Childe Waters- Percy 1765; Child A
Child says, "A was printed in Percy's Reliques, III, 58, ed. 1765, with comparatively few changes."
Childe Waters- Version A; Child 63 Child Waters
Percy Manuscript, p. 274; Hales and Furnivall, II, 269.
1 Childe Watters in his stable stoode,
And stroaket his milke-white steede;
To him came a ffaire young ladye
As ere did weare womans wee[de].
2 Saies, Christ you saue, good Chyld Waters!
Sayes, Christ you saue and see!
My girdle of gold, which was too longe,
Is now to short ffor mee.
3 'And all is with one chyld of yours,
I ffeele sturre att my side;
My gowne of greene, it is to strayght;
Before it was to wide.'
4 'If the child be mine, Faire Ellen,' he sayd,
'Be mine, as you tell mee,
Take you Cheshire and Lancashire both,
Take them your owne to bee.
5 'If the child be mine, Ffaire Ellen,' he said,
'Be mine, as you doe sweare,
Take you Cheshire and Lancashire both,
And make that child your heyre.'
6 Shee saies, I had rather haue one kisse,
Child Waters, of thy mouth,
Then I wold haue Cheshire and Lancashire both,
that lyes by north and south.
7 'And I had rather haue a twinkling,
Child Waters, of your eye,
Then I wold haue Cheshire and Lancashire both,
To take them mine oune to bee.'
8 'To-morrow, Ellen, I must forth ryde
Soe ffarr into the north countrye;
The ffairest lady that I can ffind,
Ellen, must goe with mee.'
'And euer I pray you, Child Watters,
Your ffootpage let me bee!'
9 'If you will my ffootpage be, Ellen,
As you doe tell itt mee,
Then you must cutt your gownne of greene
An inche aboue your knee.
10 'Soe must you doe your yellow lockes,
Another inch aboue your eye;
You must tell noe man what is my name;
My ffootpage then you shall bee.'
11 All this long day Child Waters rode,
Shee ran bare ffoote by his side;
Yett was he neuer soe curteous a knight
To say, Ellen, will you ryde?
12 But all this day Child Waters rode,
Shee ran barffoote thorow the broome;
Yett he was neuer soe curteous a knight
As to say, Put on your shoone.
13 'Ride softlye,' shee said, 'Child Watters;
Why doe you ryde soe ffast?
The child which is no mans but yours
My bodye itt will burst.'
14 He sayes, Sees thou yonder water, Ellen,
that fflowes from banke to brim?
'I trust to god, Child Waters,' shee said,
'You will neuer see mee swime.'
15 But when shee came to the waters side,
Shee sayled to the chinne:
'Except the lord of heauen be my speed,
Now must I learne to swime.'
16 The salt waters bare vp Ellens clothes,
Our Ladye bare vpp he[r] chinne,
And Child Waters was a woe man, good Lord,
To ssee Faire Ellen swime.
17 And when shee ouer the water was,
Shee then came to his knee:
He said, Come hither, Ffaire Ellen,
Loe yonder what I see!
18 'Seest thou not yonder hall, Ellen?
Of redd gold shine the yates;
There's four and twenty ffayre ladyes,
The ffairest is my wordlye make.
19 'Seest thou not yonder hall, Ellen?
Of redd gold shineth the tower;
There is four and twenty ffaire ladyes,
The fairest is my paramoure.'
20 'I doe see the hall now, Child Waters,
that of redd gold shineth the yates;
God giue good then of your selfe,
And of your wordlye make!
21 'I doe see the hall now, Child Waters,
that of redd gold shineth the yates;
God giue good then of your selfe,
And of your paramoure!'
22 There were four and twenty ladyes,
Were playing att the ball,
And Ellen, was the ffairest ladye,
Must bring his steed to the stall.
23 There were four and twenty faire ladyes
Was playing att the chesse;
And Ellen, shee was the ffairest ladye,
Must bring his horsse to grasse.
24 And then bespake Child Waters sister,
And these were the words said shee:
You haue the prettyest ffootpage, brother,
that euer I saw with mine eye;
That euer I saw with mine eye;
25 'But that his belly it is soe bigg,
His girdle goes wonderous hye;
And euer I pray you, Child Waters,
Let him goe into the chamber with mee.'
26 'It is more meete for a little ffootpage,
that has run through mosse and mire,
To take his supper vpon his knee
And sitt downe by the kitchin fyer,
Then to goe into the chamber with any ladye
That weares soe [rich] attyre.'
