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459

The Beautifull Shepherdesse of Arcadia

THE KNIGHT AND SHEPHERD'S DAUGHTER—A

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a. Roxburghe Ballads, III, 160, 161. b. The same, II, 30, 31.

1

There was a shepherd's daughter
Came triping on the way,
And there she met a courteous knight,
Which caused her to stay.
Sing trang dil do lee

2

‘Good morow to you, beautious maid,’
These words pronounced he;
‘O I shall dye this day,’ he said,
‘If I have not my will of thee.’

3

‘The Lord forbid,’ the maid reply'd,
‘That such a thing should be,
That ever such a courteous yong knight
Should dye for love of me.’

4

He took her by the middle so small,
And laid her down on the plain,
And after he had had his will,
He took her up again.

5

‘Now you have had your wil, good sir,
And put my body thus to shame,
Even as you are a courteous knight,
Tel me what is your name.’

6

‘Some men do call me Jack, sweet heart,
And some do call me John,
But when I come to the king's [fair] court,
They call me Sweet William.’

7

He set his foot in the stirrop,
And away then did he ride;
She tuckt her kirtle about her middle,
And run close by his side.

8

But when she came to the broad water,
She set her brest and swom,
And when she was got out again,
She took her heels and run.

9

He never was the courteous knight
To say, Fair maid, will you ride?
Nor she never was so loving a maid
To say, Sir Knight, abide.

10

But when she came to the king's fair court,
She knocked at the ring;
So ready was the king himself
To let this fair maid in.

11

‘O Christ you save, my gracious leige,
Your body Christ save and see!
You have got a knight within your court
This day hath robbed me.

12

‘What hath he robbed thee of, fair maid?
Of purple or of pall?
460

Or hath he took thy gay gold ring,
From off thy finger small?’

13

‘He hath not robbed me, my liege,
Of purple nor of pall;
But he hath got my maidenhead,
Which grieves me worst of all.’

14

‘Now if he be a batchelor,
His body I'le give to thee;
But if he be a married man,
High hanged shall he be.’

15

He called down his merry men all,
By one, by two, and by three;
Sweet William was us'd to be the first,
But now the last comes hee.

16

He brought her down full forty pound,
Ty'd up with[in] a glove:
‘Fair maid, I give the same to the,
And seek another love.’

17

‘O I'le have none of your gold,’ she said,
‘Nor I'le have none of your fee;
But I must have your fair body
The king hath given me.’

18

Sweet William ran and fetcht her then
Five hundred pound in gold,
Saying, Fair maid, take this unto thee;
Thy fault will never be told.

19

‘'Tis not your gold that shall me tempt,’
These words then answered she,
‘But I must have your own body;
So the king hath granted me.’

20

‘Would I had drank the fair water
When I did drink the wine,
That ever any shepherd's daughter
Should be a fair lady of mine!

21

‘Would I had drunk the puddle-water
When I did drink the ale,
That ever any shepherd's daughter
Should have told me such a tale!’

22

‘A shepheard's daughter as I was,
You might have let me be;
I'd never come to the king's fair court
To have craved any love of thee.’

23

He set her on a milk-white steed,
And himselfe upon a gray;
He hung a bugle about his neck,
And so they rode away.

24

But when they came unto the place
Where marriage rites were done,
She provd her self a duke's daughter,
And he but a squire's son.

25

‘Now you have married me, sir knight,
Your pleasures may be free;
If you make me lady of one good town,
I'le make you lord of three.’

26

‘Accursed be the gold,’ he said,
‘If thou hadst not bin true,
That should have parted thee from me,
To have chang'd thee for a new.’

27

Their hearts being then so linked fast,
And joyning hand in hand,
He had both purse and person too,
And all at his command.
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