The Project Gutenberg EBook of English and Scottish Ballads, Volume II (of 8), by Various This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: English and Scottish Ballads, Volume II (of 8) Author: Various Editor: Francis James Child Release Date: October 12, 2011 [EBook #37738] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ENGLISH, SCOTTISH BALLADS, VOL 2 OF 8 *** Produced by Simon Gardner, Dianna Adair, Marilynda Fraser-Cunliffe and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by the Digital & Multimedia Center, Michigan State University Libraries.) Transcriber's Notes Linenotes have been grouped at the end of each ballad. Linenote anchors have been added to the text which provide a link to the appropriate note. Irregular and inconsistent spellings have been retained as in the original. Typographical errors such as wrongly placed line numbers, punctuation or inconsistent formatting have been corrected without comment. Where changes have been made to the wording these are listed at the end of the book. ENGLISH AND SCOTTISH BALLADS. EDITED BY FRANCIS JAMES CHILD. VOLUME II. BOSTON: LITTLE, BROWN AND COMPANY. M.DCCC.LX. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1857, by Little, Brown and Company, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts. RIVERSIDE, CAMBRIDGE: STEREOTYPED AND PRINTED BY H. O. HOUGHTON AND COMPANY. [Pg i] [Pg ii] [Pg iii] CONTENTS OF VOLUME SECOND. BOOK II. Page 1 a. Glasgerion 3 1 b. Glenkindie 8 2 a. Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard 15 2 b. Lord Randal (A) 22 3 a. Gil Morrice 28 3 b. Child Noryce 40 4. Clerk Saunders 45 5 a. Sweet Willie and Lady Margerie 53 5 b. Willie and Lady Maisry 57 6. The Clerk's Twa Sons o' Owsenford 63 7. Childe Vyet 72 8. Lady Maisry 78 9 a. Fair Janet 86 9 b. Sweet Willie 93 10 a. Fair Annie of Lochroyan 98 10 b. The Lass of Lochroyan 106 11. The Douglas Tragedy 114 12 a. Lord Thomas and Fair Ellinor 121 12 b. Lord Thomas and Fair Annet 125 12 c. Sweet Willie and Fair Annie 131 12 d. Fair Margaret and Sweet William 140 13 a. Sweet William's Ghost 145 13 b. William and Marjorie 149 13 c. Sweet William and May Margaret 152 14 a. Bonny Barbara Allan 155 14 b. Barbara Allen's Cruelty 158 15. Lord Lovel 162 16 a. Lord Salton and Auchanachie, [Maidment] 165 16 b. Lord Salton and Auchanachie, [Buchan] 167 17 a. Willie and May Margaret 171 17 b. The Drowned Lovers 175 18. Willie's Drowned in Gamery 181 19. Annan Water 186 20 a. Andrew Lammie 190 20 b. The Trumpeter of Fyvie 201 21. Fair Helen of Kirconnel 207 22. The Lowlands of Holland 213 BOOK III. 1 a. The Twa Brothers 219 1 b. Edward, Edward 225 [Pg iv] 1 c. Son Davie, Son Davie 228 2 a. The Cruel Sister 231 2 b. The Twa Sisters 238 3 a. Lord Donald 244 3 b. Lord Randal (B) 248 4 a. The Cruel Brother, [Jamieson] 251 4 b. The Cruel Brother, [Herd] 257 5 a. Lady Anne 262 5 b. Fine Flowers in the Valley 265 5 c. The Cruel Mother, [Motherwell] 267 5 d. The Cruel Mother, [Kinloch] 269 6. May Colvin 271 7 a. Babylon 277 7 b. Duke of Perth's Three Daughters 281 8. Jellon Grame 285 9. Young Johnstone 291 10. Young Benjie 298 APPENDIX. Lord Barnaby 307 Child Maurice 313 Clerk Saunders 318 Lord Wa'yates and Auld Ingram 326 Sweet Willie and Fair Maisry 332 Lady Marjorie 338 Leesome Brand 342 The Youth of Rosengord 347 The Blood-Stained Son 350 The Twa Brothers 353 The Miller and the King's Daughter 357 The Bonny Bows o' London 360 The Croodlin Doo 363 The Snake-Cook 364 The Child's Last Will 366 The Three Knights 368 The Cruel Mother 372 The Minister's Dochter o' Newarke 376 Bondsey and Maisry 379 Ladye Diamond 382 The West-Country Damosel's Complaint 384 The Brave Earl Brand and the King of England's Daughter 388 La Vendicatrice—supplement to May Colvin 392 Glossary 395 [Pg v] BOOK II. GLASGERION. The two following ballads have the same subject, and perhaps had a common original. The "Briton Glaskyrion" is honourably mentioned as a harper by Chaucer, in company with Chiron, Orion, and Orpheus, (House of Fame, B. iii. v. 118,) and with the last he is also associated, as Mr. Finlay has pointed out, by Bishop Douglas, in the Palice of