He was a kingés son. And when he came to that ladys chamber, He tirled upon a pin -, The lady was more than true of promise, Rose up and let him in. Says "whether have you left with me Your bracelet or your glove? Or are you returned back again To know more of my love?" Glasgerion swore a full great oath, By oak, and ash, and thorn; "Lady, I was never in your chamber, Sith the time that I was born." "O then it was your little foot-page, Falsely hath beguiled me:" And then she pulled forth a little pen-knife, That hanged by her knee. Says, "there shall never no churlès blood Spring within my body." But home then went Glasgerion, A woe man, good [lord] was he. Says, "come hither thou, Jack my boy, Come thou hither to me. "For if I had killed a man to-night, Jack, I would tell it thee: But if I have not killed a man to-night, Jack, thou hast killed three." And he pulled out his bright brown sword, And dried it on his sleeve, And he smote off that lither lads head, And asked no man no leave. He set the sword's point til his breast, The pummel till a stone: Through that falseness of that lither lad, These three lives were all gone. [Illustration: 0120] [Illustration: 0121] FAIR MARGARET AND SWEET WILLIAM. |As it fell out on a long summer's day, Two lovers they sat on a hill; They sat together that long summer's day, And could not talk their fill. "I see no harm by you, Margaret, Nor you see none by me; Before to-morrow at eight o'clock A rich wedding you shall see." Fair Margaret sat in her bower-window, Combing her yellow hair; There she spied sweet William and his bride, As they were a tiding near. Then down she laid her ivory comb, And braided her hair in twain: She went alive out of her bower, But ne'er came alive in't again. When day was gone, and night was come, And all men fast asleep, Then came the spirit of fair Margaret, And stood at William's feet. "Are you awake, sweet William?" she said, "Or, sweet William, are you asleep? God give you joy of your gay bride-bed, And me of my winding-sheet." When day was come, and night was gone, And all men wak'd from sleep, Sweet William to his lady said, "My dear, I have cause to weep. "I dreamt a dream, my dear lady, Such dreams are never good: I dreamt my bower was full of red swine, And my bride-bed full of blood." "Such dreams, such dreams, my honoured lord, They never do prove good -, To dream thy bower was full of swine, And thy bride-bed full of blood." He called up his merry men all, By one, by two, and by three; Saying, "I'll away to fair Margaret's bower, By the leave of my lady." And when he came to fair Margaret's bower, He knocked at the ring;