She turned hersel' right round about, "My ae best son is deid an gane,a OLD BALLAD. THE CHILD OF ELLE. ON yonder hill a castle stands, The child of Elle to his garden went, The Child of Elle he hyed him thence, Y-wish he stoode not stille; And soon he mette faire Emmeline's page Come climbing up the hille. "Nowe sain thee and save thee, thou little foot-page, Nowe welcome art thou to me; Oh, tell me how does thy ladye gaye, • Gone. I wot "My lady she is all woe-begone, And the teares they falle from her eyne; And aye she laments the deadlye feude Between her house and thine. "And here shee sends thee a silken scarfe, And biddes thee sometimes thinke on her, "And here she sends thee a ring of golde, "For, ah! her gentle heart is broke, And in grave soone must shee be, Sith her father hath chose her a new new love, And forbidde her to think of thee. "Her father hath brought her a carlisha knighte, Sir John, of the north countraye; And within three dayes shee must him wedde, "Nowe hye thee backe, thou little foot-page, And tell her that I, her owne true love, "Now hye thee backe, thou little foot-page, And let thy fair ladye know, This night will I bee at her bowreb windowe, The boye he tripped, the boye he ranne, Until he came to fair Emmeline's bowre, "O ladye, I've been with thy own true love, This night will he be at thy bowre-windowe, Nowe day was gone, and night was come, And all were fast asleep; All save the ladye Emmeline, Who sate in her bowre to weepe : And soon she heard her true love's voice "Awake, awake, my ladye deare, EMMELINE." Nowe nay, nowe nay, thou gentle knighte, For aye should I tint my maiden fame, KNIGHT.-"O ladye, thou with a knighte so true To my ladye mother I will thee bringe, EMMELINE. "My father he is a baron bolde, And what would he saye if his daughter a Lose. "Ah! well I wot, he never would rest, KNIGHT. "O ladye, wert thou in thy saddle sette, I would not care for thy cruel father, "O ladye, wert thou in thy saddle sette, I would not care for thy cruel father, Fair Emmeline sighed, fair Emmeline wept, At length he seized her lily-white hand, And thrice he clasped her to his breaste, The tears that fell from her fair eyes He mounted himself, on his stede so talle, All this beheard her owne damselle, "Awake, awake, thou baron bold! Your daughter is fledde with the Child of Elle, To do the deed of shame.” The baron he woke, the baron he rose, Fair Emmeline scant had ridden a mile, When she was aware of her father's men And foremost came the carlish knighte, "For she is come of hye lineage, And it ill beseems thee-a false churl's sonne, Το carry her hence to scorne." "Nowe loud thou lyest, Sir John the knighte, Nowe thou dost lye of me; A knighte me bred, and a ladye me bore, "But light nowe downe, my ladye faire, "But light nowe downe, my deare ladye, Fair Emmeline sighed, fair Emmeline wept, While 'twixt her love and the carlish knighte Past many a baneful blowe. |