Burlesque; also some specimens of the Moral and Scriptural, and all
such pieces as had been overlooked in arranging the earlier volumes.
For the Texts, the rule has been to select the most authentic copies,
and to reprint them as they stand in the collections, restoring
readings that had been changed without grounds, and noting all
deviations from the originals, whether those of previous editors or of
this edition, in the margin. Interpolations acknowledged by the
editors have generally been dropped. In two instances only have
previously printed texts been superseded or greatly improved: the text
of _The Horn of King Arthur_, in the first volume, was furnished from
the manuscript, by J.O. Halliwell, Esq., and _Adam Bel_, in the fifth
volume, has been amended by a recently discovered fragment of an
excellent edition, kindly communicated by J.P. Collier, Esq.
The Introductory Notices prefixed to the several ballads may seem dry
and somewhat meagre. They will be found, it is believed, to comprise
what is most essential even for the less cursory reader to know. These
prefaces are intended to give an account of all the printed forms of
each ballad, and references to the books in which they were first
published. In many cases also, the corresponding ballads in other
languages, especially in Danish, Swedish, and German, are briefly
pointed out. But these last notices are very imperfect. Fascinating as
such investigations are, they could not be allowed to interfere with
the progress of the series of Poets of which this collection of
Ballads forms a part, nor were the necessary books immediately at
hand. At a more favorable time the whole subject may be resumed,
unless some person better qualified shall take it up in the interim.
While upon this point let me make the warmest acknowledgments for the
help received from Grundtvig's Ancient Popular Ballads of Denmark
(_Danmarks Gamle Folkeviser_), a work which has no equal in its line,
and which may in every way serve as a model for collections of
National Ballads. Such a work as Grundtvig's can only be imitated by
an English editor, never equalled, for the material is not at hand.
All Denmark seems to have combined to help on his labors;
schoolmasters and clergymen, in those retired nooks where tradition
longest lingers, have been very active in taking down ballads from the
mouths of the people, and a large number of old manuscripts have been
placed at his disposal.--We have not even the Percy Manuscript at our
command, and must be content to take the ballads as they are printed
in the _Reliques_, with all the editor's changes. This manuscript is
understood to be in the hands of a dealer who is keeping it from the
public in order to enhance its value. The greatest service that can
now be done to English Ballad-literature is to publish this precious
document. Civilization has made too great strides in the island of
Great Britain for us to expect much more from tradition.
Certain short romances which formerly stood in the First Book, have
been dropped from this second Edition, in order to give the collection
a homogeneous character. One or two ballads have been added, and some
of the prefaces considerably enlarged.
F.J.C.
_May_, 1860.
LIST OF THE PRINCIPAL COLLECTIONS
OF ENGLISH AND SCOTTISH BALLADS AND SONGS.
[This list does not include (excepting a few reprints) the collections
of Songs, Madrigals, "Ballets," &c., published in the sixteenth and
seventeenth centuries,--the titles of most of which are to be seen in
Rimbault's _Bibliotheca Madrigaliana_. On the other hand, it does
include a few useful books connected with ballad-poetry which would
not properly come into a list of collections. The relative importance
of the works in this list is partially indicated by difference of
type. When two or more editions are mentioned, those used in this
collection are distinguished by brackets. A few books which we have
not succeeded in finding--all of slight or no importance--are marked
with a star.]
"A Choise Collection of Comic and Serious Scots Poems. Both Ancient
and Modern. By several Hands. Edinburgh. Printed by James Watson."
Three Parts, 1706, 1709, 1710. [1713, 1709, 1711.]
"Miscellany Poems, containing a variety of new Translations of the
Ancient Poets, together with several original poems. By the most
eminent hands." Ed. by Dryden. 6 vols. 1st ed. 1684-1708. Ed. of 1716*
contains ballads not in the earlier ones.
"Wit and Mirth: or Pills to Purge Melancholy; being a Collection of
the best Merry Ballads and Songs, Old and New. Fitted to all Humours,
having each their proper Tune for either Voice or Instrument: most of
the Songs being new set." By Thomas D'Urfey. 6 vols. London. 1719-20.
"A COLLECTION OF OLD BALLADS. Corrected from the best and most ancient
Copies extant. With Introductions Historical, Critical, or Humorous."
3 vols. London. 1st and 2d vol. 1723, 3d vol. 1725.
"The Evergreen. Being a Collection of Scots Poems, Wrote by the
Ingenious before 1600. Published by Allan Ramsay." 2 vols. Edinburgh,
1724. [Edinburgh. Printed for Alex. Donaldson, 1761.]
"The Tea-Table Miscellany: A Collection of Choice Songs, Scots and
English." Edinburgh. 1724. 4 vols. [Glasgow, R. & A. Foulis. 1768. 2
vols.]
"Orpheus Caledonius, or a Collection of Scots Songs, Set to Musick by
W. Thomson." London, 1725, fol. [1733, 2 vols. 8vo.]
"The Hive. A Collection of the most celebrated Songs." In Four
Volumes. 4th ed. London. 1732.
"The British Musical Miscellany, or The Delightful Grove, being a
collection of celebrated English and Scottish Songs." London. 1733-36.
"RELIQUES OF ANCIENT ENGLISH POETRY: Consisting of Old Heroic Ballads,
Songs, and other Pieces of our Earlier Poets; together with some few
of later date. By THOMAS PERCY, Lord Bishop of Dromore." 3 vols. 1st
ed. London, 1765. [4th ed. (improved) 1794.--London, L.A. Lewis,
1839.]
"ANCIENT AND MODERN SCOTTISH SONGS, Heroic Ballads, &c." By DAVID
HERD. 2 vols. Edinburgh, 1769. 2d ed. 1776. [3d ed. Printed for Lawrie
and Symington, 1791.]
"Ancient Scottish Poems. Published from the MS. of George Bannatyne,
MDLXVIII." By Sir David Dalrymple, Lord Hailes. Edinburgh, 1770.
"The Choice Spirit's Chaplet: or a Poesy from Parnassus, being a
Select Collection of Songs from the most approved authors: many of
them written and the whole compiled by George Alexander Slovens, Esq."
Whitehaven, 1771.
"A Collection of English Songs in score for three or four Voices.
Composed about the year 1500. Taken from MSS. of the same age. Revised
and digested by John Stafford Smith." London, 1779.
"Scottish Tragic Ballads." John Pinkerton. London, 1781.
"Two Ancient Scottish Poems; The Gaberlunzie-Man and Christ's Kirk on
the Green. With Notes and Observations. By John Callender, Esq. of
Craigforth." Edinburgh, 1782.
"The Charmer: A Collection of Songs, chiefly such as are eminent for
poetical merit; among which are many originals, and others that were
never before printed in a songbook." 2 vols. 4th ed. Edinburgh, 1782.
"Select Scottish Ballads." 2 vols. John Pinkerton. London, 1783. Vol.
I. Tragic Ballads, Vol. II. Comic Ballads.
"A Select Collection of English Songs, with their Original Airs, and
an Historical Essay on the Origin and Progress of National Song." By
J. Ritson. 1788. 2d ed. with Additional Songs and Occasional Notes, by
Thomas Park. London, 1813. 3 vols.
"The Poetical Museum. Containing Songs and Poems on almost every
subject. Mostly from Periodical Publications." George Caw. Hawick,
1784.
"The Bishopric Garland or Durham Minstrel." Edited by Ritson.
Stockton, 1784. Newcastle, 1792. [London, 1809.] See "Northern
Garlands," p. xix.
*"The New British Songster. A Collection of Songs, Scots and English,
with Toasts and Sentiments for the Bottle." Falkirk, 1785.
"Ancient Scottish Poems, never before in print, but now published from
the MS. collections of Sir Richard Maitland," &c. John Pinkerton. 2
vols. London, 1786.
"The Works of James I., King of Scotland." To which are added "Two
Ancient Scotish Poems, commonly ascribed to King James V." (The
Gaberlunzie-Man and the Jollie Beggar.) Morrison's Scotish Poets.
Poets. Perth, 1786.
"THE SCOTS MUSICAL MUSEUM. In six volumes. Consisting of Six Hundred
Scots Songs, with proper Basses for the Piano Forte," &c. By James
Johnson. Edinburgh, 1787-1803. [3d ed. "with copious Notes and
Illustrations of the Lyric Poetry and Music of Scotland, by the late
Wiliam Stenhouse," and "with additional Notes and Illustrations," by
David Laing. 4 vols. Edinburgh and London, 1853.]
"The Yorkshire Garland." Edited by Ritson. York, 1788. See "Northern
Garlands," p. xix.
*"A Select Collection of Favourite Scottish Ballads." 6 vols. R.
Morison & Son. Perth, 1790.
"Pieces of Ancient Popular Poetry: From Authentic Manuscripts and Old
Printed Copies. By Joseph Ritson, Esq." London, 1791. [Second Edition,
London, 1833.]
"Ancient Songs and Ballads, from the Reign of King Henry the Second to
the Revolution. Collected by Joseph Ritson, Esq." 2 vols. Printed
1787, dated 1790, published 1792. [London, 1829.]
"Scottish Poems, reprinted from scarce editions, with three pieces before
unpublished." Collected by John Pinkerton. 8 vols. London, 1792.
*"The Melodies of Scotland, &c. The Poetry chiefly by Burns. The whole
collected by George Thomson." Lond. & Edin. 6 vols. 1793-1841. See p.
xx., last title but one.
"The Northumberland Garland." Edited by Ritson. Newcastle, 1793.
[London, 1809.] See "Northern Garlands," p. xix.
"SCOTISH SONG. In two volumes." JOSEPH RITSON. London, 1794.
"ROBIN HOOD: A Collection of all the Ancient Poems, Songs and Ballads,
now extant, relative to that celebrated English Outlaw. To which are
prefixed Historical Anecdotes of his Life, By JOSEPH RITSON. Esq." 2
vols. 1795. [Second Edition, London, 1832.]
"A Collection of English Songs, with an Appendix of Original Pieces."
London, 1798. Lord Hailes.
*"An Introduction to the History of Poetry in Scotland, &c., by
Alexander Campbell, to which are subjoined Songs of the Lowlands of
Scotland, carefully compared with the original editions." Edinburgh,
1798. 4to.
"Tales of Wonder; Written and collected by M.G. Lewis, Esq., M.P." 2
vols. London, 1800. [New-York, 1801.]
"Scottish Poems of the Sixteenth Century." Ed. by J.G. Dalzell.
Edinburgh, 1801. 2 vols. (Contains "Ane Compendious Booke of Godly and
Spirituall Songs, collectit out of sundrie Partes of the Scripture, with
sundrie of other Ballates, changed out of Prophaine Sanges for avoyding
of Sinne and Harlotrie, with Augmentation of sundrie Gude and Godly
Ballates, not contained in the first Edition. Newlie corrected and
amended by the first Originall Copie. Edinburgh, printed by Andro
Hart.")
"The Complaynt of Scotland. Written in 1548. With a Preliminary
Dissertation and Glossary." By John Leyden. Edinburgh, 1801.
"Chronicle of Scottish Poetry; from the Thirteenth Century to the
Union of the Crowns." By J. Sibbald. 4 vols. Edinburgh, 1802.
"The North-Country Chorister." Edited by J. Ritson. Durham, 1802.
[London, 1809.] See "Northern Garlands," p. xix.
"MINSTRELSY OF THE SCOTTISH BORDER: Consisting of Historical and
Romantic Ballads, collected in the Southern Counties of Scotland; with
a few of modern date founded upon local tradition." 1st and 2d vols.
1802, 3d 1803. [Poetical Works of SIR WALTER SCOTT, vols. 1-4. Cadell,
Edinburgh, 1851.]
"The Wife of Auchtermuchty. An ancient Scottish Poem, with a
translation into Latin Rhyme." Edinburgh, 1803.
"A Collection of Songs, Moral, Sentimental, Instructive, and Amusing."
By James Plumtre. 4to. Cambridge, 1805. London, 1824. 3 vols.
"POPULAR BALLADS AND SONGS, from Tradition, Manuscripts, and scarce
Editions; with translations of similar pieces from the ancient Danish
language, and a few originals by the Editor. By ROBERT JAMIESON." 2
vols. Edinburgh, 1806.
"Ancient (!) Historic Ballads." Newcastle, 1807.
"Scottish Historical and Romantic Ballads, chiefly ancient." By John
Finlay. 2 vols. Edinburgh 1808.
"Remains of Nithsdale and Galloway Song," &c. By R.H. Cromek. London,
1810.
"Old Ballads, Historical and Narrative, with some of modern date:
collected from Rare Copies and MSS." By Thomas Evans. 2 vols. 1777. 4
vols. 1784. [New edition, revised and enlarged by R.H. Evans. 4 vols.
London, 1810.]
"Select Scottish Songs, Ancient and Modern, with Critical and
Biographical Notices, by Robert Burns. Edited by R.H. Cromek." London.
1810. 2 vols.
"Essay on Song-Writing; with a Selection of such English Songs as are
most eminent for poetical merit. By John Aiken. A new edition, with
Additions and Corrections, and a Supplement by R.H. Evans." London,
1810.
"Northern Garlands." London, 1810. (Contains The Bishopric, Yorkshire,
and Northumberland Garlands, and The North-Country Chorister, before
mentioned.)
"Bibliographical Miscellanies, being a Collection of Curious Pieces in
Verse and Prose." By Dr. Bliss. Oxford, 1813.
"Illustrations of Northern Antiquities, from the earlier Teutonic and
Scandinavian Romances, &c., with translations of Metrical Tales from
the Old German, Danish, Swedish, and Icelandic Languages." 4to. By
Weber, Scott, and Jamieson. Edinburgh, 1814.
"Pieces of ancient Poetry, from unpublished Manuscripts and scarce
Books." Fry. Bristol, 1814.
"A Collection of Ancient and Modern Scottish Ballads, Tales, and
Songs: with explanatory Notes and Observations." By John Gilchrist. 2
vols. Edinburgh, 1815.
"Heliconia. Comprising a Selection of the Poetry of the Elizabethan
age, written or published between 1575 and 1604." Edited by T. Park. 3
vols. London, 1815.
*"Albyn's Anthology." By Alexander Campbell. Edinburgh, 1816.
"The Pocket Encyclopedia of Song." 2 vols. Glasgow, 1816.
"Calliope: A Selection of Ballads, Legendary and Pathetic." London,
1816.
Facetiae. Musarum Deliciae (1656), Wit Restor'd (1658), and Wits
Recreations (1640). 2 vols. London, 1817.
"The Suffolk Garland: or a Collection of Poems, Songs, Tales, Ballads,
Sonnets, and Elegies, relative to that county." Ipswich, 1818.
"The Jacobite Relics of Scotland: being the Songs, Airs, and Legends
of the adherents to the House of Stuart. Collected and illustrated by
James Hogg." 2 vols. Edinburgh, 1819 and 1821.
"The Harp of Caledonia: A Collection of Songs, Ancient and Modern,
chiefly Scottish," &c. By John Struthers. 3 vols. Glasgow, 1819.
"The New Notborune Mayd." Roxburghe Club. London, 1820.
