Fair Annie floated through the faem, But the babie rose no more.

Lord Gregory tore his yellow hair,

And made a heavy moan;

Fair Annie's corpse lay at his feet,
Her bonny young son was gone.
O cherry, cherry was her cheek,

And gowden was her hair;
But clay-cold were her rosy lips-
Nae spark o' life was there.

And first he kiss'd her cherry cheek,

And syne he kiss'd her chin, And syne he kiss'd her rosy lipsThere was nae breath within.

"O wae betide my cruel mother!

An ill death may she die!

She turn'd my true love frae my door,
Wha came sae far to me.

"O wae betide my cruel mother!
An ill death may she die!
She turn'd fair Annie frae my door,
Wha died for love o' me."

ROSE THE RED AND WHITE LILLY.

NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED.

This legendary tale is given chiefly from Mrs. Brown's MS. Accordingly, many of the rhymes arise from the northern mode of pronunciation; as dee for do, and the like.-Perhaps the ballad may have originally related to the history of the celebrated ROBIN HOOD, as mention is made of Barnisdale, his favourite abode.'

O Rose the Red, and White Lilly,
Their mother deir was dead;

And their father has married an ill woman,
Wish'd them twa little guid.

But she had twa as gallant sons

As ever brake man's bread;

And the tane o' them lo'ed her, White Lilly, And the tother Rose the Red.

O bigged hae they a bigly bour,

Fast by the roaring strand;

And there was mair mirth in the ladyes' bour,
Nor in a' their father's land.

But out and spak their step-mother,
As she stood a little forbye-

[Mr. Kinloch has published (Ancient Ballads, 1827, p. 69) a curious ballad, entitled, "The Wedding of Robin Hood and Little John," which had not before appeared in print; and which sustains Sir Walter Scott's conjecture as to the true hero of "Rose the Red and White Lilly." In Mr. Buchan's edition of "Rose the Red," etc., printed in 1828, the name of Robin Hood occurs

"I hope to live and play the prank, Sall gar your loud sang lie." She's call'd upon her eldest son;

"Cum here, my son, to me:
It fears me sair, my Bauld Arthur,
That ye maun sail the sea."-
"Gin sae it maun be, my deir mother,
Your bidding I maun dee;

But be never waur to Rose the Red,
Than ye hae been to me."
She's call'd upon her youngest son;
"Cum here, my son, to me:
It fears me sair, my Brown Robin,
That ye maun sail the sea."-
"Gin it fear ye sair, my mother deir,
Your bidding I sall dee;

But, be never waur to White Lilly,
Than ye hae been to me."-

"Now haud your tongues, ye foolish boys! For small sall be their part:

They ne'er again sall see your face,

Gin their very hearts suld break.”

Sae Bauld Arthur's gane to our King's court,
His hie chamberlain to be;

But Brown Robin, he has slain a knight,
And to grene-wood he did flee.
When Rose the Red, and White Lilly,
Saw their twa loves were gane,
Sune did they drop the loud, loud sang,
Took up the still mourning.
And out then spake her White Lilly;
"My sister, we'll be gane:
Why suld we stay in Barnisdale,
To mourn our bour within ?"

O cutted hae they their green cloathing,
A little abune their knee;

And sae hae they their yellow hair,
A little abune their bree."*

And left hae they that bonny bour,
To cross the raging sea;
And they hae ta'en to a holy chapel,

Was christened by Our Ladye.
And they hae changed their twa names,
Sae far frae ony toun;

And the tane o' them's hight Sweet Willie,
And the tother's Rouge the Rounde.

Between the twa a promise is,

And they hae sworn it to fulfil; Whenever the tane blew a bugle-horn,

The tother suld cum her till.

also; but this is only a vulgarized and mean transformation of the ballad in the text.-ED.]

["And they hae kilt their gay claithing

A little below their knee

And they are on to gude greenwood,

Gif Robin Hood they see."-KINLOCH, p. 71.]

Sweet Willy's gane to the King's court,

Her true love for to see;

And Rouge the Rounde to gude grene-wood,
Brown Robin's man to be.

O it fell anes, upon a tyme,
They putted at the stane;
And seven foot ayont them a',
Brown Robin's gar'd it gang.
She lifted the heavy putting-stane,
And gave a sad "O hon!"

Then out bespake him, Brown Robin,
"But that's a woman's moan!".

