VII.SIR PATRICK SPENCE,

[Percy refers to two copies of this ballad, but there is every reason to believe that one of these was the bishop's own composition, as it was never seen by others and has not since been found. The copy from the folio MS. was torn out by Percy when he was preparing the fourth edition of theReliquesfor the press, and is now unfortunately lost, so that we have no means of telling what alterations he made in addition to those which he mentions in the footnotes. The readings in the fourth edition are changed in several places from those printed in the first edition.]

Hearken to me, gentlemen,Come and you shall heare;Ile tell you of two of the boldest brethren[429]That ever borne y-were.The tone[430]of them was Adler younge,5The tother was kyng Estmere;The were as bolde men in their deeds,As any were farr and neare.As they were drinking ale and wineWithin kyng Estmeres halle:[431]10When will ye marry a wyfe, brothèr,A wyfe to glad us all?Then bespake him kyng Estmere,And answered him hastilee:[432]I know not that ladye in any land15That's able[433]to marrye with mee.Kyng Adland hath a daughter, brother,Men call her bright and sheene;[434]If I were kyng here in your stead,That ladye shold be my queene.20Saies, Reade me,[435]reade me, deare brother,Throughout merry Englànd,Where we might find a messengerBetwixt us towe to sende.Saies, You shal ryde yourselfe, brothèr,25Ile beare you companye;Many throughe fals messengers are deceived,[436]And I feare lest soe shold wee.Thus the renisht[437]them to rydeOf twoe good renisht[438]steeds,30And when the came to king Adlands halle,Of redd gold shone their weeds.[439]And when the came to kyng Adlands hallBefore the goodlye gate,There they found good kyng Adlànd35Rearing[440]himselfe theratt.Now Christ thee save, good kyng Adlànd;Now Christ you save and see.Sayd, You be welcome, king Estmere,Right hartilye to mee.40You have a daughter, said Adler younge,Men call her bright and sheene,My brother wold marrye her to his wiffe,Of Englande to be queene.Yesterday was att my deere daughtèr45Syr Bremor the kyng of Spayne;[441]And then she nicked[442]him of naye,And I doubt sheele[443]do you the same.The kyng of Spayne is a foule paynim,[444]And 'leeveth[445]on Mahound;50And pitye it were that fayre ladyèShold marrye a heathen hound.But grant to me, sayes kyng Estmere,For my love I you praye;That I may see your daughter deere55Before I goe hence awaye.Although itt is seven yeers and moreSince my daughter was in halle,She shall come once downe for your sakeTo glad my guestès alle.60Downe then came that mayden fayre,With ladyes laced in pall,[446]And halfe a hundred of bold knightes,To bring her from bowre to hall;And as many gentle squiers,65To tend upon them all.The talents of golde were on her head sette,Hanged low downe to her knee;And everye ring on her small fingèr,Shone of the chrystall free.70Saies, God you save, my deere madàm;Saies, God you save and see.Said, You be welcome, kyng Estmere,Right welcome unto mee.And if you love me, as you saye,75Soe well and hartilèe,All that ever you are comen aboutSoone sped now itt shal bee.Then bespake her father deare:My daughter, I saye naye;80Remember well the kyng of Spayne,What he sayd yesterdaye.He wold pull downe my halles and castles,And reave[447]me of my lyfeI cannot blame him if he doe,85If I reave him of his wyfe.Your castles and your towres, father,Are stronglye built aboute;And therefore of the king of Spaine[448]Wee neede not stande in doubt.90Plight me your troth, nowe, kyng Estmère,By heaven and your righte hand,That you will marrye me to your wyfe,And make me queene of your land.Then kyng Estmere he plight his troth95By heaven and his righte hand,That he wolde marrye her to his wyfe,And make her queene of his land.And he tooke leave of that ladye fayre,To goe to his owne countree,100To fetche him dukes and lordes and knightes,That marryed the might bee.They had not ridden scant a myle,A myle forthe of the towne,But in did come the kyng of Spayne,105With kempès[449]many one.But in did come the kyng of Spayne,With manye a bold baròne,Tone day to marrye kyng Adlands daughter,Tother daye to carrye her home.110Shee sent one after kyng EstmèreIn all the spede might bee,That he must either turne againe and fighte,Or goe home and loose his ladyè.One whyle then the page he went,115Another while he ranne;Till he had oretaken king Estmere,I wis, he never blanne.[450]Tydings, tydings, kyng Estmere!What tydinges nowe, my boye?120O tydinges I can tell to you,That will you sore annoye.You had not ridden scant a mile,A mile out of the towne,But in did come the kyng of Spayne125With kempès many a one:But in did come the kyng of SpayneWith manye a bold baròne,Tone daye to marrye king Adlands daughter,Tother daye to carry her home.130My ladye fayre she greetes you well,And ever-more well by mee:You must either turne againe and fighte,Or goe home and loose your ladyè.Saies, Reade me, reade me, deere brothèr,135My reade shall ryde[451]at thee,Whether it is better to turne and fighte,Or goe home and loose my ladye.Now hearken to me, sayes Adler yonge,And your reade must rise[452]at me,140I quicklye will devise a wayeTo sette thy ladye free.My mother was a westerne woman,And learned in gramaryè.