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the mythology of the Teutons, and become thoroughly localized. The hero is not merely what a modern song makes him, "a Scotchman born;" he announces himself definitely to be a son of " Randolph, Earl Murray; while "Dunbar, Earl March," is named as the father of the maiden whose daring love achieves his recovery from the world of the fairies. The locality also in which the adventure of the ballad takes place, is assigned to Carterhaugh, at the confluence of the Ettrick and the Yarrow above Selkirk. This spot, though naturally pitched upon by the collector of the Border Minstrelsy as the native home of the legend, is evidently, like Chaster's Wood, Charter Woods, and Kerton Ha', which occur in other versions, merely a local adaptation and corruption of some original common to all these names.

Tamlane of our ballad has been kidnapped by the fairies; and the manner of his spiriting away is well described, and worth quoting as a type of such adventures:

"When I was a boy just turned of nine,
My uncle sent for me,

To hunt, and hawk, and ride with him,
And keep him companie.

"There came a wind out of the north,
A sharp wind and a snell;
And a deep sleep came over me,
And frae my horse I fell.

"The Queen of Fairies keppit me,
In yon green hill to dwell;
And I'm a fairy, lythe and limb;
Fair ladye, view me well."

In this serene land Tamlane would never tire of his new friends, were it not for the dread that his fair and plump appearance may tempt them to use him as a "kane-bairn" for the purpose of paying the next instalment of their tribute to the king of hell. Fortunately, however, he has won at Carterhaugh the dearest tokens of love1 from an earthly maid, fair Janet, who undertakes, at his instruction, the bold feat of rescuing him from the elfin world.

"This night is Hallowe'en, Janet,

The morn is Hallowday;

And, gin ye dare your true-love win,
Ye hae nae time to stay.

"The night it is good Hallowe'en,
When fairy folk will ride;

And they that wad their true-love win,
At Miles Cross they maun bide."

Janet, who is brave enough to undertake the "winning" of her lover, is yet doubtful whether she will be able to recognize him "among so many unearthly knights." Tamlane, accordingly, describes the order of the fairy procession which she must watch, the place which he will occupy in it, the distinctive marks by which he may be recognized; and he warns her against what it seems impossible for mortal nerve to avoid-quailing before the appalling artifices by which the fairies will endeavour

1 There is probably a connection between this part of The Young Tamlane and the ballad of Broomfield Hill ("Border Minstrelsy," vol. iii. p. 28), as well as the fragment beginning I'll wager, I'll wager, I'll wager with you, preserved in Herd's "Scottish Songs." See "Border Minstrelsy," vol. ii. p. 334, and vol. iii. p. 28.

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to frighten her from her resolution. The emotion of eeriness could scarcely be worked up with greater power than by this collocation of the "elritch appearances which are to test the courage of fair Janet. The work of the ballad-singer here recalls the mixture of dread ingredients in the hell-broth of Macbeth's witches; or, more appropriately, the frightfully suggestive objects which Tam o' Shanter passed on his road from Ayr; or, perhaps more appropriately still, the combination of horrors ranged before his eyes in Alloway Kirk.

"The first company that passes by,

Say na, and let them gae;
The next company that passes by,
Say na, and do right sae ;
The third company that passes by,

Then I'll be ane o' thae.

"First let pass the black, Janet,

And syne let pass the brown;
But grip ye to the milk-white steed,
And pu' the rider down.

"For I ride on the milk-white steed,
And aye nearest the town;
Because I was a christened knight,
They gave me that renown.

"My right hand will be gloved, Janet,
My left hand will be bare;
And these the tokens I gie thee,
Nae doubt I will be there.

"They'll turn me in your arms, Janet,
An adder and a snake;

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But haud me fast, let me not pass,
Gin ye wad buy me maik.

'They'll turn me in your arms, Janet,
An adder and an ask;

They'll turn me in your arms, Janet,
A bale that burns fast.

"They'll turn me in your arms, Janet,
A red-hot gad o' airn;

But haud me fast, let me not pass,
For I'll do you no harm.

"First dip me in a stand o' milk,
And then in a stand o' water;
But haud me fast, let me not pass—
I'll be your bairn's father.

"And, next, they'll shape me in your arms
A tod, but and an eel;

But haud me fast, nor let me gang,
As you do love me weel.

"They'll shape me in your arms, Janet,

A dove, but and a swan ;

And last they'll shape me in your arms

A mother-naked man:

Cast your green mantle over me—
I'll be myself again."

Stories are related of others who attempted the achievement of fair Janet, but whose hearts quailed at the first sight of the unearthly procession; so that the whole fairy troop was allowed to pass, and vanish amid shouts of exultant laughter, mingled with the lamentations of

the unrecovered mortal.1 Happily, however, for Tamlane, the courage of his mistress was stout enough to conquer the elfin terrors by which it was assailed.

"Gloomy, gloomy was the night,
And eery was the way,

As fair Janet, in her green mantle,
To Miles Cross she did gae.

"Betwixt the hours of twelve and one
A north wind tore the bent;

And straight she heard strange elritch sounds
Upon that wind which went.

"About the dead hour o' the night

She heard the bridles ring;
And Janet was as glad o' that
As any earthly thing.

"Will o' the Wisp before them went,
Sent forth a twinkling light;
And soon she saw the fairy bands
All riding in her sight.

"And first gaed by the black, black steed,
And then gaed by the brown;

But fast she gript the milk-white steed,
And pu'd the rider down.

"She pu'd him frae the milk-white steed,
And loot the bridle fa';

And up there raise an erlish cry—

'He's won amang us a'!'"

1 See "Border Minstrelsy," vol. ii. p. 327. Compare No. 7 of the Notes to "Rob Roy."

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