Part 8

30. The tane was buried in Marie's kirk, And the tither in Marie's quire; Out of the tane there grew a birk, And the tither a bonny brier.

[Annotations: 5.4: 'jo,' sweetheart. 15.3: 'nourice,' nurse. 16.4: 'busk,' dress. 24.1: 'ben,' into the house. 24.4: 'downa,' like not to.]

BROWN ADAM

+The Text+ is given from the Jamieson-Brown MS. It was first printed by Scott, with the omission of the second stanza--perhaps justifiable--and a few minor changes. He notes that he had seen a copy printed on a single sheet.

+The Story+ has a remote parallel in a Danish ballad, extant in manuscripts of the sixteenth century and later, _Den afhugne Haand_. The tale is told as follows. Lutzelil, knowing the evil ways of Lawi Pederson, rejects his proffered love. Lawi vows she shall repent it, and the maiden is afraid for nine months to go to church, but goes at Easter. Lawi meets her in a wood, and repeats his offer. She begs him to do her no harm, feigns compliance, and makes an assignation in the chamber of her maids. She returns home and tells her father, who watches for Lawi. When he comes and demands admission, she denies the assignation. Lawi breaks down the door, and discovers Lutzelil's father with a drawn sword, with which he cuts off Lawi's hand.

The reason for objecting to the second stanza as here given is not so much the inadequacy of a golden hammer, or the unusual whiteness of the smith's fingers, but the rhyme in the third line.

BROWN ADAM

1. O wha woud wish the win' to blaw, Or the green leaves fa' therewith? Or wha wad wish a leeler love Than Brown Adam the Smith?

2. His hammer's o' the beaten gold, His study's o' the steel, His fingers white are my delite, He blows his bellows well.

3. But they ha' banish'd him Brown Adam Frae father and frae mither, An' they ha' banish'd him Brown Adam Frae sister and frae brither.

4. And they ha' banish'd Brown Adam Frae the flow'r o' a' his kin; An' he's biggit a bow'r i' the good green wood Betwen his lady an' him.

5. O it fell once upon a day Brown Adam he thought lang, An' he woud to the green wood gang, To hunt some venison.

6. He's ta'en his bow his arm o'er, His bran' intill his han', And he is to the good green wood, As fast as he coud gang.

7. O he's shot up, an' he's shot down, The bird upo' the briar, An' he's sent it hame to his lady, Bade her be of good cheer.

8. O he's shot up, an' he's shot down, The bird upo' the thorn, And sent it hame to his lady, And hee'd be hame the morn.

9. Whan he came till his lady's bow'r-door He stood a little forbye, And there he heard a fu' fa'se knight Temptin' his gay lady.

10. O he's ta'en out a gay gold ring, Had cost him mony a poun': 'O grant me love for love, lady, An' this sal be your own.'

11. 'I loo Brown Adam well,' she says, 'I wot sae does he me; An' I woud na gi' Brown Adam's love For nae fa'se knight I see.'

12. Out he has ta'en a purse of gold, Was a' fu' to the string: 'Grant me but love for love, lady, An' a' this sal be thine.'

13. 'I loo Brown Adam well,' she says, 'An' I ken sae does he me; An' I woudna be your light leman For mair nor ye coud gie.'

14. Then out has he drawn his lang, lang bran', An' he's flash'd it in her een: 'Now grant me love for love, lady, Or thro' you this sal gang!'

15. 'O,' sighing said that gay lady, 'Brown Adam tarrys lang!' Then up it starts Brown Adam, Says, 'I'm just at your han'.'

16. He's gard him leave his bow, his bow, He's gard him leave his bran'; He's gard him leave a better pledge-- Four fingers o' his right han'.

[Annotations: 1.3: 'leeler,' more loyal. 2.2: 'study,' stithy, anvil. 4.3: 'biggit,' built. 5.2: 'thought lang,' thought (it) tedious; _i.e._ was bored. Cp. _Young Bekie_, 16.4, etc.; _Johney Scot_, 6.2, and elsewhere. 9.2: 'forbye,' apart. 10.1: 'he' is of course the false knight. 11.1: 'loo,' love. 12.2: 'string': _i.e._ the top; purses were bags with a running string to draw the top together. 15.2: 'lang': the MS. reads long. 16.1: etc., 'gard,' made.]

WILLIE O' WINSBURY

+The Text+ is from the Campbell MSS.

+The Story+ was imagined by Kinloch to possess a quasi-historical foundation: James V. of Scotland, who eventually married Madeleine, elder daughter of Francis I., having been previously betrothed 'by treaty' to Marie de Bourbon, daughter of the Duke of Vendome, returned to Scotland in 1537. The theory is neither probable nor plausible.

