We have the ring employed somewhat after the fashion of thes_The English and Scottish popular ballads, volume 1 (of 5)

tales in Somadeva's story of Vidúshaka. The Vidyúdhárí Bhadrá, having to

part for a while with Vidúshaka, for whom she had conceived a passion,

gives him her ring. Subsequently, Vidúshaka obliges a rakshas whom he

has subdued to convey him to the foot of a mountain on which Bhadrá had

taken refuge. Many beautiful girls come to fetch water in golden

pitchers from a lake, and, on inquiring, Vidúshaka finds that the water

is for Bhadrá. One of the girls asks him to lift her pitcher on to her

shoulder, and while doing this he drops into the pitcher Bhadrá's ring.

When the water is poured on Bhadrá's hands, the ring falls out. Bhadrá

asks her maids if they have seen a stranger. They say they have seen a

mortal, and that he had helped one of them with her pitcher. They are

ordered to go for the youth at once, for he is Bhadrá's consort.[178]

According to the letter of the ballads, should the ring given Horn by

his lady turn wan or blue, this would signify that she loved another

man: but though accuracy would be very desirable in such a case, these

words are rather loose, since she never faltered in her love, and

submitted to marry another, so far as she submitted, only under

constraint. 'Horn Child,' sts 48, 71, agrees with the ballads as to this

point. We meet a ring of similar virtue in 'Bonny Bee-Hom,' Jamieson's

Popular Ballads, I, 187, and Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland,

I, 169.

'But gin this ring should fade or fail,

Or the stone should change its hue,

Be sure your love is dead and gone,

Or she has proved untrue.'

Jamieson, p. 191.

In the Roumanian ballad, 'Ring and Handkerchief,' a prince going to war

gives his wife a ring: if it should rust, he is dead. She gives him a

gold-embroidered handkerchief: if the gold melts, she is dead.

Alecsandri, Poesiĭ pop. ale Românilor, p. 20, No 7; Stanley, Rouman

Anthology, p. 16, p. 193. In Gonzenbach's Sicilianische Märchen, I, 39,

No 7, a prince, on parting with his sister, gives her a ring, saying, So

long as the stone is clear, I am well: if it is dimmed, that is a sign

that I am dead. So No 5, at p. 23. A young man, in a Silesian story,

receives a ring from his sweetheart, with the assurance that he can

count upon her faith as long as the ring holds; and after twenty years'

detention in the mines of Siberia, is warned of trouble by the ring's

breaking: Goedsche, Schlesischer Sagen- Historien- u. Legendenschatz, I,

37, No 16. So in some copies of 'Lamkin,' the lord has a foreboding that

some ill has happened to his lady from the rings on his fingers bursting

in twain: Motherwell, p. 291, st. 23; Finlay, II, 47, st. 30.[179]

* * * * *

Hind Horn is translated by Grundtvig, Eng. og sk. Folkeviser, p. 274, No

42, mainly after the copy in Motherwell's Minstrelsy; by Rosa Warrens,

Schottische V. l. der Vorzeit, p. 161, No 37, after Buchan (#H#); by

Knortz, L. u. R. Alt-Englands, p. 184, No 52, after Allingham.

Motherwell's MS., p. 106. From Mrs King, Kilbarchan.

In Scotland there was a babie born,

Lill lal, etc.

And his name it was called young Hind Horn.

With a fal lal, etc.

He sent a letter to our king

That he was in love with his daughter Jean.

He's gien to her a silver wand,

With seven living lavrocks sitting thereon.

She's gien to him a diamond ring,

With seven bright diamonds set therein.

'When this ring grows pale and wan,

You may know by it my love is gane.'

One day as he looked his ring upon,

He saw the diamonds pale and wan.

He left the sea and came to land,

And the first that he met was an old beggar man.

'What news, what news?' said young Hind Horn;

'No news, no news,' said the old beggar man.

'No news,' said the beggar, 'no news at a',

But there is a wedding in the king's ha.

'But there is a wedding in the king's ha,

That has halden these forty days and twa.'

'Will ye lend me your begging coat?

And I'll lend you my scarlet cloak.

'Will you lend me your beggar's rung?

And I'll gie you my steed to ride upon.

'Will you lend me your wig o hair,

To cover mine, because it is fair?'

The auld beggar man was bound for the mill,

But young Hind Horn for the king's hall.

The auld beggar man was bound for to ride,

But young Hind Horn was bound for the bride.

