{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/child/ch061.htm","path":"neu/eng/child/ch061.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch061.htm","text":"Percy MS., p. 368; Hales and Furnivall, III, 3.\n* * * * *\n61.1 AND in that land dwells a king\nWhich does beare the bell ouer all,\nAnd with him there dwelled a curteous knight,\nSir Cawline men him call.\n61.2 And he hath a ladye to his daughter,\nOf ffashyon shee hath noe peer;\nKnights and lordes they woed her both,\nTrusted to haue beene her feere.\n61.3 Sir Cawline loues her best of on?e,\nBut nothing durst hee say\nTo discreeue his councell to noe man,\nBut deerlye loued this may.\n61.4 Till itt beffell vpon a day,\nGreat dill to him was dight;\nThe maydens loue remoued his mind,\nTo care-bed went the knight.\n61.5 And one while he spread his armes him ffroe,\nAnd cryed so pittyouslye:\n\u2018Ffor the maydens loue that I haue most minde\nThis day may comfort mee,\nOr else ere noone I shalbe dead!\u2019\nThus can Sir Cawline say.\n61.6 When our parish masse that itt was done,\nAnd our king was bowne to dine,\nHe sayes, Where is Sir Cawline,\n61.7 But then answered a curteous knight,\nFfast his hands wringinge:\n\u2018Sir Cawline\u2019s sicke, and like to be dead\nWithout and a good leedginge.\u2019\n61.8 \u2018Ffeitch yee downe my daughter deere,\nShee is a leeche ffull ffine;\nI, and take you doe and the baken bread,\nAnd drinke he on the wine soe red,\nAnd looke no daynti is ffor him to deare,\nFor ffull loth I wold him tine.\u2019\n61.9 This ladye is gone to his chamber,\nHer maydens ffollowing nye;\n\u2018O well,\u2019 shee sayth, \u2018how doth my lord?\u2019\n\u2018O sicke!\u2019 againe saith hee.\n61.10 \u2018I, but rise vp wightlye, man, for shame!\nNeuer lye here soe cowardlye!\nItt is told in my ffathers hall,\nFfor my loue you will dye.\u2019\n61.11 \u2018Itt is ffor your loue, ffayre ladye,\nthat all this dill I drye;\nFfor if you wold comfort me with a kisse,\nThen were I brought ffrom bale to blisse,\nNoe longer here wold I lye.\u2019\n61.12 \u2018Alas! soe well you know, Sir knight,\u2019\n. . . . .\n. . . . . .\n. . . . .\n61.13 . . . . . .\nI cannott bee your peere:\n\u2018Ffor some deeds of armes ffaine wold I doe,\nTo be your bacheeleere.\u2019\n61.14 \u2018Vpon Eldrige Hill there growes a thorne,\nVpon the mores brodinge;\nAnd wold you, sir knight, wake there all night\nTo day of the other morninge?\n61.15 \u2018Ffor the eldrige king, that is mickle of might,\nWill examine you beforne;\nAnd there was neuer man that bare his liffe away\nSince the day that I was borne.\u2019\n61.16 \u2018But I will ffor your sake, ffaire ladye,\nWalke on the bents [soe] browne,\nAnd Ile either bring you a readye token,\nOr Ile neuer come to you againe.\u2019\n61.17 But this ladye is gone to her chamber,\nHer maydens ffollowing bright,\nAnd Sir Cawlin\u2019s gone to the mores soe broad,\nFfor to wake there all night.\n61.18 Vnto midnight [that] the moone did rise,\nHe walked vp and downe,\nAnd a lightsome bugle then heard he blow,\nOuer the bents soe browne;\nSaies hee, And if cryance come vntill my hart,\nI am ffarr ffrom any good towne.\n61.19 And he spyed, ene a litle him by,\nA ffuryous king and a ffell,\nAnd a ladye bright his brydle led,\nthat seemlye itt was to see.\n61.20 And soe fast hee called vpon Sir Cawline,\nOh man, I redd the fflye!\nFfor if cryance come vntill thy hart,\nI am a-feard least thou mun dye.\n61.21 He sayes, [No] cryance comes to my hart,\nNor ifaith I ffeare not thee;\nFfor because thou minged not Christ before,\nThee lesse me dreadeth thee.\n61.22 But Sir Cawline he shooke a speare;\nThe king was bold, and abode;\nAnd the timber these two children bore\nSoe soone in sunder slode;\nFfor they tooke and two good swords,\nAnd they layden on good loade.