Chapter 3

Ellen is gone into the towne, And low into the streete: The fairest ladye that she cold find, Shee hyred in his armes to sleepe; And tooke her up in her armes twayne, For filing of her feete.

I pray you nowe, good Child Watèrs, Let mee lye at your bedds feete: For there is noe place about this house, Where I may 'saye a sleepe.

'He gave her leave, and faire Ellèn 'Down at his beds feet laye:' This done the nighte drove on apace, And when it was neare the daye,

Hee sayd, Rise up, my litle foot-page, Give my steede corne and haye; And soe doe thou the good black oats, To carry mee better awaye.

Up then rose the faire Ellèn, And gave his steede corne and hay: And soe shee did the good blacke oats, To carry him the better away.

Shee leaned her backe to the manger side, And grievouslye did groane: Shee leaned her backe to the manger side, And there shee made her moane.

And that beheard his mother deere, Shee heard her there monand. Shee sayd, Rise up, thou Childe Watèrs, I think thee a cursed man.

For in thy stable is a ghost, That grievouslye doth grone: Or else some woman laboures of childe, She is soe woe-begone.

Up then rose Childe Waters soon, And did on his shirte of silke; And then he put on his other clothes, On his body as white as milke.

And when he came to the stable dore, Full still there he did stand, That hee mighte heare his fayre Ellèn Howe shee made her monànd.

Shee sayd, Lullabye, mine owne deere child, Lullabye, dere child, dere; I wold thy father were a king, Thy mother layd on a biere.

Peace now, he said, good faire Ellèn, Be of good cheere, I praye; And the bridal and the churching both Shall bee upon one day.

KING EDWARD IV & THE TANNER OF TAMWORTH

In summer time, when leaves grow greene, And blossoms bedecke the tree, King Edward wolde a hunting ryde, Some pastime for to see.

With hawke and hounde he made him bowne, With horne, and eke with bowe; To Drayton Basset he tooke his waye, With all his lordes a rowe.

And he had ridden ore dale and downe By eight of clocke in the day, When he was ware of a bold tannèr, Come ryding along the waye.

A fayre russet coat the tanner had on Fast buttoned under his chin, And under him a good cow-hide, And a marc of four shilling.

Nowe stand you still, my good lordes all, Under the grene wood spraye; And I will wend to yonder fellowe, To weet what he will saye.

God speede, God speede thee, said our king. Thou art welcome, Sir, sayd hee. "The readyest waye to Drayton Basset I praye thee to shew to mee."

"To Drayton Basset woldst thou goe, Fro the place where thou dost stand? The next payre of gallowes thou comest unto, Turne in upon thy right hand."

That is an unreadye waye, sayd our king, Thou doest but jest, I see; Nowe shewe me out the nearest waye, And I pray thee wend with mee.

Away with a vengeance! quoth the tanner: I hold thee out of thy witt: All daye have I rydden on Brocke my mare, And I am fasting yett.

"Go with me downe to Drayton Basset, No daynties we will spare; All daye shalt thou eate and drinke of the best, And I will paye thy fare."

Gramercye for nothing, the tanner replyde, Thou payest no fare of mine: I trowe I've more nobles in my purse, Than thou hast pence in thine.

God give thee joy of them, sayd the king, And send them well to priefe. The tanner wolde faine have beene away, For he weende he had beene a thiefe.

What art thou, hee sayde, thou fine fellowe, Of thee I am in great feare, For the clothes, thou wearest upon thy back, Might beseeme a lord to weare.

I never stole them, quoth our king, I tell you, Sir, by the roode. "Then thou playest, as many an unthrift doth, And standest in midds of thy goode."

What tydinges heare you, sayd the kynge, As you ryde farre and neare? "I heare no tydinges, Sir, by the masse, But that cowe-hides are deare."

"Cow-hides! cow-hides! what things are those? I marvell what they bee?" What, art thou a foole? the tanner reply'd; I carry one under mee.

What craftsman art thou, said the king, I pray thee tell me trowe. "I am a barker, Sir, by my trade; Nowe tell me what art thou?"

I am a poor courtier, Sir, quoth he, That am forth of service worne; And faine I wolde thy prentise bee, Thy cunninge for to learne.

Marrye heaven forfend, the tanner replyde, That thou my prentise were: Thou woldst spend more good than I shold winne By fortye shilling a yere.

Yet one thinge wolde I, sayd our king, If thou wilt not seeme strange: Thoughe my horse be better than thy mare, Yet with thee I fain wold change.

"Why if with me thou faine wilt change, As change full well maye wee, By the faith of my bodye, thou proude fellowe I will have some boot of thee."

That were against reason, sayd the king, I sweare, so mote I thee: My horse is better than thy mare, And that thou well mayst see.