27 But when thoe had supped euery one,
To bedd they took the way;
He sayd, Come hither, my little footpage,
Harken what I doe say.
28 And goe thee downe into yonder towne,
And low into the street;
The ffairest ladye that thou can find,
Hyer her in mine armes to sleepe,
And take her vp in thine armes two,
For filinge of her ffeete.
29 Ellen is gone into the towne,
And low into the streete;
The fairest ladye that shee cold find
Shee hyred in his armes to sleepe,
And tooke her in her armes two,
For filing of her ffeete.
30 'I pray you now, good Child Waters,
that I may creepe in att your bedds feete;
For there is noe place about this house
Where I may say a sleepe.'
31 This [night] and itt droue on affterward
Till itt was neere the day:
He sayd, Rise vp, my litle ffoote-page,
And giue my steed corne and hay;
And soe doe thou the good blacke oates,
that he may carry me the better away.
32 And vp then rose Ffaire Ellen,
And gaue his steed corne and hay,
And soe shee did and the good blacke oates,
that he might carry him the better away.
33 Shee layned her backe to the manger side,
And greiuouslye did groane;
And that beheard his mother deere,
And heard her make her moane.
34 Shee said, Rise vp, thou Child Waters,
I thinke thou art a cursed man;
For yonder is a ghost in thy stable,
that greiuouslye doth groane,
Or else some woman laboures of child,
Shee is soe woe begone.
35 But vp then rose Child Waters,
And did on his shirt of silke;
Then he put on his other clothes
On his body as white as milke.
36 And when he came to the stable-dore,
Full still that hee did stand,
that hee might heare now Faire Ellen,
That hee might heare now Faire Ellen,
How shee made her monand.
37 Shee said, Lullabye, my owne deere child!
Lullabye, deere child, deere!
I wold thy father were a king,
Thy mother layd on a beere!
38 'Peace now,' he said, 'good Faire Ellen,
And be of good cheere, I thee pray,
And the bridall and the churching both,
They shall bee vpon one day.'
_______________
Percy's Reliques, III, 58, ed. 1765
X. CHILD WATERS
Child is frequently used by our old writers as a title. It is repeatedly given to Prince Arthur in the Faerie Queene, and the son of a king is in the same poem called " Child Tristram." Mr. Theobald supposes this use of the word was received along with their romances from the Spaniards, with whom Infante signifies a "Prince." A critic tells us, that "in the old times of chivalry, the noble youth, who were candidates for knighthood, during the time of their probation were called Infans, Varlets, Damoysels, Bacheliers. The most noble of the youth were particularly called Infans." A late commentator on Spenser observes, that the Saxon word cnihz knight, signifies also a Child. [See Upton's gloss to the F. Q.]
The Editor's MS. collection, whence the following piece is taken, affords fieveral other ballads, wherein the word Child occurs as a title: but in none of these it fignifies "Prince." See the song intitled Gil Morrice, in this volume.
Childe Waters in his stable stoode
And stroakt his milke white steede:
To him a fayre yonge ladye came
As ever ware womans weede.
Sayes, Christ you save, good Childe Waters;
Sayes, Christ you save, and see:
My girdle of gold that was too longe,
Is now too short for mee.
And all is with one chyld of yours,
I feele sturre att my side:
My gowne of greene it is too straighte;
Before, it was too wide.
If the child be mine, faire Ellen, sayd,
Be mine as you tell mee;
Then take you Cheshire and Lancashire both.
Take them your owne to bee.
If the childe be mine, faire Ellen, he sayd.
Be mine, as you doe sweare:
Then take you Cheshire and Lancashire both,
And make that child your heyre.
Shee saies, I had rather have one kisse,
Child Waters, of thy mouth;
Than I wolde have Cheshire and Lancashire both,
That lye by north and south.
And I had rather have one twinkling,
Childe Waters, of thine ee:
Then I wolde have Cheshire and Lancashire both,
To take them mine owne to bee.
To morrow, Ellen, I must forth ryde
Farr into the north countrie;
The fairest lady that I can find,
Ellen, must goe with mee.
"Thoughe I am not that lady fayre.
Yet let me go with thee:
"And ever I pray you, Child Waters,
Your foot-page let me bee.
If you will my foot-page be, Ellen,
As you doe tell to mee;
Then you must cut your gowne of greene,
An inch above your knee
Soe must you doe your yellowe locke
An inch above your ee:
You must tell no man what is my name;
My foot-page then you shall bee.