"The Scottish Minstrel, a Selection from the Vocal Melodies of
Scotland, Ancient and Modern, arranged for the Piano-Forte by R.A.
Smith." 6 vols. 1820-24.
*"The British Minstrel, a Selection of Ballads, Ancient and Modern;
with Notes, Biographical and Critical. By John Struthers." Glasgow,
1821.
"Scarce Ancient Ballads, many never before published." Aberdeen. Alex.
Laing, 1822.
"The Select Melodies of Scotland, interspersed with those of Ireland
and Wales," &c. By George Thomson. London. 6 vols. 1822-25.
"Select Remains of the Ancient Popular Poetry of Scotland." By David
Laing. Edinburgh, 1822.
"The Beauties of English Poetry." London, 1823.
"The Thistle of Scotland; a Selection of Ancient Ballads, with Notes.
By Alexander Laing." Aberdeen, 1823.
"Some ancient Christmas Carols, with the tunes to which they were
formerly sung in the West of England; together with two ancient
Ballads, a Dialogue, &c. Collected by Davies Gilbert." The Second
Edition. London, 1823.
"A Collection of Curious Old Ballads and Miscellaneous Poetry." David
Webster. Edinburgh, 1824.
"A Ballad Book." By Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe. 1824. (30 copies
printed.)
"A North Countrie Garland." By James Maidment. Edinburgh, 1824. (30
copies printed.)
"The Common-Place Book of Ancient and Modern Ballad and Metrical
Legendary Tales. An Original Selection, including many never before
published." Edinburgh, 1824.
*"The Scottish Caledonian Encyclopaedia; or, the Original, Antiquated,
and Natural Curiosities of the South of Scotland, interspersed with
Scottish Poetry." By John Mactaggart. London, 1824.
"Gleanings of Scotch, English, and Irish scarce Old Ballads, chiefly
Tragical and Historical." By Peter Buchan. Peterhead, 1825.
"The Songs of Scotland, Ancient and Modern; with an Introduction and
Notes," &c. By Allan Cunningham. 4 vols. London, 1825.
"Early Metrical Tales." By David Laing. Edinburgh, 1826.
"ANCIENT SCOTTISH BALLADS, recovered from Tradition, and never before
published: with Notes, Historical and Explanatory, and an Appendix,
containing the Airs of several of the Ballads." By GEORGE R. KINLOCH.
Edinburgh, 1827.
"MINSTRELSY, ANCIENT AND MODERN, with an Historical Introduction and
Notes. By WILLIAM MOTHERWELL." Glasgow, 1827.
"The Ballad-Book." By George R. Kinloch. Edinburgh, 1827. (30 copies
printed.)
"Ancient Ballads and Songs, chiefly from Tradition, Manuscripts, and
Scarce Works," &c. By Thomas Lyle. London, 1827.
"The Knightly Tale of Golagrus and Gawane, and other Ancient Poems.
Printed at Edinburgh, by W. Chepman and A. Myllar in the year
M.D. VIII. Reprinted MD.CCC.XXVII."
"Ancient Ballads and Songs of the North of Scotland, hitherto
unpublished." By Peter Buchan. 2 vols. Edinburgh, 1828.
"Jacobite Minstrelsy, with Notes illustrative of the Text, and
containing Historical Details in Relation to the House of Stuart from
1640 to 1784." Glasgow, 1829.
"The Scottish Ballads; Collected and Illustrated by Robert Chambers."
Edinburgh, 1829.
"The Scottish Songs; Collected and Illustrated by Robert Chambers." 2
vols. Edinburgh, 1829.
"Ancient Metrical Tales: printed chiefly from Original Sources." By
C.H. Hartshorne. London, 1829.
"Christmas Carols, Ancient and Modern, including the most popular in
the West of England, and the airs to which they were sung," &c. By W.
Sandys. London, 1833.
"The Bishoprick Garland, or a collection of Legends, Songs, Ballads,
&c., belonging to the County of Durham." By Sir Cuthbert Sharp.
London, 1834.
"The Universal Songster, or Museum of Mirth, forming the most
complete, extensive, and valuable collection of Ancient and Modern
Songs in the English language." 3 vols. London. 1834.
"Hugues de Lincoln, Recueil de Ballades, Anglo-Normande et Ecossoises,
relatives an meurtre de cet enfant," &c. Francisque Michel. Paris,
1834.
"Ballads and other Fugitive Poetical Pieces, chiefly Scottish; from
the collections of Sir James Balfour." Edinburgh, 1834. Ed. by James
Maidment.
"Lays and Legends of Varions Nations." By W.J. Thoms. London, 1834. 5
parts.
"The Songs of England and Scotland." By Peter Cunningham. 2 vols.
London, 1835.
"Songs and Carols. Printed from a Manuscript in the Sloane Collection
in the British Museum." By T. Wright. London, 1836.
"The Nutbrown Maid. From the earliest edition of Arnold's Chronicle."
By T. Wright, London, 1836.
"The Turnament of Totenham, and The Feest. Two early Ballads, printed
from a Manuscript preserved in the Public Library of the University of
Cambridge." By T. Wright. London, 1836.
"A Little Book of Ballads." Newport, 1836. Printed by E.V. Utterson
for the Roxburghe Club.
"Ancient Scotish Melodies, from a Manuscript of the Reign of King
James VI., with an Introductory Enquiry illustrative of the History of
Music in Scotland." By William Dauncy. Edinburgh, 1838.
"Syr Gawayne; a collection of Ancient Romance-Poems, by Scotish and
English authors, relating to that celebrated Knight of the Round
Table, with an Introduction, Notes, and a Glossary." By Sir Fred.
Madden. Bannatyne Club. London, 1839.
*"Fruehlingsgabe fuer Freunde aelterer Literatur." By Th. G. v. Karajan.
Vienna, 1839. (Contains English ballads.)
"The Political Songs of England, from the Reign of John
to that of Edward II. Edited and translated by Thomas Wright." London,
1839. Camden Society.
"A Collection of National English Airs, consisting of Ancient Song,
Ballad, and Dance Tunes, interspersed with Remarks and Anecdote, and
preceded by an Essay on English Minstrelsy." By W. Chappell. 2 vols.
London, 1838-1840. (see _post_.)
"The Latin Poems commonly attributed to Walter Mapes, collected and
edited by Thomas Wright." London, 1841. Camden Society.
PUBLICATIONS OF THE PERCY SOCIETY,
(1840-1852.)
Vol. I. "Old Ballads, from Early Printed Copies of the Utmost Rarity."
By J. Payne Collier. 1840.
"A Collection of Songs and Ballads relative to the London Prentices
and Trades, and to the Affairs of London generally, during the 14th,
15th, and 16th centuries." By Charles Mackay. 1841.
"The Historical Songs of Ireland: illustrative of the Revolutionary
Struggle between James II. and William III. By T. Crofton Croker.
1841.
"The King and a Poor Northern Man. From the edition of 1640." 1841.
Vol. II. "The Early Naval Ballads of England. Collected and edited by
J.O. Halliwell." 1841.
"The Mad Pranks and Merry Jests of Robin Goodfellow. Reprinted from
the edition of 1628." By J. Payne Collier. 1841.
Vol. III. "Political Ballads published in England during the
Commonwealth." By Thomas Wright. 1841.
"Strange Histories: consisting of Ballads and other Poems, principally
by Thomas Deloney. From the edition of 1607." 1841.
"The History of Patient Grisel. Two early Tracts in Black-letter."
1842.
Vol. IV. "The Nursery Rhymes of England, collected principally from
oral Tradition." By J.O. Halliwell. 1842.
Vol. VI. "Ancient Poetical Tracts of the Sixteenth Century." Reprinted
from unique Copies. By E.F. Rimbault 1842.
"The Crown Garland of Golden Roses: Consisting of Ballads and Songs.
By Richard Johnson." Part I. From the edition of 1612. 1842. [Part
II., from the edition of 1659, in vol. xv.]
Vol. IX. "Old Ballads illustrating the great Frost of 1683-4, and the
Fair on the Thames." Collected and edited by E.F. Rimbault. 1844.
Vol. XIII. "Six Ballads with Burdens." By James Goodwin. 1844.
"Lyrical Poems selected from Musical Publications between the years
1589 and 1600." By J.P. Collier. 1844.
Vol. XV. "The Crown Garland of Golden Roses. Part II. From the edition
of 1659." 1845.
Vol. XVII. "Scottish Traditional Versions of Ancient Ballads." [From a
MS. of Buchan's.] Edited by James Henry Dixon. 1845.
"Ancient Poems, Ballads, and Songs of the Peasantry of England, taken
down from oral recitation, and transcribed from private manuscripts,
rare broadsides, and scarce publications. Collected and edited by
James Henry Dixon." 1846.
Vol. XIX. "The Civic Garland. A Collection of Songs from London
Pageants." By F.W. Fairholt. 1845.
Vol. XXI. "Popular Songs illustrative of the French Invasions of
Ireland." By T. Crofton Croker. 1845.
Vol. XXIII. "Songs and Carols, now first printed from a manuscript of
the Fifteenth Century." By Thomas Wright, 1847.
"Festive Songs, principally of the 16th and 17th centuries: with an
Introduction." By William Sandys. 1848.
Vol. XXVII. "Satirical Songs and Poems on Costume: from the 13th to
the 19th century." By F.W. Fairholt. 1848.
Vol. XXIX. "The Loyal Garland: a Collection of Songs of the 17th
century. Reprinted from a black-letter copy supposed to be unique." By
J.O. Halliwell. 1850.
"Poems and Songs relating to George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, and
his assassination by John Felton." By F.W. Fairholt.
Vol. XXX. "The Garland of Goodwill, by Thomas Deloney." From the
edition of 1678. By J.H. Dixon. 1852.
"Popular Rhymes, Fireside Stories, and Amusements of Scotland." By
Robert Chambers, Edinburgh. 1842. [Earlier edition in 1826.]
"Selections from the Early Ballad Poetry of England and Scotland.
Edited by Richard John King." London, 1842.
"The Book of British Ballads." By S.C. Hall. 2 vols. 1842. 1844.
"The Book of Scottish Song: collected and illustrated with Historical
and Critical Notices, and an Essay on the Song-Writers of Scotland."
By Alex. Whitelaw. 1843. [Glasgow, Edinburgh and London, 1855.]
"A New Book of Old Ballads." By James Maidment. Edinburgh, 1844. [60
copies printed.]
*Twelve Romantic Scottish Ballads, with Music. Chambers, 1844.
Publications of the Shakespeare Society:
"The Shakespeare Society Papers." Vol. I. 1844. Vol. IV. 1849.
"Illustrations of the Fairy Mythology of A Midsummer Night's Dream."
By J.O. Halliwell. 1845.
"The Moral Play of Wit and Science, and Early Poetical Miscellanies
from an Unpublished Manuscript." By J.O. Halliwell. 1848.
"Extracts from the Registers of the Stationers' Company, of Works
entered for publication between the years 1557 and 1570. With Notes
and Illustrations by J. Payne Collier." 1848. Vol. II. [1570-1587.]
1849.
"The Book of Scottish Ballads; collected and illustrated with
Historical and Critical Notices. By Alex. Whitelaw." Glasgow,
Edinburgh & London. 1845.
"Reliquiae Antiquae." Wright & Halliwell. 2 vols. London, 1845.
"Essays on Subjects connected with the Literature, Popular
Superstitions, and History of England in the Middle Ages." By Thomas
Wright. 2 vols. London, 1846.
"The Borderer's Table Book: or Gatherings of the Local History and
Romance of the English and Scottish Border. By M.A. Richardson." 8
vols. Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 1846.
"The Ballads and Songs of Ayrshire," &c. By James Paterson and Captain
Charles Gray. 2 vols. Ayr, 1846-1847.
"The Minstrelsy of the English Border. Being a Collection of Ballads,
Ancient, Remodelled, and Original, founded on well-known Border
Legends. With Illustrative Notes." By Frederick Sheldon. London, 1847.
"A Book of Roxburghe Ballads. Edited by John Payne Collier." London,
1847.
"Bibliotheca Madrigaliana. A Bibliographical Account of the Musical
and Poetical Works published in England during the 16th and 17th
centuries, under the titles of Madrigals, Ballots, Ayres, Canzonets,"
&c. By E.F. Rimbault. 1847.
"A Lytell Geste of Robin Hode, with other Ancient and Modern Ballads
and Songs relating to this celebrated Yeoman," &c. By John Mathew
Gutch. 2 vols. London. 1847.
"Sir Hugh of Lincoln: or an Examination of a curious tradition
respecting the Jews, with a Notice of the Popular Poetry connected
with it. By the Rev. Abraham Hume." London, 1849.
"Ballads and Poems respecting Hugh of Lincoln." J.O. Halliwell.
Brixton Hill, 1849.
"The Ballad of Edwin and Emma. By David Mallet." With Notes and
Illustrations by Frederick T. Dinsdale. London, 1849.
"Musical Illustrations of Bishop Percy's Reliques of Ancient English
Poetry. A Collection of Old Ballad Tunes, etc. chiefly from rare MSS.
and early Printed Books," &c. By Edward F. Rimbault. London, 1850.
"The Fairy Mythology. Illustrative of the Romance and Superstition of
various Countries." By Thomas Keightley. London, 1850.
"Palatine Anthology. A Collection of ancient Poems and Ballads
relating to Lancashire and Cheshire. The Palatine Garland. Being a
Selection of Ballads and Fragments supplementary to the Palatine
Anthology." By J.O. Halliwell. 1850. [Privately printed.]
"A New Boke about Shakespeare and Stratford-on-Avon." By J.O.
Halliwell. 1850. [Privately printed.]
"A Little Book of Songs and Ballads, gathered from Ancient Musick
Books, MS. and Printed." By E.F. Rimbault. London, 1851.
"The Sussex Garland. A collection of Ballads, Sonnets, Tales, Elegies,
Songs, Epitaphs, &c. illustrative of the County of Sussex." By James
Taylor. Newick, 1851.
"The Yorkshire Anthology. A Collection of Ancient and Modern Ballads,
Poems and Songs, relating to the County of Yorkshire. Collected by J.O.
Halliwell." London, 1851. [Privately printed.]
"The Norfolk Anthology. A Collection of Poems, Ballads, and Rare Tracts,
relating to the County of Norfolk." Collected by J.O. Halliwell. 1852.
[Privately printed.]
"The Illustrated Book of English Songs. From the Sixteenth to the
Nineteenth Century." Illustrated London Library. London, (about) 1852.
"The Illustrated Book of Scottish Songs. From the Sixteenth to the
Nineteenth Century." Illustrated London Library. London, (about) 1852.
"The Great Hero of the Ancient Minstrelsy of England, Robin Hood," &c.
By Joseph Hunter. London, 1852.
"The Literature and Romance of Northern Europe, &c.; with copious
specimens of the most celebrated Histories, Romances, Popular Legends
and Tales, old Chivalrous Ballads," &c. By William & Mary Howitt. 2
vols. London, 1852.
