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Up and spak an eldern knight,
Sat at the king's right knee:
"Sir Patrick Spens is the best sailor,
That sails upon the sea."

The king has written a braid1 letter,
And signed it wi his hand,
And sent it to Sir Patrick Spens,
Was walking on the sand.

The first line that Sir Patrick read,
A loud laugh laughed he;

The next line that Sir Patrick read, The tear blinded his ee.

"O wha is this has done this deed,

This ill deed done to me,

To send me out this time o' the year,

To sail upon the sea!

"Mak haste, mak haste, my merry men all,

Our guid ship sails the morn:"

"O say na sae, my master dear,

For I fear a deadlie storm.

"Late late yestreen I saw the new moon, Wi the auld moon in her arm,

And I fear, I fear, my dear master,

That we will come to harm."

O our Scots nobles were right loth,
To wet their cork-heeled shoon;
But lang or a' the play were played,
Their hats they swam aboon.

O lang, lang may the ladies sit,
Wi their fans into their hand,
Or ere they see Sir Patrick Spens
Come sailing to the land.

O lang, lang may the ladies stand,
Wi their gold kems in their hair,
Waiting for their ain dear lords,

For they'll see them na mair.

Half o'er, half o'er to Aberdour,

Its fifty fathom deep,

And there lies guid Sir Patrick Spens, Wi' the Scots lords at his feet.

THE TWA CORBIES1

As I was walking all alane,

I heard twa corbies making a mane:2 The tane unto the tither did say, "Whar sall we gang and dine the day?"

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And to the bliss us bring!

Thus was the hunting of the Cheviot: God send us all good ending!

SIR PATRICK SPENS

The king sits in Dumferling town,
Drinking the blude-red wine:
"O whare will I get guid sailor,
To sail this ship of mine?"

45 Borders.

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47 Keep. 48 Fought. $1 Better our ills.

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If I had need (as God forbede!)

What socours could ye find? Forsooth I trow, you and your bow For fear would draw behind. And no mervail; for little avail Were in your counsel than:

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Wherefore I'll to the green-wood go, 155
Alone, a banished man.

SHE. Right well know ye that women be
But feeble for to fight;

No womanhede it is, indeed,

To be bold as a knight;
Yet in such fear if that ye were
With enemies day and night,

I would withstand, with bow in hand,
To grieve them as I might,
And you to save; as women have
From death men many one:
For, in my mind, of all mankind

I love but you alone.

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If that ye went, ye should repent; For in the forest now

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I dare it well avow;

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And of you both each would be wroth With other, as I trow:

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For, right as ye have said to me,

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In likewise hardily

Ye would answere whosoever it were,

In way of company:

It is said of old, Soon hot, soon cold;

And so is a womán:

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Wherefore I to the wood will go,

Alone, a banished man.

SHE. If ye take heed, it is no need

Such words to say to me;

For oft ye prayed, and long assayed,

HE.

It were mine ease to live in peace;
So will I, if I can:

Wherefore I to the wood will go,
Alone, a banished man.

SUE. Though in the wood I understood
Ye had a paramour,

HE.

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All this may nought remove my thought,
But that I will be your':

And she shall find me soft and kind 305
And courteous every hour;
Glad to fulfil all that she will
Command me, to my power:
For had ye, lo, an hundred mo,
Yet would I be that one:

For, in my mind, of all mankind
I love but you alone.

Mine own dear love, I see the proves
That ye be kind and true;

Of maid, of wife, in all my life
The best that ever I knew;

Be merry and glad; be no more sad;
The case is changéd new;

For it were ruth that for your truth
Ye should have cause to rue.
Be not dismayed, whatsoever I said
To you when I began:

I will not to the green-wood go;
I am no banished man.

SHE. These tidings be more glad to me
Than to be made a queen,

If I were sure they should endure;
But it is often seen

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Or I loved you, pardé:

And though that I of ancestry

A baron's daughter be,

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