The earliest copy of this ballad is introduced as 'The Maiden's Song' in Deloney's Pleasant History of John Winchcomb, in his younger yeares called Jacke of Newberie, a book written as early as 1597. Halliwell reprinted the "9th" edition, of the date 1633, in 1859. We do not find the story of this ballad repeated as a whole among other European nations, but there are interesting agreements in parts with Scandinavian, Polish, and German ballads. There is also some resemblance in the first half to a pretty ballad of the northern nations which treats in a brief way the theme of our exquisite romance of 'The Nutbrown Maid' (see Grundtvig, No. 249). The ballad of 'Young Andrew' (No. 4S) has points in common with 'The Fair Flower of Northumberland.'
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