O wha wad wish the wind to blaw,
Or the green leaves fa' therewith?
Or wha wad wish a lealer love

Than Brown Adam the Smith?

But they hae banished him, Brown Adam, Frae father and frae mother;

And they hae banish'd him, Brown Adam, Frae sister and frae brother.

And they hae banish'd him, Brown Adam, The flower o' a' his kin;

And he's bigged a bour in gude green-wood Atween his ladye and him.

It fell upon a summer's day,

Brown Adam he thought lang; And, for to hunt some venison,

To green-wood he wald gang.

He has ta'en his bow his arm o'er,
His bolts and arrows lang;
And he is to the gude green-wood
As fast as he could gang.

O he's shot up, and he's shot down,
The bird upon the brier;
And he sent it hame to his ladye,
Bade her be of gude cheir.

O he's shot up, and he's shot down,
The bird upon the thorn;
And sent it hame to his ladye,

Said he'd be hame the morn.

When he cam to his lady's bour door
He stude a little forbye,

And there he heard a fou fause knight
Tempting his gay ladye.

For he's ta'en out a gay goud ring,
Had cost him many a poun',

"I lo'e Brown Adam weel," she said; "I trew sae does he me ;

I wadna gie Brown Adam's love
For nae fause knight I see."-

Out has he ta'en a purse o' gowd,
Was a' fou to the string,
"O grant me love for love, ladye,
And a' this sall be thine."-

"I lo'e Brown Adam weel," she says;
"I wot sae does he me:

I wadna be your light leman,

For mair than ye could gie."

Then out he drew his lang bright brand, And flash'd it in her een; "Now grant me love for love, ladye, Or thro' ye this sall gang!' Then, sighing, says that ladye fair, "Brown Adam tarries lang!"

Then in and starts him Brown Adam,

Says "I'm just at your hand."-
He's gar'd him leave his bonny bow,

He's gar'd him leave his brand,
He's gar'd him leave a dearer pledge-
Four fingers o' his right hand.

JELLON GRAME.

NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED.

This ballad is published from tradition, with some conjectural emendations. It is corrected by a copy in Mrs. Brown's MS., from which it differs in the concluding stanzas. Some verses are apparently modernized.

Jellon seems to be the same name with Jyllian or Julian. 66 'Jyl of Brentford's Testament" is mentioned in Warton's History of Poetry, vol. ii. p. 40. The name repeatedly occurs in old ballads, sometimes as that of a man, at other times as that of a woman. Of the former is an instance in the ballad of "The Knight and the Shepherd's Daughter.”— Reliques of Ancient Poetry, vol. iii. p. 72:

"Some do call me Jack, sweetheart,

And some do call me Jille."

Witton Gilbert, a village four miles west of Durham, is, throughout the bishopric, pronounced Witton Jilbert. We have also the common name of Giles, always in Scotland pronounced Jill. For Gille, or Juliana, as a female name we have Fair Gillian of Croyden, and a thousand authorities. Such being the case, the Editor must enter his protest against the conversion of Gil Morrice into Child Maurice, an epithet of chivalry. All the circumstances in that ballad argue, that the unfortunate hero was an obscure and very young man, who had never received

the honour of knighthood. At any rate, there can be no reason, even were internal evidence totally wanting, for altering a well-known proper name, which, till of late years, has been the uniform title of the ballad.

JELLON GRAME.

O Jellon Grame sat in Silverwood,' He sharp'd his broads word lang; And he has call'd his little foot-page

An errand for to gang.

"Win up, my bonny boy," he says,

"As quickly as ye may; For ye maun gang for Lillie Flower Before the break of day."

The boy has buckled his belt about, And through the green-wood ran; And he came to the ladye's bower

Before the day did dawn.

"O sleep ye, wake ye, Lillie Flower?
The red sun's on the rain:
Ye're bidden come to Silverwood,

But I doubt ye'll never win hame."-
She hadna ridden a mile, a mile,

A mile but barely three,
Ere she came to a new-made grave,

Beneath a green aik tree.

O then up started Jellon Grame,
Out of a bush thereby;

"Light down, light down, now, Lillie Flower, For it's here that ye maun lye."

She lighted aff her milk-white steed,
And kneel'd upon her knee;
"O mercy, mercy, Jellon Grame,
For I'm no prepared to die!

"Your bairn, that stirs between my sides,
Maun shortly see the light:

But to see it weltering in my blood,
Would be a piteous sight."-

"O should I spare your life," he says,
"Until that bairn were born,
Full weel I ken your auld father

Would hang me on the morn."-
"O spare my life, now, Jellon Grame!
My father ye needna dread:
I'll keep my babe in gude green-wood,
Or wi' it I'll beg my bread."—

He took no pity on Lillie Flower,
Though she for life did pray;

But pierced her through the fair body
As at his feet she lay.

