_LOVE-GAMES._
--Many a faire tourning,
Upon the grene gras springyng.
_The Romaunt of the Rose._
No. 1.
_Knights of Spain._
This ancient and interesting, now nearly forgotten, game was in the
last generation a universal favorite in the United States, imported,
no doubt, by the early settlers of the country; and was equally
familiar, in numerous variations, through England and Scotland. It is
not, however, the exclusive property of English-speaking peoples, but
current under a score of forms throughout Europe--from Latin France,
Italy, and Spain, to Scandinavian Iceland, from the Finns of the Baltic
coast to the Slavs of Moravia. Its theme is courtship; but courtship
considered according to ancient ideas, as a mercantile negotiation.
To "buy" a bride was the old Norse expression for marriage, and in a
similar sense is to be understood the word "sold" in our rhyme. The
frankly mercenary character of the original transaction ceasing to
be considered natural, it was turned into a jest or satire in Sweden
and Scotland. The present song assumed all the grace and courtesy
characteristic of the mediæval English ballad, while a primitive form
survived in Iceland; and a later outgrowth (our No. 3) represented the
whole affair as one of coquetry instead of bargaining, substituting,
for the head of the house or the mother, the bride herself as the
negotiator.
Our first version shows the form of the game as played in New York in
the early part of the century.
* * * * *
On a sofa, or row of chairs, a mother, with her daughters on either
side, seated. Advance three suitors.
"Here come three lords out of Spain,
A-courting of your daughter Jane."
"My daughter Jane is yet too young,
To be ruled by your flattering tongue."
"Be she young, or be she old,
'Tis for the price she may be sold.
"So fare you well, my lady gay,
We must turn another way."
"Turn back, turn back, you Spanish knight,
And scour your boots and spurs so bright."
"My boots and spurs they cost you nought,
For in this land they were not bought.
"Nor in this land will they be sold,
Either for silver or for gold.
"So fare you well, my lady gay,
We must turn another way."
"Turn back, turn back, you Spanish knight,
And choose the fairest in your sight."
"I'll not take one nor two nor three,
But pray, Miss [Lucy], walk with me."
The Spanish knight takes the girl named by the hand, and marches off
with her. Walking round the room, he returns, saying,
"Here comes your daughter safe and sound,
In her pocket a thousand pound,
"On her finger a gay gold ring--
I bring your daughter home again."
In Philadelphia the game had a peculiar ending, which, however, as we
shall see, preserved, though in a corrupt form, an ancient trait:
"Here comes your daughter safe and sound,
In her pocket a thousand pound,
"On her finger a gay gold ring:
Will you take your daughter in?"
"No!"
The girl then runs away, the mother pursuing her. The Spanish knight
catches her, and brings her back, saying,
"Here comes your daughter safe and sound,
In her pocket _no_ thousand pound,
On her finger _no_ gay gold ring,
Will you take your daughter in?"
"Yes!"
The daughter then once more flies, and the Spanish knight has to catch
her.
The following is a New England version:
"We are three brethren from Spain,
Come to court your daughter Jane."
"My daughter Jane is yet too young
To be courted by your flattering tongue."
"Be she young, or be she old,
It is for gold she must be sold.
Then fare ye well, my lady gay,
I must return another day."
"Come back, come back, you Spanish knight,
Your boots and spurs shine very bright."
"My boots and spurs they count you nought,
For in this town they were not bought."
"Come back, come back, you Spanish knight,
And choose the fairest in your sight."
"This is too black, and that is too brown,
And this is the fairest in the town."
The only part of the country, so far as we know, in which the game now
survives is the neighborhood of Cincinnati, where it is still played in
a reduced but original form:
"Here comes a knight, a knight of Spain,
To court your daughter, lady Jane."
"My lady Jane, she is too young,
To be controlled by flattering tongue."
"Be she young or be she old,
Her beauty's fair, she must be sold."
"Go back, go back, you Spanish man,
And choose the fairest in the land."
"The fairest one that I can see,
Is [Annie Hobart] to walk with me."
