{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/child/ch008.htm","path":"neu/eng/child/ch008.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch008.htm","text":"Sacred Texts\u00a0\n Legends & Sagas\u00a0\n England\u00a0\n Index\u00a0\n Previous\u00a0\n Next\u00a0\n \n \n \n 8A: Erlinton\n \n \n 8A.1\tERLINTON had a fair daughter;\n I wat he weird her in a great sin;\n For he has built a bigly bower,\n An a\u2019 to put that lady in.\n 8A.2\tAn he has warnd her sisters six,\n An sae has he her brethren se\u2019en,\n Outher to watch her a\u2019 the night,\n Or else to seek her morn an een.\n 8A.3\tShe hadna been i that bigly bower\n Na not a night but barely ane,\n Till there was Willie, her ain true love,\n Chappd at the door, cryin \u2018Peace within!\u2019\n 8A.4\t\u2018O whae is this at my bower door,\n That chaps sae late, nor kens the gin?\u2019\n \u2018O it is Willie, your ain true love,\n I pray you rise an let me in!\u2019\n 8A.5\t\u2018But in my bower there is a wake,\n An at the wake there is a wane;\n But I\u2019ll come to the green-wood the morn,\n Whar blooms the brier, by mornin dawn.\u2019\n 8A.6\tThen she\u2019s gane to her bed again,\n Where she has layen till the cock crew thrice,\n Then she said to her sisters a\u2019,\n \u2018Maidens, \u2019tis time for us to rise.\u2019\n 8A.7\tShe pat on her back her silken gown,\n An on her breast a siller pin,\n An she\u2019s tane a sister in ilka hand,\n An to the green-wood she is gane.\n 8A.8\tShe hadna walkd in the green-wood\n Na not a mile but barely ane,\n Till there was Willie, her ain true love,\n Whae frae her sister has her taen.\n 8A.9\tHe took her sisters by the hand,\n He kissd them baith, an sent them hame,\n An he\u2019s taen his true love him behind,\n And through the green-wood they are gane.\n 8A.10\tThey hadna ridden in the bonnie green-wood\n Na not a mile but barely ane,\n When there came fifteen o the boldest knights\n That ever bare flesh, blood, or bane.\n 8A.11\tThe foremost was an aged knight,\n He wore the grey hair on his chin:\n Says, \u2018Yield to me thy lady bright,\n An thou shalt walk the woods within.\u2019\n 8A.12\t\u2018For me to yield my lady bright\n To such an aged knight as thee,\n People wad think I war gane mad,\n Or a\u2019 the courage flown frae me.\u2019\n 8A.13\tBut up then spake the second knight,\n I wat he spake right boustouslie:\n \u2018Yield me thy life, or thy lady bright,\n Or here the tane of us shall die.\u2019\n 8A.14\t\u2018My lady is my warld\u2019s meed;\n My life I winna yield to nane;\n But if ye be men of your manhead,\n Ye\u2019ll only fight me ane by ane.\u2019\n 8A.15\tHe lighted aff his milk-white steed,\n An gae his lady him by the head,\n Sayn, \u2018See ye dinna change your cheer,\n Untill ye see my body bleed.\u2019\n 8A.16\tHe set his back unto an aik,\n He set his feet against a stane,\n An he has fought these fifteen men,\n An killd them a\u2019 but barely ane.\n 8A.17\t. . . . .\n . . . .\n For he has left that aged knight,\n An a\u2019 to carry the tidings hame.\n 8A.18\tWhen he gaed to his lady fair,\n I wat he kissd her tenderlie:\n \u2018Thou art mine ain love, I have thee bought;\n Now we shall walk the green-wood free.\u2019\n \n \n \n 8B: Erlinton\n \n \n 8B.1\tTHERE was a knight, an he had a daughter,\n An he wad wed her, wi muckle sin;\n Sae he has biggit a bonnie bower, love,\n An a\u2019 to keep his fair daughter in.\n 8B.2\tBut she hadna been in the bonnie bower, love,\n And no twa hours but barely ane,\n Till up started Tammas, her ain true lover,\n And O sae fain as he wad been in.