10.

'Bring a peasant's coat, my young foot-page,

With hose and shoon also, And artfully disguise my face That no one may me know.

11.

' And when I go, and when I come,
Let no one hear from thee;
But keep my secret faithfully,

And thou shalt have gold and fee.'

The new-waked birds their matins sung

In wildly-warbling lay,

While through full many a lonely path

The baron took his way.

15.

And blithe and merrily did he wend,

And blithe and merrily hied

Until he came to a rural cot,

Where a maiden fair did bide.

16.

Though lowly and unknown to fame,
This maid was passing* fair:

Like some sweet violet that in vale
Sequestered,† scents the air.

17.

Sweet was the melody of her voice
The woodland wilds among;

So sweet that woodweles on the spray
Sat listening to her song.

18.

But, more than all, her youthful heart
Was fraughts with virtue's lore:
More pure, more tender, and more true,
Was maiden ne'er before.

19.

The maiden stood at her cottage gate,
Her nursling lambs to feed,

And she saw the blithesome stranger youth
Come tripping o'er the mead.

20.

And lo! with many a fond excuse
The youth would there remain,
While many a wily tale he told,
Her simple heart to gain.

21.

And soon her sighs and blushes told

She did the youth approve;

For where's the maid that can resist

The vows of faithful love?

* Supremely, surpassing all others.

+ Thrushes.

+ Retired.

§ Stored.

22.

'Lo! I've a cottage, and I've a cow,

And many sheep beside;

And I've a field of ripening corn;
And I'll make thee my bride.'

23.

The listening damsel heard his vows,
And thrice for joy she sighed :
She thought the young peasant passing rich,
And said she'd be his bride.

24.

And oft her mother heard the tale,

Nor did the dame repine :

'And if thou canst keep her, stranger youth,

The damsel shall be thine.'

25.

'Ah! then, farewell, my charming fair!"

The seeming peasant cries,

'For I must wend for many a mile

Ere I can take a bride.'

26.

'Oh! say not so, thou stranger youth;

Oh! say not So, I pray!

For if thou dost go, oh! I shall rue

That e'er you came this way.'

27.

'Yes, I must go, thou charming maid,

I can no longer stay;

Though ever until I here return

Must I moan the livelong day.

28.

'But if before I come again,

This passing month shall slide, Oh! then no more await for me, But be another's bride.

29.

'For death may meet me on the way,
And from thy arms divide;
Or dire misfortune blast my joy,
And rob me of my bride.'

30.

Oh! then fast flowed the maiden's tears,

While tenderly she cried :

'Oh! no, dear youth, though thou shouldst die, I'll be no other's bride!'

31.

The maiden's face with grief was sad,

Her cheek was wet with tears: So the pale lily besprent* with rain Or dew-dropped rose appears.

PART SECOND.

32.

And now for many weeks and months

The baron he did stay,

Nor did he seek his much-loved maid

For many a livelong day.

33.

And, though the tender sigh it cost,
And heartfelt tear did move,
Full many a month he stayed away,

Her constancy to prove.

* Besprinkled.

G

34.

At length he calls his knights and squires,

And neighbours of high degree, To travel in all the pomp of state The lovely maid to see.

35.

And he hath called his young foot-page,

And thus full loud did say,

With costly gems, and with robes of state, O deck me forth this day.'

36.

And now, with gay and gallant train,

That baron took his way :

The golden sun that so bright doth shine Did gild his pomp that day.

37.

The maiden stood at her garden pale,*

In hopes her love to espy; And every peasant that she saw

She heaved a heartfelt sigh.

38.

'Alas! and woe is me!' she cried,
'Could I my love but see!
I fear the stranger youth is dead,
Or thinks no more of me.'

39.

Thus sighed the maid, as o'er the plain
She looked for her true love;

When sudden she saw the gallant train
Towards her cottage move.

* Fence.