The Retrogressive Period

1400-1500

Optional Ballads

Chevy Chase.

Robin Hood And The Monk.

SIR PATRICK SPENS

The king sits in Dumferling toune,
Drinking the blude-reid wine:

"O whar will I get guid sailor,
To sail this schip of mine?"

5 Up and spake an eldern knicht,
Sat at the kings richt kne:

ΙΟ

* 15

"Sir Patrick Spence is the best sailor,
That sails upon the se."

The king has written a braid letter,
And signd it wi his hand,

And sent it to Sir Patrick Spence,

Was walking on the sand.

The first line that Sir Patrick red,

A loud lauch lauched he;

The next line that Sir Patrick red,

The teir blinded his ee.

"O wha is this has done this deid,

This ill deid don to me,

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To send me out this time o' the yeir,
To sail upon the se!

"Mak hast, mak haste, my mirry men all,

Our guid schip sails the morne :

"O say na sae, my master deir,

For I feir a deadlie storme.

"Late late yestreen I saw the new moone,
Wi the auld moone in hir arme,
And I feir, I feir, my deir master,

That we will cum to harme."

O our Scots nobles wer richt laith
To weet their cork-heild schoone;
Bot lang owre a' the play wer playd,'
Thair hats they swam aboone.

O lang, lang may their ladies sit,
Wi thair fans into their hand,
35 Or eir they se Sir Patrick Spence
Cum sailing to the land.

40

O lang, lang may the ladies stand,
Wi thair gold kems in their hair,
Waiting for thair ain deir lords,
For they'll se thame na mair.

Haf owre, haf owre to Aberdour,

It's fiftie fadom deip,

And thair lies guid Sir Patrick Spence,

Wi the Scots lords at his feit.

Define a folk-ballad. Note the common ballad-metre. Observe the historical, enveloping action of this ballad.

THE NUT-BROWN MAID

"Be it ryght or wrong, these men among
On women do complayne,
Affyrmynge this, how that it is

A labour spent in vayne

5 To love them wele, for never a dele
They love a man agayne:
For late a man do what he can

ΙΟ

Theyr favour to attayne,
Yet yf a newe do them persue,

Theyr first true lover than

Laboureth for nought, for from her thought
He is a banyshed man."

“I say nat nay, but that all day

It is bothe writ and sayd,

15 That womans faith is, as who sayth, All utterly decayd;

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But neverthelesse, ryght good wytnesse
In this case might be layd,

That they love true, and continue :

Recorde the Not-browne Mayde;

Which, when her love came, her to prove,
To her to make his mone,

Wolde nat depart, for in her hart
She loved but hym alone."

"Than betwaine us late us dyscus
What was all the manere

Betwayne them two; we wyll also
Tell all the payne and fere
That she was in. Nowe I begyn,
So that ye me answere:

Wherefore all ye that present be,
I pray you gyve an ere.

I am the knyght, I come by nyght,

As secret as I can,

6

35 Sayinge, Alas! thus standeth the case, I am a banyshed man.'"

40

SHE.

"And I your wyll for to fulfyll
In this wyll nat refuse,

Trustying to shewe, in wordes fewe,

That men have an yll use

(To theyr own shame), women to blame,

And causelesse them accuse :

Therfore to you I answere nowe,

All women to excuse,

45 'Myne owne hart dere, with you what chere? I pray you tell anone:

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For in my mynde, of all mankynde

I love but you alone.'”

HE.

"It standeth so: a dede is do

Wherof grete harme shall growe.

My destiny is for to dy

A shamefull deth, I trowe,

Or elles to fle: the one must be:

None other way I knowe,

55 But to withdrawe as an outlawe, And take me to my bowe.

60

Wherfore, adue, my owne hart true,
None other rede I can ;

For I must to the grene wode go
Alone, a banyshed man."

SHE.

"O Lord, what is thys worldys blysse

That changeth as the mone!

My somers day in lusty May

Is derked before the none.

65 I here you say farewell: Nay, nay, We depart nat so sone.

"I can beleve it shall you greve, And somewhat you dystrayne; 75 But aftyrwarde your paynes harde,

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Why sholde ye ought? for, to make thought

Your labour were in vayne:

And thus I do, and pray you to,

As hartely as I can :

For I must to the grene wode go

Alone, a banyshed man."

SHE.

85 "Now syth that ye have shewed to me
The secret of your mynde,

I shall be playne to you agayne,
Lyke as ye shall me fynde: