Quickly Sir Valentine revived
With Ursine’s timely care;
And now to search the castle walls
The venturous youths repair.
The blood and bones of murdered Knights
They found where’er they came;
At length within a lonely cell
They saw a mournful dame.
Her gentle eyes were dimmed with tears;
Her cheeks were pale with woe;
And long Sir Valentine besought
Her doleful tale to know.
“Alas! young Knight,” she weeping said,
“Condole my wretched fate;
A childless mother here you see;
A wife without a mate.
“These twenty winters here forlorn
I’ve drawn my hated breath;
Sole witness of a monster’s crimes,
And wishing aye for death.
“Know, I am sister of a King,
And in my early years
Was married to a mighty Prince,
The fairest of his peers.
“With him I sweetly lived in love
A twelvemonth and a day;
When, lo! a foul and treacherous priest
Y-wrought our loves’ decay.
“With treason, villainy, and wrong,
My goodness he repayed;
With jealous doubts he filled my Lord,
And me to woe betrayed;
“But, ’cause I then was ill, my Lord
At length my life he spared;
But bade me instant quit the realm,
One trusty Knight my guard.
“Forth on my journey I depart,
Oppressed with grief and woe,
And tow’rds my brother’s distant Court,
With breaking heart, I go.
“Long time thro’ sundry foreign lands
We slowly pace forlorn,
At length within a forest wild,
I had two babies born.
“The eldest fair and smooth, as snow
That tips the mountain hoar;
The younger’s little body rough
With hairs was covered o’er.
“But here afresh begin my woes:
While tender care I took
To shield my eldest from the cold,
And wrap him in my cloak,
“A prowling bear burst from the wood,
And seized my younger son;
Affection lent my weakness wings
And after them I run.
“But all forewearied, weak and spent,
I quickly swooned away;
And there beneath the greenwood shade
Long time I lifeless lay.
“At length the Knight brought me relief,
And raised me from the ground;
But neither of my pretty babes
Could ever more be found.
“And, while in search we wandered far,
We met that Giant grim,
Who ruthless slew my trusty Knight,
And bare me off with him.
“But charmed by Heaven, or else my griefs,
He offered me no wrong;
Save that within these lonely walls
I’ve been immured so long.”
“Now, surely,” said the youthful Knight,
“You are Lady Bellisance,
Wife to the Grecian Emperor;
Your brother’s King of France.
“For in your royal brother’s Court
Myself my breeding had;
Where oft the story of your woes
Hath made my bosom sad.
“If so, know your accuser’s dead,
And dying owned his crime;
And long your Lord hath sought you out
Thro’ every foreign clime.
“And when no tidings he could learn
Of his much-wronged wife,
He vowed thenceforth within his Court
To lead a hermit’s life.”
“Now Heaven is kind!” the Lady said;
And dropt a joyful tear;
“Shall I once more behold my Lord?
That Lord I love so dear?”
“But, Madam,” said Sir Valentine,
And knelt upon his knee;
“Know you the cloak that wrapt your babe,
If you the same should see?”
And pulling forth the cloth of gold
In which himself was found,
The Lady gave a sudden shriek,
And fainted on the ground.
But by his pious care revived,
His tale she heard anon;
And soon by other tokens found
He was indeed her son.
“But who’s this hairy youth?” she said;
“He much resembles thee;
The bear devoured my younger son,
Or sure that son were he.”
“Madam, this youth with bears was bred,
And reared within their den.
But recollect ye any mark
To know your son again?”
“Upon his little side,” quoth she,
“Was stamped a bloody rose.”
“Here, Lady, see the crimson mark
Upon his body grows!”
Then clasping both her new-found sons,
She bathed their cheeks with tears;
And soon towards her brother’s Court
Her joyful course she steers.
What pen can paint King Pepin’s joy,
His sister thus restored!
And soon a messenger was sent
To cheer her drooping Lord,
Who came in haste with all his peers,
To fetch her home to Greece;
Where many happy years they reigned
In perfect love and peace.
To them Sir Ursine did succeed,
And long the sceptre bare.
Sir Valentine he stayed in France,
And was his uncle’s heir.
_Attributed in part to Bishop Percy
(Done into modern spelling)_
O’ PILGRIMAGE AND SOULS SO STRONG
THE PILGRIM
_What Danger is the Pilgrim in?
How many are his Foes?
How many ways there are to Sin,
No living Mortal knows._
_Some of the Ditch shy are, yet can
Lie tumbling on the Myre,
Some, tho’ they shun the Frying-Pan,
Do leap into the Fire._
_John Bunyan_
THE HEART OF THE BRUCE
PART I
The good Lord Douglas paced the deck,
And oh, his face was wan!
Unlike the flush it used to wear
When in the battle-van.--
“Come hither, come hither, my trusty Knight,
Sir Simon of the Lee;
There is a freit lies near my soul
I fain would tell to thee.
“Thou know’st the words King Robert spoke
Upon his dying day:
How he bade me take his noble Heart
And carry it far away;
“And lay it in the holy soil
Where once the Saviour trod,
Since he might not bear the blessed Cross,
Nor strike one blow for God.
“Last night as in my bed I lay,
I dreamed a dreary dream:--
Methought I saw a Pilgrim stand
In the moonlight’s quivering beam.
“His robe was of the azure dye,
Snow-white his scattered hairs,
And even such a cross he bore
As good Saint Andrew bears.
“‘Why go ye forth, Lord James,’ he said,
‘With spear and belted brand?
Why do you take its dearest pledge
From this our Scottish land?
“‘The sultry breeze of Galilee
Creeps through its groves of palm,
The olives on the Holy Mount
Stand glittering in the calm.
“‘But ’tis not there that Scotland’s Heart
Shall rest by God’s decree,
Till the great Angel calls the dead
To rise from earth and sea!
“‘Lord James of Douglas, mark my rede!
That Heart shall pass once more
In fiery fight against the foe,
As it was wont of yore.
“‘And it shall pass beneath the Cross,
And save King Robert’s vow;
But other hands shall bear it back,
Not, James of Douglas, thou!’
“Now, by thy knightly faith, I pray,
Sir Simon of the Lee--
For truer friend had never man
Than thou hast been to me--
“If ne’er upon the Holy Land
’Tis mine in life to tread,
Bear thou to Scotland’s kindly earth
The relics of her dead.”
The tear was in Sir Simon’s eye
As he wrung the warrior’s hand--
“Betide me weal, betide me woe,
I’ll hold by thy command.
“But if in battle-front, Lord James,
’Tis ours once more to ride,
Nor force of man, nor craft of fiend,
Shall cleave me from thy side!”
PART II
And aye we sailed and aye we sailed,
Across the weary sea,
Until one morn the coast of Spain
Rose grimly on our lee.
And as we rounded to the port,
Beneath the watch-tower’s wall,
We heard the clash of the atabals,
And the trumpet’s wavering call.
“Why sounds yon Eastern music here
So wantonly and long,
And whose the crowd of armed men
That round yon standard throng?”
“The Moors have come from Africa
To spoil and waste and slay,
And King Alonzo of Castile
Must fight with them to-day.”
“Now shame it were,” cried good Lord James,
“Shall never be said of me,
That I and mine have turned aside
From the Cross in jeopardie!
“Have down, have down, my merrymen all--
Have down unto the plain;
We’ll let the Scottish lion loose
Within the fields of Spain!”
“Now welcome to me, noble Lord,
Thou and thy stalwart power;
Dear is the sight of a Christian Knight,
Who comes in such an hour!
“Is it for bond or faith you come,
Or yet for golden fee?
Or bring ye France’s lilies here,
Or the flower of Burgundie?”
“God greet thee well, thou valiant King,
Thee and thy belted peers--
Sir James of Douglas am I called,
And these are Scottish spears.
“We do not fight for bond or plight,
Nor yet for golden fee;
But for the sake of our blessed Lord,
Who died upon the tree.
“We bring our great King Robert’s Heart
Across the weltering wave,
To lay it in the holy soil
Hard by the Saviour’s grave.
“True Pilgrims we, by land or sea,
Where danger bars the way;
And therefore are we here, Lord King,
To ride with thee this day!”
The King has bent his stately head,
And the tears were in his eyne--
“God’s blessing on thee, noble Knight,
For this brave thought of thine!
“I know thy name full well, Lord James;
And honoured may I be,
That those who fought beside the Bruce
Should fight this day for me!
“Take thou the leading of the van,
And charge the Moors amain;
There is not such a lance as thine
In all the host of Spain!”
The Douglas turned towards us then,
Oh, but his glance was high!--
“There is not one of all my men
But is as bold as I.
“There is not one of all my Knights
But bears as true a spear--
Then onwards, Scottish gentlemen,
And think King Robert’s here!”
PART III
The trumpets blew, the cross-bolts flew,
The arrows flashed like flame,
As spur in side, and spear in rest,
Against the foe we came.
And many a bearded Saracen
Went down, both horse and man;
For through their ranks we rode like corn,
So furiously we ran!
But in behind our path they closed,
Though fain to let us through,
For they were forty thousand men,
And we were wondrous few.
We might not see a lance’s length,
So dense was their array,
But the long fell sweep of the Scottish blade
Still held them hard at bay.
“Make in! make in!” Lord Douglas cried--
“Make in, my brethren dear!
Sir William of Saint Clair is down;
We may not leave him here!”
But thicker, thicker grew the swarm,
And sharper shot the rain,
And the horses reared amid the press,
But they would not charge again.
“Now Jesu help thee,” said Lord James,
“Thou kind and true Saint Clair!
An’ if I may not bring thee off,
I’ll die beside thee there!”
Then in his stirrups up he stood,
So lionlike and bold,
And held the precious Heart aloft
All in its case of gold.
He flung it from him, far ahead,
And never spake he more,
But--“Pass thee first, thou dauntless Heart,
As thou wert wont of yore!”
The roar of fight rose fiercer yet,
And heavier still the stour,
Till the spears of Spain came shivering in,
And swept away the Moor.
“Now praised be God, the day is won!
They fly o’er flood and fell--
Why dost thou draw the rein so hard,
Good Knight, that fought so well?”
“Oh, ride ye on, Lord King!” he said,
“And leave the dead to me,
For I must keep the dreariest watch
That ever I shall dree!
“There lies, above his master’s Heart,
The Douglas, stark and grim;
And woe is me I should be here,
Not side by side with him!”
The King he lighted from his horse,
He flung his brand away,
And took the Douglas by the hand,
So stately as he lay.
“God give thee rest, thou valiant soul!
That fought so well for Spain;
I’d rather half my land were gone,
So thou wert here again!”
We bore the good Lord James away,
And the priceless Heart we bore,
And heavily we steered our ship
Towards the Scottish shore.
No welcome greeted our return,
Nor clang of martial tread,
But all were dumb and hushed as death
Before the mighty dead.
We laid our chief in Douglas Kirk,
The Heart in fair Melrose;
And woeful men were we that day--
God grant their souls repose!
