pe,
& take her vp in thine armes two,
For filinge of her ffeete.'

29.
Ellen is gone into the towne,
& low into the streete:
The fairest ladye that shee cold find
She hyred in his armes to sleepe,
& tooke her in her armes two,
For filing of her ffeete.

30.
'I pray you now, good Child Waters,
That I may creepe in att your bedds feete,
For there is noe place about this house
Where I may say a sleepe.'

31.
This [night] & itt droue on affterward
Till itt was neere the day:
He sayd, 'Rise vp, my litle ffoote page,
& giue my steed corne & hay;
& soe doe thou the good blacke oates,
That he may carry me the better away.'

32.
And vp then rose ffaire Ellen,
& gave his steed corne & hay,
& soe shee did and the good blacke oates,
That he might carry him the better away.

33.
Shee layned her backe to the manger side,
& greiuouslye did groane;
& that beheard his mother deere,
And heard her make her moane.

34.
Shee said, 'Rise vp, thou Child Waters!
I thinke thou art a cursed man;
For yonder is a ghost in thy stable,
That greiuously doth groane,
Or else some woman laboures of child,
Shee is soe woe begone!'

35.
But vp then rose Child Waters,
& did on his shirt of silke;
Then he put on his other clothes
On his body as white as milke.

36.
& when he came to the stable dore,
Full still that hee did stand,
That hee might heare now faire Ellen,
How shee made her monand.

37.
Shee said, 'Lullabye, my owne deere child!
Lullabye, deere child, deere!
I wold thy father were a king,
Thy mother layd on a beere!'

38.
'Peace now,' he said, 'good faire Ellen!
& be of good cheere, I thee pray,
& the bridall & the churching both,
They shall bee vpon one day.'

[Annotations:
2.2: 'see,' protect. So constantly in this phrase.
18.2: 'yates,' gates.
18.3: In each case the Folio gives '24' for 'four and twenty.'
18.4: 'wordlye make,' worldly mate.
26.6: 'rich' added by Percy.
28.6: 'For filinge,' to save defiling.
30.4: 'say,' essay, attempt.
31.1: 'night.' Child's emendation. Percy read: 'This done, the nighte
drove on apace.'
32.3: 'and'; Folio _on_.
36.4: 'monand,' moaning.]

EARL BRAND, THE DOUGLAS TRAGEDY, and THE CHILD OF ELL

There are here put in juxtaposition three versions in ballad-form of the
s