Part 11
6. 'And, as itt ffalles, as many times As any hart can thinke, Or schoole-masters are in any schoole-house Writting with pen and inke: Ffor if I might, as well as shee may, This night I wold with her speake.
7. 'And heere I send her a mantle of greene, As greene as any grasse, And bid her come to the siluer wood, To hunt with Child Maurice.
8. 'And there I send her a ring of gold, A ring of precyous stone, And bidd her come to the siluer wood, Let ffor no kind of man.'
9. One while this litle boy he yode, Another while he ran, Vntill he came to Iohn Stewards hall, I-wis he never blan.
10. And of nurture the child had good, Hee ran vp hall and bower ffree, And when he came to this lady ffaire, Sayes, 'God you saue and see!
11. 'I am come ffrom Child Maurice, A message vnto thee; And Child Maurice, he greetes you well, And euer soe well ffrom mee;
12. 'And, as itt ffalls, as oftentimes As knotts beene knitt on a kell, Or marchant-men gone to leeue London Either ffor to buy ware or sell;
13. 'And as oftentimes he greetes you well As any hart can thinke, Or schoolemasters are in any schoole, Wryting with pen and inke.
14. 'And heere he sends a mantle of greene, As greene as any grasse, And he bidds you come to the siluer wood, To hunt with Child Maurice.
15. 'And heere he sends you a ring of gold, A ring of the precyous stone; He prayes you to come to the siluer wood, Let ffor no kind of man.'
16. 'Now peace, now peace, thou litle ffoot-page, Ffor Christes sake, I pray thee! Ffor if my lord heare one of these words, Thou must be hanged hye!'
17. Iohn Steward stood vnder the castle-wall, And he wrote the words euerye one, ... ... ... ... ... ...
18. And he called vnto his hors-keeper, 'Make readye you my steede!' I, and soe he did to his chamberlaine, 'Make readye thou my weede!'
19. And he cast a lease vpon his backe, And he rode to the siluer wood, And there he sought all about, About the siluer wood.
20. And there he ffound him Child Maurice Sitting vpon a blocke, With a siluer combe in his hand, Kembing his yellow locke.
... ... ...
21. But then stood vp him Child Maurice, And sayd these words trulye: 'I doe not know your ladye,' he said, 'If that I doe her see.'
22. He sayes, 'How now, how now, Child Maurice? Alacke, how may this bee? Ffor thou hast sent her loue-tokens, More now then two or three;
23. 'Ffor thou hast sent her a mantle of greene, As greene as any grasse, And bade her come to the siluer woode To hunt with Child Maurice.
24. 'And thou [hast] sent her a ring of gold, A ring of precyous stone, And bade her come to the siluer wood, Let ffor noe kind of man.
25. 'And by my ffaith, now, Child Maurice, The tone of vs shall dye!' 'Now be my troth,' sayd Child Maurice, 'And that shall not be I.'
26. But hee pulled forth a bright browne sword, And dryed itt on the grasse, And soe ffast he smote att Iohn Steward, I-wisse he neuer rest.
27. Then hee pulled fforth his bright browne sword, And dryed itt on his sleeue, And the ffirst good stroke Iohn Stewart stroke, Child Maurice head he did cleeue.
28. And he pricked itt on his swords poynt, Went singing there beside, And he rode till he came to that ladye ffaire, Wheras this ladye lyed.
29. And sayes, 'Dost thou know Child Maurice head, If that thou dost itt see? And lap itt soft, and kisse itt oft, For thou louedst him better than mee.'
30. But when shee looked on Child Maurice head, She neuer spake words but three: 'I neuer beare no child but one, And you haue slaine him trulye.'
31. Sayes, 'Wicked be my merrymen all, I gaue meate, drinke, and clothe! But cold they not haue holden me When I was in all that wrath!
32. 'Ffor I haue slaine one of the curteousest knights That euer bestrode a steed, Soe haue I done one [of] the fairest ladyes That euer ware womans weede!'
