G
‘The Heiress of Northumberland,’ from C. K. Sharpe’s first collection, p. 7.
Sir W. Scott, commenting on this copy (to which he by mistake gives the title of The Stirrup of Northumberland), says: “An edition considerably varied both from Ritson’s and the present I have heard sung by the Miss Tytlers of Woodhouselee. The tune is a very pretty lilt.” Sharpe’s Ballad Book, ed. 1880, p. 142.
At the end of the ballad we are told: Tradition’s story is that the hero of this song was one of the Earls of Douglass, who was taken captive and put in prison by Percy, Earl of Northumberland.
1
‘Why, fair maid, have pity on me,’
Waly ‘s my love wi the life that she wan
‘For I am bound in prison strong,
And under the heir o Northumberland.’
2
‘How can I have pity on thee,’
Waly’s my love, etc.
‘When thou hast a wife and children three,
All dwelling at home in fair Scotland?’
3
Now he has sworn a solemn oath,
And it was by eternity,
That wife and children he had none,
All dwelling at home in fair Scotland.
4
Now she’s gone to her father’s bedstock,
Waly’s my love, etc.
And has stolen the key of the dungeon-lock,
And she the great heir o Northumberland.
5
And she’s gone to her father’s chest,
She has stolen away a suit of the best,
Altho she was heir o Northumberland.
6
Now she’s gone to her father’s coffer,
And has taen out gold nane kens how meickle,
Altho she, etc.
7
She’s gane to her father’s stable,
And taen out a steed baith lusty and able,
For a’she was heir, etc.
8
The rade till they came to Crafurdmoor,
He bade her light down for an English whore,
Altho she, etc.
9
The rade till the came to the water o Clyde,
He bade her light down, nae farer she should ride,
‘For now I am at hame in fair Scotland.’
10
‘Yonder view my castle,’ said he;
‘There I hae a wife and children three,
All dwelling at home,’ etc.
11
‘O take me by the middle sae sma
And thro me oer your castle-wa,
For I darena gang hame to Northumberland.’
12
When she came to her father’s yett,
She durst hardly rapp thereat,
Altho she was, etc.
13
Out then spoke her stepmother sour,
She bad her pack off for an impudent whore,
‘For thou shalt not be heir o Northumberland.’
14
Out then spock her bastard brother;
‘She’ll hae nae mair grace than God has gien her,
And she shall be heir o Northumberland.’
15
Out and spoke her father sae mild,
‘She’s no the first maid a false Scot has beguild,
And she shall be,’ etc.
10. The Twa Sisters.
P. 125, 493 b, II, 498 b, III, 499 a, IV, 447 b. ‘Les roseaux qui chantent, Revue des Traditions Populaires, VII, 223 (blue flower); ‘L’os qui chante,’ discussion of the tale by M. Charles Ploix, Rev. des Trad. Pop., VIII, 129 ff.
11. The Cruel Brother.
P. 142 b, 496 a, III, 499 a, IV, 449 a. Add a ballad of Rissiäld, Canti popolari Emiliani, Maria Carmi, Archivio, XII, 185, No 7.
144 a, l. 18. ‘Le Testament de Marion.’ Another version, ‘La belo Marioun,’ Laroche, Folklore du Lauraguais, p. 247.
144 b, 2d paragraph. Add at the end: the (she) ass, Testament de l’Âne, Buchon, Noels et Chants pop. de la Franche-Comté, p. 89, No 28; and elsewhere.
147. E. For this stanza we find, whatever may be the explanation, the following in Findlay MSS, I, 146. “From Miss Butchart, Arbroath.”
There were three sisters livd in a bouer,
With a hech hey an a lillie gay
There cam a knicht to be their wooer.
An the primrose springs sae sweetly
Sing Annet, an Marrot, an fair Maisrie,
An the dew hangs in the wood, gay ladie.
12. Lord Randal.
P. 152 b, 498 b, III, 499 b. Italian. Three imperfect versions (Sardinian) in Ferraro, C. p. in dialetto logudorese, 1891, pp. 3-5.
156 a, last paragraph, northern ballad. Add: ‘Den onde svigermoder,’ Kristensen, Jyske Folkeviser, I, 332, No 122; Skattegraveren, V, 84, No 635.
157, 499, IV, 449.
‘Lairde Rowlande, or Ronalde,’ The Sporting Magazine, XXV, 209, January, 1805; communicated by Philodice, as recited by a “peasant’s girl” at Randcallas, Perthshire. (Reprinted by Mr Edward Peacock in The Athenæum, August 27, 1892, p. 288.)