"The Pictorial Book of Ancient Ballad Poetry of Great Britain,
Historical, Traditional, and Romantic: to which are added a Selection
of Modern Imitations, and some Translations." By J.S. Moore. London,
1853.
"The Songs of Scotland adapted to their appropriate Melodies," &c.
Illustrated with Historical, Biographical, and Critical Notices. By
George Farquhar Graham. 8 vols. Edinburgh, 1854-6.
"Songs from the Dramatists." Edited by Robert Bell. Annotated Edition
of the English Poets. London, 1854.
"Popular Music of the Olden Time; a Collection of Ancient Songs,
Ballads, and Dance Tunes, illustrative of the National Music of
England. With short introductions to the different reigns, and notices
of the airs from writers of the 16th and 17th centuries. Also a short
account of the Minstrels." By W. Chappell. London. Begun, 1855.
Complete in 2 vols.
"Reliques of Ancient Poetry, &c. (Percy's.) To which is now added a
Supplement of many curious Historical and Narrative Ballads, reprinted
from Rare Copies." Philadelphia, 1855.
"Early Ballads illustrative of History, Traditions and Customs." By R.
Bell. Annotated Edition of the English Poets. London, 1856.
"Ballads and Songs. By David Mallet. A new Edition, with Notes and
Illustrations and a Memoir of the Author." By Frederick Dinsdale.
London, 1857.
"Ancient Poems, Ballads, and Songs of the Peasantry of England. Edited
by Robert Bell." London, 1857.
"The Ballads of Scotland. Edited by William Edmondstoune Aytoun." 2
vols. Edinburgh and London, 1858. 2d ed., 1859.
"The Romantic Scottish Ballads: Their Epoch and Authorship. Edinburgh
Papers. By Robert Chambers." Lond. &. Ed. 1859.
"The Romantic Scottish Ballads and the Lady Wardlaw Heresy. By Norval
Clyne." Aberdeen, 1859.
"Political Poems and Songs relating to English History, composed
during the Period from the Accession of Edward III. to that of Richard
III." By Thomas Wright. Vol. I. London, 1869. (Published by the
British Government.)
The Ballads and Songs of Yorkshire. By C.J.D. Ingledew. (Announced.)
The Jacobite Minstrelsy of Scotland. By Charles Mackay (Announced.)
The Gentleman's Magazine, *The Scots Magazine, The Retrospective
Review, The British Bibliographer, Censura Literara, Restituta, Notes
and Queries, &c.
The full titles of the principal collections of ballad-poetry in other
languages, referred to in these volumes, are as follows:--
"Udvalgte Danske Viser fra Middelalderen; efter A.S. Vedels og P. Syvs
trykte Udgaver og efter haandskrevne Samlinger udgivne paa ny af
Abrahamson, Nyerup, og Rahbek." Copenhagen, 1812-1814. 5 vols.
DANMARKS GAMLE FOLKEVISER, UDGIVNE AF SVEND GRUNDTVIG. 2 vols., and
the first part of the third. Copenhagen, 1853-58.
"Svenska Folk-Visor fran Forntiden, samlade och utgifne af Er. Gust.
Geijer och Arv. Aug. Afzelius." Stockholm, 1814-1816. 3 vols.
"Svenska Fornsanger. En Samling af Kaempavisor, Folk-Visor, Lekar och
Dansar, samt Barn- och Vall-Sanger. Utgifne af Adolf Iwar Arwidsson."
Stockholm, 1834-1842. 3 vols.
"Altdaenische Heldenlieder, Balladen, und Maehrchen, uebersetzt von
Wilhelm Carl Grimm." Heidelberg, 1811.
"Des Knaben Wunderhorn. Alte dentsche Lieder." Arnim & Brentano. 3
vols. Heidelberg, 1806-8. 2d ed. of first part in 1819.
"Die Volkslieder der Deutschen, etc. Herausgegeben durch Friedrich
Karl Freiherrn von Erlach." Mannheim, 1834-36. 5 vols.
"Versuch einer geschichtlichen Charakteristik der Volkslieder
Germanischer Nationen, mit einer Uebersicht der Lieder
aussereuropaeischer Voelkerschaften." Von Talvj. Leipzig, 1840.
"Schlesische Volkslieder mit Melodien. Aus dem Munde des Volks
gesammelt und herausgegeben von Hoffmann von Fallersleben und Ernst
Richter." Leipzig, 1842.
"Alte hoch- und niederdeutsche Volkslieder, in Fuenf Buechern,
herausgegeben von Ludwig Uhland." 2 vols. Stuttgart, 1844-5.
"Deutsther Liederhort. Auswahl der vorzueglichern deutschen Volkslieder
aus der Vorzeit und der Gegenwart mit ihren eigenthuemlichen Melodien."
Von Ludwig Erk. Berlin, 1856.
"Niederlaendische Volkslieder. Gesammelt und erlaeutert von Hoffmann von
Fallersleben." 2d ed. Hannover, 1856.
* * * * *
BOOK I.
THE BOY AND THE MANTLE.
No incident is more common in romantic fiction, than the employment of
some magical contrivance as a test of conjugal fidelity, or of
constancy in love. In some romances of the Round Table, and tales
founded upon them, this experiment is performed by means either of an
enchanted horn, of such properties that no dishonoured husband or
unfaithful wife can drink from it without spilling, or of a mantle
which will fit none but chaste women. The earliest known instances of
the use of these ordeals are afforded by the _Lai du Corn_, by Robert
Bikez, a French minstrel of the twelfth or thirteenth century, and the
_Fabliau du Mantel Mautaille_, which, in the opinion of a competent
critic, dates from the second half of the thirteenth century, and is
only the older lay worked up into a new shape. (Wolf, _Ueber die
Lais_, 327, sq., 342, sq.) We are not to suppose, however, that either
of these pieces presents us with the primitive form of this humorous
invention. Robert Bikez tells us that he learned his story from an
abbot, and that "noble ecclesiast" stood but one further back in a
line of tradition which curiosity will never follow to its source. We
shall content ourselves with noticing the most remarkable cases of the
use of these and similar talismans in imaginative literature.
In the _Roman de Tristan_, a composition of unknown antiquity, the
frailty of nearly all the ladies at the court of King Marc is exposed
by their essaying a draught from the marvellous horn, (see the English
_Morte Arthur_, Southey's ed. i. 297.) In the _Roman de Perceval_, the
knights, as well as the ladies, undergo this probation. From some one
of the chivalrous romances Ariosto adopted the wonderful vessel into
his _Orlando_, (xlii. 102, sq., xliii. 31, sq.,) and upon his
narrative La Fontaine founded the tale and the comedy of _La Coupe
Enchantee_. In German, we have two versions of the same story,--one,
an episode in the _Krone_ of Heinrich vom Tuerlein, thought to have
been borrowed from the _Perceval_ of Chretien de Troyes, (_Die Sage
vom Zauberbecher_, in Wolf, _Ueber die Lais_, 378,) and another, which
we have not seen, in Bruns, _Beitraege zur kritischen Bearbeitung alter
Handschriften_, ii. 139; while in English, it is represented by the
highly amusing "bowrd," which we are about to print, and which we have
called _The Horn of King Arthur_. The forms of the tale of the Mantle
are not so numerous. The _fabliau_ already mentioned was reduced to
prose in the sixteenth century, and published at Lyons, (in 1577,) as
_Le Manteau mal taille_, (Legrand's _Fabliaux_, 3d ed., i. 126,) and
under this title, or that of _Le Court Mantel_, is very well known. An
old fragment (_Der Mantel_) is given in Haupt and Hoffmann's
_Altdeutsche Blaetter_, ii. 217, and the story is also in Bruns
_Beitraege_. Lastly, we find the legends of the horn and the mantle
united, as in the German ballad _Die Ausgleichung_, (_Des Knaben
Wunderhorn_, i. 389,) and in the English ballad of _The Boy and The
Mantle_, where a magical knife is added to the other curiosities. All
three of these, by the way, are claimed by the Welsh as a part of the
_insignia_ of Ancient Britain, and the special property of Tegau
Eurvron, the wife of Caradog with the strong arm. (Jones, _Bardic
Museum_, p. 49.)
In other departments of romance, many other objects are endowed with
the same or an analogous virtue. In Indian and Persian story, the test
of innocence is a red lotus-flower; in _Amadis_, a garland, which
fades on the brow of the unfaithful; in _Perceforest_, a rose. The
_Lay of the Rose_ in _Perceforest_, is the original (according to
Schmidt) of the much-praised tale of Senece, _Camille, ou la Maniere
de filer le parfait Amour_, (1695,)--in which a magician presents a
jealous husband with a portrait in wax, that will indicate by change
of color the infidelity of his wife,--and suggested the same device in
the twenty-first novel of Bandello, (Part First,) on the translation
of which in Painter's _Palace of Pleasure_, (vol. ii. No. 28,)
Massinger founded his play of _The Picture_. Again, in the tale of
_Zeyn Alasman and the King of the Genii_, in the _Arabian Nights_, the
means of proof is a mirror, that reflects only the image of a spotless
maiden; in that of the carpenter and the king's daughter, in the
_Gesta Romanorum_, (c. 69,) a shirt, which remains clean and whole as
long as both parties are true; in _Palmerin of England_, a cup of
tears, which becomes dark in the hands of an inconstant lover; in the
_Fairy Queen_, the famous girdle of Florimel; in _Horn and Rimnild_
(Ritson, _Metrical Romances_, iii. 301,) as well as in one or two
ballads in this collection, the stone of a ring; in a German ballad,
_Die Krone der Koenigin von Afion_, (Erlach, _Volkslieder der
Deutschen_, i. 132,) a golden crown, that will fit the head of no
incontinent husband. Without pretending to exhaust the subject, we may
add three instances of a different kind: the Valley in the romance of
_Lancelot_, which being entered by a faithless lover would hold him
imprisoned forever; the Cave in _Amadis of Gaul_, from which the
disloyal were driven by torrents of flame; and the Well in _Horn and
Rimnild_, (_ibid._) which was to show the shadow of Horn, if he proved
false.
In conclusion, we will barely allude to the singular anecdote related
by Herodotus, (ii. 111,) of Phero, the son of Sesostris, in which the
experience of King Marc and King Arthur is so curiously anticipated.
In the early ages, as Dunlop has remarked, some experiment for
ascertaining the fidelity of women, in defect of evidence, seems
really to have been resorted to. "By the Levitical law," (_Numbers_ v.
11-31,) continues that accurate writer, "there was prescribed a mode
of trial, which consisted in the suspected person drinking water in
the tabernacle. The mythological fable of the trial by the Stygian
fountain, which disgraced the guilty by the waters rising so as to
cover the laurel wreath of the unchaste female who dared the
examination, probably had its origin in some of the early institutions
of Greece or Egypt. Hence the notion was adopted in the Greek
romances, the heroines of which were invariably subjected to a magical
test of this nature, which is one of the few particulars in which any
similarity of incident can be traced between the Greek novels and the
romances of chivalry." See DUNLOP, _History of Fiction_, London, 1814,
i. 239, sq.; LEGRAND, _Fabliaux_, 3d ed., i. 149, sq., 161; SCHMIDT,
_Jahrbuecher der Literatur_, xxix. 121; WOLF, _Ueber die Lais_,
174-177; and, above all, GRAESSE'S _Sagenkreise des Mittelalters_,
185, sq.
_The Boy and the Mantle_ was "printed verbatim" from the Percy MS., in
the _Reliques of Ancient English Poetry_, iii. 38.
In the third day of May,
To Carleile did come
A kind curteous child,
That cold much of wisdome.
A kirtle and a mantle 5
This child had uppon,
With brouches[L7] and ringes
Full richelye bedone.
He had a sute of silke
About his middle drawne; 10
Without he cold of curtesye,
He thought itt much shame.
"God speed thee, King Arthur,
Sitting at thy meate:
And the goodly Queene Guenever 15
I cannott her forgett,
"I tell you, lords, in this hall,
I hett[L18] you all to heede,
Except you be the more surer,
Is you for to dread." 20
He plucked out of his poterner,[L21]
And longer wold not dwell;
He pulled forth a pretty mantle,
Betweene two nut-shells.
"Have thou here, King Arthur, 25
Have thou heere of mee;
Give itt to thy comely queene,
Shapen as itt is alreadye.
Itt shall never become that wiffe,
That hath once done amisse:"-- 30
Then every knight in the kings court
Began to care for his[L32].
Forth came dame Guenever;
To the mantle shee her hied[L34];
The ladye shee was newfangle, 35
But yett shee was affrayd.
When shee had taken the mantle,
She stoode as shee had beene madd:
It was from the top to the toe,
As sheeres had itt shread. 40
One while was it gule[L41],
Another while was itt greene;
Another while was it wadded;
Ill itt did her beseeme.
Another while was it blacke, 45
And bore the worst hue:
"By my troth," quoth King Arthur,
"I think thou be not true."
She threw down the mantle,
That bright was of blee; 50
Fast, with a rudd redd,
To her chamber can shee flee.
She curst the weaver and the walker
That clothe that had wrought,
And bade a vengeance on his crowne 55
That hither hath itt brought.
"I had rather be in a wood,
Under a greene tree,
Then in King Arthurs court
Shamed for to bee." 60
Kay called forth his ladye,
And bade her come neere;
Saies, "Madam, and thou be guiltye,
I pray thee hold thee there."
Forth came his ladye, 65
Shortlye and anon;
Boldlye to the mantle
Then is shee gone.
When she had tane the mantle,
And cast it her about, 70
Then was shee bare
'Before all the rout.'
Then every knight,
That was in the kings court,
Talked, laughed,[L75] and showted 75
Full oft att that sport.
Shee threw downe the mantle,
That bright was of blee;
Fast, with a red rudd,
To her chamber can shee flee. 80
Forth came an old knight,
Pattering ore a creede,
And he proferred to this litle boy
Twenty markes to his meede,
And all the time of the Christmasse, 85
Willinglye to ffeede;
For why, this mantle might
Doe his wiffe some need.
When she had tane the mantle,
Of cloth that was made, 90
Shee had no more left on her,
But a tassell and a threed:
Then every knight in the kings court
Bade evill might shee speed.
Shee threw downe the mantle, 95
That bright was of blee;
And fast, with a redd rudd,
To her chamber can shee flee.
Craddocke called forth his ladye,
And bade her come in; 100
Saith, "Winne this mantle, ladye,
With a little dinne.
Winne this mantle, ladye,
And it shal be thine,
If thou never did amisse 105
Since thou wast mine."
Forth came Craddockes ladye,
Shortlye and anon;
But boldlye to the mantle
Then is shee gone. 110
When she had tane the mantle,
And cast it her about,
Upp at her great toe
It began to crinkle and crowt:
Shee said, "Bowe downe, mantle, 115
And shame me not for nought.
Once I did amisse,
I tell you certainlye,
When I kist Craddockes mouth
Under a greene tree; 120
When I kist Craddockes mouth
Before he marryed mee."
When shee had her shreeven,
And her sines shee had tolde,
The mantle stoode about her 125
Right as shee wold,
Seemelye of coulour,
Glittering like gold:
Then every knight in Arthurs court
Did her behold. 130
Then spake dame Guenever
To Arthur our king;
"She hath tane yonder mantle
Not with right[L134], but with wronge.