\n 8B.3\t\u2018For a\u2019 sae weel as I like ye, Tammas,\n An for a\u2019 sae weel as I like the gin,\n I wadna for ten thousand pounds, love,\n Na no this night wad I let thee in.\n 8B.4\t\u2018But yonder is a bonnie greenwud,\n An in the greenwud there is a wauk,\n An I\u2019ll be there an sune the morn, love,\n It\u2019s a\u2019 for my true love\u2019s sake.\n 8B.5\t\u2018On my right hand I\u2019ll have a glove, love,\n An on my left ane I\u2019ll have nane;\n I\u2019ll have wi\u2019 me my sisters six, love,\n An we will wauk the wuds our lane.\u2019\n 8B.6\tThey hadna waukd in the bonnie greenwud,\n Na no an hour but barely ane,\n Till up start Tammas, her ain true lover,\n He\u2019s taen her sisters her frae mang.\n 8B.7\tAn he has kissed her sisters six, love,\n An he has sent them hame again,\n But he has keepit his ain true lover,\n Saying, \u2018We will wauk the wuds our lane.\u2019\n 8B.8\tThey hadna waukd in the bonnie greenwud\n Na no an hour but barely ane,\n Till up start fifteen o the bravest outlaws\n That ever bure either breath or bane.\n 8B.9\tAn up bespake the foremost man, love,\n An O but he spake angrily:\n \u2018Either your life--or your lady fair, sir,\n This night shall wauk the wuds wi me.\u2019\n 8B.10\t\u2018My lady fair, O I like her weel, sir,\n An O my life, but it lies me near!\n But before I lose my lady fair, sir,\n I\u2019ll rather lose my life sae dear.\u2019\n 8B.11\tThen up bespak the second man, love,\n An aye he spake mair angrily,\n Saying, \u2018Baith your life, and your lady fair, sir,\n This night shall wauk the wuds wi me.\u2019\n 8B.12\t\u2018My lady fair, O I like her weel, sir,\n An O my life, but it lies me near!\n But before I lose my lady fair, sir,\n I\u2019ll rather lose my life sae dear.\n 8B.13\t\u2018But if ye\u2019ll be men to your manhood,\n As that I will be unto mine,\n I\u2019ll fight ye every ane man by man,\n Till the last drop\u2019s blude I hae be slain.\n 8B.14\t\u2018O sit ye down, my dearest dearie,\n Sit down and hold my noble steed,\n And see that ye never change your cheer\n Until ye see my body bleed.\u2019\n 8B.15\tHe\u2019s feughten a\u2019 the fifteen outlaws,\n The fifteen outlaws every ane,\n He\u2019s left naething but the auldest man\n To go and carry the tidings hame.\n 8B.16\tAn he has gane to his dearest dear,\n An he has kissed her, cheek and chin,\n Saying, \u2018Thou art mine ain, I have bought thee dear,\n An we will wauk the wuds our lane.\u2019\n \n \n \n 8C: Erlinton\n \n \n 8C.1\tAS Robin Hood sat by a tree,\n He espied a prettie may,\n And when she chanced him to see,\n She turnd her head away.\n 8C.2\t\u2018O feare me not, thou prettie mayde,\n And doe not flie from mee;\n I am the kindest man,\u2019 he said,\n \u2018That ever eye did see.\u2019\n 8C.3\tThen to her he did doffe his cap,\n And to her lowted low;\n \u2018To meete with thee I hold it good hap,\n If thou wilt not say noe.\u2019\n 8C.4\tThen he put his hand around her waste,\n Soe small, so tight, and trim,\n And after sought her lip to taste,\n And she to kissed him.\n 8C.5\t\u2018Where dost thou dwell, my prettie maide?\n I prithee tell to me;\u2019\n \u2018I am a tanner\u2019s daughter,\u2019 she said,\n \u2018John Hobbes of Barneslee.\u2019\n 8C.6\t\u2018And whither goest thou, pretty maide?\n Shall I be thy true love?\u2019\n \u2018If thou art not afeard,\u2019 she said,\n \u2018My true love thou shalt prove.\u2019\n 8C.7\t\u2018What should I feare?\u2019 then he replied;\n \u2018I am thy true love now;\u2019\n \u2018I have two brethren, and their pride\n Would scorn such one as thou.\u2019\n 8C.8\t\u2018That will we try,\u2019 quoth Robin Hood;\n \u2018I was not made their scorne;\n Ile shed my blood to doe the[e] good,\n As sure as they were borne.