"Now, out alas!" the tanner he cried,

"That ever I saw this day!

Thou art a strong thief; yon come thy fellows

Will bear my cow-hide away."

"They are no thieves," the king replied,

"I swear, so mote I thee:

But they are the lords of the north country,
Here come to hunt with me."

And soon before our king they came,
And knelt down on the ground:
Then might the tanner have been away,
He had lever than twenty pound.

"A collar, a collar, here!" said the king,
"A collar," he loud gan cry:

Then would he lever than twenty pound,
He had not been so nigh.

"A collar, a collar," the tanner he said, "I trow it will breed sorrow :

After a collar cometh a halter,

And I shall be hanged to-morrow."

"Away with thy fear, thou jolly tanner, For the sport thou hast shown to me,

I wot no halter thou shalt wear,

But thou shalt have a knight's fee.

"For Plumpton Park I will give thee With tenements fair beside;

"Tis worth three hundred marks by the year, To maintain thy good cow-hide."

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"Gramercy, my liege," the tanner replied, "For the favour thou hast me shown; If ever thou comest to merry Tamworth, Neat's-leather shall clout thy shoon."

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WILL STEWART AND JOHN

It's by two men I sing my song;

Their name is William Stewart and John. William he is the elder brother,

But John he is the wiser man.

But William is in care-bed laid,

And for the love of a fair lady;

If he have not the love of the Earl of Mar's daughter, In faith, for love that he must die.

Then John was sorry for his brother,
To see him lie and languish so:

"What do you mourn for, brother?" he says,
"I pray you tell to me your woe.

"Do you mourn for gold, brother?
Or do you mourn for fee?

Or do you mourn for a likesome lady,
You never saw her with your ee?"

"I do not mourn for gold," he says,
"Nor I do not mourn for any fee;
But I do mourn for a likesome lady,

I ne'er blinked on her with mine ee."

IO

'But when harvest is gotten, my dear brother-
All this is true that I tell thee—
Gentlemen they love hunting well,

And give wight-men their cloth and fee.

"Then I'll go a wooing for thy sake, In all the speed that I can gone, And for to see this likesome lady,

And hope to send thee good tidings home."

John Stewart is gone a-wooing for his brother
So far into fair Scotland;

And left his brother in mickle fear

Until he hear the good tydand.

And when he came to the Earl of Mar's house,
So well he could his courtesy ;

And when he came before the Earl,
He kneeled low down upon his knee.

“O rise up, rise up, John Stewart !
Rise up now, I do bid thee;
How doth thy father, John Stewart,
And all the lords in his country?"

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And it please you, my lord, my father's dead;
My brother and I cannot agree;

My brother and I am fallen at discord,

And I am come to crave a service of thee."

welcome, welcome, John Stewart,

A welcome man thou art to me;

11 make thee chamberlain to my daughter,

And for to tend of that lady so free.

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"And if thou wilt have a better office,
Ask, and thou shalt have it of me;
And where I give others a penny of wage,
In faith, John, thou shalt have three."

And then bespake him John Stewart, And these were the words said he: "There is no office in your court

This day that better pleaseth me.'

The Friday is gone, the Sunday is come;
All this is true that I do say;
And to the church that they be gone,
John Stewart and the lady gay.

And as they did come home again
(I-wis it was a meeten mile),
John Stewart and the lady gay,
They thought it but a little while.

" he says,

"I am a messenger, lady,"

"I am a messenger to thee."

"O speak for thyself, John Stewart," she says, "A welcome man that thou shalt be."

'Nay, by my faith," says John Stewart, "Which, ever alas! that may not be; He hath a higher degree in honour,

Alas, lady, than ever I.

"He is a lord, now, born by birth,
And an earl after his father doth die;
His hair is yellow, his eyes ben gray;
All this is true that I tell ye.

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"He is fine in the middle, and small in the waist,

And pleasant in a woman's eye;

And more nor this-he dies for your love;
Therefore, lady, show some pity."

"If this be so," then says the lady,
"If this be true that thou tells me,
By my faith, then, John Stewart,
I can love him heartily.

"Bid him meet me at St Patrick's Church, On Sunday after St Andrew's day;

The flower of Scotland will be there,

And then begins our summer's play.

"And bid him bring with him a hundred gunners, And rank riders let them be,

And let them be of the rankest riders
That be to be found in that country.

"The best and worst, and all in like,
Bid him clothe them in one livery;
And for his men green is the best,
And green now let their liveries be.

"And clothe himself in scarlet red,

That is so seemly for to see; For scarlet is a fair colour

And pleasant in a woman's ee.

"He must play sixteen games at ball, Against the men of this country; And if he win the greater part,

Then I shall love him more tenderly."

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