Described and selections published, CW, XXI, xxi-xxiv; May Morris says of it:"the spirit of the ballad is almost out-done, in the careless and naughty scamper of exuberant youth."
Draft in Fitzwilliam MS 2.

CW, XXI, xxii-xxiii

[xxii] Like the red side of a ripe apple
    The face grew of this maid,
Then said the King, "Say out your mind
    And be ye not afraid

      ·       ·       ·       ·       ·       ·

But I have a vow to our Lord God
    Also to S. Lucy
That I would wed no man on earth
    But if he brought me thinges three;

And first from King Philip of France
    He must take the right-hand glove,
When I wear this on my right hand
    So far shall he have my love

      ·       ·       ·       ·       ·       ·

Heed me well Sir Scheneschal,
    Take good care of this lady,
In the little red house of Havering*
Let her abide both night and day.

[xxiii] It standeth right pleasantly
    At the skirt of Waltham Chase;
Let her bide in that house and garden--
    She shall see no man's face.

But she may have damozels
    To wait on her body
And all things fitting to her estate
    Such as it should be.

Right little time they lost, I trow
    In a barget they set her
With hale and how they set sail
    Upon the Thames river.

Right evil cheer had the Lady Anne,
    The wan water was but cold,
She said as she fell a-weeping,
   "I shall have no pity till I am old."

But they went up the reiver of Thames
    Till to Barking town came they
And they mounted on goodly steeds
    And gat them quick away.

To the little red house of Havering
    They rode through the green wood:
When the door shut after that lady
    Right cold became her blood.

Draft in Fitz. MS 2.

God save the Kings highness
And right well mote he be
It was when King Edward ruled this land
There lived a fair lady

She had no father or mother
She was the kings own ward
There sought her many a good knight
And many a rich lord

On a day the king sent for her
And said damsel I will ye wed
There she but hanged her face down
And right little she said

Like the red side of a ripe apple
The face grew of this maid;
Then said the king Say out your mind
And be ye not afraid

Then spake Sir Thomas Knolles
Under his breath right to her
My lord loveth all bright ladies
I rede you have no fear

Then she spake right sweetly
My good lord for to please you
I would wed three times over
Howsoever I might rue

But I have a vow to our lord God
Also to S. Lucy
That I would wed no man on earth
But if he brought me things three

And first from King Phillip of France
He must take the right hand glove
When I wear this on my right hand
So far he shall have my love

And next from King David of Scotland
He shall take the signet ring
He shall be nearer to my love
When he hath done this thing

The third he shall take the gold crown
From off the great souldan
When he hath done these three things
I shall hold him as my man

To that man who doeth this
Whomsoever he may be
Be he of high estate or low
I shall yield my body cheerfully

But no man shall lie with me
Be he Kaiser or King
Or any Lord that is on earth
Who feareth to do this thing

Thereat the king studied awhile
And he looked right grimly
Dame I count your wit but small
That ye speak thus to me

I rede you choose right speedily
One of these knights twaine
Either my own good knight Sir James
Or Sir John of Behnaine

That Dame she waxed as deadly pale
As privet on a green bush
From her head to her yellow hair
She shook like any rush

Do ye doubt me nothing said the king
That ye say never a word
Ye are a hardy Damozel
By St. George our good lord

She brast out sore a weeping
By his foot she set her knee
Alas my fair lord and king
What will ye do with me

Of your might I have great doubt
But I doubt the Lord God more
I must needs say the same words again
I lightly said before

Then said Sir Walter of Mayar [?a variant of Manny?]
My lord this dame will not forswear
She had liefer to die in the pain dure
I rede you the better love her

Sir I hold her of right great faith
As was my lady St. Catherine
She is right tall and her colour is fair
As if it were snow and Guienne wine

I pray you give me license Sir King
The King of France dwells not in the moon
Nor is the Soldan in the Sun
By the help of God I shall come back soon

Me[d]dle no more Sir Walter Manny
Ye be a good man with your glaive
But methinks your wit is grown but dull
Ho may the saints me save

