Hi,

Need some help identifying the location (Arcadia, where is it?) and writer. Anyone?

This version is from Macmillan's Magazine, Volume 75, London and New York, 1897 quoted in an article "A Winter's Walk." The informant, old Mr. Francis was from Arcadia (Arcady).

"We will end our recollections of Francis for the present with one of his songs; the Bold Dragon he called it, but the dragon proved to be only a dragoon of King George's after all."

A soldier, a soldier, a valiant man was he,
He courted a lady of very high degree;
Her fortune was so large, it never could be told,
And she loved the soldier because he was so bold.

"My father is a knight, a knight of high renown,
If I should wed a soldier, 'twould bring
his honour down, For your birth and mine, love, it never would agree,
So take it for a warning, bold soldier," said she.

"No warning, no warning, no warning will I take,
I'll either wed or die for my true lover's sake."
The hearing of this news, it made her heart to bleed,
And straightways to the church, and were married with speed.

And when they were married and coming home again
She spied her father coming with seven armed men.
She said, "My dearest dear, both of us shall be slain."
"Fear none of them at all," said the valiant dragon.

"Ride on, ride on, my dear, we ha' no time to prattle;
You see they all are armed, and fixed for the battle!"
Then he drawed his broadsword, which made their bones to rattle,
And the lady held the horse while the dragon fought the battle.

"Oh hold thy hand, dear dragon, dear dragon, hold thy hand,
And thou shalt have my daughter and ten thousand pound in land!"
"Fight on," says the lady, "the portion is too small!"
"Oh hold thy hand, dear dragon, thou shalt be heir of all!"

And here we must leave old Francis, a pathetic figure, surely, sitting by his cinder fire and repeating his ballads of youth and happiness.

* * * *

Richie