Margaret, daughter of King Alexander III of Scotland, was married in 1281 to Eric, King of Norway. She was escorted to her husband in August of that year by a goodly number of knights and nobles. Many of these were drowned on the voyage homeward, as Sir Patrick Spens is in the ballad. THE king sits in Dunfermline town, O up and spake an eldern 2 knight, "Sir Patrick Spens is the best sailor That ever sailed the sea." Our king has written a broad letter,1 "To Noroway, to Noroway, The first word that Sir Patrick read, The next word that Sir Patrick read, "O who is this has done this deed, And told the king o' me, To send us out at this time of the To sail upon the sea? 3 year "Be it wind, be it weet, be it hail, be it sleet, Our ship must sail the foam; The king's daughter of Noroway, 'Tis we must fetch her home." They hoysed their sails on Monenday morn 1 broad letter, letter of commission. 2 e'e, eye. 8 weet, wet. They had not been a week, a week, In Noroway, but twae,1 When that the lords of Noroway Began aloud to say, "Ye Scottishmen spend all our king's goud,2 "For I brought as much white monie 5 As gane my men and me, And I brought a half-fou o' good red goud "Make ready, make ready, my merry men all! Our good ship sails the morn." "Now, ever alack! my master dear, I fear a deadly storm! "I saw the new moon, late yestreen,8 With the old moon in her arm; And if we go to sea, master, I fear we'll come to harm." They had not sailed a league, a league, When the lift grew dark, and the wind blew loud, And gurly 10 1 twae, two. 2 goud, gold. 8 queenis, queen's. * fee, property. ɓ white monie, silver money. The anchors broke, and the topmasts lap,1 And the waves came o'er the broken ship, And they wapped them round that good ship's side, But still the sea came in. O loth, loth were our good Scots lords To wet their cork-heeled shoon; But long ere all the play was played, And many was the feather-bed And many was the good lord's son The ladies wrang their fingers white, All for the sake of their true loves, O long, long may the ladies sit, O long, long may the maidens sit, O forty miles off Aberdeen 'Tis fifty fathoms deep, And there lies good Sir Patrick Spens 1 aboon, above. 2 nae mair, no more. 8 kames, combs. Tact is the life of the five senses. It is the open eye, the quick ear, the judging taste, the keen smell, and the lively touch. Talent is power, tact is skill; talent is weight, tact is momentum; talent knows what to do, tact how to do it. |