If ye have made a fool oath
Ye shall keep it by Christ
Ye shall lie still in your shroud
Or ever your lips be kissed

Ho dame proud and insolent
Ye speak like the goddess Diane
Are ye not made like other women
That ye will not wed no man

Heed ye well Sir Scheneschal
Take good care of this lady
In the little red house by Havering
Let her abide both night and day

It standeth right pleasantly
At the skirt of Waltham Chase
Let her bide in that house and garden
She shall see no man's face

But she may have Damozels
To wait on her body
And all things fitting to her estate
Such as it should be

Right little time they lost I trow
In a barget they set her
With hale and how they set sail
Upon the Thames river

Right evil cheer had the Lady Anne
The wan water was but cold
But she said as she fell a weeping
I shall have no joy till I am old

But they went up the river of Thames on
Till to Barking town came they
And they mounted on goodly steeds
And gat them quick away

To the little red house by Havering
They rode through the green wood
When the door shut after that lady
Right cold became her blood

She would not put on gay gowns
But ever she went in black
She ate nought but bitter bread and water
Though of good meats there was no lack

She would not drink the red wine
Either of Almayne or Guienne
If I drink wine I shall live twelve months
I would live but ten

She took no joy in the yellow sun
Or in the sweet white moon
She had little joy but in sleeping
She said I shall die soon

And she said to her damozels
I pray you sweet sisters
Let me sleep what time I will
And cry not in my ears

For when I sleep I dream well
Of many a fair thing
I dream of being in a fair garden
Clipping and kissing

For wete you well my good maidens
My love is a poor knight
Yet I love him right sorely
For he is strong and whyht

It was but a short while agone
Since first he kissed me
And I loved him sorely for that same
None kissed me before but he

But I said fair knight have ye got broad lands
And many a rich fee
Have ye got kists with oer gilt lock [kists, chests]
To hold the red money

He said my lands are narrow lands
I have but o poor fee
I am no jew or Lombard carle
I have but scant money

I said have ye ridden among the Scots
Have ye borne your glaive in French land
Or have ye tilted in Paynimrie
Have ye smitten Mahomed with your hand

I have not ridden among the Scots
I have stayed at home in mine own land
I have not justed in Paynimrie
Or met a frenchman hand to hand

But I doubt not for your love
I shall do many a worthy deed
I shall seek for adventures
Whereas the Lord God may lead

It may chance to you fair love
To have an adventure ere you wot
He said fair love I must away
Although my love for you is so hot

I shall come back and do some deed
All men may well speak of
He kissed me often on the mouth
And said farewell mine Owen love

He held me out at his arms length
And looked hard into my face
He said I am a little afeard
This court is a great place

There be men over strong of might
A maid is but a weak thing
I said proudly by my fay
Another song I will make them sing

Since my will is good I shall keep it
Whatso sayeth carle or Lord
For no man will I forget you
Have here this last word

He took his hands about my head
And kissed me on the eyen twain
Many a time he kissed my mouth
I trow shall never be kissed again

He rade away with a little menee
He rode into the north country
He will be wood when he cometh back
That never again he may see me.

End of fytte one-

CW, XXI, xxii-xxiv

[xxii] Like the red side of a ripe apple
     The face grew of this maid,
Then said the King, "Say out your mind
     And be ye not afraid . . . .

But I have a vow to our Lord God
     Also to S. Lucy
That I would wed no man on earth
     But if he brought me thinges three;

And first from King Philip of France
     He must take the right-hand glove,
     When I wear this on my right hand
So far shall he have my love . . . .

[xxii] Heed me well Sir Scheneschal,
     Take good care of this lady,
In the little red house of Havering
     Let her abide both night and day.

[xxiii] It standeth right pleasantly
     At the skirt of Waltham Chase;
Let her bide in the house and garden—
     She shall see no man's face.

But she may have damozels
     To wait on her body
And all things fitting to her estate
     Such as it should be.

