PART V.

Now in the fifth part I'll endeavour to shew,
How things with her parents and sister did go;
Her mother and sister of life bereft,

And all alone the old knight he was left.

And hearing his daughter being married so brave,
He said, 'In my noddle a fancy I have;
Drest like a poor man a journey I'll make,
And see if on me some pity she'll take.'

Then drest like a beggar he goes to the gate,

Where stood his daughter, who appear'd very great;
He said, 'Noble lady, a poor man I be,

And am now forced to crave charity.'

With a blush she asked him from whence he came;
With that then he told her, and also his name;

She said, 'I'm your daughter, whom you slighted so,
Yet, nevertheless, to you kindness I'll shew.

Thro' mercy the Lord hath provided for me.
Now, father, come in and sit down,' then said she.
Then the best of provisions the house could afford,
For to make him welcome was set on the board.

She said, 'Thou art welcome, feed hearty, I pray;
And, if you are willing, with me you shall stay,
So long as you live.' Then he made this reply,
'I am only come thy love for to try.

Thro' mercy, my child, I am rich, and not poor,
I have gold and silver enough now in store;
And for the love that at thy house I have found,
For a portion I'll give thee ten thousand pounds.'

So in a few days after, as I understand,

This man he went home and sold off his land;
And ten thousand pounds to his daughter did give,
And now altogether in love they do live.

[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. 2, line 2. 'Squire'; young squire, P.; Squire's son, G.
St. 3, line 1. but' child, P., and G. Line 4. 'it'; he, P., she, G.

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. 10, line 2. 'came'; both, G. Line 3.
St. 11, line 1. P. omits 'great'. Line 2.
troll'd, G.

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,
Who lived at his country-seat;

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;
But what was her sad consternation,
When a sweet little girl came again!

She sent her away to be nurs'd,
Without seeing her gruff papa;
And when she was old enough,
To a school she was packed away.

Fifteen summers are fled,

Now she left good Mrs. Jervis;
To see home she was forbid,-

She determined to go and seek service.

Her dresses so grand and so gay,
She carefully rolled in a knob,
Which she hid in a forest away,

606

She knock'd at a castle gate,
And pray'd for charity;

They sent her some meat on a plate,
And kept her a scullion to be.

My lady look'd long in her face,
And prais'd her great beauty;
I'm sorry I've no better place,
And you must our scullion bc.

So Catskin was under the cook,
A very sad life she led,
For often a ladle she took,

And broke poor Catskin's head.

There is now a grand ball to be,
Where ladies their beauties show;
'Mrs. Cook,' said Catskin,' dear me!
How much I should like to go.'

You go with your Catskin robe,
You dirty impudent slut!
Among the fine ladies and lords,
A very fine figure you'd cut!'

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,
In some cristal waterfall;

Then put on a beautiful dress,

And hasted away to the ball.

When she entered, the ladies were mute,
Overcome by her figure and face;
But the lord, her young master, at once
Fell in love with her beauty and grace!

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,'
For now was the sad parting time;

But she no other answer would give,
The tych of mystical rhyme,——