ersions of the chivalry
romances, which were passing out of favor among educated readers in the
sixteenth century and fell into the hands of the ballad-makers. Such, to
name only a few included in the "Reliques," were "Sir Lancelot du Lake,"
"The Legend of Sir Guy," "King Arthur's Death" and "The Marriage of Sir
Gawaine." But the substance of these was not of the genuine popular
stuff, and their personages were simply the old heroes of court poetry in
reduced circumstances. Much more impressive are the original folk-songs,
which strike their roots deep into the ancient world of legend and even
of myth.

In this true ballad world there is a strange commingling of paganism and
Catholic Christianity. It abounds in the supernatural and the marvelous.
Robin Hood is a pious outlaw. He robs the fat-headed monks, but will not
die unhouseled and has great devotion to Our Blessed Lady; who appears
also to Brown Robyn, when he is cast overboard, hears his confession and
takes his soul to Heaven.[15] When mass has been sung and the bells of
merry Lincoln have rung, Lady Maisry goes seeking her little Hugh, who
has been killed by the Jew's daughter and thrown into Our Lady's
draw-well fifty fathom deep, and the boy answers his mother miraculously
from the well.[16] Birds carry messages for lovers[17] and dying
men,[18] or show the place where the body lies buried and the
corpse-candles shine.[19] The harper strings his harp with three golden
hairs of the drowned maiden, and the tune that he plays upon them reveals
the secret of her death.[20] The ghosts of the sons that have perished
at sea come home to take farewell of their mother.[21] The spirit of the
forsaken maid visits her false lover at midnight;[22] or "the dead comes
for the quick,"[23] as in Burger's weird poem. There are witches,
fairies, and mermaidens[24] in the ballads: omens, dreams, spells,[25]
enchantments, transformations,[26] magic rings and charms, "gramarye"[27]
of many sorts; and all these things are more effective here than in poets
like Spenser and Collins, because they are matters of belief and not of
make-believe.

The ballads are prevailingly tragical in theme, and the tragic passions
of pity and fear find an elementary force of utterance. Love is strong
as death, jealousy cruel as the grave. Hate, shame, grief, despair speak
here with their native accent:

"There are seven forsters at Pickeram Side,
At Pickeram where they dwell,