n,
Wi' the auld moon in her arm!
And, if we gang to sea, master,
I fear we'll come to harm."

They hadna sailed a league, a league,
A league, but barely three,
When the lift grew dark, and the wind blew loud,
And gurly grew the sea.

The ankers brak, and the topmasts lap,
It was sic a deadly storm;
And the waves cam' o'er the broken ship,
Till a' her sides were torn.

"O whare will I get a gude sailor,
To tak' my helm in hand,
Till I gae up to the tall topmast,
To see if I spy land?"

"O here am I, a sailor gude,
To tak' the helm in hand,
Till you gae up to the tall topmast;
But I fear ye'll ne'er spy land."

He hadna gane a step, a step,
A step, but barely ane,
When a bolt flew out o' our goodly ship,
And the salt sea it cam' in.

"Gae fetch a web o' the silken claith,
Anither o' the twine,
And wap them into our ship's side,
And letna the sea come in."

They fetched a web o' the silken claith,
Anither o' the twine,
And they wapped them roun' that gude ship's side,
But still the sea cam' in.

O laith, laith were our gude Scots lords,
To weet their cork-heeled shoon!
But lang or a' the play was played,
They wat their hats aboon.

And mony was the feather-bed,
That floated o'er the faem;
And mony was the gude lord's son,
That never mair cam' hame.

The ladyes wrang their fingers white,
The maidens tore their hair,
A' for the sake of their true loves;
For them they'll see na mair.

O lang, lang may the ladyes sit,
Wi' their fans into their hand,
Before they see Sir Patrick Spens
Come sailing to the strand!

And lang, lang may the maidens sit,
Wi' their goud kaims in their hair,
A' waiting for their ain dear loves!
For them they'll see na mair.

Half ower, half ower to Aberdour,
'Tis fifty fathoms deep,
And there lies gude Sir Patrick Spens,
Wi' the Scots lords at his feet.

--_Old Ballad_

Into how many different scenes does this drama fall?
Where is each one laid? How can each one be made to
stand out by itself? (Introduction, p. 10.)

* * * * *

KING JOHN AND THE ABBOT OF CANTERBURY

An ancient story Ile tell you anon.
Of a notable prince, that was called king John;
And he ruled England with maine and with might,
For he did great wrong, and maintein'd little right.

And Ile tell you a story, a story so merrye