Erlinton [Child 8]

DESCRIPTION: (Erlinton) has a daughter, whom he confines to protect her virtue. A young man nonetheless spirits the daughter away. The lady's guards pursue; the young man slays all but one, and they escape. You can always check for professional top dissertation writing services at https://topdissertations.com/.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1803 (Scott)
KEYWORDS: courting death fight escape
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland)
REFERENCES (3 citations):
Child 8, "Erlinton" (3 texts)
OBB 37, "Erlinton" (1 text)
DT, ERLINTON
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Earl Brand" [Child 7] (plot)
cf. "The Bold Soldier [Laws M27]" (plot)
ALTERNATE TITLES:
Robin Hood and the Tanner's Daughter
Notes: Child himself admits that it is "only with much hesitation" that he has separated "Erlinton" from "Earl Brand," and if they are in fact distinct, there has clearly been cross-fertilization. - RBW

ERLINGTON

There was & knight, an he had a daughter,
An he wad wed her, wi muckle sin;
Sae he has biggit a bonnie bower, love,
An a' to keep his fair daughter in.

But she hadna been in the bonnie bower, love,
And no twa hours but barely ane,
Till up started Tammas, her sin true lover,
And O sae fain as he wad been in.

'For a' sae weel as I like ye, Tammas,
An for a' arte weel as I like the gin,
I wadna for ten thousand pounds, love,
Na no this night wad I let thee in.

'But yonder is a bonnie greenwud,
An in the greenwud there is a wauk,
An I'll be there an sune the morn, love,
It's a' for my true love's sake.

'On my right hand I'll have a glove, love,
An on my left ane I'll have nane;
I'll have wi' me my sisters sir, love,
An we will wauk the wuds our lane.'

They hadna waukd in the bonnie greenwud,
Na no an hour but barely ane,
Till up start Tammas, her sin true lover,
He's taen her sisters her frae mang.

An he has kissed her sisters sir, love,
An he has sent them hame again,
But he has keepit his ain true lover,
Saying,' We will wauk the wuds our lane'

They hadna waukd in the bonnie greenwud
Na no an hour but barely ane,
Till up start fifteen o the bravest outlaws
That ever bure either breath or bane,

An up bespake the foremost man, love,
An O but he spake angrily:
'Either your life -- or your lady fair, sir,
This night shall wauk the wuds wi me.'

'My lady fair, O I like her weel, sir,
An O my life, but it lies me near'.
But before I lose my lady fair, sir,
I'll rather lose my life sae dear.

Then up bespak the second man, love,
An aye he spake mair angrily,
Saying, 'Baith your life, and your lady fair,
This night shall wauk the wuds wi me.

My lady fair, O I like her weel, sir,
An O my life, but it lies me near !
But before I lose my lady fair, sir,
I'll rather lose my life sae dear.

'But if ye'll be men to your manhood,
As that I will be unto mine,
I'll fight ya every ane man by men,
Till the last drop's blude I has be slain.

'O sit ya down, my dearest dearie,
Sit down and hold my noble steed,
And see that ya never change your cheer
Until ya see my body bleed.'

He's feughten a' the fifteen outlaws,
The fifteen outlaws every ane,
He's left naething but the auldest man
To go and carry the tidings hams.

An he has gene to his dearest dear,
An he has kissed her, cheek and chin,
Saying, 'Thou art mine sin, I have bought thee dear,
An we will wauk the weds onr lane.'

Child #8
From Child, version B
@love @fight @outlaw
filename[ ERLINTON
SF
Apr98

Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. (1863–1944). The Oxford Book of Ballads. 1910.

Erlinton

ERLINTON had a fair daughter;

I wat he wear’d her in a great sin;

For he has built a bigly bower,

And 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.

III

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?’—

‘O it is Willie, your ain true love,

I pray you rise an’ let me in.’—

‘For a’ sae weel as I like ye, Willie,

For a’ sae weel as I ken the gin,

I wadna for ten thousand pounds, love,

Na, no this night wad I let ye in.

‘But in the green-wood is a wake,

And at the wake there is a wane,

An’ there I’ll come as sune the morn, love,

Na no a mile but barely ane.

VII

‘On my right hand I’ll have a glo’, love,

And on my left hand I’ll have nane;

I’ll have wi’ me my sisters six, love,

And we will wauk the wood our lane.’

VIII

Then she’s gane to her bed again,

She has layen till the cock crew thrice,

An’ then she said to her sisters a’,

‘Maidens, ’tis time for us to rise.

She pat on her back her silken gown,

An’ on her breast a siller pin,

An’ she’s ta’en her sisters by the hand,

An’ to the green-wood she is gane.

They hadna wauk’d in the bonny green-wood,

Na no an hour but barely ane,

Till up start Willie, her ain true love,

Wha frae her sisters has her ta’en.

An’ he has kiss’d her sisters six,

An’ he has sent them hame again,

But he has keepit his ain true love,

Sayin’ ‘We’ll wauk the woods our lane.’

XII

They hadna wauk’d in the bonnie green-wood

Na no an hour but barely ane,

Till up start fifteen o’ the bravest outlaws

That ever bare either blood or bane.

XIII

Then up bespake the foremost knight,—

An’ O but he spake angrily:

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.’

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:

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,

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.

GLOSS: wear’d her in] led her into. chapp’d] knocked. gin] trick, or sleight, of the door-latch. wake (obscure). wane] dwelling, arbor. glo’] glove. our lane] we alone. warldis meed] world’s reward, most precious thing in the world: or perhaps corrupted from warldis make, mate. aik] oak.