“ And thou thy love-longing wilt quickly forego.”
p. 22He chased the proud hart, and he chased the swift hind,
But he never could chase the fair maid from his mind.
He chased the tall hart, and he chased the sleek roe,
But the longing of love from his mind would not go.
So the knight from the country was driven at last,
And into a cloister the maiden was cast.
No little bird shaped from the far land its flight
Than enquiry she made for her dear betrothed knight.
A bird ne’er so little across the sea stray’d
But he enquired after his dear betrothed maid. ”

“ I come from betrothing the little Kirstine.”
“Our Lady forbid, and our Lady forfend,
Relations like ye to betroth should pretend.
“In wedlock united ye never must be,
For brother and sister, believe me, are ye.” ”

“ Transcribed from the 1913 Thomas J. Wise pamphlet by David Price, email [email protected]. Many thanks to Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library, UK, for kindly supplying the images from which this transcription was made. ”