Sais, 'God speed thee well, thou faire maid.

4.
'Hast either cupp or can,
To give an old palmer drinke therin?'

5.
Sayes, 'I have neither cupp nor cann,
To give an old palmer drinke therin.'

6.
'But an thy lemman came from Roome,
Cuppes & cannes thou wold ffind soone.'

7.
Shee sware by God & good St. John,
Lemman had shee never none.

8.
Saies, 'Peace, ffaire mayd, you are fforsworne;
Nine children you have borne.

9.
'Three were buryed under thy bed's head;
Other three under thy brewing leade;

10.
'Other three on yon play greene;
Count, maide, & there be nine.'

11.
'But I hope you are the good old man
That all the world beleeves upon.

12.
'Old palmer, I pray thee,
Pennaunce that thou wilt give to me.'

13.
'Penance I can give thee none,
But seven yeere to be a stepping-stone.

14.
'Other seaven a clapper in a bell;
Other seven to lead an ape in hell.

15.
'When thou hast thy penance done,
Then thou'st come a mayden home.'

[Annotations:
2.1,2: 'White': so in the MS.; perhaps should be 'while' in each
case. 'washed' is _washee_ in the MS.
9.1: 'Three,' Percy's emendation of _They_ in the MS.
9.2: 'leade,' vat.
10.1: 'yon': MS. _won_.
10.2: '&' for _and_=]

LADY ISABEL AND THE ELF-KNIGHT

+The Text+ is taken from Buchan's _Ballads of the North of Scotland_,
where it is entitled _The Gowans sae gay_. This ballad is much better
known in another form, _May Colvin_ (_Collin_, _Collean_).

+The Story.+--Professor Child says, 'Of all ballads this has perhaps
obtained the widest circulation,' and devotes thirty-two pages to its
introduction. Known in the south as well as in the north of Europe, the
Germans and Scandinavians preserve it in fuller and more ancient forms
than the Latin nations.

In the still popular Dutch ballad _Halewijn_, Heer Halewijn sings so
sweetly that the king's daughter asks leave to go to him. Her father,
mother, and sister remind her that those who have gone to him have never
returned; her brother says he does not care where she goes, if she
retains her honour. She makes an elaborate toilet, takes the best horse
in the king's stables, and joins Halewijn in the wood. They ride till
they come to a gallows with many women hanged upon it. Halewijn offers
her the choice of the means of her death, because she is fairest of all.
She says she will ch