Than lord Barnard, and a' his lads,

155

As they lig here and thair.

And she has tain her Gill Morice,

And kissd baith mouth and chin:

I was once as fow of Gill Morrice,

As the hip is o' the stean.

I brocht thee up in gude grene wode,

Under the heavy rain.

160

Oft have I by thy cradle sitten,
And fondly seen thee sleip;
But now I gae about thy grave,
The saut tears for to weip.

165

And syne she kissd his bluidy cheik,
And syne his bluidy chin:

170

Wi' that saim speir O pierce my heart!

And put me out o' pain.

180

Since nothing bot Gill Morice head

Thy jelous rage could quell,

Let that saim hand now tak hir life,

That neir to thee did ill.

To me nae after days nor nichts
Will eir be saft or kind;

185

I'll fill the air with heavy sighs,

And greet till I am blind.

Enouch of blood by me's bin spilt,

Seek not zour death frae me;

190

sel

I rather lourd it had been my

Than eather him or thee.

With waefo wae I hear zour plaint;

Sair, sair I rew the deid,

I curse the hand that did the deid,
The heart that thocht the ill;
The feet that bore me wi' sik speid,

The comely zouth to kill.
I'll ay lament for Gill Morice,
As gin he were mine ain;

I'll neir forget the dreiry day

On which the zouth was slain.

205

This little pathetic tale suggested the plot of the tragedy of Douglas.

Since it was first printed, the Editor has been assured that the foregoing ballad is still current in many parts of Scotland, where the hero is universally known by the name of Child Maurice, pronounced by the common people Cheild or Cheeld, which occasioned the mistake.

It may be proper to mention, that other copies read ver. 110, thus:

The Legend of Sir Guy,

CONTAINS a short summary of the exploits of this famous champion, as recorded in the old story-books, and is commonly entitled, “A pleasant song of the valiant deeds of chivalry atchieved by that noble knight sir Guy of Warwick, who, for the love of fair Phelis, became a hermit, and dyed in a cave of craggy rocke, a mile distant from Warwick."

The history of Sir Guy, though now very properly resigned to children, was once admired by all readers of wit and taste: for taste and wit had once their childhood. Although of English growth, it was early a favourite with other nations: it appeared in French in 1525, and is alluded to in the old Spanish romance of Tirante el Blanco, which, it is believed, was written not long after the year 1430. See advertisement to the French translation, 2 vols. 12mo.