The English and Scottish Popular Ballads/Part 1/Chapter 8

Erlinton
ERLINTON had a fair daughter; I wat he weird her in a great sin; For he has built a bigly bower, An a’ to put that lady in. An he has warnd her sisters six, An sae has he her brethren se’en, Outher to watch her a’ the night, Or else to seek her morn an een. She hadna been i that bigly bower Na not a night but barely ane, Till there was Willie, her ain true love, Chappd at the door, cryin ‘Peace within!’ ‘O whae is this at my bower door, That chaps sae late, nor kens the gin?’ ‘O it is Willie, your ain true love, I pray you rise an let me in!’ ‘But in my bower there is a wake, An at the wake there is a wane; But I’ll come to the green-wood the morn, Whar blooms the brier, by mornin dawn.’ Then she’s gane to her bed again, Where she has layen till the cock crew thrice, Then she said to her sisters a’, ‘Maidens, ’tis time for us to rise.’ She pat on her back her silken gown, An on her breast a siller pin, An she’s tane a sister in ilka hand, An to the green-wood she is gane. She hadna walkd in the green-wood Na not a mile but barely ane, Till there was Willie, her ain true love, Whae frae her sister has her taen. He took her sisters by the hand, He kissd them baith, an sent them hame, An he’s taen his true love him behind, And through the green-wood they are gane. They hadna ridden in the bonnie green-wood Na not a mile but barely ane, When there came fifteen o the boldest knights That ever bare flesh, blood, or bane. The foremost was an aged knight, He wore the grey hair on his chin: Says, ‘Yield to me thy lady bright, An thou shalt walk the woods within.’ ‘For me to yield my lady bright To such an aged knight as thee, People wad think I war gane mad, Or a’ the courage flown frae me.’ But up then spake the second knight, I wat he spake right boustouslie: ‘Yield me thy life, or thy lady bright, Or here the tane of us shall die.’ ‘My lady is my warld’s meed; My life I winna yield to nane; But if ye be men of your manhead, Ye’ll only fight me ane by ane.’ He lighted aff his milk-white steed, An gae his lady him by the head, Sayn, ‘See ye dinna change your cheer, Untill ye see my body bleed.’ He set his back unto an aik, He set his feet against a stane, An he has fought these fifteen men, An killd them a’ but barely ane. . . . . .	. . . .	For he has left that aged knight, An a’ to carry the tidings hame. When he gaed to his lady fair, I wat he kissd her tenderlie: ‘Thou art mine ain love, I have thee bought; Now we shall walk the green-wood free.’

THERE was a knight, an he had a daughter, An he wad wed her, wi muckle sin; Sae he has biggit a bonnie bower, love, An a’ to keep his fair daughter in. But she hadna been in the bonnie bower, love, And no twa hours but barely ane, Till up started Tammas, her ain true lover, And O sae fain as he wad been in. ‘For a’ sae weel as I like ye, Tammas, An for a’ sae weel as I like the gin, I wadna for ten thousand pounds, love, Na no this night wad I let thee in. ‘But yonder is a bonnie greenwud, An in the greenwud there is a wauk, An I’ll be there an sune the morn, love, It’s a’ for my true love’s sake. ‘On my right hand I’ll have a glove, love, An on my left ane I’ll have nane; I’ll have wi’ me my sisters six, love, An we will wauk the wuds our lane.’ They hadna waukd in the bonnie greenwud, Na no an hour but barely ane, Till up start Tammas, her ain true lover, He’s taen her sisters her frae mang. An he has kissed her sisters six, love, An he has sent them hame again, But he has keepit his ain true lover, Saying, ‘We will wauk the wuds our lane.’ They hadna waukd in the bonnie greenwud Na no an hour but barely ane, Till up start fifteen o the bravest outlaws That ever bure either breath or bane. An up bespake the foremost man, love, An O but he spake angrily: ‘Either your life--or your lady fair, sir, This night shall wauk the wuds wi me.’ ‘My lady fair, O I like her weel, sir, An O my life, but it lies me near! But before I lose my lady fair, sir, I’ll rather lose my life sae dear.’ Then up bespak the second man, love, An aye he spake mair angrily, Saying, ‘Baith your life, and your lady fair, sir, This night shall wauk the wuds wi me.’ ‘My lady fair, O I like her weel, sir, An O my life, but it lies me near! But before I lose my lady fair, sir, I’ll rather lose my life sae dear. ‘But if ye’ll be men to your manhood, As that I will be unto mine, I’ll fight ye every ane man by man, Till the last drop’s blude I hae be slain. ‘O sit ye down, my dearest dearie, Sit down and hold my noble steed, And see that ye never change your cheer Until ye see my body bleed.’ He’s feughten a’ the fifteen outlaws, The fifteen outlaws every ane, He’s left naething but the auldest man To go and carry the tidings hame. An he has gane to his dearest dear, An he has kissed her, cheek and chin, Saying, ‘Thou art mine ain, I have bought thee dear, An we will wauk the wuds our lane.’

