PART V. Now in the fifth part I'll endeavour to shew, And all alone the old knight he was left. And hearing his daughter being married so brave, Then drest like a beggar he goes to the gate, Where stood his daughter, who appear'd very great; And am now forced to crave charity.' With a blush she asked him from whence he came; She said, 'I'm your daughter, whom you slighted so, Thro' mercy the Lord hath provided for me. She said, 'Thou art welcome, feed hearty, I pray; Thro' mercy, my child, I am rich, and not poor, So in a few days after, as I understand, This man he went home and sold off his land; [In the following list of various readings, P. denotes Mr Pitts' edition, and G the Glasgow chap-book.] PART 1 heard of;' printed. P., and G. Line 4. fair'; rare, G. St. 1, line 2. Come'; Draw, P.; Come draw, G. Line 4 St. 4, line 3. St. 6, line 2. father'; husband. Line 4. strong bitter, G., omitting presently'. my dear'; husband, P., and G. Line 3. this child she'; with speed her, P., it, G. Line 4. an intimate'; one who was her, P., and G. St. 7, line 4. 'damsel'; female, P. St. 8, line 2. her father'; him. Line 4. range the world'; travel the country, P. PART II. St. 1, line 1. G. omits mark'. Line 2. a strange'; sort of, P., and G.; 'female'; creature, P.; lady, G. Line 3. With Catskins she made a robe I declare; line 4. 'clothing' covering, P., and G. St. 2, line 1. 'own'; new, G. Line 2. 'they'; then, P., and G. together'; by her way they, P.; by her then, G. Line 4. wandered'; travelled, P., and G. · St. 3, line 1. P. omits tide'; line 2. where', and 'herself'. Line 3. sore, P.; tired to be sure, G. 'cold'; whole, G. weary for sure'; tired, St. 4, line 1. fair creature; line 3. Whence camest thou girl, and what wouldst thou have? P. said'; cry'd; 'rest'; quarters, G. Line 4. St. 5, line 4. St. 6, line 1. biggest'; highest, P. Well warmed'; P., and G. Line 2. 'plate'; piece, P.; dish, G.; 'food'; meat, G. Line 3. damsel'; fair creature, P.; creature, G.; led', had, P. St. 7, line 2. rich robes'; riches, P. Line 4. To the kitchen and stand, P.; to go to the, G. St. 8, line 1. hath promised that thou; line 2. Shalt be as scullion to wait on me now, G. Line 4. truly to him she, P., and G. St. 9. for raising, P., and G. PART III. St. 1, line 1. Knight'; lady, P., and G. Line 4. To dance at this ball, P.; to see the ball acted, G. St. 2, line 2. P. omits 'your' and 'for'. fine ball; line 3. she grew'; flew; which she broke in two, G. St. 3, line 1. got'; went, G. Line 2. in her'; with, P.; with a, G. Line 3. P. omits to see'. 'She then', with speed, P.; great speed, G. Line 4. 'fine'; bravely, P.; rarely, G him, P. Line 2. see the ball acted, St. 6, line 1. night'; day, G.; 'himself to'; to give away then'; dance at this ball again, P. Line 3. pray let, P., and G.; 'view'; see; line 4. 'two'; three, G. St. 7, line 1. 'full of'; with, G. Line 2. 'she'; soon, P., which in line 3, omits 'to see'. St. 8, line 1. young squire then said, P.; young squire then, G. Line 2. Said, where, &c., G. 'him'; again, P., and G. St. 9, line 1. 'left'; lost, G. homeward, P., and G. St. 10, line 1. When the squire, P., and G. Line 3. P. omits 'been'. St. 11, line 3. in that costly'; to that comely, G. Line 4. was Catskin's body'; had been Catskin boldly, P.; bodily, G. St. 12, line 1. To the ball he did go once more, P., and G. Line 2. let her go, &c., P. St. 13, line 3. To the ball once more she then went, P. St. 14, line 1. young squire said he, P. Line 2. 'now'; lady; line 3. soon shall know, P., and G St. 16, line 4. 'comfort'; content, P.; contentment, G. St. 17, line 2. But thy love; line 3. 'to wait', for to be, P., and G. St. 18, line 2. a thousand, P. Line 3. 'gain'; have, P., and G. St. 19, line 1. 'protest'; profess; line 3. 