English and Scottish Ballads Volume I Part 40

53, dygh.

68, south.

THE ELPHIN KNIGHT. (See p. 128.)

"The following transcript is a literal copy from the original in the Pepysian library, Cambridge." Motherwell's _Minstrelsy_, Appendix, p.

i.

"A Proper New Ballad, ent.i.tuled, _The Wind hath blown my Plaid away, or, A Discourse betwixt a young Maid and the Elphin-Knight_; To be sung with its own pleasant New Tune."

The Elphin Knight site on yon hill, _Ba, ba, ba, lilli ba,_ He blowes his horn both loud and shril, _The wind hath blown my plaid awa_.

He blowes it East, he blowes it West, 5 _Ba, ba_, &c.

He blowes it where he lyketh best.

_The wind_, &c.

"I wish that horn were in my kist, _Ba, ba_, &c. 10 Yea, and the knight in my armes two."

_The wind_, &c.

She had no sooner these words said, _Ba, ba_, &c.

When that the knight came to her bed. 15 _The wind_, &c.

"Thou art over young a maid," quoth he, _Ba, ba_, &c.

"Married with me thou il wouldst be."

_The wind_, &c. 20

"I have a sister younger than I, _Ba, ba_, &c.

And she was married yesterday."

_The wind_, &c.

"Married with me if thou wouldst be, 25 _Ba, ba_, &c.

A courtesie thou must do to me.

_The wind_, &c.

"For thou must shape a sark to me, _Ba, ba_, &c. 30 Without any cut or heme," quoth he.

_The wind_, &c.

"Thou must shape it needle- and sheerlesse, _Ba, ba_, &c.

And also sue it needle-threedlesse." 35 _The wind_, &c.

"If that piece of courtesie I do to thee, _Ba, ba_, &c.

Another thou must do to me.

_The wind_, &c. 40

"I have an aiker of good ley-land, _Ba, ba_, &c.

Which lyeth low by yon sea-strand.

_The wind_, &c.

"For thou must cure it with thy horn, 45 _Ba, ba_, &c.

So thou must sow it with thy corn.

_The wind_, &c.

"And bigg a cart of stone and lyme, _Ba, ba_, &c. 50 Robin Redbreast he must trail it hame.

_The wind_, &c.

"Thou must barn it in a mouse-holl, _Ba, ba_, &c.

And thrash it into thy shoes' soll. 55 _The wind_, &c.

"And thou must winnow it in thy looff, _Ba, ba_, &c.

And also seck it in thy glove.

_The wind_, &c. 60

"For thou must bring it over the sea, _Ba, ba_, &c.

And thou must bring it dry home to me.

_The wind_, &c.

"When thou hast gotten thy turns well done, 65 _Ba, ba_, &c.

Then come to me and get thy sark then.

_The wind_, &c."

"I'l not quite my plaid for my life, _Ba, ba_, &c. 70 It haps my seven bairns and my wife.

_The wind shall not blow my plaid awa._"

"My maidenhead I'l then keep still, _Ba, ba_, &c.

Let the Elphin Knight do what he will. 75 _The wind's not blown my plaid awa._"

"_My plaid awa, my plaid awa, And o'er the hill and far awa, And far awa, to Norrowa, My plaid shall not be blown awa._"

THE LAIDLEY WORM OF SPINDLESTON-HEUGH. See p. 137.

"A song above 500 years old, made by the old mountain-bard, Duncan Frasier, living on Cheviot, A.D. 1270."

This ballad, first published in Hutchinson's _History of Northumberland_, was the composition of Mr. Robert Lambe, vicar of Norham. Several stanzas are, however, adopted from some ancient tale.

It has been often printed, and is now taken from Ritson's _Northumberland Garland_.

The similar story of _The Worme of Lambton_, versified by the Rev. J.

Watson (compare _Ormekampen_ and the cognate legends, Grundtvig, i.

343, also vol. viii. p. 128, of this collection), may be seen in Richardson's _Borderer's Table-Book_, viii. 129, or in Moore's _Pictorial Book of Ancient Ballad Poetry_, page 784. With the tale of the _Lambton Worm of Durham_ agrees in many particulars that of the _Worm of Linton_ in Roxburghs.h.i.+re. (See Scott's introduction to _Kempion_, and Sir C. Sharpe's _Bishopric Garland_, p. 21.) It is highly probable that the mere coincidence of sound with _Linden-Worm_ caused this last place to be selected as the scene of such a story.