXVI
‘I am Little John, Robin Hood’s man,
Friar, I will not lie;
If thou take not up thy dogs soon,
I’le take up them and thee.’
XXXVII
Little John had a bow in his hand,
He shot with might and main;
Soon half a score of the friar’s dogs
Lay dead upon the plain.
XXXVIII
‘Hold thy hand, good fellow,’ said the curtal friar,
‘Thy master and I will agree;
And we will have new orders taken,
With all the haste that may be.’
XXXIX
‘If thou wilt forsake fair Fountains Dale,
And Fountains Abbey free,
Every Sunday throughout the year,
A noble shall be thy fee. ”

“ Mine own dear love, I see the prove
That ye be kind and true;
Of maid, of wife, in all my life,
The best that ever I knew.
Be merry and glad; be no more sad;
The case is changèd new;
For it were ruth that for your truth
Ye should have cause to rue.
Be not dismayed, whatsoever I said
To you when I began;
I will not to the green-wood go;
I am no banished man.
XXVIII
She. These tidings be more glad to me
Than to be made a queen,
If I were sure they should endure;
But it is often seen
When men will break promise they speak
The wordis on the splene [448] . ”

“ Or else the young Knight for his love had been slain.
This fray being ended, then straightway he see
His kinsmen come railing at pretty Bessee.
XXVI
Then spake the blind beggar, ‘Although I be poor,
Yet rail not against my child at my own door:
Though she be not deckèd in velvet and pearl,
Yet will I drop angels with you for my girl.
XXVII
‘And then, if my gold may better her birth,
And equal the gold that you lay on the earth,
Then neither rail nor grudge you to see
The blind beggar’s daughter a lady to be. ”

“ A noble bowman he was one;
In Yorkshire was this gentleman borne,
And William Horsley was his name.
XV
‘Horsley,’ says he, ‘I must sayle to the sea,
To seek out an enemy; God be my speede!
Before all others I have chosen thee;
Of a hundred bowemen thou’st be my head.’
XVI
‘My lord,’ says he, ‘if you’ve chosen me
Of a hundred bowemen to be the head,
Hang me at your main-mast tree
If I miss my mark past twelve pence bread.’
XVII
With pikes, and gunnes, and bowmen bold,
This noble Howard is gone to the sea
On the day before Midsummer-even,
And out at Thames’ mouth saylèd they. ”

“ And all his company:
‘Welcome be thou, Robin Hood,
Welcome art thou to me;
CCCXII
‘And much I thank thee of thy comfort,
And of thy courtesy,
And of thy great kindness,
Under the green-wood tree;
CCCXIII
‘I love no man in all this world
So much as I do thee;
For all the proud Sheriff of Nottingham,
Right here shalt thou be.
CCCXIV
‘Shut the gates and draw the bridge,
And let no man come in,
And arm you well, and make you ready,
And to the walls ye win [874] . ”

“ IV
‘There shall neither a shoe gang on my foot,
Nor a kaim gang in my hair,
Nor e’er a coal nor candle-light
Shine in my bower nae mair.’
V
She thought her love had been on the sea,
Fast sailing to Bee Ho’m;
But he was in a quiet cham’er [462] ,
Hearing his ladie’s moan.
VI
‘Be husht, be husht, my ladie dear,
I pray thee mourn not so;
For I am deep sworn on a book
To Bee Ho’m for to go.’
[Pg 327] VII
She has gien him a chain of the beaten gowd,
And a ring with a ruby stone:
‘As lang as this chain your body binds,
Your blude can never be drawn. ”

“ XLIV
‘And is thou gane? Now, Dickie, than
The deil gae in thy companie!
For if I should live these hundred years,
I ne’er shall fight wi’ a fule after thee.’
XLV
Then Dickie’s come hame to the gude Lord Scroope,
E’en as fast as he might hie;
‘Now, Dickie, I’ll neither eat nor drink,
Till hie hangèd that thou shall be.’—
XLVI
‘The shame speed the liars, my lord!’ quo’ Dickie;
‘This was na the promise ye made to me!
For I’d ne’er gang to Liddesdale to steal,
Had I not got my leave frae thee.’—
[Pg 754] XLVII
‘But what gar’d thee steal the Laird’s Jock’s horse? ”

“ That every man became his friend.
XLV
He led a gelding forth one morning,
To water him at the water so free—
The gelding up, and with his head
He hit the child above the e’e.
XLVI
‘Woe worth thee, gelding!’ said the child,
‘Woe worth the mare that foalèd thee!
Thou little knowest the Lord of Lorn:
Thou’st stricken a lord of high degree.’
XLVII
The lady was in her garden green,
And heard the child that made this moan:
All weeping [straight] she ran to him
And left her maidens all alone. ”

