ted story. The
plot is an old Danish legend of the same character as the history of
David and Bathsheba, Marsk Stig himself being the counterpart of Uriah
the Hittite.

The four _Songs_ commence as follows:--

PAGE

1. _Marsk Stig he out of the country rode_ 5
_To win him fame with his good bright sword_

2. _Marsk Stig he woke at black midnight_, 15
_And loudly cried to his Lady dear_

3. _There's many I ween in Denmark green_ 23
_Who all to be masters now desire_

4. _There were seven and seven times twenty_ 34
_That met upon the verdant wold_

_Marsk Stig_ was one of the ballads prepared by Borrow for _The Songs of
Scandinavia_ in 1829, and revised for the _Koempe Viser_ in 1854. Both
Manuscripts are extant, and I give reproductions of a page of each. It
will be observed that upon the margins of the earlier Manuscript Borrow
wrote his revisions, so that this Manuscript practically carries in
itself both versions of the ballad. The Manuscript of 1829 is in the
possession of Mr. J. H. Spoor, of Chicago. The Manuscript of 1854 is in
my own library. As a specimen of _Marsk Stig_ I quote the following
stanzas:

_It was the young and bold Marsk Stig_
_Came riding into the Castle yard_,
_Abroad did stand the King of the land_
_So fair array'd in sable and mard_.

"_Now lend an ear_, _young Marshal Stig_,
_I have for thee a fair emprise_,
_Ride thou this year to the war and bear_
_My flag amongst my enemies_."

"_And if I shall fare to the war this year_,
_And risk my life among thy foes_,
_Do thou take care of my Lady dear_,
_Of Ingeborg_, _that beauteous rose_."

_Then answer'd Erik_, _the youthful King_,
_With a laugh in his sleeve thus answered he_:
"_No more I swear has thy lady to fear_
_Than if my sister dear were she_."

_It was then the bold Sir Marshal Stig_,
_From out of the country he did depart_,
_In her castle sate his lonely mate_,
_Fair Ingeborg_, _with grief at heart_.

"_Now saddle my steed_," _cried Eric the King_,
"_Now saddle my steed_," _King Eric cried_,
"_To visit the Dame of beauteous fame_
_Your King will into the country ride_."