POPULAR BRITISH BALLADS
ANCIENT AND MODERN
By Various
Chosen and edited by R. Brimley Johnson
Illustrated By W. C. Cooke
In Four Volumes
Volume II
1894
Original
CONTENTS
THOMAS THE RHYMER
THE BONNY HIND
KING HENRY
WILLY'S LADY
THE DÆMON LOVER
THE WIFE OF USHER'S WELL
CLERK SAUNDERS
LORD DONALD
FINE FLOWERS IN THE VALLEY
YOUNG HUNTING
THE TWA CORBIES
THE DOWIE DENS O' YARROW
GRÆME AND BEWICK
THE LAMENT OF THE BORDER WIDOW
FAIR ANNIE
THE GAY GOSS-HAWK
BROWN ADAM
JOHNNIE OF BREADISLEE
KINMONT WILLY
THE DROWNED LOVERS
THE TWA BROTHERS
THE LAIRD OF WARISTOUN
YOUNG BEICHAN AND SUSIE
LIZZIE LINDSAY
THE BIRTH OF ROBIN HOOD
THE BARON OF BRACKLEY
CHILD VYET
ROBIN HOOD AND THE MONK
THE BONNY HOUSE O' AIRLY
BONNY JAMES CAMPBELL
RICHIE STORY
EPPIE MORRIE
YOUNG AKIN
BONNY ANNIE
THE LAIRD O' DRUM
THE DEATH OF QUEEN JANE
THE GARDENER
JOHNNY SCOTT
KEMP OWYNE
THE WEARY COBLE O' CARGILL
JOHN THOMSON AND THE TURK
LORD DERWENTWATER
THE TWA MAGICIANS
BROWN ROBIN
BLANCHEFLOUR AND JELLYFLORICE
THE EARL OF MAR'S DAUGHTER
THE FAUSE LOVER
THE UNQUIET GRAVE.
PEASANT BALLADS
THE BROKEN TOKEN
YOUNG ROGER OF THE VALLEY
THE GOLDEN GLOVE
SIR ARTHUR AND CHARMING MOLLEE
UNDAUNTED MARY
THE WILTSHIRE WEDDING
THE TREES THEY ARE SO HIGH
GREEN BROOM
BONNY BARBARA ALLAN
AS JOHNNY WALKED OUT
THE ROVING JOURNEY-MAN
THYME AND RUE
THE BAILIFF'S DAUGHTER OF ISLINGTON
THE SIMPLE PLOUGHBOY
ROBBIE TAMSON'S SMIDDIE
CUPID'S GARDEN
KING JOHN AND THE ABBOT
THE KING AND THE COUNTRYMAN
SADDLE TO RAGS
THE WEEK'S WORK
FARMER'S BOY
TOMMY LINN
THE MERMAID
CAPTAIN WARD AND THE RAINBOW
GREENLAND WHALE FISHERY
GOLDEN VANITEE
THE YORKSHIRE HORSE-DEALER
WIDDICOMBE FAIR
LAZARUS
THE GAY LADY THAT WENT TO CHURCH
THOMAS THE RHYMER
True Thomas lay o'er yon grassy bank;
And he beheld a lady gay;
A lady that was brisk and bold,
Come riding o'er the ferny brae.
Her shirt was o' the grass-green silk,
Her mantle o' the velvet fine;
At ilka tett of her horse's mane,
Hung fifty silver bells and nine.
True Thomas, he took off his hat,
And bowed him low down till his knee:
"All hail, thou mighty Queen of Heaven!
For your peer on earth I never did see."
"O no, O no, True Thomas," she says,
"That name does not belong to me;
I am but the Queen of fair Elfland,
And I am come here for to visit thee.
(tett, tuft.)
"Harp and carp, Thomas," she said;
"Harp and carp along wi' me;
And if ye dare to kiss my lips,
Sure of your body I will be."—
Original
"Betide me weal, betide me woe,
That weird shall never daunton me."
Syne he has kissed her rosy lips,
All underneath the Eildon Tree.
"But ye maun go wi' me, now, Thomas;
True Thomas, ye maun go wi' me;
For ye maun serve me seven years,
Thro' weal or woe as may chance to be,"
(Harp and carp, chat.)
She turned about her milk-white steed;
And took true Thomas up behind:
And aye, whene'er her bridle rang,
The steed flew swifter than the wind.
For forty days and forty nights
He wade thro' red blude to the knee,
And he saw neither sun nor moon,
But heard the roaring of the sea.
Original
O they rade on, and farther on;
Until they came to a garden green,
"Light down, light down, ye lady free,
Some of that fruit let me pull to thee."
"O no, O no, True Thomas." she says;
"That fruit maun not be touched by thee,
For a' the plagues that are in hell
Light on the fruit of this country.
"But I have a loaf here in my lap,
Likewise a bottle of claret wine,
And now ere we go farther on,
We'll rest a while and ye may dine."
When he had eaten and drunk his fill—
"Lay down your head upon my knee,"
The lady said, "ere we climb yon hill,
And I will shew you ferlies three.
"O see not ye yon narrow road,
So thick beset with thorns and briars?
