Pauline Greenhill wrote:
>
> I'm starting to do some work on Reynardine/Rinordine/Laws P15, and just
> wondered if you all might have any inspirations or suggestions.  I'm
> looking for traditional texts OTHER than what's listed in Laws.  I'm also
> looking for any scholarly work that's been done.  My searches on
> databases and the internet haven't turned up any (!).  I've found lots of
> material on the apparently cognate folktale versions--Bluebeard,
> Fitcher's Bird, Mr. Fox, etc.; quite a bit of feminist and other
> rewriting, as well as a few analyses, but not much that's really useful.
> It's also quite evident that Reynardine was pretty popular in the
> revival....

It was probably pretty popular before that...  I can't help much - I
don't have Laws to check his text - but look for the alternate titles
"Mountains High" and "One Night Upon My Rambles", among no doubt others.
 I've heard a version under the former title - very beautiful - which I
think comes from Vermont, but I also turned up the following. [The girl
I heard sing the aforementioned version, who learned it from her mother
who was a "folksinger", wondered what the phrase "Venus' train" meant;
note that it occurs in this version...!]

In "Later English Broadside Ballads" (ed. John Holloway & Joan Black,
Routledge & Kegan Paul, London, 1975) - a selection of "black-letter"
ballads believed to be 18th or early 19th century, selected from the
Madden Collection at Cambridge University, I've found several
interesting items relating to songs currently in circulation, including
"Katie Cruel", "Curragh of Kildare", and "Renardine".  Here is the
latter, with the editor's notes.
-----------------------------------------------------

MOUNTAINS HIGH
Printed by J. Davenport, 6, George's Court
St. John's Gate, West Smithfield

One night upon my rambles from my belov'd again,
I met a farmer's daughter all on the lonesome plain
I said, my pretty fair maid, your beauty shines so clear
All on this lonesome place, I'm glad to find you here.

I said, young man be civil, my company forsake
And in my own opinion I think you are some rake,
But if my parents they should know, my life they will destroy,
For keeping of your company all on the mountains high.

It is true I am no rake brought up in Venus' train,
Or seeking for concealment all on the lonesome plain,
Your beauty so intic'd me I could not pass you by,
With my gun I will guard you all on the mountains high.

With that this pretty fair maid she stood all in amaze,
With eyes as bright as amber all on me she did gaze,
With cherry cheeks and ruby lips, she's the lass all for my eye,
She fainted in my arms, on the mountains high.

I did my best endeavour to bring her too [sic] again,
With that she kindly ask'd me I pray, sir what is your name?
Go to yonder forest, my castle there you'll find,
Wrote in some lonesome history, call you for Randal Rine.

I said, my pretty fair maid, don't let your parents know,
For if you do they'll ruin me, and prove mu overthrow;
And if that you should come for me, perhaps you will not ffind,
Go you to my castle, and call for Randall Rine.

Come all you pretty fair maids a warning take by me,
And do your best endeavour to shun bad company,
Or else, like me, you'll surely rue until the day you die,
Be warned of the lonesome roads all on the mountains high.

===
Irish, though printed in London.  "Rine" = Ryan.  For the melody see
/Journal of the English Folk-Song Society/, vol. I (1899-1904), p. 271,
under the title 'One Night upon my Rambles' (cf. the first line above).

-----------------------------------------------------

Hope this is useful.

- Donald A. Duncan