Some strange and treacherous maiden

Has won my lover's smile, And revels in the glory

That cheer'd my path awhile. Will none, will none console me,

While sorrow's torrents flow?

For though I'm brown and freckled,
I'm not forgetful-no!

Man's faith is but a shadow,
Too late, too late I find;
'Tis but a breath-a vapour

I

That's scatter'd by the wind.

pour my grief in silence,

I feed my heart with woe;

For though I'm brown and freckled,

I'm not forgetful-no!

Cancionero de Linares, Böhl, No. 246.

"KNIGHT! I must go from hence-must go,—

The world will all divine:

My girdle is too narrow now,—

They'll see my shame-and thine.

I cannot look upon my

maids,

When they my garments bring;

I see them wink, and nod their heads,

I hear them tittering.

So bring me to thy castle home

Come, thither let us go,

And bid some trusty woman come

To help me in my woe!"

"O, lady! I'm a peasant lad,

And born to guide the ploughThe woman that my mother had, When I was born, have thou.”

Böhl, No. 144.

ROMANCE.

"A cazar va el caballero."

THE good knight is a hunting gone,
Hunting as he was wont to be;
His hounds are tired, his falcon lost,
And he is wandering wearily.
He lean'd, he lean'd for his support
Against an old and tall oak tree,
And on its highest, tallest bough
His wondering eyes a maid did see,
And the long tresses of her hair

Did cover all that old oak tree. "Be not alarm'd-be not alarm'd,

Nor show such terror, knight!" said she; "For I'm the daughter of the queen

And the good king of Castillie;
And, while within my nurse's arms,
Seven mighty fates had fated me,
Among these mountains lost and lone,

A wanderer seven long years to be:

'Tis seven years since that bitter day,

1

And now fulfill'd is that decree.

pray thee, for the love of God,

To bear me in thy company;

And let me be, sir knight, thy wife,

Or let me, else, thy mistress be."

"O wait, fair lady, till the dawn,
Wait till to-morrow patiently,
For I will to my mother haste-

My mother she shall counsel me."
But to the good knight's doubting words
The lady answer'd speedily:

"A curse upon the false knight fall,
Who leaves a maid in misery!"
And so the knight for counsel went,
And left the maid in misery.
His mother said: "Return! return!
And let the maid thy mistress be."
So he return'd him to the wood,

But no where could the lady see:
At last he met her, led by knights,
By all the flower of chivalry.
He saw her, and he fell to earth,

O'erpower'd with shame and sorrow he;

At last he rose, and these the words

He utter'd in his agony:

"The knight who loses such a loss,

Sore punish'd he deserves to be.
I'll be the judge-the justice I-
And so will be revenged on me:
They shall cut off my feet and hands,
And drag me to the cemet❜ry."

Cancionero de Amberes, 1555, II. 144.

ROMANCE.

"Blanca sois, Señora mia."

"O GENTLE lady! thou art fair, Fair as the sunny ray is bright; And fearless and disarm'd at last,

In sweetest sleep I'll sleep to-night. For full seven years I bear my arms,

And I have never put them down, And, lady, now my skin as black, Black as the smutty coal is grown." "Sleep, soundly sleep, thou valiant knight, Unarm'd and fearless sleep; the count gone to hunt, as he is wont,

Is

Is

gone to hunt on Leon's mount:
Let madness there destroy his hounds,
An eagle on his falcon pounce,
And from the mountain to his home

Remove the helmet from his sconce."

While thus they spoke the count return'd,
And thus in furious tones he said:
"O what is this, white maiden, now,
Of treacherous father, treacherous maid?"
"I comb'd my hair, O count beloved,
I comb'd my hair in grief and wo,
Because my lord had left his love,
And would to yonder mountain go."