5.

She has covered them o'er wi' a marble stane, Thinking she would gang maiden hame.

6.

As she was walking by her father's castle wa', She saw twa pretty babes playing at the ba'.

7.

'O bonnie babes, gin ye were mine, I would dress you up in satin fine.

8.

'O I would dress you in the silk, And wash you ay in morning milk.'

9.

'O cruel mother, we were thine, And thou made us to wear the twine.

10.

'O cursed mother, heaven's high, And that's where thou will ne'er win nigh.

11.

'O cursed mother, hell is deep, And there thou'll enter step by step.'

[Annotations: 9.2: 'twine,' coarse cloth; _i.e._ shroud.]

CHILD WATERS

+The Text+ is here given from the Percy Folio, with some emendations as suggested by Child.

+The Story+, if we omit the hard tests imposed on the maid's affection, is widely popular in a series of Scandinavian ballads,--Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian; and Percy's edition (in the _Reliques_) was popularised in Germany by Burger's translation.

The disagreeable nature of the final insult (stt. 27-29), retained here only for the sake of fidelity to the original text, may be paralleled by the similarly sudden lapse of taste in the _Nut-Brown Maid_. We can but hope--as indeed is probable--that the objectionable lines are in each case interpolated.

'Child,' as in 'Child Roland,' etc., is a title of courtesy = Knight.

CHILD WATERS

1.

Childe Watters in his stable stoode, & stroaket his milke-white steede; To him came a ffaire young ladye As ere did weare womans weede.

2.

Saies, 'Christ you saue, good Chyld Waters!'

Sayes, 'Christ you saue and see!

My girdle of gold which was too longe Is now to short ffor mee.

3.

'& all is with one chyld of yours, I ffeele sturre att my side: My gowne of greene, it is to strayght; Before it was to wide.'

4.

'If the child be mine, faire Ellen,' he sayd, 'Be mine, as you tell mee, Take you Cheshire & Lancashire both, Take them your owne to bee.

5.

'If the child be mine, ffaire Ellen,' he said, 'Be mine, as you doe sweare, Take you Cheshire & Lancashire both, & make that child your heyre.'

6.

Shee saies, 'I had rather haue one kisse, Child Waters, of thy mouth, Then I would have Cheshire & Lancashire both, That lyes by north & south.

7.

'& I had rather haue a twinkling, Child Waters, of your eye, Then I would have Cheshire & Lancashire both, To take them mine oune to bee!'

8.

'To-morrow, Ellen, I must forth ryde Soe ffar into the north countrye; The ffairest lady that I can ffind, Ellen, must goe with mee.'

'& euer I pray you, Child Watters, Your ffootpage let me bee!'

9.

'If you will my ffootpage be, Ellen, As you doe tell itt mee, Then you must cut your gownne of greene An inch aboue your knee.

10.

'Soe must you doe your yellow lockes Another inch aboue your eye; You must tell no man what is my name; My ffootpage then you shall bee.'

11.

All this long day Child Waters rode, Shee ran bare ffoote by his side; Yett was he neuer soe curteous a knight, To say, 'Ellen, will you ryde?'

12.

But all this day Child Waters rode, She ran barffoote thorow the broome!

Yett he was neuer soe curteous a knight As to say, 'Put on your shoone.'

13.

'Ride softlye,' shee said, 'Child Watters: Why do you ryde soe ffast?

The child, which is no mans but yours, My bodye itt will burst.'

14.

He sayes, 'Sees thou yonder water, Ellen, That fflowes from banke to brim?'

'I trust to God, Child Waters,' shee sayd, 'You will neuer see mee swime.'

15.

But when shee came to the waters side, Shee sayled to the chinne: 'Except the lord of heauen be my speed, Now must I learne to swime.'

16.

The salt waters bare vp Ellens clothes, Our Ladye bare vpp her chinne, & Child Waters was a woe man, good Lord, To ssee faire Ellen swime.

17.

& when shee ouer the water was, Shee then came to his knee: He said, 'Come hither, ffaire Ellen, Loe yonder what I see!

18.