Читать книгу English and Scottish Ballads (Vol. 1-8) - Various Authors - Страница 13

This is one of the few ballads contained in the Percy MS., which we have the pleasure of possessing as it is there written. Having first submitted an improved copy, "with large conjectural supplements and corrections," Percy added this old fragment at the end of the volume: "literally and exactly printed, with all its defects, inaccuracies, and errata," in order, as he triumphantly remarks, "that such austere antiquaries as complain that the ancient copies have not been always rigidly adhered to, may see how unfit for publication many of the pieces would have been, if all the blunders, corruptions, and nonsense of illiterate reciters and transcribers had been superstitiously retained, without some attempt to correct and amend them."

"This ballad," the Editor of the Reliques goes on to say, "has most unfortunately suffered by having half of every leaf in this part of the MS. torn away; and, as about nine stanzas generally occur in the half-page now remaining, it is concluded that the other half contained nearly the same number of stanzas." The story may be seen, unmutilated and in an older form, in Madden's Syr Gawayne, p. 298, The Weddynge of Syr Gawen and Dame Ragnell.

The transformation on which the story turns is found also in Chaucer's Wife of Bath's Tale, in Gower's tale of Florent and the King of Sicily's Daughter; (Confessio Amantis, Book I.) in the ballad of King Henry (page 147 of this volume); and in an Icelandic saga of the Danish king Helgius, quoted by Scott in his illustrations to King Henry, Minstrelsy, iii. 274.

Voltaire has employed the same idea in his Ce qui plaît aux Dames, but whence he borrowed it we are unable to say.

Worked over by some ballad-monger of the sixteenth century, and of course reduced to dish-water, this tale has found its way into The Crown Garland of Golden Roses, Part I. p. 68 (Percy Society, vol. vi.), Of a Knight and a Faire Virgin.

Kinge Arthur liues in merry Carleile,

And seemely is to see;

And there he hath with him Queene Genever,

That bride so bright of blee.

And there he hath with him Queene Genever,

5

That bride soe bright in bower;

And all his barons about him stoode,

That were both stiffe and stowre.

The King kept a royall Christmasse,

10

Of mirth & great honor;

… when..

About nine stanzas wanting.

"And bring me word what thing it is

That women most desire;

This shalbe thy ransome, Arthur," he sayes,

15

"For Ile haue no other hier."

King Arthur then held vp his hand,

According thene as was the law;

He tooke his leaue of the baron there,

And homword can he draw.

20

And when he came to merry Carlile,

To his chamber he is gone;

And ther came to him his cozen, Sir Gawaine,

As he did make his mone.

And there came to him his cozen, Sir Gawaine,

25

That was a curteous knight;

"Why sigh you soe sore, vnckle Arthur," he said,

"Or who hath done thee vnright?"

"O peace! o peace! thou gentle Gawaine,

That faire may thee beffall;

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For if thou knew my sighing soe deepe,

Thou wold not meruaile att all.

"Ffor when I came to Tearne-wadling,

A bold barron there I fand;

With a great club vpon his backe,

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Standing stiffe & strong.

"And he asked me wether I wold fight

Or from him I shold be gone;

Or else I must him a ransome pay,

And soe depart him from.

40

"To fight with him I saw noe cause,

Me thought it was not meet;

For he was stiffe and strong with all;

His strokes were nothing sweete.

"Therefor this is my ransome, Gawaine,

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I ought to him to pay;

I must come againe, as I am sworne,

Vpon the Newyeers day.

"And I must bring him word what thing it is

About nine stanzas wanting.

Then King Arthur drest him for to ryde,

50

In one soe riche array,

Towards the foresaid Tearne-wadling,

That he might keepe his day.

And as he rode over a more,

Hee see a lady, where shee sate,

55

Betwixt an oke and a greene hollen;

She was clad in red scarlett.

Then there as shold have stood her mouth,

Then there was sett her eye;

The other was in her forhead fast,

60

The way that she might see.

Her nose was crooked, & turnd outward,

Her mouth stood foule a-wry;

A worse formed lady then shee was,

Neuer man saw with his eye.

65

To halch vpon him, King Arthur,

This lady was full faine;

But King Arthur had forgott his lesson,

What he shold say againe.

"What knight art thou," the lady sayd,

70

"That wilt not speake to me?

Of me [be] thou nothing dismayd,

Tho I be vgly to see.

"For I haue halched you curteouslye,

And you will not me againe;

75

Yett I may happen, Sir knight," shee said,

"To ease thee of thy paine."

"Giue thou ease me, lady," he said,

"Or helpe me any thing,

Thou shalt haue gentle Gawaine, my cozen,

80

And marry him with a ring."

"Why if I helpe thee not, thou noble King Arthur,

Of thy owne hearts desiringe,

Of gentle Gawaine. …

About nine stanzas wanting.

And when he came to the Tearne-wadling,

85

The baron there cold he finde;

With a great weapon on his backe,

Standinge stiffe and stronge.

And then he tooke King Arthurs letters in his hands,

And away he cold them fling;

90

And then he puld out a good browne sword,

And cryd himselfe a king.

And he sayd, "I haue thee, & thy land, Arthur,

To doe as it pleaseth me;

For this is not thy ransome sure,

95

Therfore yeeld thee to me."

And then bespoke him noble Arthur,

And bade him hold his hand;

"And give me leave to speake my mind,

In defence of all my land."

100

He said, "as I came over a more,

I see a lady, where shee sate,

Betweene an oke & a green hollen;

Shee was clad in red scarlette.

"And she says a woman will haue her will,

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And this is all her cheef desire;

Doe me right, as thou art a baron of sckill,

This is thy ransome, & all thy hyer."

He sayes, "an early vengeance light on her!

She walkes on yonder more;

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It was my sister, that told thee this,

She is a misshapen hore.

"But heer Ile make mine avow to God,

To do her an euill turne;

For an euer I may thate fowle theefe get,

115

In a fyer I will her burne."

About nine stanzas wanting.