WILLIE O' WINSBURY

1. The king he hath been a prisoner, A prisoner lang in Spain, O, And Willie o' the Winsbury Has lain lang wi' his daughter at hame, O.

2. 'What aileth thee, my daughter Janet, Ye look so pale and wan? Have ye had any sore sickness, Or have ye been lying wi' a man? Or is it for me, your father dear, And biding sae lang in Spain?'

3. 'I have not had any sore sickness, Nor yet been lying wi' a man; But it is for you, my father dear, In biding sae lang in Spain.'

4. 'Cast ye off your berry-brown gown, Stand straight upon the stone, That I may ken ye by yere shape, Whether ye be a maiden or none.'

5. She's coosten off her berry-brown gown, Stooden straight upo' yon stone; Her apron was short, her haunches were round, Her face it was pale and wan.

6. 'Is it to a man o' might, Janet? Or is it to a man of fame? Or is it to any of the rank robbers That's lately come out o' Spain?'

7. 'It is not to a man of might,' she said, 'Nor is it to a man of fame; But it is to William of Winsbury; I could lye nae langer my lane.'

8. The king's called on his merry men all, By thirty and by three: 'Go fetch me William of Winsbury, For hanged he shall be.'

9. But when he cam' the king before, He was clad o' the red silk; His hair was like to threeds o' gold, And his skin was as white as milk.

10. 'It is nae wonder,' said the king, 'That my daughter's love ye did win; Had I been a woman, as I am a man, My bedfellow ye should hae been.

11. 'Will ye marry my daughter Janet, By the truth of thy right hand? I'll gi'e ye gold, I'll gi'e ye money, And I'll gi'e ye an earldom o' land.'

12. 'Yes, I'll marry yere daughter Janet, By the truth of my right hand; But I'll hae nane o' yer gold, I'll hae nane o' yer money, Nor I winna hae an earldom o' land.

13. 'For I hae eighteen corn-mills Runs all in water clear, And there's as much corn in each o' them As they can grind in a year.'

THE MARRIAGE OF SIR GAWAINE

+The Text+ is from the early part of the Percy Folio, and the ballad is therefore deficient. Where gaps are marked in the text with a row of asterisks, about nine stanzas are lost in each case--half a page torn out by a seventeenth-century maidservant to light a fire! Luckily we can supply the story from other versions.

+The Story+, also given in _The Weddynge of Sr Gawen and Dame Ragnell_ (in the Rawlinson MS. c. 86 in the Bodleian Library), runs as follows:--

Shortly after Christmas, Arthur, riding by Tarn Wadling (still so called, but now pasture-land, in the forest of Inglewood), meets a bold baron, who challenges him to fight, unless he can win his ransom by returning on New Year's Day with an answer to the question, What does a woman most desire? Arthur relates the story to Gawaine, asks him and others for an answer to the riddle, and collects their suggestions in a book ('letters,' 24.1). On his way to keep his tryst with the baron, he meets an unspeakably ugly woman, who offers her assistance; if she will help him, Arthur says, she shall wed with Gawaine. She gives him the true answer, A woman will have her will. Arthur meets the baron, and after proffering the budget of answers, confronts him with the true answer. The baron exclaims against the ugly woman, whom he asserts to be his sister.

Arthur returns to his court, and tells his knights that a wife awaits one of them on the moor. Sir Lancelot, Sir Steven (who is not mentioned elsewhere in Arthurian tales), Sir Kay, Sir Bauier (probably Beduer or Bedivere), Sir Bore (Bors de Gauves), Sir Garrett (Gareth), and Sir Tristram ride forth to find her. At sight, Sir Kay, without overmuch chivalry, expresses his disgust, and the rest are unwilling to marry her. The king explains that he has promised to give her to Sir Gawaine, who, it seems, bows to Arthur's authority, and weds her. During the bridal night, she becomes a beautiful young woman. Further to test Gawaine, she gives him his choice: will he have her fair by day and foul by night, or foul by day and fair by night? Fair by night, says Gawaine. And foul to be seen of all by day? she asks. Have your way, says Gawaine, and breaks the last thread of the spell, as she forthwith explains: her step-mother had bewitched both her, to haunt the moor in ugly shape, till some knight should grant her _all_ her will, and her brother, to challenge all comers to fight him or answer the riddle.