[453]And when I learned at the schole,145Something shee taught itt mee.There growes an hearbe within this field,And iff it were but knowne,His color, which is whyte and redd,It will make blacke and browne:150His color, which is browne and blacke,Itt will make redd and whyte;That sworde is not in all Englande,Upon his coate will byte.And you shal be a harper, brother,155Out of the north countrye;And Ile be your boy, soe faine of fighte,[454]And beare your harpe by your knee.And you shal be the best harpèr,That ever tooke harpe in hand;160And I wil be the best singèr,That ever sung in this lande.Itt shal be written in our forheadsAll and in grammaryè,That we towe are the boldest men,165That are in all Christentyè.And thus they renisht them to ryde,On tow good renish steedes:And when they came to king Adlands hall,Of redd gold shone their weedes.170And whan the came to kyng Adlands hall,Untill the fayre hall yate,[455]There they found a proud portèrRearing himselfe thereatt.Sayes, Christ thee save, thou proud portèr;175Sayes, Christ thee save and see.Nowe you be welcome, sayd the portèr,Of what land soever ye bee.Wee beene harpers, sayd Adler younge,Come out of the northe countrye;180Wee beene come hither untill this place,This proud weddinge for to see.Sayd, And your color were white and redd,As it is blacke and browne,I wold saye king Estmere and his brother185Were comen untill this towne.Then they pulled out a ryng of gold,Layd itt on the porters arme:And ever we will thee, proud portèr,Thow wilt saye us no harme.190Sore he looked on kyng Estmère,And sore he handled the ryng,Then opened to them the fayre hall yates,He lett[456]for no kind of thyng.Kyng Estmere he stabled his steede195Soe fayre att the hall bord;The froth, that came from his brydle bitte,Light in kyng Bremors beard.Saies, Stable thy steed, thou proud harpèr,Saies, Stable him in the stalle;200It doth not beseeme a proud harpèrTo stable 'him' in a kyngs halle.[457]My ladde he is so lither,[458]he said,He will doe nought that's meete;And is there any man in this hall205Were able him to beate.Thou speakst proud words, sayes the king of Spaine,Thou harper here to mee:There is a man within this halle,Will beate thy ladd and thee.210O let that man come downe, he said,A sight of him wold I see;And when hee hath beaten well my ladd,Then he shall beate of mee.Downe then came the kemperye man,[459]215And looked him in the eare;For all the gold, that was under heaven,He durst not neigh him neare.[460]And how nowe, kempe, said the kyng of Spaine,And how what aileth thee?220He saies, It is writt in his forheadAll and in gramaryè,That for all the gold that is under heaven,I dare not neigh him nye.Then kyng Estmere pulld forth his harpe,225And plaid a pretty thinge:The ladye upstart from the borde,And wold have gone from the king.Stay thy harpe, thou proud harpèr,For Gods love I pray thee230For and thou playes as thou beginns,Thou'lt till[461]my bryde from mee.He stroake upon his harpe againe,And playd a pretty thinge;The ladye lough[462]a loud laughter,235As shee sate by the king.Saies, sell me thy harpe, thou proud harper,And thy stringès all,For as many gold nobles 'thou shalt have'As heere bee ringes in the hall.240What wold ye doe with my harpe, 'he sayd,If I did sell itt yee?"To playe my wiffe and me a Fitt,[463]When abed together wee bee."Now sell me, quoth hee, thy bryde soe gay,245As shee sitts by thy knee,And as many gold nobles I will give,As leaves been on a tree.And what wold ye doe with my bryde soe gay,Iff I did sell her thee?250More seemelye it is for her fayre bodyeTo lye by mee then thee.Hee played agayne both loud and shrille,[464]And Adler he did syng,"O ladye, this is thy owne true love;255Noe harper, but a kyng."O ladye, this is thy owne true love,As playnlye thou mayest see;And Ile rid thee of that foule paynim,Who partes thy love and thee."260The ladye looked, the ladye blushte,And blushte and lookt agayne,While Adler he hath drawne his brande,And hath the Sowdan slayne.Up then rose the kemperye men,265And loud they gan to crye:Ah! traytors, yee have slayne our kyng,And therefore yee shall dye.Kyng Estmere threwe the harpe asyde,And swith[465]he drew his brand;[466]270And Estmere he, and Adler yongeRight stiffe in stour[467]can stand.And aye their swordes soe sore can byte,Throughe help of GramaryèThat soone they have slayne the kempery men,275Or forst them forth to flee.Kyng Estmere tooke that fayre ladyè,And marryed her to his wiffe,And brought her home to merry EnglàndWith her to leade his life.280