That is the path of righteousness,
Though after it but few enquires.
"And see ye not that braid braid road,
That lies across that lily leven?
That is the path of wickedness,
Though some call it the road to heaven.
"And see not ye that bonny road,
That is the road to fair Elfiand,
Where you and I this night maun gae.
"But, Thomas, ye maun hold your tongue,
Whatever ye may hear or see;
For, gin ae word you should chance to speak,
Ye'll ne'er get back to your ain country."
(ferlies, marvels. leven, lawn.)
He has gotten a coat of the even cloth,
And a pair of shoes of velvet green;
And till seven years were gane and past,
True Thomas on earth was never seen.
THE BONNY HIND
O may she comes, and may she goes,
Down by yon gardens green,
And there she spied a gallant squire
As squire had ever been.
And may she comes, and may she goes,
Down by yon hollin tree,
And there she spied a brisk young squire,
And a brisk young squire was he.
"Give me your green mantle, fair maid,
Give me your maidenhead;
Gif ye winna gie me your green mantle,
Give me your maidenhead!
He has ta'en her by the milk-white hand,
And softly laid her down,
And when he's lifted her up again
Given her a silver kaim.
(even, fine.)
"Perhaps there may be bairns, kind sir,
Perhaps there may be nane;
But if you be a courtier,
You'll tell to me your name."
"I am nae courtier, fair maid,
But new come frae the sea;
I am nae courtier, fair maid,
But when I courteth thee.
"They call me Jack when I'm abroad,
Sometimes they call me John;
But when I'm in my father's bower
Jock Randal is my name."
"Ye lee, ye lee, ye bonny lad;
Sae loud's I hear ye lee!
For I'm Lord Randal's yae daughter,
He has nae mair nor me."
"Ye lee, ye lee, ye bonny may,
Sae loud's I hear ye lee!
For I'm Lord Randal's yae yae son,
Just now come o'er the sea."
She's putten her hand down by her spare,
And out she's ta en a knife,
And she has put'nt in her heart's bluid,
And ta'en away her life.
(spare, pocket.)
And hes ta en up his bonny sister,
With the big tear in his een,
And he has buried his bonny sister
Among the hollins green.
And syne hes hied him o'er the dale,
His father dear to see:
"Sing O and O for my bonny hind,
Beneath yon hollin tree!"
"What needs you care for your bonny hind?
For it you needna care;
There's aught score hinds in yonder park,
And five score hinds to spare.
"Four score of them are siller-shod,
Of those ye may get three;"
"But O and O for my bonny hind,
Beneath yon hollin tree!"
"What needs you care for your bonny hind?
For it you needna care;
Take you the best, give me the worst,
Since plenty is to spare."
"I carena for your hinds, my Lord,
I carena for your fee;
But O and O for my bonny hind,
Beneath the hollin tree!"
(aught, eight.)
"O were ye at your sisters bower,
Your sister fair to see,
Ye'll think na mair o' your bonny hind,
Beneath the hollin tree."
KING HENRY
Original
Lat never a man a wooing wend,
That lacketh thingés three;
A routh o' gold, an open heart,
And fu' o' courtesy.
As this was seen o' King Henry,
For he lay burd-alane;
And he has ta'en him to a haunted hunt's ha',
Was seven miles frae a town.
(routh, plenty. burd-alane, alone, without a burd or maiden.)
hunt's ha', hunting-lodge.
He's chas'd the dun deer thro' the wood,
And the roe down by the den,
Till the fattest buck in a' the herd
King Henry he has slain.
He's ta'en him to his hunting ha',
For to make bierly cheer;
When loud the wind was heard to sound,
And an earthquake rocked the floor.
And darkness covered a' the hall
Where they sat at their meat;
The gray dogs, youling, left their food
And crept to Henry's feet.
And louder howled the rising wind,
And burst the fastened door;
And in there came a grisly ghost,
Stood stamping on the floor.
Her head hit the roof-tree o' the house,
Her middle ye mot weel span;—
Each frightened huntsman fled the ha';
And left the king alone."
Her teeth was a' like tether stakes,
Her nose like club or mell;
And I ken naething she 'pear'd to be,
But the fiend that wons in hell.
(bierly, proper. mell, mallet. wons, dwells.)
"Some meat, some meat, ye King Henry;
Some meat ye gie to me."
"And what meats in this house, Lady?
That ye're nae welcome tae?"
"O ye's gae kill your berry-brown steed,
And serve him up to me."
O when he slew his berry-brown steed,
Wow but his heart was sair!
She ate him a' up, skin and bane,
Left naething but hide and hair.
"Mair meat, mair meat, ye King Henry,
Mair meat ye gie to me."
"And what meats in this house, Lady?
That yere nae welcome tae?"
"O ye do kill your good grey-hounds,
And ye bring them a to me."
O when he slew his good grey hounds,
Wow but his heart was sair!
She ate them a' up, ane by ane,
Left naething but hide and hair.
"Mair meat, mair meat, ye King Henry,
Mair meat ye bring to me."
"And what meat's in this house, Lady?
That I hae left to gie?"
"O ye do fell your gay gosshawks,
And ye bring them a' to me."
