Earl LINTON

Terry L. Linton © 1977

(First Published) LINTON & BIRD Chronicles Volume I, Issue 7, © Fall 1985 ISSN 1941-3521

While doing the requirements to be certified by the National Association of Certified Genealogists, I ran across the leather bound book Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, Vol. III by Sir Walter SCOTT (1771-1832) in the Library of Congress. I spent well over a full year researching and hand coping this 1802 master piece. Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was born on August 15, 1771 and died on September 21, 1832. Walter was an Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet, popular throughout much of the world during his time. Sir Walter Scott soured his research from The Memoire of the Somervilles written by Baron James Somerville in 1679 and the oral traditions of his family stories handed down to him.

Title: Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, Vol. II THIRD EDITION. 1806. Consisting Of Historical And Romantic Ballads, Collected In The Southern Counties Of Scotland; With A Few Of Modern Date, Founded Upon Local Tradition. Author: Walter Scott

Earl LINTON

(Romantic Ballad one)

NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED.

Walter Scott 1806

This ballad is published from the collation of two copies, obtained from

recitation. It seems to be the rude original, or perhaps a corrupted

and imperfect copy, of _The Child of Elle_, a beautiful legendary tale,

published in the _Reliques of Ancient Poetry_. It is singular, that

this charming ballad should have been translated, or imitated, by the

celebrated Buerger, without acknowledgment of the English original. As

_The Child of Elle_ avowedly received corrections, we may ascribe its

greatest beauties to the poetical taste of the ingenious editor. They

are in the truest stile of Gothic embellishment. We may compare, for

example, the following beautiful verse, with the same idea in an old

romance:

The baron stroked his dark-brown cheek,

And turned his face aside,

To wipe away the starting tear,

He proudly strove to hide!

_Child of Elle._

The heathen Soldan, or Amiral, when about to slay two lovers, relents in

a similar manner:

Weeping, he turned his heued awai,

And his swerde hit fel to grounde.

_Florice and Blauncheflour._

____________________

Earl LINTON

(Romantic Ballad two)

Earl Linton had a fair daughter,

I wat he weird her in a great sin,[A]

For he has built a bigly bower,

An' a' to put that lady in.

An' he has warn'd her sisters six,

An' sae has he her brethren se'en,

Outher to watch her a' the night,

Or else to seek her morn an' e'en.

She hadna been i' that bigly bower,

Na not a night, but barely ane,

Till there was Willie, her ain true love,

Chapp'd at the door, cryin', "Peace within!"

"O whae is this at my bower door,

"That chaps sae late, nor kens the gin?"[B]

"O it is Willie, your ain true love,

"I pray you rise an' let me in!"

"But in my bower there is a wake,

"An' at the wake there is a wane;[C]

"But I'll come to the green-wood the morn,

"Whar blooms the brier by mornin' dawn."

Then she's gane to her bed again,

Where she has layen till the cock crew thrice,

Then she said to her sisters a',

"Maidens, 'tis time for us to rise."

She pat on her back a silken gown,

An' on her breast a siller pin,

An' she's tane a sister in ilka hand,

An' to the green-wood she is gane.

She hadna walk'd in the green-wood,

Na not a mile but barely ane,

Till there was Willie, her ain true love,

Whae frae her sisters has her ta'en.

He took her sisters by the hand,

He kiss'd them baith, an' sent them hame,

An' he's ta'en his true love him behind,

And through the green-wood they are gane.

They hadna ridden in the bonnie green-wood,

Na not a mile but barely ane,

When there came fifteen o' the boldest knights.

That ever bare flesh, blood, or bane.

The foremost was an aged knight,

He wore the grey hair on his chin,

Says, "Yield to me thy lady bright,

"An' thou shalt walk the woods within."

"For me to yield my lady bright

"To such an aged knight as thee,

"People wad think I war gane mad,

"Or a' the courage flown frae me."

But up then spake the second knight,

I wat he spake right boustouslie,

"Yield me thy life, or thy lady bright,

"Or here the tane of us shall die."

"My lady is my warld's meed;

"My life I winna yield to nane;

"But if ye be men of your manhead,

"Ye'll only fight me ane by ane."

He lighted aff his milk-white steed,

An' gae his lady him by the head,

Say'n, "See ye dinna change your cheer;

"Until ye see my body bleed."

He set his back unto an aik,

He set his feet against a stane,

An' he has fought these fifteen men,

An' kill'd them a' but barely ane;

For he has left that aged knight,

An' a' to carry the tidings hame.

When he gaed to his lady fair,

I wat he kiss'd her tenderlie;

"Thou art mine ain love, I have thee bought;

"Now we shall walk the green-wood free."

_____________

[Footnote A: _Weird her in a great sin_--Placed her in danger of

committing a great sin.]

[Footnote B: _Gin_--The slight or trick necessary to open the door, from

engine.]

[Footnote C: _Wane_--A number of people.]

(First Published) LINTON & BIRD Chronicles Volume I, Issue 7, © Fall 1985 ISSN 1941-3521