Silverwood, mentioned in this ballad, occurs in a medley MS. song, which seems to have been copied from the first edition of the Aberdeen cantus, penes John G. Dalyell, Esq. advocate. One line only is cited, apparently the beginning of some song:

He felt nae pity for Lillie Flower,
Where she was lying dead;

But he felt some for the bonny bairn,
That lay weltering in her bluid.
Up has he ta'en that bonny boy,
Given him to nurses nine;
Three to sleep, and three to wake,
And three to go between.
And he bred up that bonny boy,
Call'd him his sister's son:
And he thought no eye could ever see
The deed that he had done.

O so it fell upon a day,

When hunting they might be, They rested them in Silverwood, Beneath that green aik tree.

And many were the green-wood flowers
Upon the grave that grew,

And marvell'd much that bonny boy
To see their lovely hue.

"What's paler than the prymrose wan?
What's redder than the rose?
What's fairer than the lilye flower
On this wee know that grows?"-

2

vantages, the Editor cannot relinquish his purpose of publishing the old ballad, in its native simplicity, as taken from Mrs. Brown of Falkland's MS.

Those who wish to know how an incantation, or charm, of the distressing nature here described, was performed in classic days, may consult the story of Galanthis's Metamorphosis, in Ovid, or the following passage in Apuleius: "Eadem (Saga scilicet quæ"dam), amatoris uxorem, quod in eam dicacule "probrum dixerat, jam in sarcinam prægnationis, "obsepto utero, et repigrato fœtu, perpetua prægna"tione damnavit. Et ut cuncti numerant, octo annorum onere, misella illa, velut elephantum paritura, distenditur."-APUL. Metam. lib. 1.

66

66

There is also a curious tale about a Count of Westeravia, whom a deserted concubine bewitched upon his marriage, so as to preclude all hopes of his becoming a father. The spell continued to operate for three years, till one day, the Count happening to meet with his former mistress, she maliciously asked him about the increase of his family. The Count, conceiving some suspicion from her manner, craftily answered, that God had blessed him with three fine children; on which she exclaimed, like Willie's mother in the ballad, "May Heaven confound the old hag, by whose counsel I threw an enchanted pitcher into the draw-well of your palace!" The spell being found, and destroyed, the Count became the father of a numerous family.-Hierarchie of the Blessed Angels, p. 474.

WILLIE'S LADYE.

Willie's ta'en him o'er the faem,

He's wooed a wife, and brought her hame;
He's wooed her for her yellow hair,
But his mother wrought her meikle care;

And meikle dolour gar'd her dree,
For lighter she can never be;
But in her bower she sits wi' pain,
And Willie mourns o'er her in vain.

And to his mother he has gane,
That vile rank witch, o' vilest kind!
He says "My ladie has a cup,
Wi' gowd and silver set about;
This gudely gift sall be your ain,

And let her be lighter o' her young bairn.”-
"Of her young bairn she's never be lighter,
Nor in her bour to shine the brighter:
But she sall die, and turn to clay,
And you sall wed another may."—
"Another may I'll never wed,

Another may I'll never bring hame."
But, sighing, said that weary wight-
"I wish my life were at an end!

"Yet gae ye to your mother again,
That vile rank witch, o' vilest kind!
And say, your ladye has a steed,
The like o' him's no in the land o' Leed."

"For he is silver shod before,
And he is gowden shod behind;
At every tuft of that horse mane,
There's a golden chess,' and a bell to ring.
This gudely gift sall be her ain,

And let me be lighter o' my young bairn."—

"Of her young bairn she's ne'er be lighter,
Nor in her bour to shine the brighter;
But she sall die, and turn to clay,
And ye sall wed another may."-
"Another may I'll never wed,
Another may I'll never bring hame.”-
But, sighing, said that weary wight-
"I wish my life were at an end!-

"Yet gae ye to your mother again,
That vile rank witch, o' rankest kind!
And say your ladye has a girdle,
It's a' red gowd to the middle;

"And aye, at ilka siller hem
Hang fifty siller bells and ten;
This gudely gift sall be her ain,

And let me be lighter o' my young bairn."

"Of her young bairn she's ne'er be lighter,
Nor in your bour to shine the brighter;
For she sall die, and turn to clay,
And thou sall wed another may."-

"Another may I'll never wed,
Another may I'll never bring hame."-
But, sighing, said that weary wight—
"I wish my days were at an end! "-

1 Faem-The sea foam.

a Land o' Leed-Perhaps Lydia.