O when he felled his gay gosshawks,
Wow but his heart was sair!
She ate them a' up, bane by bane,
Left naething but feathers bare.
"Some drink, some drink, now, King
Some drink ye bring to me."
"O what drink's in this house, Lady,
That ye're nae welcome tae?"
"O ye sew up your horse's hide,
And bring in a drink to me."
And he's sewed up the bloody hide,
And put in a pipe o' wine;
She drank it a' up at ae draught,
Left na ae drap therein.
"A bed, a bed, now, King Henry,
A bed ye mak to me."
"And what's the bed i' this house, Lady,
That ye're nae welcome tae?"
"O ye maun pu' the green heather,
And mak a bed to me."
And pu'd has he the heather green,
And made to her a bed;
And up he's ta en his gay mantle,
And o'er it has he spread.
"Now swear, now swear, ye King Henry,
To take me for your bride,"
"O God forbid," says King Henry,
'"That ever the like betide;
That ever the fiend that wons in hell,
Should streak down by my side."
When day was come, and night was gane,
And the sun shone thro' the ha,
The fairest lady that ever was seen
Lay atween him and the wa'.
"O weel is me!" says King Henry;
"How lang'll this last wi' me?"
And out and spake that lady fair,—
"E en till the day you die.
"For I was witched to a ghastly shape,
All by my stepdame's skill,
Till I should meet wi' a curteous knight,
Would gie me a' my will."
(streak, stretch, lie.)
WILLY'S LADY
Original
Willy's ta en him oer the faem,
Hes wooed a wife, and brought her hame;
Hes wooed her for her yellow hair,
But his mother wrought her mickle care;
And mickle dolour gar'd her dree,
For lighter she can never be;
But in her bower she sits wi' pain,
And Willy mourns oer her in vain.
And to his mother he has gane,
That vile rank witch, o' vilest kind!
He says—"My lady has a cup,
Wi' gowd and silver set about;
This goodly gift shall be your ain,
And let her be lighter o' her young bairn."—
(faem, sea. dree, suffer.)
"Of her young bairn she's ne'er be lighter,
Nor in her bower to shine the brighter:
But she shall die, and turn to clay,
And you shall wed another may."—
"Another may I'll never wed,
Another may I'll ne'er bring hame:"—
But, sighing, says that weary wight—
"I wish my life were at an end!"
"Yet do ye unto your mother again,
That vile rank witch, o' vilest kind!
And say, your lady has a steed,
The like o' him's no in the land o' Leed.
"For he is golden shod before,
And he is golden shod behind;
At ilka tett of that horse's mane,
There's a golden chess, and a bell to ring.
This goodly gift shall be your ain,
And let me be lighter o' my young bairn."—
"Of her young bairn she's ne'er be lighter,
Nor in her bower to shine the brighter;
But she shall die, and turn to clay,
And ye shall wed another may."—
"Another may I'll never wed,
Another may I'll ne'er bring hame:"—
(tett,
Willy's Lady
But, sighing, said that weary wight—
"I wish my life were at an end!"—
"Yet do ye unto your mother again,
That vile rank witch, o' vilest kind!
And say your lady has a girdle,
It's of red gowd unto the middle;
"And aye, at every siller hem
Hang fifty siller bells and ten;
That goodly gift [shall] be her ain,
And let me be lighter o' my young bairn."—
"Of her young bairn she's ne'er be lighter,
Nor in her bower to shine the brighter;
For she shall die, and turn to clay,
And you shall wed another may."—
"Another may I'll never wed,
Another may I'll ne'er bring hame:"—
But, sighing, said that weary wight—
"I wish my days were at an end!"—
Then out and spake the Billy Blind,
(He spake aye in good time:)
"Ye do ye to the market-place,
And there ye buy a loaf of wax;
Ye shape it bairn and bairnly like,
And in it twa glassen een ye put;
"And bid her come to your boy's christening,
Then notice weel what she shall do;
And do you stand a little forbye,
And listen weel what she shall say."
[He did him to the market-place,
And there he bought a loaf o' wax;
He shaped it bairn and bairnly like,
And in twa glazen een he pat;
He did him till his mother then,
And bade her to his boy's christening;
And he did stand a little forbye,
And noticed well what she did say.
"O wha has loosed the nine witch knots,
That was amang that lady's locks?
And wha's ta'en out the kaims o' care,
That hang amang that lady's hair?
"And wha's ta'en down the bush o' woodbine,
That hung between her bower and mine?
And wha has kill'd the master kid,
That ran beneath that lady's bed?
And wha has loosed her left foot shee,
And letten that lady lighter be?"
O, Willy's loosed the nine witch knots,
That was amang that lady's locks;
And Willy's ta'en out the kaims o' care,
That hang amang that lady's hair;
(shee, shoe.)
The Dæmon Lover ss'
And Willy's ta'en down the bush o' woodbine,
Hung atween her bower and thine
And Willy has kill'd the master kid,
That ran beneath that lady's bed;
And Willy has loosed her left foot shee,
And letten his lady lighter be;
And now he's gotten a bonny young son,
And mickle grace be him upon.