But up then rose that lither* ladd,
And hose and shoone did on,
A coller he cast upon his necke;
He seemed a gentleman.

And when he came to the ladye's chambere,

He thrilled upon a pinn;

The ladye was true of her promise,

And rose and lett him in.

He did not take the ladye gaye

To boulster nor to bed;

Nor, thoughe hee had his wicked wille,
A single word he sed.

He did not kisse that ladye's mouth,
Nor when he came nor yode; †
And sore that ladye did mistrust,
He was of some churl's blode.

But home he came, that lither ladd,
And did off his hose and shoone,
And cast the coller from off his necke;
He was but a churle's sonne.

* Dr Percy explains lither, little; it is, wicked.
+ Yode, went.

"Awake, awake, my deere master,
The cock hath well nigh crowen;
Awake, awake, my master deere,
I hold it time to be gone.

"For I have saddled your horse, master;
Well bridled I have your steede;
And I have served you a good breakfast,
For thereof ye have need."

Up then rose good Glasgerion,
And did on hose and shoone,
And cast a coller about his necke;
For he was a kinge his sonne.

And when he came to the ladye's chambere, He thrilled upon the pinne;

The ladye was more than true of promise,

And rose and let him inn.

"O whether have you left with me
Your bracelet, or your glove?
Or are you returned backe again

To know more of my love?"

Glasgerion swore a full great othe,
By oake, and ashe, and thorne,
"Ladye, I was never in your chambere,
Sith the time that I was borne."

"O then it was your lither* foot-page, He hath beguiled me;"

Then shee pulled forth a little pen-knife,

That hanged by her knee;

Sayes, "There shall never noe churle's blood,

Within my bodye spring;

No churle's blood shall e'er defile

The daughter of a kinge.”

Home then went Glasgerion,

And woe, good lord! was hee;

Sayes, "Come thou hither, Jacke, my boy,

Come hither unto me.

"If I had killed a man to-night,

Jacke, I would tell it thee;

But if I have not killed a man to-night,
Jacke, thou hast killed three."

* Little, MS.

And he pulled out his bright browne sword,

And dryed it on his sleeve,

And he smote off that lither ladd's head,
Who did his ladye grieve.

He sette the sword's poynt till his breast,
The pummil until a stone:

Throw the falsenesse of that lither ladd,
These three lives all were

gone.

* Weren all, MS. .

K

NOTES

ON

GLASGERION.

A coller he cast upon his necke.-P. 142. v. 1. The collar was formerly, and is still, with some orders of knighthood, a badge of distinction.

He thrilled upon a pinn.-P. 142. v. 2.

This is elsewhere expressed, "twirled the pin,” or "tirled at the pin," and seems to refer to the turning round the button, on the out-side of a door, by which the latch rises, still used in cottages. PERCY.

By oake, and ashe, and thorne.-P. 144. v. 1.

Of the meaning of these tree oaths, nothing satisfactory can be said. Concerning the thorn, a conjecture is offered in the ballad of Sweet Willie. There was, I believe, an ancient sect of philosophers, ridiculed by Lucian, who used to swear, προς κυνα και πλατανο», by dog and plane-tree.