3.

Said, 'Strike on, strike on, Glasgerion, Of thy striking do not blin; There's never a stroke comes over this harp But it glads my heart within.'

4.

'Fair might you fall, lady,' quoth he; 'Who taught you now to speak?

I have loved you, lady, seven year; My heart I durst ne'er break.'

5.

'But come to my bower, my Glasgerion, When all men are at rest; As I am a lady true of my promise, Thou shalt be a welcome guest.'

6.

But home then came Glasgerion, A glad man, Lord, was he!

'And come thou hither, Jack, my boy, Come hither unto me.

7.

'For the king's daughter of Normandy Her love is granted me, And before the cock have crowen At her chamber must I be.'

8.

'But come you hither, master,' quoth he, 'Lay your head down on this stone; For I will waken you, master dear, Afore it be time to gone.'

9.

But up then rose that lither lad, And did on hose and shoon; A collar he cast upon his neck, He seemed a gentleman.

10.

And when he came to that lady's chamber, He thrilled upon a pin.

The lady was true of her promise, Rose up, and let him in.

11.

He did not take the lady gay To bolster nor no bed, But down upon her chamber-floor Full soon he hath her laid.

12.

He did not kiss that lady gay When he came nor when he yode; And sore mistrusted that lady gay He was of some churles blood.

13.

But home then came that lither lad, And did off his hose and shoon.

And cast that collar from about his neck; He was but a churles son: 'Awaken,' quoth he, 'my master dear, I hold it time to be gone.

14.

'For I have saddled your horse, master, Well bridled I have your steed; Have not I served a good breakfast?

When time comes I have need.'

15.

But up then rose good Glasgerion, And did on both hose and shoon, And cast a collar about his neck; He was a kinges son.

16.

And when he came to that lady's chamber, He thrilled upon a pin; The lady was more than true of her promise, Rose up, and let him in.

17.

Says, 'Whether have you left with me Your bracelet or your glove?

Or are you back returned again To know more of my love?'

18.

Glasgerion swore a full great oath By oak and ash and thorn, 'Lady, I was never in your chamber Sith the time that I was born.'

19.

'O then it was your little foot-page Falsely hath beguiled me': And then she pull'd forth a little pen-knife That hanged by her knee, Says, 'There shall never no churles blood Spring within my body.'

20.

But home then went Glasgerion, A woe man, good [Lord], was he; Says, 'Come hither, thou Jack, my boy, Come thou thither to me.

21.

'For if I had killed a man to-night, Jack, I would tell it thee; But if I have not killed a man to-night, Jack, thou hast killed three!'

22.

And he pull'd out his bright brown sword, And dried it on his sleeve, And he smote off that lither lad's head, And asked no man no leave.

23.

He set the sword's point till his breast, The pommel till a stone; Thorough that falseness of that lither lad These three lives were all gone.

[Annotations: 1.4: Folio:-- 'where cappe & candle yoode.' Percy in the _Reliques_ (1767) printed 'cuppe and _caudle_ stoode.'

1.6: 'wood,' mad, wild (with delight).

3.2: 'blin,' cease.

4.4: _i.e._ durst never speak my mind.

6.1: 'home'; Folio _whom_.

7.3,4: These lines are reversed in the Folio.

9.1: 'lither,' idle, wicked.

10.2: 'thrilled,' twirled or rattled; cp. 'tirled at the pin,' a stock ballad phrase (Scots).

12.2: 'yode,' went.

14.4: 'time': Folio _times_.

17.3: Folio _you are_.

22.2: Another commonplace of the ballads. The Scotch variant is generally, 'And striped it thro' the straw.' See special section of the Introduction.

23.1,2: 'till,' to, against.]

YOUNG BEKIE

+The Text+ is that of the Jamieson-Brown MS., taken down from the recitation of Mrs. Brown about 1783. In printing the ballad, Jamieson collated with the above two other Scottish copies, one in MS., another a stall-copy, a third from recitation in the north of England, a fourth 'picked off an old wall in Piccadilly' by the editor.

+The Story+ has several variations of detail in the numerous versions known (Young Bicham, Brechin, Bekie, Beachen, Beichan, Bichen, Lord Beichan, Lord Bateman, Young Bondwell, etc.), but the text here given is one of the most complete and vivid, and contains besides one feature (the 'Belly Blin') lost in all other versions but one.

A similar story is current in the ballad-literature of Scandinavia, Spain, and Italy; but the English tale has undoubtedly been affected by the charming legend of Gilbert Becket, the father of Saint Thomas, who, having been captured by Admiraud, a Saracen prince, and held in durance vile, was freed by Admiraud's daughter, who then followed him to England, knowing no English but 'London' and 'Gilbert'; and after much tribulation, found him and was married to him. 'Becket' is sufficiently near 'Bekie' to prove contamination, but not to prove that the legend is the origin of the ballad.

The Belly Blin (Billie Blin = billie, a man; blin', blind, and so Billie Blin = Blindman's Buff, formerly called Hoodman Blind) occurs in certain other ballads, such as _Cospatrick_, _Willie's Lady_, and the _Knight and the Shepherd's Daughter_; also in a mutilated ballad of the Percy Folio, _King Arthur and King Cornwall_, under the name Burlow Beanie. In the latter case he is described as 'a lodly feend, with seuen heads, and one body,' breathing fire; but in general he is a serviceable household demon. Cp. German _bilwiz_, and Dutch _belewitte_.

YOUNG BEKIE