Hearken to me, gentlemen,Come and you shall heare;Ile tell you of two of the boldest brethren[429]That ever borne y-were.

The tone[430]of them was Adler younge,5The tother was kyng Estmere;The were as bolde men in their deeds,As any were farr and neare.

As they were drinking ale and wineWithin kyng Estmeres halle:[431]10When will ye marry a wyfe, brothèr,A wyfe to glad us all?

Then bespake him kyng Estmere,And answered him hastilee:[432]I know not that ladye in any land15That's able[433]to marrye with mee.

Kyng Adland hath a daughter, brother,Men call her bright and sheene;[434]If I were kyng here in your stead,That ladye shold be my queene.20

Saies, Reade me,[435]reade me, deare brother,Throughout merry Englànd,Where we might find a messengerBetwixt us towe to sende.

Saies, You shal ryde yourselfe, brothèr,25Ile beare you companye;Many throughe fals messengers are deceived,[436]And I feare lest soe shold wee.

Thus the renisht[437]them to rydeOf twoe good renisht[438]steeds,30And when the came to king Adlands halle,Of redd gold shone their weeds.[439]

And when the came to kyng Adlands hallBefore the goodlye gate,There they found good kyng Adlànd35Rearing[440]himselfe theratt.

Now Christ thee save, good kyng Adlànd;Now Christ you save and see.Sayd, You be welcome, king Estmere,Right hartilye to mee.40

You have a daughter, said Adler younge,Men call her bright and sheene,My brother wold marrye her to his wiffe,Of Englande to be queene.

Yesterday was att my deere daughtèr45Syr Bremor the kyng of Spayne;[441]And then she nicked[442]him of naye,And I doubt sheele[443]do you the same.

The kyng of Spayne is a foule paynim,[444]And 'leeveth[445]on Mahound;50And pitye it were that fayre ladyèShold marrye a heathen hound.

But grant to me, sayes kyng Estmere,For my love I you praye;That I may see your daughter deere55Before I goe hence awaye.

Although itt is seven yeers and moreSince my daughter was in halle,She shall come once downe for your sakeTo glad my guestès alle.60

Downe then came that mayden fayre,With ladyes laced in pall,[446]And halfe a hundred of bold knightes,To bring her from bowre to hall;And as many gentle squiers,65To tend upon them all.

The talents of golde were on her head sette,Hanged low downe to her knee;And everye ring on her small fingèr,Shone of the chrystall free.70

Saies, God you save, my deere madàm;Saies, God you save and see.Said, You be welcome, kyng Estmere,Right welcome unto mee.

And if you love me, as you saye,75Soe well and hartilèe,All that ever you are comen aboutSoone sped now itt shal bee.

Then bespake her father deare:My daughter, I saye naye;80Remember well the kyng of Spayne,What he sayd yesterdaye.

He wold pull downe my halles and castles,And reave[447]me of my lyfeI cannot blame him if he doe,85If I reave him of his wyfe.

