XVIII.-GIL MORRICE.

A SCOTTISH BALLAD.

ONE of the most popular of the olden ballads, of which there have been several editions.

The one in the Editor's folio edition, under title of Child Maurice, which gives "John Stewart" for Lord Barnard and “Child Maurice" for Gil Morice, is one of the most forcible.

The copy here brought before the reader having passed through "refining" hands, loses much of its early strength. The "greenwood" is said by Mr. Motherwell to be the forest of Dundaff in Stirlingshire. This pathetic story suggested the tragedy of Douglas.

GIL MORRICE was an erlès son,

His name it waxed wide;

It was nae for his great riches,
Nor zet his mickle pride;
Bot it was for a lady gay,

That livd on Carron side.

Quhair sall I get a bonny boy,

That will win hose and shoen; That will gae to lord Barnards ha', And bid his lady cum?

And ze maun rin my errand, Willie ;*

And ze may rin wi' pride;
Quhen other boys gae on their foot,

On horse-back ze zall ride.

O no! Oh no! my master dear!
I dare nae for my life;
I'll no gae to the bauld baròns,

For to triest furth his wife.
My bird Willie, my boy Willie ;

My dear Willie, he sayd:
How can ze strive against the stream?
For I sall be obeyd.

Bot, O my master dear! he cryd,
In grene wod ze're zour lain;
Gi owre sic thochts, I walde ze rede,
For fear ze should be tain.
Haste, haste, I say, gae to the ha',
Bid hir cum here wi speid:

* Something seems wanting here.

If ze refuse my heigh command,

Ill gar zour body bleid.

Gae bid hir take this gay mantèl,
'Tis a' gowd bot the hem ; *
Bid hir cum to the gude grene wode,
And bring nane bot hir lain :
And there it is, a silken sarke,

Hir ain hand sewd the sleive;
And bid hir cum to Gill Morice,

Speir nae bauld barons leave.

Yes, I will gae zour black errand,

Though it be to zour cost;
Sen ze by me will nae be warn'd,
In it ze sall find frost.
The baron he is a man of might,

He neir could bide to taunt,
As ze will see before its nicht,
How sma' ze hae to vaunt.

And sen I maun zour errand rin
Sae sair against my will,
I'se mak a vow and keip it trow,
It sall be done for ill.
And quhen he came to broken brigue,
He bent his bow and swam;
And quhen he came to grass growing,

Set down his feet and ran.

And quhen he came to Barnards ha',
Would neither chap nor ca':

* Perhaps "bout the hem."

THE END OF THE FIRST BOOK,

SERIES THE THIRD.-BOOK II.

I. THE LEGEND OF SIR GUY.

THE oldest known form of Guy of Warwick is an Anglo-Norman one of the thirteenth century, composed doubtless from fragments that had floated hither and thither for some time previous.

The legend of Guy given here is published from an ancient MS. copy in the Editor's old folio volume, under the title of Guy and Phillis, collated with two printed ones, one of which is in black letter in the Pepys Collection.

"The Legend of Sir Guy," says Percy, 'contains a short summary of the exploits of this famous champion as recorded in the old story-books, and is commonly entitled, 'A Pleasant Song of the Valiant Deeds of Chivalry atchieved by that Noble Knight, Sir Guy of Warwick, who, for the Love of Fair Phelis, became a Hermit, and dyed in a cave of craggy rockes, a mile distant from Warwick.'"

Rous, a priest of Guy's Cliff, in the fifteenth century, writes with regard to fair Phillis: "Dame Felys daughter and heire to Erle Rohand, for her beauty called Felyle Belle, or Felys the Faire, by true inheritance Countess of Warwick and ladye and wyfe to the most victorious Sir Guy; to whom, in his woinge time, she made great straungenes, and caused him for her sake to put himself in meny greate distresse, dangers, and perills; but when they wer wedded, and wer but a little season together, he departed from her to her greate hevyness, and never was conversant with her after to her understandinge.'

So he left the countess, and took upon himself pilgrim's weeds, which he wore to his life's end. His last battle was his victory over Colbrand, the Danish giant. He returned to Warwick, unknown to any but the king. "And two days before his deathe," says Rous, "an angell informed him of his passage oute of this world, and of his ladyes the day fourtnight after him."

So popular had the history of Guy of Warwick become, and so widely had it spread, that we are told by Dugdale, that in the year 1410, Lord Beauchamp, travelling in the East, was at Jerusalem invited to the palace by the Soldan's lieutenant, who had heard he was a descendant of Sir Guy of Warwick, of whom they had read in their own books; and who, after "royally feasting him, presented him with three precious stones of great value, besides divers cloaths of silk and gold given to his servants."

WAS ever knight for ladyes sake

Soe tost in love, as I sir Guy For Phelis fayre, that lady bright As ever man beheld with eye?

She gave me leave myself to try,

Then proved I a baron bold,

In deeds of armes the doughtyest knight That in those dayes in England was, With sworde and speare in feild to fight.

The valiant knight with sheeld and An English man I was by birthe :

speare,

Ere that her love shee wold grant me;
Which made mee venture far and neare.

In faith of Christ a christyan true: The wicked lawes of infidells

I sought by prowesse to subdue.

Right dangerous conquests with my All cladd in gray, in pilgrim sort,