_William Edmondstoune Aytoun. (Condensed)_
BARCLAY OF URY
Up the streets of Aberdeen,
By the kirk and college green,
Rode the Laird of Ury;
Close behind him, close beside,
Foul of mouth and evil-eyed,
Pressed the mob in fury.
Flouted him the drunken churl,
Jeered at him the serving-girl,
Prompt to please her master;
And the begging carlin, late
Fed and clothed at Ury’s gate,
Cursed him as he passed her.
Yet, with calm and stately mien,
Up the streets of Aberdeen
Came he slowly riding;
And, to all he saw and heard,
Answering not with bitter word,
Turning not for chiding.
Came a troop with broadswords swinging,
Bits and bridles sharply ringing,
Loose and free and froward;
Quoth the foremost, “Ride him down!
Push him! prick him! through the town
Drive the Quaker coward!”
But from out the thickening crowd
Cried a sudden voice and loud;
“Barclay! Ho! a Barclay!”
And the old man at his side
Saw a comrade, battle-tried,
Scarred and sunburned darkly,
Who with ready weapon bare,
Fronting to the troopers there,
Cried aloud: “God save us!
Call ye coward him who stood
Ankle deep in Lützen’s blood,
With the brave Gustavus?”
“Nay, I do not need thy sword,
Comrade mine,” said Ury’s lord;
“Put it up, I pray thee:
Passive to His holy will,
Trust I in my Master still,
Even though He slay me.
“Pledges of thy love and faith,
Proved on many a field of death,
Not by me are needed.”
Marvelled much that henchman bold,
That his Laird, so stout of old,
Now so meekly pleaded.
“Woe’s the day!” he sadly said,
With a slowly shaking head,
And a look of pity;
“Ury’s honest lord reviled,
Mock of knave and sport of child,
In his own good city!
“Speak the word, and, master mine,
As we charged on Tilly’s line,
And his Walloon lancers,
Smiting thro’ their midst we’ll teach
Civil look and decent speech
To these boyish prancers!”
“Marvel not, mine ancient friend,
Like beginning, like the end,”
Quoth the Laird of Ury;
“Is the sinful servant more
Than his gracious Lord who bore
Bonds and stripes in Jewry?
“Give me joy that in His name,
I can bear, with patient frame,
All these vain ones offer;
While for them He suffereth long,
Shall I answer wrong with wrong,
Scoffing with the scoffer?
“Happier I, with loss of all,
Hunted, outlawed, held in thrall,
With few friends to greet me,
Than when reeve and squire were seen,
Riding out from Aberdeen,
With bared heads to meet me.
“When each goodwife, o’er and o’er,
Blessed me as I passed her door;
And the snooded daughter,
Through her casement glancing down,
Smiled on him who bore renown
From red fields of slaughter.
“Hard to feel the stranger’s scoff,
Hard the old friend’s falling off,
Hard to learn forgiving;
But the Lord His own rewards,
And His love with theirs accords,
Warm and fresh and living.
“Through this dark and stormy night
Faith beholds a feeble light,
Up the blackness streaking;
Knowing God’s own time is best,
In a patient hope I rest
For the full day-breaking!”
So the Laird of Ury said,
Turning slow his horse’s head,
Towards the Tolbooth prison,
Where through iron gates he heard
Poor disciples of the Word
Preach of Christ arisen!
Not in vain, Confessor old,
Unto us the tale is told
Of thy day of trial;
Every age on him who strays
From its broad and beaten ways
Pours its seven-fold vial.
Happy he whose inward ear
Angel comfortings can hear,
O’er the rabble’s laughter;
And while Hatred’s fagots burn,
Glimpses through the smoke discern
Of the good hereafter.
Knowing this, that never yet
Share of Truth was vainly set
In the world’s wide fallow;
After hands shall sow the seed,
After hands from hill and mead
Reap the harvests yellow.
Thus, with somewhat of the Seer,
Must the moral pioneer
From the future borrow;
Clothe the waste with dreams of grain,
And, on midnight’s sky of rain,
Paint the golden morrow!
_John Greenleaf Whittier_
THE TOUCHSTONE
A Man there came, whence none could tell,
Bearing a Touchstone in his hand,
And testing all things in the land
By its unerring spell.
A thousand transformations rose
From fair to foul, from foul to fair;
The golden crown he did not spare,
Nor scorn the beggar’s clothes.
Of heirloom jewels, prized so much,
Were many changed to chips and clods;
And even statues of the gods
Crumbled beneath its touch.
Then angrily the people cried,
“The loss outweighs the profit far;
Our goods suffice us as they are:
We will not have them tried.”
And, since they could not so avail
To check his unrelenting quest,
They seized him, saying, “Let him test
How real is our jail!”
But though they slew him with the sword,
And in a fire his Touchstone burned,
Its doings could not be o’erturned,
Its undoings restored.
And when to stop all future harm,
They strewed its ashes on the breeze,
They little guessed each grain of these,
Conveyed the perfect charm.
_William Allingham_
SIR GALAHAD
(_The Quest of the Holy Grail_)
My good blade carves the casques of men,
My tough lance thrusteth sure,
My strength is as the strength of ten,
Because my heart is pure.
The shattering trumpet shrilleth high,
The hard brands shiver on the steel,
The splintered spear-shafts crack and fly,
The horse and rider reel;
They reel, they roll in clanging lists,
And when the tide of combat stands,
Perfume and flowers fall in showers,
That lightly rain from ladies’ hands.
How sweet are looks that ladies bend
On whom their favours fall!
For them I battle till the end,
To save from shame and thrall;
But all my heart is drawn above,
My knees are bowed in crypt and shrine,
I never felt the kiss of love,
Nor maiden’s hand in mine.
More bounteous aspects on me beam,
Me mightier transports move and thrill;
So keep I fair thro’ faith and prayer,
A virgin heart in work and will.
When down the stormy crescent goes,
A light before me swims,
Between dark stems the forest glows,
I hear a noise of hymns.
Then by some secret shrine I ride;
I hear a voice, but none are there;
The stalls are void, the doors are wide,
The tapers burning fair.
Fair gleams the snowy altar-cloth,
The silver vessels sparkle clean,
The shrill bell rings, the censer swings,
And solemn chaunts resound between.
Sometimes on lonely mountain-meres
I find a magic bark.
I leap on board; no helmsman steers;
I float till all is dark.
A gentle sound, an awful light!
Three Angels bear the Holy Grail;
With folded feet, in stoles of white,
On sleeping wings they sail.
Ah, blessed vision! blood of God!
My spirit beats her mortal bars,
As down dark tides, the glory slides,
And starlike mingles with the stars.
When on my goodly charger borne
Thro’ dreaming towns I go,
The cock crows ere the Christmas morn,
The streets are dumb with snow.
The tempest crackles on the leads,
And, ringing, springs from brand and mail
But o’er the dark a glory spreads,
And gilds the driving hail.
I leave the plain, I climb the height;
No branchy thicket shelter yields;
But blessed forms in whistling storms
Fly o’er waste fens and windy fields.
A maiden Knight--to me is given
Such hope, I know not fear;
I yearn to breathe the airs of Heaven
That often meet me here.
I muse on joy that will not cease,
Pure spaces clothed in living beams,
Pure lilies of eternal peace,
Whose odours haunt my dreams;
And, stricken by an Angel’s hand,
This mortal armour that I wear,
This weight and size, this heart and eyes,
Are touched, are turned to finest air.
The clouds are broken in the sky,
And thro’ the mountain-walls
A rolling organ-harmony
Swells up and shakes and falls.
Then move the trees, the copses nod,
Wings flutter, voices hover clear;
“O just and faithful Knight of God!
Ride on! the prize is near.”
So pass I hostel, hall, and grange;
By bridge and ford, by park and pale,
All-armed I ride, whate’er betide,
Until I find the Holy Grail.
_Alfred, Lord Tennyson_
PILGRIMAGE
Give me my Scallop-shell of Quiet,
My Staff of Faith to walk upon;
My Scrip of Joy, immortal diet;
My Bottle of Salvation.
My Gown of Glory, (Hope’s true Gage)
And thus I’ll take my Pilgrimage.
Blood must be my Bodie’s only Balmer,
Whilst my Soul like a quiet Palmer,
Travelleth towards the Land of Heaven,
No other Balm will there be given.
Over the Silver Mountains,
Where spring the Nectar Fountains,
There will I kiss the Bowl of Bliss,
And drink mine everlasting fill
Upon every milken Hill.
My Soul will be a-dry before,
But after, it will thirst no more.
I’ll take them first, to quench my Thirst,
And taste of Nectar’s Suckets,
At those clear Wells
Where Sweetness dwells,
Drawn up by Saints in crystal buckets.
More peaceful Pilgrims I shall see,
That have cast off their Rags of Clay,
And walk apparelled fresh like me,
And when our Bodies and all we
Are filled with Immortality,
Then the blessed Parts we’ll travel,
Strowed with Rubies thick as Gravel,
Ceilings of Diamonds, Saphire Flowers,
High Walls of Coral, and pearly Bowers.
From thence to Heaven’s bribeless Hall,
Where no corrupted Voices brawl,
No Cause deferred, no vain spent Journey,
For there _Christ_ is the King’s Attorney,
Who pleads for all without Degrees,
And He hath Angels, but no Fees.
And this is mine eternal Plea,
To Him that made Heaven, Earth and Sea,
That since my Flesh must die so soon,
And want a Head to dine next Noon,
Just at the Stroke, when my Veins start and spread,
Set on my Soul an everlasting Head.
Then am I ready, like a Palmer fit,
To tread those blest Paths which before I writ.
_Sir Walter Raleigh._ (_Condensed_)
THE ROYAL COURT
In Royal Courts my Soul hath slept,
On royal meats I’ve fed;
Royal favour sheltered me,
My Soul was wellnigh dead.
The royal eye’s now turned away,
And scorn and dearth are mine;
False-hearted friends are fled afar,
My Soul awakes to pine.
“Oh! where, my Soul, seek refuge now,
While mocking foes pursue?
Oh! whither shall I flee away,
Thou Soul so full of rue?”
“Turn, turn unto this greenwood shade,
And rest beneath His Tree,
With little birds on every bough
To sing His peace to thee.
“A loyal King doth here abide,
Here is his Royal Court;
His carpet green’s enamelled bright
With flowers of every sort.
“His subjects, all the wildwood things,
He feedeth from His hand;
His messengers are birds and winds,
His will they understand.
“His table is bedecked with moss;
His almoners are bees,
The berry-vine, the leaping stream,
And all the fruitful trees.
“Here shalt thou find a Royal Court
Where flatt’ry holds no sway;
And gentle is the royal eye,
Here friendship comes to stay.
“Turn, turn unto the sweet greenwood,
O happy One! and sing
Praise with the birds and all good life,
To Christ who is our King!”