See you not yonder woman, 135
That maketh her self soe 'cleane'[L136]?
I have seene tane out of her bedd
Of men fiveteene;
Priests, clarkes, and wedded men
From her, bydeene: 140
Yett shee taketh the mantle,
And maketh her self cleane."
Then spake the little boy,
That kept the mantle in hold;
Sayes, "King, chasten thy wiffe, 145
Of her words shee is to bold:
Shee is a bitch and a witch,
And a whore bold:
King, in thine owne hall
Thou art a cuckold." 150
The little boy stoode
Looking out a dore;
'And there as he was lookinge
He was ware of a wyld bore.'
He was ware of a wyld bore, 155
Wold have werryed a man:
He pulld forth a wood kniffe,
Fast thither that he ran:
He brought in the bores head,
And quitted him like a man. 160
He brought in the bores head,
And was wonderous bold:
He said there was never a cuckolds kniffe
Carve itt that cold.
Some rubbed their knives 165
Uppon a whetstone:
Some threw them under the table,
And said they had none.
King Arthur and the child
Stood looking them upon; 170
All their knives edges
Turned backe againe.
Craddocke had a little knive
Of iron and of steele;
He britled[L175] the bores head 175
Wonderous weele,
That every knight in the kings court
Had a morssell.
The little boy had a horne,
Of red gold that ronge: 180
He said there was "noe cuckolde
Shall drinke of my horne,
But he shold it sheede,
Either behind or beforne."
Some shedd on their shoulder, 185
And some on their knee;
He that cold not hitt his mouthe,
Put it in his eye:
And he that was a cuckold
Every man might him see. 190
Craddocke wan the horne,
And the bores head:
His ladie wan the mantle
Unto her meede.
Everye such a lovely ladye 195
God send her well to speede.
MS. Ver. 7, branches.
V. 18, heate.
V. 21, poterver.
MS. V. 32, his wiffe.
V. 34, bided.
V. 41, gaule.
MS. Ver. 75, lauged.
MS. Ver. 134, wright.
V. 136, cleare.
MS. V. 175, Or birtled.
THE HORN OF KING ARTHUR.
MS. Ashmole, 61, fol. 59 to 62.
This amusing piece was first published entire in Hartshorne's _Ancient
Metrical Tales_, p. 209, but with great inaccuracies. It is there
called _The Cokwolds Daunce_. A few extracts had previously been given
from the MS., in the Notes to _Orfeo and Heurodis_, in Laing's _Early
Popular Poetry of Scotland_. Mr. Wright contributed a corrected
edition to Karajan's _Fruehlingsgabe fuer Freunde aelterer Literatur_.
That work not being at the moment obtainable, the Editor was saved
from the necessity of reprinting or amending a faulty text, by the
kindness of J.O. Halliwell, Esq., who sent him a collation of
Hartshorne's copy with the Oxford manuscript.
All that wyll of solas lere,
Herkyns now, and [z]e schall here,
And [z]e kane vnderstond;
Off a bowrd I wyll [z]ou schew,
That ys full gode and trew, 5
That fell some tyme in Ynglond.
Kynge Arthour was off grete honour,
Off castellis and of many a toure,
And full wyde iknow;
A gode ensample I wyll [z]ou sey, 10
What chanse befell hym one a dey;
Herkyn to my saw!
Cokwoldes he louyd, as I [z]ou ply[z]t;
He honouryd them, both dey and nyght,
In all maner of thyng; 15
And as I rede in story,
He was kokwold sykerly;
Ffor sothe it is no lesyng.
Herkyne, seres, what I sey;
Her may [z]e here solas and pley, 20
Iff [z]e wyll take gode hede;
Kyng Arthour had a bugyll horn,
That ever mour stod hym be forn,
Were so that ever he [z]ede.
Ffor when he was at the bord sete, 25
Anon the horne schuld be fette[L26],
Ther off that he myght drynk;
Ffor myche crafte he couth thereby,
And ofte tymes the treuth he sey;
Non other couth he thynke. 30
Iff any cokwold drynke of it,
Spyll he schuld, withouten lette;
Therfor thei wer not glade;
Gret dispyte thei had therby,
Because it dyde them vilony, 35
And made them oft tymes sade.
When the kyng wold hafe solas,
The bugyll was fett[L38] into the plas,
To make solas and game;
And then changyd the cokwoldes chere; 40
The kyng them callyd ferre and nere,
Lordynges, by ther name.
Than men myght se game inow[z]e,
When every cokwold on other leu[z]e,
And [z]it thei schamyd sore: 45
Where euer the cokwoldes wer sought,
Befor the kyng thei were brought,
Both lesse and more.
Kyng Arthour than, verament,
Ordeynd, throw hys awne assent, 50
Ssoth as I [z]ow sey,
The tabull dormounte withouten lette;
Ther at the cokwoldes wer sette,
To have solas and pley.
Ffor at the bord schuld be non other 55
Bot euery cokwold and his brother[L56];
To tell treuth I must nedes;
And when the cokwoldes wer sette,
Garlandes of wylos sculd be fette,
And sett vpon ther hedes. 60
Off the best mete, withoute lesyng,
That stode on bord befor the kyng,
Both ferr and nere,
To the cokwoldes he sente anon,
And bad them be glad euerychon, 65
Ffor his sake make gode chere.
And seyd, "Lordyngs, for [z]our lyues,
Be neuer the wrother with [z]our wyues,
Ffor no manner of nede:
Off women com duke and kyng; 70
I [z]ow tell without lesyng,
Of them com owre manhed.
So it befell sertenly,
The duke off Glosseter com in hy[z]e,
To the courte with full gret my[z]ht; 75
He was reseyued at the kyngs palys,
With mych honour and grete solas,
With lords that were well dyg[z]ht.
With the kyng ther dyde he dwell,
Bot how long I can not tell, 80
Therof knaw I non name;
Off kyng Arthour a wonder case,
Frendes, herkyns how it was,
Ffor now begynes game.
Vppon a dey, withouten lette, 85
The duke with the kyng was sette,
At mete with mykill pride;
He lukyd abowte wonder faste,
Hys syght on euery syde he caste
To them that sate besyde. 90
The kyng aspyed the erle anon,
And fast he low[z]he the erle vpon,
And bad he schuld be glad;
And yet, for all hys grete honour,
Cokwold was Kyng Arthour, 95
Ne galle non he had.
So at the last, the duke he brayd,
And to the kyng thes wordes sayd[L98];
He myght no longer forbere;
"Syr, what hath thes men don, 100
That syche garlondes thei were vpon?
That skyll wold I lere."
The kyng seyd the erle to,
"Syr, non hurte they haue do,
Ffor this was thru[z]h a chans. 105
Sertes thei be fre men all,
Ffor non of them hath no gall;
Therfor this is ther penans.
"Ther wyves hath ben merchandabull,
And of ther ware compenabull; 110
Methinke it is non herme;
A man of lufe that wold them craue,
Hastely he schuld it haue,
Ffor thei couth not hym wern.
"All theyr wyves, sykerlyke, 115
Hath vsyd the backefysyke[L116],
Whyll thes men were oute;
And ofte they haue draw that draught,
To vse well the lechers craft,
With rubyng of ther toute. 120
"Syr," he seyd, "now haue I redd;
Ete we now, and make vs glad,
And euery man fle care;"
The duke seyd to hym anon,
"Than be thei cokwoldes, everychon;" 125
The kyng seyd, "hold the there."
The kyng than, after the erlys word,
Send to the cokwolds bord,
To make them mery among,
All manner of mynstralsy, 130
To glad the cokwolds by and by
With herpe, fydell, and song:
And bad them take no greffe,
Bot all with loue and with leffe,
Euery man ...[L135] with other; 135
Ffor after mete, without distans,
The cockwolds schuld together danse,
Euery man with hys brother.
Than began a nobull game:
The cockwolds together came 140
Befor the erle and the kyng;
In skerlet kyrtells over one,
The cokwoldes stodyn euerychon,
Redy vnto the dansyng.
Than seyd the kyng in hye, 145
"Go fyll my bugyll hastely,
And bryng it to my hond.
I wyll asey with a gyne
All the cokwolds that her is in;
To know them wyll I fond." 150
Than seyd the erle, "for charyte,
In what skyll, tell me,
A cokwold may I know?"
To the erle the kyng ansuerd,
"Syr, be myn hore berd, 155
Thou schall se within a throw."
The bugyll was brought the kyng to hond.
Then seyd the kyng, "I vnderstond,
Thys horne that [z]e here se,
Ther is no cockwold, fer ne nere, 160
Here of to drynke hath no power,
As wyde as Crystiante,
"Bot he schall spyll on euery syde;
Ffor any cas that may betyde,
Schall non therof avanse." 165
And [z]it, for all hys grete honour,
Hymselfe, noble kyng Arthour,
Hath forteynd syche a chans.
"Syr erle," he seyd, "take and begyn."
He seyd; "nay, be seynt Austyn, 170
That wer to me vylony;
Not for all a reme to wyn,
Befor you I schuld begyn,
Ffor honour off my curtassy."
Kyng Arthour ther he toke the horn, 175
And dyde as he was wont beforn,
Bot ther was [z]it gon a gyle:
[L178]He wend to haue dronke of the best,
Bot sone he spyllyd on hys brest,
Within a lytell whyle. 180
The cokwoldes lokyd iche on other,
And thought the kyng was their own brother,
And glad thei wer of that:
"He hath vs scornyd many a tyme,
And now he is a cokwold fyne, 185
To were a cokwoldes hate."
The quene was therof schamyd sore;
Sche changyd hyr colour lesse and more,
And wold haue ben a wey.
Therwith the kyng gan hyr behold, 190
And seyd he schuld neuer be so bold,
The soth agene to sey.
"Cokwoldes no mour I wyll repreue,
Ffor I ame ane, and aske no leue,
Ffor all my rentes and londys. 195
Lordyngs, all now may [z]e know
That I may dance in the cokwold row,
And take [z]ou by the handes."
Than seyd thei all at a word,
That cokwoldes schuld begynne the bord, 200
And sytt hyest in the halle.
"Go we, lordyngs, all [and] same,
And dance to make vs gle and game,
Ffor cokwolds have no galle."
And after that sone anon, 205
The kyng causyd the cokwolds ychon
To wesch withouten les;
Ffor ought that euer may betyde,
He sett them by hys awne syde,
Vp at the hy[z]e dese. 210
The kyng hymselff a gurlond fette;
Uppon hys hede he it sette,
Ffor it myght be non other,
And seyd, "Lordyngs, sykerly,
We be all off a freyry; 215
I ame [z]our awne brother.
"Be Jhesu Cryst that is aboffe,
That man aught me gode loffe
That ley by my quene:
I wer worthy hym to honour, 220
Both in castell and in towre,
With rede, skerlet and grene.
"Ffor him he helpyd, when I was forth,
To cher my wyfe and make her myrth;
Ffor women louys wele pley; 225
And therfor, serys, have [z]e no dowte
Bot many schall dance in the cokwoldes rowte,
Both by nyght and dey.
"And therefor, lordyngs, take no care;
Make we mery; for nothing spare; 230
All brether in one rowte."
Than the cokwoldes wer full blythe,
And thankyd God a hundred syth,
Ffor soth withouten dowte.
Every cokwold seyd to other, 235
"Kyng Arthour is our awne brother,
Therfor we may be blyth:"
The erle off Glowsytur verament,
Toke hys leve, and home he wente,
And thankyd the kyng fele sythe. 240
Kyng Arthour lived at Karlyon[L241],
With hys cokwolds euerychon,
And made both gam and gle:
* * * * *
* * * * *
* * * * *[L243]
A knyght ther was withouten les,
That seruyd at the kyngs des, 245
Syr Corneus hyght he;
He made this gest in hys gam,
And named it after hys awne name,
In herpyng or other gle.
And after, nobull kyng Arthour 250
Lyued and dyed with honour,
As many hath don senne,
Both cokwoldes and other mo:
God gyff vs grace that we may go
To heuyn! Amen, Amen.
26, sette. See 59, 211.
38, sett.
56, brothers.
98, spake.
115, MS. baskefysyke.
135, word wanting.
178, Bot he.
241, left at Skarlyon.
243, Three lines omitted in MS.
FRAGMENT OF THE MARRIAGE OF SIR GAWAINE.
From Percys _Reliques_, iii. 403.
This is one of the few ballads contained in the Percy MS., which we
have the pleasure of possessing as it is there written. Having first
submitted an improved copy, "with large conjectural supplements and
corrections," Percy added this old fragment at the end of the volume:
"literally and exactly printed, with all its defects, inaccuracies,
and errata," in order, as he triumphantly remarks, "that such austere
antiquaries as complain that the ancient copies have not been always
rigidly adhered to, may see how unfit for publication many of the
pieces would have been, if all the blunders, corruptions, and nonsense
of illiterate reciters and transcribers had been superstitiously
retained, without some attempt to correct and amend them."
"This ballad," the Editor of the _Reliques_ goes on to say, "has most
unfortunately suffered by having half of every leaf in this part of
the MS. torn away; and, as about nine stanzas generally occur in the
half-page now remaining, it is concluded that the other half
contained nearly the same number of stanzas." The story may be seen,
unmutilated and in an older form, in Madden's _Syr Gawayne_, p. 298,
_The Weddynge of Syr Gawen and Dame Ragnell_.
The transformation on which the story turns is found also in Chaucer's
_Wife of Bath's Tale_, in Gower's tale of _Florent and the King of
Sicily's Daughter_; (_Confessio Amantis_, Book I.) in the ballad of
_King Henry_ (page 147 of this volume); and in an Icelandic saga of
the Danish king Helgius, quoted by Scott in his illustrations to _King
Henry, Minstrelsy_, iii. 274.
Voltaire has employed the same idea in his _Ce qui plait aux Dames_,
but whence he borrowed it we are unable to say.
Worked over by some ballad-monger of the sixteenth century, and of
course reduced to dish-water, this tale has found its way into _The
Crown Garland of Golden Roses_, Part I. p. 68 (Percy Society, vol.
vi.), _Of a Knight and a Faire Virgin_.
Kinge Arthur liues in merry Carleile,
And seemely is to see;
And there he hath with him Queene Genever,
That bride so bright of blee.
And there he hath with him Queene Genever, 5
That bride soe bright in bower;
And all his barons about him stoode,
That were both stiffe and stowre.
The King kept a royall Christmasse,
Of mirth & great honor; 10
... when ...
[_About nine stanzas wanting._]
"And bring me word what thing it is
That women[L13] most desire;
This shalbe thy ransome, Arthur," he sayes,
"For Ile haue no other hier." 15
King Arthur then held vp his hand,
According thene as was the law;
He tooke his leaue of the baron there,
And homword can he draw.
And when he came to merry Carlile, 20
To his chamber he is gone;
And ther came to him his cozen, Sir Gawaine,
As he did make his mone.
And there came to him his cozen, Sir Gawaine[L24],
That was a curteous knight; 25
"Why sigh you soe sore, vnckle Arthur," he said,
"Or who hath done thee vnright?"
