The soldan strucke a second stroke,
And made the bloude to flowe:
All pale and wan was that ladye fayre,
And thrice she wept for woe.

The soldan strucke a third fell stroke,
Which brought the knighte on his knee:
Sad sorrow pierced that ladyes heart,
And she shriekt loud shriekings three.

The knighte he leapt upon his feete,
All recklesse of the pain :

Quoth hee, But heaven be now my speede,
Or else I shall be slaine.

He grasped his sworde with mayne and mighte,
And spying a secrette part,

He drave it into the soldan's syde,
And pierced him to the heart.

Then all the people gave a shoute,

When they sawe the soldan falle :
The ladye wept, and thanked Christ,
That had reskewed her from thrall.

And nowe the kinge with all his barons
Rose uppe from offe his seate,
And downe he stepped intò the listes,
That curteous knighte to greete.

But he for payne and lacke of bloude
Was fallen intò a swounde,

And there all walteringe in his gore,
Lay lifelesse on the grounde.

Come downe, come downe, my daughter deare,

Thou art a leeche of skille;

Farre lever had I lose halfe my landes,

Than this good knighte sholde spille.

Downe then steppeth that fayre ladyè,
To helpe him if she maye;
But when she did his beavere raise,
It is my life, my lord, she sayes,

And shriekte and swound awaye.
Sir Cauline juste lifte up his eyes
When he heard his ladye crye,

O ladye, I am thine owne true love;
For thee I wisht to dye.

Then giving her one partinge looke,
He closed his eyes in death,
Ere Christabelle, that ladye milde,
Begane to drawe her breathe.

But when she found her comelye knighte
Indeed was dead and gone,

She layde her pale cold cheeke to his,
And thus she made her moane:

O staye, my deare and onlye lord,
For mee thy faithfulle feere;
'Tis meet that I shold follow thee,
Who hast bought my love soe deare.
Then fayntinge in a deadlye swoune,
And with a deepe-fette sighe,

That burst her gentle hearte in twayne,
Fayre Christabelle did dye.

V. EDWARD, EDWARD

A SCOTTISH BALLAD

From a manuscript copy transmitted from Scotland QUHY dois zour brand sae drop wi' bluid, Edward, Edward? Quhy dois zour brand sae drop wi' bluid ? And quhy sae sad gang zee, O?

O, I hae killed my hauke sae guid,

Mither, mither:

O, I hae killed my hauke sae guid:
And I had nae mair bot hee, O.

Zour haukis bluid was nevir sae reid,

Edward, Edward.
Zour haukis bluid was nevir sae reid,
My deir son I tell thee, O.

O, I hae killed my reid-roan steid,

Mither, Mither:

O, I hae killed my reid-roan steid,

That erst was sae fair and free, O.

*

Zour steid was auld, and ze hae gat mair,
Edward, Edward:
Zour steid was auld, and ze hae gat mair,
Sum other dule ze drie, O.

O, I hae killed my fadir deir,

O, I hae killed my fadir deir,

Mither, mither:

Alas! and wae is mee, O!

And quhatten penance wul ze drie for that,

Edward, Edward?
And quhatten penance will ze drie for that?
My deir son, now tell mee, O.

Ile set my feit in zonder boat,

Ile set my feit in zonder boat,

Mither, mither:

And Ile fare ovir the sea, O.

And quhat wul ze doe wi' zour towirs and zour ha',

Edward, Edward?

And quhat wul ze doe wi' zour towirs and zour ha',
That were sae fair to see, O?

Ile let thame stand til they doun fa',

Mither, mither:

Ile let thame stand till they doun fa',

For here nevir mair maun I bee, O.

And quhat wul ze leive to zour bairns and zour wife,
Edward, Edward?

And quhat wul ze leive to zour bairns and zour wife,
Quhan ze gang ovir the sea, O?

The warldis room, let thame beg throw life,

Mither, mither:

The warldis room, let thame beg throw life,
For thame nevir mair wul I see, O.

And quhat wul ze leive to zour ain mither deir,
Edward, Edward?

And quhat wul ze leive to zour ain mither deir?
My deir son, now tell me, O.

The curse of hell frae me sall ze beir,

Mither, mither:

The curse of hell frae me sall ze beir,

Sic counseils ze gave to me, O.

This curious song was transmitted to the Editor by Sir David

Dalrymple, Bart., late Lord Hailes.