_Modern, anon._
TRUE VALOUR
_Who would true Valour see,
Let him come hither;
One here will constant be,
Come Wind, come Weather.
There’s no_ Discouragement,
_Shall make him once_ Relent,
_His first avow’d_ Intent,
To be a Pilgrim.
_Who so beset him round,
With dismal_ Storys,
_Do but themselves confound;
His Strength the_ more is.
_No_ Lyon _can him fright,
He’l with a_ Gyant _Fight,
But he will have a right_,
To be a Pilgrim.
Hobgoblin, _nor foul_ Fiend,
_Can_ daunt _his Spirit:
He knows, he_ at the end,
Shall Life Inherit.
_Then Fancies fly away,
He’l fear not what men say_,
He’l _labor Night and Day_,
To be a Pilgrim.
_John Bunyan (from reprint of first edition)_
PEACE
Sweet Peace, where dost thou dwell, I humbly crave?
Let me once know.
I sought thee in a secret cave,
And asked if Peace were there.
A hollow wind did seem to answer, “No!
Go seek elsewhere.”
I did; and going did a Rainbow note:
“Surely,” thought I,
“This is the lace of Peace’s coat;
I will search out the matter.”
But while I looked the clouds immediately
Did break and scatter.
Then went I to a garden, and did spy
A gallant flower,--
The Crown-Imperial. “Sure,” said I,
“Peace at the root must dwell.”
But when I digged, I saw a worm devour
What showed so well.
At length I met a rev’rend, good, old man;
Whom, when for Peace
I did demand, he thus began:
“There was a Prince of old
At Salem dwelt, Who lived with good increase
Of flock and fold.
“He sweetly lived; yet sweetness did not save
His life from foes.
But after death, out of His grave
There sprang twelve stalks of Wheat;
Which many wondering at got some of those
To plant and set.
“It prospered strangely, and did soon disperse
Through all the Earth;
For they that taste it do rehearse
That virtue lies therein,--
A secret virtue, bringing Peace and Mirth
By flight of Sin.
“Take of this grain, which in my garden grows,
And grows for you:
Make bread of it; and that repose
And Peace, which ev’ry where
With so much earnestness you do pursue,
Is only there.”
_George Herbert_
THE THREE KINGS
Three Kings came riding from far away,
Melchior and Gaspar and Baltasar;
Three Wise Men out of the East were they,
And they travelled by night and they slept by day,
For their guide was a beautiful, wonderful Star.
The Star was so beautiful, large, and clear,
That all the other stars of the sky,
Became a white mist in the atmosphere,
And by this they knew that the coming was near
Of the Prince foretold in the prophecy.
Three caskets they bore on their saddle-bows,
Three caskets of gold with golden keys;
Their robes were of crimson silk with rows
Of bells and pomegranates and furbelows,
Their turbans like blossoming almond-trees.
And so the Three Kings rode into the West,
Through the dusk of night, over hill and dell.
And sometimes they nodded with beard on breast,
And sometimes talked, as they paused to rest,
With the people they met at some wayside well.
“Of the Child that is born,” said Baltasar,
“Good people, I pray you, tell us the news;
For we in the East have seen his Star,
And have ridden fast, and have ridden far,
To find and worship the King of the Jews.”
And the people answered, “You ask in vain;
We know of no King but Herod the Great!”
They thought the Wise Men were men insane,
As they spurred their horses across the plain,
Like riders in haste, and who cannot wait.
And when they came to Jerusalem,
Herod the Great, who had heard this thing,
Sent for the Wise Men and questioned them;
And said, “Go down unto Bethlehem,
And bring me tidings of this new King.”
So they rode away; and the Star stood still,
The only one in the grey of morn;
Yes, it stopped--it stood still of its own free will,
Right over Bethlehem on the hill,
The City of David, where Christ was born.
And the Three Kings rode through the gate and the guard,
Through the silent street, till their horses turned
And neighed as they entered the great inn-yard;
But the windows were closed and the doors were barred,
And only a light in the stable burned.
And cradled there in the scented hay,
In the air made sweet by the breath of kine,
The little Child in the manger lay,
The Child, that would be King one day
Of a Kingdom not human but divine.
His mother Mary of Nazareth
Sat watching beside his place of rest,
Watching the even flow of his breath,
For the joy of life and the terror of death
Were mingled together in her breast.
They laid their offerings at his feet:
The gold was their tribute to a King,
The frankincense, with its odour sweet,
Was for the Priest, the Paraclete,
The myrrh for the body’s burying.
And the mother wondered and bowed her head,
And sat as still as a statue of stone;
Her heart was troubled yet comforted,
Remembering what the Angel had said
Of an endless reign and of David’s throne.
Then the Kings rode out of the city gate,
With a clatter of hoofs in proud array;
But they went not back to Herod the Great,
For they knew his malice and feared his hate,
And returned to their homes by another way.
_Henry Wadsworth Longfellow_
APPENDIX
SUGGESTIONS
FOR TEACHERS AND LEADERS OF POETRY HOURS
_Primitive ballads have a straightforward felicity; many of them
a conjuring melody as befits verse and music born together. Their
gold is virgin, from the rock strata, and none the better for
refining and burnishing. No language is richer in them than the
English._
EDMUND CLARENCE STEDMAN
_The old song of Chevy-Chase is the favourite ballad of the Common
People of England; and Ben Jonson used to say, he had rather have
been the author of it than of all his works.... For my own part, I
am so professed an admirer of this antiquated song, that I shall
give my reader a critic upon it._
JOSEPH ADDISON
Ballads are living organisms.[1] If a teacher requires a pupil
to analyze minutely a ballad according to rules of prosody and
literary criticism, the analysis ruthlessly destroys its spontaneous
folk-spirit. To dissect a ballad is literary slaughter.
We all know how the cold-blooded analysis of choice masterpieces
destroys forever a pupil’s pleasure in reading them. The teacher of
ballad-literature should use the opposite method to that of literary
criticism. She should make her pupil delight in a ballad for its
own sake; for its unity, its swinging rhythm, its unself-conscious
expressions of emotion, and for the human life within it.
A ballad treated in this sympathetic manner will become a thrilling
memory for the pupil to carry through the years. A ballad presented
thus has educational values besides that of giving joy. It may be
used to develop the pupil’s sense of time and rhythm; to enlarge his
vocabulary; to teach him to express his thoughts without affectation;
to give him ease in sight-reading of Scottish dialect and old English
spelling and to accustom him to obsolete words. As a memory exercise
for the pupil, the learning and recitation of ballads is unrivaled;
because young people memorize them without effort. And furthermore,
ballads have dramatic qualities that hold and move a mixed audience
of boys and girls of all ages--and of grown folk, too, for that
matter.
But perhaps the most important educational function of ballad-literature
is that of being a safety-valve for the escape of new, fast-rising
feelings and enthusiasms of growing boys and girls, feelings that
throng and press for utterance. Young people do not know how to put
them into their own words, but find a wholesome and satisfying means
of expressing their emotions through learning and reciting ballads or
by reading them aloud.
THE BALLADS IN THIS BOOK
There are many versions of old ballads, of some as many as twenty or
more; those most suitable for young people are given here.
There are included here ballads in Scottish dialect, and in old
English wording with obsolete spelling and capitalization. These
versions may be used with confidence by the teacher, because no pains
have been spared in collating them by authoritative texts.[2]
Even such differing forms as _o’_ or _o_; _wi’_ or _wi_; _e’e_
or _ee_; _then_ for _than_ or _than_ for _then_; and variations
of proper names, as in “Proud Lady Margaret,” have been followed
according to the text used.
Quotation marks, only, have been added for the convenience of the
young folk. A few objectionable, but unimportant, words have been
changed. In the version of “Chevy-Chase,” Bishop Percy’s _Folio
Manuscript_ has been followed with a few emendations from his
_Reliques_, including the capitalization of the first letter of
each line. The _Folio Manuscript_ is more authoritative than the
_Reliques_.
Some of the ballads and verses which follow the old forms given
by collectors are: “The Stormy Winds Do Blow,” p. 2; “Sir Patrick
Spens,” p. 3; “The Dæmon Lover,” p. 7; “Chevy-Chase,” p. 21; “Proud
Lady Margaret,” p. 62; “The Famous Flower of Serving-Men,” p. 65;
“The Young Tamlane,” p. 255; “Thomas the Rhymer,” p. 93; “The Wee Wee
Man,” p. 114; “The Earl of Mar’s Daughter,” p. 115; “Kemp Owyne,” p.
122; “Fair Anny of Roch-royal,” p. 191; “The Cruel Sister,” p. 196;
“Blancheflour and Jellyflorice,” p. 209; “The Gay Goss-Hawk,” p. 218;
“Bonny Baby Livingston,” p. 224; “Young Beichan and Susie Pye,” p.
237; “The Wife of Usher’s Well,” p. 263; “Sir Roland,” p. 265; the
Robin Hood ballads, p. 290 ff.; “True Valour,” p. 355; “Pilgrimage,”
p. 351; “Peace,” p. 356.
In striking and pleasing contrast to the old ballads are the modern
ones with capitalization to please modern children. It may be
noted that the texts of Keats’s “La Belle Dame,” and Campbell’s
“Earl March,” are different from the versions usually included in
children’s ballad-books. The texts followed here are those most
lately approved by literary critics.
PROGRAMME
FOR A YEAR OF BALLAD-READING AND STUDY
ONE PERIOD A WEEK FOR FORTY WEEKS
Ways in which ballads may be used in the classroom or during Poetry
Hours:
1. _Reading aloud for development of literary taste._ This is the
most important educational use of ballads. The teacher should read
them aloud to the class, giving them all their native swing and quick
pulsation. The minstrels, who composed them, often accented words to
suit the length of their lines; so if the reader will lend her voice
to the rhythm of the verse, the accents will fall where they belong.
Such words as _country_, _harper_, _singer_, _damsel_, _lady_, and
_battle_ should sometimes be accented on the last syllable, as
_countrý_, _singér_, _harpér_, _ladý_.
2. _Memorizing and reciting._ Boys and girls enjoy learning ballads
by heart. They do so with astonishing ease. The teacher may assign
one ballad to the whole class; or she may divide the class into
sections and assign a ballad to each section. This should be done
at least two or three weeks before the period for recitation. The
teacher may then call on one or more of the pupils to recite.
3. _Story-telling from the ballads._ The teacher may read aloud a
ballad. She should read it two or three times to the class. Then the
pupils may retell it in story form either orally or in writing.
4. _Dramatization._ Ballads are so dramatic and simple in their
movement that they may be easily acted in the schoolroom with or
without improvised scenery and costumes. The teacher or pupil may
read aloud the ballad, while some of the boys and girls act it out
in dumb show; or, better yet, the actors may recite the lines that
belong to their parts, and the teacher may read aloud the descriptive
parts only. Whenever a refrain occurs, as in “The Stormy Winds Do
Blow,” the whole class may join in reciting it.