Honour. "The Scottish writers," says Jamieson, "adapting the name to their own meridian, call him Glenkindy, Glenskeenie, &c." Glasgerion is reprinted from Percy's Reliques, iii. 83. Glasgerion was a kings owne sonne, And a harper he was goode; He harped in the kings chambere, Where cuppe and caudle stoode, And soe did hee in the queens chambere, Till ladies waxed wood, And then bespake the kinges daughter, And these wordes thus shee sayd:— "Strike on, strike on, Glasgerion, Of thy striking doe not blinne; Theres never a stroke comes oer thy harpe, But it glads my hart withinne." "Faire might him fall, ladye," quoth hee, "Who taught you nowe to speake! I have loved you, ladye, seven longe yeere, My harte I neere durst breake." "But come to my bower, my Glasgerion, When all men are att rest: As I am a ladie true of my promise, Thou shalt bee a welcome guest." Home then came Glasgerion, A glad man, lord! was hee: "And, come thou hither, Jacke my boy, Come hither unto mee. "For the kinges daughter of Normandye Hath granted mee my boone; And att her chambere must I bee Beffore the cocke have crowen." "O master, master," then quoth hee, "Lay your head downe on this stone; For I will waken you, master deere, Afore it be time to gone." But up then rose that lither ladd, And hose and shoone did on; A coller he cast upon his necke, Hee seemed a gentleman. And when he came to the ladyes chamber, He thrild upon a pinn: The lady was true of her promise, And rose and lett him inn. He did not take the lady gaye To boulster nor to bed: [Pg 1] [Pg 3] [Pg 4] 5 10 15 20 25 [Pg 5] 30 35 40 [Nor thoughe hee had his wicked wille, A single word he sed.] He did not kisse that ladyes mouthe, Nor when he came, nor yode: And sore that ladye did mistrust, He was of some churls bloud. But home then came that lither ladd, And did off his hose and shoone; And cast the coller from off his necke: He was but a churlès sonne. "Awake, awake, my deere master, The cock hath well-nigh crowen; Awake, awake, my master deere, I hold it time to be gone. "For I have saddled your horsse, master, Well bridled I have your steede, And I have served you a good breakfast, For thereof ye have need." Up then rose good Glasgerion, And did on hose and shoone, And cast a coller about his necke: For he was a kinge his sonne. And when he came to the ladyes chambere, He thrilled upon the pinne; The ladye was more than true of promise, And rose and let him inn. "O whether have you left with me Your bracelet or your glove? Or are you returned back againe To know more of my love?" Glasgerion swore a full great othe, By oake, and ashe, and thorne; "Ladye, I was never in your chambere, Sith the time that I was borne." "O then it was your lither foot-page, He hath beguiled mee:" Then shee pulled forth a little pen-knìffe, That hanged by her knee. Sayes, "there shall never noe churlès blood Within my bodye spring: No churlès blood shall e'er defile The daughter of a kinge." Home then went Glasgerion, And woe, good lord! was hee: Sayes, "come thou hither, Jacke my boy, Come hither unto mee. "If I had killed a man to-night, Jack, I would tell it thee: But if I have not killed a man to-night, Jacke, thou hast killed three." And he puld out his bright browne sword, And dryed it on his sleeve, And he smote off that lither ladds head, Who did his ladye grieve. 45 50 [Pg 6] 55 60 65 70 75 [Pg 7] 80 85 90 95 He sett the swords poynt till his brest, The pummil untill a stone: Throw the falsenesse of that lither ladd, These three lives werne all gone. 13, him fall. 77, MS. litle. GLENKINDIE. From Jamieson's Popular Ballads and Songs, i. 91. The copy in the Thistle of Scotland, p. 31, is the same. Glenkindie was ance a harper gude, He harped to the king; And Glenkindie was ance the best harper That ever harp'd on a string. He'd harpit a fish out o' saut water, Or water out o' a stane; Or milk out o' a maiden's breast, That bairn had never nane. He's taen his harp intil his hand, He harpit and he sang; And ay as he harpit to the king, To haud him unthought lang. "I'll gie you a robe, Glenkindie, A robe o' the royal pa', Gin ye will harp i' the winter's night Afore