William and Margaret- Forbes (NS) 1919 Mackenzie
[From Quest of the Ballad, pp. 124-126; 1919 Mackenzie; also Ballads and sea Songs from Nova Scotia; 1928. His notes follow.
Although titled William and Margaret, this is not Mallet's version.
R. Matteson 2014]
FAIR MARGARET AND SWEET WILLIAM
(Child, No. 74)
The Nova Scotia version omits the preliminary stanzas which, in Child A and B, convey the sinister prophecy, of a wedding in which the Lady Margaret is to bear in part; it omits, also, the bride's dream of a bower filled with swine and a chamber full of blood; and, by way of compensation, it adds two stanzas, and 3) introducing the mother and sister of Margaret. In other respects it is very much like Child B.
For references to American texts see Cox, p. 65. A great many versions have been found in the United States, and a text from Ontario is printed in Journal, XXIV, 74.
"William and Margaret."- From the recitation of Mrs. George Forbes, Little Harbour, Pictou County. Learned at her former home in Stewiacke, Halifax County.
1 As Margaret was in her pretty bouree[1]
A combing her locks so fair,
She saw the rich wedding of William go by,
Which struck her to the heart.
2 "O mother, come quickly, come bind up my head,
O sister, come make up my bed;
For I have a pain that lies at my heart,
That will bring me to my grave."
3 Her mother she quickly came bound up her head,
Her sister she made up her bed,
And she had a pain that lay at her heart,
That brought her to her grave.
4 In the middle of the night, about twelve o'clock,
All people in bed and asleep,
The ghost of Margaret rose up again
And stood at William's bed feet.
5 " O how do you like your pillows? " she said,
"And how do you like Your sleep?
And how do you like Your widow lady,
That sleeps in your arms so sweet? "
6. "Well do I like my pillow;" he said,
"And well do I like my sleep,
But ten thousand times better do I like the ghost
That stands at my bed feet."
7. Then William he quickly jumped up out of bed,
And ran to Margaret's hall.
There's none so ready as Margaret's mother
To answer William's night call.
8 "Is Margaret in her pretty bouree,
Or is she in the hall?"
"She is laid out in a long white robe,
With her lips as cold as clay."
9 He kissed her once, he kissed her twice,
He kissed her three times o'er;
He made an oath, a solemn oath,
And never kissed woman more.
10 Margaret died on one good day,
And William died on the morrow;
Margaret died with a heart full of love,
And William died for sorrow.
11 Margaret was buried at the chancel gate,
And William was buried at the choir;
Out of Margaret's grave grew a beautiful rose,
Out of William's there grew a sweet-briar.
12. The rose grew tall and the sweet-briar too,
Till they could grow no higher;
They twined together in a true lover's-knot,
The rose wrapped around the sweet-briar.
1. bower