“ LXII
‘Now yield thee, yield thee, Percy,’ he said,
‘Or I vow I’le lay thee low!’
‘To whom shall I yield?’ said Earl Percy,
‘Now I see it maun be so.’—
LXIII
‘Thou shalt not yield to lord nor loun,
Nor yet shalt thou to me;
But yield thee to the bracken bush
Grows on yon lilye-lee.’—
LXIV
‘I winna yield to a bracken bush,
Nor yet I will to a brere [1078] ;
But I would yield to Earl Douglas,
Or Montgomery if he was here.’
[Pg 662] LXV
As soon as he knew Montgomery,
He stuck his sword’s point in ground;
The Montgomery was a courteous knight,
And quickly took him by the hand. ”

“ XIV
‘Gie me a sheave [506] o’ your bread, nourice,
And a bottle o’ your wine,
And I will pay it you owre again
When I am Lord of Linne.’—
XV
‘Ye’se get a sheave o’ my bread, Willy,
And a bottle o’ my wine;
But ye’ll pay me when the seas gang dry,
For ye’ll ne’er be Lord o’ Linne.’
XVI
Then he turn’d him right and round about,
As will a woman’s son,
And aff he set and bent his way
And cam’ to the house o’ Linne.
XVII
But when he cam’ to that castle,
They were set down to dine;
A score of nobles there he saw,
Sat drinking at their wine. ”

“ And said, ‘Sir, what are ye?
I marvel much at these tidings
Which thou hast brought to me.
Married I am unto an old man,
As the lot fell unto me;
Therefore, I pray, depart away,
For I stand in doubt of thee.’
Then, sing, &c.
III
‘Mary,’ he said, ‘be not afraid,
But do believe in me:
The power of the Holy Ghost
Shall overshadow thee;
[Pg 447] Thou shalt conceive without any grief,
As the Lord told unto me;
God’s own dear Son from Heaven shall come
And shall be born of thee.’
Then, sing, &c. ”

“ Of thy striking do not blin [287] ;
There’s never a stroke comes over thine harp
But it glads my heart within.’
IV
‘Fair might you fall, lady,’ quoth he;
‘Who taught you now to speak?
I have loved you, lady, seven year;
My heart I durst ne’er break.’—
V
‘But come to my bower, my Glasgerion,
When all men are at rest;
As I am a lady true of my promise,
Thou shalt be a welcome guest.’
VI
But home then came Glasgerion,
A glad man, Lord, was he!
‘And come thou hither, Jack, my boy,
Come hither unto me.
VII
‘For the King’s daughter of Normandye
Her love is granted me ”

“ XXI
‘Seest thou not yon castle, Ellen?
Of red gold shines the tower:
There is twenty-and-four fair ladies,
And one my paramour.
[Pg 209] XXII
‘Seest thou not yon castle, Ellen,
That shines so fair to see?
There’s a lady in it, Ellen,
Will sunder you and me.’—
XXIII
‘I do see the castle, Childe Waters:
Of red gold shines the gate.
God give you good then of yourself,
And of your worldly mate!
XXIV
‘I wish no ill to your lady;
She ne’er wish’d none to me;
But I wish the maid most of your love
Dries [334] this and more for thee. ”

“ CXXIII
‘Take [786] me my gold again.’ he said,
‘Sir Justice, that I took thee.’—
‘Not a penny,’ said the Justice,
‘By Him that died on tree.’—
CXXIV
‘Sir Abbot, and ye men of law,
Now have I held my day;
Now shall I have my land again,
For aught that you can say.’
CXXV
The Knight out started of the door,
Away was all his care,
And on he put his good clothing.
The other he left there.
CXXVI
He went him forth full merry singing,
As men have told in tale;
His Lady met him at the gate,
At home in Uttersdale.
CXXVII
‘Welcome, my lord,’ said his Lady ”

“ XXV
‘Then hoist up your sail,’ says the Captain,
‘And we’ll hie back owre the sea;
And I’ll gae to bonny Castle Gordon,
There my dear Jeanie to see.’
XXVI
He came to bonny Castle Gordon,
And upon the green stood he:
The porter out with a loud loud shout,
‘Here comes our Captain Ogilvie!’—
XXVII
‘You’re welcome, pretty Captain Ogilvie,
Your fortune’s advanced, I hear;
No stranger can come to my castle
That I do love so dear.’—
XXVIII
‘Put up your hat, Duke of Gordon;
Let it fa’ not from your head.
It never set the noble Duke of Gordon
To bow to a single soldier lad. ”