1
‘Ah, where have you been, Lairde Rowlande, my son?
Ah, where have you been, Lairde Rowlande, my son?’
‘I’ve been in the wild woods; mither, mak my bed soon,
For I’m weary wi hunting and faine would lie down.’
2
‘Oh, you’ve been at your true-love’s, Lairde Rowlande, my son,’ etc.
‘I’ve been at my true-love’s; mither,’ etc.
3
‘What got you to dinner?’ etc.
‘I got eels boild in brue; mither,’ etc.
4
‘What’s become of your warden?’ etc.
‘He died in the muirlands; mither,’ etc.
5
‘What’s become of your stag-hounds?’ etc.
‘They swelled and they died; mither,’ etc.
‘Jacky, my son,’ written out by Miss F. J. Adams, a Devonshire lady, and derived by her from her Devonshire nurse, sixty or seventy years ago. (Rev. S. Baring-Gould.)
1
‘Where hast thou been to-day, Jacky, my son?
Where hast thou been to-day, my honey man?’
‘Oh, I’ve been a courting, mother, make my bed soon,
For I am sick to the heart, fain would lie down.’
2
‘Where shall I make it to?’ etc.
‘Oh, in the churchyard, mother,’ etc.
3
‘What wilt thou leave thy mother?’ etc.
‘Oh, I’ll leave her my money, mother,’ etc.
4
‘What wilt thou leave thy father?’ etc.
‘Oh, I’ll leave him my ’state, mother,’ etc.
5
‘What wilt thou leave thy sweetheart?’ etc.
‘A rope for to hang her, mother,’ etc.
‘The Croodin Doo.’ Findlay MSS, I, 192.
1
‘Whare did ye get your dinner the day,
My wee, wee croodin doo?’
(Twice.)
2
‘I got it in my step-mither’s ha,
Oh, granny, mak my bed noo.’
(Twice.)
3
‘What did ye get to your dinner the day,
My wee, wee croodin doo?’
(Twice.)
4
‘I got a wee fishie wi four wee feeties,
Oh, granny, mak my bed noo.’
(Twice.)
5
‘Did ony body eat it but yoursel,
My wee, wee croodin doo?’
(Twice.)
6
‘I gied the banes to my wee, wee dogie,
Oh, granny, mak my bed noo;
He streekit out his head an died at my feet,
O, granny, een as I do noo.’
Among C. K. Sharpe’s papers, and in his handwriting, is a piece in dialogue between Mother and Son headed, Death of Lord Rounal, a Gaelic ballad founded on a tradition of his receiving poison by treachery at the castle of his mistress’ father, and dying on his return home. This is the familiar Scottish ballad made over in English and mildly sentimental phraseology. All the Celtic in it is “dark Dungael, the chief of meikle guile,” the father.
13. Edward.
P. 167 b, 501 b, III 499 b. Swedish. ‘Sven i Rosengård’ in Thomasson, Visor från Bleking, Nyare Bidrag, etc., VII, No 6, p. 16, No 9.
168 a, second paragraph, ‘when stones float,’ etc. Compare Sir John Mandeville, as to the Dead Sea, ch. 9 (of the Cotton MS.): “And zif a man caste iren therein, it wole flete aboven, and zif men caste a fedre therein, it wol synke to the botme.”
14. Babylon, or, The Bonnie Banks o Fordie.
P. 170, II, 499 a, III, 500. Add to the French ballad, ‘C’est trois garçons dépaysés,’ Pineau, Le Folk-Lore du Poitou, p. 281; ‘Les Coumpagnons,’ Laroche, Folklore du Lauraguais, p. 245.
171 a. Danish. Add: Hr. Tures Døtre, Kristensen, Folkeminder, XI, 145, No 56.
15. Leesome Brand.
P. 178 b. Danish. Add: ‘Barnefødsel i Lunden,’ Kristensen, Folkeminder, XI, 102, No 45, A-I, 9 copies.
181 b, II, 499 a. French, B. Add: ‘La-bas, sus ces grands champs,’ Pineau, Le Folk-Lore du Poitou, p. 315.
16. Sheath and Knife.
P. 185, III, 500. In C. K. Sharpe’s papers there is the following version, in Motherwell’s handwriting, sent by him to Sharpe with a letter dated Paisley, 8th October, 1825.