When he came to the king's gate,

He sought a drink for Hind Horn's sake.

The bride came down with a glass of wine,

When he drank out the glass, and dropt in the ring.

'O got ye this by sea or land?

Or got ye it off a dead man's hand?'

'I got not it by sea, I got it by land,

And I got it, madam, out of your own hand.'

'O I'll cast off my gowns of brown,

And beg wi you frae town to town.

'O I'll cast off my gowns of red,

And I'll beg wi you to win my bread.'

'Ye needna cast off your gowns of brown,

For I'll make you lady o many a town.

'Ye needna cast off your gowns of red,

It's only a sham, the begging o my bread.'

The bridegroom he had wedded the bride,

But young Hind Horn he took her to bed.

Motherwell's MS., p. 418. From the singing of a

servant-girl at Halkhead.

I never saw my love before,

With a hey lillelu and a ho lo lan

Till I saw her thro an oger bore.

With a hey down and a hey diddle downie

She gave to me a gay gold ring,

With three shining diamonds set therein.

And I gave to her a silver wand,

With three singing lavrocks set thereon.

'What if these diamonds lose their hue,

Just when your love begins for to rew?'

He's left the land, and he's gone to sea,

And he's stayd there seven years and a day.

But when he looked this ring upon,

The shining diamonds were both pale and wan.

He's left the seas and he's come to the land,

And there he met with an auld beggar man.

'What news, what news, thou auld beggar man

For it is seven years sin I've seen lan.'

'No news,' said the old beggar man, 'at all,

But there is a wedding in the king's hall.'

'Wilt thou give to me thy begging coat?

And I'll give to thee my scarlet cloak.

'Wilt thou give to me thy begging staff?

And I'll give to thee my good gray steed.'

The old beggar man was bound for to ride,

But Young Hynd Horn was bound for the bride.

When he came to the king's gate,

He asked a drink for Young Hynd Horn's sake.

The news unto the bonnie bride came

That at the yett there stands an auld man.

'There stands an auld man at the king's gate;

He asketh a drink for young Hyn Horn's sake.'

'I'll go thro nine fires so hot,

But I'll give him a drink for Young Hyn Horn's sake.'

She gave him a drink out of her own hand;

He drank out the drink and he dropt in the ring.

'Got thou't by sea, or got thou't by land?

Or got thou't out of any dead man's hand?'

'I got it not by sea, but I got it by land,

For I got it out of thine own hand.'

'I'll cast off my gowns of brown,

And I'll follow thee from town to town.

'I'll cast off my gowns of red,

And along with thee I'll beg my bread.'

'Thou need not cast off thy gowns of brown,

For I can make thee lady of many a town.

'Thou need not cast off thy gowns of red,

For I can maintain thee with both wine and bread.'

The bridegroom thought he had the bonnie bride wed,

But Young Hyn Horn took the bride to bed.

#a.# Motherwell's Note-Book, p. 42: from Agnes Lyle. #b.#

Motherwell's MS., p. 413: from the singing of Agnes Lyle,

Kilbarchan, August 24, 1825.

Young Hyn Horn's to the king's court gone,

Hoch hey and an ney O

He's fallen in love with his little daughter Jean.

Let my love alone, I pray you

He's bocht to her a little gown,

With seven broad flowers spread it along.

She's given to him a gay gold ring.

The posie upon it was richt plain.

'When you see it losing its comely hue,

So will I my love to you.'

Then within a little wee,

Hyn Horn left land and went to sea.

When he lookt his ring upon,

He saw it growing pale and wan.

Then within a little [wee] again,

Hyn Horn left sea and came to the land.

As he was riding along the way,

There he met with a jovial beggar.

'What news, what news, old man?' he did say:

'This is the king's young dochter's wedding day.'

'If this be true you tell to me,

You must niffer clothes with me.

'You'll gie me your cloutit coat,

I'll gie you my fine velvet coat.

'You'll gie me your cloutit pock,

I'll gie you my purse; it'll be no joke.'

'Perhaps there['s] nothing in it, not one bawbee;'

'Yes, there's gold and silver both,' said he.

'You'll gie me your bags of bread,

And I'll gie you my milk-white steed.'

When they had niffered all, he said,

'You maun learn me how I'll beg.'

'When you come before the gate,

You'll ask for a drink for the highman's sake.'

When that he came before the gate,

He calld for a drink for the highman's sake.

The bride cam tripping down the stair,

To see whaten a bold beggar was there.

