English and Scottish Ballads Volume I Part 22

Says, "Lie you there, dove Isabel, And all my sorrows lie with thee; 10 Till Kemp Owyne come ower the sea, And borrow you with kisses three, Let all the warld do what they will, Oh borrowed shall you never be."

Her breath grew strang, her hair grew lang, 15 And twisted thrice about the tree, And all the people, far and near, Thought that a savage beast was she; This news did come to Kemp Owyne, Where he lived far beyond the sea. 20

He hasted him to Craigy's sea, And on the savage beast look'd he; Her breath was strang, her hair was lang, And twisted was about the tree, And with a swing she came about: 25 "Come to Craigy's sea, and kiss with me.

"Here is a royal belt," she cried, "That I have found in the green sea; And while your body it is on, Drawn shall your blood never be; 30 But if you touch me, tail or fin, I vow my belt your death shall be."

He stepped in, gave her a kiss, The royal belt he brought him wi'; Her breath was strang, her hair was lang, 35 And twisted twice about the tree, And with a swing she came about: "Come to Craigy's sea, and kiss with me.

"Here is a royal ring," she said, "That I have found in the green sea; 40 And while your finger it is on, Drawn shall your blood never be; But if you touch me, tail or fin, I swear my ring your death shall be."

He stepped in, gave her a kiss, 45 The royal ring he brought him wi'; Her breath was strang, her hair was lang, And twisted ance around the tree, And with a swing she came about: "Come to Craigy's sea, and kiss with me. 50

"Here is a royal brand," she said, "That I have found in the green sea; And while your body it is on, Drawn shall your blood never be; But if you touch me, tail or fin, 55 I swear my brand your death shall be."

He stepped in, gave her a kiss, The royal brand he brought him wi'; Her breath was sweet, her hair grew short, And twisted nane about the tree; 60 And smilingly she came about, As fair a woman as fair could be.

KING HENRY.

A modernized copy of King Henry was published in the _Tales of Wonder_, (No 57,) under the t.i.tle of _Courteous King Jamie_. It first appeared in an ancient dress in the _Border Minstrelsy_, (iii. 274,) but a version preferable in some respects was given by Jamieson in his _Popular Ballads_, (ii. 194,) which is here printed, without the editor's interpolations. For a notice of similar legends, see the _Marriage of Sir Gawaine_, at page 28 of this volume.

Lat never a man a wooing wend, That lacketh thingis three; A routh o' gould, an open heart, Ay fu' o' charity.

As this I speak of King Henry, 5 For he lay burd-alane; And he's doen him to a jelly hunt's ha', Was far frae ony town.

He chas'd the deer now him before, And the roe down by the den, 10 Till the fattest buck in a' the flock King Henry he has slain.

O he has doen him to his ha', To mak him bierly cheer; And in it cam a grisly ghost, 15 Staed stappin' i' the fleer.

Her head hat the roof-tree o' the house, Her middle ye mat weel span;-- He's thrown to her his gay mantle; Says,--"Ladie, hap your lingcan." 20

Her teeth was a' like leather stakes, Her nose like club or mell; And I ken nae thing she 'pear'd to be, But the fiend that wons in h.e.l.l.

"Some meat, some meat, ye King Henry; 25 Some meat ye gie to me."

"And what meat's in this house, Ladie?

And what ha'e I to gi'e?"

"Its ye do kill your berry-brown steed, And ye bring him here to me." 30

O whan he slew his berry-brown steed, Wow but his heart was sair!

She ate him a' up, flesh and bane, Left naething but hide and hair.

"Mair meat, mair meat, ye King Henry, 35 Mair meat ye bring to me."

"And what meat's in this house, Ladie?

And what hae I to gi'e?"

"O ye do kill your good grey hounds, And ye bring them in to me." 40

O whan he killed his good grey hounds, Wow but his heart was sair!

She ate them a' up, flesh and bane, Left naething but hide and hair.

"Mair meat, mair meat, ye King Henry, 45 Mair meat ye bring to me."

"And what meat's in this house, Ladie?

And what hae I to gi'e?"

"O ye do kill your gay goss hawks, And ye bring them here to me." 50

O whan he kill'd his gay goss hawks, Wow but his heart was sair!

She ate them a' up, skin and bane, Left naething but feathers bare.

"Some drink, some drink, now, King Henry; 55 Some drink ye bring to me."

"O what drink's in this house, Ladie, That ye're nae welcome tee?"

"O ye sew up your horse's hide, And bring in a drink to me." 60

And he's sew'd up the b.l.o.o.d.y hide, A puncheon o' wine put in; She drank it a' up at a waught, Left na ae drap ahin'.

"A bed, a bed, now, King Henry, 65 A bed ye mak to me; For ye maun pu' the heather green, And mak a bed to me."

And pu'd has he the heather green, And made to her a bed; 70 And up he's ta'en his gay mantle, And o'er it has he spread.

"Tak aff your claiths, now, King Henry, And lye down by my side;"

"O G.o.d forbid," says King Henry, 75 "That ever the like betide; That ever the fiend that wons in h.e.l.l, Should streek down by my side."

Whan nicht was gane, and day was come, And the sun shone thro' the ha', 80 The fairest lady that ever was seen Lay atween him and the wa'.

"O weel is me!" says King Henry; "How lang'll this last wi' me?"

Then out it spake that fair lady,-- 85 "E'en till the day you die.

"For I've met wi' mony a gentle knicht, That gae me sic a fill; But never before wi' a curteis knicht, That gae me a' my will." 90

COSPATRICK.

(_Border Minstrelsy_, iii. 263.)

This ballad, which is still very popular, is known under various other names, as _Bothwell_, _Child Brenton_, _Lord Dingwall_, _We were Sisters_, _We were Seven_, &c. Scott's version was derived princ.i.p.ally from recitation, but some of the concluding stanzas were taken from Herd's. Herd's copy, which must be regarded as a fragment, is given in connection with the present, and Buchan's in the Appendix to this volume. Another edition, of a suspicious character, may be seen in Cromek's _Remains of Nithsdale and Galloway Song_, (p. 205.) All the princ.i.p.al incidents of the story are found in _Ingefred og Gudrune, Danske Viser_, No. 194, translated by Jamieson, _Ill.u.s.trations_ p. 340.

More or less imperfect versions of the same are _Riddar Olle, Svenska Folk-Visor_, ii. p. 217, 59, 56, 215, and _Herr aster och Froken Sissa_, p. 50. The subst.i.tution of the maid-servant for the bride, occurs also in _Torkild Trundeson, Danske V._, No. 200, or _Thorkil Troneson_, Arwidsson, No. 36. This idea was perhaps derived from _Tristan and Isold_: see Scott's _Sir Tristrem_, II. 54, 55.

Cospatrick has sent o'er the faem; Cospatrick brought his ladye hame; And fourscore s.h.i.+ps have come her wi', The ladye by the grene-wood tree.

There were twal' and twal' wi' baken bread, 5 And twal' and twal' wi' gowd sae reid, And twal' and twal' wi' bouted flour, And twal' and twal' wi' the paramour.