Makyne, to-morn be this ilk tyde, Maybe my sheip may gang besyde, Quhyle we have liggd full neir; Quhat lyes on heart I will nocht hyd, Robin, thou reivs me of my rest; The day is neir-hand gane. "Robin, I stand in sic a style, I sich and that full sair." Makyne, I have bene here this quyle; At hame I wish I ware. "Robin, my hinny, talk and smyle, Gif thou will do nae mair." Makyne, som other man beguyle, For hameward I will fare. 45 50 535 60 Syne Robin on his ways he went, 65 As light as leif on tree; But Makyne murnt and made lament, Scho trow'd him neir to see. Robin he brayd attowre the bent: Then Makyne cried on hie, 70 "Now may thou sing, for I am shent! Quhat ailis luve at me?" Makyne went hame withouten fail, And weirylie could weip; Then Robin in a full fair dale Assemblit all his sheip. Be that some part of Makyne's ail, Hir fast he followt to assail, And till her tuke gude keip. Abyd, abyd, thou fair Makyne, A word for ony thing; For all my luve, it sall be thyne, Withouten departing. 75 80 All hale thy heart for till have myne, 85 Is all my coveting; My sheip to morn quhyle houris nyne, Will need of nae keiping. 66 Robin, thou hast heard sung and In gests and storys auld The man that will not when he may, Sall have nocht when he wald. say, 90 I pray to heaven baith nicht and day, Be eiked their cares sae cauld, That presses first with thee to play 95 Be forrest, firth, or fauld." Makyne, the nicht is soft and dry, The wether warm and fair, And the grene wod richt neir-hand by, 100 To walk attowre all where: There may nae janglers us espy, Unseen may mak repair. V. 99, Bannatyne's MS. has woid, not woud, as in ed. 1770. VOL. II. G 115 Never to fail as uthers feill, Quhat grace so eir I get. "Robin, with thee I will not deill; Adieu, for this we met.” 120 Makyne went hameward blyth enough, Outowre the holtis hair; Pure Robin murnd, and Makyne leugh; Scho sang, and he sicht sair And so left him bayth wo and wreuch, 125 In dolor and in care, Keipand his herd under a heuch, Amang the rushy gair. V. 117, Bannatyne's MS. reads as above feill, not faill, as in ed. 1770. XIV. Gentle Herdsman, tell to Me. DIALOGUE BETWEEN A PILGRIM AND HERDSMAN. THE Scene of this beautiful old ballad is laid near Walsingham in Norfolk, where was anciently an image of the Virgin Mary, famous over all Europe for the numerous pilgrimages made to it, and the great riches it possessed. Erasmus has given a very exact and humorous description of the superstitions practised there in his time. See his account of the Virgo Parathalassia, in his colloquy, entitled, Peregrinatio Religionis Ergo. He tells us, the rich offerings in silver, gold, and precious stones, that were there shown him, were incredible, there being scarce a person of any note in England but what some time or other paid a visit, or sent a present, to Our Lady of Walsingham 1. At the dissolution of the monasteries in 1538, this splendid image, with another from Ipswich, was carried to Chelsea, and there burnt in the presence of commissioners, who, we trust, did not burn the jewels and the finery. This poem is printed from a copy in the Editor's folio MS., which had greatly suffered by the hand of time; but vestiges of several of the lines remaining, some conjectural supplements have been attempted, which, for greater exactness, are in this one ballad distinguished by italics. GENTLE heardsman, tell to me, Of curtesy I thee pray, Unto the towne of Walsingham "Unto the towne of Walsingham The way is hard for to be gon; And verry crooked are those pathes you to find out all alone." For Weere the miles doubled thrise, Itt were not enough for mine offence; 5 10 Itt is soe grievous and soe ill. 1 See at the end of this ballad an account of the annual offerings of the Earls of Northumberland. |