Shee, all the long day Child Waters rode,
Ran barefoote by his side;
Yett was he never soe courteous a knighte,
To say, Ellen, will you ryde?
Shee, all the long day Child Waters rode,
Ran barefoote thorow the broome;
Yett hee was never soe curteous a knighte,
To say, put on your shoone.
Ride softlye, shee sayd, O Childe Waters,
Why doe you ryde soe fast?
The childe, which is no man's but thine,
My bodye itt will brast.
Hee sayth, seest thou yonder water, Ellen,
That flows from banke to brimme.—
I trust to God, O Child Waters,
You never will see mee swimme.
But when shee came to the waters side,
Shee sayled to the chinne:
Except the Lord of heaven be my speed,
Now must I learne to swimme.
The salt waters bare up her clothes;
Our Ladye bare upp her chinne:
Childe Waters was a woe man, good Lord,
To see faire Ellen swimme.
And when shee over the water was,
Shee then came to his knee:
He said, Come hither, thou faire Ellen,
Loe yonder what I see.
Seest thou not yonder hall, Ellen?
Of redd gold shines the yate:
Of twenty foure faire ladyes there,
The fairest is my mate.
Seest thou not yonder hall, Ellen?
Of redd gold shines the towre:
There are twenty four faire ladyes there,
The fairest is my paramoure.
I see the hall now, Child Waters,
Of redd golde shines the yate:
God give you good now of yourselfe,
And of your worthye mate.
I see the hall now, Child Waters,
Of redd golde shines the towre:
God give you good now of yourselfe,
And of your paramoure.
There twenty four fayre ladyes were
A playing att the ball:
And Ellen the fairest ladye there,
Must bring his steed to the stall.
There twenty four fayre ladyes were
A playinge at the chesse;
And Ellen the fayrest ladye there,
Must bring his horse to gresse.
And then bespake Childe Waters sister,
These were the wordes said shee:
You have the prettyest foot-page, brother,
That ever I saw with mine ee.
But that his bellye it is soe bigg,
His girdle goes wonderous hie:
And let him, I pray you, Childe Waters,
Goe into the chamber with mee.
It is not fit for a little foot-page,
That has run throughe mosse and myre,
To go into the chamber with any ladye,
That weares soe riche attyre.
It is more meete for a little foot-page.
That has run throughe mosse and myre,
To take his supper upon his knee,
And sitt downe by the kitchen fyer.
But when they had supped every one,
To bedd they tooke theyr waye:
He sayd, come hither, my little foot-page,
And hearken what I saye.
Goe thee downe into yonder towne.
And low into the street;
The fayrest ladye that thou can finde,
Hyer her in mine armes to sleepe,
And take her up in thine armes twaine,
For filinge [1] of her feete.
Ellen is gone into the towne,
And low into the streete:
The fairest ladye that shee cold find,
Shee hyred in his armes to sleepe;
And tooke her up in her armes twayne.
For filing of her feete.
I praye you nowe, good Childe Waters,
Let mee lye at your bedd's feete:
For there is noe place about this house,
Where I may saye a sleepe.
"He gave her leave, and fair Ellen
Down at his bed's feet laye:
"This done the nighte drove on apace,
And when it was neare the daye.
Hee sayd, Rise up, my little foot-page,
Give my steede corne and haye;
And soe doe thou the good black oats,
To carry mee better awaye.
Up then rose the faire Ellen,
And gave his steede corne and hay:
And soe shee did the good blacke oates,
To carry him the better away.
Shee leaned her backe to the manger side,
And grievouslye did groane:
Shee leaned her back to the manger side.
And there shee made her moane.
And that beheard his mother deere,
Shee heard her there monand[3] Shee sayd.
Rise up, thou Childe Waters,
I think thee a cursed man.
For in thy stable is a ghost,
That grievouslye doth grone:
Or else some woman laboures of childe,
She is soe woe-begone.
Up then rose Childe Waters soon,
And did on his shirte of silke;
And then he put on his other clothes,
On his body as white as milke.
And when he came to the stable dore,
Full still there hee did stand.
That hee mighte heare his fayre Ellen,
Howe shee made her monand.
She sayd, Lullabye, mine owne deere child,
Lullabye, dere child, dere;
I wold thy father were a king,
Thy mother layd on a biere.
Peace now, hee said, good faire Ellen,
Be of good cheere, I praye;
And the bridal and the churching both
Shall bee upon one day.
Footnotes:
1. i e. defiling.
2. Ver. 3132 ie essay= attempt.
3. i.e. moaning, bemoaning, etc.