Volume 3 — ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS (continued 2)
Reading edition
A brief ballad of the Transylvania Gipsies, communicated and translated by Wlislocki, Ungarische Revue, 1884, p. 345 f., agrees with the second series of those above. A youth summons mother and sister to take a reptile from his breast; they are afraid; his sweetheart will do it if she dies. A very pretty popular Gipsy tale to the same effect is given by Herrmann, col. 40 f.
A Roumanian ballad, ‘Giurgiu,’ closely resembling the Magyar I, VII, from Pompiliu Miron’s Balade populare române, p. 41, is given in translation by Herrmann, col. 106 ff.; a fragment of another, with parts reversed, col. 213.
A man, to make trial of his blood-relations, begs father, mother, etc., to take out a snake from his breast, and is refused by all. His wife puts in her hand and takes out a pearl necklace, which she receives as her reward: Servian, Vuk, I, No 289, Herzegovine, No 136, Petranović, Serajevo, 1867, p. 191, No 20; Slavonian, Stojanović, No 20. (W. W.)
There are many variations on this theme, of which one more may be specified. A drowning girl given over by her family is saved by her lover: Little-Russian, Golovatsky, II, 80, No 14, 104, No 18, 161, No 15, 726, No 11; Servian, Vuk, I, Nos 290, 291; Bulgarian, Dozon, p. 98, No 61; Polish, Kolberg, Lud, 1857, I, 151, 12a. Again, man is saved by maid: Little-Russian, Golovatsky, I, 114, No 28; Waclaw z Oleska, p. 226. (W. W.)
96. The Gay Goshawk.
P. 356 a. (1.) (2.) (4.) are now printed in Mélusine, II, 342, III, 1, II, 341. (15.) (16.) ‘La Fille dans la Tour,’ Victor Smith, Chansons du Velay et du Forez, Romania, VII, 76, 78. (17.) Bladé, Poésies p. rec. dans l’Armagnac, etc., p. 23, ‘La Prisonnière.’
There is an Italian form of ‘Belle Isambourg’ in Nigra, No 45, p. 277, ‘Amor costante.’
356 b. For other forms of ‘Les trois Capitaines,’ see, French, Puymaigre, I, 131, 134 and note; Tiersot, in Revue des Traditions populaires, III, 501, 502; Rolland, III, 58 ff., a, b, d; Italian, Marcoaldi, p. 162, ‘La Fuga e il Pentimento;’ Nigra, No 53, p. 309, ‘L’Onore salvato.’
357 b, second paragraph.
On messenger-birds, see Nigra, p. 339 f., and note.
A girl feigns death simply to avoid a disagreeable suitor. Proof by fire, etc.; cf. C 23 f., D 7 f., E 27 f., F 1–3, G 36–38. Servian. (1.) Mara, promised to the Herzog Stephen, and wishing for good reasons to escape him, pretends death. Stephen is incredulous; puts live coals into her bosom, then a snake; she does not flinch. He then tickles her face with his beard; she does not stir. Stephen is convinced and retires; Mara springs from the bier. Her mother asks her what had given her most trouble. She had not minded the coals or the snake, but could hardly keep from laughing when tickled with the beard. Vuk, I, 551, No 727. (2.) The suitor tests the case by thrusting his hands into the girl’s bosom, fire, snake. The first is the worst. Vuk, Herzegovine, No 133. (3.) The same probation, with the same verdict (in this case the girl loves another), Petranović, Srpske n. pjesme, Serajevo, 1867, No 362. Cf. Rajković, p. 176, No 211.—Bulgarian. Proofs by snow and ice laid on the heart; a snake. She stands both. Miladinof, No 68, cf. No 468. In the same, No 660, the girl holds out under ice and snake, but when kissed between the eyes wakes up.—Bohemian, Erben, p. 485, No 20, ‘The Turk duped,’ and Moravian, Sušil, No 128, the tests are lacking. (W. W.)
Three physicians from Salerno pour melted lead in the hands of Fenice, who is apparently dead. (She has taken a drug which makes her unconscious for a certain time. Her object is to escape from her husband to her lover, Cligés.) The lead has no effect in rousing Fenice. Crestien de Troies, Cligés, ed. Förster, vv. 6000–6009, pp. 246, 247. Förster cites Solomon and Morolf (Salman und Morolf, st. 133, ed. F. Vogt, Die deutschen Dichtungen v. Salomon und Markolf, I, 27, molten gold), and other parallels. Einleitung, pp. xix-xx. Cf. Revue de Traditions pop., II, 519. (G. L. K.)