5. _Writing from memory._ The teacher may assign a ballad to the
class to learn by heart; and then she may have the class write it out
from memory following closely the spelling, punctuation, and dialect
of the text.
6. _Original ballad-writing._ Young people are natural ballad-makers.
At the end of the year, after memorizing and reciting ballads and
listening to them read aloud, the pupils will be so saturated with
ballad-spirit and meter, that ballad-writing will be a second nature.
The teacher may then tell, very briefly but interestingly, the
plot of a ballad, and let the pupils put it into original verses,
giving them a week or two in which to do so. After this exercise the
teacher may assign a local legend or story for practice in original
ballad-writing.
The Programme that is given here is merely suggestive. All the
ballads in the book are good to read aloud, and most of them may be
dramatized or memorized. The course presented below shows a teacher
how she may, by progressive steps, develop her pupils’ taste for
ballad-literature, and prepare them to appreciate more mature forms
of narrative poetry, such as metrical romances and epics.
COURSE FOR FORTY WEEKS--ONE PERIOD A WEEK
_1st Week. Reading aloud:_ The Laidley Worm O’ Spindleston-Heughs,
p. 148.
_2d Week. Reading aloud:_ Little Billee, p. 159; Brian O’Linn, p.
160; Dicky of Ballyman, p. 162; The Cinder King, p. 167.
_3d Week. Dramatization:_ The Stormy Winds Do Blow, p. 2; The Noble
Riddle, p. 208; “Earl March looked on his dying child,” p. 203.
_4th Week. Reading aloud:_ The Lady of Shalott, p. 124; The Singing
Leaves, p. 131.
_5th Week. Dramatization:_ Kemp Owyne, p. 122; The Erl-King, p. 86.
_6th Week. Reading aloud:_ Robin Hood and Little John, p. 291;
Robin Hood and Clorinda, p. 297.
_7th Week. Dramatization:_ Ballad of the Oysterman, p. 164; Earl
Haldan’s Daughter, p. 58; The Greeting of Kynast, p. 74; A Tragic
Story, p. 158.
_8th Week. Reading aloud (Halloween Week):_ The Spell, p. 254; Sir
Roland, p. 265; The Cruel Sister, p. 196; The Skeleton in Armour,
p. 270.
_9th Week. Dramatization:_ Glenara, p. 212; The Dæmon Lover, p. 7.
_10th Week. Reading aloud:_ King Alfred and the Shepherd, p. 176.
_11th Week. Story-telling from the Ballads:_ Young Beichan and
Susie Pye, p. 237.
_12th Week. Reading aloud:_ The Fairy Thorn, p. 87; The Kelpie of
Corrievreckan, p. 97.
_13th Week. Memorizing and reciting:_ True Valour, p. 355; The
Touchstone, p. 347; Barclay of Ury, p. 341; Pilgrimage, p. 351.
_14th Week. Reading aloud:_ The Heart of the Bruce, p. 333.
_15th Week. Memorizing and reciting (for Christmas):_ The Royal
Court, p. 353; Peace, p. 356; The Three Kings, p. 357.
_16th Week. Reading aloud:_ Lady Clare, p. 59; Sir Galahad, p. 348.
_17th Week. Story-telling from the Ballads:_ The Earl of Mar’s
Daughter, p. 115.
_18th Week. Reading aloud:_ Ballad of Meikle-Mouthed Meg, p. 32.
_19th Week. Dramatization:_ The Gay Goss-Hawk, p. 218; Thomas the
Rhymer, p. 93.
_20th Week. Reading aloud:_ Young Tamlane, p. 255.
_21st Week. Memorizing and reciting:_ Lord Lovel, p. 204; The
Beggar-Maid, p. 214; The Sands of Dee, p. 190; Lochinvar, p. 215.
_22d Week. Reading aloud:_ Fair Anny of Roch-royal, p. 191; Bonny
Baby Livingston, p. 224.
_23d Week. Story-telling from the Ballads:_ Blancheflour and
Jellyflorice, p. 209.
_24th Week. Reading aloud:_ The Child of Elle, p. 244.
_25th Week. Writing from memory:_ The Birth o’ Robin Hood, p. 290;
The Wee Wee Man, p. 114.
_26th Week. Reading aloud:_ More Modern Ballad of Chevy-Chase, p.
21.
_27th Week. Story-telling from the Ballads:_ Cochrane’s Bonny
Grizzy, p. 70; The Frolicksome Duke, p. 169.
_28th Week. Reading aloud:_ May of the Moril Glen, p. 138.
_29th Week. Writing from memory:_ The Wife of Usher’s Well, p. 263.
_30th Week. Reading aloud:_ Sir Patrick Spens, p. 3; Hynd Horn, p.
231.
_31st Week. Writing from memory:_ Proud Lady Margaret, p. 62.
_32d Week. Reading aloud:_ Song of the Outlaw Murray, p. 301.
_33d Week. Original ballad-writing:_ Barbara Allen’s Cruelty, p.
201; Alice Brand, p. 81; The Famous Flower of Serving-Men, p. 65.
_34th Week. Reading aloud:_ The Eve of St. John, p. 279.
_35th Week. Memorizing and reciting:_ The Fairy Tempter, p. 80; The
Luck of Edenhall, p. 135; La Belle Dame sans Merci, p. 91.
_36th Week. Reading aloud:_ The Mermaid, p. 10.
_37th Week. Original ballad-writing:_ King James the First and the
Tinkler, p. 173; Valentine and Ursine, p. 314; Belted Will, p. 47.
_38th Week. Reading aloud:_ Kilmeny, p. 101.
_39th Week. Original ballad-writing:_ The teacher may assign
a subject for this--a local legend or story of a patriotic or
historical event.
_40th Week. Entertainment for Parents and Friends of Pupils:_ The
ballad-course may close with an afternoon or evening entertainment.
This may be made delightful. All the pupils should take part in the
exercises.
Many of the old ballads are set to charming ancient tunes, and may be
sung by the whole school. Banjo or guitar accompaniment is specially
appropriate to ballad airs. Musical scores for some of the ballads in
this book--“The Cruel Sister” (“The Twa Sisters”), “Hynd Horn,” “Sir
Patrick Spens,” “Young Beichan,” “Proud Lady Margaret,” “The Famous
Flower of Serving-Men,” and “Lord Lovel”--may be found in Professor
Child’s _English and Scottish Popular Ballads_, large edition, part
10. If the music of old ballads is not obtainable, then popular,
well-known ballads, such as “Annie Laurie,” “Ben Bolt,” and “Loch
Lomond,” may be sung in their stead.
The following outline for an entertainment may be varied to suit the
abilities and interests of the boys and girls who are to take part:
PROGRAMME FOR AN ENTERTAINMENT
One or more ballads sung by the pupils.
Recitation.
Dramatization.
Ballad-reading.
A ballad solo.
Recitation.
Reading of the best original ballad composed by a pupil.
Dramatization.
Recitation.
Close: the audience and pupils may sing one or more popular,
well-known American ballads, such as may be found in any good
song-collection.
In making up her Programme, the teacher should avoid selecting very
long ballads for memorization and recitation. It is best to let
the pupils who are to recite, choose the ballads they like best.
She should be careful to balance her Programme with verses of all
kinds--grave and gay, sad and weird, romantic and historical. She
should so artistically compose her Programme that it will play on the
emotions of her audience, moving it from laughter to tears, from awe
to the heroic. That is what ballads are for, to touch the heart, as
well as the head.
FOR LIBRARIANS AND SOCIAL WORKERS
This entire course, as outlined for forty weeks, may be followed
by Librarians and Social Workers. They may, however, shorten the
Programme or alter it to suit the occasion.
GLOSSARY AND INDEXES
GLOSSARY
=A’=, all
=Aboon=, above
=Abune=, above
=Acton=, stuffed leather jacket worn under coat-of-mail
=Ae=, one, single, sole, mere
=Aff=, off, oft
=Aften=, often
=Aiblins=, perhaps
=Aik=, oak
=Ain=, own
=Airn=, iron
=Alake=, alas!