[Annotations: 1.1: 'siluer': the Folio gives _siluen_. 4.3,4: These lines in the Folio precede st. 6. 5.2: _i.e._ as many times as there are knots knit in a net for the hair; cf. French _cale_. 5.3: 'leeue,' lovely. 8.4: 'Let,' fail: it is the infinitive, governed by 'bidd.' 9.1: 'yode,' went. 9.4: 'blan,' lingered. 13.3: 'are': omitted in the Folio. 18.3: 'I,' aye. 19.1: 'lease,' leash, thong, string: perhaps for bringing back any game he might kill. After 20 at least one verse is lost. 22.1,2: In the Folio these lines precede 21.1,2. 24.1: 'hast' omitted in the Folio. 25.2: 'tone,' the one (or other).]
FAUSE FOOTRAGE
+The Text+ is from Alexander Fraser Tytler's Brown MS., which was also the source of Scott's version in the _Minstrelsy_. One line (31.1), closely resembling a line in Lady Wardlaw's forged ballad _Hardyknute_, caused Sir Walter to investigate strictly the authenticity of the ballad, but the evidence of Lady Douglas, that she had learned the ballad in her childhood, and could still repeat much of it, removed his doubts. It is, however, quite possible, as Professor Child points out, 'that Mrs. Brown may unconsciously have adopted this verse from the tiresome and affected _Hardyknute_, so much esteemed in her day.'
+The Story.+--In _The Complaynt of Scotlande_ (1549) there is mentioned a tale 'how the King of Estmure Land married the King's daughter of Westmure Land,' and it has been suggested that there is a connection with the ballad.
This is another of the ballads of which the English form has become so far corrupted that we have to seek its Scandinavian counterpart to obtain the full form of the story. The ballad is especially popular in Denmark, where it is found in twenty-three manuscripts, as follows:--
The rich Svend wooes Lisbet, who favours William for his good qualities. Svend, ill with grief, is well-advised by his mother, not to care for a plighted maid, and ill-advised by his sister, to kill William. Svend takes the latter advice, and kills William. Forty weeks later, Lisbet gives birth to a son, but Svend is told that the child is a girl. Eighteen years later, the young William, sporting with a peasant, quarrels with him; the peasant retorts, 'You had better avenge your father's death.' Young William asks his mother who slew his father, and she, thinking him too young to fight, counsels him to bring Svend to a court. William charges him in the court with the murder of his father, and says that no compensation has been offered. Not a penny shall be paid, says Svend. William draws his sword, and slays him.
Icelandic, Swedish, and Faeroee ballads tell a similar story.
FAUSE FOOTRAGE
1. King Easter has courted her for her gowd, King Wester for her fee; King Honor for her lands sae braid, And for her fair body.
2. They had not been four months married, As I have heard them tell, Until the nobles of the land Against them did rebel.
3. And they cast kaivles them amang, And kaivles them between; And they cast kaivles them amang, Wha shoud gae kill the king.
4. O some said yea, and some said nay, Their words did not agree; Till up it gat him Fa'se Footrage, And sware it shoud be he.
5. When bells were rung, and mass was sung, And a' man boon to bed, King Honor and his gay ladie In a hie chamer were laid.
6. Then up it raise him Fa'se Footrage, While a' were fast asleep, And slew the porter in his lodge, That watch and ward did keep.
7. O four and twenty silver keys Hang hie upon a pin, And ay as a door he did unlock, He has fasten'd it him behind.
8. Then up it raise him King Honor, Says, 'What means a' this din? Now what's the matter, Fa'se Footrage, Or wha was't loot you in?'
9. 'O ye my errand well shall learn Before that I depart'; Then drew a knife baith lang and sharp And pierced him thro' the heart.
10. Then up it got the Queen hersell, And fell low down on her knee: 'O spare my life now, Fa'se Footrage! For I never injured thee.
11. 'O spare my life now, Fa'se Footrage! Until I lighter be! And see gin it be lad or lass, King Honor has left me wi'.'
12. 'O gin it be a lass,' he says, 'Weel nursed she shall be; But gin it be a lad-bairn, He shall be hanged hie.
13. 'I winna spare his tender age, Nor yet his hie, hie kin; But as soon as e'er he born is, He shall mount the gallows-pin.'
14. O four and twenty valiant knights Were set the Queen to guard, And four stood ay at her bower-door, To keep baith watch and ward.