100. Willie o Winsbury.
P. 398. There is a ‘Lord Thomas of Wynnesbury ’ in the Murison MS., p. 17, which was derived from recitation in Aberdeenshire, but it seems to me to have had its origin in the stalls, resembling I, which is of that source.
101. Willie o Douglas Dale.
Pp. 407, 409, A 142, B 122, ‘An lions gaed to their dens,’ ‘And the lions took the hill.’ “Lions we have had verie manie in the north parts of Scotland, and those with maines of no less force than they of Mauritania are sometimes reported to be; but how and when they were destroied as yet I doo not read:” Holinshed, I, 379.
518
102. Willie and Earl Richard’s Daughter.
P. 412 b. A is translated by Anastasius Grün, Robin Hood, p. 57; Doenniges, p. 166; Knortz, L. u. R. Altenglands, No 18; Loève-Veimars, p. 252.
105. The Bailiff’s Daughter of Islington.
II, 426 b, 428. The tune of 105 b is, I have a good old woman at home: of f, I have a good old wife at home.
Italian. ‘La Prova,’ Nigra, No 54, p. 314, A-D. ‘Il Ritorno,’ Giannini, p. 154.
106. The Famous Flower of Serving-Men.
P. 428. The Roxburghe copy, III, 762, Aldermary Church-Yard, is in the Ballad Society’s edition, VI, 567. The Euing copy, printed for John Andrews, is signed L. P., for Laurence Price: Mr J. W. Ebsworth, at p. 570.
109. Tom Potts.
P. 441 b. B. b. Ritson’s copy was “compared with another impression, for the same partners, without date.”
I have failed to mention, but am now reminded by Mr Macmath, that the ballad of ‘Jamie o Lee’ is given, under the title ‘James Hatelie,’ by Robert Chambers in the Romantic Scottish Ballads, their Epoch and Authorship, 1859, p. 37, Lord Phenix appearing as simple Fenwick.
112. The Baffled Knight.
P. 480 b. Spanish C, ‘El Caballero burlado,’ is now printed in full in Pidal, Asturian Romances, No 34, p. 156.
481 b. Add: ‘La Marchande d’Oranges’ in Rolland, V, 10. (Say Rolland, I, 258.)
Tears. Add: Rolland, II, 29, e, g, h.
Varieties. There may be added: Mélusine I, 483==Revue des Traditions pop., III, 634 f.; Romania, X, 379 f., No 18; Bladé, Poésies p. de la Gascogne, II, 208.
482 a. Italian. Nigra, No 71, p. 375, ‘Occasione mancata,’ A-F. See also ‘La Monacella salvata,’ No 72, p. 381, and ‘Il Galante burlato,’ No 75, p. 388.
482 b. The ballad, it seems, is by Madame Favart: see Rolland, II, 33, k. Add: l, ib., p. 34, and Poésies pop. de la France, MS., III, 493.
483 b. Danish A is translated by Prior, III, 182, No 126.
113. The Great Silkie of Sule Skerry.
P. 494.
“On the west coast of Ireland the fishermen are loth to kill the seals, which once abounded in some localities, owing to a popular superstition that they enshrined ‘the souls of thim that were drowned at the flood.’ They were supposed to possess the power of casting aside their external skins and disporting themselves in human form on the sea-shore. If a mortal contrived to become possessed of one of these outer coverings belonging to a female, he might claim her and keep her as his bride.” Charles Hardwick, Traditions, Superstitions, and Folk-Lore, chiefly Lancashire and the North of England, p. 231. (G. L. K.)
506 a, last paragraph but one. So in Douns Lioð, Strengleikar, ed. Kayser and Unger, p. 52 ff. (G. L. K.)
VOL. III.
116. Adam Bell, etc.
P. 17 b. I have omitted to mention the Norwegian ballad ‘Hemingjen aa Harald kungen’ in Bugge’s Gamle Norske Folkeviser, No 1, p. 1.
44. ‘A Robynhode,’ etc.