=Alane=, alone
=Amang=, among
=An=, and
=Ance=, once
=Ane=, one
=Ankers=, anchors
=Anse=, once
=Ask=, newt, lizard
=Atabal=, Moorish kettledrum
=Attour=, above
=Auld=, old
=Awa’= _or_ =awa=, away
=Awn=, own
=Ayme=, aim
=Bairn= _or_ =bairnie=, child
=Baith=, both
=Bale=, fire, faggot
=Ban=, band
=Bane=, bone
=Bartizan=, a small overhanging turret jutting out from the top of
a tower
=Bash=, beat, smash in
=Beacon=, a fire lighted on a height as a danger signal to call
together warriors to repel the enemy
=Bedeen=, immediately, forthwith; often used as an expletive, or as
a rhyme-word at the end of a line
=Belay=, lie in the way for
=Beltan= _or_ =Beltane=, a Celtic pagan festival celebrated on May
Day or May 3d, by lighting bonfires on hilltops
=Bent=, coarse grass, open field, sandy knoll covered with coarse
grass, the hollow of a hill
=Berserk=, ancient Norse warrior who raged with fury in battle
=Bigged=, built
=Bigly=, pleasant to live in, spacious
=Billie=, comrade, brother
=Birk=, birch
=Birkie=, lively
=Birling=, drinking
=Bla=, blow
=Black Rood Stone=, The Black Rood of Melrose, a crucifix of
supposedly great sanctity
=Blee=, colour, complexion
=Blew=, blue
=Blin=, cease, stop
=Blude=, blood
=Borrow=, set free, deliver, ransom
=Boud=, behoved, was obliged
=Bouir=, bower
=Boun’=, bound, bound home
=Bour=, bower
=Bout=, bolt
=Bower= _or_ =bowir=, lady’s chamber, a house, a rustic cottage
=Bra’=, fine, handsome, brave
=Brae=, down, a slope of a hill
=Braid=, broad. “A braid letter”; a letter on a broad sheet, or a
long letter
=Brak=, broke
=Brake=, thicket, a place overgrown with ferns, shrubs, and brambles
=Brash=, sickness
=Brast=, burst
=Brattle=, race, hurry
=Braw=, comely, handsome, well-dressed
=Bree=, brows, eyebrows
=Brode=, breed
=Broom=, the Genista, a shrub with bright golden flowers
=Bughts=, pens
=Burd alone=, by himself, solitary
=Burn=, brook
=Busked=, dressed, adorned
=But and=, and also
=Bygane=, gone by
=Byre=, cow-house
=Cade lamb=, lamb brought up by hand, pet lamb
=Callant=, lad
=Cam’= _or_ =cam=, came
=Capapie=, cap-à-pié, from head to foot. Armed cap-à-pié, armed
from head to foot
=Carl= _or_ =carle=, churl
=Carline=, old woman, peasant woman
=Carlish=, churlish, uncivilized
=Carp=, tell tales, sing or chant ballads
=Castle-yate=, castle-gate
=Caul= _or_ =cauld=, cold
=Channerin’=, fretting
=Chaps=, jaw, chops
=Cheik=, cheek
=Child= _or_ =childe=, a youth of gentle birth
=Christentie=, Christendom
=Claith=, cloth
=Claymore=, large sword
=Cleedin=, clothing
=Clour=, bump on the head from a heavy blow
=Clouted=, heavy and patched
=Clouted cream=, clotted cream
=Cloutie=, patched, ragged
=Coft=, bought
=Cold=, could
=Contrair=, contrary, opposed
=Corbie=, raven
=Cosh=, quiet
=Coud=, could
=Couldna=, could not
=Couthy=, friendly, kind, loving
=Cow-me-doo=, Coo-my-dove, loving name for a dove
=Craig=, neck, throat
=Craw=, crow
=Crawed=, crowed
=Cum=, come, came
=Cumbruk=, cambric
=Cushat=, ring-dove, wood-pigeon
=Dae=, doe
=Dantonit=, daunted
=Daunton=, daunt, subdue
=Daw=, dawn
=Dean= _or_ =den=, dell, narrow glen
=Death-thraw=, death-struggle
=Dee=, do, die
=Degree=, rank. “Served him in his own degree,” offered him respect
according to his rank
=Deil=, Devil
=Dinna=, do not
=Dochter=, daughter
=Doo=, dove
=Dought=, should be able tot can
=Doun=, down
=Dour= _or_ =doure=, hard, severe, savage
=Dove=, word of endearment for one pure and gentle
=Downa=, cannot
=Drap=, drop
=Drapp’d=, dropped
=Dree=, be able, stand. “As fast as he might dree,” as fast as he
could, undergo, suffer
=Drumlie=, gloomy
=Duddis=, poor clothes, tatters, duds
=Dule=, grief
=Dun=, dark coloured, of a dull brown colour
=Dune=, done
=Eccho=, echo
=Eche=, each
=E’e= _or_ =ee=, eye
=Effeir=, pomp, circumstance, bearing, garb, panoply
=Eident=, unrestingly
=Eildon=, a high hill with three-pointed summit, overlooking
Melrose town. Eildon Tree, the spot where Thomas the Rhymer is
supposed to have uttered his prophecies
=Eiry=, eery, weird, dreary, gloomy, fear-inspiring
=Eldern=, old
=Elritch=, elvish
=Elyed=, vanished
=Eneuch=, enough
=Enoo=, enough
=Ere=, ever
=Erle=, earl
=Erlish=, elvish
=Erst=, first, formerly
=Even cloth=, smooth cloth, with nap well shorn
=Eve of St. John=, Midsummer Day, June 24
=Eyne=, eyes
=Fa’= _or_ =fa=, fall, befall
=Faem= _or_ =faeme=, foam
=Fairing=, gift, present given at a fair
=Fallow deer=, small European deer, of a fallow, or pale yellow
colour
=Fand=, found
=Fa’se=, false
=Fashes=, troubles
=Faulds=, folds
=Faured=, favoured
=Fause=, false
=Feckless=, weak, feeble, silly
=Fee=, wealth
=Feircly=, fiercely
=Fell=, sharply, severely, keen, eager
=Fere=, mate, consort, companion
=Ferlie=, marvel, wonder
=Fidge=, fidget
=Flang=, flung about, skipped
=Flatter=, float
=Flee=, flay
=Flude=, flood
=Forbode=, “Over God’s forbode”; God forbid!
=Forfaulted=, forfeited
=Forgather=, meet
=Forhooyed=, forsook
=Fornenst=, opposite to
=Fou=, full
=Frae=, from
=Freit=, a good or bad omen
=Frith=, wood, enclosed land
=Fu’= _or_ =fu=, very, full, very much, fully
=Gad=, bar
=Gae=, go
=Galliard=, an old-time brisk dance
=Gane=, suffice, gone
=Gang=, go
=Gar=, make, cause, do
=Garr’d=, made, caused
=Gear=, possessions, property, cattle
=Geck=, mock
=Gerfalcon=, large falcon of the Northlands
=Gi’d=, went
=Gie=, give
=Gien=, given
=Gif=, if
=Gillore=, gallore, in plenty
=Gimp=, jimp, slender
=Gin=, if, suppose, granted it be so, whether
=Glaive=, sword
=Gleg=, spry, quick
=Gleid=, spark
=Gloamin=, twilight
=Good b’w’ ye=, good be with ye, good-bye, derived from the phrase
“God be with you,” or “with ye”
=Gos-hawk= _or_ =goss-hawk=, large hawk
=Goud=, gold
=Gouden=, golden
=Goun=, gown
=Goups=, handfuls
=Goved=, stared
=Gowan=, daisy
=Gowd=, gold
=Gowdn=, golden
=Graith=, make ready
=Grange=, farmhouse with outer buildings
=Gratte=, wept, cried
=Greet=, weep
=Grew hound=, greyhound, grey
=Grewis=, greyhounds
=Groat=, old English silver coin worth fourpence issued from
1351-1662
=Gude=, good
=Gudely=, goodly
=Guid=, good
=Guise=, manner, behaviour
=Gurly=, grim, growling, surly
=Gyant=, giant
=Ha’= _or_ =ha=, hall
=Had=, hold
=Hadna= _or_ =hadnae=, had not
=Hae=, have
=Haggis=, Scotch dish made of a sheep’s maw filled with minced
meat, onions, and other ingredients mixed and cooked with oatmeal
=Hail=, whole
=Half-fou=, two pecks, half a bushel
=Haly=, holy
=Hame=, home
=Han=, hand
=Hap=, chance, fortune
=Happed=, covered, wrapped
=Haud=, hold, keep
=Hauld=, hold
=Hay=, “Went forth to view the hay,” went to see how the hay was
coming on
=Heely=, slowly, gently
=Her lane=, by herself
=Heugh=, steep hill, glen with overhanging sides
=Hie=, haste, high
=Hindberrye=, wild raspberry
=Hing=, hang
=Hingers=, hangers
=Hinny= _or_ =hinnie=, honey
=His lane=, by himself
=Holland= _or_ =hollin=, coarse linen, unbleached or dyed brown
=Holt=, piece of woodland, a woody hill
=Holy Grail=, the holy cup, used by the Lord Christ at the Last
Supper, was called in medieval romances, “The Holy Grail”
=Houf=, haunt
=Hoysed=, hoisted
=Hurden=, coarse linen or hempen fabric
=Hye= _or_ =hie=, haste
=Hynd=, =Hynde=, _or_ =Hind=, young, courteous, gracious, gentle
=Hypp=, fruit of the dog-rose
=I’= _or_ =i=, in
=Ilk= _or_ =ilka=, every, each
=Intill=, into, in
=Its lane=, by itself
=Jaw=, wave
=Jawes=, surges
=Jet=, strut
=Jimp=, slender, slim
=Jimply=, barely, scarcely, hardly, narrowly
=Joup=, petticoat
=Kaim=, comb
=Kaimin=, combing
=Kane=, tribute
=Kell=, a cap of network for a woman’s hair
=Kemb=, comb
=Kemed=, combed
=Ken=, know
=Kendna=, did not know
=Kenned= _or_ =kend=, knew
=Kep=, catch, stop
=Keppit=, caught
=Kirk=, church
=Kittle=, difficult to manage, risky, ticklish
=Knaw=, know
=Kynast=, castle in Northern Germany
=Kythe=, appear
=Laddie=, diminutive of lad
=Laidley=, loathly, loathsome
=Laird=, squire, lord of the manor, owner of lands
=Laith=, loath
=Lan=, land
=Lane=, lone
=Lanely=, lonely
=Lang=, long
=Lap=, sprang, leaped
=Lappered=, clotted
=Lat=, let
=Laverock=, lark
=Lax=, relief
=Lease=, lease (of bucks), three bucks
=Leme=, gleam
=Lend=, grant, give
=Lettn=, let
=Leven=, lawn, glade, open ground in the forest
=Leveret=, hare
=Liffe=, life
=Lift=, air, sky
=Liften=, lifted
=Lighters=, horse-blinders or blinkers
=Liken=, make like
=Lish=, lithe, supple, agile
=Lither=, lazy, idle, worthless, wicked
=Littand=, staining, defiling
=Live-lang=, live-long
=Lo’ed=, loved
=Lood=, loved
=Loof=, palm of the hand
=Loon=, fellow, rogue
=Loot=, let, allowed
=Lout=, bend, bow, lean
=Lowed=, glowed
=Lown=, calm, serene, silent, quiet
=Lug=, ear
=Luve=, love
=Lyart=, grey, hoary
=Lydder=, lazy, idle, loathsome
=Lyon’s moods=, this possibly means like the mood or pluck of
lions; authorities differ as to readings
=Lyth=, member, joint
=Mae=, more
=Maik= _or_ =maike=, mate
=Mair=, more
=Make=, mate, consort
=March= _or_ =Marches=, border-frontier, the boundary between
England and Scotland. Warden of the March, governor of the Scotch
Border
=Marrow=, mate, wife, husband
=Martinmas=, mass or feast of St. Martin, November 11
=Maun=, must
=Maunna=, must not
=Mavis=, thrush
=May=, maid
=Meet=, scant, close
=Meikle=, much, great
=Merl= _or_ =merle=, blackbird
=Merk= _or_ =mark=, about 13s. 4d. in the English money of the time
=Mess=, mass
=Mickle=, much, great
=Middle=, waist
=Midsummer Day=, June 24
=Minny= _or_ =minnie=, mother
=Mirk=, dark
=Mither=, mother
=Monmouth Cap=, flat round cap formerly worn by English soldiers
and sailors. Shakespeare mentions it in _Henry V_
=Mony= _or_ =monie=, many, money
=Mote=, may
=Mountain-mere=, mountain-lake
=Muir=, moor
=Na=, no, not
=Nae=, no
=Naething=, nothing
=Nane=, none
=Nappy=, heady, strong
=Neer=, never, ne’er
=Neest=, nearest, next
=Neir=, never, ne’er
=Neist=, next
=Nicht=, night
=Nowt=, neat cattle
=Nurice= _or_ =nourice=, nurse
=O’= _or_ =o=, of
=O’erword=, refrain, call, cry
=Ony=, any
=Ower=, over
=Owre=, before, over
=Palfray=, small saddle-horse for ladies, palfrey
=Pall=, cloak, mantle
=Palmer=, Pilgrim returned from Holy Land bearing, as a badge, a
branch of palm
=Paughty=, haughty
=Philabeg=, highland kilt
=Pibroch=, a Highland dirge or martial air, a kind of wild,
irregular music, performed on the bagpipe
=Pickle=, choice
=Pin=, an implement for raising the latch of a door, _see_ tirled
=Pine=, suffering, pain
=Plait=, fold, plate
=Plate-jack=, coat-armour
=Pock-puddings=, bag-puddings
=Prie=, attain
=Prieven=, attained
=Prin=, pin
=Pu’= _or_ =pu=, pull
=Pu’d=, pulled
=Putten=, put
=Quarry=, slaughtered game
=Quean=, saucy girl or young woman
=Rad=, afraid
=Rade=, rode
=Rae=, roe
=Raike=, range
=Rail=, woman’s jacket
=Ravin=, violent
=Raw=, row
=Ray=, array
=Reavers=, robbers
=Reaving=, thieving, robbing
=Rede=, counsel
=Reek=, smoke
=Reifed=, stolen, plundered
=Reifery=, robbery, plundering
=Rife=, abounding
=Rins=, runs
=Rock=, distaff used in spinning
=Rode= _or_ =Rood=, Holy Cross, crucifix, _see also_ Black Rood of
Melrose
=Roul=, roll
=Roun’= _or_ =roun=, round, around about
=Rowan Tree=, mountain ash, which is also called the Fairies’ tree
because Witches and Evil Spirits are said to fear it
=Rowed=, rolled, wound
=Rowt=, roar
=St. John’s Eve=, Midsummer Day, June 24
=Sae=, so
=Saft=, soft, softly
=Saikless=, innocent
=Sained=, crossed, blessed, hallowed
=Sair=, sore, painful, very much
=Sail=, shall
=Satten=, satin
=Saul=, soul
=Saut=, salt
=Sax=, six
=Scallop-shell=, a small fluted shell. In the middle ages, Pilgrims
used to wear scallop-shells as badges of their pilgrimage
=Scaur=, steep bank overhanging a river, a cliff
=Scorke=, struck
=Scot-free=, the word “scot” means payment, fine, reckoning, tax.
