27.

Myn owne dere loue, I see the proue That ye be kynde and trewe, Of mayde, and wyf, in al my lyf, The best that euer I knewe.

Be mery and glad, be no more sad, The case is chaunged newe; For it were ruthe, that, for your trouth, Ye shuld haue cause to rewe.

Be not dismayed; whatsoeuer I sayd To you, whan I began, I wyl not too the grene wod goo, I am noo banysshyd man.

28.

This tidingis be more glad to me, Than to be made a quene, Yf I were sure they shuld endure; But it is often seen, When men wyl breke promyse, they speke The wordis on the splene; Ye shape some wyle me to begyle And stele fro me, I wene: Than were the case wurs than it was, And I more woobegone: For, in my mynde, of al mankynde I loue but you alone.

29.

Ye shal not nede further to drede; I wyl not disparage You, (God defende!) syth you descend Of so grete a lynage.

Now understonde; to Westmerlande, Whiche is my herytage, I wyl you brynge; and wyth a rynge, By wey of maryage I wyl you take, and lady make, As shortly as I can: Thus haue ye wone an erles son And not a banysshyd man.

30.

Here may ye see, that wymen be In loue, meke, kinde, and stable; Late neuer man repreue them than, Or calle them variable; But rather prey God that we may To them be comfortable; Whiche somtyme prouyth suche as loueth, Yf they be charitable.

For sith men wolde that wymen sholde Be meke to them echeon, Moche more ought they to God obey, And serue but Hym alone.

[Annotations: 1.1: 'among,' from time to time.

1.5: 'neuer a dele,' not at all.

3.4: 'they' = the. 'in fere,' in company. 'and fere' (= fear) is usually printed.

5.1: 'do,' done.

5.5: 'ton,' one.

5.10: _i.e._ I know no other advice.

6.4: 'derked,' darkened.

6.7: 'wheder,' whither.

7.2: 'distrayne,' affect.

7.5: 'aslake,' abate.

10.9: 'thoo,' those.

11.3: 'renne,' run.

11.6: A later edition of the _Chronicle_ reads-- 'A bowe, redy to drawe.'

13.6: 'rescous,' rescue. Another edition has 'socurs.'

15.7: 'abowe,' above; 'roue,' roof.

18.7: 'hele,' health.

19.3: 'here,' hair; 'ere,' ear.

19.9: 'And,' If.

20.7: 'ensue,' follow.

22.2: The type is broken in the 1502 edition, which reads 'to say be....'

23.6: 'yede,' went.

25.3: 'purueid (= purveyed) me,' provided myself.

26.9: 'moo' = mo, _i.e._ more.

30.10: 'echeon,' each one.]

FAIR JANET

+The Text.+--Of seven or eight variants of this ballad, only three preserve the full form of the story. On the whole, the one here given--from Sharp's _Ballad Book_, as sung by an old woman in Perthshire--is the best, as the other two--from Herd's _Scots Songs_, and the Kinloch MSS.--are slightly contaminated by extraneous matter.

+The Story+ is a simple ballad-tale of 'true-love twinned'; but the episode of the dancing forms a link with a number of German and Scandinavian ballads, in which compulsory dancing and horse-riding is made a test of the guilt of an accused maiden. In the Scotch ballad the horse-riding has shrunk almost to nothing, and the dancing is not compulsory. The resemblance is faint, and the barbarities of the Continental versions are happily wanting in our ballad.

FAIR JANET

1.

'Ye maun gang to your father, Janet, Ye maun gang to him soon; Ye maun gang to your father, Janet, In case that his days are dune.'

2.

Janet's awa' to her father, As fast as she could hie: 'O what's your will wi' me, father?

O what's your will wi' me?'

3.

'My will wi' you, Fair Janet,' he said, 'It is both bed and board; Some say that ye lo'e Sweet Willie, But ye maun wed a French lord.'

4.

'A French lord maun I wed, father?

A French lord maun I wed?

Then, by my sooth,' quo' Fair Janet, 'He's ne'er enter my bed.'

5.

Janet's awa' to her chamber, As fast as she could go; Wha's the first ane that tapped there, But Sweet Willie her jo?

6.

'O we maun part this love, Willie, That has been lang between; There's a French lord coming o'er the sea, To wed me wi' a ring; There's a French lord coming o'er the sea, To wed and tak' me hame.'

7.

'If we maun part this love, Janet, It causeth mickle woe; If we maun part this love, Janet, It makes me into mourning go.'

8.

'But ye maun gang to your three sisters, Meg, Marion, and Jean; Tell them to come to Fair Janet, In case that her days are dune.'

9.

Willie's awa' to his three sisters, Meg, Marion, and Jean: 'O haste, and gang to Fair Janet, I fear that her days are dune.'

10.

Some drew to them their silken hose, Some drew to them their shoon, Some drew to them their silk manteils, Their coverings to put on, And they're awa' to Fair Janet, By the hie light o' the moon.

11.

'O I have born this babe, Willie, Wi' mickle toil and pain; Take hame, take hame, your babe, Willie, For nurse I dare be nane.'

12.

He's tane his young son in his arms, And kisst him cheek and chin, And he's awa' to his mother's bower, By the hie light o' the moon.

13.

'O open, open, mother,' he says, 'O open, and let me in; The rain rains on my yellow hair, And the dew drops o'er my chin, And I hae my young son in my arms, I fear that his days are dune.'