Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 9, 1898.djvu/299

"An interesting article from the pen of Rambler in the Sheffield Telegraph of Tuesday says : A little book issued by Messrs. Keyworth and Sons, Swanpool Court, Lincoln, contains the ballad which is entitled 'The Ballad of the Wind, the Devil, and Lincoln Minster.' It is there given as a Lincolnshire legend. . . . The story of the ballad is that Remi, the Norman, began to build Lincoln Cathedral about 1074, and the church was ready for consecration in 1092. May 9th was fixed for the dedication of the cathedral, but three days before the appointed time Remi, the Norman, whose proper name was Remigies, died. It seems that the devil was wrathful at the building of this fane, and had a battle-royal with the bishop. He was getting fairly well on in the fight when we read —

The bishop he pray'd, the Virgin sent aid,

The wind came on,

Full lusty and strong,

And hustled the devil from pillar to post.

"The ballad goes on to tell that his Satanic majesty was so roughly treated that he was glad to slip inside the church for shelter —

Where he has been ever since, nor dare he come out,

For well doth he know.

The wind, his foe,

Still awaits his return at the corner sou'-west.

"The ballad further tells us that the devil within the minster made the bishop give up the ghost, and they laid him in a marble tomb, but that the devil —

Though turned to stone, still looks over

Lincoln town.

According to the rhyme —

The bishop, we know, died long ago,

The wind still waits, nor will he go

Till he has a chance of beating his foe ;

But the devil hopp'd up without a limp,

And at once took shape as the Lincoln Imp ;

And there he sits a'top of the column,

And grins at the people who gaze so solemn ;

Moreover, he mocks at the wind below,

And says, 'You may wait till doomsday, O !