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• History of the Conquest of England By the Normans.
• Book VIII.: From the Battle of the Standard to the Insurrection of the Poitevins and Bretons Against Henry II. 1137—1189.
• Book IX.: From the Origin of the Quarrel Between King Henry II. And Archbishop Thomas Beket, to the Murder of the Archbishop. 1160—1171.
• Book X.: From the Invasion of Ireland By the Normans Established In England to the Death of Henry II. 1171—1189.
• Book XI.: From the Accession of King Richard I. To the Execution of the Saxon, William Longbeard. 1190—1196.
• Conclusion.
• I.: The Continental Normans and Bretons; the Angevins and the Populations of Southern Gaul.
• II.: The Inhabitants of Wales.
• III.: The Scots.
• IV.: The Native Irish and the Anglo-norman Irish.
• V.: The Anglo-normans and the English By Race.
• Magna Charta.
• Charta Forestæ. Made At Westminster, 10 Th Feb., Anno 9 Hen. III. Ad 1225, and Confirmed Anno 28 Edw. I. Ad 1299.
• Appendix.
• No. I.: Cruelties Exercised By the Norman-lords In Their Castles. 1
• No. II. (page 51.): War Song of the Troubadour Bertrand De Born, Seigneur De Hautefort. 1
• No. III. (page 139.): History of the Marriage of Gilbert Beket, Father of Archbishop Thomas; Fragment of a Life of the Archbishop, By a Contemporary. 3
• No. IV. (page 139.): Old Ballad On the Captivity and Marriage of Gilbert Beket. 1
• No. V. (page 139.): Particulars of the Worldly Life of Thomas Becket, Before His Elevation to the Bishopric, From William Fitzstephen, His Secretary. 1
• No. VI. (page 139.): Letter of John of Salisbury to Becket, Respecting the Views of the King of France, the Earl of Flanders, and the Court of Rome, Concerning Him.
• No. VII. (page 139.): Letter Relative to the Intrigues of Henry II. At the Court of Rome, and the Mission of Two Legates Into France. 1 ( Ad 1169.)
• No. VIII. (page 139.): Letter Op Thomas Beket to Cardinal Albert, On the Conduct of the Court of Rome Towards Him. 1 ( Ad 1170.)
• No. IX. (page 139.): Letter From Thomas Beket’s Companions In Exile to Cardinal Albert, On the Injustice of the Court of Rome, and the Conduct of the Cardinals Towards Them. 1 ( Ad 1170.)
• No. X. (page 139.): Letter of John of Salisbury On the Landing of Thomas Beket, and His Reception In England. 1 ( Ad 1170.)
• No. XI. (page 139.): Extract From a Letter of John of Salisbury, Relative to the Murder of Thomas Beket. 1 ( Ad 1171.)
• No. XII. (page 139.): Narrative of the Murder of Thomas Beket, By Edward Grim, Who Was Wounded While Endeavouring to Defend Him. 1
• No. XIII. (page 139.): Letter From King Louis VII. To Pope Alexander III., Demanding Vengeance Against the Murderers of Thomas Beket. 1 ( Ad 1171.)
• No. XIV. (page 139.): Letter From Thibault, Earl of Blois, to Pope Alexander III., On the Murder of Thomas Beket. 2 ( Ad 1171.)
• No. XV. (page 139.): Letter In Which the Bishop of Lisieux, On the Part of All the Prelates of Normandy, Relates to the Pope the Conduct of Henry II. After the Murder of Thomas Beket. 1 ( Ad 1171.)
• No. XVI. (page 139.): Letter From Henry II. To the Pope, On the Subject of the Murder of Thomas Beket. 1 ( Ad 1171.)
• No. XVII. (page 139.): Letter From Henry II. To the Pope, On the Subject of the Rebellion of His Sons. 1 ( Ad 1173.)
• No. XVIII. (page 167.): Political Poems of Bertrand De Born, Preceded By the Historical Notices Given In the Manuscripts At the Head of Each of the Productions of This Troubadour.