Similar tales, but with the important variation--undoubtedly indigenous in the story--that the man who saves his life by answering the riddle has himself to wed the ugly woman, are told by Gower (_Confessio Amantis_, Book I.) and Chaucer (_The Tale of the Wyf of Bathe_). The latter, which is also Arthurian in its setting, was made into a ballad in the _Crown Garland of Golden Roses_ (_circ._ 1600), compiled by Richard Johnson. A parallel is also to be found in an Icelandic saga.

THE MARRIAGE OF SIR GAWAINE

1. Kinge Arthur liues in merry Carleile, & seemely is to see, & there he hath with him Queene Genever, That bride soe bright of blee.

2. And there he hath with [him] Queene Genever, That bride soe bright in bower, & all his barons about him stoode, That were both stiffe and stowre.

3. The king kept a royall Christmasse, Of mirth and great honor, And when . . . ... ... ...

*** *** ***

4. 'And bring me word what thing it is That a woman [will] most desire; This shalbe thy ransome, Arthur,' he sayes, 'For I'le haue noe other hier.'

5. King Arthur then held vp his hand, According thene as was the law; He tooke his leaue of the baron there, & homward can he draw.

6. And when he came to merry Carlile, To his chamber he is gone, & ther came to him his cozen Sir Gawaine As he did make his mone.

7. And there came to him his cozen Sir Gawaine That was a curteous knight; 'Why sigh you soe sore, vnckle Arthur,' he said, 'Or who hath done thee vnright?'

8. 'O peace, O peace, thou gentle Gawaine, That faire may thee beffall! For if thou knew my sighing soe deepe, Thou wold not meruaile att all;

9. 'Ffor when I came to Tearne Wadling, A bold barron there I fand, With a great club vpon his backe, Standing stiffe and strong;

10. 'And he asked me wether I wold fight, Or from him I shold begone, Or else I must him a ransome pay & soe depart him from.

11. 'To fight with him I saw noe cause, Methought it was not meet, For he was stiffe & strong with-all, His strokes were nothing sweete;

12. 'Therefor this is my ransome, Gawaine, I ought to him to pay: I must come againe, as I am sworne, Vpon the Newyeer's day.

13. 'And I must bring him word what thing it is ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

*** *** ***

14. Then King Arthur drest him for to ryde In one soe rich array Toward the fore-said Tearne Wadling, That he might keepe his day.

15. And as he rode over a more, Hee see a lady where shee sate Betwixt an oke & a greene hollen; She was cladd in red scarlett.

16. Then there as shold haue stood her mouth, Then there was sett her eye, The other was in her forhead fast The way that she might see.

17. Her nose was crooked & turnd outward, Her mouth stood foule a-wry; A worse formed lady than shee was, Neuer man saw with his eye.

18. To halch vpon him, King Arthur, This lady was full faine, But King Arthur had forgott his lesson, What he shold say againe.

19. 'What knight art thou,' the lady sayd, 'That will not speak to me? Of me be thou nothing dismayd Tho' I be vgly to see;

20. 'For I haue halched you curteouslye, & you will not me againe; Yett I may happen, Sir Knight,' shee said, 'To ease thee of thy paine.'

21. 'Giue thou ease me, lady,' he said, 'Or helpe me any thing, Thou shalt have gentle Gawaine, my cozen, & marry him with a ring.'

22. 'Why, if I help thee not, thou noble King Arthur, Of thy owne heart's desiringe, Of gentle Gawaine . . . ... ... ...

*** *** ***

23. And when he came to the Tearne Wadling The baron there cold he finde, With a great weapon on his backe, Standing stiffe and stronge.

24. And then he tooke King Arthur's letters in his hands, & away he cold them fling, & then he puld out a good browne sword, & cryd himselfe a king.

25. And he sayd, 'I haue thee & thy land, Arthur, To doe as it pleaseth me, For this is not thy ransome sure, Therfore yeeld thee to me.'

26. And then bespoke him noble Arthur, & bad him hold his hand; '& giue me leaue to speake my mind In defence of all my land.'

27. He said, 'As I came over a more, I see a lady where shee sate Betweene an oke & a green hollen; She was clad in red scarlett;

28. 'And she says a woman will haue her will, & this is all her cheef desire: Doe me right, as thou art a baron of sckill, This is thy ransome & all thy hyer.'

29. He sayes, 'An early vengeance light on her! She walkes on yonder more; It was my sister that told thee this; & she is a misshappen hore!

30. 'But heer He make mine avow to God To doe her an euill turne, For an euer I may thate fowle theefe get, In a fyer I will her burne.'

*** *** ***

[Annotations: 1.4: 'blee,' complexion. 2.4: Perhaps we should read 'stiff in stowre,' a constant expression in ballads, 'sturdy in fight.' 11: Arthur's customary bravery and chivalry are not conspicuous in this ballad. 18.1: 'halch upon,' salute. 21.1: 'Giue,' If. 27.3: 'hollen,' holly. 28.3: 'sckill,' reason, judgment.]

