CHAPTER XVII
PERCY'S RELIQUES--CHEVY CHASE AND THE BATTLE OF OTTERBOURNE--SIR PATRICK SPENS--THE NORTHERN MUSE
A ballad is a simple tale told in simple verse. These tales in verse may be very old, or they may have been composed only a few years ago. But, generally speaking, the old ballads are best. The world seems to have lost the art of telling stories in verse as simply and naturally as people could many hundreds of years ago.
The old ballads are like old fairy tales; no one knows when they were first told or sung. It seems likely that they were made, not by great people or distinguished scholars, but by simple, ordinary people, to be sung or told to other simple, ordinary people. You will remember that fables in the same way were likely told first by one neighbour to another. Ballads and fairy tales and fables, long before books or newspapers were printed, were ways in which everyday people handed down from fathers and mothers to sons and daughters, chronicles and history, learning and good advice, wise sayings, and notable happenings.
After a long time, very many years, people who enjoyed these ballads, as soon as they knew how to write, began to write them down. Apparently, {112} no one thought much about the songs for a while. Then scholars who were fond of ancient songs looked for and treasured the old ballads. One of the first and most famous collectors of ballads was Bishop Percy who published his _Reliques of Ancient English Poetry_ in 1765. Sir Walter Scott's _Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border_ was published in 1802. Bishop Percy reproduced, as part of his collection, an old manuscript of ballads which he had rescued from being used by a maid to light a fire.
Ballads belong to many countries, and oddly enough, the same stories are sometimes sung in different words in many of these countries. In English poetry, a number of the finest ballads come from the borders between England and Scotland before these two countries were joined. "Chevy Chase" and "The Battle of Otterbourne" were sung of raids and wars between the English and the Scots. Other countries famous for their ballads are Greece, France, Provence, Portugal, Denmark and Italy.
The ballads called "Chevy Chase" and "The Battle of Otterbourne" perhaps have become confused one with the other. Part of "Chevy Chase" seems to have found its way into "The Battle of Otterbourne". There are many different versions of these ballads. The versions written by English balladists tell how the English defeated the Scots; on the other hand, the Scots versions say that the Scots were victors.
Here is part of "The Battle of Otterbourne", taken from Scott's _Minstrelsy_.
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It fell upon the Lammas tide, When the muir-men win their hay, The doughty Douglas bound him to ride Into England, to drive a prey.
And he marched up to Newcastle, And rode it round about; "O wha's the lord of this castle, Or wha's the lady o't?"
But up spoke proud Lord Percy then, And O but he spake hie! "I am the Lord of this castle, My wife's the lady gay."
Lord Percy and the Douglas agreed to fight with their men at Otterbourne in three days. Percy wounded the Douglas to his death and the Douglas sent for his nephew Sir Hugh Montgomery.
"My wound is deep; I fain would sleep; Take thou the vanguard of the three, And hide me by the braken bush, That grows on yonder lily lea.
"O bury me by the braken bush, Beneath the blooming brier, Let never living mortal ken That a kindly Scot lies here."
Later in the battle, Sir Hugh Montgomery and Lord Percy fought, and Sir Hugh was the victor. He said to Lord Percy to yield, who answered to whom must he yield!
"Thou shalt not yield to lord or loun, Nor yet shalt thou yield to me; But yield thee to the braken bush, That grows upon yon lily lea!"
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"I will not yield to a braken bush, Nor yet will I yield to a brier; But I would yield to Earl Douglas, Or Sir Hugh Montgomery, if he were here."
As soon as he knew it was Montgomery, He struck his sword's point in the ground; The Montgomery was a courteous knight, And quickly took him by the hand.
This deed was done at Otterbourne About the breaking of the day; Earl Douglas was buried at the braken bush, And the Percy led captive away.
Little is known from history of the story told in "Sir Patrick Spens". It was first published by Bishop Percy in his _Reliques_. Princess Margaret of Scotland was married to Prince Eric of Norway in 1281. The ballad of "Sir Patrick Spens" may possibly have some reference to this historical event, but no one can say so with certainty. We learn from the ballad that Sir Patrick Spens was a splendid seaman, and that the Scots king gave him a commission to sail to Norway and bring home the king's daughter. But it was late in the year. The waters would be stormy; and Sir Patrick knew that he and his men would be in peril of their lives. They sailed to Norway, which is called Noroway in the ballad, and had been there a week only when the lords of Noroway began to complain that the Scots were costly guests. Sir Patrick answered that they had brought white money and good red gold, more than enough to pay for all they cost, but that he would sail immediately. His sailors told him that they had seen signs of a storm.
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"I saw the new moon late yestreen, Wi' the auld moon in her arm; And if we gang to sea, master, I fear we'll come to harm."
They hadna mailed a league, a league, A league but barely three, When the lift grew dark, and the wind blew loud, And gurly grew the sea.
The ankers brak, and the topmasts lap, It was sic a deadly storm, And the waves came o'er the broken ship, Till a' her sides were torn.
Sir Patrick must have been steering the ship himself, for he asked for a volunteer to take the helm while he went up to the tall topmast, to see if he could spy land. A sailor took the helm, but Sir Patrick had only gone a step when a bolt flew out of the good ship and the salt water came in. They tried to stop the leak but failed, and Sir Patrick and his men were lost.
O lang, lang may the ladies sit, Wi' their fans into their hand, Before they see Sir Patrick Spens Come sailing to the strand.
And lang, lang may the maidens sit, Wi' their goud kames in their hair, A' waiting for their ain dear loves, For them they'll see nae mair.
Half owre, half owre to Aberdour, 'Tis fifty fathoms deep And there lies gude Sir Patrick Spens Wi' the Scots lords at his feet.
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"Sir Patrick Spens" is a wonderful old ballad. Most of the words, old as they are, you will understand. In the second verse quoted, lift means sky; a gurly sea is a stormy sea. Goud kames in the verse before the last means gold combs.
Mr. John Buchan a few years ago made a collection of Scottish poetry called _The Northern Muse_. In it, you may read a number of famous ballads. There are also many delightful old songs which tell of the lives of ordinary folk, or people, in their everyday work. Turn specially to number sixty-six, which is the famous, beautiful old song of a woman, a good wife, who is getting ready for the homecoming of her husband; it is called "There's nae Luck about the House". Number sixty-eight is a song of fishing people. These are not exactly ballads, but they are written, as we say, almost in the same mood as a ballad. An amusing song about a clever small boy is number one hundred and eighty; it is a ballad, and is called "The False Knight Upon the Road". In days long ago people believed in witches and wizards.
The false knight is supposed to be a wizard. If the small boy had not been quick enough to give him an answer to every question, the wizard, people thought then, might carry him away. Now listen to the small boy.
"O whare are ye gaun?" Quo' the fause knicht upon the road: "I'm gaun to the scule," Quo' the wee boy, and still he stude.
"What is that upon your back?" Quo' the fause knicht upon the road: {117} "Atweel it is my bukes," Quo' the wee boy, and still he stude.
And so on to the end of the story. Scule, of course, is school, and bukes are books. Stude is stood.
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