She gave him a drink with her own hand;

He loot the ring drop in the can.

'Got ye this by sea or land?

Or took ye't aff a dead man's hand?'

'I got na it by sea nor land,

But I got it aff your own hand.'

The bridegroom cam tripping down the stair,

But there was neither bride nor beggar there.

Her ain bridegroom had her first wed,

But Young Hyn Horn had her first to bed.

Cromek's Select Scotish Songs, II, 204.

Near Edinburgh was a young son born,

Hey lilelu an a how low lan

An his name it was called young Hyn Horn.

An it's hey down down deedle airo

Seven long years he served the king,

An it's a' for the sake of his daughter Jean.

The king an angry man was he;

He send young Hyn Horn to the sea.

* * * * * * *

An on his finger she put a ring.

. . . . . . .

* * * * * * *

'When your ring turns pale and wan,

Then I'm in love wi another man.'

* * * * * * *

Upon a day he lookd at his ring,

It was as pale as anything.

He's left the sea, an he's come to the lan,

An there he met an auld beggar man.

'What news, what news, my auld beggar man?

What news, what news, by sea or by lan?'

'Nae news, nae news,' the auld beggar said,

'But the king's dochter Jean is going to be wed.'

'Cast off, cast off thy auld beggar-weed,

An I'll gie thee my gude gray steed.'

* * * * * * *

When he cam to our guid king's yet,

He sought a glass o wine for young Hyn Horn's sake.

He drank out the wine, an he put in the ring,

An he bade them carry't to the king's dochter Jean.

* * * * * * *

'O gat ye't by sea, or gat ye't by lan?

Or gat ye't aff a dead man's han?'

'I gat na't by sea, I gat na't by lan,

But I gat it out of your own han.'

* * * * * * *

'Go take away my bridal gown,

For I'll follow him frae town to town.'

'Ye need na leave your bridal gown,

For I'll make ye ladie o' mony a town.'

Motherwell's MS., p. 91. From the recitation of Mrs

Wilson.

* * * * * * *

Hynd Horn he has lookt on his ring,

Hey ninny ninny, how ninny nanny

And it was baith black and blue,

And she is either dead or she's married.

And the barck and the broom blooms bonnie

Hynd Horn he has shuped to land,

And the first he met was an auld beggar man.

'What news, what news, my silly auld man?

For it is seven years syne I have seen land.

'What news, what news, my auld beggar man?

What news, what news, by sea or by land?'

'There is a king's dochter in the east,

And she has been marryed these nine nights past.

'Intil the bride's bed she winna gang

Till she hears tell of her Hynd Horn.'

'Cast aff, cast aff thy auld beggar weed,

And I will gie thee my gude gray steed.'

Lowran Castle, or the Wild Boar of Curridoo: with other

Tales. By Robert Trotter, Dumfries, 1822, p. 6. From the

recitation of a young friend.

In Newport town this knight was born,

Hey lily loo, hey loo lan

And they've called him Young Hynd Horn.

Fal lal la, fal the dal the dady

Seven long years he served the king,

For the love of his daughter Jean.

He courted her through a wimble bore,

The way never woman was courted before.

He gave her through a silver wand,

With three singing laverocks there upon.

She gave him back a gay gold ring,

With three bright diamonds glittering.

'When this ring grows pale and blue,

Fair Jeanie's love is lost to you.'

Young Hynd Horn is gone to sea,

And there seven long years staid he.

When he lookd his ring upon,

It grew pale and it grew wan.

Young Hynd Horn is come to land,

When he met an old beggar man.

'What news, what news doth thee betide?'

'No news, but Princess Jeanie's a bride.'

'Will ye give me your old brown cap?

And I'll give you my gold-laced hat.

'Will ye give me your begging weed?

And I'll give you my good grey steed.'

The beggar has got on to ride,

But Young Hynd Horn's bound for the bride.

* * * * * * *

Kinloch's Ancient Scottish Ballads, p. 135. "From the

recitation of my niece, M. Kinnear, 23 Aug^t, 1826:" the

north of Scotland.

'Hynde Horn's bound love, and Hynde Horn's free,

Whare was ye born, or in what countrie?'

'In gude greenwud whare I was born,

And all my friends left me forlorn.

'I gave my love a silver wand;

That was to rule oure all Scotland.

'My love gave me a gay gowd ring;

That was to rule abune a' thing.'

