BOOK VI LADY ALICE 1. LADY ALICE was sitting in her bower-window, Mending her midnight quoif, And there she saw as fine a corpse As ever she saw in her life. 2. 'What bear what bear ye, ye, ye six men tall? What bear ye on your shouldèrs? '– 'We bear the corpse of Giles Collins, An old and true lover of yours.' 3. 'O lay him down gently, ye six men tall, And to-morrow, when the sun goes down, 4. 'And bury me in Saint Mary's church, And make me a garland of marjoram, 5. Giles Collins was buried all in the east, And the roses that grew on Giles Collins's grave, They reached Lady Alice's breast. 6. The priest of the parish he chanced to pass, And he sever'd those roses in twain; Sure never were seen such true lovers before, Nor e'er will there be again. LORD LOVEL I. LORD LOVEL he stood at his castle-gate, 2. 'Where are you going, Lord Lovel?' she said, 3. 'When will you be back, Lord Lovel?' she said, 'Oh when will you come back?' said she. 'In a year, or two, or three at the most, I'll return to my fair Nancy.' 4. But he had not been gone a year and a day, Strange countries for to see, When languishing thoughts came into his head, Lady Nancy Belle he would go see. 5. So he rode, and he rode, on his milk-white steed, Till he came to London town, And there he heard St. Pancras' bells, 6. 'Oh what is the matter?' Lord Lovel he said. 'Oh what is the matter?' said he; 'A lord's lady is dead,' a woman replied, 'And some call her Lady Nancy.' 7. So he order'd the grave to be open'd wide, 8. Lady Nancy she died, as it might be, today, Lord Lovel he died as tomorrow; Lady Nancy she died out of pure, pure grief, 9. Lady Nancy was laid in St. Pancras' Church, Lord Lovel was laid in the choir; And out of her bosom there grew a red rose, 10. They grew, and they grew, to the churchsteeple top, And then they could grow no higher; So there they entwined in a true-lovers' knot, BARBARA ALLEN'S CRUELTY I. IN Scarlet town, where I was born, 2. All in the merry month of May, 3. He sent his man in to her then, To the town where she was dwellin', 'O haste and come to my master dear, If your name be Barbara Allen.' 4. So slowly, slowly rase she up, And slowly she came nigh him, 5. 'O it's I am sick and very very sick, 'O the better for me ye'se never be, Tho' your heart's blood were a-spillin'! 6. 'O dinna ye mind, young man,' says she, That ye made the healths go round and round, 7. He turn'd his face unto the wall, And death was with him dealin': ‘Adieu, adieu, my dear friends all, And be kind to Barbara Allen!' 8. As she was walking o'er the fields, 9. 'O mother, mother, make my bed, 10. 'Farewell,' she said, 'ye virgins all, I. THE GARDENER 1. THE gardener stands in his bower-door, With a primrose in his hand, And by there came a leal maiden 2. 'O lady, can you fancy me, |