Part 9

24. She threw downe the mantle, that bright was of blee, & fast with a redd rudd to her chamber can shee flee.

25. Craddocke called forth his ladye, & bade her come in; Saith, 'Winne this mantle, ladye, with a litle dinne.

26. 'Winne this mantle, ladye, & it shalbe thine If thou neuer did amisse since thou wast mine.'

27. Forth came Craddockes ladye shortlye & anon, But boldlye to the mantle then is shee gone.

28. When shee had tane the mantle, & cast itt her about, Vpp att her great toe itt began to crinkle & crowt; Shee said, 'Bowe downe, mantle, & shame me not for nought.

29. 'Once I did amisse, I tell you certainlye, When I kist Craddockes mouth vnder a greene tree, When I kist Craddockes mouth before he marryed mee.'

30. When shee had her shreeuen, & her sines shee had tolde, The mantle stoode about her right as shee wold,

31. Seemelye of coulour, glittering like gold; Then euery knight in Arthurs court did her behold.

32. Then spake dame Gueneuer to Arthur our king: 'She hath tane yonder mantle, not with wright but with wronge.

33. 'See you not yonder woman that maketh her selfe soe cleane? I haue seene tane out of her bedd of men fiueteene;

34. 'Preists, clarkes, & wedded men, from her by-deene; Yett shee taketh the mantle, & maketh her selfe cleane!'

35. Then spake the litle boy that kept the mantle in hold; Sayes, 'King, chasten thy wiffe; of her words shee is to bold.

36. 'Shee is a bitch & a witch, & a whore bold; King, in thine owne hall thou art a cuchold.'

37. A litle boy stoode looking ouer a dore; He was ware of a wyld bore, wold haue werryed a man.

38. He pulld forth a wood kniffe, fast thither that he ran; He brought in the bores head, & quitted him like a man.

39. He brought in the bores head, and was wonderous bold; He said there was neuer a cucholds kniffe carue itt that cold.

40. Some rubbed their k[n]iues vppon a whetstone; Some threw them vnder the table, & said they had none.

41. King Arthur & the child stood looking them vpon; All their k[n]iues edges turned backe againe.

42. Craddoccke had a litle kniue of iron & of steele; He birtled the bores head wonderous weele, That euery knight in the Kings court had a morssell.

43. The litle boy had a horne, of red gold that ronge; He said, 'There was noe cuckolde shall drinke of my horne, But he shold itt sheede, either behind or beforne.'

44. Some shedd on their shoulder, & some on their knee; He that cold not hitt his mouth put it in his eye; & he that was a cuckold, euery man might him see.

45. Craddoccke wan the horne & the bores head; His ladye wan the mantle vnto her meede; Euerye such a louely ladye, God send her well to speede!

[Annotations: 2.3: 'brauches,' brooches. 5.2: 'hett,' bid; 'heede,' MS. heate. 6.1: 'potewer.' Child says:-- Read potener, French _pautonniere_, pouch, purse. 8.4: Perhaps the line should end with 'his,' but 'wiffe' is the last word in the manuscript. 9.3: 'new-fangle,' desirous of novelties. 11.1: 'gaule,' perhaps = gules, _i.e._ red. 11.3: 'wadded,' woad-coloured, _i.e._ blue. 13.2: 'blee,' colour. 13.3: 'rudd,' complexion. 14.1: 'walker,' fuller. 25.4: 'dinne,' trouble. 28.4: 'crowt,' pucker. 34.2: 'by-deene,' one after another. 37 and 38: Evidently some lines have been lost here, and the rhymes are thereby confused. 42.3: 'birtled,' cut up. 43.2: 'ronge,' rang.]

JOHNEY SCOT

+The Text+ of this popular and excellent ballad is given from the Jamieson-Brown MS. It was copied, with wilful alterations, into Scott's Abbotsford MS. called _Scottish Songs_. Professor Child prints sixteen variants of the ballad, nearly all from manuscripts.

+The Story+ of the duel with the Italian is given with more detail in other versions. In two ballads from Motherwell's MS., where 'the Italian' becomes 'the Tailliant' or 'the Talliant,' the champion jumps over Johney's head, and descends on the point of Johney's sword. This exploit is paralleled in a Breton ballad, where the Seigneur Les Aubrays of St. Brieux is ordered by the French king to combat his wild Moor, who leaps in the air and is received on the sword of his antagonist. Again, in Scottish tradition, James Macgill, having killed Sir Robert Balfour about 1679, went to London to procure his pardon, which Charles +II.+ offered him on the condition of fighting an Italian gladiator. The Italian leaped once over James Macgill, but in attempting to repeat this manoeuvre was spitted by his opponent, who thereby procured not only his pardon, but also knighthood.