Your castles and your towres, father,Are stronglye built aboute;And therefore of the king of Spaine[448]Wee neede not stande in doubt.90

Plight me your troth, nowe, kyng Estmère,By heaven and your righte hand,That you will marrye me to your wyfe,And make me queene of your land.

Then kyng Estmere he plight his troth95By heaven and his righte hand,That he wolde marrye her to his wyfe,And make her queene of his land.

And he tooke leave of that ladye fayre,To goe to his owne countree,100To fetche him dukes and lordes and knightes,That marryed the might bee.

They had not ridden scant a myle,A myle forthe of the towne,But in did come the kyng of Spayne,105With kempès[449]many one.

But in did come the kyng of Spayne,With manye a bold baròne,Tone day to marrye kyng Adlands daughter,Tother daye to carrye her home.110

Shee sent one after kyng EstmèreIn all the spede might bee,That he must either turne againe and fighte,Or goe home and loose his ladyè.

One whyle then the page he went,115Another while he ranne;Till he had oretaken king Estmere,I wis, he never blanne.[450]

Tydings, tydings, kyng Estmere!What tydinges nowe, my boye?120O tydinges I can tell to you,That will you sore annoye.

You had not ridden scant a mile,A mile out of the towne,But in did come the kyng of Spayne125With kempès many a one:

But in did come the kyng of SpayneWith manye a bold baròne,Tone daye to marrye king Adlands daughter,Tother daye to carry her home.130

My ladye fayre she greetes you well,And ever-more well by mee:You must either turne againe and fighte,Or goe home and loose your ladyè.

Saies, Reade me, reade me, deere brothèr,135My reade shall ryde[451]at thee,Whether it is better to turne and fighte,Or goe home and loose my ladye.

Now hearken to me, sayes Adler yonge,And your reade must rise[452]at me,140I quicklye will devise a wayeTo sette thy ladye free.

My mother was a westerne woman,And learned in gramaryè.[453]And when I learned at the schole,145Something shee taught itt mee.

There growes an hearbe within this field,And iff it were but knowne,His color, which is whyte and redd,It will make blacke and browne:150

His color, which is browne and blacke,Itt will make redd and whyte;That sworde is not in all Englande,Upon his coate will byte.

And you shal be a harper, brother,155Out of the north countrye;And Ile be your boy, soe faine of fighte,[454]And beare your harpe by your knee.

And you shal be the best harpèr,That ever tooke harpe in hand;160And I wil be the best singèr,That ever sung in this lande.

Itt shal be written in our forheadsAll and in grammaryè,That we towe are the boldest men,165That are in all Christentyè.

And thus they renisht them to ryde,On tow good renish steedes:And when they came to king Adlands hall,Of redd gold shone their weedes.170

And whan the came to kyng Adlands hall,Untill the fayre hall yate,[455]There they found a proud portèrRearing himselfe thereatt.

Sayes, Christ thee save, thou proud portèr;175Sayes, Christ thee save and see.Nowe you be welcome, sayd the portèr,Of what land soever ye bee.

Wee beene harpers, sayd Adler younge,Come out of the northe countrye;180Wee beene come hither untill this place,This proud weddinge for to see.

Sayd, And your color were white and redd,As it is blacke and browne,I wold saye king Estmere and his brother185Were comen untill this towne.

Then they pulled out a ryng of gold,Layd itt on the porters arme:And ever we will thee, proud portèr,Thow wilt saye us no harme.190

Sore he looked on kyng Estmère,And sore he handled the ryng,Then opened to them the fayre hall yates,He lett[456]for no kind of thyng.

Kyng Estmere he stabled his steede195Soe fayre att the hall bord;The froth, that came from his brydle bitte,Light in kyng Bremors beard.

Saies, Stable thy steed, thou proud harpèr,Saies, Stable him in the stalle;200It doth not beseeme a proud harpèrTo stable 'him' in a kyngs halle.[457]

My ladde he is so lither,[458]he said,He will doe nought that's meete;And is there any man in this hall205Were able him to beate.

Thou speakst proud words, sayes the king of Spaine,Thou harper here to mee:There is a man within this halle,Will beate thy ladd and thee.210

O let that man come downe, he said,A sight of him wold I see;And when hee hath beaten well my ladd,Then he shall beate of mee.