"Yea, Sir, but Brocke is gentle and mild, And softly she will fare: Thy horse is unrulye and wild, I wiss; Aye skipping here and theare."

What boote wilt thou have? our king reply'd; Now tell me in this stound. "Noe pence, nor halfpence, by my faye, But a noble in gold so round.

"Here's twentye groates of white moneye, Sith thou will have it of mee." I would have sworne now, quoth the tanner, Thou hadst not had one pennie.

But since we two have made a change, A change we must abide, Although thou hast gotten Brocke my mare, Thou gettest not my cowe-hide.

I will not have it, sayd the kynge, I sweare, so mought I thee; Thy foule cowe-hide I wolde not beare, If thou woldst give it to mee.

The tanner hee tooke his good cowe-hide, That of the cow was bilt; And threwe it upon the king's sadelle, That was soe fayrelye gilte. "Now help me up, thou fine fellowe, 'Tis time that I were gone: When I come home to Gyllian my wife, Sheel say I am a gentilmon."

The king he tooke him up by the legge; The tanner a f----- lett fall. Nowe marrye, good fellowe, sayd the king, Thy courtesye is but small.

When the tanner he was in the kinges sadèlle, And his foote in the stirrup was; He marvelled greatlye in his minde, Whether it were golde or brass.

But when the steede saw the cows taile wagge, And eke the blacke cowe-horne; He stamped, and stared, and awaye he ranne, As the devill had him borne.

The tanner he pulld, the tanner he sweat, And held by the pummil fast: At length the tanner came tumbling downe; His necke he had well-nye brast.

Take thy horse again with a vengeance, he sayd, With mee he shall not byde. "My horse wolde have borne thee well enoughe, But he knewe not of thy cowe-hide.

Yet if againe thou faine woldst change, As change full well may wee, By the faith of my bodye, thou jolly tannèr, I will have some boote of thee."

What boote wilt thou have? the tanner replyd, Nowe tell me in this stounde. "Noe pence nor halfpence, Sir, by my faye, But I will have twentye pound."

"Here's twentye groates out of my purse; And twentye I have of thine: And I have one more, which we will spend Together at the wine."

The king set a bugle home to his mouthe, And blewe both loude and shrille: And soone came lords, and soone came knights, Fast ryding over the hille.

Nowe, out alas! the tanner he cryde, That ever I sawe this daye! Thou art a strong thiefe, yon come thy fellowes Will beare my cowe-hide away.

They are no thieves, the king replyde, I sweare, soe mote I thee: But they are the lords of the north countrèy, Here come to hunt with mee.

And soone before our king they came, And knelt downe on the grounde: Then might the tanner have beene awaye, He had lever than twentye pounde.

A coller, a coller, here: sayd the king, A coller he loud gan crye: Then woulde he lever than twentye pound, He had not beene so nighe.

A coller, a coller, the tanner he sayd, I trowe it will breed sorrowe: After a coller cometh a halter, I trow I shall be hang'd to-morrowe.

Be not afraid, tanner, said our king; I tell thee, so mought I thee, Lo here I make thee the best esquire That is in the North countrie.

For Plumpton-parke I will give thee, With tenements faire beside: 'Tis worth three hundred markes by the yeare, To maintaine thy good cowe-hide.

Gramercye, my liege, the tanner replyde, For the favour thou hast me showne; If ever thou comest to merry Tamwòrth, Neates leather shall clout thy shoen.

SIR PATRICK SPENS

The king sits in Dumferling toune, Drinking the blude-reid wine: O quhar will I get guid sailòr, To sail this schip of mine.

Up and spak an eldern knicht, Sat at the kings richt kne: Sir Patrick Spens is the best sailòr, That sails upon the se.

The king has written a braid letter, And signd it wi' his hand; And sent it to Sir Patrick Spens, Was walking on the sand.

The first line that Sir Patrick red, A loud lauch lauched he: The next line that Sir Patrick red, The teir blinded his ee.

O quha is this has don this deid, This ill deid don to me; To send me out this time o' the zeir, To sail upon the se.

Mak hast, mak haste, my mirry men all, Our guid schip sails the morne, O say na sae, my master deir, For I feir a deadlie storme.

Late late yestreen I saw the new moone Wi' the auld moone in hir arme; And I feir, I feir, my deir master, That we will com to harme.

O our Scots nobles wer richt laith To weet their cork-heild schoone; Bot lang owre a' the play wer playd, Thair hats they swam aboone.

O lang, lang, may thair ladies sit Wi' thair fans into their hand, Or eir they se Sir Patrick Spens Cum sailing to the land.

O lang, lang, may the ladies stand Wi' thair gold kems in their hair, Waiting for thair ain deir lords, For they'll se thame na mair.

Have owre, have owre to Aberdour, It's fiftie fadom deip: And thair lies guid Sir Patrick Spens, Wi' the Scots lords at his feit.

