“O hand your tongue, my bonny boy! 
    “For I winna be said nay;
  “But I will gang yon hour within,
    “Betide me weal or wae.”

  They have lighted frae their milk-white steids,
    And saftly entered in;
  And there they saw her, White Lilly,
    Nursing her bonny young son.

  “Now, by the mass,” the king he said,
    “This is a comely sight;
  “I trow, instead of a forester’s man,
    “This is a ladye bright!”

  O out and spake her, Rose the Red,
    And fell low on her knee:—­
  “O pardon us, my gracious liege,
    “And our story I’ll tell thee.

  “Our father is a wealthy lord,
    “Lives into Barnisdale;
  “But we had a wicked step-mother,
    “That wrought us meikle bale.

  “Yet had she twa as fu’ fair sons,
    “As e’er the sun did see;
  “And the tane o’ them lo’ed my sister deir,
    “And the tother said he lo’ed me.”

  Then out and cried him, Bauld Arthur,
    As by the king he stood,—­
  “Now, by the faith of my body,
    “This suld be Rose the Red!

  The king has sent for robes o’ grene,
    And girdles o’ shining gold;
  And sae sune have the ladyes busked themselves,
    Sae glorious to behold.

  Then in and came him, Brown Robin,
    Frae hunting o’ the king’s deer,
  But when he saw the king himsell,
    He started back for fear.

  The king has ta’en Robin by the hand,
   And bade him nothing dread,
  But quit for aye the gude grene wood,
   And cum to the court wi’ speed.

  The king has ta’en White Lilly’s son,
   And set him on his knee;
  Says—­“Gin ye live to wield a brand,
   “My bowman thou sall be.”

  They have ta’en them to the holy chapelle,
   And there had fair wedding;
  And when they cam to the king’s court,
   For joy the bells did ring.

[Footnote A:  Lown—­Rogue.]

END OF THE SECOND VOLUME.