Then up bespake the foremost knight,-- An’ O but he spake angrilỳ: Says, ‘Yield to me thy ladye bright, This night shall wauk the woods wi’ me.’-- XIV ‘I like her weel, my ladye bright, And O my life but it lies me near! But before I lose my ladye bright I’ll rather lose my life sae dear.’ XV But up an’ spake the second knight-- I wat he spake right boustruslie-- Says, ‘Baith your life an’ your ladye bright This night shall wauk the woods wi’ me.’-- XVI ‘My ladye is my warldis meed[277]: My life I winna yield to nane; But if ye be men of your manheid, Ye’ll only fight me ane by ane.-- XVII ‘O sit ye down, my dearest dear, Sit down an’ hold my milk-white steed, An’ see that ye dinna change your cheer Until ye see my body bleed.’ XVIII He set his back unto an aik[278], He set his feet against a stane, He’s feightin a’ these fifteen outlaws, An’ kill’d them a’ but barely ane. XIX An’ he has gane to his ladye dear, I wat he kiss’d her cheek an’ chin-- ‘Thou art mine ain, I have bought thee dear, An’ now we will wauk the woods our lane.’ FOOTNOTES: [270] wear’d her in = led her into. [271] chapp’d = knocked. [272] gin = trick, or sleight, of the door-latch. [273] wake (_obscure_). [274] wane = dwelling, arbor. [275] glo’ = glove. [276] our lane = we alone. [277] warldis meed = world’s reward, most precious thing in the world: _or perhaps corrupted from_ warldis make, mate. [278] aik = oak. _38. Earl Brand_ I O did ye ever hear o’ brave Earl Brand? _Ay lally, o lilly lally_ He courted the King’s daughter o’ fair England _All i’ the night sae early_. II She was scarcely fifteen years that tide[279] Till sae boldly she came to his bedside. III ‘O Earl Bran’, fain wad I see A pack of hounds let loose on the lea.’-- IV ‘O lady, I have no steeds but one, But thou shall ride, and I will run.’-- V ‘O Earl Bran’, my father has two, And thou shall have the best of tho’.’-- VI They have ridden o’er moss and moor, And they have met neither rich nor poor, VII Until they met with old Carl Hood: --He’s aye for ill and never for good. VIII ‘Earl Bran’, if ye love me, Seize this old carl, and gar him die.’-- IX ‘O lady fair, it wad be sair To slay an old man that has grey hair. X ‘O lady fair, I’ll no do sae; I’ll gie him a pound and let him gae.’ XI ‘O where hae ye ridden this lee-lang[280] day? Or where hae ye stolen this lady away?’-- XII ‘I have not ridden this lee-lang day, Nor yet have I stolen this lady away. XIII ‘She is my only, my sick sistèr, Which I have brought from Winchester.’-- XIV ‘If she be sick and like to dead, Why wears she the ribbon sae red? XV