THE BOOK
OF
BRAVE OLD BALLADS.
Illustrated with Sixteen Coloured Engravings,
FROM DRAWINGS BY JOHN GILBERT.
"I never heard the old song of Percie and Douglas, that I found not my heart moved more than with a trumpet."—Sir Philip Sidney.
LONDON:
WARD, LOCK, AND TYLER,
WARWICK HOUSE, PATERNOSTER ROW.
LONDON:
PRINTED BY J. OGDEN AND CO.,
172, ST. JOHN STREET, E.C.
CONTENTS.
PAGE
Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne1
The Childe of Elle17
Adam Bell, Clym of the Clough, and William of Cloudesly—
Part the First30
Part the Second43
Part the Third55
Sir Lancelot du Lake74
The Frolicksome Duke; or, The Tinker's Good Fortune82
The more Modern Ballad of Chevy Chase89
King Edward IV. and the Tanner of Tamworth106
The Heir of Linne—
Part the First118
Part the Second124
Sir Andrew Barton—
Part the First133
Part the Second142
Brave Lord Willoughbey155
King John and the Abbot of Canterbury162
Robin Hood and the Curtal Friar170
Robin Hood and Allen-a-Dale181
Valentine and Ursine—
Part the First188
Part the Second198
The King and the Miller of Mansfield—
Part the First214
Part the Second222
ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE
1. Sir Guy of Gisborne.
He took Sir Guy's head by the hair,
And stuck it upon his bow's end11
2. The Childe of Elle.
Pardon, my lord and
This fair young knight and me28
3. Adam Bell, Clym of the Clough, &c.
Cloudesly bent a right good bow,
That was of a trusty tree36
4. They kneeled down without hindrance,
And each held up his hand60
5. Sir Lancelot Du Lake.
She brought him to a river side
And also to a tree76
6. The Frolicksome Duke. (Frontispiece.)
Now he lay something late, in his rich bed of state,
Till at last knights and squires, they on him did wait84
7. Chevy Chase.
Then leaving life, Earl Percy took
The dead man by the hand99
8. King Edward and the Tanner.
The tanner he pull'd, the tanner he sweat,
And held by the pummel fast114
9. The Heir of Linne.
And he pull'd forth three bags of gold,
And laid them down upon the board130
10. Sir Andrew Barton.
They boarded then his noble ship,
They boarded it with might and main150
11. The Brave Lord Willoughbey.
They kneeled on the ground,
And praised God devoutly157
12. The Abbot of Canterbury.
Then home rode the abbot of comfort so cold,
And he met his shepherd a going to fold165
13. Robin Hood and the Curtal Friar.
The friar took Robin Hood on his back,
Deep water he did bestride174
14. The Marriage of Allen-a-Dale.
He ask'd them seven times in the church,
Lest three times should not be enough187
15. Valentine and Ursine.
And kneeling down upon his knee,
Presents him to the king197
16. The Miller of Mansfield.
Well, quo' the miller's wife, young man, ye're welcome here;
And, though I say it, well lodgèd shall be218
THE BOY'S
BOOK OF BALLADS.
Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne.
And leaves both large and long,
It is merry walking in the fair forest
To hear the small birds' song.
Sitting upon the spray,
So loud, he wakened Robin Hood,
In the greenwood where he
A sweaven[4] I had this night;
I dreamt me of two wight[5] yeomen
That fast with me can fight.
And took my bow me fro';
If I be Robin alive in this land,
I'll be wroken[6] on them two.
As the wind that blows o'er a hill;
For if it be never so loud this night,
To-morrow it may be still.
And John shall go with me,
For I'll go seek yon wight yeomen,
In the greenwood where they be.
And took their bows each one,
And they away to the green forèst,
A shooting forth are gone;
Where they had gladdest be,
There were they aware of a wight yeoman,
His body leaned to a tree.
Of many a man the bane;
And he was clad in his capull[8] hide
Top and tail and mane.
Under this tree so green,
And I will go to yon wight yeoman
To know what he doth mean.
And that I fairly find;
How oft send I my men before,
And tarry myself behind?
An[9] a man but hear him speak;
An it were not for bursting of my bow,
John, I thy head would break.
So they parted, Robin and John;
And John is gone to Barnesdale:
The gates[11] he knoweth each one.
Great heaviness there he had,
For he found two of his own fellows
Were slain both in a glade.
Fast over stock and stone,
For the proud sheriff with seven score men
Fast after him is gone.
(With Christe his might and main;)
I'll make yon fellow that flies so fast,
To stop he shall be fain.
