The baron he frowned, and turned away
With mickle[34] dole and ire.

Fair Emmeline sighed, fair Emmeline wept,
And did all trembling stand:
At length she sprang upon her knee,
And held his lifted hand.

Pardon, my lord and father dear,
This fair young knight and me:
Trust me, but for the carlish knight,
I never had fled from thee.

Oft have you called your Emmeline
Your darling and your joy;
O let not then your harsh resolves
Your Emmeline destroy.

The baron he stroked his dark-brown cheek,
And turned his head aside
To wipe away the starting tear
He proudly strove to hide.

In deep revolving thought he stood,
And mused a little space:
Then raised fair Emmeline from the ground,
With many a fond embrace.

[Illustration: THE CHILD OF ELLE.]

Here, take her, Childe of Elle, he said,
And gave her lily hand;
Here, take my dear and only child,
And with her half my land:

Thy father once mine honour wronged
In days of youthful pride;
Do thou the injury repair
In fondness for thy bride.

And as thou love her, and hold her dear,
Heaven prosper thee and thine:
And now my blessing wend wi' thee,
My lovely Emmeline.

FOOTNOTES:

[26] Knight.

[27] Bedeck'd.

[28] Eyes.

[29] Churlish.

[30] Stopped.

[31] Lose.

[32] Go.

[33] Good.

[34] Much grief.

ADAM BELL, CLYM OF THE CLOUGH,[35] AND WILLIAM OF CLOUDESLY.

PART THE FIRST.

Merry it was in the green forest
Among the leaves green,
Wherein men hunt east and west
With bows and arrows keen;

To raise the deer out of their den;
Such sights hath oft been seen;
As by three yeomen of the north countrey,
By them it is I mean.

The one of them hight[36] Adam Bell,
The other Clym of the Clough,
The third was William of Cloudesly,
An archer good enough.

They were outlawed for venison,
These yeomen everyone;
They swore together upon a day,
To English wood to be gone.

Now lithe and listen, gentlemen,
That of mirth loveth to hear:
Two of them were single men,
The third had a wedded fere.[37]

William was the wedded man,
Much more then was his care:
He said to his brethren upon a day,
To Carlisle he would fare,[38]

For to speak w