Downe then came the kemperye man,[459]215And looked him in the eare;For all the gold, that was under heaven,He durst not neigh him neare.[460]

And how nowe, kempe, said the kyng of Spaine,And how what aileth thee?220He saies, It is writt in his forheadAll and in gramaryè,That for all the gold that is under heaven,I dare not neigh him nye.

Then kyng Estmere pulld forth his harpe,225And plaid a pretty thinge:The ladye upstart from the borde,And wold have gone from the king.

Stay thy harpe, thou proud harpèr,For Gods love I pray thee230For and thou playes as thou beginns,Thou'lt till[461]my bryde from mee.

He stroake upon his harpe againe,And playd a pretty thinge;The ladye lough[462]a loud laughter,235As shee sate by the king.

Saies, sell me thy harpe, thou proud harper,And thy stringès all,For as many gold nobles 'thou shalt have'As heere bee ringes in the hall.240

What wold ye doe with my harpe, 'he sayd,If I did sell itt yee?"To playe my wiffe and me a Fitt,[463]When abed together wee bee."

Now sell me, quoth hee, thy bryde soe gay,245As shee sitts by thy knee,And as many gold nobles I will give,As leaves been on a tree.

And what wold ye doe with my bryde soe gay,Iff I did sell her thee?250More seemelye it is for her fayre bodyeTo lye by mee then thee.

Hee played agayne both loud and shrille,[464]And Adler he did syng,"O ladye, this is thy owne true love;255Noe harper, but a kyng.

"O ladye, this is thy owne true love,As playnlye thou mayest see;And Ile rid thee of that foule paynim,Who partes thy love and thee."260

The ladye looked, the ladye blushte,And blushte and lookt agayne,While Adler he hath drawne his brande,And hath the Sowdan slayne.

Up then rose the kemperye men,265And loud they gan to crye:Ah! traytors, yee have slayne our kyng,And therefore yee shall dye.

Kyng Estmere threwe the harpe asyde,And swith[465]he drew his brand;[466]270And Estmere he, and Adler yongeRight stiffe in stour[467]can stand.

And aye their swordes soe sore can byte,Throughe help of GramaryèThat soone they have slayne the kempery men,275Or forst them forth to flee.

Kyng Estmere tooke that fayre ladyè,And marryed her to his wiffe,And brought her home to merry EnglàndWith her to leade his life.280

⁂ The wordGramaryè,[468]which occurs several times in the foregoing poem, is probably a corruption of the French wordGrimoire, which signifies a conjuring book in the old French romances, if not the art of necromancy itself.†‡†Termagaunt(mentioned above, p.85) is the name given in the old romances to the god of the Saracens, in which he is constantlylinked withMahoundor Mahomet. Thus, in the legend ofSyr Guy, the Soudan (Sultan), swears

†‡†Termagaunt(mentioned above, p.85) is the name given in the old romances to the god of the Saracens, in which he is constantlylinked withMahoundor Mahomet. Thus, in the legend ofSyr Guy, the Soudan (Sultan), swears

"So helpe meMahowneof might,AndTermagauntmy god so bright."

Sign.p. iii. b.

This word is derived by the very learned editor of Junius from the Anglo-Saxon Tẏꞃ very, and Maᵹan mighty. As this word had so sublime a derivation, and was so applicable to the true God, how shall we account for its being so degraded? Perhaps Tẏꞃ-maᵹan orTermaganthad been a name originally given to some Saxon idol, before our ancestors were converted to Christianity; or had been the peculiar attribute of one of their false deities; and therefore the first Christian missionaries rejected it as profane and improper to be applied to the true God. Afterwards, when the irruptions of the Saracens into Europe, and the Crusades into the East, had brought them acquainted with a new species of unbelievers, our ignorant ancestors, who thought all that did not receive the Christian law were necessarily pagans and idolaters, supposed the Mahometan creed was in all respects the same with that of their pagan forefathers, and therefore made no scruple to give the ancient name ofTermagantto the god of the Saracens, just in the same manner as they afterwards used the name ofSarazento express any kind of pagan or idolater. In the ancient romance ofMerline(in the editor's folio MS.) the Saxons themselves that came over with Hengist, because they were not Christians, are constantly called Sarazens.