'drest', clad, P. Line 4. sick and like to die, G. PART IV. St. 1, line 4. heartily'; sorely, P. St. 2, line 1. presently', speed: ly; line 3. no, son, P. Line 4. I shall have no nurse, G. St. 3, line 2. must needs, G. St. 6, line 1. startle', stare; line 2; son'; come, P. Line 3. g! tis Catskin, G. St. 8, line 3. roll'd, P.; St. 9, line 1. G. omits young'. St. 7, line 1. ran down'; then hastened, to call up the knight, P. call'; till, G. Line 2, great amazing, P. was'; were, P., and G. 'them'; him, G. 'said'; cry'd; line 2. she may, &c., P., and G. She'; then; 'great'; rich, P., and G. rich guests', report; line 4. 'claret went'; canary St. 3, line 1. 'goes'; went, P., and G. Line 2. 'appear'd'; looked, P. Line 4. your charity, P., and G. St. 4, line 2. And also his name'; and gave her his hand, G. Line 4. some kindness, P., and G. Bt. 7, line 1. dear child, P. Line 3. 'house', hands, P., and G. St. 8, line 2. all his land, P., and G. Line 4. 'now'; then; 'do'; did; G 'The story of this ballad,' says Mr. Halliwell, (* Nursery Rhymes of England,' p. 48,) is of Oriental origin.' In that work, that gentleman gives a version from the recitation of an old nurse, aged eighty-one,' which will be found to follow this. The reader will doubtless recollect the Arabian Nights' Tale of 'The two Sisters who envied their younger sister,'which, however, has little in common with 'Catskin's Garland,' beyond the general idea expressed in the title,—and the well-known fairy tale of 'Cinderella'; between which and the present ballad the similarity is very great. Several versions of a story of the same kind, entitled Ashputtel,' 'are current in Hesse and Zwehrn, and it is one of the most universal currency, being popular among the Welsh, as it is also among the Poles; and Schottky found it among the Servian fables. Rollenhagen, in his Froschmäuseler,' a satire of the sixteeenth century, speaks of the despised Aschen-pössel; and Luther illustrates from it the subjection of Abel to his brother Cain. MM. Grimm trace out several other proverbial allusions, even in the Scandinavian traditions; and lastly, the story is in the Neapolitan Pentamerone,' under the title of Cennerentola.' Another story, entitled Cat-skin, but differing considerably from the ballad, is likewise current in Hesse, and in Paderborn; it is known as Perrault's 'Peau d'Ane', and as Ll'orza,' of the Pentamerone,' ii. 6. See also Straparola, 'Notti piacevoli,'i. 4.' (Gammer Grethel; or, German Fairy Tales and Popular Stories,' &c. London, 1839.) 'Catskin's Garland,' however, would seem to be a genuine English ballad, the author of which was, in all probability, unacquainted with 'the tongues,' and merely ' did into rhyme’ story current among his countrymen.] The Story of Catskin. [FROM MR. HALLIWELL'S NURSERY RHYMES OF ENGLAND."] THERE once was a gentleman grand, He wanted an heir to his land, For he'd nothing but daughters yet. His lady's again in the way, So she said to her husband with joy, 'I hope some or other fine day, To present you, my dear, with a boy.' The gentleman answered gruff, 'If 't should turn out a maid or a mouse, For of both we have more than enough, She shan't stay to live in my house.' The lady at this declaration, Almost fainted away with pain; She sent her away to be nurs'd, Fifteen summers are fled, Now she left good Mrs. Jervis; She determined to go and seek service. Her dresses so grand and so gay, 606 She knock'd at a castle gate, They sent her some meat on a plate, My lady look'd long in her face, So Catskin was under the cook, And broke poor Catskin's head. There is now a grand ball to be, You go with your Catskin robe, A basin of water she took, And dashed in poor Catskin's face; But briskly her ears she shook, And went to her hiding place. She washed every stain from her skin, Then put on a beautiful dress, And hasted away to the ball. When she entered, the ladies were mute, He pray'd her his partner to be, 6 She said, Yes,' with a sweet smiling glance; All night with no other lady But Catskin, our young lord would dance. 'Pray tell me, fair maid, where you live,' But she no other answer would give, |