"O peace! o peace! thou gentle Gawaine,
That faire may thee beffall;
For if thou knew my sighing soe deepe, 30
Thou wold not meruaile att all.
"Ffor when I came to Tearne-wadling,
A bold barron there I fand;
With a great club vpon his backe,
Standing stiffe & strong. 35
"And he asked me wether I wold fight
Or from him I shold be gone;
Or else[L38] I must him a ransome pay,
And soe depart him from.
"To fight with him I saw noe cause, 40
Me thought it was not meet;
For he was stiffe and strong with all;
His strokes were nothing sweete.
"Therefor this is my ransome, Gawaine,
I ought to him to pay; 45
I must come againe, as I am sworne,
Vpon the Newyeers day.
"And I must bring him word what thing it is
[_About nine stanzas wanting._]
Then King Arthur drest him for to ryde,
In one soe riche array, 50
Towards the foresaid Tearne-wadling,
That he might keepe his day.
And as he rode over a more,
Hee see a lady, where shee sate,
Betwixt an oke and a greene hollen; 55
She was clad in red scarlett.
Then there as shold have stood her mouth,
Then there was sett her eye;
The other was in her forhead fast,
The way that she might see. 60
Her nose was crooked, & turnd outward,
Her mouth stood foule a-wry;
A worse formed lady then shee was,
Neuer man saw with his eye.
To halch vpon him, King Arthur, 65
This lady was full faine;
But King Arthur had forgott his lesson,
What he shold say againe.
"What knight art thou," the lady sayd,
"That wilt not speake to me? 70
Of me [be] thou nothing dismayd,
Tho I be vgly to see.
"For I haue halched you curteouslye,
And you will not me againe;
Yett I may happen, Sir knight," shee said, 75
"To ease thee of thy paine."
"Giue thou ease me, lady," he said,
"Or helpe me any thing,
Thou shalt haue gentle Gawaine, my cozen,
And marry him with a ring." 80
"Why if I helpe thee not, thou noble King Arthur,
Of thy owne hearts desiringe,
Of gentle Gawaine....
[_About nine stanzas wanting._]
And when he came to the Tearne-wadling,
The baron there cold he finde[L85]; 85
With a great weapon on his backe,
Standinge stiffe and stronge.
And then he tooke King Arthurs letters in his hands,
And away he cold them fling;
And then he puld out a good browne sword, 90
And cryd himselfe a king.
And he sayd, "I haue thee, & thy land, Arthur,
To doe as it pleaseth me;
For this is not thy ransome sure,
Therfore yeeld thee to me." 95
And then bespoke him noble Arthur,
And bade him hold his hand[L97];
"And give me leave to speake my mind,
In defence of all my land."
He said, "as I came over a[L100] more, 100
I see a lady, where shee sate,
Betweene an oke & a green hollen;
Shee was clad in red scarlette.
"And she says a woman will haue her will,
And this is all her cheef desire; 105
Doe me right, as thou art a baron of sckill,
This is thy ransome, & all thy hyer."
He sayes, "an early vengeance light on her!
She walkes on yonder more;
It was my sister, that told thee this, 110
She is a misshapen hore.
"But heer Ile make mine avow to God,
To do her an euill turne;
For an euer I may thate fowle theefe get,
In a fyer I will her burne." 115
[_About nine stanzas wanting._]
THE SECOND PART.
Sir Lancelott, & Sir Steven, bold,
They rode with them that day;
And the formost of the company,
There rode the steward Kay.
Soe did Sir Banier, & Sir Bore, 120
Sir Garrett with them, soe gay;
Soe did Sir Tristeram, that gentle knight,
To the forrest, fresh & gay.
And when he came to the greene forrest,
Vnderneath a greene holly tree, 125
Their sate that lady in red scarlet,
That vnseemly was to see.
Sir Kay beheld this ladys face,
And looked vppon her suire,--
"Whosoeuer kisses this lady," he sayes, 130
"Of his kisse he stands in feare!"
Sir Kay beheld the lady againe,
And looked vpon her snout;
"Whosoeuer kisses this lady," he saies,
"Of his kisse he stands in doubt!" 135
"Peace, cozen Kay," then said Sir Gawaine,
"Amend thee of thy life;
For there is a knight amongst us all,
That must marry her to his wife."
"What! wedd her to wiffe," then said Sir Kay, 140
"In the diuells name anon,
Get me a wiffe whereere I may,
For I had rather be slaine!"
Then some[L144] tooke vp their hawkes in hast,
And some tooke vp their hounds; 145
And some sware they wold not marry her,
For citty nor for towne.
And then bespake him noble King Arthur,
And sware there, "by this day,
For a litle foule sight & misliking, 150
[_About nine stanzas wanting._]
Then shee said, "choose thee, gentle Gawaine,
Truth as I doe say;
Wether thou wilt haue me in this liknesse,
In the night, or else in the day."
And then bespake him gentle Gawaine, 155
With one soe mild of moode;
Sayes, "well I know what I wold say,
God grant it may be good!
"To haue thee fowle in the night,
When I with thee shold play-- 160
Yet I had rather, if I might,
Haue thee fowle in the day."
"What, when lords goe with ther feires[L163]," shee said,
"Both to the ale and wine;
Alas! then I must hyde my selfe, 165
I must not goe withinne."
And then bespake him gentle Gawaine,
Said, "Lady, thats but a skill;
And because thou art my owne lady,
Thou shall haue all thy will." 170
Then she said, "blessed be thou, gentle Gawaine,
This day that I thee see;
For as thou see me att this time,
From hencforth I wil be.
"My father was an old knight, 175
And yett it chanced soe,
That he married a younge lady,
That brought me to this woe.
"Shee witched me, being a faire young lady,
To the greene forrest to dwell; 180
And there I must walke in womans liknesse,
Most like a feeind of hell.
"She witched my brother to a carlist b....
[_About nine stanzas wanting._]
That looked soe foule, and that was wont
On the wild more to goe. 185
"Come kisse her, brother Kay," then said Sir Gawaine,
"And amend the of thy liffe;
I sweare this is the same lady
That I marryed to my wiffe."
Sir Kay kissed that lady bright, 190
Standing vpon his ffeete;
He swore, as he was trew knight,
The spice was neuer soe sweete.
"Well, cozen Gawaine," sayes Sir Kay,
"Thy chance is fallen arright; 195
For thou hast gotten one of the fairest maids,
I euer saw with my sight."
"It is my fortune," said Sir Gawaine;
"For my vnckle Arthurs sake,
I am glad as grasse wold be of raine, 200
Great joy that I may take."
Sir Gawaine tooke the lady by the one arme,
Sir Kay tooke her by the tother;
They led her straight to King Arthur,
As they were brother and brother. 205
King Arthur welcomed them there all,
And soe did lady Geneuer, his queene;
With all the knights of the Round Table,
Most seemly to be seene.
King Arthur beheld that lady faire, 210
That was soe faire & bright;
He thanked Christ in Trinity
For Sir Gawaine, that gentle knight.
Soe did the knights, both more and lesse, 220
Rejoyced all that day,
For the good chance that hapened was
To Sir Gawaine and his lady gay.
13, Y^e a woman.
24, Cawaine.
38, O else.
85, srinde.
97, hands.
100, The.
144, soome.
163, seires.
KING ARTHUR'S DEATH.
A FRAGMENT.
_Reliques of English Poetry_, iii, 67.
"The subject of this ballad is evidently taken from the old romance
_Morte Arthur_, but with some variations, especially in the concluding
stanzas; in which the author seems rather to follow the traditions of
the old Welsh Bards, who 'believed that King Arthur was not dead, but
conveied awaie by the Fairies into some pleasant place, where he
should remaine for a time, and then returne againe and reign in as
great authority as ever.' (Holinshed, B. 5, c. 14.) Or, as it is
expressed in an old chronicle printed at Antwerp, 1493, by Ger. de
Leew: 'The Bretons supposen, that he [King Arthur] shall come yet and
conquere all Bretaigne, for certes this is the prophicye of Merlyn, He
sayd, that his deth shall be doubteous; and sayd soth, for men thereof
yet have doubte, and shullen for ever more,--for men wyt not whether
that he lyveth or is dede.' See more ancient testimonies in Selden's
Notes on Polyolbion, Song 3.
"This fragment, being very incorrect and imperfect in the original
MS., hath received some conjectural emendations, and even a supplement
of three or four stanzas composed from the romance of _Morte Arthur_."
PERCY.
* * * * *
On Trinitye Mondaye in the morne,
This sore battayle was doom'd to bee,
Where manye a knighte cry'd, Well-awaye!
Alacke, it was the more pittie.
Ere the first crowinge of the cocke, 5
When as the kinge in his bed laye,
He thoughte Sir Gawaine[L7] to him came,
And there to him these wordes did saye.
"Nowe, as you are mine unkle deare,
And as you prize your life, this daye 10
O meet not with your foe in fighte;
Putt off the battayle, if yee maye.
"For Sir Launcelot is nowe in Fraunce,
And with him many an hardye knighte:
Who will within this moneth be backe, 15
And will assiste yee in the fighte."
The kinge then call'd his nobles all,
Before the breakinge of the daye;
And tolde them howe Sir Gawaine came,
And there to him these wordes did saye. 20
His nobles all this counsayle gave,
That earlye in the morning, hee
Shold send awaye an herauld at armes,
To aske a parley faire and free.
Then twelve good knightes King Arthur chose,
The best of all that with him were, 25
To parley with the foe in field,
And make with him agreement faire.
The king he charged all his hoste,
In readinesse there for to bee; 30
But noe man sholde noe weapon sturre,
Unlesse a sword drawne they shold see.
And Mordred, on the other parte,
Twelve of his knights did likewise bringe,
The beste of all his companye, 35
To holde the parley with the kinge.
Sir Mordred alsoe charged his hoste,
In readinesse there for to bee;
But noe man sholde noe weapon sturre,
But if a sworde drawne they shold see. 40
For he durste not his unkle[L41] truste,
Nor he his nephewe[L42], sothe to tell;
Alacke! it was a woefulle case,
As ere in Christentye befelle.
But when they were together mette, 45
And both to faire accordance broughte,
And a month's league betweene them sette,
Before the battayle sholde be foughte,
An addere crept forth of a bushe,
Stunge one o' the king's knightes on the knee; 50
Alacke! it was a woefulle chance,
As ever was in Christentie.
When the knighte found him wounded sore,
And sawe the wild-worme hanginge there,
His sworde he from his scabberde drewe; 55
A piteous case, as ye shall heare.
For when the two hostes sawe the sworde,
They joyned battayle instantlye;
Till of so manye noble knightes,
On one side there were left but three. 60
For all were slaine that durst abide,
And but some fewe that fled awaye:
Ah mee! it was a bloodye fielde,
As ere was foughte on summer's daye.
Upon King Arthur's own partye, 65
Onlye himselfe escaped there,
And Lukyn Duke of Gloster free,
And the king's butler Bedevere.
And when the king beheld his knightes
All dead and scattered on the molde, 70
The teares fast trickled downe his face;
That manlye face in fight so bolde.
"Nowe reste yee all, brave knights," he said,
"Soe true and faithful to your trust:
And must yee then, yee valiant hearts, 75
Be lefte to moulder into dust!
"Most loyal have yee been to mee,
Most true and faithful unto deathe:
And, oh! to rayse yee up againe,
How freelye could I yield my breathe! 80
"But see, the traitor's yet alive!
Lo where hee stalkes among the deade!
Nowe bitterlye he shall abye,
And vengeance fall upon his head."
"O staye, my liege," then sayd the duke; 85
"O staye for love and charitie;
Remember what the vision spake,
Nor meete your foe, if it may bee."
"O staye mee not, thou worthye wight,
This debt my loyal knights I owe: 90
Betide me life, betide me death,
I will avenge them of their foe."
Then straite he grasp'd his trustye speare,
And on his horse then mounted hee:
As his butler holpe him to his horse, 95
His bowels gushed to his knee.
"Alas!" then sayd the noble king,
"That I should live this sight to see!
To see this good knight here be slaine,
All for his love in helping mee!" 100
He put his speare into his reste,
And to Sir Mordred loud gan crye;
"Nowe sette thyself upon thy guarde,
For, traitor, nowe thy death is nye."
Sir Mordred lifted up his sworde, 105
And fierce to meet the king ran hee:
The king his speare he through him thrust,
A fathom thorow his bodie.
When Mordered felt the stroke of death,
And found that he was wounded soe, 110
He thruste himselfe upon the speare,
And strucke the king a deadlye blowe.
Then grimmlye dyed Sir Mordered,
Presentlye upon that tree:
And bloody streames ranne from the kinge, 115
Ere to the duke returned hee.
Sir Lukyn then he thus bespake:
"Sir knighte, thou hast been faithfulle tryde;
Nowe take my sword Excalibar[L119],
That hangs so freelye by my syde, 120
"O take my sword Excalibar,
And there into the river throwe:
For here, henceforth, benethe this tree,
All use of weapons I foregoe.
"And fare thee well, thou trustye sword, 125
A better neer had valiant knighte;
With thee full ofte, and many a daye,
Have I withstood my foe in fighte.
"With this good fauchion in my hande,
Oft have I reapd the bloody feelde: 130
But nowe the fatalle houre is come,
That never more I may thee weelde."
The duke to the river side he went,
And there his owne sword in threwe he;
But he kept back Excalibar, 135
He kept it back in privitie.
For all of coleyne was the blade,
And all the hilte of precious stone:
"And ever alacke!" then sayd the knighte,
"Must such a sword awaye be throwne?" 140
Then backe he came unto the kinge,
Who sayd, "Sir Lukyn, what did yee see?"
"Nothing, my liege, save that the winde
Blewe oer the waters faire and free."
"O goe againe," then said the kinge, 145
"O good Sir Lukyn, goe againe:
Into the rivere throwe my sword,
Nor keepe me lingering here in paine."
The duke then to the river went,
And the kings scabbard in threwe hee; 150
But hee kept backe Excalibar,
And hid it undernethe a tree.
Then backe he came to tell the kinge,
Who sayde, "Sir Lukyn, sawe ye oughte?"
"Nothinge, my liege, save that the winde 155
Nowe with the angrye waters fought."
"O Lukyn, Lukyn," said the kinge,
"Twice haste thou dealt deceytfullye:
Alacke, whom may wee ever truste,
When suche a knighte soe false can bee! 160
"Saye, wouldst thou have thy master dead,
All for a sword that wins thine eye?
Now goe againe, and throwe it in,
Or here the one of us shall dye."
The duke, all shent with this rebuke, 165
No aunswere made unto the kinge;
But to the rivere tooke the sworde,
And threwe it far as he coulde flinge.
A hande and an arme did meete the sworde,
And flourishd three times in the air; 170
Then sunke benethe the renninge streme,
And of the duke was seene noe mair.
All sore astonied stood the duke,
He stood as still, as still mote bee;
Then hastend backe to tell the kinge, 175
But he was gone from under the tree.