แ

"O kent ye by my rosy lips?

Or by my yellow hair?

Or kent ye by my milk-white breast,
Ye never yet saw bare?"-

"I kent na by your rosy lips,

Nor by your yellow hair;

But, cum to your bour whaever likes,
They'll find a ladye there."—"

"O gin ye cum my bour within,

Through fraud, deceit, or guile;

Wi' this same brand, that's in my hand,
I vow I will thee kill."-

"Yet durst I cum into your bour,

And ask nae leave," quo' he;

"And wi' this same brand, that's in my hand, Wave danger back on thee."

About the dead hour o' the night,
The ladye's bour was broken;
And, about the first hour o' the day,

The fair knave bairn was gotten.

When days were gane and months were come, The ladye was sad and wan;

And aye she cried for a bour woman,

For to wait her upon.

Then up and spake him, Brown Robin, "And what needs this?" quo' he;

"Or what can woman do for you,

That canna be done by me?"

""Twas never my mother's fashion," she said, "Nor shall it e'er be mine,

That belted knights should e'er remain
While ladyes dree'd their pain.

"But gin ye take that bugle-horn,
And wind a blast sae shrill,
I hae a brother in yonder court
Will come me quickly till."-

"O gin ye hae a brother on earth,
That ye lo'e mair than me,

Ye may blow the horn yoursell," he says, "For a blast I winna gie."

She's ta'en the bugle in her hand,

And blawn baith loud and shrill;
Sweet William started at the sound,
And came her quickly till.

O up and starts him, Brown Robin,
And swore by Our Ladye,
"No man shall come into this bour,
But first maun fight wi' me."

O they hae fought the wood within,
Till the sun was going down;
And drops o' blood, frae Rose the Red,
Came pouring to the ground.

She leant her back against an aik,
Said "Robin, let me be;
For it is a ladye, bred and born,
That has fought this day wi' thee."

O seven foot he started back,
Cried-"Alas and woe is me!
For I wished never, in all my life,
A woman's bluid to see:

"And that all for the knightly vow
I swore to Our Ladye:

But mair for the sake o' ae fair maid,
Whose name was White Lilly."

Then out and spake her, Rouge the Rounde,
And leugh right hertilie,

"She has been wi' ye this year and mair,

Though ye wistna it was she."

Now word is gane through all the land,

Before a month was gane,

That a forester's page, in gude grene-wood, Had born a bonny son.

The marvel gaed to the King's court,

And to the King himsell;
"Now, by my fae," the King did say,
"The like was never heard tell!"

Then out and spake him, Bauld Arthur,
And laugh'd right loud and hie-
"I trow some may has plaid the lown,'
And fled her ain countrie."-

"Bring me my steid!" the King can say;
"My bow and arrows keen;

And I'll gae hunt in yonder wood,

And see what's to be seen."

"Gin it please your grace," quo' Bauld Arthur,

66 My liege, I'll gang you wi',

And see gin I can meet a bonny page,
That's stray'd awa frae me.

And they hae chased in gude grene-wood,

The buck but and the rae,

Till they drew near Brown Robin's bour,
About the close o' day.

Then out an' spake the King himsell,
Says " Arthur, look and see,
Gin yon be not your favourite page,
That leans against yon tree."

O Arthur's ta'en a bugle-horn,
And blawn a blast sae shrill;
Sweet Willie started to her feet,
And ran him quickly till.

"O wanted ye your meat, Willie,
Or wanted ye your fee?

Or gat ye e'er an angry word,

That ye ran awa frae me? "—

"I wanted nought, my master dear; To me ye aye was good:

I cam to see my ae brother,

That wons in this grene-wood."
Then out bespake the King again,—
"My boy, now tell to me,
Who dwells into yon bigly bour,
Beneath yon green aik tree?"

"O pardon me," said Sweet Willy,
"My liege, I darena tell;

And gangna near yon Outlaw's bour,

For fear they suld you kill."

"O haud your tongue, my bonny boy! For I winna be said nay;

But I will gang yon bour within,

Betide me weal or wae."

They have lighted frae their milk-white steids, And saftlie entered in;

And there they saw her, White Lilly,

Nursing her bonny young son.

"Now, by the mass," the King he said,
"This is a comely sight;

I trow, instead of a forester's man,
This is a ladye bright!"

