"Goe thee downe into yonder towne, And lowe into the streete; The fayrest ladye that thou canst finde, Hyre in mine armes to sleepe; 120 And take her up in thine armes twaine, For filing of her feete." Ellen is gone into the towne, And lowe into the streete; The fayrest ladye that shee colde finde, 125 She hyred in his armes to sleepe; And tooke her up in her armes twayne, For filing of her feete. "I praye you nowe, good Childe Waters, Let mee lye at your feete; For there is noe place about this house, 130 Where I may saye a sleepe." He gave her leave, and faire Ellen[L133] Down at his beds feet laye; This done the nighte drove on apace, 135 And when it was neare the daye, Hee sayd, "Rise up, my little foot-page, Give my steede corne and haye; And give him nowe the good black oats, To carry mee better awaye." 140 Up then rose the faire Ellen, And gave his steede corne and hay; And soe shee did the good black oates, To carry him the better awaye. She leaned her back to the manger side, 145 And grievouslye did groane; She leaned her back to the manger side, And there shee made her moane. And that beheard his mother deare, Shee heard her woefull woe:[L150] 150 Shee sayd, "Rise up, thou Childe Waters, And into thy stable goe. "For in thy stable is a ghost, That grievouslye doth grone; Or else some woman laboures with childe, 155 Shee is so woe-begone." Up then rose Childe Waters soone, And did on his shirte of silke; And then he put on his other clothes, On his bodye as white as milke. 160 And when he came to the stable dore, Full still there hee did stand, That hee mighte heare his fayre Ellen, Howe shee made her monand. She sayd, "Lullabye, mine own dear childe, 165 Lullabye, deare childe, deare; I wolde thy father were a kinge, Thy mothere layd on a biere." "Peace nowe," hee sayd, "good, faire Ellen, Bee of good cheere, I praye; 170 And the bridale and the churchinge bothe Shall bee upon one daye. 13, MS. be inne. 33, 34, supplied by Percy. 133, 134, supplied by Percy. 150, her woefull woe, Percy! BURD ELLEN. Printed from Mrs. Brown's recitation, in Jamieson's _Popular Ballads_, i. 117. We have restored the text by omitting some interpolations of the editor, and three concluding stanzas by the same, which, contrary to all authority, gave a tragic turn to the story. Lord John stood in his stable door, Said he was boun to ride; Burd Ellen stood in her bower door, Said she'd rin by his side.