the Northern Minstrels; of this Mr. Jamieson has produced several instances in his interesting translations from the Danish Ballads. Her mother died when she was young, She served her with foot and hand, She threw her in ower Craigy's sea. Says, "Lie you there, dove Isabel, Her breath grew strang, her hair grew lang, And all the people far and near, He hasted him to Craigy's sea, And on the savage beast look'd he; Her breath was strang, her hair was lang, And twisted was about the tree; And with a swing, she came about, "Here is a royal belt," she cried, "That I have found in the green sea, And while your body it is on, Drawn shall your blood never be, But if ye touch me tail or fin, I vow my belt your death shall be." He stepped in, gave her a kiss, The Royal belt he brought him wi', Her breath was strang, her hair was lang, And twisted twice about the tree. And with a swing she came about, "Come to Craigy's sea and kiss with me.” "Here is a royal ring," she said, "That I have found in the green sea; And while your finger it is on, Drawn shall your blood never be; But if you touch me tail or fin, I swear my ring your death shall be." He stepped in, gave her a kiss, The royal ring he brought him wi'; Her breath was strang, her hair was lang, And twisted ance around the tree; And with a swing she came about, "Come to Craigy's sea and kiss with me." "Here is a royal brand," she said, "That I have found in the green sea; And while your body it is on, Drawn shall your blood never be, But if you touch me tail or fin, I swear my brand your death shall be." He stepped in, gave her a kiss, The Royal brand he brought him wi'; Her breath was sweet, her hair grew short, And twisted nane about the tree; And smilingly she came about, As fair a woman as fair could be. EARL RICHARD. The locality of this ballad, BARNISDALE, will bring to the remembrance of the reader tales of Robin Hood and Little John, who, according to the testimony of that venerable chronicler, Andrew of Wyntown, "In Yngilwode and Barnysdale, Their oysed all this tyme thare travaile." Whether the ballad is originally the production of an English or of a Scotch Minstrel admits of question; certain, however, it is, that it has been received into both countries at a pretty early period. Hearne, in his preface to Gul. Neubrigiensis Historia, Oxon., 1719, vol. 1., p. lxx., mentions that the "Knight and Shepherd's Daughter," was well known in the time of Queen Elizabeth. In Fletcher's Pilgrim, Act 4, Scene 2, a stanza of the same ballad is quoted. The English version of this ballad is given in the "Reliques of English Poetry," vol. 3. There are various copies of it current in Scotland. The present version, obtained from recitation in one of the northern counties, is out of sight the most circumstantial and elaborated that has yet been printed. It possesses no small portion of humour, and appears to be of greater antiquity than the copy published in the Reliques. In one of the recited copies of this ballad, Earl Richard endeavours to shake the lady's conviction of his identity by using the same means as the Gaberlunzie man who sang:— "I'll bow my leg, and crook my knee, A cripple or blind they will ca' me." But the eyes of love were too sharp to be deceived by such witty devices, for, as the ballad has it, when "He came hirplin' on a stick, And leaning on a tree," the lady, with a hasty voice, in the face of all the court, immediately cries out "Be he cripple, or be he blind, The same man is he ! With my low silver e'e." Earl Richard's unbridegroomlike behaviour on his wedding night, and his agreeable discovery on the morrow, will remind the ballad reader of the gentle Sir Gawaine, who, when reluctantly turning round to caress his lothly bride, much to his joy and contentment, found her transformed into a most lovesome lady. EARL RICHARD once on a day, And all his valiant men so wight; He did him down to Barnisdale, Where all the land is fair and light. He was aware of a damosel, I wot fast on she did her bound, He said, "Busk on you, fair ladye, |