Now rise up wightly, man, for shame, For it is told in my father's hall, Fair lady, it is for your love For if you would comfort me with a kiss, Sir knight, my father is a king, Alas! and well you know, sir knight, O lady, thou art a king's daughter, But let me do some deeds of arms, Some deeds of arms if thou wilt do, My Bacheleere to be, But ever and aye my heart would rue Upon Eldridge hill there groweth a thorn Upon the moors brodinge, § And dare ye, sir knight, wake there all night, For the Eldridge || knight, so mickle of might, Will examine you beforne, And never man bare life away, * Suffer. tlf. But he did him scath and scorn. + Betrothed knight,-acknowledged lover. Pricking. Dr. PERCY. He has given no derivation. When applied to men, it signifies wild, hideous, &c.; places,—gloomy, lonesome, haunted. That knight he is a foul paynim, And but if heaven may be thy speed, Now on the Eldridge hills I'll walk,* And I'll either bring you a ready token, The lady is gone to her own chamber, Sir Cauline leaped from care-bed soon, For to wake there all night. Unto midnight, that the moon did rise, Then a lightsome bugle heard he blow, Quoth he, if cryance † come to my heart, And soon he spied on the moors so broad, A lady bright his bridle led, Clad in a fair kirtle. And so fast he called on Sir Cauline, O man! I rede thee fly, For, but if cryance comes to my heart, I ween but thou may die. He saith, no cryance comes to my heart, Nor, in faith, I will not flee, *Or wake, i. e. watch all night. + Here it seems to signify fear, from crainté;-in other places, belief, from créance.-Dr. P. For, cause thou minged* not Christ before, The Eldridge knight he pricked his steed; Then either shook his trusty spear, And the timber these two children + bare Then took they out their two good swords, Till helm and hawberk, mail and shield, The Eldridge knight was mickle of might, But Sir Cauline, with a backward stroke, That soon he with pain and lack of blood, Then up Sir Cauline lift his brand, All over his head so high: Then up and came that lady bright, For the maiden's love that most you love, For the maiden's love that most you love, And aye whatever thou wilt my lord, Now swear to me, thou Eldridge knight, And here on this lay-land, Mentioned. + Knights. + Split. Steady in the conflict. That thou wilt believe on Christ his lay, And thou never more on Eldridge come And that thou here give up thy arms The Eldridge knight gave up his arms And sware to obey Sir Cauline's hest And he then up, and the Eldridge knight And the Eldridge knight and his lady Then he took up the bloody hand Then he took up the Eldridge sword, And he took off those rings five, Home then pricked Sir Cauline, I wis he neither stint nor blanne Then down he knelt upon his knee Before that lady gay, O lady! I have been on the Eldridge hills, * Or gamen, an old word for any sport or game. + i. e. Burnt, flame-colour, rubies or topazes. I Stayed. Now welcome, welcome! Sir Cauline, Thrice welcome unto me! For now I perceive thou art a true knight, O lady! I am thy own true knight, And might I hope to win thy love,- The lady blushed scarlet red, For my degree 's so high? But sith thou has hight,* thou comely youth, To be my Batchelere, I'll promise, if thee I may not wed, I will have none other feere. Then she held forth her lily white hand To that knight so free; He gave to it one gentle kiss His heart was brought from bale to bliss, The tears start from his eye. But keep my counsel, Sir Cauline, Nor let no man it know, For and ever my father should it ken, From that day forth that lady fair Yea, and oftentimes they met Where they in love and sweet dalliance, Past many a pleasant hour. |