15. But when the time drew till an end That she should lighter be, She cast about to find a wile To set her body free.
16. O she has birled these merry young men Wi' strong beer and wi' wine, Until she made them a' as drunk As any wall-wood swine.
17. 'O narrow, narrow is this window, And big, big am I grown!' Yet thro' the might of Our Ladie, Out at it she has won.
18. She wander'd up, she wander'd down, She wander'd out and in; And at last, into the very swines' stye, The Queen brought forth a son.
19. Then they cast kaivles them amang Wha should gae seek the Queen; And the kaivle fell upon Wise William, And he's sent his wife for him.
20. O when she saw Wise William's wife, The Queen fell on her knee; 'Win up, win up, madame,' she says, 'What means this courtesie?'
21. 'O out of this I winna rise, Till a boon ye grant to me, To change your lass for this lad-bairn, King Honor left me wi'.
22. 'And ye maun learn my gay gos-hawke Well how to breast a steed; And I shall learn your turtle-dow As well to write and read.
23. 'And ye maun learn my gay gos-hawke To wield baith bow and brand; And I sall learn your turtle-dow To lay gowd wi' her hand.
24. 'At kirk and market where we meet, We dare nae mair avow But--"Dame, how does my gay gose-hawk?" "Madame, how does my dow?"'
25. When days were gane, and years come on, Wise William he thought long; Out has he ta'en King Honor's son, A hunting for to gang.
26. It sae fell out at their hunting, Upon a summer's day, That they cam' by a fair castle, Stood on a sunny brae.
27. 'O dinna ye see that bonny castle Wi' wa's and towers sae fair? Gin ilka man had back his ain, Of it you shoud be heir.'
28. 'How I shoud be heir of that castle, In sooth I canna see; When it belongs to Fa'se Footrage, And he's nae kin to me.'
29. 'O gin ye shoud kill him Fa'se Footrage, You woud do what is right; For I wot he kill'd your father dear, Ere ever you saw the light.
30. 'Gin you shoud kill him Fa'se Footrage, There is nae man durst you blame; For he keeps your mother a prisoner, And she dares no take you hame.'
31. The boy stared wild like a gray gose-hawk, Says, 'What may a' this mean?' 'My boy, you are King Honor's son, And your mother's our lawful queen.'
32. 'O gin I be King Honor's son, By Our Ladie I swear, This day I will that traytour slay, And relieve my mother dear!'
33. He has set his bent bow till his breast, And lap the castle-wa'; And soon he's siesed on Fa'se Footrage, Wha loud for help gan ca'.
34. 'O haud your tongue now, Fa'se Footrage, Frae me ye shanno flee.' Syne pierced him through the foul fa'se heart, And set his mother free.
35. And he has rewarded Wise William Wi' the best half of his land; And sae has he the turtle dow Wi' the truth o' his right hand.
[Annotations: 3.1: 'kaivles,' lots. 13.4: 'gallows-pin,' the projecting beam of the gallows. 16.1: 'birled,' plied. 16.4: 'wallwood,' wild wood: a conventional ballad-phrase. 25.2: A stock ballad-phrase. 33.1: A ballad conventionality.]
FAIR ANNIE OF ROUGH ROYAL
'Ouvre ta port', Germin', c'est moi qu'est ton mari.' 'Donnez-moi des indic's de la premiere nuit, Et par la je croirai que vous et's mon mari.'
--_Germaine._
+The Text+ is Fraser Tytler's, taken down from the recitation of Mrs. Brown in 1800, who had previously (1783) recited a similar version to Jamieson. The later recitation, which was used by Scott, with others, seems to contain certain improvisations of Mrs. Brown's which do not appear in the earlier form.
+The Story.+--A mother, who feigns to be her own son and demands tokens of the girl outside the gate, turns her son's love away, and is cursed by him. Similar ballads exist in France, Germany, and Greece.
There is an early eighteenth-century MS. (Elizabeth Cochrane's _Song-Book_) of this ballad, which gives a preliminary history. Isabel of Rochroyal dreams of her love Gregory; she rises up, calls for a swift steed, and rides forth till she meets a company. They ask her who she is, and are told that she is 'Fair Isabel of Rochroyal,' seeking her true-love Gregory. They direct her to 'yon castle'; and thenceforth the tale proceeds much as in the other versions.
