Yet in general the heads of families were not so accommodating regarding the young female members of their household. We learn of a class of "watchers" or spies (_Merker_) whose mission it was to watch over the honor of the maidens. A whole crop of poetry, the so-called watch songs, sprang up, dealing with the subject. The business of the clandestine lover is to escape from the snares and the watchfulness of those spies.
The following example of a watch song, of a high literary and poetic value, is typical:
"I heard before the dawn of day The watchman loud proclaim: 'If any knightly lover stay In secret with his dame, Take heed, the sun will soon appear; Then fly, ye knights, your ladies dear, Fly ere the daylight dawn.
"'Brightly gleams the firmament, In silvery splendor gay; Rejoicing that the night is spent, The lark salutes the day; Then fly, ye lovers, and be gone! Take leave before the night is done, And jealous eyes appear.'
"That watchman's call did wound my heart, And banish my delight; Alas, the envious sun will part Our loves, my lady bright On me she looked with downcast eyes, Despairing at my mournful cry, 'We tarry here too long.'
"Straight to the wicket did she speed; 'Good watchman, spare thy joke! Warn not my love, till o'er the mead The morning sun has broke: Too short, alas! the time, since here I tarried with my leman dear, In love and converse sweet.'
"'Lady, be warn'd! on roof and mead The dew drops glitter gay; Then quickly bid thy leman speed, Nor linger till the day; For by the twilight did I mark Wolves hying to their covert dark, And stags to covert fly.'
"Now by the rising sun I view'd In tears my lady's face; She gave me many a token good, And many a soft embrace. Our parting bitterly we mourn'd; The hearts which erst with rapture burn'd, Were cold with woe and care.
"A ring with glittering ruby red, Gave me that lady sheen, And with me from the castle sped Along the meadow green: And whilst I saw my leman bright, She waved on high her kerchief white: 'Courage! to arms!' she cried.
"In the raging fight each pennon white Reminds me of her love; In the field of blood, with mournful mood, I see her kerchief move; Through foes I hew, whene'er I view Her ruby ring, and blithely sing, 'Lady, I fight for thee.'"