my nobles a'." And the king but and his nobles a' Sat birling at the wine; And he wad hae but his ae dochter, To wait on them at dine. He's taen his harp intill his hand, He's harpit them a' asleep, Except it was the young countess, That love did waukin keep. And first he has harpit a grave tune, And syne he has harpit a gay; And mony a sich atween hands I wat the lady gae. Says, "Whan day is dawen, and cocks hae crawen, And wappit their wings sae wide, It's ye may come to my bower door, And streek you by my side. "But look that ye tell na Gib your man, For naething that ye dee; For, an ye tell him, Gib your man, He'll beguile baith you and me." He's taen his harp intill his hand; He harpit and he sang; And he is hame to Gib his man, As fast as he could gang. "O mith I tell you, Gib, my man, Gin I a man had slain?" 100 [Pg 8] 5 10 [Pg 9] 15 20 25 [Pg 10] 30 35 40 "O that ye micht, my gude master, Altho' ye had slain ten." "Then tak ye tent now, Gib, my man, My bidden for to dee; And, but an ye wauken me in time, Ye sall be hangit hie. "Whan day has dawen, and cocks hae crawen, And wappit their wings sae wide, I'm bidden gang till yon lady's bower, And streek me by her side." "Gae hame to your bed, my good master; Ye've waukit, I fear, o'er lang; For I'll wauken you in as good time, As ony cock i' the land." He's taen his harp intill his hand, He harpit and he sang, Until he harpit his master asleep, Syne fast awa did gang. And he is till that lady's bower, As fast as he could rin; When he cam till that lady's bower, He chappit at the chin. "O wha is this," says that lady, "That opens nae and comes in?" "It's I, Glenkindie, your ain true love, O open and lat me in!" She kent he was nae gentle knicht That she had latten in; For neither whan he gaed nor cam, Kist he her cheek or chin. He neither kist her whan he cam, Nor clappit her when he gaed; And in and at her bower window, The moon shone like the gleed. "O, ragged is your hose, Glenkindie, And riven is your sheen, And reavel'd is your yellow hair That I saw late yestreen." "The stockings they are Gib my man's, They came first to my hand; And this is Gib my man's shoon; At my bed feet they stand. I've reavell'd a' my yellow hair Coming against the wind." He's taen the harp intill his hand, He harpit and he sang, Until he cam to his master, As fast as he could gang. "Won up, won up, my good master; I fear ye sleep o'er lang; There's nae a cock in a' the land But has wappit his wings and crawn." Glenkindie's tane his harp in hand, He harpit and he sang, And he has reach'd the lady's bower, [Pg 11] 45 50 55 60 65 [Pg 12] 70 75 80 85 90 [Pg 13] 95 Afore that e'er he blan. When he cam to the lady's bower, He chappit at the chin; "O, wha is that at my bower door, That opens na and comes in?" "It's I, Glenkindie, your ain true love, And in I canna win." * * * * * * * "Forbid it, forbid it," says that lady, "That ever sic shame betide; That I should first be a wild loon's lass, And than a young knight's bride." There was nae pity for that lady, For she lay cald and dead; But a' was for him, Glenkindie, In bower he must go mad. He'd harpit a fish out o' saut water; The water out o' a stane; The milk out o' a maiden's breast, That bairn had never nane. He's taen his harp intill his hand; Sae sweetly as it rang, And wae and weary was to hear Glenkindie's dowie sang. But cald and dead was that lady, Nor heeds for a' his maen; An he wad harpit till domisday, She'll never speak again. He's taen his harp intill his hand; He harpit and he sang; And he is hame to Gib his man As fast as he could gang. "Come forth, come forth, now, Gib, my man, Till I pay you your fee; Come forth, come forth, now, Gib, my man; Weel payit sall ye be!" And he has taen him, Gib, his man, And he has hang'd him hie; And he's hangit him o'er his ain yate, As high as high could be. 5-8. These feats are all but equalled by the musician in the Swedish and Danish Harpans Kraft. "He harped the bark from every tree, And he harped the young from folk and from fee. "He harped the hind from the wild-wood home, He harped the bairn from its mother's womb." Arwidsson, No. 149. "Villemand takes his harp in his hand, He goes down by the water to stand. "He struck the harp with his hand, And the fish leapt out upon the strand." Grundtvig, No. 40. 