But to what place, he cold not tell,
For never after hee did him see;
But hee sawe a barge goe from the land,
And hee heard ladyes howle and crye. 180
And whether the kinge were there, or not,
Hee never knewe, nor ever colde;
For from that sad and direfulle daye,
Hee never more was seene on molde.
7. Sir Gawaine had been killed at Arthur's landing on his return from
abroad. See the next ballad, ver. 73. P.
41, 42, the folio MS. reads father ... sonne.
119. More commonly called _Caliburn_. In the folio MS. _Escalberd_. P.
THE LEGEND OF KING ARTHUR.
_Reliques of English Poetry_, iii. 76.
"We have here a short summary of King Arthur's History as given by
Jeff. of Monmouth and the old Chronicles, with the addition of a few
circumstances from the romance _Morte Arthur_.--The ancient
chronicle of Ger. de Leew (quoted above in p. 40,) seems to have been
chiefly followed: upon the authority of which we have restored some of
the names which were corrupted in the MS., and have transposed one
stanza, which appeared to be misplaced: _viz._, that beginning at v.
49, which in the MS. followed v. 36.
"Printed from the Editor's ancient folio MS."
PERCY.
Of Brutus'[L1] blood, in Brittaine borne,
King Arthur I am to name;
Through Christendome and Heathynesse
Well knowne is my worthy fame.
In Jesus Christ I doe beleeve; 5
I am a Christyan bore;
The Father, Sone, and Holy Gost,
One God, I doe adore.
In the four hundred ninetieth yeere[L9],
Oer Brittaine I did rayne, 10
After my Savior Christ his byrth,
What time I did maintaine
The fellowshipp of the Table Round,
Soe famous in those dayes;
Whereatt a hundred noble knights 15
And thirty sat alwayes:
Who for their deeds and and martiall feates,
As bookes done yett record,
Amongst all other nations
Wer feared through the world. 20
And in the castle off Tyntagill
King Uther mee begate,
Of Agyana[L23], a bewtyous ladye,
And come of 'hie'[L24] estate.
And when I was fifteen yeere old, 25
Then was I crowned kinge:
All Brittaine, that was att an uprore,
I did to quiett bringe;
And drove the Saxons from the realme,
Who had opprest this land; 30
All Scotland then, throughe manly feates,
I conquered with my hand.
Ireland, Denmarke, Norwaye,
These countryes wan I all;
Iseland, Gotheland, and Swetheland; 35
And made their kings my thrall.
I conquered all Gallya,
That now is called France;
And slew the hardye Froll in feild[L39],
My honor to advance. 40
And the ugly gyant Dynabus[L41],
Soe terrible to vewe,
That in Saint Barnards mount did lye,
By force of armes I slew.
And Lucyus, the emperour of Rome, 45
I brought to deadly wracke;
And a thousand more of noble knightes
For feare did turne their backe.
Five kinges of Pavye I did kill[L49]
Amidst that bloody strife; 50
Besides the Grecian emperour,
Who alsoe lost his liffe.
Whose carcasse I did send to Rome,
Cladd poorlye on a beere;
And afterward I past Mount-Joye 55
The next approaching yeere.
Then I came to Rome, where I was mett
Right as a conquerour,
And by all the cardinalls solempnelye
I was crowned an emperour. 60
One winter there I made abode,
Then word to mee was brought,
Howe Mordred had oppressed the crowne,
What treason he had wrought
Att home in Brittaine with my queene: 65
Therfore I came with speede
To Brittaine backe, with all my power,
To quitt that traitorous deede;
And soone at Sandwiche I arrivde,
Where Mordred me withstoode: 70
But yett at last I landed there,
With effusion of much blood.
For there my nephew Sir Gawaine dyed,
Being wounded in that sore
The whiche Sir Lancelot in fight 75
Had given him before.
Thence chased I Mordered away,
Who fledd to London right,
From London to Winchester, and
To Cornewalle tooke his flyght. 80
And still I him pursued with speed,
Till at last wee mett;
Wherby an appointed day of fight
Was there agreed and sett:
Where we did fight, of mortal life 85
Eche other to deprive,
Till of a hundred thousand men
Scarce one was left alive.
There all the noble chivalrye
Of Brittaine tooke their end: 90
O see how fickle is their state
That doe on fates[L92] depend!
There all the traiterous men were slaine,
Not one escapte away;
And there dyed all my vallyant knightes 95
Alas! that woefull day!
Two and twenty yeere I ware the crowne
In honor and great fame,
And thus by death was suddenlye
Deprived of the same. 100
1. MS., Bruitehis.
9, He began his reign A.D. 515, according to the Chronicles.
23, She is named _Igerna_ in the old Chronicles.
24, his, MS.
39, Froland field, MS. Froll, according to the Chronicles, was a Roman
knight, governor of Gaul.
41, Danibus, MS.
49, see p. 134, v. 55.
92, feates, MS.
SIR LANCELOT DU LAKE.
This ballad first occurs in the _Garland of Good Will_, and is
attributed to Thomas Deloney, whose career as a song-writer extends
from about 1586 to 1600. It is merely a rhymed version of a passage in
the _Morte D'Arthur_, (Book vi. ch. 7, 8, 9, of Southey's ed.) The
first two lines are quoted in the Second Part of Henry IV., A. ii. sc. 4.
The present text is nearly that of the _Garland of Good Will_ (Percy
Society, vol. xxx. p. 38), and differs considerably from that of
Percy, (_Reliques_, i. 215.) The same, with very trifling variations,
is found in _Old Ballads_, (1723,) ii. 21; Ritson's _Ancient Songs_,
ii. 188; Evans's _Old Ballads_, ii. 5.
When Arthur first in court began,
And was approved king,
By force of arms great victories won,
And conquests home did bring;
Then into Britain straight he came, 5
Where fifty good and able
Knights then repaired unto him,
Which were of the Round Table;
And many justs and tournaments
Before them there were drest, 10
Where valiant knights did then excel,
And far surmount the rest.
But one Sir Lancelot du Lake,
Who was approved well,
He in his fights and deeds of arms, 15
All others did excel.
When he had rested him a while,
To play, to game, and sport,
He thought he would go try himself,
In some adventurous sort. 20
He armed rode in forest wide,
And met a damsel fair,
Who told him of adventures great,
Whereto he gave good ear.
"Why should I not?" quoth Lancelot tho, 25
"For that cause I came hither."
"Thou seem'st," quoth she, "a goodly knight,
And I will bring thee thither
"Whereas a[L29] mighty knight doth dwell,
That now is of great fame; 30
Therefore tell me what knight thou art,
And then what is your name."
"My name is Lancelot du Lake."
Quoth she, "it likes me than;
Here dwells a knight that never was 35
O'ermatch'd[L36] with any man;
"Who has in prison threescore knights
And four, that he has bound;
Knights of King Arthur's court they be,
And of his Table Round." 40
She brought him to a river side,
And also to a tree,
Whereon a copper bason hung,
His fellows[L44] shields to see.
He struck so hard, the bason broke: 45
When Tarquin heard the sound,
He drove a horse before him straight,
Whereon a knight lay bound.
"Sir knight," then said Sir Lancelot,
"Bring me that horse-load hither, 50
And lay him down, and let him rest;
We'll try our force together.
"And as I understand, thou hast,
So far as thou art able,
Done great despite and shame unto 55
The knights of the Round Table."
"If thou be of the Table Round"
(Quoth Tarquin, speedilye),
"Both thee and all thy fellowship
I utterly defie." 60
"That's overmuch," quoth Lancelot tho;
"Defend thee by and by."
They put their spurs unto their steeds,
And each at other fly.
They coucht their spears, and horses ran 65
As though there had been thunder;
And each struck them amidst the shield,
Wherewith they broke in sunder.
Their horses backs brake under them.
The knights were both astound; 70
To void their horses they made great haste,
To light upon the ground.
They took them to their shields full fast,
Their swords they drew out than;
With mighty strokes most eagerly 75
Each one at other ran.
They wounded were, and bled full sore,
For breath they both did stand,
And leaning on their swords awhile,
Quoth Tarquin, "Hold thy hand, 80
"And tell to me what I shall ask;"
"Say on," quoth Lancelot tho;
"Thou art," quoth Tarquin, "the best knight
That ever I did know;
"And like a knight that I did hate; 85
So that thou be not he,
I will deliver all the rest,
And eke accord with thee."
"That is well said," quoth Lancelot then;
"But sith it must be so, 90
What is the knight thou hatest thus?[L91]
I pray thee to me show."
"His name is Lancelot du Lake,
He slew my brother dear;
Him I suspect of all the rest; 95
I would I had him here."
"Thy wish thou hast, but yet unknown;
I am Lancelot du Lake!
Now knight of Arthur's Table Round,
King Ban's son of Benwake;[L100] 100
"And I desire thee do thy worst."
"Ho! ho!" quoth Tarquin tho,
"One of us two shall end our lives,
Before that we do go.
"If thou be Lancelot du Lake, 105
Then welcome shalt thou be;
Wherefore see thou thyself defend,
For now defie I thee."
They buckled then together so,
Like two wild boars rashing, 110
And with their swords and shields they ran
At one another slashing.[L112]
The ground besprinkled was with blood,
Tarquin began to faint;
For he gave back, and bore his shield 115
So low, he did repent.
This soon espied[L117] Sir Lancelot tho;
He leapt upon him then,
He pull'd him down upon his knee,
And rushed[L120] off his helm. 120
And then he struck his neck in two;
And when he had done so,
From prison, threescore knights and four
Lancelot delivered tho.
29, the.
36, E'er match'd.
44, fellow.
92, so.
100, Kind Haud's son of Seuwake.
112, flashing.
117, 'spied.
120, rushing.
THE LEGEND OF SIR GUY.
(Percy's _Reliques_, iii. 143.)
"Published from an ancient MS. copy in the Editor's old folio volume,
collated with two printed ones, one of which is in black-letter in the
Pepys collection." PERCY.
An inferior copy is printed in Ritson's _Ancient Songs and Ballads_,
ii. 193.
From an essay on the romance of Sir Guy, read by Mr. Wright before the
British Archaeological Association during its meeting at Warwick, we
extract the following remarks in illustration of the history of the
present ballad, and other similar popular heroic traditions.
"As the Teutonic tribes progressed in their migrations, and settled in
new lands--and especially when they received a new faith, and made
advances in civilization,--the mythic romances of their
forefathers underwent remarkable modifications to adapt them to new
sentiments and new manners. Among people who had forgotten the
localities to which they referred, they received a new location and
became identified with places and objects with which people were
better acquainted, and in this manner they underwent a new historical
interpretation. It would be no uninteresting task to point out how
many romantic tales that are soberly related of individuals of
comparatively modern history, are merely new applications of these
early myths.
"Among the romances of the Anglo-Danish cycle by no means the least
celebrated is that of GUY OF WARWICK. It is one, of the few, which has
been preserved in its Anglo-Norman form, since which it has gone
through an extraordinary number of versions, and Chaucer enumerated it
among the _romances of pris_, or those which in the fourteenth century
were held in the highest estimation. It is doubtless one of those
stories in which an ancient mythic romance has undergone the series of
modifications I have been describing; a legend which had become
located by popular traditions in the neighbourhood we are now
visiting, in which the contests between northern chieftains are
changed into tilts and tournaments, but in which the combats with
dragons and giants are still preserved. Whatever may have been the
name of the original hero, that which he now bears, Guy, is a French
name, and could not have been given till Norman times.
"From the Anglo-Norman poem, so great was its popularity, two or three
different English metrical versions were made, which are still found
in manuscripts, and the earliest of which, that of the well-known
Auchinlech manuscript, has been printed in a very expensive form by
one of the Scottish Antiquarian clubs. It was next transformed into
French prose, and in that form was popular in the fifteenth century,
and was printed by some of the earlier printers. It was finally
reduced to a popular chap-book in prose and a broadside ballad in
verse, and in these forms was hawked about the streets until a very
recent period. Such has in general been the fate of the romantic
literature of the middle ages; a remarkable proof of the tenacity with
which it has kept its hold on the popular mind." _Gentleman's
Magazine_, Sept. 1847, p. 300.
Was ever knight for ladyes sake
Soe tost in love, as I, Sir Guy,
For Phelis fayre, that lady bright
As ever man beheld with eye?
She gave me leave myself to try, 5
The valiant knight with sheeld and speare,
Ere that her love she would grant me;
Which made mee venture far and neare.
Then proved I a baron bold,[L9]
In deeds of armes the doughtyest knight 10
That in those dayes in England was,
With sworde and speare in feild to fight.
An English man I was by birthe:
In faith of Christ a christyan true:
The wicked lawes of infidells 15
I sought by prowesse to subdue.
'Nine' hundred twenty yeere and odde[L17]
After our Saviour Christ his birth,
When King Athelstone wore the crowne,
I lived heere upon the earth. 20
Sometime I was of Warwicke erle,
And, as I sayd, of very truth
A ladyes love did me constraine
To seeke strange ventures in my youth;
To win me fame by feates of armes 25
In strange and sundry heathen lands;
Where I atchieved for her sake
Right dangerous conquests with my hands.
For first I sayled to Normandye,
And there I stoutlye wan in fight 30
The emperours daughter of Almaine,
From manye a vallyant worthye knight.
Then passed I the seas to Greece,
To helpe the emperour in his right,
Against the mightye souldans hoaste 35
Of puissant Persians for to fight:
Where I did slay of Sarazens,
And heathen pagans, manye a man;
And slew the souldans cozen deere,
Who had to name doughtye Coldran. 40
Eskeldered, a famous knight,
To death likewise I did pursue:
And Elmayne, King of Tyre, alsoe,
Most terrible in fight to viewe.
I went into the souldans hoast, 45
Being thither on embassage sent,
And brought his head awaye with mee;
I having slaine him in his tent.
There was a dragon in that land
Most fiercelye mett me by the waye, 50
As hee a lyon did pursue,
Which I myself did alsoe slay.
Then soon I past the seas from Greece,
And came to Pavye land aright;
Where I the duke of Pavye killed, 55
His hainous treason to requite.
To England then I came with speede,
To wedd faire Phelis, lady bright;
For love of whome I travelled farr
To try my manhood and my might. 60
But when I had espoused her,
I stayd with her but fortye dayes,
Ere that I left this ladye faire,
And went, from her beyond the seas.
All cladd in gray, in pilgrim sort, 65
My voyage from her I did take
Unto the blessed Holy-Land,
For Jesus Christ my Saviours sake.
Where I Erle Jonas did redeeme,
And all his sonnes, which were fifteene, 70
Who with the cruell Sarazens
In prison for long time had beene.
I slew the gyant Amarant
In battel fiercelye hand to hand,
And doughty Barknard killed I, 75
A treacherous knight of Pavye land.
Then I to England came againe,
And here with Colbronde fell I fought;
An ugly gyant, which the Danes
Had for their champion hither brought. 80
I overcame him in the feild,
And slewe him soone right valliantlye;
Wherebye this land I did redeeme
From Danish tribute utterlye.
And afterwards I offered upp 85
The use of weapons solemnlye
At Winchester, whereas I fought,
In sight of manye farr and nye.