O out and spake her, Rose the Red,
And fell low on her knee:
"O pardon us, my gracious liege,
And our story I'll tell thee.
"Our father is a wealthy lord,
Lives into Barnisdale ;
But we had a wicked step-mother,
That wrought us meikle bale.
"Yet had she twa as fu' fair sons,
As e'er the sun did see;

[The ballad in Kinloch ends thus:

"The tane was wedded to Robin Hood, And the other to Little John;

And the tane o' them lo'ed my sister deir, And the tother said he lo'ed me."

Then out and cried him, Bauld Arthur,

As by the King he stood,"Now, by the faith of my body,

This suld be Rose the Red!"

The King has sent for robes o' green,

And girdles o' shining gold;

And sae sune have the ladyes busked themselves,
Sae glorious to behold.

Then in and came him, Brown Robin,
Frae hunting o' the King's deer,
But when he saw the King himsell,
He started back for fear.

The King has ta'en Robin by the hand,
And bade him nothing dread,
But quit for aye the gude grene-wood,
And come to the court wi' speed.

The King has ta'en White Lilly's son,
And set him on his knee;

Says "Gin ye live to wield a brand,

My bowman thou sall be.'

Then they have ta'en them to the holy chapelle,
And there had fair wedding;

And when they cam to the King's court,
For joy the bells did ring.'

FAUSE FOODRAGE.

NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED.

This ballad has been popular in many parts of Scotland. It is chiefly given from Mrs. Brown of Falkland's MSS.-The expression,

"The boy stared wild like a gray goss-hawk," Verse 31, strongly resembles that in Hardyknute,

"Norse e'en like gray goss-hawk stared wild;"

2

a circumstance which led the Editor to make the strictest enquiry into the authenticity of the song. But every doubt was removed by the evidence of a lady of high rank, who not only recollected the ballad, as having amused her infancy, but could repeat many of the verses, particularly those beautiful stanzas from the 20th to the 25th. The Editor is therefore compelled to believe, that the author of Hardyknute copied the old ballad; if the coincidence be not altogether accidental.

The King Easter and King Wester of the ballad were probably petty princes of Northumberland and Westmoreland. In the Complaynt of Scotland, an

And it was a' owing to their stepmother

That garr'd them leave their hame."-p. 73.-ED.]

2 [The late Lady Douglas of Douglas, sister to Henry Duke of Buccleuch.-ED.]

ancient romance is mentioned, under the title, "How the King of Estmureland married the King's daughter of Westmureland," which may possibly be the original of the beautiful legend of King Estmere, in the Reliques of Ancient English Poetry, vol. i. p. 62, 4th edit. From this it may be conjectured, with some degree of plausibility, that the independent kingdoms of the east and west coast were, at an early period, thus denominated, according to the Saxon mode of naming districts from their relative positions, as Essex, Wessex, Sussex. But the geography of the metrical romances sets all systems at defiance; and, in some of these, as Clariodus and Meliades, Estmureland undoubtedly signifies the land of the Easterlings, or the Flemish provinces at which vessels arrived in three days from England, and to which they are represented as exporting wool.-Vide Notes on Kempion, post.

FAUSE FOODRAGE.

King Easter has courted her for her lands,
King Wester for her fee,

King Honour for her comely face,
And for her fair bodie.

They had not been four months married,
As I have heard them tell,
Until the nobles of the land

Against them did rebel.

And they cast kevils them amang,
And kevils them between;
And they cast kevils them amang,
Wha suld gae kill the king.

O, some said yea, and some said nay,
Their words did not agree;

Till up and got him, Fause Foodrage,
And swore it suld be he.

When bells were rung, and mass was sung,
And a' men bound to bed,

King Honour and his gay ladye
In a high chamber were laid.

Then up and raise him, Fause Foodrage,

"O spare my life, now, Fause Foodrage! Until I lighter be!

And see gin it be lad or lass,

King Honour has left me wi'.""O gin it be a lass," he says,

"Weel nursed it sall be; But gin it be a lad bairn,

He sall be hanged hie.

"I winna spare for his tender age,
Nor yet for his hie hie kin;
But soon as e'er he born is,

He sall mount the gallows pin."

O four-and-twenty valiant knights
Were set the Queen to guard;
And four stood aye at her bour door,
To keep both watch and ward.
But when the time drew near an end,
That she suld lighter be,

She cast about to find a wile,

To set her body free.