However that be, it is certain that, after the times of the Crusades, bothMahoundandTermagauntmade their frequent appearance in the pageants and religious interludes of the barbarous ages; in which they were exhibited with gestures so furious and frantic, as to become proverbial. Thus Skelton speaks of Wolsey:—

"LikeMahoundin a play,No man dare him withsay."

Ed. 1736, p. 158.

In like manner Bale, describing the threats used by some papist magistrates to his wife, speaks of them as "grennyng upon her lykeTermagauntesin a playe." (Actes of Engl. Votaryes, pt. ii. fo. 83, Ed. 1550, 12mo.) Accordingly in a letter of Edward Alleyn, the founder of Dulwich College, to his wife or sister, who, it seems, with all her fellows (the players), had been "by my Lorde Maiors officer[s] mad to rid in a cart," he expresses his concern that she should "fall into the hands of sucheTarmagants." (So the orig. dated May 2, 1593, preserved by the care of the Rev. Thomas Jenyns Smith, Fellow of Dulw. Coll.) Hence we may conceivethe force of Hamlet's expression in Shakspeare, where, condemning a ranting player, he says, "I could have such a fellow whipt for ore-doingTermagant: it out-herods Herod" (Act iii. sc. 3). By degrees the word came to be applied to an outrageous turbulent person, and especially to a violent brawling woman; to whom alone it is now confined, and this the rather as, I suppose, the character ofTermagantwas anciently represented on the stage after the eastern mode, with long robes or petticoats.

Another frequent character in the old pageants or interludes of our ancestors, was thesowdanorsoldan, representing a grim eastern tyrant. This appears from a curious passage in Stow'sAnnals(p. 458). In a stage-play "the people know right well that he that plaieth thesowdain, is percase a sowter [shoe-maker]; yet if one should cal him by his owne name, while he standeth in his majestie, one of his tormenters might hap to break his head." Thesowdain, orsoldan, was a name given to the Sarazen king (being only a more rude pronunciation of the wordsultan), as the soldan of Egypt, the soudan of Persia, the sowdan of Babylon, &c., who were generally represented as accompanied with grim Sarazens, whose business it was to punish and torment Christians.

I cannot conclude this short memoir, without observing that the French romancers, who had borrowed the wordTermagantfrom us, and applied it as we in their old romances, corrupted it intoTervagaunte; and from them La Fontaine took it up, and has used it more than once in his tales. This may be added to the other proofs adduced in these volumes of the great intercourse that formerly subsisted between the old minstrels and legendary writers of both nations, and that they mutually borrowed each other's romances.

FOOTNOTES:[420]See a short Memoir at the end of this Ballad, Note †‡†.[421]Sign C. ii. b.[422]Sign C. i. b.[423]Odyss.a.105.[424]See vol. ii., note subjoined to 1st part ofBeggar of Bednal, &c.[425]See theEssay on the Antient Minstrels(Appendix I.)[426]Even so late as the time of Froissart, we find minstrels and heralds mentioned together, as those who might securely go into an enemy's country. Cap. cxl.[427]Bartholini Antiq. Dan.p. 173.Northern Antiquities, &c., vol. i. pp. 386, 389, &c.[428]See also the account of Edw. II. in theEssay on the Minstrels, and Note[X].[429]Ver. 3. brether, f. MS.[430][the one.][431]V. 10. his brother's hall f. MS.[432]V. 14. hartilye, f. MS.[433]He means fit, suitable.[434][shining.][435][advise me.][436]Ver. 27. many a man ... is, f. MS.[437][they got ready?][438][harnessed.][439][garments.][440][leaning.][441]V. 46. the king his sonne of Spayn, f. MS.[442][refused.][443][she will.][444][pagan.][445][believeth.][446][robe of state.][447][bereave.][448]Ver. 89. of the King his sonne of Spaine, f. MS.[449][soldiers or knights.][450][stopped.][451]sicMS. It should probably beryse,i.e.my counsel shall arise from thee. See ver. 140.[452]sicMS.[453]See at the end of this ballad, note ⁂.[454][fond of fighting.][455][gate.][456][he left?orhe let be opened?][457]Ver. 202. to stable his steede, f. MS.[458][lazy or wicked.][459][soldier or fighting man.][460][approach him near.][461]i.e.entice.[462][laughed.][463]i.e.a tune, or strain of music.[464]Ver. 253. Some liberties have been taken in the following stanzas; but wherever this edition differs from the preceding, it hath been brought nearer to the folio MS.[465][quickly.][466][sword.][467][fight.][468][or grammar, and hence used for any abstruse learning.]