+The 2d Part+

31. Sir Lancelott & Sir Steven bold They rode with them that day, And the formost of the company There rode the steward Kay.

32. Soe did Sir Bauier and Sir Bore, Sir Garrett with them soe gay, Soe did Sir Tristeram that gentle knight, To the forrest fresh & gay.

33. And when he came to the greene fforrest, Vnderneath a greene holly tree Their sate that lady in red scarlet That vnseemly was to see.

34. Sir Kay beheld this ladys face, & looked vppon her swire; 'Whosoeuer kisses this lady,' he sayes, 'Of his kisse he stands in feare.'

35. Sir Kay beheld the lady againe, & looked vpon her snout; 'Whosoeuer kisses this lady,' he saies, 'Of his kisse he stands in doubt.'

36. 'Peace, cozen Kay,' then said Sir Gawaine, 'Amend thee of thy life; For there is a knight amongst vs all That must marry her to his wife.'

37. 'What! wedd her to wiffe!' then said Sir Kay, 'In the diuells name, anon! Gett me a wiffe whereere I may, For I had rather be slaine!'

38. Then some tooke vp their hawkes in hast, & some tooke vp their hounds, & some sware they wold not marry her For citty nor for towne.

39. And then bespake him noble King Arthur, & sware there by this day: 'For a litle foule sight & misliking ... ... ...

*** *** ***

40. Then shee said, 'Choose thee, gentle Gawaine, Truth as I doe say, Wether thou wilt haue me in this liknesse In the night or else in the day.'

41. And then bespake him gentle Gawaine, Was one soe mild of moode, Sayes, 'Well I know what I wold say, God grant it may be good!

42. 'To haue thee fowle in the night When I with thee shold play; Yet I had rather, if I might, Haue thee fowle in the day.'

43. 'What! when Lords goe with ther feires,' shee said, 'Both to the ale & wine? Alas! then I must hyde my selfe, I must not goe withinne.'

44. And then bespake him gentle Gawaine; Said, 'Lady, thats but skill; And because thou art my owne lady, Thou shalt haue all thy will.'

45. Then she said, 'Blessed be thou, gentle Gawaine, This day that I thee see, For as thou see[st] me att this time, From hencforth I wil be:

46. 'My father was an old knight, & yett it chanced soe That he marryed a younge lady That brought me to this woe.

47. 'Shee witched me, being a faire young lady, To the greene forrest to dwell, & there I must walke in womans likness, Most like a feend of hell.

48. 'She witched my brother to a carlish b . . . . . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

*** *** ***

49. ... ... ... ... ... ... That looked soe foule, & that was wont On the wild more to goe.

50. 'Come kisse her, brother Kay,' then said Sir Gawaine, '& amend the of thy liffe; I sweare this is the same lady That I marryed to my wiffe.'

51. Sir Kay kissed that lady bright, Standing vpon his ffeete; He swore, as he was trew knight, The spice was neuer soe sweete.

52. 'Well, cozen Gawaine,' sayes Sir Kay, 'Thy chance is fallen arright, For thou hast gotten one of the fairest maids I euer saw with my sight.'

53. 'It is my fortune,' said Sir Gawaine; 'For my Vnckle Arthur's sake I am glad as grasse wold be of raine, Great ioy that I may take.'

54. Sir Gawaine tooke the lady by the one arme, Sir Kay tooke her by the tother, They led her straight to King Arthur As they were brother & brother.

55. King Arthur welcomed them there all, & soe did lady Geneuer his queene, With all the knights of the round table Most seemly to be seene.

56. King Arthur beheld that lady faire That was soe faire and bright, He thanked Christ in Trinity For Sir Gawaine that gentle knight;

57. Soe did the knights, both more and lesse; Reioyced all that day For the good chance that hapened was To Sir Gawaine & his lady gay.

[Annotations: 34.2: 'swire,' neck: the Folio reads _smire_. 37.4: 'slaine': the Folio gives _shaine_. 41.2: 'was' (Child's suggestion): the Folio reads _with_. 43.1: 'feires,' = feres, mates: the Folio reads _seires_. 44.2: Folio: _but a skill_: see note on 28.3. 48.1: 'carlish,' churlish.]

THE BOY AND THE MANTLE

+Text.+--The Percy Folio is the sole authority for this excellent lively ballad. It is here given as it stands in the manuscript, except for division into stanzas. Percy printed the ballad '_verbatim_,'--that is, with emendations--and also a revised version.