In the Convocation Books of the Corporation of Wells, Somerset, vol. ii, “under the 13th Henry 7, Nicholas Trappe being master, there is the following curious entry, relative, apparently, to a play of Robin Hood, exhibitions of dancing girls, and church ales, provided for at the public expense.
“‘Et insuper in eadem Convocatione omnes et singuli burgenses unanimi assensu ad tunc et ibidem dederunt Magistro Nicolao Trappe potestatem generalem ad inquirendum in quorum manibus pecuniæ ecclesiæ ac communitatis Welliæ sunt injuste detentæ; videlicet, provenientes ante hoc tempus de Robynhode, puellis tripudiantibus, communi cervisia ecclesiæ, et hujusmodi. Atque de bonis et pecuniis dictæ communitati qualitercunque detentis, et in quorumcunque manibus existentibus. Et desuper, eorum nomina scribere qui habent hujusmodi bona, cum summis, etc.’” H. T. Riley in the First Report of the Historical MSS Commission, 1874, Appendix, p. 107.
The passage in the Wells Convocation Records is perhaps illustrated by an entry in the Churchwardens’ Accounts of the Parish of Kingston-upon-Thames, cited by Ritson, Robin Hood, 2d ed., I, cxviii, from Lysons, Environs of London, 1792, I, 228:
“16 Hen. 8. Recd at the church-ale and Robynhode all things deducted
3 10 6.”
With this may be compared the following:
“Anno MDLXVI, or 9 of Eliz., payde for setting up Robin Hoodes bower
0 18”
(Churchwardens’ Accompts of St. Helen’s [at Abingdon, Berks], Archæologia, I, 18). This latter entry is loosely cited by Ritson, I, cxiv, 2d ed., as dating from 1556. Ibidem may be found his opinion as to R. H.’s bower (n. *). Hampson, Medii Ævi Kalendarium, I, 519265, quotes this entry, also with the wrong year. He has no doubt about the Bower: “An arbour, called Robin Hood’s Bower, was erected in the church-yard, and here maidens stood gathering contributions.” I, 283. (All the above by G. L. K.)
117. A Gest of Robyn Hode.
P. 46 b, note. The Sloane MS. cited by Ritson as No 715 is No 780 (which is bound up with 715) and is “paper, early xviith century:” Ward, Catalogue of Romances, etc., I, 517. This correction is also to be made at p. 121 b, note; pp. 129 a, 173 b, 175 b.
51 b, sts 62–66.
The late Miss Hamilton McKie, New Galloway, told me this story:
A sturdy beggar, or luscan, came to a farm-house among the hills and asked quarters for the night. The gudewife, before entrusting him with the bedclothes in which to sleep in one of the outhouses, required a pledge or security for their return. He said he had none to offer but his Maker, and got his night’s lodging. In the morning he walked off with the bedclothes, but, becoming bewildered in a mist, he wandered about the whole day, and in the evening, seeing the light of a house, made towards it and knocked at the door. A woman opened it and said, “Your Cautioner has proved gude!” He had come back to the same house.
Mactaggart gives the story in his Gallovidian Encyclopedia, p. 325, but without the trait of the security. (W. Macmath.)
147. Robin Hood’s Golden Prize.
P. 210. The signature to a, L. P., is for Laurence Price: Ebsworth, Roxburghe Ballads, VI, 64.
150. Robin Hood and Maid Marian.
P. 218 (and 43–46).
Mr H. L. D. Ward, in his invaluable Catalogue of Romances, etc., while treating of Fulk Fitz-Warine, has made the following important remarks concerning the literary history of Maid Marian (p. 506 f.).
