| b. |
The first stanza, as given by Anderson, Nichols,
Literary Illustrations, VII, 177, is:
'Come here, come here, ye freely feed,
And lay your head low on my knee;
The heaviest weird I will you read
That ever was read till a lady.'
13. heaviest.
14. gaye ladye.
22. ye'se.
24. when ye.
31. I weird ye to a fiery beast.
5 = a 45,6 + a 51,2:
a 53,4 omitted:
And aye she cried for Kempion,
Gin he would but cum to her hand;
Now word has gane to Kempion
That sicken a beast was in his land.
64. wi thee.
7 omits a3,4.
75. But a mile before.
76. Around them she.
82. oer near.
83. will sure.
84. to a' the land and mair.
After 8 is inserted:
Syne has he bent an arblast bow,
And aimd an arrow at her head,
And swore if she didna quit the land,
Wi that same shaft to shoot her dead.
91. sty the.
92. awe o thee.
101. dizzy crag.
102. gien the monster.
111. stythe.
112. And not for a' thy bow nor thee.
121. Estmere craigs.
131. my den.
132. Nor flee it for the feir o thee.
133. Kempion, that courteous knight.
141. lofty craig.
144. loveliest lady eer.
151,2. After this is inserted:
They surely had a heart o stane,
Could put thee to such misery.
153-6 make a separate stanza.
153, 161. warwolf in the wood.
154, 162. mermaid in the sea.
156. my ain true.
171. weird shall light her on.
173. Her hair shall grow ... teeth grow.
182. In Wormeswood she aye shall won.
185,6. And sighing said that weary wight,
I doubt that day I'll never see. |