O she has birled these merry young men With the ale but and the wine,

as Horn is called king sometimes of one country, and sometimes of the other. In the French original, Westir is said to have been the old name of Hirland or Ireland; which, occasionally at least, is called Westnesse, in the translation, in which Britain is named Sudene; but here, again, it is inconsistent and confused.

"It is, at any rate, highly probable, that the story, cited in the Complaynt of Scotland, was a romance of King Horn, whether prose or verse; and, consequently, that Estmureland and Westmureland should there mean England and Ireland; though it is possible that no other instance can be found of these two names occurring with the same sense."

2 Kevils-Lots. Both words originally meant only a portion, or share of any thing.-Leges Burgorum, cap. 59, de lot, cul, or kavil. Statuta Gildæ, cap. 20. Nullus emat lanam, etc. nisi fuerit confrater Gildæ, etc. Neque lot neque cavil habeat cum aliquo confratre nostro. In both these laws, lot and cavil signify a share in trade.

Until they were a' deadly drunk

As any wild-wood swine.

"O narrow, narrow is this window,

And big, big am I grown!"-
Yet through the might of Our Ladye,
Out at it she is gone.

She wander'd up, she wander'd down,
She wander'd out and in;

And, at last, into the very swine's stythe,
The Queen brought forth a son.
Then they cast kevils them amang,

Which suld gae seek the Queen;
And the kevil fell upon Wise William,
And he sent his wife for him.

O when she saw Wise William's wife, The Queen fell on her knee : "Win up, win up, madam!" she says: "What needs this courtesie? "

"O out o' this I winna rise,

Till a boon ye grant to me;
To change your lass for this lad bairn,
King Honour left me wi'.

"And ye maun learn my gay goss-hawk
Right weel to breast a steed;
And I sall learn your turtle dow'
As weel to write and read.

"And ye maun learn my gay goss-hawk
To wield both bow and brand;
And I sall learn your turtle dow
To lay gowd wi' her band.

"At kirk and market when we meet,

We'll dare make nae awowe,

But—' Dame, how does my gay goss-hawk ? '3

'Madame, how does my dow?'”

When days were gane, and years came on,
Wise William he thought lang;

And he has ta'en King Honour's son
A-hunting for to gang.

It sae fell out, at this hunting,

Upon a simmer's day,

That they came by a fair castell,

Stood on a sunny brae.

"O dinna ye see that bonny castell,
Wi' halls and towers sae fair?
Gin ilka man had back his ain,
Of it you suld be heir."-

Dow-Dove.

• Lay goud-To embroider in gold. 3 This metaphorical language was customary among the northern nations. In 925, King Adelstein sent an embassy to Harald Harfager, King of Norway, the chief of which presented that prince with an elegant sword, ornamented with precious stones. As it was presented by the point, the Norwegian chief, in receiving it, unwarily laid hold of the hilt. The English ambassador declared, in the name of his master, that he accepted the act as a deed of homage; for touching the hilt of a warrior's sword was regarded as an acknowledgment of subjection. The Norwegian prince, resolving to circumvent his rival by a similar artifice,

"O gin ye suld kill him, Fause Foodrage,
You would do but what was right;
For I wot he kill'd your father dear,
Or ever ye saw the light.

"And gin ye suld kill him, Fause Foodrage,
There is no man durst you blame;
For he keeps your mother a prisoner,
And she darna take ye hame."-

The boy stared wild like a gray goss-hawk;
Says "What may a' this mean?”.
"My boy, ye are King Honour's son,

And your mother's our lawful Queen.”"O gin I be King Honour's son,

By Our Ladye I swear,
This night I will that traitor slay,

And relieve my mother dear!"—

He has set his bent bow to his breast,
And leaped the castell wa';

And soon he has seized on Fause Foodrage,
Wha loud for help 'gan ca'.

suppressed his resentment, and sent, next summer, an embassy to Adelstein, the chief of which presented Haco, the son of Harald, to the English prince; and, placing him on his knees. made the following declaration:-" Haraldus, Normanorum Rex, amice te salutat; albamque hanc avem bene institutam mittit, utque melius deinceps erudias, postulat." The king received young Haco on his knees; which the Norwegian ambassador immediately accepted, in the name of his master, as a declaration of inferiority; according to the proverb, “Is minor semper habetur, qui alterius filium educat."-Pontoppidani Vestigia Danor., vol. ii. p. 67.