• No. XIX. (page 220.): Sirvente of Richard Cœur-de-lion On His Captivity. 1
• No. XX. (page 223.): The King’s Disguise, and Friendship With Robin Hood. 2
• No. XXI. (page 224.): The Birth of Robin Hood. 1
• No. XXII. (page 237.): Sirvente of Bertrand De Born to Induce the Kings of France and England to Go to War. 1
• No. XXIII. (page 237.): Another Sirvente of Bertrand De Born, to the Same Purpose. 1
• No. XXIV. (page 240.): Sirvente of the Dauphin of Auvergne On His Quarrel With the King of England. 1
• No. XXV. (page 280.): Treaty of Alliance Between Lewellyn Ap-griffith, King of North Wales, With the King of France, Philip-le-hardi. 1
• No. XXVI. (page 282.): List of the Company of Yvain of Wales. 1
• No. XXVII. (page 282.): List of the Company of John Wynn. 1
• No. XXVIII. (page 282.): Receipt Given By Robin-ap-llwydin, and List of His Company. 1
• No. XXIX. (page 282.): List of the Company of Edward-ap-owen. 1
• No. XXX. (page 282.): List of the Company of Owen-ap Griffith, and Receipt Given Him. 1
• No. XXXI. (page 283.): Agreement of Yvain De Galles With King Charles V. For a Sum of 300,000 Francs D’or, and Alliance Made Between Them and Their Subjects. 2
• No. XXXII. (page 287.): Letter From Owen Glendowr, Prince of Wales, to the King of France, Charles VI. 1
• No. XXXIII. (page 303.): The Souters of Selkirk At the Battle of Flodden Field, a Scottish Ballad of the Sixteenth Century.
• No. XXXIV. (page 316.): The Battle of Bothwell Bridge—a Scottish

No. IV. (page 139.)

Old Ballad on the Captivity and Marriage of Gilbert Beket.1

• • In London was young Beichan born,
  • He longed strange countries for to see;
  • But he was taen by a savage moor,
  • Who handled him right cruellie;
• • For he viewed the fashions of that land,
  • Their way of worship viewed he;
  • But to Mahound, or Termagant,
  • Would Beichan never bend a knee.
• • So, in every shoulder they’ve putten a bore;
  • In every bore they’ve putten a tree;
  • And they have made him trail the wine
  • And spices on his fair bodie.
• • They’ve casten him in a dungeon deep,
  • Where he could neither hear nor see
  • For seven years they kept him there,
  • Till he for hunger’s like to die.
• • This Moor he had but as daughter,
  • Her name was called Susie Pye;
  • And every day as she took the air,
  • Near Beichan’s prison she passed by.
• • And bonny, meek, and mild was she,
  • Though she was come of an ill kin;
  • And oft she sigh’d, she knew not why,
  • For him that lay the dungeon in.
• • O so it fell, upon a day
  • She heard voung Beichan sadly sing;
  • And ay and ever in her ears
  • The tones of hopeless sorrow ring.
• • “My hounds they all go masterless;
  • My hawks they fiee from tree to tree;
  • My younger brother will heir my land;
  • Fair England again I’ll never see!”
• • The doleful sound, from under ground,
  • Died slowly on her listening ear;
  • But let her listen ever so long,
  • The never a word more could she hear.
• • And all night long no rest she got,
  • Young Beichan’s song for thinking on;
  • She’s stown the keys from her father’s head,
  • And to the prison strong is gone.
• • And she has open’d the prison doors,
  • I wot she open’d two or three,
  • Ere she could come young Beichan at,
  • He was locked up so curiouslie.
• • But when she came young Beichan before,
  • Sore wonder’d he that may to see;
  • He took her for some fair captive:
  • “Fair lady, I pray, of what countrie?”
• • “O, have ye any lands,” she said,
  • “Or castles in your own countrie,
  • That ye could give to a lady fair,
  • From prison strong to set you free.
• • —“Near London town I have a hall,
  • With other castles two or three;
  • I’ll give them all to the lady fair:
  • That out of prison will set me free.”
• • “Give me the truth of your right hand,
  • The truth of it give unto me,
  • That for seven years ye’ll no lady wed,
  • Unless it be along with me.”
• • —“I’ll give thee the truth of my right hand,
  • The truth of it I’ll freely gie,
  • That for seven years I’ll stay unwed,
  • For the kindness thou dost show to me.”
• • And she has brib’d the proud warder
  • Wi’ mickle gold and white monie;
  • She’s gotten the keys of the prison strong,
  • And she has set young Beichan free.
• • She’s gi’en him to eat the good spicecake,
  • She’s gi’en him to drink the blood redwine;
  • She’s bidden him sometimes think on her,
  • That sae kindly freed him out of pine.
