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And fourteen days vell known to me;6
She packed up all her gay clouthing,
And swore Lord Bateman she would go see.
XI
O ven she arrived at Lord Bateman's castle,
How bouldly then she rang the bell,
"Who's there! who's there!" cries the proud young porter,
"O come, unto me pray quickly tell."
XII
"O! is this here Lord Bateman's castle,
And is his lordship here vithin?"
"O Yes! O yes!" cries the proud young porter;
"He's just now takin' his young bride in."
XIII
"O! bid him to send me a slice of bread,
And a bottle of the wery best vine,
And not forgettin' the fair young lady
As did release him ven close confine."
XIV
O! avay and avay vent this proud young porter,
O! avay and avay and avay vent he,7
Until he come to Lord Bateman's charmber,
Ven he vent down on his bended knee.
XV
"Vot news, vot news, my proud young porter,8
Vot news, vot news, come tell to me?"
"O there is the fairest young lady
As ever my two eyes did see.
XVI
"She has got rings on ev'ry finger,
And on one finger she has got three:
Vith as much gay gould about her middle
As would buy half Northumberlee.
XVII
"O she bids you to send her a slice of bread
And a bottle of the wery best vine,
And not forgettin' the fair young lady
As did release you ven close confine."
XVIII
Lord Bateman then in passion flew,
And broke his sword in splinters three,9
Saying, "I vill give half my father's land
If so be as Sophia10 has crossed the sea."
XIX
Then up and spoke this young bride's mother,
6. Now sevin long years is gone and past,And fourteen days vell known to me. In this may be recognised, though in a minor degree, the same gifted hand that portrayed the Mussulman, the pirate, the father, and the bigot, in two words. The time is gone, the historian knows it, and that is enough for the reader. This is the dignity of history very strikingly exemplified.
7. Avay and avay vent this proud young porter,Avay and avay and avay vent he. Nothing perhaps could be more ingeniously contrived to express the vastness of Lord Bateman's family mansion than this remarkable passage. The proud young porter had to thread courts, corridors, galleries, and staircases innumerable, before he could penetrate to those exquisite apartments in which Lord Bateman was wont to solace his leisure hours, with the most refined pleasures of his time. We behold him hastening to the presence of his lord: the repetition of the word "avay" causes us to feel the speed with which he hastens – at length he arrives. Does he appear before the chief with indecent haste? Is he described as rushing madly into his presence to impart his message? No! a different atmosphere surrounds that remarkable man. Even this proud young porter is checked in his impetuous career which lasted only
Until he came to Lord Bateman's chamber,Vere he vent down on his bended knee. Lord Bateman's eye is upon him, and he quails.
8. Vot news! vot news! my proud young porter? A pleasant condescension on the part of his lordship, showing that he recognised the stately youth, and no less stately pride of office which characterized his follower, and that he was acquainted with the distinguishing appellation which he appears to have borne in the family.
9. And broke his sword in splinters three Exemplifying, in a highly poetical and striking manner, the force of Lord Bateman's love, which he would seem to have kept strong as his "wow." We have beheld him patient in confinement, descending to no base murmurings against fortune, even when chained by the middle to a tree, with the prospect of ending his days in that ignominious and unpleasant position. He has borne all this and a great deal more, seven years and a fortnight have elapsed, and, at last, on the mere mention of the fair young lady, he falls into a perfect phrenzy, and breaks his sword, the faithful partner and companion of his glory, into three splinters. Antiquarians differ respecting the intent and meaning of this ceremony, which has been construed and interpreted in many different ways. The strong probability is that it was done "for luck;" and yet Lord Bateman should have been superior to the prejudices of the vulgar.
10. If my own Sophia So called doubtless from the mosque of St. Sophia, at Constantinople; her father having professed the Mahomedan religion.
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