Ive nine milk-ews, my Marion, A cow and a brawney quay; Ise gie tham au to my Marion, Just on her bridal day. And zees get a grein sey apron, And waistcote o' London broun; And wow bot ze will be vaporing Quhaneir ze gang to the toun. Ime yong and stout, my Marion, And gin ze forsak me, Marion, Ise een gae draw up wi' Jeane. Sae put on zour pearlins, Marion, And kirtle oth' cramasie, And sune as my chin has nae haire on, I sall cum west, and see zee. 20 25 30 THE KNIGHt and shephERD'S DAUGHTER. 115 XIII. THE KNIGHT, AND SHEPHERD'S DAUGHTER. This ballad (given from an old black-letter Copy, with some corrections) was popular in the time of Queen Elizabeth, being usually printed with her picture before it, as Hearne informs us in his preface to "Gul. Neubrig. Hist. Oxon. 1719, 8vo. vol. I. p. lxx." It is quoted in Fletcher's comedy of the Pilgrim, Act 4. sc. 1. THERE was a shepherds daughter Came tripping on the waye; And there by chance a knighte shee mett, Which caused her to staye. Good morrowe to you, beauteous maide, These words pronounced hee : OI shall dye this daye, he sayd, If Ive not my wille of thee. The Lord forbid, the maide replyde, That you shold waxe so wode! * But for all that shee could do or saye, 5 10 'He wold not be withstood.' Sith you have had your wille of mee, And put me to open shame, Now, if you are a courteous knighte, 15 Some Some do call mee Jacke, sweet heart, And some do call mee Jille; But when I come to the kings faire courte He sett his foot into the stirrup, She tuckt her girdle about her middle, But when she came to the brode water, He never was the courteous knighte, To saye, faire maide, will ye ride? And she was ever too loving a maide To saye, sir knighte abide. When she came to the kings faire courtę, She knocked at the ring; So readye was the king himself 20 25 30 35 What hath he robbed thee of, sweet heart? Of purple or of pall? Or hath he took thy gaye gold ring From off thy finger small? He hath not robbed mee, my leige, But he hath gotten my maiden head, Now if he be a batchelor, His bodye Ile give to thee; He called downe his merrye men all, By one, by two, by three; Sir William used to bee the first, But nowe the last came hee. He brought her downe full fortye pounde, Tyed up withinne a glove: Faire maid, Ile give the same to thee ; Go, seeke thee another love. O Ile have none of your gold, she sayde, fee; But your faire bodye I must have, The king hath granted mee. Ver. 50. His bodye Ile give to thee] This was agreeable to the feudal customs: The lord had a right to give a wife to his vassals. See Shakespeare's "All's well, that ends well,” Sir William ranne and fetchd her then Five hundred pound in golde, Saying, faire maide, take this to thee, Thy fault will never be tolde. Tis not the gold that shall mee tempt, These words then answered shee, But your own bodye I must have, Would I had dranke the water cleare, 65 70 You mote have let me bee, I never had come othe kings faire courte, To crave any love of thee. He sett her on a milk-white steede, 85 And himself upon a graye; He hung a bugle about his necke, And soe they rode awaye. But |