100 105 110 [Pg 14] 115 120 125 130 135 17-20. This stanza is found in the opening of Brown Robin, which commences thus:— "The king but and his nobles a' Sat birling at the wine, [bis] He would hae nane but his ae daughter To wait on them at dine. "She served them but, she served them ben, Intill a gown o' green; But her e'e was ay on Brown Robin, That stood low under the rain," &c. J. 25-28. The following stanza occurs in one of the editor's copies of The Gay Gosshawk:— "O first he sang a merry song, And then he sang a grave; And then he pecked his feathers gray, To her the letter gave." J. 64, at the chin. Sic. 120. This stanza has been altered, to introduce a little variety, and prevent the monotonous tiresomeness of repetition. J. THE OLD BALLAD OF LITTLE MUSGRAVE AND THE LADY BARNARD. The popularity of this ancient ballad is evinced by its being frequently quoted in old plays. In Beaumont and Fletcher's Knight of the Burning Pestle, (produced in 1611,) the fourteenth stanza is cited, thus: "And some they whistled and some they sung, Hey, down, down! And some did loudly say, Ever as the lord Barnet's horn blew, Away, Musgrave, away." Act V. Scene 3. The oldest known copy of this piece is found in Wit Restor'd, (1658,) p. 174, and from the reprint of that publication we have taken it, (p. 293.) Dryden seems to have adopted it from the same source into his Miscellanies, and Ritson has inserted Dryden's version in Ancient Songs and Ballads, ii. 116. Percy's copy (Reliques, iii. 106,) was inferior to the one here used, and was besides somewhat altered by the editor. A Scottish version, furnished by Jamieson, is given in the Appendix to this volume, and another, extending to forty-eight stanzas, in Scottish Traditional Versions of Ancient Ballads, Percy Society, vol. xvii. p. 21. Similar incidents, with a verbal coincidence in one stanza, occur in the ballad immediately succeeding the present. As it fell one holy-day, hay downe, As manybe in the yeare, When young men and maids together did goe, Their mattins and masse to heare, Little Musgrave came to the church dore, The preist was at private masse; But he had more minde of the faire women, Then he had of our ladys grace. The one of them was clad in green, Another was clad in pall; And then came in my lord Barnards wife, The fairest amonst them all. She cast an eye on little Musgrave, [Pg 15] [Pg 16] 5 10 As bright as the summer sun, And then bethought this little Musgrave, "This ladys heart have I woonn." Quoth she, "I have loved thee, little Musgrave, Full long and many a day:" "So have I loved you, fair lady, Yet never word durst I say." "I have a bower at Buckelsfordbery, Full daintyly it is deight; If thou wilt wend thither, thou little Musgrave, Thou's lig in mine armes all night." Quoth he, "I thank yee, faire lady, This kindnes thou showest to me; But whether it be to my weal or woe, This night I will lig with thee." All that heard a little tinny page, By his ladyes coach as he ran: [Quoth he,] "allthough I am my ladyes foot-page, Yet I am lord Barnards man. "My lord Barnard shall knowe of this, Whether I sink or swimm:" And ever where the bridges were broake, He laid him downe to swimme. "Asleepe, awake! thou lord Barnard, As thou art a man of life; For little Musgrave is at Bucklesfordbery, Abed with thy own wedded wife." "If this be true, thou little tinny page, This thing thou tellest to mee, Then all the land in Bucklesfordbery I freely will give to thee. "But if it be a ly, thou little tinny page, This thing thou tellest to me, On the hyest tree in Bucklesfordbery There hanged shalt thou be." He called up his merry men all:— "Come saddle me my steed; This night must I to Buckellsfordbery, For I never had greater need." And some of them whistl'd, and some of them sung, And some these words did say, Ever when my lord Barnards horn blew, "Away, Musgrave, away!" "Methinks I hear the thresel-cock, Methinks I hear the jaye; Methinks I hear my Lord Barnard,— And