Ballads of Mystery and Miracle and Fyttes of Mirth Part 44

THE BAFFLED KNIGHT

1.

Yonder comes a courteous knight, l.u.s.tely raking over the lay; He was well ware of a bonny la.s.se, As she came wand'ring over the way.

_Then she sang downe a downe, hey downe derry_ (_bis_)

2.

'Jove you speed, fayre ladye,' he said, 'Among the leaves that be so greene; If I were a king, and wore a crowne, Full soone, fair lady, shouldst thou be a queen.

3.

'Also Jove save you, faire lady, Among the roses that be so red; If I have not my will of you, Full soone, faire lady, shall I be dead.'

4.

Then he lookt east, then hee lookt west, Hee lookt north, so did he south; He could not finde a privy place, For all lay in the divel's mouth.

5.

'If you will carry me, gentle sir, A mayde unto my father's hall, Then you shall have your will of me, Under purple and under paule.'

6.

He set her up upon a steed, And him selfe upon another, And all the day he rode her by, As though they had been sister and brother.

7.

When she came to her father's hall, It was well walled round about; She yode in at the wicket-gate, And shut the foure-ear'd foole without.

8.

'You had me,' quoth she, 'abroad in the field, Among the corne, amidst the hay, Where you might had your will of mee, For, in good faith, sir, I never said nay.

9.

'Ye had me also amid the field, Among the rushes that were so browne, Where you might had your will of me, But you had not the face to lay me downe.'

10.

He pulled out his nut-browne sword, And wipt the rust off with his sleeve, And said, 'Jove's curse come to his heart, That any woman would beleeve!'

11.

When you have your own true-love A mile or twaine out of the towne, Spare not for her gay clothing, But lay her body flat on the ground.

[Annotations: 1.2: 'lay' = lea, meadow-land.

4.4: 'divel's mouth.' Skeat has suggested that this metaphor is derived from the devil's mouth always being wide open in painted windows.

7.3: 'yode,' went.

7.4: 'foure-ear'd.' Child suggests, 'as denoting a double a.s.s?'

10.1,2: See First Series, Introduction, p. xlix.]

OUR GOODMAN

+The Text+ is from Herd's MSS., as given by Professor Child to form a regular sequence. The ballad also exists in an English broadside form.

+The Story+ of the ballad has a close counterpart in Flemish Belgium, and in southern France. The German variants, however, have a curious history. The English broadside ballad was translated into German by F. W. Meyer in 1789, and in this form gained such popularity that it was circulated not only as a broadside, but actually in oral tradition,--with the usual result of alteration. Its vogue was not confined to Germany, but spread to Hungary and Scandinavia, a Swedish broadside appearing within ten years of Meyer's translation.

OUR GOODMAN

1.

Hame came our goodman, And hame came he, And then he saw a saddle-horse, Where nae horse should be.

2.

'What's this now, goodwife?

What's this I see?

How came this horse here, Without the leave o' me?'

_Recitative_.

'A horse?' quo' she.

'Ay, a horse,' quo' he.

3.

'Shame fa' your cuckold face, Ill mat ye see!

'Tis naething but a broad sow, My minnie sent to me.'

'A broad sow?' quo' he.

'Ay, a sow,' quo' shee.

4.

'Far hae I ridden, And farer hae I gane, But a saddle on a sow's back I never saw nane.'

5.

Hame came our goodman, And hame came he; He spy'd a pair of jack-boots, Where nae boots should be.

6.

'What's this now, goodwife?

What's this I see?

How came these boots here, Without the leave o' me?'

'Boots?' quo' she.

'Ay, boots,' quo' he.

7.

'Shame fa' your cuckold face, And ill mat ye see!

It's but a pair of water-stoups, My minnie sent to me.'

'Water-stoups?' quo' he.

'Ay, water-stoups,' quo' she.

8.

'Far hae I ridden, And farer hae I gane, But siller spurs on water-stoups I saw never nane.'

9.

Hame came our goodman, And hame came he, And he saw a sword, Whare a sword should na be.