His mother lay ower her castle wa', And she beheld baith dale and down; And she beheld young Leesome Brand, 75 As he came riding to the town. "Get minstrels for to play," she said, "And dancers to dance in my room; For here comes my son, Leesome Brand, And he comes merrilie to the town." 80 "Seek nae minstrels to play, mother, Nor dancers to dance in your room; But tho' your son comes, Leesome Brand, Yet he comes sorry to the town. "O I hae lost my gowden knife, 85 I rather had lost my ain sweet life; And I hae lost a better thing, The gilded sheath that it was in." "Are there nae gowdsmiths here in Fife, Can make to you anither knife? 90 Are there nae sheath-makers in the land, Can make a sheath to Leesome Brand?" "There are nae gowdsmiths here in Fife, Can make me sic a gowden knife; Nor nae sheath-makers in the land, 95 Can make to me a sheath again. "There ne'er was man in Scotland born, Ordain'd to be so much forlorn; I've lost my ladye I lov'd sae dear, Likeways the son she did me bear." 100 "Put in your hand at my bed head, There ye'll find a gude grey horn; In it three draps o' Saint Paul's ain blude, That hae been there sin' he was born. "Drap twa o' them o' your ladye, 105 And ane upo' your little young son; Then as lively they will be As the first night ye brought them hame." He put his hand at her bed head, And there he found a gude grey horn; 110 Wi' three draps o' Saint Paul's ain blude, That had been there sin' he was born. Then he drapp'd twa on his ladye, And ane o' them on his young son; And now they do as lively be, 115 As the first day he brought them hame. NOTE to v. 49-72.--A similar passage is found at p. 94 of this volume, v. 33-36, also vol. v. p. 178, v. 97-108, and p. 402, v. 169-176, and in the Scandinavian ballads cited in the preface to this ballad. In these last the lady frees herself from the presence of the knight by sending him to get her some water, and she is found dead on his return. This incident, remarks Grimm, (_Altdänische Heldenlieder_, p. 508), is also found in _Wolfdietrich_, Str. 1680-96. THE YOUTH OF ROSENGORD. See p. 219. _Sven i Rosengård_, _Svenska Folk-Visor_, iii. 3, and Arwidsson's _Fornsånger_, ii. 83: translated in _Literature and Romance of Northern Europe_, i. 263. "So long where hast thou tarried, Young man of Rosengord?" "I have been into my stable, Our mother dear." Long may you look for me, or look for me never. 5