English and Scottish Ballads Volume I Part 39

"O drowsy, drowsy as I was, Dead sleep upon me fell; The Queen of Fairies she was there, 55 And took me to hersel.

"The morn at even is Hallowe'en, Our Fairy court will ride, Through England and through Scotland both, Through all the world wide; 60 And if that ye would me borrow, At Rides Cross ye may bide.

"You may go into the Miles Moss, Between twelve hours and one; Take holy water in your hand, 65 And cast a compa.s.s round.

"The first court that comes along, You'll let them all pa.s.s by; The next court that comes along, Salute them reverently. 70

"The next court that comes along, Is clad in robes of green; And it's the head court of them all, For in it rides the Queen.

"And I upon a milk-white steed, 75 With a gold star in my crown; Because I am an earthly man, I'm next the Queen in renown.

"Then seize upon me with a spring, Then to the ground I'll fa'; 80 And then you'll hear a rueful cry, That Tomlinn is awa'.

"Then I'll grow in your arms two, Like to a savage wild; But hold me fast, let me not go, 85 I'm father of your child.

"I'll grow into your arms two Like an adder, or a snake; But hold me fast, let me not go, I'll be your earthly maik. 90

"I'll grow into your arms two Like ice on frozen lake; But hold me fast, let me not go, Or from your goupen break.

"I'll grow into your arms two, 95 Like iron in strong fire; But hold me fast, let me not go, Then you'll have your desire."

And its next night into Miles Moss, Fair Margaret has gone; 100 When lo she stands beside Rides Cross, Between twelve hours and one.

There's holy water in her hand, She casts a compa.s.s round; And presently a Fairy band 105 Comes riding o'er the mound.

This seems to be the most appropriate connection for a short fragment from Maidment's _North Countrie Garland_, (p. 21.) It was taken down from the recitation of a lady who had heard it sung in her childhood.

BURD ELLEN AND YOUNG TAMLANE.

Burd Ellen sits in the bower windowe, _With a double laddy double, and for the double dow_, Twisting the red silk and the blue, _With the double rose and the May-hay_.

And whiles she twisted, and whiles she twan, 5 _With a double_, &c.

And whiles the tears fell down amang, _With the double_, &c.

Till once there by cam young Tamlane, _With a double_, &c. 10 "Come light, oh light, and rock your young son!"

_With the double_, &c.

"If you winna rock him, you may let him rair, _With a double_, &c.

For I hae rockit my share and mair." 15 _With the double_, &c.

Young Tamlane to the seas he's gane, _With a double laddy double, and for the double dow,_ And a' women's curse in his company's gane, _With the double rose and the May-hay_. 20

ALS Y YOD ON AY MOUNDAY. (See p. 126.)

In the ma.n.u.script from which these verses are taken, they form the preface to a long strain of incomprehensible prophecies of the same description as those which are appended to _Thomas of Ersyldoune_.

Whether the two portions belong together, or not, (and it will be seen that they are ill enough joined,) the first alone requires to be cited here for the purpose of comparison with the _Wee Wee Man_. The whole piece has been twice printed, first by Finlay, in his _Scottish Ballads_, (ii. 163,) and afterwards, by a person who was not aware that he had been antic.i.p.ated, in the _Retrospective Review_, Second Series, vol. ii. p. 326. Both texts are in places nearly unintelligible, and are evidently full of errors, part of which we must ascribe to the incompetency of the editors. Finlay's is here adopted as on the whole the best, but it has received a few corrections from the other, and one or two conjectural emendations.

Als y yod on ay Mounday Bytwene Wyltinden and Wall, The ane after brade way, Ay litel man y mette with alle, The leste yat ever y, sathe to say, 5 Oither in bowr, oither in halle; His robe was noither grene na gray, Bot alle yt was of riche palle.

On me he cald, and bad me bide; Well stille y stode ay litel s.p.a.ce; 10 Fra Lanchestre the parke syde Yeen he come, wel fair his pase.

He hailsed me with mikel pride; Ic haved wel mykel ferly wat he was; I saide,--"Wel mote the betyde, 15 That litel man with large face."

I beheld that litel man Bi the strete als we gon gae; His berd was syde ay large span, And glided als the fether of pae; 20 His heved was wyte als ony swan, His hegehen was gret and grai als so; Brues lange, wel I the can Merk it to fize inches and mae.

Armes scort, for sothe I saye, 25 Ay span seemed thaem to bee: Handes brade vytouten nay, And fingeres lange, he scheued me.

Ay stane he tok op thar it lay, And cast.i.t forth that I moth see; 30 Ay merk-soot of large way Bifore me strides he cast.i.t three.

Wel stille I stod als did the stane, To loke him on thouth me nouth lang; His robe was alle gold begane, 35 Wel craftelike[L36] maked, I understande; Botones asurd, everlk ane, Fra his elbouthe ontil his hande; Erdelik[L39] man was he nane; That in myn hert ich onderstande. 40

Til him I sayde ful sone on ane, For forthirmar I wald him fraine, "Gladli wald[L43] I wit thi name, And I wist wat me mouthe gaine; Thou ert so litel of fleshe and bane, 45 And so mikel of mith and mayne, War vones thou, litel man, at hame?

Wit of thee I wald ful faine."

"Thoth I be litel and lith, Am y noth wytouten wane; 50 Ferli frained thou wat hi hith, That[L52] thou salt noth wit my name; My wonige stede ful wel es dyght,[L53]

Nou sone thou salt se at hame."

Til him I sayde, "For G.o.des mith, 55 Let me forth myn erand gane."

"The thar noth of thin erand lette, Thouth thou come ay stonde wit me, Forther salt thou noth bi sette, Bi miles twa noyther bi three." 60 Na linger durst I for him lette, But forth y funded wyt that free; Stintid vs brok no beck; Ferlich me thouth hu so mouth bee.

He vent forth, als y you say, 65 In at ay yate, y vnderstande; In til ay yate wvndouten nay; It to se thouth me nouth[L68] lang.

The bankers on the binkes lay, And fair lordes sett y fonde; 70 In ilka ay hirn y herd ay lay, And leuedys soth meloude sange.

[Here there seems to be a break, and a new start made, with a tale told not on a _Monday_, but on a _Wednesday_.]

Lithe, bothe zonge and alde: Of ay worde y will you saye, Ay litel tale that me was tald Erli on ay Wedenesdaye.

A mody barn, that was ful bald, My friend that y frained aye, Al my gesing he me tald, And galid me als we went bi waye.

"Miri man, that es so wyth, Of ay thing gif me answere: For him that mensked man wyt mith, Wat sal worth of this were?" &c.

Finlay, 36, crustlike.

39, Clidelik.

43, Glalli wild.

52, That, qy. Yat?; with.