English and Scottish Ballads Volume IV Part 35

CHIL ETHER.

From Buchan's _Ballads of the North of Scotland_, ii. 228.

Chil Ether and Lady Maisry Were baith born at ae birth; They lov'd each other tenderlie, Boon every thing on earth.

"They ley likes na the summer shower, 5 Nor girse the mornin' dew, Better, dear Lady Maisry, Than Chil Ether loves you."

"The bonny doo likes na its mate, Nor babe at breast its mither, 10 Better, my dearest Chil Ether, Than Maisry loves her brither."

But he needs gae to gain renown, Into some far countrie; And Chil Ether has gaen abroad, 15 To fight in Paynimie.

And he has been in Paynimie A twalvemonth and a day; But never nae tidings did there come, Of his welfare to say. 20

Then she's ta'en ship, awa' to sail, Out ower the roaring faem; A' for to find him, Chil Ether, And for to bring him hame.

She hadna sail'd the sea a month, 25 A month but barely three, Until she landit on Ciper's sh.o.r.e, By the meen-licht sae lie.

Lady Maisry did on her green mantle, Took her purse in her hand, 30 And call'd to her her mariners, Syne walk'd up thro' the land.

She walked up, sae did she down, Till she came till castell high; There she sat down on the door stane, 35 And weepit bitterlie.

Then out it spake a sweet, sweet voice, Out ower the castell wa', "Now isna that Lady Maisry That makes sic a dolefu' fa'? 40

"But gin that be Lady Maisry, Lat her make mirth and glee; For I'm her brother, Chil Ether, That loves her tenderlie.

"But gin that be Lady Maisry, 45 Lat her take purse in hand; And gang to yonder castell wa',-- They call it Gorinand.

"Spier for the lord o' that castell, Gie'm dollars thirty-three; 50 Tell him to ransom Chil Ether, That loves you tenderlie."

She's done her up to that castell, Paid down her gude monie; And sae she's ransom'd Chil Ether, 55 And brought him hame her wi'.

YOUNG BEARWELL.

"A fragment, and now printed in the hope that the remainder of it may hereafter be recovered. From circ.u.mstances, one would almost be inclined to trace it to a Danish source; or it may be an episode of some forgotten Metrical Romance: but this cannot satisfactorily be ascertained, from its catastrophe being unfortunately wanting."

_Motherwell's Minstrelsy_, p. 345.

The same is in Buchan's _Ballads of the North of Scotland_, ii. 75.

When two lovers love each other weel, Great sin it were them to twinn; And this I speak from young Bearwell; He loved a lady ying, The Mayor's daughter of Birktoun-brae, 5 That lovely leesome thing.

One day when she was looking out, When washing her milk-white hands, Then she beheld him young Bearwell,[L9]

As he came in the sands. 10

Says,--"Wae 's me for you, young Bearwell, Such tales of you are tauld; They 'll cause you sail the salt sea so far As beyond Yorkisfauld."

"O shall I bide in good green wood, 15 Or stay in bower with thee?"

"The leaves are thick in good green wood, Would hold you from the rain; And if you stay in bower with me, You will be taken and slain. 20

"But I caused build a ship for you, Upon Saint Innocent's day; I 'll bid Saint Innocent be your guide, And Our Lady, that meikle may.

You are a lady's first true love; 25 G.o.d carry you weel away!"

Then he sailed east and he sailed west, By many a comely strand; At length a puff of northern wind Did blow him to the land. 30

When he did see the king and court, Were playing at the ba'; Gave him a harp into his hand, Says,--"Stay, Bearwell, and play."

He had not been in the king's court 35 A twelvemonth and a day, Till there came lairds and lords enew, To court that lady gay.

They wooed her with broach and ring, They nothing could keep back; 40 The very charters of their lands Into her hands they pat.

She 's done her down to Heyvalin, With the light of the mune: Says,--"Will ye do this deed for me, 45 And will ye do it sune?

"Will ye go seek him young Bearwell, On seas wherever he be?

And if I live and bruik my life, Rewarded ye shall be." 50

"Alas, I am too young a skipper, So far to sail the faem; But if I live and bruik my life, I 'll strive to bring him hame."

So he has sail'd east and then sail'd west, 55 By many a comely strand; Till there came a blast of northern wind, And blew him to the land.

And there the king and all his court Were playing at the ba'; 60 Gave him a harp into his hand, Says,--"Stay, Heyvalin, and play."

He has tane up the harp in hand, And unto play went he; And young Bearwell was the first man 65 In all that companie.

9, That.

LORD THOMAS OF WINESBERRY AND THE KING'S DAUGHTER.

From Buchan's _Ballads of the North of Scotland_, ii. 212. Another version is given in Buchan's _Gleanings_, p. 127, and a third by Kinloch, p. 93. Kinloch considers that the ballad may relate to the secret expedition of James V. to France, in 1536, in search of a wife.

In the last verse of his copy of the ballad, Lord Thomas turns out to be no less a man than the King of Scotland.

Seven years the king he staid Into the land of Spain, And seven years true Thomas was His daughter's chamberlain.

But it fell ance upon a day 5 The king he did come home; She beked and she benjed ben, And did him there welcome.