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And said, "Fair lady, at this tide

66

(With leave) ye man abide,

"And tell me who you hither sent? "Or why ye bear your bow so bent "To slay our deer of pride?

I

"In waithman weed sen I you find, "In this wood walkand your alone, "Your milk-white handis we shall bind "While that the blood burst fra the bone. "Chargeand you to prisoùn,

"To the king's deep dungeoùn.

66

They may ken by your feather'd flane2 "Ye have been many beastis' bane,

"Upon thir bentis brown."

That free answer'd with fair afeir, 3

And said, "Sir, mercy! for your might! "Thus man I bow and arrows bear,

"Because I am ane banish'd wight;

Outlaw.

"They ought not to be hold vagabond nor waith."

[G Douglas, p. 159. 27.]

Little John and Robin Hood

Wayth men were commended good.

[Wyntown's Chron. vol. 1. p. 397,]

2 Arrows. Ruddim. Gloss.

3 Propriety? aferir, Fr. is synonymous with convenir.

"So will I be full lang:

"For God's love let me gang;

"And here to you my truth I plight,

"That I shall, neither day nor night, "No wild beast wait with

wrang.

"Though I walk in this forest free

"With bow and eke with feather'd flane,

"It is weill mair than dayis three

"And meat or drink yet saw I nane.

"Though I had ne'er sic need

"Myself to win my bread,

"Your deer may walk, sir, their alane.1

"Yet was I ne'er na beastis bane; "I may not see them bleed!

"Sen that I never did you ill,

"It were no skill you did me skayth.

2

"Your deer may walk where'er they will,

"I win my meat with na sic waith. 3 "I do but little wrang,

"But gif I flouris fang. 4

In the eighth stanza, the author uses your alone instead

of you alone.

2 Mischief.

4 Seize. Sax.

3 Hunting; wathan. Sax.

" Gif that ye trow not in my aythe,
"Take here my bow and arrows baythe,
"And let my own self

gang."

"I say your bow and arrows bright!
"I bid not have them, by Saint Bride,
"But ye man rest with me all night,
"All naked, sleepand by my side."-
"I will not do that sin,

I

Leif you, this world to win !".

"Ye are so hale of hue and hide, 2

"Love has me fangit in this tide :
may not fra you twyn."3

Then lookit she to me, and leuch; 4

And said, "Sic love I rid you layne : 5 "Albeid ye make it ne'er sa teuch,6

"To me your labour is in vain. "Were I out of your sight

"The space of half a night,

"Suppose ye saw me ne'er again—

"Love has you strain'd with little pain, "Thereto my truth I plight."

I Love you! a mode of address.

2 Skin. Laughed,

4

3 Separate.

5 I advise you to dismiss. Tough.

I said, "My sweet, forsooth I shall
"For ever love you, and no mo.
"Though others love and leave withal,
"Maist certainly I do not so.
"I do you true love hecht,1
"By all thy beauties bright!

"Ye are so fair-be not my foe!
"Ye shall have sin and ye me sloa
"Thus through ane sudden sight.”

till?

"That I you slay, that God forshield !
"What have I done or said you
"I was not wont weapons to wield;
"But am a woman, gif ye will,
"That sorely fearis you,

"And ye not me, I trow.

"Therefore, good sir, take in none ill, "Shall never berne gar breif the bill

"At bidding me to bow. 3

"Into this wood aye walk I shall,
"Leadand my life as woful wight:

"Here I forsake bayth bower and hall,
"And all thir bygings that are bright!

I Promise.

2 Slay.

3 I do not understand these two lines.

4 These buildings. Rudd. Gloss.

"My bed is made full cold
"With beastis bryme1 and bold :

"That gars me say, bayth day and night, "Alas that ever the tongue should hecht "That heart thought not to hold !”

These words out through my heart so went,
That near I weepit for her wo.

But thereto would I not consent,
And said that it should not be so.
Into my armis swythe

2

Embracit I that blithe, 3

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Saying, "Sweet-hearts of harmis ho! 4 "Found 5 shall I ne'er this forest fro "While ye me comfort kyth."

Then kneelit I before that clear,"
And meekly could her mercy crave.
That seemly then, with sober cheer,

Brim, fierce. Rudd. Gloss.

2 Quickly.

* An interjection, commanding to desist or leave off, Rudd. Gloss.

"That can of wrath and malice never ho."

& Go.

[G. Doug. Virg. p. 148, 1. 2.]

6 Shew.

378 This use of the adjective was probably a Gallicism.

As the French would say cette belle, this author employs

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