US & Canada Versions: Knight in Green
There are US versions listed under Roud 303 Twa Knights but they are versions of Buchan's Northern Lord and Cruel Jew, from Buchan's Gleanings of Scotch, English, and Irish Scarce Old Ballads-- Peterhead, 1825.
The US titles from Roud are "Night in Green" (Knight in Green) found in Flanders and Pioneer Songster and "Hog's Head" as found in the Pioneer Songster.
Even though there are no US versions of Twa Knights I'm including the information here about "Night in Green" (Knight in Green):
The Night in Green (First stanza)- From A Pioneer Songster: Texts from the Stevens-Douglass Manuscript of Western New York by Harold W. Thompson, Ph.D., Edith E. Cutting.
A northern lord of high renown
Two daughters had the oldest brown.
The youngest beautiful and fair
A noble night by chance came there
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Northern Lord and Cruel Jew- From Buchan's Gleanings of Scotch, English, and Irish scarce old Ballads- Peterhead, 1825.]
A Noble lord of high renown,
Two daughters had, the eldest brown,
The youngest beautiful and fair,
By chance a noble knight came there.
Her father said, kind sir, I have
Two daughters, which do you crave?
One that is beautiful, he cried,
The noble knight he then replied:
She's young, she's beautiful and gay,
And is not to be given away,
But as jewels are bought and sold,
She shall bring me her weight in gold,
The price I think ye need not grudge,
Since I will freely give as much
With her one sister, if I can
Find out some other nobleman.
With that bespoke the noble knight,
I'd sooner have the beauty bright,
At that vast rate, renowned lord,
Than the other with a vast reward.
So then the bargain it was made,
But ere the money could be paid,
He had it of a wealthy Jew,
The sum so large, the writings drew
That if he failed, or missed the day,
So many ounces he should pay
Of his own flesh, instead of gold;
All was agreed, the sum was told.
So he returned immediately
Unto the Lord, where he did buy
His daughter fine, I do declare,
And paid him down the money there.
He bought her there it is well known
Unto mankind, she was his own,
By her a son he did enjoy,
A sweet and comely handsome boy.
At length the time of pay was near,
"When the knight did begin to fear,
He dreaded much the cruel Jew,
Because the money it was due.
His lady asked him why he grieved?
He said, my jewel, I received
Such sum of money of a Jew,
And now the money it is due.
And now the day of payment's come,
I'm sure I cannot pay the sum,
He'll have my flesh weight for weight,
Which makes my grief and sorrow great.
Hush, never fear him, she replied,
We'll cross the ragiug ocean wide,
And so secure you from the fate:
To her request he yielded straight.
Then having passed the raging seas,
They travelled on, till by degrees
Unto the German court they came,
The knight, his son, and comely dame.
Unto the Emperor he told
His story of the sum of gold,
That he had borrowed of a Jew,
And that for fear of death he flew.
The Emperor he did erect
A court for them, and showed respect
Unto his guests, because they came
From Britain, that blest land of fame.
As here he lived in delight,
A Dutch lord told our English knight
That he a ton of gold would lay,
He could enjoy his lady gay.
From her the lord he was to bring
A rich and costly diamond ring,
That was to prove and testify
How he did with his lady lie.
He tries, but never could obtain
Her favour, but with high disdain
She did defy his base intent;
So to her chambermaid he went,
And told her if she would but steal
Her lady's ring, and to conceal
The same, and bring it to him straight,
She should enjoy a fine estate.
In hopes of such a fine reward,
The ring she stole, then the Dutch lord
Did take it to the noble knight,
Who almost swooned at the sight.
Home he goes to the lady straight.
Meeting her at the palace gate,
He flung her headlong into the mote,
And left her there to sink or float.
Soon after that, in clothes of green,
She like a warlike knight was seen,
And in most gallant gay deport
She rode unto the Emperor's court.
Now when the Emperor beheld
Her brave deportment, he was filled
With admiration at the sight,
Who called herself an English knight.
The Emperor then did reply,
We have an English knight to die
For drowning of his lady gay;
Quoth she, I'd see him if I may.
Twas granted, so to him she came,
And calling of him by his name,
She said, kind sir, be of good cheer,
Your friend I'll be, you need not fear.
She to the Emperor did ride,
And said, now let this cause be tried
Once more, for I've a mind to save
This noble gallant from the grave
It being done, the court was set,
The Dutch lord came, seeming to fret,
About the ring seeming to fear,
How truth would make his shame appear.
And so it did, and soon they call
The maid, who on her knees did fall
Before the court, and did confess
The Dutch lord's unworthiness.
The Court replied, is it so?
The lady, too, for aught we know,
May be alive, therefore we'll stay
The sentence till another day.
Now the Dutch lord gave him a ton
Of gold, which he had justly won,
And so he did with shame and grief,
And thus the knight obtained relief.
The Dutch lord to revenge the spite
Upon our noble English knight,
Did send a letter out of hand,
And so the Jew did understand,
How he was in a German court,
So here upon this good report,
The Jew has crost the ocean wide,
Resolving to be satisfied.
Soon as e'er he fixed his eyes,
Unto the knight in wrath he cries,
Tour hand and seal I pray behold,
Your flesh Til have instead of gold.
Said the noble knight in green,
Hay not your articles be seen?
Yes that they may, replied the Jew,
And I'm resolved to have my due.
So then the knight began to read,
At length she said, I find indeed
Nothing but flesh you are to have,
Answers the Jew, that's all I crave.
The poor distressed knight was brought,
The bloody minded Jew he thought
That day to be revenged on him,
And part his flesh from every limb.
The knight in green said, Mr. Jew,
There's nothing else but flesh your due,
Then see no drop of blood you shed,
For if you do, off goes your head.
Pray take your due with all my heart,
But with his blood I will not part.
With that the Jew sneaked away,
And had not one word more to say.
No sooner were these troubles past,
But his wife's father came at last,
Resolving for to have his life,
For drowning his beloved wife.
Over the seas her father brought
Many brave horses, one was bought
By the pretended knight in green,
Which was the best that e'er was seen.
So to the German court he came,
Declaring such a one by name
Had drowned his fair daughter dear,
And ought to die a death severe.
They brought him from the prison then,
Guarded by many armed men,
Unto the place where he must die,
And the young knight was standing by.
Then from her side her sword she drew,
And run her gelding through and through.
Her father said, why do you so?
I may, it is my own, you know.
You sold your gelding, 'tis well known,
I bought it, making it my own,
And may do what I please with it;
And then to her he did submit.
Here is a man arraigned and cast,
And brought to suffer death at last,
Because your daughter dear he slew,
What if he did, what's that to you?
You had your money when you sold
Your daughter for her weight in gold;
Wherefore he might, it is well known,
Do what he pleased with his own.
So having changed her garments green,
And dressed herself like a fair queen,
Her father and her husband straight
Both knew her, and their joys were great.
Soon they did cany the report
Unto the famous German court,
How the renowned English knight
Had found his charming lady bright.
So the Emperor and the lords of fame,
With cheerful hearts they did proclaim
An universal joy to see
His lady's life at liberty.