Scot-free means free from payment; also, without harm, unhurt, safe
=Screen=, plaid, cloak, large scarf thrown over the head
=Scrip=, small bag, Pilgrim’s pouch
=Sea-maw=, gull, sea mew
=Sen=, sent
=Sets with=, suits
=Seymar=, loose robe
=Share of Truth=, ploughshare of Truth--used as figurative language
=Shathmont=, measure from top of extended thumb to the extremity of
palm--six inches
=Shaw=, thicket, copse
=Sheave=, slice.
=Sheen=, bright, shining
=Sheugh=, trench, ditch, furrow
=Shoon=, shoes
=Shot-window=, projecting window in the stair case of old Scotch
wooden house
=Sic=, such
=Sichin=, sighing
=Sicken=, such
=Siller=, silver
=Simmer=, summer
=Sin=, since
=Sin=, “Thankless sins the gifts he gets,” probably means to hold
them in slight esteem. (Footnote in Scott)
=Skaith=, harm, an injury
=Skald=, ancient Scandinavian poet or bard
=Skaw=, promontory or low cape
=Skeely=, skilful
=Skelping=, moving rapidly
=Skoal=, hail!
=Sleeks=, makes smooth
=Slogan=, war-cry of the Scottish Highlanders
=Sma= _or_ =sma’=, small
=Snaw=, snow
=Snell=, sharp, keen, shrill, bitter
=Snickersnee=, sailor’s sheath-knife or bowie knife
=Snood=, hair-band
=Snoove=, go smoothly and constantly
=Solan=, gannet, solan-goose
=Solempne=, solemn
=Sommer=, summer
=Sonsy= _or_ =Sonsie=, plump
=Sorning=, spunging, obtruding
=Soudron= _or_ =Southron=, southern, the English
=Spak=, spake, spoke
=Spankie=, sprightly, friskly, smart
=Speer=, ask
=Sperthe=, battle-axe
=Spier=, spear
=Sta=, stole
=Stane=, stone
=Stead=, dwelling-place
=Steek=, stitch
=Step minnie=, stepmother
=Stern-light=, starlight
=Stour= _or_ =stoure=, dust, skirmish, struggle, battle
=Stown=, stolen
=Strack=, struck
=Stran=, strand
=Strang=, strong
=Strath=, valley thro’ which a river runs
=Stron=, the end of a ridge of hills
=Stude=, stood
=Sucket=, sugar-plum
=Suld=, should
=Sune=, soon
=Swa’d=, swelled
=Syke=, marsh
=Syle=, soil
=Syne=, then, afterward, since
=Tae=, toe
=Ta’en= _or_ =taen=, taken
=Taffetie=, taffeta
=Taiglit=, tarried
=Taiken=, token
=Tak=, take
=Tald=, told
=Tale=, number, count
=Tane=, taken
=Tauld=, told
=Teind=, tithe
=Tent=, take care of, watch, guard
=Tent=, Spanish wine of a deep red colour
=Termagant=, a pagan deity, whom the Crusaders said was worshipped
by the Mohammedans
=Tett=, lock of hair or of a mane
=Thae=, thesef those
=Then=, than
=Thie=, thigh
=Thimber=, heavy, massive
=Thir=, those, these
=Thysell=, thyself
=Till=, to
=Tinkler=, tinker
=Tint=, lost
=Tirled= _or_ =tirld=, twist or rattle. “Tirld at the pin,” _see_
Pin
=Tod=, fox
=Toom=, empty
=Touchstone=, a kind of compact stone used to test gold and silver
=Toun=, hamlet, farmhouse
=Trailed=, dragged
=Tree=, wood, made of wood
=Trow=, trust, believe, think
=Tryst=, appointed place of meeting, also appointment to meet
=Turtle-doo=, turtle-dove
=Twa=, two
=Twae=, two
=Twin’d=, deprived, parted
=Ugsome=, exciting disgust, abhorrent
=Ummeled=, unmixed, pure
=Upgive=, avow, own up
=Upo=, on, to, with, at, in
=Vair=, squirrel-fur
=Vaunt-brace=, armour for the body
=Verra=, very
=Wa’= _or_ =wa=, wall
=Wad=, would
=Wae=, woe
=Waik=, glade
=Wained=, carried, removed
=Waith=, wandering, roaming, straying
=Wall-wightmen=, picked, strong men
=Waly=, exclamation of admiration
=Wan=, won
=Wap=, wrap, stuff
=War’d=, expended, used
=Warden=, keeper, guardian. Warden of the March, governor of the
Scotch Border
=Warden Pies=, pies made of warden pears--large pears
=Warld=, world
=Warlock=, sorcerer, wizard
=Warse=, worse
=Warst=, worst
=Wasna=, was not
=Wassail-bout=, drinking revel, carouse
=Wat=, wet
=Wauking=, watch, walk
=Weel=, well
=Weet=, wet
=Weir=, to collect and drive cattle
=Weird=, Destiny, Fate, Fortune
=Well-kent=, well-known
=Wene=, recess
=Wer-wolf=, person transformed into a wolf
=Westlin=, Western
=Wha=, who
=Whare=, where
=Whaten=, what sort, what kind
=Whidderan=, whizzing
=Whin-bushes=, furze, gorse
=Wi’= _or_ =wi=, with
=Win=, wind
=Win in=, get in
=Winna=, will not
=Wis=, know
=Withouten= _or_ =withoutten=, without
=Wodensday=, Wednesday, derived from the name of the Anglo-Saxon
god, Woden; which name meant “the furious” or “the mighty warrior”
=Wold=, would
=Wold=, open tract of country
=Woned=, dwelt
=Wot=, know
=Wud=, would
=Y= _or_ =I=, a prefix to many Middle English words, often used
(specially with past-participles) to intensify their meanings
=Yallow=, yellow
=Yate=, gate
=Y-built=, _see above_ Y or I
=Yer sel=, yourself
=Yett=, gate
=Yont=, beyond
=Yorlin=, yellow-hammer
=Yoursell=, yourself
=Yowlit=, yowled, howled, yelped
=Y-wis=, =i-wis=, certainly, surely, truly, to wit, indeed
=Y-wrought=, _see above_ Y or I
SUBJECT INDEX
AFFECTION:
Child of Elle, 244;
Cochrane’s Bonny Grizzy, 70;
Fairy Tempter, 80.
ALFRED THE GREAT:
King Alfred and the Shepherd, 176.
BALLADS, EDUCATIONAL USE:
Foreword, vii;
Suggestions for Teachers, 363.
BALLADS, LITERARY COMMENT ON:
Addison, 363;
Spenser, xi;
Stedman, 363;
Sydney, xii.
BALLADS, PROGRAMME FOR TEACHING:
Suggestions for Teachers, 363.
_See also_ DRAMATICS.
BELTAN;
_see_ MAY DAY.
BIRD FRIENDS:
Earl of Mar’s Daughter, 115;
Gay Goss-Hawk, 218;
Singing Leaves, 131.
BORDER BALLADS:
Ballad of Meikle-Mouthed Meg, 32;
Belted Will, 47;
Chevy-Chase, 21;
Galloway Raid, 20.
BROTHERS AND SISTERS:
Fairy Tempter, 80;
Laidley Worm, 148;
Proud Lady Margaret, 62;
Valentine and Ursine, 314.
BRUCE, ROBERT, KING OF SCOTLAND:
Heart of the Bruce, 333.
CAKES, BURNING OF:
King Alfred and the Shepherd, 176.
CHEVY-CHASE:
Chevy-Chase, 21.
CHIVALRY:
Blancheflour and Jellyflorice, 209;
Child of Elle, 244;
Sir Galahad, 348;
Valentine and Ursine, 314.
CHRIST:
Barclay of Ury, 341;
Heart of the Bruce, 333;
Pilgrimage, 351;
Royal Court, 353;
Sir Galahad, 348.
CHRIST-CHILD:
Three Kings, 357.
CHRISTMAS:
Sir Galahad, 348;
Three Kings, 357.
CLORINDA:
Robin Hood and Clorinda, 297.
CONSTANCY:
Bonny Baby Livingston, 224;
Dæmon Lover, 7;
“Earl March Looked on his Dying Child,” 203;
Fair Anny of Roch-royal, 191;
Gay Goss-Hawk, 218;
Hynd Horn, 231;
Lady Clare, 59;
Lord Lovel, 204;
Mermaid, 10;
Sweet William’s Ghost, 276;
Young Beichan and Susie Pye, 237.
COPHETUA:
Beggar-Maid, 214.
CORRIEVRECKAN:
Kelpie of Corrievreckan, 97.
COURAGE AND HEROISM:
Alice Brand, 81;
Ballad of Meikle-Mouthed Meg, 32;
Chevy-Chase, 21;
Cochrane’s Bonny Grizzy, 70;
Famous Flower of Serving-Men, 65;
Heart of the Bruce, 333;
Kemp Owyne, 122;
Laidley Worm, 148;
Pilgrim, 332;
Robin Hood and Little John, 291;
Sir Patrick Spens, 3;
Song of the Outlaw Murray, 301. _See also_ MAIDS AND LASSIES, BRAVE
AND TRUE.