'Lochryan,' says Scott, 'lies in Galloway; Roch--or Rough--royal, I have not found, but there is a Rough castle in Stirlingshire' (Child).
FAIR ANNIE OF ROUGH ROYAL
1. 'O wha will shoe my fu' fair foot? And wha will glove my hand? And wha will lace my middle jimp, Wi' the new-made London band?
2. 'And wha will kaim my yellow hair, Wi' the new-made silver kaim? And wha will father my young son, Till Love Gregor come hame?'
3. 'Your father will shoe your fu' fair foot, Your mother will glove your hand; Your sister will lace your middle jimp Wi' the new-made London band.
4. 'Your brother will kaim your yellow hair, Wi' the new-made silver kaim; And the king of heaven will father your bairn, Till Love Gregor come haim.'
5. 'But I will get a bonny boat, And I will sail the sea, For I maun gang to Love Gregor, Since he canno come hame to me.'
6. O she has gotten a bonny boat, And sail'd the sa't sea fame; She lang'd to see her ain true-love, Since he could no come hame.
7. 'O row your boat, my mariners, And bring me to the land, For yonder I see my love's castle, Closs by the sa't sea strand.'
8. She has ta'en her young son in her arms, And to the door she's gone, And lang she's knock'd and sair she ca'd, But answer got she none.
9. 'O open the door, Love Gregor,' she says, 'O open, and let me in; For the wind blaws thro' my yellow hair, And the rain draps o'er my chin.'
10. 'Awa', awa', ye ill woman, You 'r nae come here for good; You 'r but some witch, or wile warlock, Or mer-maid of the flood.'
11. 'I am neither a witch nor a wile warlock, Nor mer-maid of the sea, I am Fair Annie of Rough Royal; O open the door to me.'
12. 'Gin ye be Annie of Rough Royal-- And I trust ye are not she-- Now tell me some of the love-tokens That past between you and me.'
13. 'O dinna you mind now, Love Gregor, When we sat at the wine, How we changed the rings frae our fingers? And I can show thee thine.
14. 'O yours was good, and good enneugh, But ay the best was mine; For yours was o' the good red goud, But mine o' the dimonds fine.
15. 'But open the door now, Love Gregor, O open the door I pray, For your young son that is in my arms Will be dead ere it be day.'
16. 'Awa', awa', ye ill woman, For here ye shanno win in; Gae drown ye in the raging sea, Or hang on the gallows-pin.'
17. When the cock had crawn, and day did dawn, And the sun began to peep, Then it raise him Love Gregor, And sair, sair did he weep.
18. 'O I dream'd a dream, my mother dear, The thoughts o' it gars me greet, That Fair Annie of Rough Royal Lay cauld dead at my feet.'
19. 'Gin it be for Annie of Rough Royal That ye make a' this din, She stood a' last night at this door, But I trow she wan no in.'
20. 'O wae betide ye, ill woman, An ill dead may ye die! That ye woudno open the door to her, Nor yet woud waken me.'
21. O he has gone down to yon shore-side, As fast as he could fare; He saw Fair Annie in her boat But the wind it toss'd her sair.
22. And 'Hey, Annie!' and 'How, Annie! O Annie, winna ye bide?' But ay the mair that he cried 'Annie,' The braider grew the tide.
23. And 'Hey, Annie!' and 'How, Annie! Dear Annie, speak to me!' But ay the louder he cried 'Annie,' The louder roar'd the sea.
24. The wind blew loud, the sea grew rough, And dash'd the boat on shore; Fair Annie floats on the raging sea, But her young son raise no more.
25. Love Gregor tare his yellow hair, And made a heavy moan; Fair Annie's corpse lay at his feet, But his bonny young son was gone.
26. O cherry, cherry was her cheek, And gowden was her hair, But clay cold were her rosey lips, Nae spark of life was there.
27. And first he's kiss'd her cherry cheek, And neist he's kissed her chin; And saftly press'd her rosey lips, But there was nae breath within.
28. 'O wae betide my cruel mother, And an ill dead may she die! For she turn'd my true-love frae the door, When she came sae far to me.'