3 Chess-Should probably be jess, the name of a hawk's bell. 4 Billy Blind-A familiar genius or propitious spirit, somewhat similar to the Brownie. He is mentioned repeatedly in Mrs. Brown's Ballads, but I have not met with him anywhere else,

although he is alluded to in the rustic game of Bogle (i. e. goblin) Billy Blind. The word is, indeed, used in Sir David Lindsay's plays, but apparently in a different sense

"Priests sall leid you like ane Billy Blinde." PINKERTON'S Scottish Poems, 1792, vol. ii. p.

232.

5 Wace-Wax.

[A stanza seems to be wanting. Willie is supposed to follow the advice of the spirit.-His mother speaks.]

"O wha has loosed the nine witch knots,
That were amang that ladye's locks?
And wha's ta'en out the kaims o' care,
That were amang that ladye's hair?

"And wha has ta'en down that bush o'woodbine,

That hung between her bour and mine?

And wha has kill'd the master kid,
That ran beneath that ladye's bed?
And wha has loosed her left foot shee,
And let that ladye lighter be?"

Syne, Willy's loosed the nine witch knots,
That were amang that ladye's locks;
And Willie's ta'en out the kaims o' care,
That were into that ladye's hair;
And he's ta'en down the bush o' woodbine,
Hung atween her bour and the witch carline;

And he has kill'd the master kid,
That ran beneath that ladye's bed;
And he has loosed her left foot shee,
And latten that ladye lighter be;
And now he gas gotten a bonny son,
And meikle grace be him upon.

CLERK SAUNDERS.

NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED.

This romantic ballad is taken from Mr. Herd's MSS., with several corrections from a shorter and more imperfect copy, in the same volume, and one or two conjectural emendations in the arrangement of the stanzas. The resemblance of the conclusion to the ballad, beginning, "There came a ghost to Margaret's door," will strike every reader. The tale is uncommonly wild and beautiful, and apparently very ancient. The custom of the passing bell is still kept up in many villages in Scotland. The sexton goes through the town, ringing a small bell, and announcing the death of the departed, and the time of the funeral.

The three concluding verses have been recovered

[Mr. Kinloch has again separated the parts in his edition. See his Ballads, 1827, p. 240.-ED.]

[Two different copies of this pathetic and deeply-interesting ballad have been published: the one by the author of the Border Minstrelsy, and the other by Mr. Jamieson, which, though of inferior beauty, is not the less valuable, as illustrating the transmutations to which traditionary song is inevitably subjected. To the copy we have adopted, we were almost inclined to prefix the following verses, which begin the copy preserved by Mr. Jamieson :

"Clerk Saunders was an earl's son,

He lived upon sea sand;

May Margaret was a king's daughter, She lived in upper land.

"Clerk Saunders was an earl's son,

Weel learned at the scheel;

May Margaret was a king's daughter,
They baith lo'ed either weel.”—

since the first edition of this work and I am informed by the reciter, that it was usual to separate from the rest that part of the ballad which follows the death of the lovers, as belonging to another story. For this, however, there seems no necessity, as other authorities give the whole as a complete tale.'

CLERK SAUNDERS."

Clerk Saunders and may Margaret
Walked ower yon garden green;
And sad and heavy was the love

That fell thir twa between.

"A bed, a bed," Clerk Saunders said, "A bed for you and me!

"Fye na, fye na," said may Margaret, "Till anes we married be;

"For in may come my seven bauld brothers, Wi' torches burning bright;

They'll say 'We hae but ae sister,

And behold she's wi' a knight!""

"Then take the sword from my scabbard,

And slowly lift the pin;

And you may swear, and safe your aith,
Ye never let Clerk Saunders in.

"And take a napkin in your hand,

And tie up baith your bonny een;
And you may swear, and safe your aith,
Ye saw me na since late yestreen.”—3
It was about the midnight hour,

When they asleep were laid,
When in and came her seven brothers,

Wi' torches burning red.

When in and came her seven brothers,
Wi' torches burning bright;
They said, "We hae but ae sister,

And behold her lying with a knight!"
Then out and spake the first o' them,

"I bear the sword shall gar him die!” And out and spake the second o' them,

"His father has nae mair than he!"

because they supply information as to the rank in society respectively held by these ill-fated lovers-and, by hinting at the scholastic acquirements of Clerk Saunders, they prepare us for the casuistry by which he seeks to reconcile May Margaret's conscience to a most jesuitical oath."-MOTHERWELL'S Minstrelsy, p. 147-8. A third copy has since been published by Buchan, under the title of "Clerk Sandy;" but his various readings are mere housemaid's corruptions. A fourth and more valuable set has also been given by Mr. Kinloch.-ED.]

