Reliques of Ancient English Poetry

VIII.

OLD ROBIN OF PORTINGALE.

From an ancient copy in the Editor's folio MS. which was judged to require considerable cor

rections.

Or, if it be my head bookes-man,
Aggrieved he shal bee:
For no man here within my howse.
Shall doe wrong unto thee.

O, it is not your head bookes-mman,
Nor none of his degree:
But, on to-morrow ere it be noone
All deemed to die are yee.

And of that bethank your head steward,

And thank your gay ladie.
If this be true, my litle foot-page,

The heyre of my land thoust bee.

If it be not true, my dear mastèr,

No good death let me die.

If it be not true, thou litle foot-page,

A dead corse shalt thou lis.

O call now downe my faire ladye, O call her downe to mee:

And tell my ladye gay how sicke, And like to die I bee.

Downe then came his ladye faire,
All clad in purple and pall:
The rings that were on her fingers,

Cast light thorrow the hall.

Sleepe you, wake you, faire Sir Gyles?
Or be you not within ?
Sleepe you, wake you, faire Sir Gyles,
Arise and let me inn.

Will watch thy' bedde for thee.

And for his masters sad perille His verry heart did bleed.

He mourned still, and wept full sore;
I sweare by the holy roode
The teares he for his master wept
Were blent water and bloude.

And that beheard his deare mastèr
As he stood at his garden pale:
Sayes, Ever alacke, my litle foot-page,
What causes thee to wail?

Ver. 47, or to-morrow, MS. V. 56, bee, MS. V 12

make the, MS. V. 75, first, MS.

Child is frequently used by our old writers, as a Title. It is repeatedly given to Prince Arthur in the "Faerie Queen:" and the son of a king is in the same poem called "Child Tristram." [B. 5. c. 11. st. 8. 13.-B. 6. c. 2. st. 36. Ibid. c. 8. st. 15.] In an old ballad quoted in "Shakspeare's King Lear," the hero of Ariosto is called Child Roland. Mr. Theobald supposes this use of the word was received along with their romances from the Spaniards, with whom Infante signifies a "Prince." A more eminent critic tells us, that "in the old times of chivalry, the noble youth, who were candidates for knighthood, during the time of their probation were called InFans, Varlets, Damoysels, Bacheliers. The most noble of the youth were particularly called Infans." [Vid. Warb. Shakesp.] A late commentator on Spenser abserves, that the Saxon word enihz knight, signifies also a "Child." [See Upton's Gloss. to the F. Q.]

The Editor's folio MS. whence the following piece is taken (with some corrections), affords several other ballads, wherein the word Child occurs as a title: but in none of these it signifies "Prince." See the song intitled Gill Morrice, in this volume.

It ought to be observed, that the word Child or Chield is still used in North Britain to denominate a Man, commonly with some contemptuous character affixed to him, but sometimes to denote Man in general.

CHILDE Waters in his stable stoode
And stroakt his milke white steede:

To him a fayre yonge ladye came
As ever ware womans weede.

Sayes, Christ you save, good Childe Waters; 5
Sayes, Christ you save, and see :
My girdle of gold that was too longe,
Is now too short for mee.

But that his bellye it is soe bigg,
His girdle goes wondrous hie :
And let him, I pray you, Childe Waters,
Goe into the chamber with mee.

It is not fit for a little foot-page,
That has run throughe mosse and myre,
To go into the chamber with any ladye,
That weares soe riche attyre.

It is more meete for a little foot-page,
That has run throughe mosse and myre,
To take his supper upon his knee,
And sitt downe by the kitchen fyer.

But when they had supped every one,
To bedd they tooke theyr waye:
He sayd, come hither, my little foot-page,
And hearken what I saye.

Goe thee downe into yonder towne,
And low into the street;
The fayrest ladye that thou can finde,
Hyer her in mine armes to sleepe,
And take her up in thine armes twaine,
For filinge of her feete.

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