AS Robin Hood sat by a tree, He espied a prettie may, And when she chanced him to see, She turnd her head away. ‘O feare me not, thou prettie mayde, And doe not flie from mee; I am the kindest man,’ he said, ‘That ever eye did see.’ Then to her he did doffe his cap, And to her lowted low; ‘To meete with thee I hold it good hap, If thou wilt not say noe.’ Then he put his hand around her waste, Soe small, so tight, and trim, And after sought her lip to taste, And she to kissed him. ‘Where dost thou dwell, my prettie maide? I prithee tell to me;’ ‘I am a tanner’s daughter,’ she said, ‘John Hobbes of Barneslee.’ ‘And whither goest thou, pretty maide? Shall I be thy true love?’ ‘If thou art not afeard,’ she said, ‘My true love thou shalt prove.’ ‘What should I feare?’ then he replied; ‘I am thy true love now;’ ‘I have two brethren, and their pride Would scorn such one as thou.’ ‘That will we try,’ quoth Robin Hood; ‘I was not made their scorne; Ile shed my blood to doe the[e] good, As sure as they were borne.’ ‘My brothers are proude and fierce and strong;’ ‘I am,’ said he, ’The same, And if they offer thee to wrong, Theyle finde Ile play their game. ‘Through the free forrest I can run, The king may not controll; They are but barking tanners’ sons, To me they shall pay toll. ‘And if not mine be sheepe and kine, I have cattle on my land; On venison eche day I may dine, Whiles they have none in hand.’ These wordes had Robin Hood scarce spoke, When they two men did see, Come riding till their horses smoke: ‘My brothers both,’ cried shee. Each had a good sword by his side, And furiouslie they rode To where they Robin Hood espied, That with the maiden stood. ‘Flee hence, flee hence, away with speede!’ Cried she to Robin Hood, ‘For if thou stay, thoult surely bleede; I could not see thy blood.’ ‘With us, false maiden, come away, And leave that outlawe bolde; Why fledst thou from thy home this day, And left thy father olde?’ Robin stept backe but paces five, Unto a sturdie tree; ‘Ile fight whiles I am left alive; Stay thou, sweete maide, with mee.’ He stood before, she stoode behinde, The brothers two drewe nie; ‘Our sister now to us resign, Or thou full sure shalt die.’ Then cried the maide, ‘My brethren deare, With ye Ile freely wend, But harm not this young forrester, Noe ill doth he pretend.’ ‘Stande up, sweete maide, I plight my troth; Fall thou not on thy knee; Ile force thy cruell brothers both To bend the knee to thee. ‘Stand thou behinde this sturdie oke, I soone will quell their pride; Thoult see my sword with furie smoke, And in their hearts’ blood died.’ He set his backe against a tree, His foote against a stone; The first blow that he gave so free Cleft one man to the bone. The tanners bold they fought right well, And it was one to two; But Robin did them both refell, All in the damsell’s viewe. The red blood ran from Robins brow, All downe unto his knee; ‘O holde your handes, my brethren now, I will goe backe with yee.’ ‘Stand backe, stand backe, my pretty maide, Stand backe and let me fight; By sweete St. James be no[t] afraide But I will it requite.’ Then Robin did his sword uplift, And let it fall againe; The oldest brothers head it cleft, Right through unto his braine. ‘O hold thy hand, bolde forrester, Or ill may thee betide; Slay not my youngest brother here, He is my father’s pride.’ ‘Away, for I would scorne to owe, My life to the[e], false maide!’ The youngest cried, and aimd a blow That lit on Robin’s head. Then Robin leand against the tree, His life nie gone did seeme; His eyes did swim, he could not see The maiden start betweene. It was not long ere Robin Hood Could welde his sword so bright; Upon his feete he firmly stood, And did renew the fight. Untill the tanner scarce could heave His weapon in the aire; But Robin would not him bereave Of life, and left him there. Then to the greenewood did he fly, And with him went the maide; For him she vowd that she would dye, He’d live for her, he said.