6.

He sett himselfe on one good steed, This lady on one palfray, & sett his litle horne to his mouth, & roundlie he rode away.

7.

He had not ridden past a mile, A mile out of the towne, Her father was readye with her 7 brether, He said, 'Sett thou my daughter downe!

For it ill beseemes thee, thou false churles sonne, To carry her forth of this towne!'

8.

'But lowd thou lyest, Sir Iohn the Knight, Thou now doest lye of me; A knight me gott, & a lady me bore; Soe neuer did none by thee.

9.

'But light now downe, my lady gay, Light downe & hold my horsse, Whilest I & your father & your brether Doe play vs at this crosse.

10.

'But light now downe, my owne trew loue, & meeklye hold my steede, Whilest your father [and your brether] bold ... ... ...

[Annotations: 1.3: The maiden is speaking.

5.4: 'blend,' blended, mixed.

6.2: 'on': the MS. gives 'of.'

10.3: The rest (about nine stt.) is missing.]

LORD THOMAS AND FAIR ANNET

+The Text+ is from Percy's _Reliques_ (vol. ii., 1765: vol. iii., 1767).

In the latter edition he also gives the English version of the ballad earlier in the same volume.

+The Story.+--This ballad, as it is one of the most beautiful, is also one of the most popular. It should be compared with _Fair Margaret and Sweet William_, in which the forlorn maid dies of grief, not by the hand of her rival.

A series of Norse ballads tell much the same tale, but in none is the 'friends' will' a crucial point. Chansons from Burgundy, Bretagne, Provence, and northern Italy, faintly echo the story.

Lord Thomas his mither says that Fair Annet has no 'gowd and gear'; yet later on we find that Annet's father can provide her with a horse shod with silver and gold, and four-and-twenty silver bells in his mane; she is attended by a large company, her cleading skinkles, and her belt is of pearl.

LORD THOMAS AND FAIR ANNET

1.

Lord Thomas and Fair Annet Sate a' day on a hill; Whan night was cum, and sun was sett, They had not talkt their fill.

2.

Lord Thomas said a word in jest, Fair Annet took it ill: 'A, I will nevir wed a wife Against my ain friends' will.'

3.

'Gif ye wull nevir wed a wife, A wife wull neir wed yee': Sae he is hame to tell his mither, And knelt upon his knee.

4.

'O rede, O rede, mither,' he says, 'A gude rede gie to mee: O sall I tak the nut-browne bride, And let Faire Annet bee?'

5.

'The nut-browne bride haes gowd and gear, Fair Annet she has gat nane; And the little beauty Fair Annet haes, O it wull soon be gane.'

6.

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?'

7.

'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.'

8.

'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.'

9.

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?'

10.

'I'se 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!'

11.

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

12.

Up then rose Fair Annet's father, Twa hours or it wer day, And he is gane into the bower Wherein Fair Annet lay.

13.

'Rise up, rise up, Fair Annet,' he says, 'Put on your silken sheene; Let us gae to St. Marie's kirke, And see that rich weddeen.'

14.

'My maides, gae to my dressing-roome, And dress to me my hair; Whaireir yee laid a plait before, See yee lay ten times mair.

15.

'My maides, gae to my dressing-room, And dress to me my smock; The one half is o' the holland fine, The other o' needle-work.'

16.

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

17.

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

18.

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

19.

And whan she cam to Marie's kirk, She sat on Marie's stean: The cleading that Fair Annet had on It skinkled in their een.

20.

And whan she cam into the kirk, She shimmered like the sun; The belt that was about her waist, Was a' wi' pearles bedone.