6 This maid she awak'd in the middle of the night,

Was in a drowsy dream;

She found her bride's-bed swim with blood,

Bot and her good lord slain.

7 What will the court and council say?
What will they say to me?
What will the court and council say
But this night I've murderd thee?'

8 Out and speaks the Eastmure king:
'Hold your tongue, my pretty may,
And come along with me, my dear,
And that court ye 'll never see.'

9 She lighted aff her milk-white steed,
And knelt upon her knee:

'O mercy, mercy, Jellon Grame !
For I'm nae prepar❜d to die.

10 Your bairn, that stirs between my sides,

Maun shortly see the light;

But to see it weltring in my blude
Woud be a piteous sight.'

11 'O shoud I spare your life,' he says,
"Until that bairn be born,

I ken fu well your stern father
Woud hang me on the morn.'

12 'O spare my life now, Jellon Grame ! My father ye neer need dread;

I'll keep my bairn i the good green wood,

Or wi it I'll beg my bread.'

13 He took nae pity on that ladie,
Tho she for life did pray;
But pierced her thro the fair body,
As at his feet she lay.

2 'I wonder much,' said May Margerie, 'At this message to me;

There is not a month gone of this year But I have made him three.'

3 Then out did speak her mother dear,
A wise woman was she;
Said, Stay at home, my daughter May,
They seek to murder thee.

4 'O I'll cast off my gloves, mother,
And hang them up, I say;
If I come never back again,
They will mind you on May.

5 'Go saddle my horseback,' she said,
It's quick as ever you may,
And we will ride to good green-wood;
It is a pleasant day.'

6 And when she came to good green-wood,
It's through it they did ride;
Then up did start him Hind Henry,
Just at the lady's side.

7 Says, Stop, O stop, you May Margerie, Just stop I say to thee;

The boy that leads your bridle reins
Shall see you red and blue.

8 It's out he drew a long, long brand, And stroked it ower a strae, And through and through that lady's sides

He made the cauld weapon gae.

9 Says, Take you that now, May Margerie, Just take you that from me, Because you love Brown Robin,

And never would love me.

10 There was less pity for that lady, When she was lying dead,

As was for her bony infant boy,
Lay swathed amang her bleed.

11 The boy fled home with all his might, The tear into his ee:

'They have slain my lady in the wood, With fear I'm like to die.'

12 Her sister's ran into the wood, With greater grief and care, Sighing and sobbing all the way, Tearing her cloaths and hair.

13 Says, I'll take up that fair infant,
And lull him on my sleeve;
Altho his father should wish me woe,
His mother to me was leeve.

14 Now she has taken the infant up,

And she has brought him hame, And she has called him Brown Robin, That was his father's name.

15 And when he did grow up a bit,

She put him to the lair,

And of all the youths was at that school
None could with him compare.

16 And it fell once upon a day

A playtime it was come,

And when the rest went from the school,
Each one to their own home,

17 He hied him unto good green-wood,
And leapt from tree to tree;
It was to pull a hollin wand,
To play his ownself wi.

18 And when he thus had passed his time, To go home he was fain,

He chanced to meet him Hind Henry,
Where his mother was slain.

19 'O how is this,' the youth cried out,

'If it to you is known,

How all this wood is growing grass,
And on that small spot grows none?'

20 'Since you do wonder, bonnie boy,
I shall tell you anon;
That is indeed the very spot
I killed your mother in.'

21 He catched hold of Henry's brand,
And stroked it ower a strae,
And thro and thro Hind Henry's sides
He made the cauld metal gae.

22 Says, Take you that, O Hind Henry,
O take you that from me,
For killing of my mother dear,
And her not hurting thee.

91

FAIR MARY OF WALLINGTON

'Fair Mary of Wallington' (A) was communicated to Bishop Percy, with other "old

Scots Songs," in 1775, by Roger Halt, and presumably in a copy of the garland from which it is here printed. The story is well preserved in this version. A Breton ballad, Pontplancoat' (Luzel, 1, 382 ff.), exhibits such correspondences with the English and Scottish that it may be assumed to have the same source. The localization of A in Northumberland is of no special significance.

A

'Fair Mary of Wallington,' Lovely Jenny's Garland, three copies, as early as 1775, but without place or date.

1 WHEN We were silly sisters seven, sisters were so fair,

Five of us were brave knights' wives, and died in childbed lair.

2 Up then spake Fair Mary, marry woud she nane;

If ever she came in man's bed, the same gate wad she gang.

3 Make no vows, Fair Mary,

for fear they broken be;

Here's been the Knight of Wallington,

asking good will of thee.'

4 If here's been the knight, mother,
asking good will of me,
Within three quarters of a year
you may come bury me.'

5 When she came to Wallington,
and into Wallington hall,
There she spy'd her mother dear,
walking about the wall.

6 'You're welcome, daughter dear, to thy castle and thy bowers;' 'I thank you kindly, mother,

I hope they'll soon be yours.'

7 She had not been in Wallington three quarters and a day,

Till upon the ground she could not walk,

she was a weary prey.

8 She had not been in Wallington

three quarters and a night,

Till on the ground she coud not walk, she was a weary wight.