“ For Annie of the Lochroyan
Is far out-owre the sea.’
XXXIV
Fair Annie turn’d her round about:
‘Weel, sine that it be sae,
May ne’er woman that has borne a son
Hae a heart sae fu’ o’ wae!
[Pg 190] XXXV
‘Tak down, tak down that mast o’ gowd,
Set up a mast of tree;
It disna become a forsaken lady
To sail sae royallie.’
XXXVI
When the cock had crawn, and the day did dawn,
And the sun began to peep,
Up then raise Lord Gregory,
And sair, sair did he weep.
XXXVII
‘O I hae dream’d a dream, mither,
I wish it may bring good!
That the bonny lass of Lochroyan
At my bower window stood. ”

“ Let no man to his topcastle go;
And I will give you a glass [1142] , my lord,
XXXIII
‘And then you need to fear no Scot,
Whether you sayle by day or by night;
And to-morrow, by seven of the clocke,
You shall meete with Sir Andrew Barton, Knight.’
XXXIV
The merchant set Lord Howard a glass
So well apparent in his sight
That on the morrow by seven of the clock
He spy’d Sir Andrew Barton, Knight.
XXXV
Lord Howard he swore a mighty oath
When he saw his hache-bords dearly dight;
‘Now by my faith and by my troth,
Yonder proud Scott is a worthy wight. ”

“ It is very true that the Ballads have no chronology: that no one can say when Hynd Horn was composed, or assert with proof that Clerk Saunders is younger than Childe Maurice or Tam Lin older than Sir Patrick Spens, though that all five are older than The Children in the Wood no one with an ounce of literary sense would deny. ”

“ I cannot loup to thee;
My earthly part is all consumed,
My spirit but speaks to thee.’
XXI
Wringing her hands, tearing her hair,
His lady she was seen,
And thus address’d his servant Gordon,
Where he stood on the green.
XXII
‘O wae be to you, George Gordon!
An ill death may you die!
So safe and sound as you stand there,
And my lord bereaved for me!’—
XXIII
‘I bad him loup, I bad him come,
I bad him loup to me;
I’d catch him in my arms twa,
A foot I should not flee. ”

“ XLIV
‘We cast the kevils [78] us amang
To see which suld to the grene-wood gang.
XLV
‘Ohone, alas! for I was the youngest,
And aye my weird it was the hardest.
XLVI
‘The kevil it did on me fa’,
Which was the cause of a’ my wae.
XLVII
‘For to the grene-wood I must gae,
To pu’ the red rose and the slae;
XLVIII
‘To pu’ the red rose and the thyme
To deck my mother’s bour and mine.
XLIX
‘I hadna pu’d a flower but ane,
When by there came a gallant hende [79] ,
L
‘Wi’ high-coll’d [80] hose and laigh-coll’d shoon,
And he seem’d to be some Kingis son. ”

“ Even of our few certainties we have to remember that, where almost everything depends on oral tradition, it may easily happen—in fact happens not seldom—that a really old ballad ‘of the best period’ has reached us late and in a corrupted form, its original gold overlaid with silver and bronze. ”

“ II
‘Where gat ye your dinner, Lord Randal, my son?
Where gat ye your dinner, my handsome young man?’—
‘I dined wi’ my true-love; mother, make my bed soon,
For I’m weary wi’ hunting, and fain wald lie down.’
III
‘What gat ye to your dinner, Lord Randal, my son?
What gat ye to your dinner, my handsome young man?’—
‘I gat eels boil’d in broo’; mother, make my bed soon,
For I’m weary wi’ hunting, and fain wald lie down.’
IV
‘What became of your bloodhounds, Lord Randal, my son? ”

“ Says, ‘Steward, I’ll give thee as mickle more
If thou be as good to my one son.’—
[Pg 334] XIII
‘If I be false unto my young lord,
Then God be the like to me indeed!’
—So now to France they both are gone,
And the God [of Heaven] be their good speed! ”

“ He is the good father of pretty Bessee.
XIX
‘His marks and his tokens are known very well;
He always is led with a dog and a bell:
A silly old man, God knoweth, is he,
Yet he is the father of pretty Bessee.’
XX
‘Nay then,’ quoth the merchant, ‘thou art not for me!’
‘Nor,’ quoth the innholder, ‘my wife thou shalt be.’
‘I lothe,’ said the gentle, ‘a beggar’s degree,
And therefore adieu, my pretty Bessee!’
XXI
‘Why then,’ quoth the knight, ‘hap better or worse,
I weigh not true love by the weight of the purse,
And beauty is beauty in every degree ”