The Project Gutenberg eBook, Signelil, by Anonymous, Edited by Thomas J.
Wise, Translated by George Borrow

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Title: Signelil
a Tale from the Cornish, and Other Ballads

Author: Anonymous

Editor: Thomas J. Wise

Release Date: May 14, 2009 [eBook #28816]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)

***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SIGNELIL***

Transcribed from the 1913 Thomas J. Wise pamphlet by David Price, email
ccx074@pglaf.org

SIGNELIL
A TALE FROM THE CORNISH
AND OTHER BALLADS

BY
GEORGE BORROW

LONDON:
PRINTED FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION
1913

_Copyright in the United States of America_
_by Houghton_, _Mifflin & Co. for Clement Shorter_.

SIGNELIL

The Lady her handmaid to questioning took:
"Why dost thou so sickly and colourless look?"
_But sorrow gnaws so sorely_!

"'Tis little wonder if sickly I'm growing,
_Malfred my lady_!
So much am I busied with cutting and sewing."

"Erewhile was thy cheek as the blooming rose red,
But now thou art pale, even pale as the dead."

"To conceal the truth longer 'tis vain to essay,
My gallant young master has led me astray."

"And if the young noble has led thee astray,
Say, what gave he thee for thy virtue in pay?"

"He gave to me shoes were gold spangled all o'er,
And them have I worn with affliction so sore.

"He gave to me also of silk a soft shift,
And with sorrow most painful I've worn the fair gift.

"He gave me, Christ sain him! a gold ring so fine,
Whose match I can see on no finger of thine."

"But what will avail thee his presents of price,
If he thee will not wed before God and men's eyes?"

"O, he to espouse me so often has vowed,
And rich presents beside upon me has bestowed."

"What will his vows help thee in secrecy spoke?
To many a maid them he has made and has broke."

"O, I on the gold harp will play me a tune,
And the knight to his presence