Ballads of Mystery and Miracle and Fyttes of Mirth Part 13

36.

Gloomy, gloomy was the night, And eerie was the way, As fair Jenny in her green mantle To Miles Cross she did gae.

37.

About the middle o' the night She heard the bridles ring; This lady was as glad at that As any earthly thing.

38.

First she let the black pa.s.s by, And syne she let the brown; But quickly she ran to the milk-white steed, And pu'd the rider down.

39.

Sae weel she minded whae he did say, And young Tarn Lin did win; Syne cover'd him wi' her green mantle, As blythe's a bird in spring.

40.

Out then spak the Queen o' Fairies, Out of a bush o' broom: 'Them that has gotten young Tam Lin Has gotten a stately groom.'

41.

Out then spak the Queen o' Fairies, And an angry woman was she: 'Shame betide her ill-far'd face, And an ill death may she die, For she's ta'en awa' the bonniest knight In a' my companie.

42.

'But had I kend, Tam Lin,' she says, 'What now this night I see, I wad hae ta'en out thy twa grey een, And put in twa een o' tree.'

[Annotations: 2.2: 'wad,' forfeit.

3.4: 'bree,' brow.

8.3: 'snooded,' tied with a fillet.

10.4: 'gla.s.s': perhaps a mistake for 'gra.s.s.'

23.2: 'snell,' keen.

24.4: 'tiend,' t.i.the.

31.2: 'esk,' newt.

33.2: 'gaud,' bar.

34.2: 'gleed,' a glowing coal.

42.4: 'tree,' wood.]

THE CLERK'S TWA SONS O' OWSENFORD, and THE WIFE OF USHER'S WELL

These two ballads must be considered together, as the last six verses (18-23) of _The Clerk's Twa Sons_, as here given, are a variant of _The Wife of Usher's Well_.

+Texts.+--_The Clerk's Twa Sons_ is taken from Kinloch's MSS., in the handwriting of James Chambers, as it was sung to his grandmother by an old woman.

_The Wife of Usher's Well_ is from Scott's _Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border_, and however incomplete, may well stand alone.

+The Story+ has a fairly close parallel in the well-known German ballad, 'Das Schloss in Oesterreich'; and a ballad found both in Spain and Italy has resemblances to each. But in these two ballads, especially in _The Wife of Usher's Well_, the interest lies rather in the impressiveness of the verses than in the story.

THE CLERK'S TWA SONS O' OWSENFORD

1.

O I will sing to you a sang, But oh my heart is sair!

The clerk's twa sons in Owsenford Has to learn some unco lair.

2.

They hadna been in fair Parish A twelvemonth an' a day, Till the clerk's twa sons o' Owsenford Wi' the mayor's twa daughters lay.

3.

O word's gaen to the mighty mayor, As he sail'd on the sea, That the clerk's twa sons o' Owsenford Wi' his twa daughters lay.

4.

'If they hae lain wi' my twa daughters, Meg and Marjorie, The morn, or I taste meat or drink, They shall be hangit hie.'

5.

O word's gaen to the clerk himself, As he sat drinkin' wine, That his twa sons in fair Parish Were bound in prison strong.

6.

Then up and spak the clerk's ladye, And she spak pow'rfully: 'O tak with ye a purse of gold, Or take with ye three, And if ye canna get William, Bring Andrew hame to me.'

7.

'O lye ye here for owsen, dear sons, Or lie ye here for kye?

Or what is it that ye lie for, Sae sair bound as ye lie?'

8.

'We lie not here for owsen, dear father, Nor yet lie here for kye; But it's for a little o' dear-bought love Sae sair bound as we lye.'

9.

O he's gane to the mighty mayor And he spake powerfully:

'Will ye grant me my twa sons' lives, Either for gold or fee?

Or will ye be sae gude a man As grant them baith to me?'

10.

'I'll no' grant ye yere twa sons' lives, Neither for gold or fee, Nor will I be sae gude a man As gie them back to thee; Before the morn at twelve o'clock Ye'll see them hangit hie.'

11.

Up and spak his twa daughters, And they spak pow'rfully: 'Will ye grant us our twa loves' lives, Either for gold or fee?

Or will ye be sae gude a man As grant them baith to me?'

12.

'I 'll no' grant ye yere twa loves' lives, Neither for gold or fee, Nor will I be sae gude a man As grant their lives to thee; Before the morn at twelve o'clock Ye'll see them hangit hie.'

13.

O he's ta'en out these proper youths, And hang'd them on a tree, And he's bidden the clerk o' Owsenford Gang hame to his ladie.

14.

His lady sits on yon castle-wa', Beholding dale and doun, An' there she saw her ain gude lord Come walkin' to the toun.