And fettled[12] him to shoot:
The bow was made of tender bough,
And fell down to his foot.
That ere thou grew on a tree;
For now this day thou art my bale,
My boote[13] when thou shouldst be.
Yet flew not the arrow in vain,
For it met one of the sheriff's men,—
Good William-a-Trent was slain.
To have been a-bed with sorrow,
Than to be that day in the greenwood glade
To meet with Little John's arrow.
Five can do more than three,
The sheriff hath taken Little John,
And bound him fast to a tree.
And hang'd high on a hill.
But thou mayst fail of thy purpose, quoth John,
If it be Christe his will.
And think of Robin Hood,
How he is gone to the wight yeoman,
Where under the leaves he stood.
Good morrow, good fellow, quoth he:
A good archer thou shouldst be.
And of my morning tide.
I'll lead thee through the wood, said Robin;
Good fellow, I'll be thy guide.
Men call him Robin Hood;
Rather I'd meet with that proud outlaw
Than forty pounds so good.
And Robin thou soon shalt see:
But first let us some pastime find
Under the greenwood tree.
Among the woods so even,
We may chance to meet with Robin Hood
Here at some unset[15] steven.
That grew both under a briar,
And set them threescore rod, in twain,
To shoot the pricks[17] y-fere.[18]
Lead on, I do bid thee.
Nay by my faith, good fellow, he said,
My leader thou shalt be.
He miss'd but an inch it fro';
The yeoman he was an archer good,
But he could never shoot so.
He shot within the garlànd;[19]
But Robin he shot far better than he,
For he clave the good prick-wand.
Good fellow, thy shooting is good;
For an thy heart be as good as thy hand,
Thou wert better than Robin Hood.
Under the leaves of lyne.[20]
Nay, by my faith, quoth bold Robin,
Till thou have told me thine.
And Robin to take I'm sworn;
And when I am called by my right name,
I am Guy of good Gisbòrne.
By thee I set right nought:
I am Robin Hood of Barnèsdale,
Whom thou so long hast sought.
Might have seen a full fair sight,
To see how together these yeomen went
With blades both brown and bright.
Two hours of a summer's day:
Yet neither Robin Hood nor sir Guy
Them fettled to fly away.
And stumbled at that tide;
And Guy was quick and nimble withal,
And hit him o'er the left side.
Thou art both mother and may',[22]
I think it was never man's destiny
To die before his day.
And soon leapt up again,
And straight he came with a backward stroke,
And he sir Guy hath slain.
And stuck it upon his bow's-end:
Thou hast been a traitor all thy life,
Which thing must have an end.
And nick'd sir Guy in the face,
That he was never o' woman born,
Could tell whose head it was.
And with me be not wroth;
If thou have had the worst strokes at my hand,
Thou shalt have the better cloth.
And on sir Guy did
And he put on that capull hide,
That clad him top to toe.
Now with me I will bear;
For I will away to Barnèsdale,
To see how my men do fare.
And a loud blast in it did blow,
That beheard the sheriff of Nottingham,
As he leaned under a lowe.[23]
I hear now tidings good,
For yonder I hear sir Guy's horn blow,
And he hath slain Robin Hood.
It blows so well in tide,
And yonder comes that wighty yeoman,
Clad in his capull hide.
Ask what thou wilt of me.
O I will none of thy gold, said Robin,
Nor I will none of thy fee.
Let me go strike the knave;
For this is all the reward I ask;
Nor no other will I have.
Thou shouldst have had a knight's fee:
But seeing thy asking hath been so bad,
Well granted it shall be.
Well knew he it was his steven:[24]
Now shall I be loosed, quoth Little John,
With Christe his might in heaven.
He thought to loose him belive;[25]
The sheriff and all his company
Fast after him did drive.
Why draw you me so near?
It was never the use in our country,
One's shrift another should hear.
And loosed John hand and foot,
And gave him sir Guy's bow into his hand,
And bade it be his boote.
His bolts and arrows each one:
When the sheriff saw Little John bend his bow,
He fettled him to be gone.
He fled full fast away;
And so did all the company:
Not one behind would stay.
Nor away so fast could ride,
But Little John with an arrow so broad,
He shot him into the back-side.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Woods.
[2] Shining.
[3] A kind of thrush.
[4] Dream.
[5] Strong.
[6] Revenged.
[7] Make ready.
[8] Horse-hide.
[9] If.
[10] Mischief.
[11] Ways.
[12] Made ready.
[14] Missing.
[15] Unexpectedly.
[16] Twigs.
