I think it is my nighest friend, I think it is my bully Grahame. 'O welcome, O welcome, bully Grahame! For I love thee best in Christendom.' Away, away, O bully Bewick, And of thy bullyship let me be! 'O no! not so, O bully Grahame! That eer such a word should spoken be! I was thy master, thou was my scholar: So well as I have learned thee.' 'My father he was in Carlisle town, Where thy father Bewick there met he; He said I was bad, and he calld me a lad, And a baffled man by thou I be.' 'Away, away, O bully Grahame, 'Away, away, O bully Bewick, And of thy bullyship let me be ! But if thou be a man, as I trow thou art, 'O no, not so, my bully Grahame! That eer such a word should spoken be! Shall I venture my body in field to fight With a man that's faith and troth to me?" 'Away, away, O bully Bewick, And of all that care, man, let us be! If thou be a man, as I trow thou art, Come over this ditch and fight with me.' 'Now, if it be my fortune thee, Grahame, to kill, As God's will, man, it all must be; But if it be my fortune thee, Grahame, to kill, 'Tis home again I'll never gae.' 'Thou art of my mind, then, bully Bewick, And sworn-brethren will we be; If thou be a man, as I trow thou art, Come over this ditch and fight with me.' He flang his cloak from off his shoulders, When Grahame did see his bully come, 'Now needs must I say that thou art a man, 'Now I have a harness on my back; I know that thou hath none on thine; But as little as thou hath on thy back, Sure as little shall there be on mine,' He flang his jack from off his back, Now they fell to it with two broad swords, Now Grahame gave Bewick an ackward stroke, 7 Leapt. He struck him now under the left breast, 'Arise, arise, O bully Bewick, Arise, and speak three words to me! Or God and good surgeons will mend thee.' 'O horse, O horse, O bully Grahame, 'O horse, O horse, O bully Grahame, 'O if this be true, my bully dear, The words that thou dost tell to me, Then he stuck his sword in a moudie-hill, And upon his own sword-point lap he. Now Grahame he was the first that died, 'For I see thou's won the victory. 'Arise, arise, O son,' he said, 'For I see thou's won the victory;' 'Father, could ye not drunk your wine at home, 'Nay, dig a grave both low and wide, (E) HC XL • Mole-hill. 32 But bury my bully Grahame on the sun-side Now we'll leave talking of these two brethren, With that bespoke now Robin Bewick: With that bespoke my good lord Grahame: I have lost my key, I have lost my lock. 'Had I gone through all Ladderdale, I have no more of my song to sing, But two or three words to you I'll name; But 'twill be talked in Carlisle town That these two old men were all the blame. A GEST OF ROBYN HODE c. 15th century Lythe' and listin, gentilmen, That be of frebore blode; I shall you tel of a gode yeman, Robyn was a prudeR outlaw, So curteyse an outlaw as he was one Robyn stode in Bernesdale, And alsoo dyd gode Scarlok, And Much, the miller's son; Than bespake Lytell Johnn Maister, and ye wolde dyne betyme Than bespake hym gode Robyn: That may pay for the best, A gode maner than had Robyn; Thre messis wolde he here. The one in the worship of the Fader, Robyn loved Oure dere Lady; Found. Worthy of a man. •If. 'Strange Of all • Fear. |