The game now proceeds, "Here come two knights," then with three, four,
etc., till all the players are mated.[35]
It will be proper to add some account of the comparative history of
this curious game. The English and Scotch versions, though generally
less well preserved, correspond to our American. But we find a more
primitive type in Iceland, where it is, or a few years ago was, an
amusement of winter evenings, played not by children, but by men and
women, in a form which indicates a high antiquity. The women ask the
men, as these advance, what they desire? The latter reply, "a maid,"
that is, wife. The inquiry now is, what will they give? It is answered,
_stone_. This tender is scornfully refused, and the suitors retire in
dudgeon, but return to raise their offer, and at last proffer _gold_,
which is accepted, and the controversy ends in a dance.[36]
Curiously enough, modern Scotland retains this song in nearly all
the rude simplicity of the Icelandic just referred to; though the
negotiation, instead of being taken as a matter of course, is turned
into a satire, being treated as the endeavor of a rich old bachelor to
purchase a wife.
In the stewartry of Kirkendbright, says Chambers, _Janet jo_ is a
dramatic entertainment among young rustics on winter evenings. A youth,
disguised as an old bachelor, enters the room bonnet in hand, bowing,
and declaring that "he has come to court Janet jo." The goodwife
then demands, "What'll ye gie for Janet jo?" He responds, a "peck of
siller," but is told, "Gae awa', ye auld carle!" He retires, but soon
returns, and increases his offer, which is less scornfully rejected,
until he proffers "three pecks of gowd," which is accepted with the
words--
"Come ben beside Janet jo,
Janet jo, Janet jo,
Ye're welcome to Janet jo,
Janet, my jo."
The affair then ends in kissing. A comparison of details (such as the
diminishing scorn of the bargainer, and chagrin of the suitors at each
rejection) leaves no doubt that the Icelandic and Scotch forms of the
game were once (but many centuries since) identical.
The German versions are numerous, but corrupt, and less ancient and
characteristic. In one of the most spirited the mother assigns as a
reason for refusing the suitor, that
Her tresses are not braided,
Her wedding-gown not done.
Similarly, we find in an English fragment,
My mead's not made, my cake's not baked,
And you cannot have my daughter Jane.
There is a French form, not otherwise especially interesting, which
resembles our No. 3.[37]
More striking than the preceding, and abounding in singular
correspondences with the first three numbers of our own collection, is
the Italian version, as played in Venice. In this game, one of the
rows is composed of a boy, who represents the head of the house, and
five or six girls who stand at his right and left. The other row is
formed by the _ambassador_, whose suite consists of boys and girls.
These last advance towards the first row, singing, "The ambassador
is come," then, retreating, sing a chorus, "Olà, olà, olà." The
conversation then proceeds in a rhythmical way between the two rows as
follows:
"What do you wish?" "A maid."
"Which maid?" "The fairest."
"Who is the fairest?" "Nineta bella."
"What husband will you give her?" "A chimney-sweep."
"That will not do." "The king of France."
"That will do well." "What dowry will you give her?"
"A ducat." "It will not do."
"A zechin a day." "That will do well."
"Come and take her." "Here I come and take her."
The "ambassador" advances and takes the girl by the hand; then, as if
changing his mind, rejects her, saying as he returns--
"And now I don't want her!"
"Why do you not want her?" "She is too little (or ugly)."
"Is that the trouble?" "Yes, that is the trouble."
"Come, let us make peace." "Peace is made."
The ambassador then takes by the hand the girl, who is presented to
him by the head of the house; the two files unite to form a circle,
and the bride receives the general congratulations of the company, who
clap their hands, courtesy, and sing,[38] as in the pretty English
equivalent--
And the bells will ring, and the birds will sing,
And we'll all clap hands together.
In Spain, the game is known as the "Embassy of the Moorish King." The
"King of the Moors" is seated on the ground, with crossed legs, his
attendants about him. The "ambassador" makes three steps forward, and
demands one of his daughters. The king replies, "If I have them, I
have them not to give away; of the bread which I eat, they shall eat as
well."
The ambassador withdraws angry: "In discontent I go from the king's
palace." But the king, repenting, calls after him--
"Turn thee, knight, come, turn thee hither,
The most fair I'll give to thee--
The most lovely and the sweetest,
Sweetest rose upon the tree."
The ambassador crosses hands with one of his train to make a seat, on
which the bride is placed in triumph, singing--
"Thus I take her for her marriage,
Spouse and wedded wife to be."