VI. KING ESTMERE

This old romantic legend (which is given from two copies, one of them in the Editor's folio manuscript but which contained very great variations,) bears marks of considerable antiquity, and perhaps ought to have taken place of any in this volume. It should seem to have been written while part of Spain was in the hands of the Saracens or Moors; whose empire there was not fully extinguished before the year 1491. The Mahometans are spoken of in ver. 49, &c. just in the same terms as in all other old romances. The author of the ancient legend of "Sir Bevis" represents his hero, upon all occasions, breathing out defiance against

Mahound and Termagaunte;1

and so full of zeal for his religion, as to return the following polite message to a Paynim king's fair daughter, who had fallen in love with him, and sent two Saracen knights to invite him to her bower:

I wyll not ones stirre off this grounde,
To speake with an heathen hounde.
Unchristen houndes, I rede you fle,
Or I your harte bloud shall se.2

Indeed they return the compliment by calling him elsewhere “A christen hounde." 3

This was conformable to the real manners of the barbarous ages: perhaps the same excuse will hardly serve our bard; for that the Adland should be found lolling or leaning at his gate (ver. 35.) may be thought perchance a little out of character. And yet the great painter of manners, Homer, did not think it inconsistent with decorum to represent a King of the Taphians leaning at the gate of Ulysses to inquire for that monarch, when he touched at Ithaca as he was taking a voyage with a ship's cargo of iron to dispose in traffic. So little ought we to judge of ancient manners by our own.

Before I conclude this article, I cannot help observing that the reader will see, in this ballad, the character of the old minstrels (those successors of the bards) placed in a very respectable light : 5 here he will see one of them represented mounted on a fine horse, accompanied with an attendant to bear his harp after him, and to sing the poems of his composing. Here he will see him mixing in the company of kings without ceremony: no mean proof of the great antiquity of this poem. The further we carry our inquiries back, the greater respect we find paid to the professors of poetry and music among all the Celtic and Gothic nations. Their character was deemed so sacred, that under its sanction our famous King Alfred (as we have already seen 6) made no scruple to enter the Danish camp, and was at once admitted to the

1 See a short Memoir at the end of this ballad, Note tit.

2 Sign. C. ii. b.

4 Odyss. A. 105.

3 Sign. C. i. b.

5 See Series II. Book ii. No. 16, Note subjoined to the first Part of Beggar of Bednal, &c.

6 See the Essay on the ancient Minstrels prefixed to this volume.

HÄDNADY COLLEGE LIBRARY - WIDENER LIBRARY

king's head-quarters. Our poet has suggested the same expedient to the heroes of this ballad. All the histories of the North are full of the great reverence paid to this order of men. Harold Harfagre, a celebrated King of Norway, was wont to seat them at his table above all the officers of his court: and we find another Norwegian King placing five of them by his side in a day of battle, that they might be eyewitnesses of the great exploits they were to celebrate. As to Estmere's riding into the hall while the kings were at table, this was usual in the ages of chivalry; and even to this day we see a relic of this ancient custom still kept up, in the champion's riding into Westminster-hall during the coronation dinner.3

Some liberties have been taken with this tale by the Editor, but none without notice to the reader in that part which relates to the subject of the Harper and his attendant.

HEARKEN to me, gentlemem,

Come and you shall heare;

Ile tell you of two of the boldest brethren 4
That ever borne y-were.

The tone of them was Adler younge,

The tother was kyng Estmere ;
The were as bolde men in their deeds,
As any were farr and neare.

5

As they were drinking ale and wine
Within kyng Estmeres halle:
When will ye marry a wyfe, brother,
A wyfe to glad us all?

Then bespake him kyng Estmere,
And answered him hastilee: 6
I know not that ladye in any land
That's able to marrye with mee.

Kyng Adland hath a daughter, brother,
Men call her bright and sheene;
If I were kyng here in your stead,
That ladye shold be my queene.

Saies, Reade me, reade me, deare brother,
Throughout merry Englànd,

1 Even so late as the time of Froissart, we find minstrels and heralds mentioned together, as those who might securely go into an enemy's country. Cap. cxl. 2 Bartholini Antiq. Dan. p. 173. Northern Antiquities, &c. vol. i. pp. 386,

389, &c.

See also the account of Edw. II. in the Essay on the Minstrels, and Note (x). 4 "Brether." Fol. MS.

6 "Hartilye." Folio MS.

5 "His brother's hall."
7 He means fit, suitable.

Folio MS.