THE CHILD OF ELLE.

SEVERAL stanzas of this old Ballad being wanting in Dr. PERCY's Manuscript Copy, he has supplied them, with his usual elegance.— Child, in the old Romances, was a common term for a young knight.

ON yonder hill a castle stands,
With walls and towers bedight,
And yonder lives the Child of Elle,
A young and comely knight.

The Child of Elle to his garden went,
And stood at his garden pale,

When, lo! he beheld fair Emmeline's page
Come tripping down the dale.

The Child of Elle he hied him thence,

I wis he stood not still,

And soon he met fair Emmeline's page

Come climbing up the hill.

Now, Christ thee save, thou little foot-page,
Now Christ thee save and see!

O tell me how does thy lady gay,
And what may the tidings be?

My lady she is all woe-begone,

And the tears they fall from her eyne;
And aye she laments the deadly feud
Between her house and thine.

And here she sends thee a silken scarf,
Bedewed with many a tear,

And bids thee sometimes think on her,
Who loved thee so dear.

And here she sends thee a ring of gold,
The last boon thou mayest have,
And bids thee wear it for her sake,
When she is laid in grave.

For ah! her gentle heart is broke,
And in grave soon must she be,

Sith her father hath chose her a new love,
And forbid her to think of thee.

Her father hath brought her a churlish knight,— Sir John of the North country;

And within three days she must him wed,

Or he vows he will her slay.

Now hie thee back, thou little foot-page,

And greet thy lady from me:

And tell her that I, her own true love,
Will die or set her free.

Now hie thee back, thou little foot-page,

And let thy fair lady know,

This night I will be at her bower-window,
Betide me weal or woe.

The boy he tripped, the boy he ran,
He neither stint nor stayed,

Until he came to fair Emmeline's bower,
When kneeling down, he said,

O lady, I've been with thy own true love,
And he greets thee well by me;

This night will he be at thy bower window,
And die or set thee free.

Now day was gone, and night was come,
And all were fast asleep,—
All, save the Lady Emmeline,

Who sat in her bower to weep.

And soon she heard her true lover's voice

Low whispering at the wall,Awake, awake, my dear Lady! 'Tis I, thy true love, call.

Awake, awake, my Lady dear!

Come mount this fair palfrey:

This ladder of ropes will let thee down, I'll carry thee hence away.

Now nay, now nay, thou gentle Knight,
Now nay, this may not be;

For aye should I tint my maiden fame,
If alone I should wend with thee.

O lady, thou with a knight so true
May'st safely wend alone;

To my lady mother I will thee bring,
Where marriage shall make us one.

My father is a Baron bold,

Of lineage proud and high,

And what would he say if his daughter Away with a knight should fly?

Ah! well I wot, he never would rest,
Nor his meat should do him no good,
Till he had slain thee, Child of Elle!
And seen thy dear heart's blood.

O lady, wert thou in thy saddle set,
And a little space him fro,

I would not care for thy cruel father,
Nor the worst that he could do.

O lady, wert thou in thy saddle set,
And once without this wall;

I would not care for thy cruel father,
Nor the worst that might befall.

Fair Emmeline sighed, fair Emmeline wept,
And aye her heart was woe:

At length he seized her lily-white hand,
And down the ladder he drew.

And thrice he clasped her to his breast,
And kissed her tenderly:

The tears that fell from her fair eyes,
Ran like the fountain free.

He mounted himself on his steed so tall,
And her on a fair palfrey;
And slung his bugle about his neck;
And roundly they rode away.

All this beheard her own damsel,
In her bed whereas she lay.
Quoth she, My lord shall know of this,
So I shall have gold and fee.

Awake, awake, thou Baron bold!

Awake, my noble dame!

Your daughter has fled with the Child of Elle,

To do the deed of shame.

The Baron he woke, the Baron he rose,

And called his merry men all:

And come thou forth, Sir John the Knight,

The lady is carried to thrall.

Fair Emmeline scant had ridden a mile,

A mile forth of the town,

When she was aware of her father's men

Come galloping over the down.

And foremost came the carlish Knight,
Sir John of the North country;

Now stop, now stop, thou false traitor!
Nor that lady away.

carry

For she is come of high lineage,

And was of a lady born,

And ill it beseems thee, a false churl's son,

To carry her hence to scorn.

Now, loud thou liest, Sir John the Knight,
Now thou dost lie of me;

A knight me got, and a lady me bore-
So never did none by thee.

But light now down, my lady fair!
Light down, and hold my steed,
While I and this discourteous knight
Do try this arduous deed.

But light now down, my dear lady!
Light down, and hold my horse,
While I and this discourteous knight
Do try our valour's force,

Fair Emmeline sighed, fair Emmeline wept,

And aye her heart was woe,

While 'twixt her love and the carlish knight, Past many a baleful blow.

The Child of Elle he fought so well,

As his weapon he waved amain,
That soon he had slain the carlish knight,
And laid him upon the plain.

And now the Baron and all his men,

Full fast approached nigh:

Ah! what may Lady Emmeline do?

"T were now no boot to fly.