i78 ROMANCE BALLADS

other than simple ballads, we have still to take note of French in-
fluences, and even of those of literary convention. The convention
of * amour courtois' is found in The gentle Lady and boorish Shep-
herd (145) and the Infantina (151). In the former one critic has
thought to see the beginning of Elveskud, but for this there seems
little justification. There is no evidence that we have to do with
elves, and the strongest evidence that we have an inverted 'pastour-
elle'. The boor does not recognize his luck when he sees it. An
amusing parallel to the Spanish ballad is the English doggerel
ditty :

There was a lady loved a swine,
'Honey/ quoth she.

Tig-hog, wilt thou be mine?'
'Humph!' quoth he.

'I will build thee a silver sty,

honey/ quoth she,
'and in it shalt thou lie . . .J

'Humph!1 quoth he.

'. . . pinned with a silver pin,

honey/ quoth she,
'that thou mayest go out and in/

'Humph!' quoth he.

'Wilt thou now have me,

honey?' quoth she.
'Humph, humph, humph!' quoth he,

and away went he.

It is also the theme of Henryson's Robin and Makine, which has a
conclusion more in keeping with the second ballad. This is con-
cerned with the tardy gallant who makes his proposals too late,
and is mocked by the lady, as in the French Occasion Manquee.

The 'maumarieV motif appears in Blancanina and Albanina
(136), but it is treated with intense emotion. The Spanish ballad-
poet does not think adultery amusing; persistent cruelty explains it,
without justifying it. Consequently, there is no immunity granted
to the lady in this ballad; but after some swift questions and
answers her guilt is evident and she herself asks her husband to
kill her. Allied in theme and treatment is the ballad of Bernal
Frances (xii, p. 502). It occurs also in Piedmont (Nigra 30). The
identification with Bernard of Septimania, executed by Charles
the Bald in 844 on suspicion of intercourse with Queen Judith,