Ballads of Mystery and Miracle and Fyttes of Mirth Part 45

10.

'What's this now, goodwife?

What's this I see?

How came this sword here, Without the leave o' me?'

'A sword?' quo' she.

'Ay, a sword,' quo' he.

11.

'Shame fa' your cuckold face, Ill mat ye see!

It's but a porridge-spurtle, My minnie sent to me.'

'A spurtle?' quo' he.

'Ay, a spurtle,' quo' she.

12.

'Far hae I ridden, And farer hae I gane, But siller-handed spurtles I saw never nane.'

13.

Hame came our goodman, And hame came he; There he spy'd a powder'd wig, Where nae wig shoud be.

14.

'What's this now, goodwife?

What's this I see?

How came this wig here, Without the leave o' me?'

'A wig?' quo' she.

'Ay, a wig,' quo' he.

15.

'Shame fa' your cuckold face, And ill mat you see!

'Tis naething but a clocken-hen, My minnie sent to me.'

'Clocken hen?' quo' he.

'Ay, clocken hen,' quo' she.

16.

'Far hae I ridden, And farer hae I gane, But powder on a clocken-hen I saw never nane.'

17.

Hame came our goodman, And hame came he, And there he saw a muckle coat, Where nae coat shoud be.

18.

'What's this now, goodwife?

What's this I see?

How came this coat here, Without the leave o' me?'

'A coat?' quo' she.

'Ay, a coat,' quo' he.

19.

'Shame fa' your cuckold face, Ill mat ye see!

It's but a pair o' blankets, My minnie sent to me.'

'Blankets?' quo' he.

'Ay, blankets,' quo' she.

20.

'Far hae I ridden, And farer hae I gane, But b.u.t.tons upon blankets I saw never nane.'

21.

Ben went our goodman, And ben went he, And there he spy'd a st.u.r.dy man, Where nae man shoud be.

22.

'What's this now, goodwife?

What's this I see?

How came this man here, Without the leave o' me?'

'A man?' quo' she.

'Ay, a man,' quo' he.

23.

'Poor blind body, And blinder mat ye be!

It's a new milking-maid, My mither sent to me.'

'A maid?' quo' he.

'Ay, a maid,' quo' she.

24.

'Far hae I ridden, And farer hae I gane, But lang-bearded maidens I saw never nane.'

[Annotations: 3.2: 'mat,' may.

3.3: 'broad,' brood: _i.e._ a sow that has a litter.

3.4: 'minnie,' mother.

11.3: 'porridge-spurtle,' stick for stirring porridge.

15.3: 'clocken-hen,' sitting hen.

21.1: 'Ben,' indoors, or into the inner room.]

THE FRIAR IN THE WELL

+The Text+ is taken from Buchan's MSS., the Scots version being rather more condensed than the corresponding English broadside. There is a reference to this ballad in Munday's _Downfall of Robert, Earl of Huntington_ (1598); but earlier still, Skelton hints at it in _Colyn Cloute_.

+The Story+ can be paralleled in French, Danish, and Persian ballads and tales, but is simple enough to have been invented by almost any people.

Compare also the story of _The Wright's Chaste Wife_ by Adam of Cobsam, E.E.T.S., 1865, ed. F. J. Furnivall.

THE FRIAR IN THE WELL

1.

O hearken and hear, and I will you tell _Sing, Faldidae, faldidadi_ Of a friar that loved a fair maiden well.

_Sing, Faldi dadi di di_ (_bis_)