'As lang as that ring keeps new in hue,

Ye may ken that your love loves you.

'But whan that ring turns pale and wan,

Ye may ken that your love loves anither man.'

He hoisted up his sails, and away sailed he,

Till that he cam to a foreign countrie.

He looked at his ring; it was turnd pale and wan;

He said, 'I wish I war at hame again.'

He hoisted up his sails, and hame sailed he,

Until that he came to his ain countrie.

The first ane that he met wi

Was wi a puir auld beggar man.

'What news, what news, my silly old man?

What news hae ye got to tell to me?'

'Na news, na news,' the puir man did say,

'But this is our queen's wedding day.'

'Ye'll lend me your begging weed,

And I'll gie you my riding steed.'

'My begging weed is na for thee,

Your riding steed is na for me.'

But he has changed wi the beggar man,

. . . . . . .

'Which is the gate that ye used to gae?

And what are the words ye beg wi?'

'Whan ye come to yon high hill,

Ye'll draw your bent bow nigh until.

'Whan ye come to yonder town,

Ye'll let your bent bow low fall down.

'Ye'll seek meat for St Peter, ask for St Paul,

And seek for the sake of Hynde Horn all.

'But tak ye frae nane of them a',

Till ye get frae the bonnie bride hersel O.'

Whan he cam to yon high hill,

He drew his bent bow nigh until.

And whan he cam to yonder town,

He lute his bent bow low fall down.

He saught meat for St Peter, he askd for St Paul,

And he sought for the sake of Hynde Horn all.

But he would tak frae nane o them a',

Till he got frae the bonnie bride hersel O.

The bride cam tripping doun the stair,

Wi the scales o red gowd on her hair.

Wi a glass of red wine in her hand,

To gie to the puir auld beggar man.

It's out he drank the glass o wine,

And into the glass he dropt the ring.

'Got ye't by sea, or got ye't by land,

Or got ye't aff a drownd man's hand?'

'I got na't by sea, I got na't by land,

Nor got I it aff a drownd man's hand.

'But I got it at my wooing,

And I'll gie it at your wedding.'

'I'll tak the scales o gowd frae my head,

I'll follow you, and beg my bread.

'I'll tak the scales of gowd frae my hair,

I'll follow you for evermair.'

She has tane the scales o gowd frae her head,

She has followed him to beg her bread.

She has tane the scales o gowd frae her hair,

And she has followed him for evermair.

But atween the kitchen and the ha,

There he lute his cloutie cloak fa.

And the red gowd shined oure him a',

And the bride frae the bridegroom was stown awa.

Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, II, 268.

'Hynd Horn fair, and Hynd Horn free,

O where were you born, in what countrie?'

'In gude greenwood, there I was born,

And all my forbears me beforn.

'O seven years I served the king,

And as for wages, I never gat nane;

'But ae sight o his ae daughter,

And that was thro an augre bore.

'My love gae me a siller wand,

'Twas to rule ower a' Scotland.

'And she gae me a gay gowd ring,

The virtue o't was above a' thing.'

'As lang's this ring it keeps the hue,

Ye'll know I am a lover true:

'But when the ring turns pale and wan,

Ye'll know I love another man.'

He hoist up sails, and awa saild he,

And saild into a far countrie.

And when he lookd upon his ring,

He knew she loved another man.

He hoist up sails and home came he,

Home unto his ain countrie.

The first he met on his own land,

It chancd to be a beggar man.

'What news, what news, my gude auld man?

What news, what news, hae ye to me?'

'Nae news, nae news,' said the auld man,

'The morn's our queen's wedding day.'

'Will ye lend me your begging weed?

And I'll lend you my riding steed.'

'My begging weed will ill suit thee,

And your riding steed will ill suit me.'

But part be right, and part be wrang,

Frae the beggar man the cloak he wan.

'Auld man, come tell to me your leed;

What news ye gie when ye beg your bread.'

'As ye walk up unto the hill,

Your pike staff ye lend ye till.

'But whan ye come near by the yett,

Straight to them ye will upstep.

'Take nane frae Peter, nor frae Paul,

None frae high or low o them all.

'And frae them all ye will take nane,

Until it comes frae the bride's ain hand.'

He took nane frae Peter nor frae Paul,

Nane frae the high nor low o them all.

And frae them all he would take nane,

Until it came frae the bride's ain hand.

The bride came tripping down the stair,

The combs o red gowd in her hair.