CRUELTY;
_see_ RETRIBUTION.
DEE:
Sands of Dee, 190.
DEMOCRATIC BALLADS:
Frolicksome Duke, 169;
King Alfred and the Shepherd, 176;
King James the First and the Tinkler, 173.
DRAMATICS, BALLADS SUITABLE FOR:
Ballad of Meikle-Mouthed Meg, 32;
Ballad of the Oysterman, 164;
Beggar-Maid, 214;
Cochrane’s Bonny Grizzy, 70;
Dæmon Lover, 7;
Earl Haldan’s Daughter, 58;
“Earl March Looked on his Dying Child,” 203;
Erl-King, 86;
Gay Goss-Hawk, 218;
Glenara, 212;
Greeting of Kynast, 74;
Kemp Owyne, 122;
King James the First and the Tinkler, 173;
Lady of Shalott, 124;
Laidley Worm, 148;
Noble Riddle, 208;
Robin Hood and Little John, 291;
Stormy Winds Do Blow, 2;
Thomas the Rhymer, 93;
Tragic Story, 158;
Young Tamlane, 255. _Many other ballads in this book may be
dramatized._
DWARFS:
Alice Brand, 81;
Belted Will, 47.
EDENHALL:
Luck of Edenhall, 135.
EILDON TREE:
Eve of St. John, 279;
Thomas the Rhymer, 93. _See also_ GLOSSARY _under_ EILDON TREE,
p. 377.
ELVES;
_see_ FAIRIES.
ENCHANTMENT AND MYSTERY:
Alice Brand, 81;
Earl of Mar’s Daughter, 115;
Fairy Thorn, 87;
Kemp Owyne, 122;
La Belle Dame sans Merci, 91;
Lady of Shalott, 124;
Laidley Worm, 148;
Luck of Edenhall, 135;
May of the Moril Glen, 138;
Mermaid, 10. _See also_ FAIRIES AND FAIRYLAND.
ENDURANCE:
King Alfred and the Shepherd, 176;
Robin Hood and Little John, 291.
ERL-KING:
Erl-King, 86.
ETTRICK:
Ballad of Meikle-Mouthed Meg, 32;
Song of the Outlaw Murray, 301.
EVE OF ST. JOHN;
_see_ MIDSUMMER DAY AND ST. JOHN’S DAY.
FAIRIES AND FAIRYLAND:
Alice Brand, 81;
Erl-King, 86;
Fairy Tempter, 80;
Fairy Thorn, 87;
Kilmeny, 101;
La Belle Dame sans Merci, 91;
May of the Moril Glen, 138;
Thomas the Rhymer, 93;
Young Tamlane, 255.
FAIR PLAY:
King Alfred and the Shepherd, 176;
Robin Hood and Little John, 291.
FARM CUSTOMS:
King Alfred and the Shepherd, 176.
FATHERS:
Child of Elle, 244;
Cochrane’s Bonny Grizzy, 70;
Erl-King, 86.
FOREST;
_see_ GREENWOOD.
FRIENDSHIP:
Royal Court, 353.
GHOST-STORY BALLADS;
_see_ HALLOWEEN AND GHOST STORIES.
GIANTS:
Valentine and Ursine, 314.
GOSS-HAWKS:
Gay Goss-Hawk, 218.
GREENWOOD:
Alice Brand, 81;
Birth o’ Robin Hood, 290;
Fairy Tempter, 80;
Robin Hood and Clorinda, 297;
Robin Hood and Little John, 291;
Royal Court, 353;
Song of the Outlaw Murray, 301;
Valentine and Ursine, 314.
HALLOWE’EN AND GHOST STORIES:
Dæmon Lover, 7;
Eve of St. John, 279;
Proud Lady Margaret, 62;
Sir Roland, 265;
Skeleton in Armour, 270;
Sweet William’s Ghost, 276;
Wife of Usher’s Well, 263;
Young Tamlane, 255.
HAUGHTINESS;
_see_ PRIDE AND VANITY.
HAWTHORN:
Fairy Thorn, 87.
HEROISM;
_see_ COURAGE AND HEROISM.
HOLY GRAIL:
Sir Galahad, 348.
HUMOUR:
Ballad of the Oysterman, 164;
Brian o’Linn, 160;
Cinder King, 167;
Dicky of Ballyman, 162;
Frolicksome Duke, 169;
Greeting of Kynast, 74;
King Alfred and the Shepherd, 176;
King James the First and the Tinkler, 173;
Little Billee, 159;
May of the Moril Glen, 138;
Robin Hood and Little John, 291;
Tragic Story, 158.
HUNTING:
Chevy-Chase, 21;
Robin Hood and Clorinda, 297.
JAMES THE FIRST, KING OF ENGLAND:
King James the First and the Tinkler, 173.
KELPIES:
Kelpie of Corrievreckan, 97.
KNIGHTS AND LADIES:
Alice Brand, 81;
Earl Haldan’s Daughter, 58;
Famous Flower of Serving-Men, 65;
Gay Goss-Hawk, 218;
Greeting of Kynast, 74;
Kemp Owyne, 122;
Lady Clare, 59;
Laidley Worm, 148;
Lochinvar, 215;
Lord Lovel, 204;
Proud Lady Margaret, 62.
KUNIGUNDE:
Greeting of Kynast, 74.
KYNAST:
Greeting of Kynast, 74.
LABOUR DAY;
_see_ DEMOCRATIC BALLADS.
LAIDLEY WORMS:
Kemp Owyne, 122;
Laidley Worm, 148.
LITTLE JOHN:
Robin Hood and Little John, 291.
MAGI:
Three Kings, 357.
MAIDS AND LASSIES, BRAVE AND TRUE:
Ballad of Meikle-Mouthed Meg, 32;
Blancheflour and Jellyflorice, 209;
Bonny Baby Livingston, 224;
Cochrane’s Bonny Grizzy, 70;
Lady Clare, 59;
Robin Hood and Clorinda, 297;
Sweet William’s Ghost, 276;
Young Beichan and Susie Pye, 237;
Young Tamlane, 255.
MARTINMAS (NOVEMBER 11):
Wife of Usher’s Well, 263.
MAY DAY OR BELTAN (MAY 1):
Kelpie of Corrievreckan, 97;
The Spell, 254.
MERMAIDS:
Mermaid, 10;
Stormy Winds Do Blow, 2.
MIDSUMMER DAY AND ST. JOHN’S DAY (JUNE 24):
Eve of St. John, 279;
The Spell, 254.
MOORS:
Heart of the Bruce, 333;
Young Beichan and Susie Pye, 237.
MORAL COURAGE:
Barclay of Ury, 341;
Lady Clare, 59;
True Valour, 355.
MOTHERS:
Lady Clare, 59;
Valentine and Ursine, 314;
Wife of Usher’s Well, 263.
MOUNTAIN ASH;
_see_ ROWAN TREE.
MYSTERY BALLADS;
_see_ ENCHANTMENT AND MYSTERY;
_also_ HALLOWEEN AND GHOST STORIES.
OUTLAWS:
Birth o’ Robin Hood, 290;
Robin Hood and Clorinda, 297;
Robin Hood and Little John, 291;
Song of the Outlaw Murray, 301.
PALMERS;
_see_ PILGRIMS AND PILGRIMAGE.
PEACE:
Peace, 356;
Pilgrimage, 351;
Royal Court, 353.
PILGRIMS AND PILGRIMAGE:
Heart of the Bruce, 333;
Pilgrim, 332;
Pilgrimage, 351;
Sir Galahad, 348;
True Valour, 355.
PRIDE AND VANITY:
Earl Haldan’s Daughter, 58;
Greeting of Kynast, 74;
Kelpie of Corrievreckan, 97;
Proud Lady Margaret, 62.
PUNISHMENT;
_see_ RETRIBUTION.
PURITY:
Kilmeny, 101;
Sir Galahad, 348.
QUAKERS:
Barclay of Ury, 341.
RAIDS AND REAVING;
_see_ BORDER BALLADS.
RELIGIOUS BALLADS AND VERSES:
Barclay of Ury, 341;
Heart of the Bruce, 333;
Pilgrim, 332;
Pilgrimage, 351;
Royal Court, 353;
Sir Galahad, 348.
RETRIBUTION:
Belted Will, 47;
Cruelty of Barbara Allen, 201;
Dæmon Lover, 7;
Earl Haldan’s Daughter, 58;
Eve of St. John, 279;
Greeting of Kynast, 74;
Kelpie of Corrievreckan, 97;
Laidley Worm, 148;
Sir Roland, 265.
ROBIN HOOD:
Birth o’ Robin Hood, 290;
Robin Hood and Clorinda, 297;
Robin Hood and Little John, 291.
ROMANCE AND LOVERS:
Alice Brand, 81;
Ballad of Meikle-Mouthed Meg, 32;
Blancheflour and Jellyflorice, 209;
Bonny Baby Livingston, 224;
Child of Elle, 244;
Cruel Sister, 196;
“Earl March Looked on his Dying Child,” 203;
Earl of Mar’s Daughter, 115;
Famous Flower of Serving-Men, 65;
Hynd Horn, 231;
Kelpie of Corrievreckan, 97;
Lady Clare, 59;
Lochinvar, 215;
Lord Lovel, 204;
May of the Moril Glen, 138;
Noble Riddle, 208;
Robin Hood and Clorinda, 297;
Singing Leaves, 131;
Skeleton in Armour, 270;
Sweet William’s Ghost, 276;
Young Beichan and Susie Pye, 237;
Young Tamlane, 255.
ROWAN TREE OR MOUNTAIN ASH:
Fairy Thorn, 87;
Laidley Worm, 148.
SAILORS:
Dæmon Lover, 7;
Little Billee, 159;
Sir Patrick Spens, 3;
Stormy Winds Do Blow, 2.
ST. JOHN’S EVE;
_see_ MIDSUMMER DAY AND ST. JOHN’S DAY.
SALEM:
Peace, 356.
SEA BALLADS:
Dæmon Lover, 7;
Earl Haldan’s Daughter, 58;
Fair Anny of Roch-royal, 191;
Heart of the Bruce, 333;
Kelpie of Corrievreckan, 97;
Kemp Owyne, 122;
Laidley Worm, 148;
Little Billee, 159;
Mermaid, 10;
Sands of Dee, 190;
Sir Patrick Spens, 3;
Stormy Winds Do Blow, 2.
SHEPHERDS:
King Alfred and the Shepherd, 176.
SHERWOOD FOREST:
Robin Hood and Clorinda, 297.
SPINDLESTON-HEUGHS:
Laidley Worm, 148.
TAMLANE:
Young Tamlane, 255.
TINKERS:
Frolicksome Duke, 169;
King James the First and the Tinkler, 173.
THREE WISE MEN:
Three Kings, 357.
TRUE THOMAS:
Thomas the Rhymer, 93.
VALENTINE DAY:
Valentine and Ursine, 314. _See also_ ROMANCE AND LOVERS.