'But first,' neare Winsor, I did slaye
A bore of passing might and strength; 90
Whose like in England never was
For hugenesse both in bredth and length.
Some of his bones in Warwicke yett
Within the castle there doth lye;
One of his sheeld-bones to this day 95
Hangs in the citye of Coventrye.
On Dunsmore heath I alsoe slewe
A monstrous wyld and cruell beast,
Calld the Dun-cow of Dunsmore heath;
Which manye people had opprest. 100
Some of her bones in Warwicke yett
Still for a monument doth lye,
And there exposed to lookers viewe,
As wondrous strange, they may espye.
A dragon in Northumberland 105
I alsoe did in fight destroye,
Which did bothe man and beast oppresse,
And all the countrye sore annoye.
At length to Warwicke I did come,
Like pilgrim poore, and was not knowne; 110
And there I lived a hermitts life
A mile and more out of the towne.
Where with my hands I hewed a house
Out of a craggy rocke of stone,
And lived like a palmer poore 115
Within that cave myself alone:
And daylye came to begg my bread
Of Phelis att my castle gate;
Not knowne unto my loved wiffe,
Who dailye mourned for her mate. 120
Till att the last I fell sore sicke,
Yea, sicke soe sore that I must dye;
I sent to her a ring of golde,
By which shee knew me presentlye.
Then shee repairing to the cave, 125
Before that I gave up the ghost,
Herself closd up my dying eyes;
My Phelis faire, whom I lovd most.
Thus dreadful death did me arrest,
To bring my corpes unto the grave, 130
And like a palmer dyed I,
Wherby I sought my soule to save.
My body that endured this toyle,
Though now it be consumed to mold,
My statue, faire engraven in stone, 135
In Warwicke still you may behold.
9, The proud Sir Guy, PC.
17, Two hundred, MS. and PC.
ST. GEORGE AND THE DRAGON.
(From Percy's _Reliques_, iii. 278.)
The following rhymed legend, which, like several other pieces in this
Book, can be called a ballad only by an objectionable, though common,
extension of the term, was printed by Percy (with some alterations)
from two "ancient" black-letter copies in the Pepys collection.
Real popular ballads on St. George's victory over the Dragon exist in
several languages, though not in English.[B] Such a ballad is known
to have been sung by the Swedes at the battle of Brunkeberg in 1471,
and one is still sung by the people both of Denmark and Sweden.
Grundtvig gives three copies of the Danish ballad, two of the 16th and
17th centuries, and one of the present. Four versions of the Swedish
have been published, of various ages (e.g. _Svenska Folkvisor_, ii.
252). A German ballad is given by Meinert, _Altdeutsche Volkslieder_,
p. 254; after him by Erlach, iv. 258; and Haupt and Schmaler have
printed two widely different versions of the ballad in Wendish,
_Volkslieder der Wenden_, vol. i. No. 285, ii. No. 195. These are
all the proper traditional ballads upon this subject which are known to
be preserved, unless we include a piece called _Juerg Drachentoedter_
in Zuccalmaglio's _Deutsche Volkslieder_, No. 37, which is of
suspicious authenticity. The piece called _Ritter St. Georg_, in _Des
Knaben Wunderhorn_, i. 151, is not a proper ballad, but a rhymed
legend, like the one here printed, though intended to be sung.
[B] What follows is abridged from Grundtvig, _Danmarks Gamle
Folkeviser_, ii. 554.
The hero of these ballads, St. George of Cappadocia, is said to have
suffered martyrdom during the persecution in Syria, in the year 303.
In the 6th century he was a recognized saint both in the western and
the eastern churches, and his reputation was limited to this character
until the 13th. Reinbot von Dorn, (1231-53,) in his poem _Der Heilige
Georg_, (Von der Hagen and Buesching's _Deutsche Gedichte des
Mittelalters_,) and Vincent de Beauvais (died 1262) in his _Speculum
Historiale_ (XII. 131-32), content themselves with recounting his
martyrdom, and appear to know nothing about his fight with the Dragon.
The first known writer who attributes this exploit to St. George is
Jacobus a Voragine (died 1298), in the _Golden Legend_. Of course
it does not follow that the story originated there. It is probable that
the legend of the Dragon arose at the time of the Crusades, and indeed
was partly occasioned by them, though we ought not hastily to admit,
what has been suggested, that it was founded upon some tradition which
the Crusaders heard in Syria.
The Byzantians had long before ascribed various miracles to St.
George, but it was the Normans, who, so to say, first pressed him into
active military service.
It was he that commanded the heavenly host that came to the help of
the Crusaders against the Turks, under the walls of Antioch, in the
year 1098, on which occasion he was seen on his white horse, bearing
the white banner with the red cross. He manifested himself again at
the storming of Jerusalem in the following year, and a hundred years
later was seen to fight in the front rank against the Moors in Spain,
and for Frederic Barbarossa, in his crusade in 1190. But though he had
entered into the service of the German emperor, this did not prevent
his aiding the orthodox William of Holland in taking Aix-la-Chapelle
from the excommunicated Emperor Frederic in 1248.--The most various
races have contended for his protection. His feast was in 1222 ordered
to be kept as a holiday throughout all England: from the beginning of
the 14th century, or since the Mongol dominion was shaken off, he has
been one of the guardian saints of Russia: in 1468, the Emperor
Frederic III. founded the Austrian Order of St. George for the
protection of the Empire against the Turks, and a few years later, in
1471, at the momentous battle of Brunkeberg, his name was the war-cry
of both parties, Swedes and Danes.
That the subjugation of the Dragon (a symbolical mode of representing
the extinction of Evil common to all times and peoples) should be
attributed to St. George, would seem to be sufficiently explained by
his having become the Christian Hero of the Middle Ages. A special
reason may, however, be alleged for his connection with such a legend.
Long before the Crusades, he was depicted by the artists of the
Oriental Church as the Great Martyr, with the Dragon (Anti-Christ or
the Devil) at his feet, and a crowned virgin (the Church) at his side.
In like manner had Constantine the Great had himself drawn, and many
other saints are represented in the same way, as Theodore, Victor, and
Margaret. This symbolic representation would naturally lead to the
Crusaders making St. George the hero in an achievement which was well
known in connection with other names: and it would then not be too
much to assume that the Normans (who, as already said, were the first
to recognize his presence in battle),--the same Normans who were
properly the creators of the romantic poetry of the Middle Ages,--were
also the first to connect St. George with the conquest of the Dragon.
But however we may account for St. George's being introduced into such
a legend, so much is sure; that from the 14th century on, the story
and the hero have been inseparable: all the legendaries and all the
pictures of him exhibit him as the conqueror of the Dragon: his
martyrdom is nearly lost sight of, and in ballads is entirely
forgotten.--As to the place which was the scene of the fight,
there are many opinions. Some have fixed it in Cappadocia, others in
Lybia, others in Syria, and some European nations have assigned the
adventure to a locality within their own bounds. Thus the Wallachians
lay the scene at Orwoza, one of the Wendish ballads at Berlin, the
Germans at Leipsic, the Dutch at Oudenarde, and--the people of the
island of Funen at Svendborg!
Of Hector's deeds did Homer sing,
And of the sack of stately Troy,
What griefs fair Helena did bring,
Which was Sir Paris' only joy:
And by my pen I will recite 5
St. George's deeds, an English knight.
Against the Sarazens so rude
Fought he full long and many a day,
Where many gyaunts he subdu'd,
In honour of the Christian way; 10
And after many adventures past,
To Egypt land he came at last.
Now, as the story plain doth tell,
Within that countrey there did rest
A dreadful dragon, fierce and fell, 15
Whereby they were full sore opprest:
Who by his poisonous breath each day
Did many of the city slay.
The grief whereof did grow so great
Throughout the limits of the land, 20
That they their wise men did intreat
To shew their cunning out of hand;
What way they might this fiend destroy,
That did the countrey thus annoy.
The wise men all before the king, 25
This answer fram'd incontinent:
The dragon none to death might bring
By any means they could invent;
His skin more hard than brass was found,
That sword nor spear could pierce nor wound. 30
When this the people understood,
They cryed out most piteouslye,
The dragon's breath infects their blood,
That every day in heaps they dye;
Among them such a plague is bred, 35
The living scarce could bury the dead.
No means there were, as they could hear,
For to appease the dragon's rage,
But to present some virgin clear,
Whose blood his fury might asswage; 40
Each day he would a maiden eat,
For to allay his hunger great.
This thing by art the wise men found,
Which truly must observed be;
Wherefore, throughout the city round, 45
A virgin pure of good degree
Was, by the king's commission, still
Taken up to serve the dragon's will.
Thus did the dragon every day
Untimely crop some virgin flowr, 50
Till all the maids were worn away,
And none were left him to devour;
Saving the king's fair daughter bright,
Her father's only heart's delight.
Then came the officers to the king, 55
That heavy message to declare,
Which did his heart with sorrow sting;
"She is," quoth he, "my kingdom's heir:
O let us all be poisoned here,
Ere she should die, that is my dear." 60
Then rose the people presently,
And to the king in rage they went;
They said his daughter dear should dye,
The dragon's fury to prevent:
"Our daughters all are dead," quoth they, 65
"And have been made the dragon's prey;
"And by their blood we rescued were,
And thou hast sav'd thy life thereby;
And now in sooth it is but faire,
For us thy daughter so should die." 70
"O save my daughter," said the king,
"And let ME feel the dragon's sting."
Then fell fair Sabra on her knee,
And to her father dear did say,
"O father, strive not thus for me, 75
But let me be the dragon's prey;
It may be, for my sake alone
This plague upon the land was thrown.
"'Tis better I should dye," she said,
"Than all your subjects perish quite; 80
Perhaps the dragon here was laid,
For my offence to work his spite,
And after he hath suckt my gore,
Your land shall feel the grief no more."
"What hast thou done, my daughter dear, 85
For to deserve this heavy scourge?
It is my fault, as may appear,
Which makes the gods our state to purge;
Then ought I die, to stint the strife,
And to preserve thy happy life." 90
Like mad-men, all the people cried,
"Thy death to us can do no good;
Our safely only doth abide
In making her the dragon's food."
"Lo! here I am, I come," quoth she, 95
"Therefore do what you will with me."
"Nay stay, dear daughter," quoth the queen,
"And as thou art a virgin bright,
That hast for vertue famous been,
So let me cloath thee all in white; 100
And crown thy head with flowers sweet,
An ornament for virgins meet."
And when she was attired so,
According to her mother's mind,
Unto the stake then did she go, 105
To which her tender limbs they bind;
And being bound to stake a thrall,
She bade farewell unto them all.
"Farewell, my father dear," quoth she,
"And my sweet mother, meek and mild; 110
Take you no thought nor weep for me,
For you may have another child;
Since for my country's good I dye,
Death I receive most willinglye."
The king and queen and all their train 115
With weeping eyes went then their way,
And let their daughter there remain,
To be the hungry dragon's prey:
But as she did there weeping lye,
Behold St. George came riding by. 120
And seeing there a lady bright
So rudely tyed unto a stake,
As well became a valiant knight,
He straight to her his way did take:
"Tell me, sweet maiden," then quoth he, 125
"What caitif thus abuseth thee?
"And, lo! by Christ his cross I vow,
Which here is figured on my breast,
I will revenge it on his brow,
And break my lance upon his chest:" 130
And speaking thus whereas he stood,
The dragon issued from the wood.
The lady, that did first espy
The dreadful dragon coming so,
Unto St. George aloud did cry, 135
And willed him away to go;
"Here comes that cursed fiend," quoth she,
"That soon will make an end of me."
St. George then looking round about,
The fiery dragon soon espy'd, 140
And like a knight of courage stout,
Against him did most fiercely ride;
And with such blows he did him greet,
He fell beneath his horse's feet.
For with his launce, that was so strong, 145
As he came gaping in his face,
In at his mouth he thrust along;
For he could pierce no other place:
And thus within the lady's view
This mighty dragon straight he slew. 150
The savour of his poisoned breath
Could do this holy knight no harm;
Thus he the lady sav'd from death,
And home he led her by the arm;
Which when King Ptolemy did see, 155
There was great mirth and melody.
When as that valiant champion there
Had slain the dragon in the field,
To court he brought the lady fair,
Which to their hearts much joy did yield, 160
He in the court of Egypt staid
Till he most falsely was betray'd.
That lady dearly lov'd the knight,
He counted her his only joy;
But when their love was brought to light, 165
It turn'd unto their great annoy.
Th' Morocco king was in the court,
Who to the orchard did resort;
Dayly, to take the pleasant air;
For pleasure sake he us'd to walk; 170
Under a wall he oft did hear
St. George with Lady Sabra talk;
Their love he shew'd unto the king,
Which to St. George great woe did bring.
Those kings together did devise 175
To make the Christian knight away:
With letters him in curteous wise
They straightway sent to Persia,
But wrote to the sophy him to kill,
And treacherously his blood to spill. 180
Thus they for good did him reward
With evil, and most subtilly,
By such vile meanes, they had regard
To work his death most cruelly;
Who, as through Persia land he rode, 185
With zeal destroy'd each idol god.
For which offence he straight was thrown
Into a dungeon dark and deep;
Where, when he thought his wrongs upon,
He bitterly did wail and weep: 190
Yet like a knight of courage stout,
At length his way he digged out.
Three grooms of the King of Persia
By night this valiant champion slew,
Though he had fasted many a day, 195
And then away from thence he flew
On the best steed the sophy had;
Which when he knew he was full mad.
Towards Christendom he made his flight,
But met a gyant by the way, 200
With whom in combat he did fight
Most valiantly a summer's day:
Who yet, for all his bats of steel,
Was forc'd the sting of death to feel.
Back o'er the seas, with many bands 205
Of warlike souldiers soon he past,
Vowing upon those heathen lands
To work revenge; which at the last,
Ere thrice three years were gone and spent,
He wrought unto his heart's content. 210
Save onely Egypt land he spar'd,
For Sabra bright her only sake,
And, ere for her he had regard,
He meant a tryal kind to make:
Meanwhile the king, o'ercome in field, 215
Unto Saint George did quickly yield.
Then straight Morocco's king he slew,
And took fair Sabra to his wife,
But meant to try if she were true,
Ere with her he would lead his life; 220
And, tho' he had her in his train,
She did a virgin pure remain.
Toward England then that lovely dame
The brave St. George conducted strait,
An eunuch also with them came, 225
Who did upon the lady wait.
These three from Egypt went alone:
Now mark St. George's valour shown.
When as they in a forest were,
The lady did desire to rest: 230
Meanwhile St. George to kill a deer
For their repast did think it best:
Leaving her with the eunuch there,
Whilst he did go to kill the deer.
But lo! all in his absence came 235
Two hungry lyons, fierce and fell,
And tore the eunuch on the same
In pieces small, the truth to tell;
Down by the lady then they laid,
Whereby they shew'd she was a maid. 240
But when he came from hunting back,
And did behold this heavy chance,
Then for his lovely virgin's sake
His courage strait he did advance,
And came into the lions sight, 245
Who ran at him with all their might.
