And now the kinge, with all his barons,
Rose up from off his seate,

And down he stepped into the listes
That curteous knighte to greete:

But he, for payne and lacke of bloude,
Was fallen into a swounde,

And there, all weltering in his gore,
Lay lifelesse on the grounde.

"Come downe, come downe, my daughter deare,

Thou art a leeche of skill;

Farre lever 28 had I lose halfe my landes

Than this good knighte should spille."

Downe then steppeth that fayre ladye,
To help him if she maye:

But when she did his beavere raise,
"It is my life, my lord," she sayes,
And shriekt and swounde awaye.

Syr Cauline just lifte up his eyes
When he heard his ladye crye:
"O ladye, I am thine own true love;
For thee I wisht to dye."

Then giving her one parting look,
He closed his eyes in death;
Ere Christabelle, that ladye milde,
Began to draw her breathe.

But when she founde her comelye knighte
Indeed was dead and gone;

She layde her pale cold cheeke to his,
And thus she made her moan:

"O staye, my deare and onlye lord, For me, thy faithfulle feere;

'Tis meete that I sholde followe thee, Who hast bought my love soe deare."

Then fayntinge in a deadlye swoune,
And with a deep fette sighe,
That burst her gentle heart in twayne,
Fayre Christabelle did dye.

1 Feere, mate, companion.—2 May, maiden.—3 Dill, grief.—4 Dight, wrought.-5 Mun, must.—6 Bowne, made ready.-7 Leechinge, medicinal cure.-8 Tine, lose.-9 Drye, suffer.-10 Mores brodinge, wide downs, or moors? We are not satisfied with this explanation. Bro

dinge, we apprehend, refers to the thorn, and not to the moors; and is equivalent to spreading, or umbrageous.- Cryance, fear.-12 Minged, mentioned.—13 Stower, battle, O. Fr. Estour.-14 Laye, law. -15Gamon, fight.-16 Blanne, ceased.-17 Mought, might.-18 Fette, fetched, hewed.-19 Nee, nigh, come nigh.

20 Sir Cauline here acts up to the genuine spirit of perfect chivalry. In old romances no incident is of more frequent occurrence than this of knights already distinguished for feats of arms, laying asid etheir wonted cognizances, and, under the semblance of stranger knights, manfully performing right worshipful and valiant deeds. How often is the renowned Arthur in such exhibitions obliged to exclaim, "O Jhesu, what knyghte is that arrayed all in grene, (or as the case may be,) he justeth myghtely!" The Emperor of Almaine, in like manner, after the timely succour afforded him by Syr Gowhter, is anxious to learn the name of his modest but unknown deliverer.

In the Romance of Roswall and Lillian Dissawer resorts to the same devices as Sir Gowhter.

In this incident the one seems to be almost

a literal transcript of the other.

Page 113, Prestlye, Bishop Percy says means quickly, readily. Query, Was the glossarist not dreaming of the juggler's word, presto, at the time he gave this signification? If the word occurs so written in the folio MS. from which the ballad is taken, it is nothing else than a contraction for presentlye.

21 Blee, complexion.-22 Hend, courteous.-23 Shent, injured.-24 Brenne, burn.-25 Unmacklye, misshapen.-26 Lettest, hinderest, detainest.-27 Lay on load, give blows.-28 Lever, rather, the comparative of lief.

THE WIFE OF USHER'S WELL.

This fragment is given from the "Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border."

THERE lived a wife at Usher's well,

And a wealthy wife was she:
She had three stout and stalwart sons,
And sent them o'er the sea.

They hadna been a week from her,
A week but barely ane,

When word came to the carline wife
That her three sons were gane.

They hadna been a week from her,
A week but barely three,

When word came to the carline wife,
That her sons she'd never see.

I wish the wind may never cease,
Nor fishes in the flood,

Till my three sons come hame to me
In earthly flesh and blood!

It fell about the Martinmas,

When nights are lang and mirk,

The carline wife's three sons came hame, And their hats were o' the birk.

It neither grew in syke nor ditch,
Nor yet in any sheugh;
But at the gates o' Paradise,
That birk grew fair eneugh.

"Blow up the fire, my maidens,
Bring water from the well,
For a' my house shall feast this night
Since my three sons are well."

And she has made to them a bed,
She's made it large and wide:

And she's ta'en her mantle her about,
Sat down at the bed-side.