English and Scottish Ballads, Volume III

Ballads, English -- England -- Texts; Ballads, Scots -- Scotland -- Texts

92, MS. For if.

94, No inserted.


THE SECOND PART.

  Everye white will have its blacke,
    And everye sweete its sowre:
  This founde the Ladye Christabelle
    In an untimely howre.

  For so it befelle, as Syr Cauline                                    5
    Was with that ladye faire,
  The kinge, her father, walked forthe
    To take the evenyng aire:

  And into the arboure as he went
    To rest his wearye feet,                                          10
  He found his daughter and Syr Cauline
    There sette in daliaunce sweet.

  The kinge hee sterted forthe, i-wys,
    And an angrye man was hee:
  "Nowe, traytoure, thou shalt hange or drawe                         15
    And rewe shall thy ladie."

  Then forthe Syr Cauline he was ledde,
    And throwne in dungeon deepe:
  And the ladye into a towre so hye,
    There left to wayle and weepe.                                    20

  The queene she was Syr Caulines friend,
    And to the kinge sayd shee:
  "I praye you save Syr Caulines life,
    And let him banisht bee."

  "Now, dame, that traitor shall be sent                              25
    Across the salt sea fome:
  But here I will make thee a band,
  If ever he come within this land,
    A foule deathe is his doome."

  All woe-begone was that gentil knight                               30
    To parte from his ladye;
  And many a time he sighed sore,
    And cast a wistfulle eye:
  "Faire Christabelle, from thee to parte,
    Farre lever had I dye."                                           35

  Fair Christabelle, that ladye bright,
    Was had forthe of the towre;
  But ever shee droopeth in her minde,
  As, nipt by an ungentle winde,
    Doth some faire lillye flowre.                                    40

  And ever shee doth lament and weepe,
    To tint her lover soe:
  "Syr Cauline, thou little think'st on mee,
    But I will still be true."

  Manye a kinge, and manye a duke,                                    45
    And lorde of high degree,
  Did sue to that fayre ladye of love;
    But never shee wolde them nee.

  When manye a daye was past and gone,
    Ne comforte she colde finde,                                      50
  The kynge proclaimed a tourneament,
    To cheere his daughters mind.

  And there came lords, and there came knights,
    Fro manye a farre countrye,
  To break a spere for theyr ladyes love,                             55
    Before that faire ladye.

  And many a ladye there was sette,
    In purple and in palle;
  But faire Christabelle, soe woe-begone,
    Was the fayrest of them all.                                      60

  Then manye a knighte was mickle of might,
    Before his ladye gaye;
  But a stranger wight, whom no man knewe,
    He wan the prize eche daye.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

General

English and Scottish Ballads, Volume III

Ballads, English -- England -- Texts; Ballads, Scots -- Scotland -- Texts

92, MS. For if.

94, No inserted.


THE SECOND PART.

  Everye white will have its blacke,
    And everye sweete its sowre:
  This founde the Ladye Christabelle
    In an untimely howre.

  For so it befelle, as Syr Cauline                                    5
    Was with that ladye faire,
  The kinge, her father, walked forthe
    To take the evenyng aire:

  And into the arboure as he went
    To rest his wearye feet,                                          10
  He found his daughter and Syr Cauline
    There sette in daliaunce sweet.

  The kinge hee sterted forthe, i-wys,
    And an angrye man was hee:
  "Nowe, traytoure, thou shalt hange or drawe                         15
    And rewe shall thy ladie."

  Then forthe Syr Cauline he was ledde,
    And throwne in dungeon deepe:
  And the ladye into a towre so hye,
    There left to wayle and weepe.                                    20

  The queene she was Syr Caulines friend,
    And to the kinge sayd shee:
  "I praye you save Syr Caulines life,
    And let him banisht bee."

  "Now, dame, that traitor shall be sent                              25
    Across the salt sea fome:
  But here I will make thee a band,
  If ever he come within this land,
    A foule deathe is his doome."

  All woe-begone was that gentil knight                               30
    To parte from his ladye;
  And many a time he sighed sore,
    And cast a wistfulle eye:
  "Faire Christabelle, from thee to parte,
    Farre lever had I dye."                                           35

  Fair Christabelle, that ladye bright,
    Was had forthe of the towre;
  But ever shee droopeth in her minde,
  As, nipt by an ungentle winde,
    Doth some faire lillye flowre.                                    40

  And ever shee doth lament and weepe,
    To tint her lover soe:
  "Syr Cauline, thou little think'st on mee,
    But I will still be true."

  Manye a kinge, and manye a duke,                                    45
    And lorde of high degree,
  Did sue to that fayre ladye of love;
    But never shee wolde them nee.

  When manye a daye was past and gone,
    Ne comforte she colde finde,                                      50
  The kynge proclaimed a tourneament,
    To cheere his daughters mind.

  And there came lords, and there came knights,
    Fro manye a farre countrye,
  To break a spere for theyr ladyes love,                             55
    Before that faire ladye.

  And many a ladye there was sette,
    In purple and in palle;
  But faire Christabelle, soe woe-begone,
    Was the fayrest of them all.                                      60

  Then manye a knighte was mickle of might,
    Before his ladye gaye;
  But a stranger wight, whom no man knewe,
    He wan the prize eche daye.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

English and Scottish Ballads, Volume III

English and Scottish Ballads, Volume III

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