• • She’s broken a ring from her finger,
  • And to Beichan half of it gave she:
  • “Keep it, to mind you of that love
  • The lady bore that set you free.
• • “And set your foot on good ship-board,
  • And haste ye back to your own countrie,
  • And before that seven years have an end,
  • Come back again, love, and marry me.”
• • But long ere seven years had an end,
  • She long’d full sore her love to see;
  • For ever a voice within her breast
  • Said, “Beichan has broke his vow to thee.”
  • So she’s set her foot on good ship-board,
  • And turn’d her back on her own countrie.
• • She sailed east, she sailed west,
  • Till to fair England’s shore she came
  • Where a bonny shepherd she espied,
  • Feeding his sheep upon the plain,
• • “What news, what news, thou bonny shepherd?
  • What news hast thou to tell to me?”
  • —“Such news I hear ladie,” he says,
  • “The like was never in this countrie;
• • “There is a wedding in yonder hall
  • Has lasted these thirty days and three,
  • Young Beichan will not bed with his bride
  • For love of one that’s yond the sea.”
• • She’s put her hand in her pocket,
  • Gi’en him the gold an’ white monie:
  • “Hae, take ye that, my bonny boy,
  • For the good news thou tell’st to me.”
• • When she came to young Beichan’s gate,
  • She tirled softly, at the pin;
  • So ready was the proud porter
  • To open and let this lady in.
• • “Is this young Beichan’s hall,” she said,
  • “Or is that noble lord within?”
  • “Yea, he’s in the hall among them all,
  • And this is the day o’ his weddin.”
• • —“And has he wed anither love?
  • And has he clean forgotten me?”
  • And, sighin’, said that gay ladie,
  • “I wish I were in my own countrie.”
• • And she has taen her gay gold ring,
  • That with her love she brake so free;
  • Says, “Gie him that, ye proud porter,
  • And bid the bridegroom speak to me.”
• • When the porter came his lord before,
  • He kneeled down low on his knee.
  • “What aileth thee, my proud porter,
  • Thou art so full of courtesie?”1
• • —“I’ve been porter at your gates,
  • It’s thirty long years now and three;
  • But there stands a lady at them now,
  • The like o’ her did I never see;
• • “For on every finger she has a ring,
  • And on her mid finger she has three;
  • And as meickle gold aboon her brow
  • As would buy an earldom to me.”
• • It’s out then spok the bride’s mother,
  • Aye and an angry woman was shee;
  • “Ye might have excepted our bonny bride;
  • And twa or three of our companie.”
• • —“O hold your tongue, thou brid’s mother,
  • Of all your folly let me be;
  • She’s ten times fairer nor the bride,
  • And all that’s in your companie.
• • “She begs one sheave of your white bread,
  • But and a cup of your red wine;
  • And to remember the lady’s love,
  • That last reliev’d you out of pine.”
• • —“O well-a day!” said Beichan then,
  • “That I so soon have married thee!
  • For it can be none but Susie Pye,
  • That sailed the sea for love of me.”
• • And quickly hied he down the stari;
  • Of fifteen steps he made but three;
  • He’s ta’en his bonny love in arms,
  • And kist, and kist her tenderlie.
• • —“O hae ye ta’en anither bride?
  • And hae ye quite forgotten me?
  • And hae ye quite forgotten her,
  • That gave you life and libertie?”
• • She looked o’er her left shoulder,
  • To hide the tears stood in her e’e:
  • “Now fare thee well, young Beichan,” she says,
  • “I’ll try to think no more on thee.”
• • —“O never, never, Susie Pye,
  • For surely this can never be;
  • Nor ever shall I wed but her
  • That’s done and dree’d so much for me.”
• • Then out and spake the forenoon bride:
  • “My lord, your love it changeth soon;
  • This morning I was made your bride,
  • And another chose ere it be noon.”
• • —“O hold thy tongue, thou forenoon bride;
  • Ye’re ne’er a whit the worse for me;
  • And whan ye return to your own countrie,
  • A double dower I’ll send with thee.”
• • He’s taen Susie Pye by the white hand.
  • And gently led her up and down,
  • And ay as he kist her red rosy lips,
  • “Ye’re welcome, jewel, to your own.”
• • He’s taen her by the milk white hand,
  • And led her to yon fountain stane;
  • He’s changed her name from Susie Pye,
  • And he’s call’d her his bonny love, lady Jane.

[1 ] Jamieson’s Popular Ballads and Songs, ii. 447.