Little Engel a ballad with a series of epigrams from the Persian

Excerpt

LITTLE ENGEL.

It was the little Engel, he
   So handsome was and gay;
To Upland rode he on a tide
   And bore a maid away.

In ill hour he to Upland rode
   And made a maid his prize;
The first night they together lay
   Was down by Vesteryse.

It was the little Engel he
   Awoke at black midnight,
And straight begins his dream to state
   In terror and affright.

“Methought the wolf-whelp and his dam,
   The laidly she-wolf gray,
Tore out my heart, and twixt their teeth
   Did hold it as I lay.”

“That thou dream’st little Engel thus
   Can cause slight wonderment,
When me thou’st ta’en by might and main
   Nor asked my friends’ consent.”

In came Solwey Johnsen then
   And stood before the table;
He was I ween, a clever lad,
   And well to speak was able.

“Hear thou, my lord, Little Engel,
   Rise up and straight begone;
For here Sir Godey Loumand comes
   By four ways to the town.”

“I fear not four, Solwey Johnsen,
   Nor five fear I, nor ten!
I fear not Godey Sir Loumand, though
   He come with thirty men.”

“O there are more than four, Sir,
   Or five, Sir, or than ten;
Here cometh Godey Sir Loumand with
   A hundred armed men.”

It was the little Engel, he
   Took Malfred in his arm:
“Now, dearest heart, some counsel give
   May free us from this harm.”

It was the little Engel, her
   Upon the white cheek kiss’d:
“Now do thou hear, my bosom’s dear,
   With counsel us assist.”

“The best advice that I can give
   I’ll give thee in this case;
To Mary’s Church we will retire,
   They’ll ne’er destroy that place.

“We’ll gold and silver take, and on
   The scale we’ll pile them high;
To-morrow from the Churchmen we
   The holy place will buy.

“Around you call your merry men all
   To whom you’ve given bread;
For refuge we to the Kirk will flee
   Since we are thus bestead.

“Do you take all your merry men who
   Your coursers’ backs have prest;
We’ll hie us to our Lady’s church,
   And set our hearts at rest.

“That’s the best counsel, love, I know,
   A simple woman I;
In Mary’s house we’ll lock ourselves,
   And there our foes defy.”

It was the little Engel,
   Into the church he went:
Sir Loumand to beleaguer him
   A hundred men has sent.

Before the kirk his men they lay
   Till full five months were past;
It was Godey Sir Loumand
   So wrathful grew at last.

Then spake the mother of little Malfred,
   With hate ’gainst her was fill’d:
“The Kirk of Maria burn with fire,
   And it with gold rebuild.”

The fire began to burn, to burn,
   The sparkles in they flew;
At that adread was little Malfred,
   And ashy pale she grew.

It was so hot in the Kirk yard when
   Abroad the blazes sped;
But in the Kirk still hotter when
   In poured the melted lead.

It was the little Malfred,
   So frantic was her mood:
“O let us quick the horses stick,
   And cool us with their blood.”

Then little Engel answer made,
   As on the floor he stood:
“But coolness small shall we derive
   From our good coursers’ blood.”

Answered the groom who loved the steeds
   As dearly as his breath:
“Ye’d better little Malfred stick,
   She well deserveth death.”

It was the little Engel,
   His arms round Malfred twin’d:
“No death hast thou deserved from us,
   And none from us shalt find....