JOHNEY SCOT

1. O Johney was as brave a knight As ever sail'd the sea, An' he's done him to the English court, To serve for meat and fee.

2. He had nae been in fair England But yet a little while, Untill the kingis ae daughter To Johney proves wi' chil'.

3. O word's come to the king himsel', In his chair where he sat, That his ae daughter was wi' bairn To Jack, the Little Scott.

4. 'Gin this be true that I do hear, As I trust well it be, Ye pit her into prison strong, An' starve her till she die.'

5. O Johney's on to fair Scotland, A wot he went wi' speed, An' he has left the kingis court, A wot good was his need.

6. O it fell once upon a day That Johney he thought lang, An' he's gane to the good green wood, As fast as he coud gang.

7. 'O whare will I get a bonny boy, To rin my errand soon, That will rin into fair England, An' haste him back again?'

8. O up it starts a bonny boy, Gold yallow was his hair, I wish his mother meickle joy, His bonny love mieckle mair.

9. 'O here am I, a bonny boy, Will rin your errand soon; I will gang into fair England, An' come right soon again.'

10. O whan he came to broken briggs, He bent his bow and swam; An' whan he came to the green grass growan, He slaikid his shoone an' ran.

11. Whan he came to yon high castel, He ran it roun' about, An' there he saw the king's daughter, At the window looking out.

12. 'O here's a sark o' silk, lady, Your ain han' sew'd the sleeve; You'r bidden come to fair Scotlan', Speer nane o' your parents' leave.

13. 'Ha, take this sark o' silk, lady, Your ain han' sew'd the gare; You're bidden come to good green wood, Love Johney waits you there.'

14. She's turn'd her right and roun' about, The tear was in her ee: 'How can I come to my true-love, Except I had wings to flee?

15. 'Here am I kept wi' bars and bolts, Most grievous to behold; My breast-plate's o' the sturdy steel, Instead of the beaten gold.

16. 'But tak' this purse, my bonny boy, Ye well deserve a fee, An' bear this letter to my love, An' tell him what you see.'

17. Then quickly ran the bonny boy Again to Scotlan' fair, An' soon he reach'd Pitnachton's tow'rs, An' soon found Johney there.

18. He pat the letter in his han' An' taul' him what he sa', But eer he half the letter read, He loote the tears doun fa'.

19. 'O I will gae back to fair Englan', Tho' death shoud me betide, An' I will relieve the damesel That lay last by my side.'

20. Then out it spake his father dear, 'My son, you are to blame; An' gin you'r catch'd on English groun', I fear you'll ne'er win hame.'

21. Then out it spake a valiant knight, Johny's best friend was he; 'I can commaun' five hunder men, An' I'll his surety be.'

22. The firstin town that they came till, They gard the bells be rung; An' the nextin town that they came till, They gard the mess be sung.

23. The thirdin town that they came till, They gard the drums beat roun'; The king but an' his nobles a' Was startl'd at the soun'.

24. Whan they came to the king's palace They rade it roun' about, An' there they saw the king himsel', At the window looking out.

25. 'Is this the Duke o' Albany, Or James, the Scottish king? Or are ye some great foreign lord, That's come a visiting?'

26. 'I'm nae the Duke of Albany, Nor James, the Scottish king; But I'm a valiant Scottish knight, Pitnachton is my name.'

27. 'O if Pitnachton be your name, As I trust well it be, The morn, or I tast meat or drink, You shall be hanged hi'.'

28. Then out it spake the valiant knight That came brave Johney wi'; 'Behold five hunder bowmen bold, Will die to set him free.'

29. Then out it spake the king again, An' a scornfu' laugh laugh he; 'I have an Italian in my house Will fight you three by three.'

30. 'O grant me a boon,' brave Johney cried; 'Bring your Italian here; Then if he fall beneath my sword, I've won your daughter dear.'