“There were three Matildas who were popularly supposed to have been persecuted by King John. The most historical of these was Matilda de Braose. She was imprisoned, with her son and her son’s wife, in 1210, some (Matthew Paris and others) say at Windsor, but another chronicler says at Corfe Castle (see a volume published by the Soc. de l’Hist. de France in 1840), and they were all starved to death. The second was Fulk’s wife Mahaud, who was the widow of Theobald Walter. The third was the daughter of Robert Fitz-Walter. The only authority that can be quoted for the story of the third Matilda is the Chronicle of Dunmow, of which one copy of the 16th century remains, in the Cotton MS., Cleopatra, C. iii. (ff. 281–7), but which was probably begun by Nicholas de Brumfeld, a canon of Dunmow in the latter part of the 13th century. It is there stated that, when Robert Fitz-Walter fled to France in 1213, his daughter took refuge in Dunmow Priory, where John, after a vain attempt at seduction, poisoned her. Now all these three Matildas may be said to appear in the two plays known as The Downfall and The Death of Robert Earle of Huntington, by Anthony Munday and Henry Chettle, which are first mentioned in Henslowe’s Diary in February and November, 1598. Two of them indeed appear in their own names, Matilda de Braose (or Bruce) and Matilda Fitz-Walter; and the one is starved at Windsor and the other is poisoned at Dunmow in the second play. But in the first play Matilda Fitz-Walter escapes the solicitations of John by joining her newly-married husband in Sherwood, where they are called Robin Hood and Maid Marian. This is clearly owing to a combination of the second and third Matildas. It may have been effected by the course of tradition, or it may have been the arbitrary work of a single author. But if the romance of Fulk Fitz-Warin had been known to either Munday or Chettle, other portions of it would almost certainly have appeared in plays or novels or ballads. Now Munday introduces the piece as a rehearsal, conducted by John Skelton the poet, who himself plays Friar Tuck, with a view to performing it before Henry VIII. And it is not at all unlikely that it was really founded upon a May-day pageant devised by Skelton, but not important enough to be specified in the list of his works in his Garlande of Laurell. We know that Skelton did write Interludes, of which one still remains, Magnyfycence: and Anthony Wood tells us that at Diss in Norfolk, where Skelton was rector, he was ‘esteemed more fit for the stage than the pew or pulpit.’ Thus there was no man more likely than Skelton to devise a new Robin Hood pageant for his old pupil, Henry VIII. And again, there was no man more likely to celebrate the story of Matilda Fitz-Walter, for the patron of his living was Robert Lord Fitz-Walter, who was himself a Ratcliffe, but who had inherited the lordship of Diss through his grandmother, the last of the old Fitz-Walters.[327] But whether Skelton may have read the then accessible poem about Fulk, afterwards described by Leland, or whether either he or Munday may have received the story in its composite form, it is pretty evident that the two reputed objects of King John’s desire, Matilda Walter and Matilda Fitz-Walter, have become blended together into the Maid Marian of the play.”
155. Sir Hugh, or, The Jew’s Daughter.
P. 235 a. Bells ringing of themselves (in ballads). 520Pidal, Asturian Romances, ‘Il Penitente,’ Nos 1, 2, pp. 82, 84; Nigra, ‘Sant’ Alessio,’ No 148, A, B, p. 538 ff., and see p. 541.
161. The Battle of Otterburn.
P. 294. St George our Lady’s knight.
A nemnede sein Gorge our leuedi kniȝt:
Sir Beues of Hamtoun, ed. Kölbing, v. 2817, p. 129; Maitland Club ed., v. 2640. (G. L. K., who also gave me the case in Roister Doister.)
“Now holy St George, myne only avower,
In whom I trust for my protection,
O very Chevalier of the stourished Flower,
By whose Hands thy Sword and Shield hast wone,
Be mediator, that she may to her Sone
Cause me to hear Rex splendens songen on hye,
Before the Trinitye, when that I shall dye.”
Poem on the Willoughbies of Eresby, in the form of a prayer to St George put into the mouth of one of the Willoughby family, Dugdale, Baronage of England, 1676, II, 85, 86. Dugdale does not date the MS. The male line of the Willoughbies became extinct in 1525.
(3. flourished? 4. thou thy?) (G. L. K.)
169. Johnie Armstrong.
P. 371 f. B a, b are signed T. R., the initials of a purveyor or editor of ballads for the popular press. B a of ‘Robin Hood and the Butcher,’ No 122, and a of ‘Robin Hood and the Beggar,’ I, No 133, bear the same signature: see pp. 116, 156 of this volume. No such rhymster as T. R. shows himself to be in these two last pieces could have made ‘Johnie Armstrong,’ one of the best ballads in English.
178. Captain Car, or, Edom o Gordon.
P. 423. “The Donean Tourist,” by Alexander Laing, Aberdeen, 1828, p. 100, has a very bad copy, extended to fifty-nine stanzas.