[420]See a short Memoir at the end of this Ballad, Note †‡†.

[421]Sign C. ii. b.

[422]Sign C. i. b.

[423]Odyss.a.105.

[424]See vol. ii., note subjoined to 1st part ofBeggar of Bednal, &c.

[425]See theEssay on the Antient Minstrels(Appendix I.)

[426]Even so late as the time of Froissart, we find minstrels and heralds mentioned together, as those who might securely go into an enemy's country. Cap. cxl.

[427]Bartholini Antiq. Dan.p. 173.Northern Antiquities, &c., vol. i. pp. 386, 389, &c.

[428]See also the account of Edw. II. in theEssay on the Minstrels, and Note[X].

[429]Ver. 3. brether, f. MS.

[430][the one.]

[431]V. 10. his brother's hall f. MS.

[432]V. 14. hartilye, f. MS.

[433]He means fit, suitable.

[434][shining.]

[435][advise me.]

[436]Ver. 27. many a man ... is, f. MS.

[437][they got ready?]

[438][harnessed.]

[439][garments.]

[440][leaning.]

[441]V. 46. the king his sonne of Spayn, f. MS.

[442][refused.]

[443][she will.]

[444][pagan.]

[445][believeth.]

[446][robe of state.]

[447][bereave.]

[448]Ver. 89. of the King his sonne of Spaine, f. MS.

[449][soldiers or knights.]

[450][stopped.]

[451]sicMS. It should probably beryse,i.e.my counsel shall arise from thee. See ver. 140.

[452]sicMS.

[453]See at the end of this ballad, note ⁂.

[454][fond of fighting.]

[455][gate.]

[456][he left?orhe let be opened?]

[457]Ver. 202. to stable his steede, f. MS.

[458][lazy or wicked.]

[459][soldier or fighting man.]

[460][approach him near.]

[461]i.e.entice.

[462][laughed.]

[463]i.e.a tune, or strain of music.

[464]Ver. 253. Some liberties have been taken in the following stanzas; but wherever this edition differs from the preceding, it hath been brought nearer to the folio MS.

[465][quickly.]

[466][sword.]

[467][fight.]

[468][or grammar, and hence used for any abstruse learning.]

A Scottish Ballad,

Isgiven from two MS. copies transmitted from Scotland. In what age the hero of this ballad lived, or when this fatal expedition happened that proved so destructive to the Scots nobles, I have not been able to discover; yet am of opinion, that their catastrophe is not altogether without foundation in history, though it has escaped my ownresearches. In the infancy of navigation, such as used the northern seas were very liable to shipwreck in the wintry months: hence a law was enacted in the reign of James III. (a law which was frequently repeated afterwards), "That there be na schip frauched out of the realm with any staple gudes, fra the feast of Simons day and Jude, unto the feast of the purification of our Lady called Candelmess."Jam. III. Parlt. 2, ch. 15.

In some modern copies, instead of Patrick Spence hath been substituted the name of Sir Andrew Wood, a famous Scottish admiral who flourished in the time of our Edward IV., but whose story has nothing in common with this of the ballad. As Wood was the most noted warrior of Scotland, it is probable that, like the Theban Hercules, he hath engrossed the renown of other heroes.