A cup o red wine in her hand,

And that she gae to the beggar man.

Out o the cup he drank the wine,

And into the cup he dropt the ring.

'O got ye't by sea, or got ye't by land,

Or got ye't on a drownd man's hand?'

'I got it not by sea, nor got it by land,

Nor got I it on a drownd man's hand.

'But I got it at my wooing gay,

And I'll gie't you on your wedding day.'

'I'll take the red gowd frae my head,

And follow you, and beg my bread.

'I'll take the red gowd frae my hair,

And follow you for evermair.'

Atween the kitchen and the ha,

He loot his cloutie cloak down fa.

And wi red gowd shone ower them a',

And frae the bridegroom the bride he sta.

* * * * *

#A.#

1^2, 8^1, 14^2, 15^2, 16^2, 24^2. Hindhorn.

#B.#

_The burden is given in Motherwell, Appendix, p. xviii,

thus:_

With a hey lilloo and a how lo lan

And the birk and the brume blooms bonnie.

12^2, 13^2. Hyndhorn.

15^2, 16^2, 24^2. Hynhorn.

#C. a.#

5^2. to see.

5^2, 7^2. Hynhorn.

23^2. H. horn.

11^1. clouted.

11^1, 14^1. give.

14^2. white milk. #b.# milk-white.

16^2. hymen's. #b.# highman's.

22^1. can.

#b.#

5^2, 7^2, 23^2. Hynhorn.

7^1. little wee.

13^1. there's.

#D.#

1^2, 3^2, 11^2. Hynhorn.

#E.#

_The second line of the burden stands after st. 2 in MS._

2^1. _The MS reading may be ~sheeped~._

2^1, 6^2. Hyndhorn.

#G.#

_After ~my niece, M. Kinnear, etc.~, stands in pencil

~Christy Smith~._

15. _On the opposite page, over against this stanza, is

written_:

But part by richt, or part be wrang,

The auldman's duddie cloak he's on.

_#G# and #H# are printed by Kinloch and by Buchan in

four-line stanzas._

_The stanzas printed by Motherwell, which have not been

found in his manuscripts, are_:

Seven lang years he has been on the sea,

And Hynd Horn has looked how his ring may be.

The auld beggar man cast off his coat,

And he's taen up the scarlet cloak.

The auld beggar man threw down his staff,

And he has mounted the good gray steed.

She went to the gate where the auld man did stand,

And she gave him a drink out of her own hand.

[159] This I should have missed but for the kindness of Mr W. Macmath.

[160] Motherwell's printed copy, Minstrelsy, p. 36, is thus made up:

stanzas 1, 2, 3, 8, 15, from Cromek (#D#); 4-7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 16, 19,

20, 24-28, 30-37, from #B#; 12, 17, 18 from #E#. 23 # #A# 14. 10, 21,

22, 29, have not been found in his manuscripts. The first line of the

burden is from #B#, the second from #E#. Motherwell alters his texts

slightly, now and then.

[161] #C# 16, 17 are corrupted, and also #F# 19, 23, #G# 21; all three

in a way which allows of easy emendation. Hymon [high, man] in #C#

should of course be Hyn Horn. The injunction in #G#, #H# should be to

ask nothing for Peter or Paul's sake, but all for Horn's.

[162] When Horn was near the city, he stopped to see how things would

go. King Modun passed, with Wikel, in gay discourse of the charms of

Rimild. Horn called out to them insultingly, and Modun asked who he was.

Horn said he had formerly served a man of consequence as his fisherman:

he had thrown a net almost seven years ago, and had now come to give it

a look. If it had taken any fish, he would love it no more; if it should

still be as he left it, he would carry it away. Modun thinks him a fool.

(3984-4057, and nearly the same in 'Horn Childe and Maiden Rimild,'

77-79). This is part of a story in the Gesta Romanorum, of a soldier who

loved the emperor's daughter, and went to the holy land for seven years,

after a mutual exchange of fidelity for that time. A king comes to woo

the princess, but is put off for seven years, upon her alleging that she

has made a vow of virginity for so long. At the expiration of this term,

the king and the soldier meet as they are on the way to the princess.

The king, from certain passages between them, thinks the soldier a fool.

The soldier takes leave of the king under pretence of looking after a

net which he had laid in a certain place seven years before, rides on

ahead, and slips away with the princess. Gest. Rom., Oesterley, p. 597,

No 193; Grässe, II, 159; Madden, p. 32; Swan, I, p. lxv. A similar story

in Campbell's Tales of the West Highlands, I, 281, 'Baillie Lunnain.'