\n61.23 But the elridge king was mickle of might,\nAnd stiffly to the ground did stand;\nBut Sir Cawline, with an aukeward stroke,\nHe brought ffrom him his hand,\nI, and fflying ouer his head soe hye,\n[It] ffell downe of that lay land.\n61.24 And his lady stood a litle thereby,\nFfast ringing her hands:\n\u2018For the maydens loue that you haue most minde,\nSmyte you my lord no more.\n61.25 \u2018And hees neuer come vpon Eldrige [Hill],\nHim to sport, gamon, or play,\nAnd to meete noe man of middle-earth\nAnd that liues on Christs his lay.\u2019\n61.26 But he then vp and that eldryge king,\nSett him in his sadle againe,\nAnd that eldryge king and his ladye\nTo their castle are they gone.\n61.27 And hee tooke then vp and that eldryge sword,\nAs hard as any fflynt,\nAnd soe he did those ringes fiue,\nHarder then ffyer, and brent.\n61.28 Ffirst he presented to the kings daughter\nThe hand, and then the sword,\n. . . . . .\n. . . . .\n\u2019\u2019 \u2019\u2019 \u2019\u2019 \u2019\u2019 \u2019\u2019\n61.29 \u2018But a serre buffett you haue him giuen,\nThe king and the crowne,\u2019 shee sayd:\n\u2018I, but four and thirty stripes\nComen beside the rood.\u2019\n61.30 And a gyant that was both stiffe [and] strong,\nHe lope now them amonge,\nAnd vpon his squier fiue heads he bare,\nVnmackley made was hee.\n61.31 And he dranke then on the kings wine,\nAnd hee put the cup in his sleeue,\nAnd all th?e trembled and were wan,\nFfor feare he shold them greeffe.\n61.32 \u2018Ill tell thee mine arrand, king,\u2019 he sayes,\n\u2018Mine errand what I doe heere;\nFfor I will bren thy temples hye,\nOr Ile haue thy daughter deere;\nThou shalt ffind mee a ppeare.\u2019\nI, or else vpon yond more soe brood\n61.33 The king he turned him round about,\nLord, in his heart he was woe!\nSays, Is there noe knight of the Round Table\nThis matter will vndergoe?\n61.34 \u2018I, and hee shall haue my broad lands,\nAnd keepe them well his liue;\nI, and soe hee shall my daughter deere,\nTo be his weded wiffe.\u2019\n61.35 And then stood vp Sir Cawline,\nHis owne errand ffor to say:\n\u2018Ifaith, I wold to God, Sir,\u2019 sayd Sir Cawline,\n\u2018that soldan I will assay.\n61.36 \u2018Goe ffeitch me downe my eldrige sword,\nFfor I woone itt att ffray:\u2019\n\u2018But away, away!\u2019 sayd the hend soldan,\n\u2018Thou tarryest mee here all day!\u2019\n61.37 But the hend soldan and Sir Cawline\nTh?e ffought a summers day;\nNow has hee slaine that hend soldan,\nAnd brought his fiue heads away.\n61.38 And the king has betaken him his broade lands,\nAnd all his venison;\n. . . . . .\n. . . . .\n61.39 \u2018But take you doo and your lands [soe] broad,\nAnd brooke them well your liffe;\nFfor you promised mee your daughter deere,\nTo be my weded wiffe.\u2019\n61.40 \u2018Now by my ffaith,\u2019 then sayes our king,\n\u2018Ffor that wee will not striffe,\nFfor thou shalt haue my daughter dere,\nTo be thy weded wiffe.\u2019\n61.41 The other morninge Sir Cawline rose\nBy the dawning of the day,\nAnd vntill a garden did he goe\nHis mattins ffor to say;\nAnd that bespyed a ffalse steward,\nA shames death that he might dye!\n61.42 And he lett a lyon out of a bande,\nSir Cawline ffor to teare;\nAnd he had noe wepon him vpon,\nNor noe wepon did weare.\n61.43 But hee tooke then his mantle of greene,\nInto the lyons mouth itt thrust;\nHe held the lyon soe sore to the wall\nTill the lyons hart did burst.\n61.44 And the watchmen cryed vpon the walls And sayd,\n\u2018Sir Cawline\u2019s slaine!\nAnd with a beast is not ffull litle,\nA lyon of mickle mayne:\u2019\nThen the kings daughter shee ffell downe,\n\u2018For peerlesse is my payne!\u2019\n61.45 \u2018O peace, my lady!\u2019 sayes Sir Cawline,\n\u2018I haue bought thy loue ffull deere;\nO peace, my lady!\u2019 sayes Sir Cawline,\n\u2018Peace, lady, ffor I am heere!\u2019\n61.46 Then he did marry this kings daughter,\nWith gold and siluer bright,\nAnd fiftene sonnes this ladye beere\nTo Sir Cawline the knight.","title":"The Child Ballads: 61. Sir Cawline","type":"page"}