182. The Laird o Logie.
P. 449. ‘Young Logie’ is among the ballads taken down by Mrs Murison in Aberdeenshire, p. 88 of the collection. The copy is imperfect, and extremely corrupted. Lady Margaret is the daughter of the king (who is not called by that name), but is confused with her mother, who counterfeits her consort’s han-write and steals his right-han glove, as is done in D. Three ships at the pier of Leith, and three again at Queen’s Ferry.
184. The Lads of Wamphray.
P. 458. Mr Macmath has pointed out to me a case in Pitcairn’s Criminal Trials, I, 397 f., in which “Jok Johnstoun, callit the Galzeart, Jok J., bruþer to Wille of Kirkhill,” with a Grahame, a couple of Armstrangs, and their accomplices, are accused of the theft of twelve score sheep from James Johnstoune, in February, 1557. We can make no inference as to the relation of Jok the Galliard to the Galliard of our ballad. There were generations of Jocks and Wills in these families, and the sobriquet of The Galliard, as Pitcairn has remarked, “was very prevalent.” He cites a “Gilbert Ellote, callit Gib the Galzart,” III, 441, under the date 1618.
To be Corrected in the Print.
I, 7 b, last line but three of text. Read Fordringer.
71 a, 332. tell thee, ed. 1802; tell to thee, ed. 1833.
132 b, 72. Read Lord John.
159 a, 31,2. to your, in the MS.
186 a, Notes to A b. Add 22. slung at.
256 a, 14. Read Machey for May-hay.
274 b, note [261]. Read Romania IX.
356 b, D c 13. Read O go not.
400 a, I. Read II, 360.
469 a, 223. Read your for yonr.
482 a, D 16, 17, 5th line. Read Hine.
489 a, between 67 a and 84 b. Insert 6. Willie’s Lady.
503 a. The title of I is ‘Hynd Horn.’
504 b, between 226 a and 231. Insert 21. The Maid and the Palmer.
II, 70 a, 184. Fall, ed. 1802; fell, ed. 1833.
104 a, 191,2. Read pat.
129 a, 111. Read ‘O here I am’ the boy says.
135 a, A. a. 111. Drop.
176 b, 113. Read Gae.
179 b, note to B 72. Drop.
192 a, 74. Read maun. 82. Read Ye’r seer. 92. Drop the brackets.
193 a, 204. Read ye never gat. 222. Drop the brackets. 252. Read dreams.
193 b, 281. Read Ge (==Gae) for Ye.
226 a, 229 a, ‘Sweet William’s Ghost,’ A. Read 1750 for 1763.
239 a, B 31. Read O she.
272 f. Read (according to the text of 1755): 21. will I. 74. gar thy.
102. to thy.
183. maun cum.
221. Note: “perhaps fetchie” nurse.
234. hes he.
261. sits.
263. means a’ those folks.
264. mother she.
271. And when he cam to gude grene wod.
273. first saw.
274. Kemeing down.
282. Than, misprint for That.
344. they lay.
354. hip was.
392. ill deed.
275 b. Read, v. 17, You see his heid upon my. v. 20, that did, apparently a misprint for that thocht.
521The only variations in the other copy are: 263, these for those; thocht for did, in v. 20 of p. 275 b.
276 a. A. a. Read 1750 for 1763 twice.
276 b, 4th line of the preface. Read Annandale. 13th line of the preface. Read our old. 21. Read man (ed. 1750).
310 a, third paragraph, line seven. Read authenticatable.
343. Read (ed. 1755): 23. And there. 33. And mantel. 121. I have. (Drop the notes to 33, 51.)
348 b, G, H. Read Reifferscheid.
352 b, D 54. MS. has And free.
378 a, last line. Read Andrew Small.
381 b, 203. Read Scotch.
393 a, 142. Read shook.
405 b, notes. 16 belongs to I and should be on p. 406.
437 b, translations. Read E is translated by Grundtvig, etc.; D by Afzelius, etc.
462 a, 264. Read sned for sued.
478, first line after the title. Read 56 b for 27 b.
481 b, third paragraph, sixth line. Read, 27.
500, 20, first line. Read O for M. English N, O should be O, P.
502 b, 34, first line. Read Decurtins for Decurtius.