I would I were away." "Lye still, lye still, thou little Musgrave, And huggell me from the cold; Tis nothing but a shephards boy, A driving his sheep to the fold. "Is not thy hawke upon a perch? Thy steed eats oats and hay, And thou [a] fair lady in thine armes,— And wouldst thou bee away?" 15 [Pg 17] 20 25 30 35 [Pg 18] 40 45 50 55 60 [Pg 19] 65 With that my lord Barnard came to the dore, And lit a stone upon; He plucked out three silver keys, And he open'd the dores each one. He lifted up the coverlett, He lifted up the sheet; "How now, how now, thou little Musgrave, Doest thou find my lady sweet?" "I find her sweet," quoth little Musgrave, "The more 'tis to my paine; I would gladly give three hundred pounds That I were on yonder plaine." "Arise, arise, thou littell Musgrave, And put thy clothés on; It shal ne'er be said in my country, I have killed a naked man. "I have two swords in one scabberd, Full deere they cost my purse; And thou shalt have the best of them, And I will have the worse." The first stroke that little Musgrave stroke, He hurt Lord Barnard sore; The next stroke that Lord Barnard stroke, Little Musgrave ne're struck more. With that bespake this faire lady, In bed whereas she lay; "Although thou'rt dead, thou little Musgrave, Yet I for thee will pray; "And wish well to thy soule will I, So long as I have life; So will I not for thee, Barnard, Although I am thy wedded wife." He cut her paps from off her brest, (Great pity it was to see,) That some drops of this ladies heart's blood Ran trickling downe her knee. "Woe worth you, woe worth [you], my mery men all, You were ne're borne for my good; Why did you not offer to stay my hand, When ye saw me wax so wood! "For I have slaine the bravest sir knight That ever rode on steed; So have I done the fairest lady That ever did womans deed. "A grave, a grave," Lord Barnard cryd, "To put these lovers in; But lay my lady on [the] upper hand, For she came of the better kin." 8, lady. 10, pale. 11, Bernards. 22, geight. 23, wed. 70 75 80 [Pg 20] 85 90 95 100 105 [Pg 21] 110 115 29, With that he heard: tyne. 34, sinn. 37, or wake. 55, And ever. 108, see. LORD RANDAL (A). From Jamieson's Popular Ballads and Songs, i. 162. "The story of this ballad very much resembles that of Little Musgrave and Lord Barnard. The common title is, The Bonny Birdy. The first stanza is sung thus:— 'There was a knight, on a summer's night, Was riding o'er the lee, diddle; And there he saw a bonny birdy Was singing on a tree, diddle: O wow for day, diddle! And dear gin it were day! Gin it were day, and I were away, For I ha'ena lang time to stay.' In the text, the burden of diddle has been omitted; and the name of Lord Randal introduced, for the sake of distinction, and to prevent the ambiguity arising from 'the knight,' which is equally applicable to both." The lines supplied by Jamieson have been omitted. Allan Cunningham's "improved" version of the Bonny Birdy may be seen in his Songs of Scotland, ii. 130. Lord Randal wight, on a summer's night, Was riding o'er the lee, And there he saw a bonny birdie Was singin' on a tree: "O wow for day! And dear gin it were day! Gin it were day, and I were away, For I ha'ena lang time to stay! "Mak haste, mak haste, ye wicht baron; What keeps ye here sae late? Gin ye kent what was doing at hame, I trow ye wad look blate. "And O wow for day! And dear gin it were day. Gin it were day, and ye were away; For ye ha'ena lang time to stay!" "O what needs I toil day and night, My fair body to spill, When I ha'e knichts at my command, And ladies at my will?" "O weel is he, ye wight baron, Has the blear drawn o'er his e'e; But your lady has a knight in her arms twa, That she lo'es far better nor thee. "And O wow for day! And dear gin it were day! Gin it were day, and ye were away; For ye ha'ena lang time to stay!" [Pg 22] [Pg 23] 5 10 15 20 [Pg 24] 25 "Ye lie, ye lie, ye bonny birdie; How you lie upon my sweet; I will tak out my bonny bow, And in troth I will you sheet." "But afore ye ha'e your bow weel bent, And a' your arrows yare, I will flee till anither tree, Whare I can better fare. "And O wow for day And dear gin