alas, this wound on your head hath caught overmuch cold. And so then they rowed from the land, and Sir Bedivere beheld all those ladies go from him. Then Sir Bedivere cried: Ah my lord Arthur, what shall become of me, now ye go from me and leave me here alone among mine enemies? Comfort thyself, said the king, and do as well as thou mayst, for in me is no trust for to trust in; for I will into the vale of Avilion to heal me of my grievous wound: and if thou hear never more of me, pray for my soul.... Thus of Arthur I find never more written in books that be authorised, nor more of the very certainty of his death heard I never read, but thus was he led away in a ship wherein were three queens; that one was King Arthur's sister, Queen Morgan le Fay; the other was the Queen of Northgalis; the third was the Queen of the Waste Lands. Also there was Nimue, the chief lady of the lake, that had wedded Pelleas the good knight; and this lady had done much for King Arthur, for she would never suffer Sir Pelleas to be in no place where he should be in danger of his life; and so he lived to the uttermost of his days with her in great rest. More of the death of King Arthur could I never find, but that ladies brought him to his burials; and such one was buried there, that the hermit bare witness that sometime was Bishop of Canterbury, but yet the hermit knew not in certain that he was verily the body of King Arthur: for this tale Sir Bedivere, knight of the Table Round, made it to be written.

Yet some men say in many parts of England that King Arthur is not dead, but had by the will of our Lord Jesu into another place; and men say that he shall come again, and he shall win the holy cross. I will not say it shall be so, but rather I will say: here in this world he changed his life. But many men say that there is written upon his tomb this

verse:

Hic Jacet Arthurus Rer Quondam, Rerque Futurus

ENGLISH AND SCOTTISH POPULAR BALLADS

KEMP OWYNE

Her mother died when she was young, Which gave her cause to make great

moan;

Her father married the warst woman That ever lived in Christendom.

She served her with foot and hand,
In every thing that she could dee,
Till once, in an unlucky time,
She threw her in ower Craigy's sea.

Says, "Lie you there, dove Isabel,

And all my sorrows lie with thee; Till Kemp Owyne come ower the sea, And borrow you with kisses three; Let all the warld do what they will, Oh borrowed shall you never be!"

Her breath grew strang, her hair grew lang,

And twisted thrice about the tree, And all the people, far and near,

Thought that a savage beast was she.

These news did come to Kemp Owyne, Where he lived, far beyond the sea; He hasted him to Craigy's sea,

And on the savage beast lookd he.

Her breath was strang, her hair was lang,

And twisted was about the tree, And with a swing she came about: "Come to Craigy's to Craigy's sea, and kiss with me.

"Here is a royal belt," she cried, "That I have found in the green sea; And while your body it is on,

Drawn shall your blood never be; But if you touch me, tail or fin, I vow my belt your death shall be."

He stepped in, gave her a kiss,

The royal belt he brought him wi; Her breath was strang, her hair was lang, And twisted twice about the tree,

THE TWA SISTERS

There was twa sisters in a bowr,
Edinburgh, Edinburgh
There was twa sisters in a bowr,
Stirling for ay

There was twa sisters in a bowr,
There came a knight to be their wooer.

Bonny Saint Johnston stands upon Tay

He courted the eldest wi glove an ring, But he lovd the youngest above a' thing.

He courted the eldest wi brotch an knife, But lovd the youngest as his life.

The eldest she was vexèd sair, And much envi'd her sister fair.

Into her bowr she could not rest, Wi grief an spite she almos brast.

Upon a morning fair an clear, She cried upon her sister dear:

"O sister, come to yon sea stran, An see our father's ships come to lan."

She's taen her by the milk-white han, An led her down to yon sea stran.

The youngest stood upon a stane, The eldest came an threw her in.

She tooke her by the middle sma,
And dashd her bonny back to the jaw.

"O sister, sister, tak my han,

An Ise mack you heir to a' my lan.

"O sister, sister, tak my middle,

An yes get my goud and my gouden girdle.

"O sister, sister, save my life,

An I swear Ise never be nae man's wife."

"Foul fa the han that I should tacke, It twind me an my wardles make.

"Your cherry cheeks an yallow hair Gars me gae maiden for evermair,"

Sometimes she sank, an sometimes she

swam,

Till she came down yon bonny mill-dam.

O out it came the miller's son,
An saw the fair maid swimmin in.

"O father, father, draw your dam, Here's either a mermaid or a swan."

The miller quickly drew the dam, An there he found a drownd woman.

You coudna see her yallow hair
For gold and pearle that were so rare.

You coudna see her middle sma
For gouden girdle that was sae braw.
You coudna see her fingers white,
For gouden rings that was sae gryte.

An by there came a harper fine,
That harpèd to the king at dine.

When he did look that lady upon,
He sighd and made a heavy moan.

He's taen three locks o her yallow hair,
And wi them strung his harp sae fair.

The first tune he did play and sing,
Was, "Farewell to my father the king."
The nextin tune that he playd syne,
Was, "Farewell to my mother the queen."

The lasten tune that he playd then,
Was, "Wae to my sister, fair Ellen."

THE HUNTING OF THE
CHEVIOT

THE Perse owt off Northombarlonde,
and avowe to God mayd he
That he wold hunte in the mowntayns
of Chyviat within days thre,
In the magger of doughtë Dogles,

and all that ever with him be.

The fattiste hartes in all Cheviat

he sayd he wold kyll, and cary them away: