g a drowned corpse by
the means of candles. The lady still denies her guilt, and accuses her
maid 'Catheren,' but the bonfire refuses to consume the innocent
Catheren. When the real culprit is put in, she burns like hoky-gren.

The discovery of a drowned body by candles is a recognised piece of
folklore. Usually the candle is stuck in a loaf of bread or on a cork,
and set afloat in the river; sometimes a hole is cut in a loaf of bread
and mercury poured in to weight it; even a chip of wood is used. The
superstition still survives. The most rational explanation offered is
that as eddies in rapid streams form deep pools, in which a body might
easily be caught, so a floating substance indicates the place by being
caught in the centre of the eddy.

The failure of the fire to burn an innocent maid is also, of course,
a well-known incident.

YOUNG HUNTING

1.
'O Lady, rock never your young son young
One hour longer for me,
For I have a sweetheart in Garlick's Wells
I love thrice better than thee.

2.
'The very sols of my love's feet
Is whiter then thy face:'
'But nevertheless na, Young Hunting,
Ye'l stay wi' me all night.'

3.
She has birl'd in him Young Hunting
The good ale and the beer,
Till he was as fou drunken
As any wild-wood steer.

4.
She has birl'd in him Young Hunting
The good ale and the wine,
Till he was as fou drunken
As any wild-wood swine.

5.
Up she has tain him Young Hunting,
And she has had him to her bed,
... ... ...
... ... ...

6.
And she has minded her on a little penknife,
That hangs low down by her gare,
And she has gin him Young Hunting
A deep wound and a sare.

7.
Out an' spake the bonny bird,
That flew abon her head:
'Lady, keep well thy green clothing
Fra that good lord's blood.'

8.
'O better I'll keep my green clothing
Fra that good lord's blood,
Nor thou can keep thy flattering toung,
That flatters in thy head.

9.
'Light down, light down, my bonny bird,
Light down upon my hand,
And ye sail hae a cage o' the gowd
Where ye hae but the wand.

10.
'O siller, O siller shall be thy hire,
An' goud shall be thy fee,
An' every month into the year
Thy cage shall changed be.'

11.
'I winna light down, I shanna light down,
I winna light on thy hand;
For soon, soon wad ye do to me
As ye done to Youn