[17] Marks.
[18] Together.
[19] A ring round the prick.
[20] Lime.
[21] Careless.
[22] Maid.
[23] Little hill.
[24] Voice.
[25] Immediately.
The Childe[26] of Elle.
[26]
With walls and towers bedight,[27]
And yonder lives the Childe of Elle,
A young and comely knight.
And stood at his garden-pale,
When, lo! he beheld fair Emmeline's page
Come tripping down the dale.
I wist he stood not still,
And soon he met fair Emmeline's page
Come climbing up the hill.
Now Christe thee save and see!
Oh tell me how does thy lady gay,
And what may thy tidings be?
And the tears they fall from her eyne;[28]
And aye she laments the deadly feud
Between her house and thine.
Bedewed with many a tear,
And bids thee sometimes think on her,
Who lovèd thee so dear.
The last boon thou may'st have,
And bids thee wear it for her sake,
When she is laid in grave.
And in grave soon must she be,
For her father hath chose her a new love,
And forbid her to think of thee.
Sir John of the north countrey,
And within three days she must him wed,
Or he vows he will her slay.
And greet thy lady from me,
And tell her that I, her own true love,
Will die, or set her free.
And let thy fair
This night will I be at her bower-window,
Betide me weal or woe.
He neither stint[30] nor stay'd
Until he came to fair Emmeline's bower,
When, kneeling down, he said,
And he greets thee well by me;
This night will he be at thy bower-window,
And die or set thee free.
And all were fast asleep,
All save the lady Emmeline,
Who sate in her bower to weep:
Low whispering at the wall;
Awake, awake, my dear lady,
'Tis I, thy true love, call.
Come, mount this fair palfrey:
This ladder of ropes will let thee down,
I'll carry thee hence away.
Now nay, this may not be;
For aye should I tint[31] my maiden fame,
If alone I should wend[32] with thee.
May'st safely wend alone;
To my lady mother I will thee bring,
Where marriage shall make us one.
Of lineage proud and high;
And what would he say if his daughter
Away with a knight should fly?
Nor his meat should do him no good,
Till he had slain thee, Childe of Elle,
And seen thy dear heart's blood.
And a little space him fro',
I would not care for thy cruel father,
Nor the worst that he could do.
And once without this wall,
I would not care for thy cruel father,
Nor the worst that might befall.
And aye her heart was woe:
At length he seized her lily-white hand,
And down the ladder he drew:
And kissed her tenderly:
The tears that fell from her fair eyes,
Ran like the fountain free.
And her on a fair palfrey,
And slung his bugle about his neck,
And roundly they rode away.
In her bed wherein she lay;
Quoth she, My lord shall know of this,
So I shall have gold and fee.
Awake, my noble dame!
Your daughter is fled with the Childe of Elle,
To do the deed of shame.
And called his merry men all:
And come thou forth, Sir John the knight,
Thy lady is carried to thrall.
A mile forth of the town,
When she was aware of her father's men
Come galloping over the down:
Sir John of the north countrey:
Now stop, now stop, thou false traitor,
Nor carry that lady away.
And was of a lady born,
And ill it beseems thee, a false churl's son,
To carry her hence to scorn.
Now thou dost lie of me;
A knight me got, and a lady me bore,
So never did none by thee.
Light down, and hold my steed,
While I and this discourteous knight
Do try this arduous deed.
Light down, and hold my horse;
While I and this discourteous knight
Do try our valour's force.
And aye her heart was woe,
While 'twixt her love and the carlish knight
Past many a baleful blow.
As his weapon he waved amain,
That soon he had slain the carlish knight,
And laid him upon the plain.
Full fast approached nigh:
'Twere now no boote[33] to fly.
And blew both loud and shrill,
And soon he saw his own merry men
Come riding over the hill.
I pray thee, hold thy hand,
Nor ruthless rend two gentle hearts,
Fast knit in true love's band.
Full long and many a day;
But with such love as holy kirk
Hath freely said we may.
And bless a faithful pair:
My lands and livings are not small,
My house and lineage fair:
And a noble knight my sire—
The baron he frowned, and turned away
With mickle[34] dole and ire.
And did all trembling stand:
At length she sprang upon her knee,
And held his lifted hand.
This fair young knight and me:
Trust me, but for the carlish knight,
I never had fled from thee.
Your darling and your joy;
O let not then your harsh resolves
Your Emmeline destroy.
And turned his head aside
To wipe away the starting tear
He proudly strove to hide.
And mused a little space:
Then raised fair Emmeline from the ground,
With many a fond embrace.