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СКАЧАТЬ one born last night, and six long before;

      Four sons and three daughters I now have alive,

      Which are all in good health and likely to thrive.

      The Knight then replied if that seven you have,

      Let me have the youngest, I’ll keep her most brave,

      For you very well with one daughter can spare,

      Which if you will grant, I will make her my heir.

      For I am a Knight of noble degree,

      And if you will part with your child unto me,

      Full three hundred pounds unto you I will give,

      When I from your hand your daughter receive.

      The father and mother with tears in their eyes,

      Did hear this fine proffer, and were in surprise,

      And seeing the Knight was so gallant and gay,

      Presented the infant unto him that day.

      But they spoke to him with words most mild,

      We beseech you, kind sir, be good to our child;

      You need not fear it, the Knight he did say,

      For I will maintain her most gallant and gay.

      Then with this sweet baby away he did ride

      Until that he came to a broad river side,

      With cruelty bent, he resolved indeed,

      To drown the young infant that moment with speed.

      Says he if you live you must needs be my wife,

      But I am resolved to bereave you of live:

      For ’till you are dead I no other can have,

      Therefore you shall lie in a watery grave.

      In speaking these words, that moment, they say,

      He flung the sweet babe in the river straightway;

      And being well pleased when this he had done,

      Did leap on his horse and quickly ride home.

      But mind how good fortune did for her provide,

      For the child was drove safe on her back by the tide,

      There was a man fishing, as fortune would have,

      Who saw the child floating upon the salt wave.

      He soon took her up, but he was in amaze,

      He kissed her, and blessed her, and on her did gaze,

      And seeing he ne’er had a child in his life,

      He presently carried her home to his wife.

      His wife she was pleased the child for to see,

      And said, my dear husband, be ruled by me;

      Since we have no child, if you let me alone,

      We’ll keep this sweet baby, and call it our own.

      The good man consented, as I have been told,

      And spared nothing—neither silver nor gold;

      Until she was aged eleven full years,

      And then her sweet beauty began to appear.

      PART II.

      The fisherman was one time at an inn,

      And several gentlemen drinking with him,

      The wife sent this girl to call her man home.

      But when she did into the drinking room come,

      The gentlemen all were amazed to see

      The fisherman’s daugter so full of beauty,

      They presently ask’d him if she was his own,

      So he told the whole story before he went home:

      As I was a fishing within my own bound,

      One Monday morn this sweet baby I found;

      ’Tis a eleven years past since her life I did save,

      Or she would have found then a watery grave.

      The cruel Knight was in this company,

      And hearing the fisherman telling his story,

      Was vexed at his heart for to see her alive,

      And how to destroy her again did contrive;

      Then spoke to the good man, and to him he said,

      If that you will part with this pretty young maid,

      I’ll give you whatever your heart can devise,

      For she, in good time, to great riches will rise.

      The fisherman answered with modest grace,

      I cannot unless my dear wife is in place;

      Get first her consent—you shall have her for me,

      And then to go with you, dear sir, she is free.

      He got his wife’s leave, and the girl with him went,

      But little they thought of his cruel intent:

      He kept her a month, very bravely, they say,

      And then he contrived to make her away.

      For he had a brother in fair Lancashire,

      A noble rich man, worth two thousand a year;

      He sent this young girl unto him with speed,

      In hopes he would act a most barbarous deed.

      He sent a man with her, likewise they did say,

      But as they did lodge at an inn by the way,

      A thief in the house with an evil intent,

      To rob the portmanteau immediately went.

      But the thief СКАЧАТЬ