THE EARL OF MAR'S DAUGHTER

It was intill a pleasant time, Upon a simmer's day, The noble Earl of Mar's daughter Went forth to sport and play.

As thus she did amuse hersell, Below a green aik tree, There she saw a sprightly doo Set on a tower sae hie.

"O cow-me-doo, my love sae true, If ye'll come down to me, Ye 'se hae a cage o guid red gowd Instead o simple tree:

"I'll put growd hingers roun your cage, And siller roun your wa; I'll gar ye shine as fair a bird As ony o them a'."

But she hadnae these words well spoke, Nor yet these words well said, Till Cow-me-doo flew frae the tower And lighted on her head.

Then she has brought this pretty bird Hame to her bowers and ba, And made him shine as fair a bird As ony o them a'.

When day was gane, and night was come, About the evening tide, This lady spied a sprightly youth Stand straight up by her side.

"From whence came ye, young man?" she said; "That does surprise me sair; My door was bolted right secure, What way hae ye come here?"

"O had your tongue, ye lady fair, Lat a' your folly be; Mind ye not on your turtle-doo Last day ye brought wi thee?"

"O tell me mair, young man," she said, "This does surprise me now; What country hae ye come frae? What pedigree are you?"

"My mither lives on foreign isles, She has nae mair but me; She is a queen o wealth and state, And birth and high degree.

"Likewise well skilld in magic spells, As ye may plainly see, And she transformd me to yon shape, To charm such maids as thee.

"I am a doo the live-lang day, A sprightly youth at night; This aye gars me appear mair fair In a fair maiden's sight.

"And it was but this verra day That I came ower the sea; Your lovely face did me enchant; I'll live and dee wi thee."

"O Cow-me-doo, my luve sae true, Nae mair frae me ye 'se gae; That's never my intent, my luve, As ye said, it shall be sae."

"O Cow-me-doo, my luve sae true, It's time to gae to bed;" "Wi a' my heart, my dear marrow, It's be as ye hae said."

Then he has staid in bower wi her For sax lang years and ane, Till sax young sons to him she bare, And the seventh she's brought hame.

But aye as ever a child was born He carried them away, And brought them to his mither's care, As fast as he coud fly.

Thus he has staid in bower wi her For twenty years and three; There came a lord o high renown To court this fair ladie.

But still his proffer she refused, And a' his presents too; Says, I'm content to live alane Wi my bird, Cow-me-doo.

Her father sware a solemn oath Amang the nobles all, "The morn, or ere I eat or drink, This bird I will gar kill."

The bird was sitting in his cage, And heard what they did say; And when he found they were dismist, Says, Wae's me for this day!

"Before that I do langer stay, And thus to be forlorn, I'll gang unto my mither's bower, Where I was bred and born."

Then Cow-me-doo took flight and flew Beyond the raging sea, And lighted near his mither's castle, On a tower o gowd sae hie.

As his mither was wauking out, To see what she coud see, And there she saw her little son, Set on the tower sae hie.

"Get dancers here to dance," she said, "And minstrells for to play; For here's my young son, Florentine, Come here wi me to stay."

"Get nae dancers to dance, mither, Nor minstrells for to play, For the mither o my seven sons, The morn's her wedding-day."

"O tell me, tell me, Florentine, Tell me, and tell me true, Tell me this day without a flaw, What I will do for you."

"Instead of dancers to dance, mither, Or minstrells for to play, Turn four-and-twenty wall-wight men Like storks in feathers gray;

"My seven sons in seven swans, Aboon their heads to flee; And I mysell a gay gos-hawk, A bird o high degree."

Then sichin said the queen hersell, "That thing's too high for me;" But she applied to an auld woman, Who had mair skill than she.

Instead o dancers to dance a dance, Or minstrells for to play, Four-and-twenty wall-wight men Turnd birds o feathers gray;

Her seven sons in seven swans, Aboon their heads to flee; And he himsell a gay gos-hawk, A bird o high degree.

This flock o birds took flight and flew Beyond the raging sea, And landed near the Earl Mar's castle, Took shelter in every tree.

They were a flock o pretty birds, Right comely to be seen; The people viewed them wi surprise, As they dancd on the green.

These birds ascended frae the tree And lighted on the ha, And at the last wi force did flee Amang the nobles a'.

The storks there seized some o the men, They coud neither fight nor flee; The swans they bound the bride's best man Below a green aik tree.

They lighted next on maidens fair, Then on the bride's own head, And wi the twinkling o an ee The bride and them were fled.

There's ancient men at weddings been For sixty years or more, But sic a curious wedding-day They never saw before.

For naething coud the companie do. Nor naething coud they say But they saw a flock o pretty birds That took their bride away.

When that Earl Mar he came to know Where his dochter did stay, He signd a bond o unity, And visits now they pay.