‘Risit[605] up, my tormentors,
By two and all by one,
And leadit Stephen out of this town,
And stonit him with stone.’
XII
Tooken they Stephen
And stoned him in the way;
And therefore is his even
On Christe’s own day.
FOOTNOTES:
[602] wode = mad.
[603] brede = become (mad).
[604] weed = clothing.
[605] Risit, leadit, stonit = imperatives.
_99. The Maid and the Palmer_
I
The maid she went to the well to washe,
Dew fell off her lily-white fleshe.
II
White she washte, and white she rong[606],
White she hang’d on the hazel wand.
III
There came an old palmer by the way,
Says, ‘God speed thee well, thou fair may.’
IV
‘Has tow either cup or can,
To give an old palmer drink therein?’
V
Says, ‘I have neither cup nor can,
To give an old palmer drink therein.’
VI
‘But an thy leman[607] come from Rome,
Cups and cans thou wilt find soon.’
VII
She swore by God and good Saint John
Leman she had never none.
VIII
Says, ‘Peace, fair maid, you are forsworne,
Ninè children you have borne.
IX
‘Three were buryed under thy bed’s head,
Other three under thy brewing lead[608].
X
‘Other three play on yon greene;
Count, maid, and there be nine.’--
XI
‘But I hope you are the good old man
That all the world beleeves upon.
XII
‘Old palmer, I pray thee,
Penaunce that thou wilt give to me.’--
XIII
‘Penaunce I can give thee none
But seven year to be a stepping-stone.
XIV
Other seven a clapper in a bell,
Other seven to lead an ape in hell.
XV
When thou hast thy penaunce done,
Then thou’st come a mayden home.’
FOOTNOTES:
[606] rong = wrung.
[607] leman = lover.
[608] lead = vat.
_100. The Falcon_
I
_Lully, lulley! lully, lulley!
The faucon hath borne my make[609] away!_
II
He bare him up, he bare him down,
He bare him into an orchard brown.
III
In that orchard there was an halle,
That was hangèd with purple and pall[610].
IV
And in that hall there was a bed,
It was hangèd with gold sa red.
V
And in that bed there li’th a knight,
His woundès bleeding day and night.
VI
At that bed’s foot there li’th a hound,
Licking the blood as it runs down.
VII
By that bed-side kneeleth a may[611],
And she weepeth both night and day.
VIII
And at that bed’s head standeth a stone,
_Corpus Christi_ written thereon.
IX
_Lully, lulley! lully, lulley!
The faucon hath borne my make away._
FOOTNOTES:
[609] make = mate.
[610] pall = fine cloth.
[611] may = maiden.
_101. The Cherry-Tree Carol_
_i_
I
Joseph was an old man,
And an old man was he,
When he wedded Mary
In the land of Galilee.
II
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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