XXXV. A Tragical Ballad on the unfortunate Love of Lord Thomas and Fair Ellinor, together with the Downfal of the Brown Girl. L Ord Thomas he was a bold Forrester, And a Chafer of the King's Deer; Fair Ellinor was a fine Woman, And Lord Thomas he loved her dear. Come riddle my Riddle, dear Mother, he faid, and riddle us both as one, Whether I shall marry with fair Ellinor, And let the Brown Girl alone? The Brown Girl fhe has got Houses and Land, As it befel on a high Holiday, Lord Thomas he went to fair Ellinor, But when he came to fair Ellinor's Bower, He knocked there at the Ring, But who was fo ready as fair Ellinor, For to let Lord Thomas in. What News, what News, Lord Thomas, fhe said, What News haft thou brought unto me? I am come to bid thee to my Wedding, M 5 O God forbid, Lord Thomas, she said, I thought to have been thy Bride my own felf, Come riddle my Riddle, dear Mother, she said, And riddle it all in one, Whether I shall go to Lord Thomas's Wedding, Or whether I fhall tarry at home? There are many that are your Friends, Daughter, There's many that are my Friends, Mother, To Lord Thomas's Wedding I'll go. She cloathed her felf in gallant Attire, But when she came to Lord Thomas's Gate, Is this your Bride? Fair Ellinor faid, Despise her not, fair Ellin, he faid, For better I love thy little Finger, This brown Bride had a little Penknife, And betwixt the short Ribs and the long, O Christ now fave thee, Lord Thomas he said, Oh, art thou blind! Lord Thomas, she said, Oh Doft thou not fee my own Heart's Blood Lord Thomas he had a Sword by his Side, He cut off his Bride's Head from her Shoulders, He fet the Hilt against the Ground, XXXVI. An To the Tune of, The Bride's Good-morrow. Had I omitted this Story of Patient Griffel, I am afraid the Admirers of old Ballads would accufe me of overlooking one of our moft antique Songs. The firft Part is entirely written on the fame Subject as the Devonshire Nymph, Page 227, but which of the Stories is the best related, I shall leave my Readers to determine. I am afraid the Criticks will cavil at all and some, and fuch like Expreffions, which they'll be apt to fay might as well have been omitted. Another Objection they'll probably make is, that the Character of Griffel is out of Nature, and that fuch an Example of Patience never was. To the firft I answer, that it is a Maxim laid down by feveral, and in the last Place by Hudibras, that one Verfe for Senfe, and another for Rhyme is fufficient at once; and to vindicate our Poet from the other, it may naturally be supposed that he had unfortunately married a Shrew, and was willing to preach up the Doctrine of Patience |