[The fact that this glorious ballad was never heard of before Percy printed it in 1765, caused some to throw doubts upon its authenticity, and their scepticism was strengthened by the note at p. 102, which refers to the author ofHardyknute. It was thought that the likeness in expression and sentiment there mentioned might easily be explained if the two poems were both by Lady Wardlaw. This view, advocated by Robert Chambers in his general attack on the authenticity of allThe Romantic Scottish Ballads(1859), has not met with much favour, and Professor Child thinks that the arguments against the genuineness ofSir Patrick Spenceare so trivial as hardly to admit of statement. He writes, "If not ancient it has been always accepted as such by the most skilful judges, and is a solitary instance of a successful imitation in manner and spirit of the best specimens of authentic minstrelsy."[469]Coleridge, no mean judge of a ballad, wrote—"The bard be sure was weather-wise who framedThe grand old ballad of Sir Patrick Spens."Antiquaries have objected that Spence is not an early Scottish name, but in this they are wrong, for Professor Aytoun found it in a charter of Robert III. and also in Wyntoun'sChronicle.There has been considerable discussion as to the historical event referred to in the ballad, and the present version does not contain any mention of one of the points that may help towards a settlement of the question. The version in Scott'sMinstrelsycontains the following stanza:—"To Noroway, to NorowayTo Noroway o'er the faemThe king's daughter of Noroway'Tis thou maun bring her hame."Professor Aytoun would change the third line to"The king's daughtertoNoroway,"as he agrees with Motherwell in the view that the ballad refers to the fate of the Scottish nobles who in 1281 conveyed Margaret, daughter of Alexander III., to Norway, on the occasion of her nuptials with King Eric.Fordun relates this incident as follows:—"In the year 1281 Margaret, daughter of Alexander III., was married to the King of Norway, who, leaving Scotland in the last day of July, was conveyed thither in noble style in company with many knights and nobles. In returning home after the celebration of her nuptials, the Abbot of Balmerinoch, Bernard of Monte-alto, and many other persons, were drowned." As to the scene of the disaster, Aytoun brings forward an interesting illustration of the expression "half over to Aberdour," in line 41. He says that in the little island of Papa Stronsay one of the Orcadian group lying over against Norway, there is a large grave or tumulus which has been known to the inhabitants from time immemorial as "the grave of Sir Patrick Spens," and he adds, that as the Scottish ballads were not early current in Orkney, it is unlikely that the poem originated the name.The other suggestions as to an historical basis for the ballad are not borne out by history. It is well, however, to note in illustration of line 1, that the Scottish kings chiefly resided in their palace of Dunfermline from the time of Malcolm Canmore to that of Alexander III.The present copy of the ballad is the shortest of the various versions, but this is not a disadvantage, as it gains much in force by the directness of its language.Buchan prints a ballad calledYoung Allan, which is somewhat likeSir Patrick Spence.]

"The bard be sure was weather-wise who framedThe grand old ballad of Sir Patrick Spens."

Antiquaries have objected that Spence is not an early Scottish name, but in this they are wrong, for Professor Aytoun found it in a charter of Robert III. and also in Wyntoun'sChronicle.

There has been considerable discussion as to the historical event referred to in the ballad, and the present version does not contain any mention of one of the points that may help towards a settlement of the question. The version in Scott'sMinstrelsycontains the following stanza:—

"To Noroway, to NorowayTo Noroway o'er the faemThe king's daughter of Noroway'Tis thou maun bring her hame."

Professor Aytoun would change the third line to

"The king's daughtertoNoroway,"

as he agrees with Motherwell in the view that the ballad refers to the fate of the Scottish nobles who in 1281 conveyed Margaret, daughter of Alexander III., to Norway, on the occasion of her nuptials with King Eric.

Fordun relates this incident as follows:—"In the year 1281 Margaret, daughter of Alexander III., was married to the King of Norway, who, leaving Scotland in the last day of July, was conveyed thither in noble style in company with many knights and nobles. In returning home after the celebration of her nuptials, the Abbot of Balmerinoch, Bernard of Monte-alto, and many other persons, were drowned." As to the scene of the disaster, Aytoun brings forward an interesting illustration of the expression "half over to Aberdour," in line 41. He says that in the little island of Papa Stronsay one of the Orcadian group lying over against Norway, there is a large grave or tumulus which has been known to the inhabitants from time immemorial as "the grave of Sir Patrick Spens," and he adds, that as the Scottish ballads were not early current in Orkney, it is unlikely that the poem originated the name.

The other suggestions as to an historical basis for the ballad are not borne out by history. It is well, however, to note in illustration of line 1, that the Scottish kings chiefly resided in their palace of Dunfermline from the time of Malcolm Canmore to that of Alexander III.

The present copy of the ballad is the shortest of the various versions, but this is not a disadvantage, as it gains much in force by the directness of its language.

Buchan prints a ballad calledYoung Allan, which is somewhat likeSir Patrick Spence.]

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