Page:Old English ballads by Francis Barton Gummere (1894).djvu/458

354 354 NOTES, ^FAIR MARY OF LIVINGSTON. The story is told better in Fair Mary of Wallington (Child, IV, 309 ff ., version A), but the present version — to be consistent, the title should be Fair Maisry — from Herd, and printed by Professor Child as B, is better suited to the purposes of our collection. The editor has ventured to change the order of stanzas as follows: B, 5, 6 have been placed after 26, and 7, 27 have been omitted altogether, so that B, 5, 6 = 24, 25 of our copy, with distinct gain in clearness, and no loss by the trifling omissions. If stanza 7 (B) is retained (see Professor Child's note, p. 316), restoration of the right order is * impracticable.* 2 2. An lords? (ChUd). 5 2. shoon may well be sheen as elsewhere, making a good rime. 9 4. Bird her lane = * a lonely maid,' or possibly nothing more than 'utterly alone.* Still, whatever the etymology of bird, burd (see Murray's Dictionary, s. v. burd), the ballads understand by burd a maiden, a young lady. Cf. Fair Annie, 1 2. 17. This is the proper ballad behavior for any one surprised by a great piece of news. 20-22. See note to Fair Janet, 20 3. — For this passage, see Lady Maisry, B, 14-16 (ChUd, III, 117) : Fair fall the mare that foaled the foal Took him to Janet's lyke. The rime — or assonance — requires lyke instead of lear, which = lair, resting-place, bed or tomb. 26. Spoken by the mother. 28 4. rathes. * Raith, reath. The fourth part of a year.' Jamie- son, Dictionary, CHILD WATERS. Percy Folio, ed. H.-F., II, 269 ff. * It was not necessary,' noted Percy, * to correct this much for the press.' For other versions like Burd Ellen, see Child, III, 83 ff. — The great praise awarded to this ballad by Child and Grundtvig must not be thwarted in the mind of readers by the impression of irritating cruelty in the hero and irritating patience in the heroine. We must take the only point of view recognized in ballad times ; this done, and allowances made Digitized by LjOOQIC