[Annotations: 10.3: 'warlock,' wizard, magician. 18.2: 'gars me greet,' makes me weep.]
HIND HORN
+The Text+ is from Motherwell's MS., written from the recitation of a Mrs. King of Kilbarchan.
+The Story+ of the ballad is a mere remnant of the story told in the Gest of King Horn, preserved in three manuscripts, the oldest of which belongs to the thirteenth century. Similar stories are given in a French romance of the fourteenth century, and an English manuscript of the same date. The complete story in the Gest may be condensed as follows:--
Horn, son of Murry, King of Suddenne, was captured by Saracens, who killed his father, and turned him and his twelve companions adrift in a boat, which was eventually beached safely on the coast of Westerness, and Ailmar the king took them in and brought them up. Rymenhild his daughter, falling in love with Horn, offered herself to him. He refused, unless she would make the king knight him. She did so, and again claimed his love; but he said he must first prove his knighthood. She gave him a ring set with stones, such that he could never be slain if he looked on it and thought of her. His first feat was the slaying of a hundred heathens; then he returned to Rymenhild. Meanwhile, however, one of his companions had told the king that Horn meant to kill him and wed his daughter. Ailmar ordered Horn to quit his court; and Horn, having told Rymenhild that if he did not come back in seven years she might marry another, sailed to the court of King Thurston in Ireland, where he stayed for seven years, performing feats of valour with the aid of Rymenhild's ring.
At the end of the allotted time, Rymenhild was to be married to King Modi of Reynis. Horn, hearing of this, went back to Westerness, arrived on the marriage-morn, met a palmer (the old beggar man of the ballad), changed clothes with him, and entered the hall. According to custom, Rymenhild served wine to the guests, and as Horn drank, he dropped her ring into the vessel. When she discovered it, she sent for the palmer, and questioned him. He said Horn had died on the voyage thither. Rymenhild seized a knife she had hidden to kill King Modi and herself if Horn came not, and set it to her breast. The palmer threw off his disguise, saying, 'I am Horn.' Still he would not wed her till he had regained his father's kingdom of Suddenne, and went away and did so. Meanwhile a false friend seized Rymenhild; but on the marriage-day Horn returned, killed him, and finally made Rymenhild his wife and Queen of Suddenne.
Compare the story of Torello and the Saladin in the _Decameron_, Tenth Day, Novel 9.
HIND HORN
1. In Scotland there was a babie born, _Lill lal, etc._ And his name it was called young Hind Horn, _With a fal lal, etc._
2. He sent a letter to our king That he was in love with his daughter Jean.[A]
... ... ...
3. He's gi'en to her a silver wand, With seven living lavrocks sitting thereon.
4. She's gi'en to him a diamond ring, With seven bright diamonds set therein.
5. 'When this ring grows pale and wan, You may know by it my love is gane.'
6. One day as he looked his ring upon, He saw the diamonds pale and wan.
7. He left the sea and came to land, And the first that he met was an old beggar man.
8. 'What news, what news?' said young Hind Horn; 'No news, no news,' said the old beggar man.
9. 'No news,' said the beggar, 'no news at a', But there is a wedding in the king's ha'.
10. 'But there is a wedding in the king's ha', That has halden these forty days and twa.'
11. 'Will ye lend me your begging coat? And I'll lend you my scarlet cloak.
12. 'Will you lend me your beggar's rung? And I'll gi'e you my steed to ride upon.
13. 'Will you lend me your wig o' hair, To cover mine, because it is fair?'
14. The auld beggar man was bound for the mill, But young Hind Horn for the king's hall.
15. The auld beggar man was bound for to ride, But young Hind Horn was bound for the bride.
16. When he came to the king's gate, He sought a drink for Hind Horn's sake.
17. The bride came down with a glass of wine, When he drank out the glass, and dropt in the ring.
18. 'O got ye this by sea or land? Or got ye it off a dead man's hand?'
19. 'I got not it by sea, I got it by land, And I got it, madam, out of your own hand.'
20. 'O I'll cast off my gowns of brown, And beg wi' you frae town to town.
21. 'O I'll cast off my gowns of red, And I'll beg wi' you to win my bread.'
22. 'Ye needna cast off your gowns of brown, For I'll make you lady o' many a town.