31. Then out it came that Italian, An' a gurious ghost was he; Upo' the point o' Johney's sword This Italian did die.

32. Out has he drawn his lang, lang bran', Struck it across the plain: 'Is there any more o' your English dogs That you want to be slain?'

33. 'A clark, a clark,' the king then cried, 'To write her tocher free'; 'A priest, a priest,' says Love Johney, 'To marry my love and me.

34. 'I'm seeking nane o' your gold,' he says, 'Nor of your silver clear; I only seek your daughter fair, Whose love has cost her dear.'

[Annotations: 5.2,4: 'A wot' = I wis. 6.2: See _Young Bekie_, 16.4; _Brown Adam_, 5.2. 10: See _Lady Maisry_, 21; _Lord Ingram and Chiel Wyet_, 12, etc.: a stock ballad-phrase. 12.1: 'sark,' shift. 12.4: 'Speer' (speir), ask. 13.2: 'gare,' gore: see _Brown Robin_, 10.4. 18.4: 'loote,' let. 22.4: 'mess,' mass. 27.3: 'or,' ere. 29.2: The second 'laugh' is the past tense of the verb. 31.2: 'gurious,' grim, ugly. 33.2: 'tocher,' dowry.]

LORD INGRAM AND CHIEL WYET

+The Text+ is taken from Motherwell's _Minstrelsy_, a similar version being given in Maidment's _North Countrie Garland_. A few alterations from the latter version are incorporated.

+The Story+ bears tokens of confusion with _Lady Maisry_ in some of the variants of either, but here the tragedy is that the bridegroom is brother to the lover. The end of this ballad in all its forms is highly unnatural in its style: why should Maisery's remorse at having been such an expense to Lord Ingram be three times as great as her grief for the loss of her lover? It is by no means romantic.

LORD INGRAM AND CHIEL WYET

1. Lord Ingram and Chiel Wyet Was baith born in one bower; Laid baith their hearts on one lady, The less was their honour.

2. Chiel Wyet and Lord Ingram Was baith born in one hall; Laid baith their hearts on one lady, The worse did them befall.

3. Lord Ingram woo'd her Lady Maisery From father and from mother; Lord Ingram woo'd her Lady Maisery From sister and from brother.

4. Lord Ingram woo'd her Lady Maisery With leave of a' her kin; And every one gave full consent, But she said no to him.

5. Lord Ingram woo'd her Lady Maisery Into her father's ha'; Chiel Wyet woo'd her Lady Maisery Amang the sheets so sma'.

6. Now it fell out upon a day She was dressing her head, That ben did come her father dear, Wearing the gold so red.

7. He said, 'Get up now, Lady Maisery, Put on your wedding gown; For Lord Ingram he will be here, Your wedding must be done.'

8. 'I'd rather be Chiel Wyet's wife, The white fish for to sell, Before I were Lord Ingram's wife, To wear the silk so well.

9. 'I'd rather be Chiel Wyet's wife, With him to beg my bread, Before I were Lord Ingram's wife, To wear the gold so red.

10. 'Where will I get a bonny boy, Will win gold to his fee, And will run unto Chiel Wyet's, With this letter from me?'

11. 'O here I am, the boy,' says one, 'Will win gold to my fee, And carry away any letter To Chiel Wyet from thee.'

12. And when he found the bridges broke He bent his bow and swam; And when he found the grass growing, He hastened and he ran.

13. And when he came to Chiel Wyet's castle, He did not knock nor call, But set his bent bow to his breast, And lightly leaped the wall; And ere the porter open'd the gate, The boy was in the hall.

14. The first line he looked on, A grieved man was he; The next line he looked on, A tear blinded his ee: Says, 'I wonder what ails my one brother, He'll not let my love be!

15. 'But I'll send to my brother's bridal-- The bacon shall be mine-- Full four and twenty buck and roe, And ten tun of the wine; And bid my love be blythe and glad, And I will follow syne.'

16. There was not a groom about that castle, But got a gown of green, And all was blythe, and all was glad, But Lady Maisery she was neen.

17. There was no cook about that kitchen, But got a gown of gray; And all was blythe, and all was glad, But Lady Maisery was wae.

18. Between Mary Kirk and that castle Was all spread ower with garl, To keep Lady Maisery and her maidens From tramping on the marl.

19. From Mary Kirk to that castle Was spread a cloth of gold, To keep Lady Maisery and her maidens From treading on the mold.