3 [In the north-country version of this ballad, published by Mr. Kinloch, we have an additional stanza here.

--"Ye'll tak me in your arms twa,
Ye'll carry me into your bed,
And ye may swear, and save your aitb,
That in your bour floor I ne'er gae'd."
KINLOCH, p. 235.-ED.]

And out and spake the third o' them, "I wot that they are lovers dear!" And out and spake the fourth o' them, "They hae been in love this mony a year!" Then out and spake the fifth o' them,

"It were great sin true love to twain!" And out and spake the sixth of them,

"It were shame to slay a sleeping man!"
Then up and gat the seventh o' them,
And never a word spake he;
But he has striped his bright brown brand
Out through Clerk Saunders' fair bodye.
Clerk Saunders he started, and Margaret she
Into his arms as asleep she lay; [turn'd'
And sad and silent was the night
That was atween thir twae.

And they lay still and sleeped sound,
Until the day began to daw;

And kindly to him she did say,

"It is time, true love, you were awa." But he lay still, and sleeped sound,

Albeit the sun began to sheen;
She looked atween her and the wa',
And dull and drowsie were his een.
Then in and came her father dear,

Said "Let a' your mourning be:
I'll carry the dead corpse to the clay,
And I'll come back and comfort thee."—

"Comfort weel your seven sons,

For comforted will I never be :

I ween 'twas neither knave nor loon
Was in the bower last night wi' me."-

Nor our true love sall never twin,
Until ye come within my bower,
And kiss me cheik and chin."-
"My mouth it is full cold, Margaret,

It has the smell, now, of the ground;
And if I kiss thy comely mouth,

Thy days of life will not be lang.

"O, cocks are crowing a merry midnight, I wot the wild fowls are boding day; Give me my faith and troth again,

And let me fare me on my way."

"Thy faith and troth thou sall na get, And our true love shall never twin, Until ye tell what comes of women,

I wot, who die in strong traivelling?" 3 "Their beds are made in the heavens high, Down at the foot of our good Lord's knee, Weel set about wi' gillyflowers; 4

I wot sweet company for to see.

"O, cocks are crowing a merry midnight,
I wot the wild fowl are boding day;
The psalms of heaven will soon be sung,
And I, ere now, will be miss'd away."-
Then she has ta'en a crystal wand,

And she has stroken her troth thereon;
She has given it him out at the shot-window,
Wi' mony a sad sigh, and heavy groan.

"I thank ye, Marg’ret; I thank ye, Marg’ret; And aye I thank ye heartilie;

Gin ever the dead come for the quick,
Be sure, Marg❜ret, I'll come for thee."-
It's hosen and shoon, and gown alone,
She climb'd the wall, and follow'd him,
Until she came to the green forest,

And there she lost the sight o' him.

"Is there ony room at your head, Saunders? Is there ony room at your feet?

Or ony room at your side, Saunders,
Where fain, fain, I wad sleep?"
"There's nae room at my head, Margʼret,
There's nae room at my feet;

2

Striped-Thrust.

["Nothing could have been better imagined," says Mr. Jamieson, "than the circumstance, in Mr. Scott's copy, of killing Clerk Saunders while his mistress was asleep; nor can any thing be more natural or pathetic than the three stanzas that follow, beginning with,

'Clerk Saunders he started, and Margaret she turned,' etc.

They might have charmed a whole volume of bad poetry against the ravages of time. In Mr. Scott's work, they shine but like pearls among diamonds.”—Jamieson's Ballads, vol. i. p. 81.] 3 Traivelling-Child-birth.

4 From whatever source the popular ideas of heaven be derived, the mention of gillyflowers is not uncommon. Thus, in the Dead Men's Song

"The fields about this city faire

Were all with roses set; Gilly flowers, and carnations faire,

Which canker could not fret."

RITSON'S Ancient Songs, p. 283.

The description, given in the legend of Sir Owain, of the terrestrial paradise, at which the blessed arrive after passing through purgatory, omits gillyflowers, though it mentions many others. As the passage is curious, and the legend has never been published, many persons may not be displeased to see it extracted"Fair were her erbers with flowres, Rose and Illi divers colours, Primros and parvink: Mint, feverfoy, and eglenterre, Colombin, and mother wer

Than ani man mai bithenke.

It berth erbes of other maner,
Than ani in erth groweth here,
Tho that is lest of priis;
Evermore thai grene springeth,
For winter no somer it no clingeth,
And sweeter than licorice."