Their rage did him no whit dismay,
Who, like a stout and valiant knight,
Did both the hungry lyons slay
Within the Lady Sabra's sight: 250
Who all this while, sad and demure,
There stood most like a virgin pure.
Now when St. George did surely know
This lady was a virgin true,
His heart was glad, that erst was woe, 255
And all his love did soon renew:
He set her on a palfrey steed,
And towards England came with speed.
Where being in short space arriv'd
Unto his native dwelling place, 260
Therein with his dear love he liv'd,
And fortune did his nuptials grace:
They many years of joy did see,
And led their lives at Coventry.
THE SEVEN CHAMPIONS OF CHRISTENDOM.
_The Famous Historie of the Seven Champions of Christendom_, is the
work of Richard Johnson, a ballad maker of some note at the end of the
16th and beginning of the 17th century. All that is known of him may
be seen in Chappel's Introduction to the _Crown Garland of Golden
Roses_, of which Johnson was the compiler or the author. (Percy
Society, vol. vi.) "The Story of St. George and the Fair Sabra," says
Percy, "is taken almost verbatim from the old poetical legend of Sir
Bevis of Hampton."
The _Seven Champions_ is twice entered on the Stationers' Registers
in the year 1596. It is here reprinted from _A Collection of Old
Ballads_, 1723, vol. i. 28. The same copy is in Evans's collection,
i. 372.
Now of the Seven Champions here
My purpose is to write,
To show how they with sword and spear
Put many foes to flight;
Distressed ladies to release, 5
And captives bound in chains,
That Christian glory to increase
Which evermore remains.
First, I give you to understand
That great Saint George by name, 10
Was the true champion of our land;
And of his birth and fame,
And of his noble mother's dream,
Before that he was born,
The which to her did clearly seem 15
Her days would be forlorn.
This was her dream; that she did bear
A dragon in her womb;
Which griev'd this noble lady fair,
'Cause death must be her doom. 20
This sorrow she could not conceal,
So dismal was her fear,
So that she did the same reveal
Unto her husband dear;
Who went for to inquire straight 25
Of an enchanteress;
When, knocking at her iron gate,
Her answer it was this:
"The lady shall bring forth a son,
By whom, in tract of time, 30
Great noble actions shall be done;
He will to honour climb.
"For he shall be in banners wore;
This truth I will maintain;
Your lady, she shall die before 35
You see her face again."
His leave he took, and home he went;
His wife departed lay;
But that which did his grief augment,
The child was stole away. 40
Then did he travel in despair,
Where soon with grief he died;
While the young child, his son and heir,
Did constantly abide
With the wise lady of the grove, 45
In her enchanted cell;
Amongst the woods he oft did rove,
His beauty pleased her well.
Blinded with love, she did impart,
Upon a certain day, 50
To him her cunning magic art,
And where six Champions lay
Within a brazen castle strong,
By an enchanted sleep,
And where they had continued long; 55
She did the castle keep.
She taught and show'd him every thing
Through being free and fond;
Which did her fatal ruin bring;
For with a silver wand 60
He clos'd her up into a rock,
By giving one small stroke;
So took possession of her stock,
And the enchantment broke.
Those Christian Champions being freed 65
From their enchanted state,
Each mounted on his prancing steed,
And took to travel straight;
Where we will leave them to pursue
Kind fortune's favours still, 70
To treat of our own champion, who
Did courts with wonders fill.
For as he came to understand,
At an old hermit's cell,
How, in the vast Egyptian land, 75
A dragon fierce and fell
Threatened the ruin of them all,
By his devouring jaws,
His sword releas'd them from that thrall,
And soon remov'd the cause. 80
This dreadful dragon must destroy
A virgin every day,
Or else with stinks he'll them annoy,
And many thousands slay.
At length the king's own daughter dear, 85
For whom the court did mourn,
Was brought to be devoured here,
For she must take her turn.
The king by proclamation said,
If any hardy knight 90
Could free this fair young royal maid,
And slay the dragon quite,
Then should he have her for his bride,
And, after death, likewise
His crown and kingdom too beside: 95
Saint George he won the prize.
When many hardy strokes he'd dealt,
And could not pierce his hide,
He run his sword up to the hilt
In at the dragon's side; 100
By which he did his life destroy,
Which cheer'd the drooping king;
This caused an universal joy,
Sweet peals of bells did ring.
The daughter of a king, for pride 105
Transformed into a tree
Of mulberries, Saint Denis[L107] spied,
And being hungery,
Of that fair fruit he ate a part,
And was transformed likewise 110
Into the fashion of a hart,
For seven years precise.
At which he long bewail'd the loss
Of manly shape: then goes
To him his true and trusty horse, 115
And brings a blushing rose,
By which the magic spell was broke,
And both were fairly freed
From the enchanted heavy yoke:
They then in love agreed. 120
Now we come to Saint James of Spain,
Who slew a mighty boar,
In hopes that he might honour gain,
But he must die therefore:
Who was allow'd his death to choose, 125
Which was by virgins' darts,
But they the same did all refuse,
So tender were their hearts.
The king's daughter at length, by lot,
Was doomed to work his woe; 130
From her fair hands a fatal shot,
Out of a golden bow,
Must put a period to the strife;
At which grief did her seize.
She of her father begg'd his life 135
Upon her bended knees;
Saying, "my gracious sovereign Lord,
And honoured father dear,
He well deserves a large reward;
Then be not so severe. 140
Give me his life!" He grants the boon,
And then without delay,
This Spanish champion, ere 'twas noon,
Rid with her quite away.
Now come we to Saint Anthony, 145
A man with valour fraught,
The champion of fair Italy,
Who many wonders wrought.
First, he a mighty giant slew,
The terror of mankind: 150
Young ladies fair, pure virgins too,
This giant kept confined
Within his castle walls of stone,
And gates of solid brass,
Where seven ladies made their moan, 155
But out they could not pass.
Many brave lords, and knights likewise,
To free them did engage,
Who fell a bleeding sacrifice
To this fierce giant's rage. 160
Fair daughters to a royal king!
Yet fortune, after all,
Did our renowned champion bring
To free them from their thrall.
Assisted by the hand of heaven, 165
He ventured life and limb:
Behold the fairest of the seven,
She fell in love with him.
That champion good, bold Saint Andrew,
The famous Scottish knight, 170
Dark gloomy deserts travelled through,
Where Phoebus gave no light.
Haunted with spirits, for a while
His weary course he steers,
Till fortune blessed him with a smile, 175
And shook off all his fears.
This Christian champion travell'd long,
Till at the length he came
Unto the giant's castle strong,
Great Blanderon by name, 180
Where the king's daughters were transform'd
Into the shape of swans:
Though them he freed, their father storm'd,
But he his malice shuns.
For though five hundred armed knights 185
Did straight beset him round,
Our Christian champion with them fights,
Till on the heathen ground
Most of those Pagans bleeding lay;
Which much perplexed the king; 190
The Scottish champion clears the way,
Which was a glorious thing.
Saint Patrick too, of Ireland,
That noble knight of fame,
He travelled, as we understand, 195
Till at the length he came
Into a grove where satyrs dwelt,
Where ladies he beheld,
Who had their raged fury felt,
And were with sorrow fill'd. 200
He drew his sword, and did maintain
A sharp and bloody fray,
Till the ring-leader he had slain;
The rest soon fled away.
This done, he asked the ladies fair, 205
Who were in silks array'd,
From whence they came, and who they were.
They answered him and said:
"We are all daughters to a king,
Whom a brave Scottish knight 210
Did out of tribulation bring:
He having took his flight,
Now after him we are in quest."
Saint Patrick then replies,
"He is my friend, I cannot rest 215
Till I find him likewise.
"So, ladies, if you do intend
To take your lot with me,
This sword of mine shall you defend
From savage cruelty." 220
The ladies freely gave consent
To travel many miles;
Through shady groves and woods they went,
In search of fortune's smiles.
The Christian champion David, went 225
To the Tartarian court,
Where at their tilt and tournament,
And such like royal sport,
He overthrew the only son
Of the Count Palatine; 230
This noble action being done
His fame began to shine.
The young Count's sad and sudden death
Turn'd all their joys to grief;
He bleeding lay, bereaved of breath, 235
The father's son in chief;
But lords and ladies blazed the fame
Of our brave champion bold;
Saying, they ought to write his name
In characters of gold. 240
Here have I writ a fair account
Of each heroic deed,
Done by these knights, which will surmount
All those that shall succeed.
The ancient chronicles of kings, 245
Ere since the world begun,
Can't boast of such renowned things
As these brave knights have done.
Saint George he was for England,
Saint Dennis was for France, 250
Saint James for Spain, whose valiant hand
Did Christian fame advance:
Saint Anthony for Italy,
Andrew for Scots ne'er fails,
Patrick too stands for Ireland, 255
Saint David was for Wales.
Thus have you those stout champions names
In this renowned song:
Young captive ladies bound in chains,
Confined in castles strong, 260
They did by knightly prowess free,
True honour to maintain:
Then let their lasting memory
From age to age remain.
107, which Dennis.
THOMAS OF ERSSELDOUNE.
This beautiful tale is transferred to these pages from Mr. Laing's
_Select Remains of the Ancient Popular Poetry of Scotland_. The
two "fytts" of prophecies which accompany it in the manuscripts, are
omitted here, as being probably the work of another, and an inferior,
hand. From the exordium by which the story is introduced, it might be
concluded that the author was an Englishman. Indeed, all the poems and
prophecies attributed to Thomas the Rhimer which remain to us, are
preserved in English manuscripts and an English dress; but, in the
judgment of Mr. Jamieson, the internal evidence still almost amounts
to proof that the romance itself was of Scottish origin, although no
indubitably Scottish copy is now known to be in existence.
The hero of this legend is believed to have lived through nearly the
whole of the 13th century. He derived his territorial appellation from
the village of Erceldoune, in the county of Berwick, lying on the
river Leader, about two miles above its junction with the Tweed. The
Huntly bank on which the meeting of Thomas with the Queen of Fairy
took place, is situated, according to Mr. Laing, on one of the Eldoun
hills, but the same distinction is claimed for another place of like
name, which, together with an adjoining ravine, called from time
immemorial the _Rymer's Glen_, was included in the domain of
Abbotsford. (See _Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border_, iv. 110. v. 1.)
"During the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries, to get up a prophecy in
the name of Thomas the Rhymer appears to have been found a good stroke
of policy on many occasions. Thus was his authority employed to
countenance the views of Edward III. against Scottish independence, to
favor the ambitious views of the Duke of Albany in the minority of
James V., and to sustain the spirits of the nation under the harassing
invasions of Henry VIII. A small volume containing a collection of the
rhymes thus put into circulation was published by Andro Hart in
Edinburgh, in 1615."--CHAMBERS, _Pop. Rhymes of Scotland_, p. 6.
"This poem," says Mr. Laing, "is preserved in three ancient
manuscripts, each of them in a state more or less mutilated, and
varying in no inconsiderable degree from the others. A portion of it
was first printed in the _Border Minstrelsy_, [iv. 122,] from the
fragment in the British Museum, among the Cotton MSS.; and the one
which Mr. Jamieson adopted in his collection of _Popular Ballads and
Songs_ [ii. 11,] was carefully deciphered from a volume of no ordinary
curiosity, in the University Library, Cambridge, written in a very
illegible hand, about the middle of the 15th century. It is now
printed from the other copy, as it occurs in a volume, compiled at a
still earlier period, which is preserved in the Cathedral Library of
Lincoln. On comparison, it will be readily perceived, that the text is
in every respect preferable to that of either of the other
manuscripts.... An endeavor has been made to fill up the defective
parts from the Cambridge copy, though in some instances, as will be
seen, without success."--Mr. Halliwell has republished the Cambridge
text in his _Fairy Mythology_, (p. 58,) and he cites a fourth
manuscript, which, however, appears to be of slight importance.
THOMAS OF ERSSELDOUNE.
Lystnys, lordyngs, bothe grete and smale,
And takis gude tente what I will say:
I sall yow telle als trewe a tale,
Als euer was herde by nyghte or daye:
And the maste meruelle fforowttyn naye, 5
That euer was herde byfore or syen,
And therfore pristly I yow praye,
That ye will of youre talkyng blyn.
It es an harde thyng for to saye,
Of doghety dedis that hase bene done; 10
Of felle feghtyngs and batells sere;
And how that knyghtis hase wonne thair schone.
Bot Jhesu Christ, that syttis in trone,
Safe Ynglysche men bothe ferre and nere;
And I sall telle yow tyte and sone, 15
Of battells done sythen many a yere;
And of batells that done sall bee;
In whate place, and howe and whare;
And wha sall hafe the heghere gree;
And whethir partye sall hafe the werre; 20
[Transcriber's note: one stanza missing here, lines 21-24]
Wha sall take the flyghte and flee; 25
And wha sall dye and byleue thare:
Bot Jhesu Christ, that dyed on tre,
Saue Inglysche men whare so thay fare.
* * * * *
Als I me wente this endres-daye,
Full faste in mynd makane my mone,
In a mery mornynge of May,
By Huntle bankkes my selfe allone,
I herde the jaye, and the 'throstelle,'[L5] 5
The mawys menyde of hir songe,
The wodewale beryde als a belle,
That all the wode abowte me ronge.
Allone in longynge, thus als I laye,
Vndre nethe a semely tre, 10
'Saw I' whare a lady gaye,
'Came ridand' ouer a longe lee.
If I suld sytt to Domesdaye,
With my tonge, to wrebbe and wrye,
Certanely that lady gaye, 15
Neuer bese scho askryede for mee.
Hir palfraye was a dappill graye;
Swilke one I saghe ne neuer none:
Als dose the sonne, on someres daye,
That faire lady hir selfe scho schone. 20
Hir selle[L21] it was of reele bone,
Full semely was that syghte to see!
Stefly sett with precyous stones,
And compaste all with crapotee,
Stones of Oryence, grete plente. 25
Hir hare abowte hir hede it hange;
Scho rode ouer that lange lee;
A whylle scho blewe, a nother scho sange.
Hir garthes of nobyll sylke they were;
The bukylls were of berelle stone; 30
Hir steraps were of crystalle clere,
And all with perelle ouer bygone.
Hir payetrelle was of iralle fyne;
Hir cropoure was of orfare;
And als clere golde hir brydill it schone; 35
One aythir syde hange bellys three.
'Scho led seuen grew houndis in a leeshe;'
And seuen raches by hir they rone;
Scho bare a horne abowte hir halse;
And vnder hir belte full many a flone. 40
Thomas laye and sawe that syghte,
Vnder nethe ane semly tree;
He sayd, "yone es Marye most of myghte,
That bare that childe that dyede for mee.
"But if I speke with yone lady bryghte, 45
I hope myn herte will bryste in three;
Now sall I go with all my myghte,
Hir for to mete at Eldoun tree."
Thomas rathely vpe he rase,
And he rane ouer that mountayne hye; 50
Gyff it be als the storye sayes,
He hir mette at Eldone tree.
He knelyde down appon his knee,
Vndir nethe that grenwode spraye:--
And sayd, "lufly ladye! rewe one mee; 55
Qwene of heuen, als thu wele maye!"