And he has till* his brother gane : "Now, brother, rede ye mee; A', sall I marrie the nut-browne bride,

And let fair Annet bee?"

To.

"The nut-browne bride has oxen, brother, The nut-browne bride has kye:

I wad hae ye marrie the nut-browne bride, And cast fair Annet bye."

"Her oxen may dye i' the house, billie,
And her kye into the byre,

And I sall hae nothing to mysell,
Bot a fat fadge by the fyre."

And he has till his sister gane:
"Now sister, rede ye mee;

O sall I marrie the nut-browne bride,
And set fair Annet free?"

"Ise rede ye tak fair Annet, Thomas,
And let the browne bride alane;
Lest ye sould sigh, and say, Alace,
What is this we brought hame !”

"No, I will tak my mithers counsel,
And marrie me owt o' hand;
And I will tak the nut-browne bride;
Fair Annet may leive the land."

Up then rose fair Annets father,
Twa hours or it wer day,

And he is gane into the bower
Wherein fair Annet lay.

"Rise up, rise up, fair Annet," he says,

"Put on your silken sheene;

Let us gae to St. Maries kirke,

And see that rich weddeen."

"My maides, gae to my dressing-roome, And dress to me my hair;

Whair-eir yee laid a plait before,

See yee lay ten times mair.

* Clumsy woman.

"My maids, gae to my dressing-room,
And dress to me my smock;

The one half is o' the holland fine,
The other o' needle-work."

The horse fair Annet rade upon,
He amblit like the wind;
Wi' siller he was shod before,
Wi' burning gowd behind.

Four and twanty siller bells
Wer a' tyed till his mane,
And yae tift o' the norland wind,
They tinkled ane by ane.

Four and twanty gay gude knichts
Rade by fair Annets side,
And four and twanty fair ladies,
As gin she had bin a bride.

And whan she cam to Maries kirk,
She sat on Maries stean:

*

The cleading that fair Annet had on

It skinkled in their een.

And whan she cam into the kirk,

She shimmer'd like the sun;
The belt that was about her waist,
Was a' wi' pearles bedone.

She sat her by the nut-browne bride,
And her een they wer sae clear,
Lord Thomas he clean forgat the bride,
Whan fair Annet she drew near.

He had a rose into his hand,

And he gave it kisses three,

And reaching by the nut-browne bride,

Laid it on fair Annets knee.

Up than spak the nut-browne bride,
She spak wi' meikle spite;
"And whair gat ye that rose-water,
That does mak yee sae white?"

"O I did get the rose-water
Whair ye wull neir get nane,
For I did get that very rose-water
Into my mithers wame."

The bride she drew a long bodkin
Frae out her gay head-gear,

And strake fair Annet unto the heart,
That word she nevir spak mair.

Lord Thomas he saw fair Annet wex pale, And marvelit what mote bee:

But whan he saw her dear hearts blude,

A' wood-wroth wexed hee.

He drew his dagger, that was sae sharp,
That was sae sharp and meet,
And drave into the nut-browne bride,
That fell deid at his feit.

"Now stay for me, dear Annet," he sed, "Now stay, my dear," he cry'd ; Then strake the dagger until his heart, And fell deid by her side.

Lord Thomas was buried without kirk-wa', Fair Annet within the quiere ;

And o' the tane thair grew a birk,*

The other a bonny briere.

And ay they grew, and ay they threw,

As they wad faine be neare;

And by this ye may ken right weil,

They were twa luvers deare.

* Birch.

Printea from an ancient black-letter copy in the Pepys collection, entitled, "A new Song, shewing the crueltie of Gernutus, a Jewe,' who, lending to a merchant an hundred crowns, would have a pound of his Aeshe, because he could not pay him at the time appointed. To the tune

of" Black and Yellow."

N Venice towne not long agoe

A cruel Jew did dwell,

Which lived all on usurie,

As Italian writers tell.