\u2019\n 8C.9\t\u2018My brothers are proude and fierce and strong;\u2019\n \u2018I am,\u2019 said he, \u2019The same,\n And if they offer thee to wrong,\n Theyle finde Ile play their game.\n 8C.10\t\u2018Through the free forrest I can run,\n The king may not controll;\n They are but barking tanners\u2019 sons,\n To me they shall pay toll.\n 8C.11\t\u2018And if not mine be sheepe and kine,\n I have cattle on my land;\n On venison eche day I may dine,\n Whiles they have none in hand.\u2019\n 8C.12\tThese wordes had Robin Hood scarce spoke,\n When they two men did see,\n Come riding till their horses smoke:\n \u2018My brothers both,\u2019 cried shee.\n 8C.13\tEach had a good sword by his side,\n And furiouslie they rode\n To where they Robin Hood espied,\n That with the maiden stood.\n 8C.14\t\u2018Flee hence, flee hence, away with speede!\u2019\n Cried she to Robin Hood,\n \u2018For if thou stay, thoult surely bleede;\n I could not see thy blood.\u2019\n 8C.15\t\u2018With us, false maiden, come away,\n And leave that outlawe bolde;\n Why fledst thou from thy home this day,\n And left thy father olde?\u2019\n 8C.16\tRobin stept backe but paces five,\n Unto a sturdie tree;\n \u2018Ile fight whiles I am left alive;\n Stay thou, sweete maide, with mee.\u2019\n 8C.17\tHe stood before, she stoode behinde,\n The brothers two drewe nie;\n \u2018Our sister now to us resign,\n Or thou full sure shalt die.\u2019\n 8C.18\tThen cried the maide, \u2018My brethren deare,\n With ye Ile freely wend,\n But harm not this young forrester,\n Noe ill doth he pretend.\u2019\n 8C.19\t\u2018Stande up, sweete maide, I plight my troth;\n Fall thou not on thy knee;\n Ile force thy cruell brothers both\n To bend the knee to thee.\n 8C.20\t\u2018Stand thou behinde this sturdie oke,\n I soone will quell their pride;\n Thoult see my sword with furie smoke,\n And in their hearts\u2019 blood died.\u2019\n 8C.21\tHe set his backe against a tree,\n His foote against a stone;\n The first blow that he gave so free\n Cleft one man to the bone.\n 8C.22\tThe tanners bold they fought right well,\n And it was one to two;\n But Robin did them both refell,\n All in the damsell\u2019s viewe.\n 8C.23\tThe red blood ran from Robins brow,\n All downe unto his knee;\n \u2018O holde your handes, my brethren now,\n I will goe backe with yee.\u2019\n 8C.24\t\u2018Stand backe, stand backe, my pretty maide,\n Stand backe and let me fight;\n By sweete St. James be no[t] afraide\n But I will it requite.\u2019\n 8C.25\tThen Robin did his sword uplift,\n And let it fall againe;\n The oldest brothers head it cleft,\n Right through unto his braine.\n 8C.26\t\u2018O hold thy hand, bolde forrester,\n Or ill may thee betide;\n Slay not my youngest brother here,\n He is my father\u2019s pride.\u2019\n 8C.27\t\u2018Away, for I would scorne to owe,\n My life to the[e], false maide!\u2019\n The youngest cried, and aimd a blow\n That lit on Robin\u2019s head.\n 8C.28\tThen Robin leand against the tree,\n His life nie gone did seeme;\n His eyes did swim, he could not see\n The maiden start betweene.\n 8C.29\tIt was not long ere Robin Hood\n Could welde his sword so bright;\n Upon his feete he firmly stood,\n And did renew the fight.\n 8C.30\tUntill the tanner scarce could heave\n His weapon in the aire;\n But Robin would not him bereave\n Of life, and left him there.\n 8C.31\tThen to the greenewood did he fly,\n And with him went the maide;\n For him she vowd that she would dye,\n He\u2019d live for her, he said.\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Next: 9. The Fair Flower of Northumberland","title":"The Child Ballads: 8. Erlinton","type":"page"}