Читать книгу English and Scottish Ballads (Vol. 1-8) - Various Authors - Страница 44

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Printed from Mrs. Brown's MS., in the Border Minstrelsy, vol. iii. p. 170. Another copy is given in Jamieson's Popular Ballads, (ii. 367,) and versions, enlarged and altered from the ancient, in the same work, (ii. 179,) and in Tales of Wonder, No. 56. This ballad bears a striking resemblance to Sir Stig and Lady Torelild, translated from the Danish by Jamieson, Illustrations of Northern Antiquities, p. 344. This is the eighth (marked H) of nine Danish ballads given by Grundtvig, under the title Hustru og Mands Moder, vol. ii. 404. Three Swedish versions have been printed: two in Arwidsson's Fornsånger, Liten Kerstins Förtrollning, ii. 252, and another (Grundtvig) in Cavallius and Stephens's Svenska Folksagor.

"Those who wish to know how an incantation, or charm, of the distressing nature here described, was performed in classic days, may consult the story of Galanthis's Metamorphosis, in Ovid, or the following passage in Apuleius: 'Eadem (saga, scilicet, quædam) amatoris uxorem, quod in eam dicacule probrum dixerat, jam in sarcinam prægnationis, obsepto utero, et repigrato fœtu, perpetua prægnatione damnavit. Et ut cuncti numerant, octo annorum onere, misella illa, velut elephantum paritura, distenditur.' APUL. Metam. lib. i.

"There is a curious tale about a Count of Westeravia, whom a deserted concubine bewitched upon his marriage, so as to preclude all hopes of his becoming a father. The spell continued to operate for three years, till one day, the Count happening to meet with his former mistress, she maliciously asked him about the increase of his family. The Count, conceiving some suspicion from her manner, craftily answered, that God had blessed him with three fine children; on which she exclaimed, like Willie's mother in the ballad, "May heaven confound the old hag, by whose counsel I threw an enchanted pitcher into the draw-well of your palace!" The spell being found, and destroyed, the Count became the father of a numerous family. Hierarchie of the Blessed Angels, p. 474." SCOTT.

Willie's ta'en him o'er the faem,

He's wooed a wife, and brought her hame;

He's wooed her for her yellow hair,

But his mother wrought her meikle care;

5 And meikle dolour gar'd her dree,

For lighter she can never be;

But in her bower she sits wi' pain,

And Willie mourns o'er her in vain.

And to his mother he has gane,

10 That vile rank witch, o' vilest kind!

He says—"My ladie has a cup,

Wi' gowd and silver set about;

This gudely gift sall be your ain,

And let her be lighter o' her young bairn."—

15 "Of her young bairn she's never be lighter,

Nor in her bour to shine the brighter:

But she sall die, and turn to clay,

And you sall wed another may."—

"Another may I'll never wed,

20 Another may I'll never bring hame:"—

But, sighing, said that weary wight—

"I wish my life were at an end!

"Yet gae ye to your mother again,

That vile rank witch, o' vilest kind!

25 And say, your ladye has a steed,

The like o' him's no in the land o' Leed.

"For he is silver shod before,

And he is gowden shod behind;

At every tuft of that horse mane,

30 There's a golden chess, and a bell to ring.

This gudely gift sall be her ain,

And let me be lighter o' my young bairn."—

"Of her young bairn she's ne'er be lighter,

Nor in her bour to shine the brighter;

35 But she sall die, and turn to clay,

And ye sall wed another may."—

"Another may I'll never wed,

Another may I'll never bring hame:"—

But, sighing, said that weary wight—

40 "I wish my life were at an end!—

"Yet gae ye to your mother again,

That vile rank witch, o' rankest kind!

And say your ladye has a girdle,

It's a' red gowd to the middle;

45 "And aye, at ilka siller hem

Hang fifty siller bells and ten;

This gudely gift sall be her ain,

And let me be lighter o' my young bairn."—

"Of her young bairn she's ne'er be lighter,

50 Nor in your bour to shine the brighter;

For she sall die, and turn to clay,

And thou sall wed another may."—

"Another may I'll never wed,

Another may I'll never bring hame;"—

55 But, sighing, said that weary wight—

"I wish my days were at an end!"—

Then out and spak the Billy Blind

, (He spak aye in good time:) "Yet gae ye to the market-place, 60 And there do buy a loaf of wace; Do shape it bairn and bairnly like, And in it twa glassen een you'll put;

"And bid her your boy's christening to,

Then notice weel what she shall do;

65 And do you stand a little away,

To notice weel what she may say."

He did him to the market-place, And there he bought a loaf o' wax; He shaped it bairn and bairnly like, 70 And in twa glazen een he pat;

He did him till his mither then,

And bade her to his boy's christnin;

And he did stand a little forbye,

And noticed well what she did say.

75 "O wha has loosed the nine witch knots,

That were amang that ladye's locks?

And wha's ta'en out the kaims o' care,

That were amang that ladye's hair?

"And wha has ta'en down that bush o' woodbine,

80 That hung between her bour and mine?

And wha has kill'd the master kid

, That ran beneath that ladye's bed? And wha has loosed her left foot shee, And let that ladye lighter be?"

85 Syne, Willy's loosed the nine witch knots,

That were amang that ladye's locks;

And Willie's ta'en out the kaims o' care,

That were into that ladye's hair;

And he's ta'en down the bush o' woodbine,

90 Hung atween her bour and the witch carline;

And he has kill'd the master kid,

That ran beneath that ladye's bed;

And he has loosed her left foot shee,

And latten that ladye lighter be;

95 And now he has gotten a bonny son,

And meikle grace be him upon.

57. Billy Blind—A familiar genius, or propitious spirit, somewhat similar to the Brownie.

67–74. Inserted from Jamieson's copy.

68, leaf, Jamieson.

81. The witch's chief familiar, placed in the chamber of the sick woman in the form of a kid.