20. When mass was sung, and bells was rung, And all men bound for bed; Then Lord Ingram and Lady Maisery In one bed they were laid.

21. When they were laid into their bed, It was baith saft and warm, He laid his hand over her side, Says, 'I think you are with bairn.'

22. 'I told you once, so did I twice, When ye came me to woo, That Chiel Wyet, your only brother, One night lay in my bower.

23. 'I told you twice, I told you thrice, Ere ye came me to wed, That Chiel Wyet, your one brother, One night lay in my bed.'

24. 'O will you father your bairn on me, And on no other man? And I'll give him to his dowry Full fifty ploughs of land.'

25. 'I will not father my bairn on you, Nor on no wrongeous man, Though ye would give him to his dowry Five thousand ploughs of land.'

26. Then up did start him Chiel Wyet, Shed by his yellow hair, And gave Lord Ingram to the heart A deep wound and a sair.

27. Then up did start him Lord Ingram, Shed by his yellow hair, And gave Chiel Wyet to the heart, A deep wound and a sair.

28. There was no pity for that two lords, Where they were lying slain; But all was for her Lady Maisery, In that bower she gaed brain.

29. There was no pity for that two lords, When they were lying dead; But all was for her Lady Maisery, In that bower she went mad.

30. Said, 'Get to me a cloak of cloth, A staff of good hard tree; If I have been an evil woman, I shall beg till I dee.

31. 'For a bit I'll beg for Chiel Wyet, For Lord Ingram I'll beg three; All for the good and honourable marriage, At Mary Kirk he gave me.'

[Annotations: 1.4: 'honour': Motherwell printed _bonheur_. 6.3: 'ben,' in. 8.2: 'sell': Motherwell gave _kill_. 12: Cp. _Lady Maisry_, 21. 16.4: 'neen,' none, not. 18.2: 'garl,' gravel. 26.1: Motherwell gives _did stand_. 28.4: 'brain,' mad. 30.2: 'tree,' wood. 31.1: 'a' = ae, each.]

THE TWA SISTERS O' BINNORIE

+Texts.+--The version here given is compounded from two different sources, almost of necessity. Stanzas 1-19 were given by Scott, compounded from W. Tytler's Brown MS. and the recitation of an old woman. But at stanza 20 Scott's version becomes eccentric, and he prints such verses as:--

'A famous harper passing by The sweet pale face he chanced to spy ...

The strings he framed of her yellow hair, Whose notes made sad the listening air.'

Stanzas 20-25, therefore, have been supplied from the Jamieson-Brown MS., which after this point does not descend from the high level of ballad-poetry.

+The Story.+--This is a very old and a very popular story. An early broadside exists, dated 1656, and the same version is printed in _Wit Restor'd_, 1658. Of Scandinavian ballads on the same subject, nine are Danish, two Icelandic, twelve Norwegian, four Faeroee, and eight or nine Swedish.

THE TWA SISTERS O' BINNORIE

1. There were twa sisters sat in a bour, _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ There came a knight to be their wooer, _By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

2. He courted the eldest wi' glove and ring, _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ But he lo'ed the youngest aboon a' thing, _By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

3. He courted the eldest with broach and knife, _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ But he lo'ed the youngest aboon his life, _By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

4. The eldest she was vexed sair, _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ And sair envied her sister fair, _By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

5. The eldest said to the youngest ane, _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ 'Will ye go and see our father's ships come in?' _By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

6. She's ta'en her by the lilly hand, _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ And led her down to the river-strand, _By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

7. The youngest stude upon a stane, _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ The eldest came and pushed her in, _By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

8. She took her by the middle sma', _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ And dashed her bonnie back to the jaw, _By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie/_

9. 'O sister, sister, reach your hand!' _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ 'And ye shall be heir of half my land,' _By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

10. 'O sister, I'll not reach my hand,' _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ 'And I'll be heir of all your land,' _By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

11. 'Shame fa' the hand that I should take,' _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ 'It's twin'd me and my world's make,' _By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

12. 'O sister, reach me but your glove,' _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ 'And sweet William shall be your love,' _By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

13. 'Sink on, nor hope for hand or glove,' _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ 'And sweet William shall better be my love,' _By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

14. 'Your cherry cheeks and your yellow hair,' _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ 'Garr'd me gang maiden evermair,' _By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie._

15. Sometimes she sunk, and sometimes she swam, _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ Until she came to the miller's dam, _By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