it were day! Gin it were day, and I were away; For I ha'ena lang time to stay!" "O whare was ye gotten, and where was ye clecked, My bonny birdie, tell me?" "O, I was clecked in good green wood, Intill a holly tree; A baron sae bald my nest herried, And ga'e me to his ladie. "Wi' good white bread, and farrow-cow milk, He bade her feed me aft; And ga'e her a little wee summer-dale wandie, To ding me sindle and saft. "Wi' good white bread, and farrow-cow milk, I wat she fed me nought; But wi' a little wee summer-dale wandie, She dang me sair and oft:— Gin she had done as ye her bade, I wadna tell how she has wrought. "And O wow for day! And dear gin it were day! Gin it were day, and ye were away; For ye ha'ena lang time to stay." Lord Randal rade, and the birdie flew, The live-lang summer's night, Till he cam till his lady's bower-door, Then even down he did light. The birdie sat on the crap o' a tree, And I wat it sang fu' dight: "O wow for day! And dear gin it were day! Gin it were day, and I were away; For I ha'ena lang time to stay!" * * * * * * * "O wow for day! And dear gin it were day! Gin it were day, and ye were away; For ye ha'ena lang time to stay!" "Now Christ assoile me o' my sin," The fause knight he could say; "It's nae for nought that the hawk whistles; And I wish that I were away! "And O wow for day! And dear gin it were day! Gin it were day, and I were away; For I ha'ena lang time to stay!" 30 35 40 45 [Pg 25] 50 55 60 65 70 [Pg 26] 75 80 "What needs ye lang for day, And wish that ye were away? Is na your hounds in my cellar Eating white meal and gray?" "Yet, O wow for day! And dear gin it were day! Gin it were day, and I were away, For I ha'ena lang time to stay!" "Is na your horse in my stable, Eating good corn and hay? Is na your hawk on my perch tree, Just perching for his prey? And isna yoursel in my arms twa; Then how can ye lang for day?" "Yet, O wow for day! And dear gin it were day! Gin it were day, and I were away, For I ha'ena lang time to stay. "Yet, O wow for day! And dear gin it were day! For he that's in bed wi' anither man's wife, Has never lang time to stay." * * * * * * * Then out Lord Randal drew his brand, And straiked it o'er a strae; And through and through the fause knight's waste He gar'd cald iron gae; And I hope ilk ane sall sae be serv'd, That treats an honest man sae! 77, This is a proverbial saying in Scotland. J. GIL MORRICE. "Of the many ancient ballads which have been preserved by tradition among the peasantry of Scotland, none has excited more interest in the world of letters than the beautiful and pathetic tale of Gil Morice; and this, no less on account of its own intrinsic merits as a piece of exquisite poetry, than of its having furnished the plot of the justly celebrated tragedy of Douglas. It has likewise supplied Mr. Langhorne with the principal materials from which he has woven the fabric of his sweet, though prolix poem of Owen of Carron. Perhaps the list could be easily increased of those who have drawn their inspiration from this affecting strain of Olden Minstrelsy. "If any reliance is to be placed on the traditions of that part of the country where the scene of the ballad is laid, we will be enforced to believe that it is founded on facts which occurred at some remote period of Scottish History. The 'grene wode' of the ballad was the ancient forest of Dundaff, in Stirlingshire, and Lord Barnard's Castle is said to have occupied a precipitous cliff, overhanging the water of Carron, on the lands of Halbertshire. A small burn, which joins the Carron about five miles above these lands, is named the Earlsburn, and the hill near the source of that stream is called the Earlshill, both deriving their appellations, according to the unvarying traditions of the country, from the unfortunate Erle's son who is the hero of the ballad. He, also, according to the same respectable authority, was 'beautiful exceedingly,' and especially remarkable for the extreme length and loveliness of his yellow hair, which shrouded him as it were a golden mist. To these floating traditions we are, probably, indebted for the attempts which have been made