(Simrock, Deutsche Märchen, No 47, is apparently a translation from the

Gesta.) The riddle of the hawk, slightly varied, is met with in the

romance of Blonde of Oxford and Jehan of Dammartin, v. 2811 ff, 3143 ff,

3288 ff (ed. Le Roux de Lincy, pp. 98, 109, 114), and, still further

modified, in Le Romant de Jehan de Paris, ed. Montaiglon, pp. 55, 63,

111. (Le Roux de Lincy, Köhler, Mussafia, G. Paris). 'Horn et

Rimenhild,' it will be observed, has both riddles, and that of the net

is introduced under circumstances entirely like those in the Gesta

Romanorum. The French romance is certainly independent of the English in

this passage.

[163] See the excellent studies of King Horn by Wissmann, in Quellen und

Forschungen, No 16, and Anglia, IV, 342 ff.

[164] #A#, #B#, and #E#, which had not been printed at the time of his

writing, will convince Professor Stimming, whose valuable review in

Englische Studien, I, 351 ff, supplements, and in the matter of

_derivation_, I think, rectifies, Wissmann's Untersuchungen, that the

king's daughter in the ballads was faithful to Horn, and that they were

marrying her against her will, as in the romances. This contingency

seems not to have been foreseen when the ring was given: but it must be

admitted that it was better for the ring to change, to the temporary

clouding of the lady's character, than to have Horn stay away and the

forced marriage go on.

[165] See the ample introduction to 'Henrik af Brunsvig,' in Grundtvig,

No 114, II, 608 ff.

[166] It appears that these half rings are often dug up. "Neuere

Ausgrabungen haben vielfach auf solche Ringstücke geführt, die, als

Zeichen unverbrüchlicher Treue, einst mit dem Geliebten gebrochen, ja

wie der Augenschein beweist, entzwei geschnitten, und so ins Grab

mitgenommen wurden, zum Zeichen dass die Liebe über den Tod hinaus

daure." Rochholz, Schweizersagen aus dem Aargau, II, 116.

[167] Translated, with introduction of verses from #A#, by Prior,

Ancient Danish Ballads, II, 71.

[168] I have not seen this, and depend upon others here.

[169] Gödeke, 'Reinfrît von Braunschweig,' p. 89, conjectures that the

half ring was, or would have been, employed in the sequel by some

impostor (the story may never have been finished) as evidence of

Brunswick's death. A ring is so used in a Silesian tradition, of the

general character of that of Henry the Lion, with the difference that

the knight is awakened by a cock's crowing: 'Die Hahnkrähe bei Breslau,'

in Kern's Schlesische Sagen-Chronik, p. 151. There is a variation of

this last, without the deception by means of the ring, in Goedsche's

Schlesischer Sagenschatz, p. 37, No 16.

[170] There are marked correspondences between Boccaccio's story and the

veritable history of Henry the Lion as given by Bartsch, Herzog Ernst,

cxxvi f: e. g., the presents of clothes by the empress (transferred to

Torello's wife), and the handsome behavior of two soldens, here

attributed to Saladin.

[171] Without the conclusion, also in Binder's Schwäbische Volkssagen,

II, 173. These Volksmärchen, by the way, are "erzählt" by Gottschalk. It

is not made quite so clear as could be wished, whether they are merely

re-told.

[172] Germaine's husband, after an absence of seven years, overcomes his

wife's doubts of his identity by exhibiting half of her ring, which

_happened_ to break the day of their wedding, or the day after:

Puymaigre, p. 11, Champfleury, Chansons des Provinces, p. 77. The

conclusion to Sir Tristrem, which Scott supplied, "abridged from the

French metrical romance, in the style of Tomas of Erceldoune," makes

Ganhardin lay a ring in a cup which Brengwain hands Ysonde, who

recognizes the ring as Tristrem's token. The cup was one of the presents

made to King Mark by Tristrem's envoy, and is transferred to Ysonde by

Scott. The passage has been cited as ancient and genuine.

[173] In the Greek rite, rings are used in the betrothal, which as a

rule immediately precedes the marriage. The rings are exchanged by the

priest and sponsors (Camarda says three times). Crowns, of vine twigs,

etc., are the emblems in the nuptial ceremony, and these are also

changed from one head to the other.

We have the ring employed somewhat after the fashion of these western