+The Story+, which exists in countless variations in many lands, is told from the earliest times in connection with the Arthurian legend-cycle. Restricting the article used as a criterion of chastity to a mantle, we find the elements of this ballad existing in French manuscripts of the thirteenth century (the romance called _Cort Mantel_); in a Norse translation of this 'fabliau'; in the Icelandic _Mantle Rhymes_ of the fifteenth century; in the _Scalachronica_ of Sir Thomas Gray of Heton (_circ._ 1355); in Germany, and in Gaelic (a ballad known in Irish writings, but not in Scottish); as well as in many other versions.

The trial by the drinking-horn is a fable equally old, as far as the evidence goes, and equally widespread; but it is not told elsewhere in connection with the parallel story of the mantle. Other tests used for the purpose of discovering infidelity or unchastity are:-- a crown, a magic bridge (German); a girdle (English; cp. Florimel's girdle in the _Faery Queen_, Book iv. Canto 5); a bed, a stepping-stone by the bedside, a chair (Scandinavian); flowers (Sanskrit); a shirt (German and Flemish); a picture (Italian, translated to England--cp. Massinger's _The Picture_ (1630), where he localises the story in Hungary); a ring (French); a mirror (German, French, and Italian); and so forth.

Caxton, in his preface to _Kyng Arthur_ (1485), says:-- 'Item, in the castel of Douer ye may see Gauwayn's skull and Cradok's mantel.' Sir Thomas Gray says the mantle was made into a chasuble, and was preserved at Glastonbury.

Thomas Love Peacock says (_The Misfortunes of Elphin_, chap. xii.), 'Tegau Eurvron, or Tegau of the Golden Bosom, was the wife of Caradoc [Craddocke], and one of the Three Chaste Wives of the island of Britain.' A similar statement is recorded by Percy at the end of his 'revised and altered' ballad, taking it from 'the Rev. Evan Evans, editor of the Specimens of Welsh Poetry.'

THE BOY AND THE MANTLE

1. In the third day of May to Carleile did come A kind curteous child that cold much of wisdome.

2. A kirtle & a mantle this child had vppon, With brauches and ringes full richelye bedone.

3. He had a sute of silke, about his middle drawne; Without he cold of curtesye, he thought itt much shame.

4. 'God speed thee, King Arthur, sitting at thy meate! & the goodly Queene Gueneuer! I canott her fforgett.

5. 'I tell you lords in this hall, I hett you all heede, Except you be the more surer, is you for to dread.'

6. He plucked out of his potewer, & longer wold not dwell, He pulled forth a pretty mantle, betweene two nut-shells.

7. 'Haue thou here, King Arthure, haue thou heere of mee; Give itt to thy comely queene, shapen as itt is alreadye.

8. 'Itt shall neuer become that wiffe that hath once done amisse': Then euery knight in the King's court began to care for his wiffe.

9. Forth came dame Gueneuer, to the mantle shee her bid; The ladye shee was new-fangle, but yett shee was affrayd.

10. When shee had taken the mantle, shee stoode as she had beene madd; It was ffrom the top to the toe as sheeres had itt shread.

11. One while was itt gaule, another while was itt greene; Another while was itt wadded; ill itt did her beseeme.

12. Another while was it blacke, & bore the worst hue; 'By my troth,' quoth King Arthur, 'I thinke thou be not true.'

13. Shee threw downe the mantle, that bright was of blee, Fast with a rudd redd to her chamber can shee flee.

14. Shee curst the weauer and the walker that clothe that had wrought, & bade a vengeance on his crowne that hither hath itt brought.

15. 'I had rather be in a wood, vnder a greene tree, Then in King Arthurs court, shamed for to bee.'

16. Kay called forth his ladye, & bade her come neere; Saies, 'Madam, & thou be guiltye, I pray thee hold thee there.'

17. Forth came his ladye shortlye and anon, Boldlye to the mantle then is shee gone.

18. When shee had tane the mantle, & cast it her about, Then was shee bare all aboue the buttocckes.

19. Then euery knight that was in the Kings court Talked, laug[h]ed, & showted, full oft att that sport.

20. Shee threw downe the mantle, that bright was of blee, Ffast with a red rudd to her chamber can shee flee.

21. Forth came an old knight, pattering ore a creede, & he proferred to this litle boy 20 markes to his meede,

22. & all the time of the Christmasse willinglye to ffeede; For why this mantle might doe his wiffe some need.

23. When shee had tane the mantle, of cloth that was made, Shee had no more left on her but a tassell and a threed: Then euery knight in the Kings court bade euill might shee speed.