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A modernized copy of King Henry was published in the Tales of Wonder, (No 57,) under the title of Courteous King Jamie. It first appeared in an ancient dress in the Border Minstrelsy, (iii. 274,} but a version preferable in some respects was given by Jamieson in his Popular Ballads, (ii. 194,) which is here printed, without the editor's interpolations. For a notice of similar legends, see the Marriage of Sir Gawaine, at page 28 of this volume.

Lat never a man a wooing wend,

That lacketh thingis three;

A routh o' gould, an open heart,

Ay fu' o' charity.

5 As this I speak of King Henry,

For he lay burd-alane;

And he's doen him to a jelly hunt's ha',

Was far frae ony town.

He chas'd the deer now him before,

10 And the roe down by the den,

Till the fattest buck in a' the flock

King Henry he has slain.

O he has doen him to his ha',

To mak him bierly cheer;

15 And in it cam a grisly ghost,

Staed stappin' i' the fleer.

Her head hat the roof-tree o' the house,

Her middle ye mat weel span;—

He's thrown to her his gay mantle;

20 Says—"Ladie, hap your lingcan."

Her teeth was a' like leather stakes,

Her nose like club or mell;

And I ken nae thing she 'pear'd to be,

But the fiend that wons in hell.

25 "Some meat, some meat, ye King Henry;

Some meat ye gie to me."

"And what meat's in this house, Ladie?

And what ha'e I to gi'e?"

"Its ye do kill your berry-brown steed,

30 And ye bring him here to me."

O whan he slew his berry-brown steed,

Wow but his heart was sair!

She ate him a' up, flesh and bane,

Left naething but hide and hair.

35 "Mair meat, mair meat, ye King Henry,

Mair meat ye bring to me."

"And what meat's in this house, Ladie?

And what hae I to gi'e?"

"O ye do kill your good grey hounds,

40 And ye bring them in to me."

O whan he killed his good grey hounds,

Wow but his heart was sair!

She ate them a' up, flesh and bane,

Left naething but hide and hair.

45 "Mair meat, mair meat, ye King Henry,

Mair meat ye bring to me."

"And what meat's in this house, Ladie?

And what hae I to gi'e?"

"O ye do kill your gay goss hawks,

50 And ye bring them here to me."

O whan he kill'd his gay goss hawks,

Wow but his heart was sair!

She ate them a' up, skin and bane,

Left naething but feathers bare.

55 "Some drink, some drink, now, King Henry;

Some drink ye bring to me."

"O what drink's in this house, Ladie,

That ye're nae welcome tee?"

"O ye sew up your horse's hide,

60 And bring in a drink to me."

And he's sew'd up the bloody hide,

A puncheon o' wine put in;

She drank it a' up at a waught,

Left na ae drap ahin'.

65 "A bed, a bed, now, King Henry,

A bed ye mak to me;

For ye maun pu' the heather green,

And mak a bed to me."

And pu'd has he the heather green,

70 And made to her a bed;

And up he's ta'en his gay mantle,

And o'er it has he spread.

"Tak aff your claiths, now, King Henry,

And lye down by my side;"

75 "O God forbid," says King Henry,

"That ever the like betide;

That ever the fiend that wons in hell,

Should streek down by my side."

Whan nicht was gane, and day was come,

80 And the sun shone thro' the ha',

The fairest lady that ever was seen

Lay atween him and the wa'.

"O weel is me!" says King Henry;

"How lang'll this last wi' me?"

85 Then out it spake that fair lady—

"E'en till the day you die.

"For I've met wi' mony a gentle knicht,

That gae me sic a fill;

But never before wi' a curteis knicht,

90 That gae me a' my will."