[Annotations: 1.4: Folio:-- ‘where cappe & candle yoode.’ Percy in the _Reliques_ (1767) printed ‘cuppe and _caudle_ stoode.’ 1.6: ‘wood,’ mad, wild (with delight). 3.2: ‘blin,’ cease. 4.4: _i.e._ durst never speak my mind. 6.1: ‘home’; Folio _whom_. 7.3,4: These lines are reversed in the Folio. 9.1: ‘lither,’ idle, wicked. 10.2: ‘thrilled,’ twirled or rattled; cp. ‘tirled at the pin,’ a stock ballad phrase (Scots). 12.2: ‘yode,’ went. 14.4: ‘time’: Folio _times_. 17.3: Folio _you are_. 22.2: Another commonplace of the ballads. The Scotch variant is generally, ‘And striped it thro’ the straw.’ See special section of the Introduction. 23.1,2: ‘till,’ to, against.] YOUNG BEKIE +The Text+ is that of the Jamieson-Brown MS., taken down from the recitation of Mrs. Brown about 1783. In printing the ballad, Jamieson collated with the above two other Scottish copies, one in MS., another a stall-copy, a third from recitation in the north of England, a fourth ‘picked off an old wall in Piccadilly’ by the editor. +The Story+ has several variations of detail in the numerous versions known (Young Bicham, Brechin, Bekie, Beachen, Beichan, Bichen, Lord Beichan, Lord Bateman, Young Bondwell, etc.), but the text here given is one of the most complete and vivid, and contains besides one feature (the ‘Belly Blin’) lost in all other versions but one. A similar story is current in the ballad-literature of Scandinavia, Spain, and Italy; but the English tale has undoubtedly been affected by the charming legend of Gilbert Becket, the father of Saint Thomas, who, having been captured by Admiraud, a Saracen prince, and held in durance vile, was freed by Admiraud’s daughter, who then followed him to England, knowing no English but ‘London’ and ‘Gilbert’; and after much tribulation, found him and was married to him. ‘Becket’ is sufficiently near ‘Bekie’ to prove contamination, but not to prove that the legend is the origin of the ballad. The Belly Blin (Billie Blin = billie, a man; blin’, blind, and so Billie Blin = Blindman’s Buff, formerly called Hoodman Blind) occurs in certain other ballads, such as _Cospatrick_, _Willie’s Lady_, and the _Knight and the Shepherd’s Daughter_; also in a mutilated ballad of the Percy Folio, _King Arthur and King Cornwall_, under the name Burlow Beanie. In the latter case he is described as ‘a lodly feend, with seuen heads, and one body,’ breathing fire; but in general he is a serviceable household demon. Cp. German _bilwiz_, and Dutch _belewitte_. YOUNG BEKIE 1. Young Bekie was as brave a knight As ever sail’d the sea; An’ he’s doen him to the court of France, To serve for meat and fee. 2. He had nae been i’ the court of France A twelvemonth nor sae long, Til he fell in love with the king’s daughter, An’ was thrown in prison strong.