THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION. Wi 
to Percy’s version. Sir Patrick is commended to the King as “the 
best sailor that ever sailed the sea,” and is sent by the King : 
*“To Noroway, to Noroway, 
To Noroway o’er the faem, 
The King’s daughter of Noroway, 
Tis thou maun bring her hame.” 
They reached Norway safely, but when about to return, one of 
the seamen warned Sir Patrick that he feared a deadly storm, for : 
‘“T saw the new moon late yestreen 
Wi’ the auld moon in her arm ; 
And if we gang to sea master, 
I fear we’ll come to harm.” 
They hadna sailed a league, a league, 
A league, but barely three, 
When the lift grew dark, and the wind blew loud 
And gurly grew the sea. 
The ankers brak, and the topmast lap, 
It was sic a deadly storm ; 
And the waves came o’er the broken ship 
Till a’ her sides were torn.” 
Sir Patrick Spens went up the rigging to spy for land, but : 
‘‘ He hadna gane a step, a step, 
A step, but barely ane. 
When a boult flew out of our goodly ship 
And the salt sea it came in.” 
The efforts to save the ship were unavailing. 
‘“« And lang, lang may the maidens sit, 
Wi their gowd kaims in their hair, 
A? waiting for their ain dear loves— 
For them they’ll see na mair.” 
The ballad poetry of Ireland deserves special consideration. 
Due attention to the ballads of John Banim, Gerald Griffin, and 
Thomas Davis, would alone exceed the limits of this paper, and to 
curtail them would reprehensibly mar them. I however, quote a 
short ballad from Lover and one from Moore. ‘That from Lover is 
founded on the old superstition | that when a beautiful child dies it is 
stolen by the fairies : 
‘“A mother came when the stars were paling, 
Wailing round a lonely spring ; 
Thus she cried while tears were falling, 
Calling on the Fairy King : 
‘Why with spells my child caressing, 
Courting him with fairy joy ; 
Why destroy a mother’s blessing, 
Wherefore steal my baby boy ? 