to improve and embellish the ballad, by the introduction of various new stanzas since its first appearance in a printed form. "In Percy's Reliques, it is mentioned that it had run through two editions in Scotland, the second of which appeared at Glasgow in 1755, 8vo.; and that to both there was prefixed an advertisement, setting forth that the preservation of the poem was owing 'to a lady, who favoured the printers with a copy, as it was carefully collected from the mouths of old women and nurses,' and requesting that 'any reader, who could render it more correct or complete, would oblige the public with such improvements.' This was holding out too tempting a bait not to be greedily snapped at by some of those 'Ingenious Hands' who have corrupted the purity of legendary song in Scotland by manifest forgeries and gross impositions. Accordingly, sixteen additional verses soon appeared in manuscript, which the Editor of the Reliques has 85 90 [Pg 27] 95 100 105 110 [Pg 28] [Pg 29] inserted in their proper places, though he rightly views them in no better light than that of an ingenious interpolation. Indeed, the whole ballad of Gil Morice, as the writer of the present notice has been politely informed by the learned and elegant Editor of the Border Minstrelsy, underwent a total revisal about the period when the tragedy of Douglas was in the zenith of its popularity, and this improved copy, it seems, embraced the ingenious interpolation above referred to. Independent altogether of this positive information, any one, familiar with the state in which traditionary poetry has been transmitted to the present times, can be at no loss to detect many more 'ingenious interpolations,' as well as paraphrastic additions, in the ballad as now printed. But, though it has been grievously corrupted in this way, the most scrupulous inquirer into the authenticity of ancient song can have no hesitation in admitting that many of its verses, even as they now stand, are purely traditionary, and fair, and genuine parcels of antiquity, unalloyed with any base admixture of modern invention, and in nowise altered, save in those changes of language to which all oral poetry is unavoidably subjected, in its progress from one age to another." Motherwell. We have given Gil Morrice as it stands in the Reliques, (iii. 132,) degrading to the margin those stanzas which are undoubtedly spurious, and we have added an ancient traditionary version, obtained by Motherwell, which, if it appear short and crude, is at least comparatively incorrupt. Chield Morice, taken down from recitation, and printed in Motherwell's Minstrelsy, (p. 269,) nearly resembles Gil Morrice, as here exhibited. We have also inserted in the Appendix Childe Maurice, "the very old imperfect copy," mentioned in the Reliques, and first published from the Percy MS. by Jamieson. The sets of Gil Morrice in the collections of Herd, Pinkerton, Ritson, &c., are all taken from Percy. Gil Morrice was an erles son, His name it waxed wide: It was nae for his great riches, Nor zet his mickle pride; Bot it was for a lady gay That liv'd on Carron side. "Quhair sall I get a bonny boy, That will win hose and shoen; That will gae to Lord Barnard's ha', And bid his lady cum? "And ze maun rin my errand, Willie, And ze may rin wi' pride; Quhen other boys gae on their foot, On horseback ze sall ride." "O no! O no! my master dear! I dare nae for my life; I'll no gae to the bauld barons, For to triest furth his wife." "My bird Willie, my boy Willie, My dear Willie," he sayd: "How can ze strive against the stream? For I sall be obeyd." "Bot, O my master dear!" he cry'd, "In grene wod ze're zour lain; Gi owre sic thochts, I walde ze rede, For fear ze should be tain." "Haste, haste, I say, gae to the ha', Bid hir cum here wi' speid: If ze refuse my heigh command, I'll gar zour body bleid. "Gae bid hir take this gay mantel, 'T is a' gowd bot the hem; Bid hir cum to the gude grene wode, And bring nane hot hir lain: "And there it is, a silken sarke, Hir ain hand sewd the sleive; And bid hir cum to Gill Morice, Speir nae bauld barons leave." [Pg 30] [Pg 31] 5 10 15 [Pg 32] 20 25 30 35