Hi,

In his headnotes of Lady Isabel, Child's assertion in his first footnote ['The Elfin Knight' begins very much like A, but perhaps has borrowed its opening stanzas from this ballad] seems backwards to me. Buchan's text (Child A) is called "unreliable" by Ebsworth and considering Buchan's version is 150 later, it's likely that Child 4A is a recreation from 2A, the 1670 broadside.

Child 4A has no corroboration nor do the first two stanzas of 4B, also from Buchan. Child 4C published by Herd in 1776 may have been taken from an earlier print of Child 4D.

The ballad story of 4C and 4D seem to be the authentic story. This is not to say the Fause Sir John doesn't have a magical power over the maid to get her to ride away with him-- that power is a magic charm: "a charm frae aft his arm" which he attaches to her sleeve.

The Carpenter Collection's "May Colvin" sung by James Mason seems to be a version of Child C.

Richie