16. 'O father, father, draw your dam!' _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ 'There's either a mermaid or a milk-white swan,' _By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

17. The miller hasted and drew his dam, _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ And there he found a drowned woman, _By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

18. You could not see her yellow hair, _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ For gowd and pearls that were sae rare, _By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

19. You could na see her middle sma', _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ Her gowden girdle was sae bra', _By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

20. An' by there came a harper fine, _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ That harped to the king at dine, _By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

21. When he did look that lady upon, _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ He sigh'd and made a heavy moan, _By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

22. He's ta'en three locks o' her yallow hair, _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ And wi' them strung his harp sae fair, _By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

23. The first tune he did play and sing, _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ Was, 'Farewell to my father the king,' _By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

24. The nextin tune that he play'd syne, _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ Was, 'Farewell to my mother the queen,' _By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

25. The lasten tune that he play'd then, _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ Was, 'Wae to my sister, fair Ellen!' _By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

[Annotations: 8.3: 'jaw,' wave. 11.3: 'my world's make,' my earthly mate.]

YOUNG WATERS

+The Text+ is that of a copy mentioned by Percy, 'printed not long since at Glasgow, in one sheet 8vo. The world was indebted for its publication to the lady Jean Hume, sister to the Earle of Hume, who died lately at Gibraltar.' The original edition, discovered by Mr. Macmath after Professor Child's version (from the _Reliques_) was in print, is:-- 'Young Waters, an Ancient Scottish Poem, never before printed. Glasgow, printed and sold by Robert and Andrew Foulis, 1755.' This was also known to Maidment. Hardly a word differs from Percy's version; but here I have substituted the spellings 'wh' for Percy's 'quh,' in 'quhen,' etc., and 'y' for his 'z' in 'zoung, zou,' etc.

+The Story+ has had historical foundations suggested for it by Percy and Chambers. Percy identified Young Waters with the Earl of Murray, murdered, according to the chronicle of Sir James Balfour, on the 7th of February 1592. Chambers, in 1829, relying on Buchan's version of the ballad, had no doubt that Young Waters was one of the Scots nobles executed by James I., and was very probably Walter Stuart, second son of the Duke of Albany. Thirty years later, Chambers was equally certain that the ballad was the composition of Lady Wardlaw.

In a Scandinavian ballad, Folke Lovmandson is a favourite at court; a little wee page makes the fatal remark and excites the king's jealousy. The innocent knight is rolled down a hill in a barrel set with knives--a punishment common in Scandinavian folklore.

YOUNG WATERS

1. About Yule, when the wind blew cule, And the round tables began, A there is cum to our king's court Mony a well-favor'd man.

2. The queen luikt owre the castle-wa', Beheld baith dale and down, And there she saw Young Waters Cum riding to the town.

3. His footmen they did rin before, His horsemen rade behind; Ane mantel of the burning gowd Did keip him frae the wind.

4. Gowden-graith'd his horse before, And siller-shod behind; The horse Young Waters rade upon Was fleeter than the wind.

5. Out then spack a wylie lord, Unto the queen said he: 'O tell me wha 's the fairest face Rides in the company?'

6. 'I've sene lord, and I've sene laird, And knights of high degree, Bot a fairer face than Young Waters Mine eyne did never see.'

7. Out then spack the jealous king, And an angry man was he: 'O if he had bin twice as fair, You micht have excepted me.'

8. 'You're neither laird nor lord,' she says, 'Bot the king that wears the crown; There is not a knight in fair Scotland Bot to thee maun bow down.'

9. For a' that she coud do or say, Appeas'd he wad nae bee, Bot for the words which she had said, Young Waters he maun die.

10. They hae ta'en Young Waters, And put fetters to his feet; They hae ta'en Young Waters, and Thrown him in dungeon deep.

11. 'Aft have I ridden thro' Stirling town, In the wind bot and the weit; Bot I neir rade thro' Stirling town Wi' fetters at my feet.

12. 'Aft have I ridden thro' Stirling town, In the wind bot and the rain; Bot I neir rade thro' Stirling town Neir to return again.'

13. They hae ta'en to the heiding-hill His young son in his craddle, And they hae ta'en to the heiding-hill His horse bot and his saddle.

14. They hae ta'en to heiding-hill His lady fair to see, And for the words the queen had spoke Young Waters he did die.