VALOUR;
_see_ COURAGE AND HEROISM.
VANITY;
_see_ PRIDE AND VANITY.
VIKINGS:
Skeleton in Armour, 270.
WITCHES:
Laidley Worm, 148.
WOMANLINESS:
Ballad of Meikle-Mouthed Meg, 32;
Beggar-Maid, 214;
Child of Elle, 244;
Kilmeny, 101;
Singing Leaves, 131.
INDEX OF FIRST LINES
A fair girl was sitting in the greenwood shade, 80
A Man there came, whence none could tell, 347
Ah, what can ail thee, wretched wight, 91
And mony ane sings o’ grass, o’ grass, 290
And now, to be brief, let’s pass over the rest, 173
As I was walking all alane, 114
At eve last Midsummer, no sleep I sought, 254
Bonny Kilmeny gaed up the glen, 101
Brian O’Linn was a gentleman born, 160
Earl March looked on his dying child, 203
Ettrick Forest is a fair forest, 301
Fair Margret was a young ladye, 62
“Get up, our Anna dear, from the weary spinning-wheel,” 87
Give me my Scallop-shell of Quiet, 351
God prosper long our noble King, 21
He mounted his steed of the water clear, 97
Her arms across her breast she laid, 214
Her mother died when she was young, 122
“If thou canst answer me questions three,” 208
In elder time there was of yore, 176
In London was young Beichan born, 237
In Royal Courts my Soul hath slept, 353
In Scarlet Town, where I was bound, 201
It was a tall young Oysterman, 164
It was Earl Haldan’s daughter, 58
It was intill a pleasant time, 115
It was the time when lilies blow, 59
I will tell you of ane wondrous tale, 138
Listen, now, both great and simple, 70
Lord Lovel he stood at his castle gate, 204
Merry it is in the good greenwood, 81
My good blade carves the casques of men, 348
Near the King’s Court was a young child born, 231
Now, as fame does report, a young Duke keeps a Court, 169
O bonny Baby Livingston, 224
“O I forbid ye, maidens a’,” 255
“O Mary, go and call the cattle home,” 190
“O waly, waly, my gay goss-hawk,” 218
“O wha will shoe my fu fair foot,” 191
“O where have you been, my long, long love,” 7
Of Edenhall, the youthful Lord, 135
Oh! heard ye yon pibroch sound sad in the gale, 212
Oh! who rides by night thro’ the woodland so wild, 86
Oh! young Lochinvar is come out of the West, 215
On either side the river lie, 124
On Jura’s heath how sweetly swell, 10
On New Year’s Day, as I heard say, 162
On yonder hill a castle stands, 244
One Friday morn when we set sail, 2
She said, “This narrow chamber is not for me the place,” 74
“Speak! speak! thou fearful guest!” 270
Sweet Peace, where dost thou dwell, I humbly crave, 356
The Baron of Smaylho’me rose with day, 279
The Baron of Thirlwall came from the wars, 47
The good Lord Douglas paced the deck, 333
The King is gone from Bambrough Castle, 148
The king sits in Dunfermline town, 3
The moonbeam glints on tower and hill, 32
The reavers of Eskdale were mounted for weir, 20
There came a ghost to Margret’s door, 276
There lived a sage in days of yore, 158
There lived a wife at Usher’s Well, 263
There was a maid, richly arrayd, 209
There were three sailors of Bristol city, 159
There were two sisters sat in a bour, 196
Three Kings came riding from far away, 357
True Thomas lay on Huntlie bank, 93
Up the streets of Aberdeen, 341
Whan he cam to his ain luve’s bouir, 265
What Danger is the Pilgrim in, 332
“What fairings will ye that I bring,” 131
When Flora ’gins to deck the fields, 314
When Robin Hood came into merry Sherwood, 297
When Robin Hood was about twenty years old, 291
Who is it that sits in the kitchen and weeps, 167
Who would true Valour see, 355
You beautious ladies, great and small, 65
INDEX OF TITLES AND AUTHORS
_With references from titles of other ballad-versions_
Alice Brand, 81
Allingham, Touchstone, 347
Annie Livingston, _see_ Bonny Baby Livingston, 224
Annie of Loch Royan, _see_ Fair Anny of Roch-royal, 191
Aytoun, Heart of the Bruce, 333
Ballad of Meikle-Mouthed Meg, 32
Ballad of the Oysterman, 164
Barbara Allen’s Cruelty, 201
Barclay of Ury, 341
Beggar-Maid, 214
Beichan and Susie Pye, _see_ Young Beichan and Susie Pye, 237
Belle Dame sans Merci, _see_ La Belle Dame sans Merci, 91
Belted Will, 47
Binnorie, _see_ The Cruel Sister, 196
Birth o’ Robin Hood, 290
Blancheflour and Jellyflorice, 209
Bonnie Milldams o’ Binnorie, _see_ The Cruel Sister, 196
Bonny Baby Livingston, 224
Bonny Barbara Allan, _see_ Cruelty of Barbara Allen, 201
Bonny Kilmeny, _see_ Kilmeny, 101
Brian O’Linn, 160
Bunyan, The Pilgrim, 332
Bunyan, True Valour, 355
Campbell, Glenara, 212
Campbell, Song,--Earl March Looked on his Dying Child, 203
Chevy-Chase, _see_ More Modern Ballad of Chevy-Chase, 21
Child of Elle, 244
Cinder King, 167
Cochrane’s Bonny Grizzy, 70
Cruel Sister, 196
Cruelty of Barbara Allen, _see_ Barbara Allen’s Cruelty, 201
Dæmon Lover, 7
Dicky of Ballyman, 162
Earl Haldan’s Daughter, 58
Earl March Looked on his Dying Child, 203
Earl of Mar’s Daughter, 115
Ercildoune, Thomas of, _see_ Thomas the Rhymer, 93
Erl-King, 86
Ettrick Shepherd, Kilmeny, 101
Ettrick Shepherd, May of the Moril Glen, 138
Eve of St. John, 279
Fair Anny of Roch-royal (_same as_ Annie of Loch Royan), 191
Fairy Tempter, 80
Fairy Thorn, 87
Famous Flower of Serving-Men, 65
Ferguson, Fairy Thorn, 87
Frolicksome Duke; or, The Tinker’s Good Fortune, 169
Galloway Raid, 20
Gay, The Spell, 254
Gay Goss-Hawk, 218
Glenara, 212
Goethe, Erl-King, 86
Greeting of Kynast, 74
Grizzy Cochrane’s Ride, _see_ Cochrane’s Bonny Grizzy, 70
Heart of the Bruce, 333
Herbert, Peace, 356
Hind Horn, _see_ Hynd Horn, 231
Hogg, Kilmeny, 101
Hogg, May of the Moril Glen, 138
Holmes, Ballad of the Oysterman, 164
Hunting of the Cheviot, _see_ More Modern Ballad of Chevy-Chase, 21
Hynd Horn, 231
Jolly Goss-Hawk, _see_ Gay Goss-Hawk, 218
Keats, La Belle Dame sans Merci, 91
Kelpie of Corrievreckan, 97
Kemp Owyne (_same as_ Kempion), 122
Kilmeny, 101
King Alfred and the Shepherd, 176
King James the First and the Tinkler, 173
Kingsley, Earl Haldan’s Daughter, 58
Kingsley, Sands of Dee, 190
Kynast, _see_ Greeting of Kynast, 74
La Belle Dame sans Merci, 91
Lady Clare, 59
Lady of Shalott, 124
Lady Turned Serving-Man, _see_ Famous Flower of Serving-Men, 65
Laidley Worm o’ Spindleston-Heughs, 148
Lass of Lochroyan, _see_ Fair Anny of Roch-royal, 191
Leyden, Mermaid, 10
Little Billee, 159
Lochinvar, 215
Longfellow (from Uhland), Luck of Edenhall, 135
Longfellow, Skeleton in Armour, 270
Longfellow, Three Kings, 357
Lord Beichan, _see_ Young Beichan and Susie Pye, 237
Lord Lovel, 204
Lover, Fairy Tempter, 80
Lowell, Singing Leaves, 131
Luck of Edenhall, 135
Mackay, Kelpie of Corrievreckan, 97
May of the Moril Glen, 138
Meikle-Mouthed Meg, _see_ Ballad of Meikle-Mouthed Meg, 32
Mermaid, 10
More Modern Ballad of Chevy-Chase, 21
Noble Riddle, 208
Outlaw Murray, _see_ Song of the Outlaw Murray, 301
Oysterman, Ballad of, 164
Peace, 356
Pilgrim, 332
Pilgrimage, 351
Proud Lady Margaret, 62
Raleigh, Pilgrimage, 351
Robin Hood and Clorinda, 297
Robin Hood and Little John, 291
Royal Court, 353
Rückert, Greeting of Kynast, 74
Sands of Dee, 190
Scott, Alice Brand, 81
Scott, Eve of St. John, 279
Scott, Lochinvar, 215
Sheldon, Belted Will, 47
Singing Leaves, 131
Sir Galahad, 348
Sir Patrick Spens, 3
Sir Roland, 265
Skeleton in Armour, 270
Skipper Patrick, _see_ Sir Patrick Spens, 3
Song: Earl March Looked on his Dying Child, 203
Song of the Outlaw Murray, 301
Spell, 254
Stormy Winds do Blow, 2
Sweet William’s Ghost, 276
Tamlane (or Tamlin), _see_ Young Tamlane, 255
Tennyson, Beggar-Maid, 214
Tennyson, Lady Clare, 59
Tennyson, Lady of Shalott, 124
Tennyson, Sir Galahad, 348
Thackeray, Little Billee, 159
Thackeray, Tragic Story, 158
Thomas the Rhymer (or Thomas of Ercildoune), 93
Three Kings, 357
Tinker’s Good Fortune, _see_ The Frolicksome Duke, 169
Touchstone, 347
Tragic Story, 158
True Thomas, _see_ Thomas the Rhymer, 93
True Valour, 355
Twa Sisters, _see_ The Cruel Sister, 196
Uhland, Luck of Edenhall, 135
Valentine and Ursine, 314
Wee Wee Man, 114
Whittier, Barclay of Ury, 341
Wife of Usher’s Well, 263
Young Beichan and Susie Pye, 237
Young Bondwell, _see_ Young Beichan and Susie Pye, 237
Young Hynd Horn, _see_ Hynd Horn, 231.
Young Lochinvar, _see_ Lochinvar, 215
Young Tamlane, 255
FOOTNOTES:
[1] See Foreword, page vii.
[2] See Acknowledgments, p. xv, and Foreword, p. vii.
* * * * * *
Transcriber’s note:
Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.
Bold text is denoted by =equal signs=.
Obvious printer and scanning errors have been silently corrected.
Inconsistencies in spelling and hyphenation such as
“green-wood/greenwood” have been maintained.
Page 62: “coud” changed to “could”.