Right little time they lost, I trow
     In a barget they se her
With hale and how they set sail
     Upon the Thames river.

Right evil cheer had the Lady Anne,
     The wan water was but cold,
She said as she fell a-weeping,
     "I shall have no pity till I am old."

But they went up the river of Thames
     Till to Barking town came they
And they mounted on goodly steeds
     And gat them quick away.

To the little red house of Havering
     They road through the green wood:
When the door shut after that lady
     Right cold became her blood. . . .

[xxiii] For wete you well my good maidens
     My love is a poor knight,
Yet I love him right sorely
     For he is strong and wyght. . . .
He will be wood when he cometh back
That never again he may see me.

Notes on FW MS. by Peter Wright

st. 1 King Edward: Edward III (1327-77)
st. 2 the king's own ward: Under feudal law the daughters and heiresses of men who held land by knight-service were in the wardship of their overlords, including the king, and were required to marry whatever man, of matching social rank, such an overlord might assign to them.
st. 5 Sir Thomas Knolles: a probably fictitious kinsman of the distinguished mercenary commander Sir Robert Knolles, who came in fact of yeoman, not knightly, stock.
sts. 8-10: These conditions laid down by the maiden for her prospective husband may be suggested by the requirement, sometimes in medieval legend imposed on those who had offended a powerful ruler, to undertake a quest, likely to be fatal to them, for some possession of a distant and dangerous potentate. Thus in the tale of Huon of Bordeau, which Morris could have known in Lord Berners's translation (pub. 1534), Huon, having unknowingly killed Charlemagne's son, is ordered, in order to obtain a pardon, to go to Babylon (perhaps Bagdad) and bring back the beard and front teeth of its 'Admiral' (Amir); cf. st. 10 on getting the soldan's crown. Cf. the sending of Jason by his usurping uncle Aeson to fetch the Golden Fleece.
sts. 8-9: King Philip/King David: Philip VI (of Valois), king of France 1328-50, and David II (son of Robert Bruce), king of Scotland 1328-71. Strictly this should date the events of the poem to the early 1340s, for King David, who reached fighting age about 1340, was in captivity in England for many years after 1346, after his capture at the battle of Nevill's Cross. But one can doubt whether Morris was here concerned with any precise chronology.
st. 9: the signet ring: the most intimate seal of a ruler, originally used for his most private letters.
st. 12 Kaiser: the Holy Roman Emperor
st. 14 Behnaine: possibly a coruption of 'Behaigne," the medieval French name for Bohemia.
st. 19 the painer dure: Those accused of crimes who refused to put themselves on the verdict of a jury were imprisoned, pressed down under heavy weights, and deprived of food and drink until they considented to plead 'guilty' or 'not guilty,' and so could be tried. Any who died under such treatment, not having een formally convicted, would not have their property confiscated. (This would not actually be done to recalcitrant heiresses.)
st. 20 Guienne wine: preseumably red wine from Bordeau
st. 22 Sir Walter Manny: Manny, who had come to England from his native hainault by 1330 in the service of Edward III's Queen Philippa, was a noted commander in Edward's wars in the 1330s and 1340s, and personally distinguihed for his knightly prowess. He led the English force which relieved the besieged Countess de Monfort in Brittany in 1341 [cmp. Alice's speech in the last scene of Morris's "Sir Peter Harpdon's End"].
st. 25 Havering: Havering at Bower, a villae in Essex, 6 or 7 miles east of Epping Forest (which Morris presumably means by Waltham Chase; it was then part of the king's hunting forest) and in the Middle Ages part of the king's demesne estates.
st. 37 whyht?: wight, strong, valiant; cf. Alice's last speech in "Sir Peter Harpdon's End," "as wight as Lancelot or Wade. . . ."
st. 39 fee: an estate held by feudal service; Jew or Lombard: The Jews in the 12th and 13th centuryies, and the Lombards (Italians) later in the Middle Ages, were the leading financiers and sources of loans to kings and nobles.
st. 49 menee: meinie, a band of followers; wood = mad.