506 b, 44, 400 a. Drop Q, etc.. Note to 401, drop Revue des Traditions, etc..
513 a, seventh line from bottom. Read quam.
III, 6 a, 121. Read Braidisbauks.
11, M. Say: Reminiscences by Thomas Carlyle, II, 171, 1881, Froude’s Life of Carlyle, II, 416, 1882. In line 2, read, O busk and go with me, me.
46 b, line 9. Read S. S. for S. G.
95 b, note [86]. Say: Jock o the Side, B 13, 14, C 10, III, 480, 482.
(The following are mostly trivial variations from the spelling of the text.)
I, 71 b, 511. Oh, ed. 1802; O, ed. 1883.
80 b, 141. Read f[e]ast.
132 a, 51. Read father[s].
133 a, M. Read Deer.
137 b, S 42. Read cam.
256 b, 32. Read O. 42. Read rocked.
302 a, B1,2. Read Whare.
321 b, 74. Read doun.
325 a, 33. Read Heavn. 62. Read danton.
331 a, C 24. Read thrie. D 23. Read micht.
441 a, 16. Read warsell. 43. Read bloody.
468 a, 41. Read stock. 102. Read saftly. b 132. MS. has bone. 163. Read Beachen.
481 a, 312. Read dazled.
500 a, 104. Read down.
508 a, 74. Read by.
II, 32 a, P 14. Read aboon.
70 a, 194. Read cheik. 202. Read smil’d. b, 304. Read tine.
90 b, 261. Read won, twice.
108 a, 24. Read die. b, 113. Read mony.
130 a, 33. Read Gil. 43. Read Jill.
131 a, 173. Read han. b, 193. Read ain.
152 a, 43, 51. Read grene.
153 b, 223. Read grene.
161 a, 71, 81. Read tane.
192 a, 54. Read An. 73. Read askin.
193 b, 261. Read bour.
240 a, note. Read Madden.
272 f. Read (ed. 1755): 11. Gill Morice. 52. said. 63. red. 83, 163, 173, 243, 261, 363. guid grene wod. 92, 182. slive. 102, 152. Tho. 111. micht. 112. near. 112, 202. coud. 123. I’s. 133. whar he. 142. woud. 158. stracht. 174. Even. 214. welcom. 214, 394. me. 222. lie. 224. she. 232. he. 244. with. 261. Gill. 262. whistld. 264. tarrys. 272, 362. miekle. 272. cair. 282. well. 294, 311, 314, 333, 341. heid. 303. bodie. 334. town. 344. there. 353. ance. 371. credle. 392. die.
275 a, last line but three. Read Wi, pearce. L. l. but one, naithing, heid. Last line, coud. b, v. 3. day[s]. 7. been. 8. me. 15. teirs, wensom. 18. bluid. 22. comly. 25. driry.
321 b, note [152]. Read Balcanqual.
331 b, 31. Read nurice.
343. Read (ed. 1755): 14, favord. 51. spack. 63. bot. 73. bin. 91. coud. 94, 144. die.
352 b, 33. Read pown.
363 b, 111. Read ladie’s.
364 a, 201. Read ladye’s.
389 a, 83. Read You’r.
390 b, 292. Read hir. 51. Read bouer.
391 a, 121. Read Whan.
396 a, 12. Read blithe.
404 b, 91. Read Whan.
473 b, 173. Read mony.
475 a, 113. Read down, twice.
478. Read: 12, on for an. 41. sir. 62. do. 141. a[t] London. 151. medans. 171. leyne.
483, 13. Read wel. 64. Read beene.
III, 2 a, note, line 5. Read Bennet.
5 a, D 52. Read Lincolm. b, 101. Read there.
8 b, 241. Read betide.
253 b, R, v. 3. Read dochter.
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES
P. 204, changed "3. unto her lovely." to "33. unto her lovely.".
P. 287, changed "25. 5 score" to "251. 5 score".
Except as noted, all spelling errors were left uncorrected.
All punctuation was left uncorrected, except as follows.
A beginning or ending quote mark was added for obviously unbalanced pairs of quotes.
Full stops and commas were made consistent for the verse & line references, for example, "121," was corrected to "121."
Footnotes have been re-indexed using numbers and collected together at the end of the last chapter.