107. The Silk-Merchant's Daughter

107
The Silk-Merchant's Daughter

Originally, no doubt, a product of the stall-ballad press, this has
become a traditional song. It is reported as such in Scotland

 

332 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE

(Ord 63-4), and on this side of the water in Newfoundland (BSSN
57-8), Virginia (SharpK i 384, FSV 53), West Virginia (FSS
334), Kentucky (SharpK i 383; also in Shearin's Syllabus), North
Carolina (JAFL xxviii 160-1, SharpK i 383), Florida (FSF
395-7), Mississippi (JAFL xxix 112, FSM 148-50), Missouri
(OFS I 222-4), Indiana (BSI 239-42), Michigan (BSSM 176-7),
and Iowa (MAFLS xxix 21). I do not find it recorded for New
England.

 

'The Silk-Merchant's Daughter.' From the collection of Miss E. B.
Fish of White Rock, Madison county; sent by Miss Fish to C. Alphonso
Smith in 1913 and later to the Brown Collection. It is identical, bar-
ring a very few slight differences which may be due to inaccurate copy-
ing, with both Perrow's text in JAFL xxviii — which he says is from
"mountain whites" of North Carolina in a manuscript "given E. N.
Caldwell" in 1913 — and the A text in SharpK, which was secured at
Allanstand, North Carolina, in 1916. All three unquestionably repre-
sent one master text, whether in type or in manuscript does not appear.

1 There was a rich gentleman, in London did right,
Had one only^ daughter, her beauty shined bright.
She loved a porter, and to prevent the day

Of marriage, they sent this poor young man away.

2 Oh, now he is gone for to save^ his king.
It grieves this lady to think of the thing.

She dressed herself up in rich merchant's shape
And wandered away her true love for to seek.

3 As she was a-travelling one day, almost night,
A couple of Indians appeared in her sight.

And as they drew nigh her, oh, this they did say :
'Now we have resolved to take your life away.'

4 She had nothing by her but a sword to defend.
These barbarous Indians murder intend.

But in the contest one of them she did kill.
Which caused the other for to leave the hill.

5 As she was a-sailing over the tide,
She spied a city down by the sea-side ;

She saw her dear porter a-walking the street,
She made it her business her true love to meet.

6 'How do you do, sir? Where do you belong?
I'm a-hunting a diamond, and I must be gone.'
He says, 'I'm no sailor, but if you want a man,
For my passage over I'll do all I can.'

' Perrow has here "lovely."

* Both the other texts have "serve."

 

OLDER BALLADS MOSTLY BRITISH 333

7 Then straightway they both went on board.

Says the captain to the young man, 'What did you do with

your sword?'
On account of long travel on him she did gaze :
'Once by my sword my sweet life I did save.'

8 Then straightway to London their ship it did steer.
Such utter destruction to us .did appear.

It was all out on main sea, to our discontent

Our ship sprung a leak and to the bottom she went.

9 There were four and twenty of us, all contained in one boat.
Our provisions gave out, and our allowance grew short.
Our provisions gave out, and, death drawing nigh.

Says the captain, 'Let's draw^ lots for to see who shall die.'

10 Then down on a paper each man's name was wrote,
Each man ran his venture, each man had his note.
Amongst the whole ship's crew this maid's was the least ;
It was her lot to die for to feed all the rest.

11 'Now,' says the captain, 'Let's cast lots and see
Amongst the ship's crew who the butcher will be.'
It's the hardest of fortune you ever did hear.
This maid to be killed by the young man her dear.

12 He called for a basin for to catch the blood,
While this fair lady a-trembling stood,

Saying, 'Lord have mercy on me, how my poor heart do

bleed
To think I must die hungry men for to feed.'

13 Then he called for a knife his business to do.
She says, 'Hold your hand for one minute or two.
A silk-merchant's daughter in London I be ;
Pray see what I've come to by loving of thee.'

14 Then she .showed a ring betwixt them was broke.
Knowing the ring, with a sigh then he spoke :

'For the thoughts of your dying my poor heart will burst.
For the hopes of your long life, love, I will die first.'

15 Says the captain, 'If you love her, you'll make her amend.
But the fewest of number will die for a friend ;

So quicken the business and let it be done.'

But while they were speaking they all heard a gun.

16 Says the captain, 'You may now hold your hand,
We all hear a gun, we are near ship or land.'

' Both the other texts have "cast."

 

334 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE

In about half an hour to us did appear

A ship bound for London, which did our hearts cheer.

17 It carried us safe over and us safe conveyed ;

And then they were married, this young man and maid.

B

The Silk-Merchant's Daughter.' Secured in 1927 by Julian P. Boyd
from Jeannette Tingle, one of his pupils in the school at Alliance, Pam-
lico county. A much reduced version, retaining only the central incident.

1 The old ship is deep ^aded,
All ready for sail ;

And Wednesday it started ;
And Thursday a gale.

2 They drew straws between them
To see who should be slain ;

And it fell upon this young damsel
To be killed by her swain.

3 He stood a while and considered.
With his heart fit to burst;

He stood a while and considered,
And said, 'My love, I'll die first!'

4 And they sailed on together
With a fair wind and tide ;
They sailed to some harbor,
And he made her his bride.
---------
 

 

 

108
Green Beds

 

'Young Johnny.' Sung by Mrs. Myra Barnett Miller. Recorded probably at
Lenoir, August 1939, 1940, or 1941.

Of all the tunes in this collection, this version probably makes the most
varied use of its tonal material. This will best be seen from the analysis of the
six stanzas available, which is given below. Similarly it may be interesting to
see how this varied use manifests itself likewise in the choice of the material.
This being really an outstanding example in this collection, a full account of
the different scale materials derived from the individual stanzas will also be
given below.

 


Scale: (ist stanza) Mode II: (2nd, 3rd and 4th stanzas) Hexatonic (2),
plagal; (5th stanza) Mode II; (6th stanza) Hexatonic (6). Tonal Center: (ist

 


Stanza) c; (2nd stanza) g; (3rd stanza) c; (4th stanza) c; (5th stanza) g;
(6th stanza) c. Structure: (ist stanza) ab (4,4) ; (2nd stanza) cd (4,4) ; (3rd
stanza) d^ci (4,4) ; (4th stanza) d^ci (4.4) ; (5th stanza) dd^ (4,4) ; (6th
stanza) c^c^ (4.4)-

 

A(I)
'Young Johnny.' Sung by anonymous singer. Recorded as ms score; no date
or place given. This tune in its melodic outline is very closely related to 108B.

 


Scale: Mode II, plagal. Tonal Center: g. Structure: aaiba2 (2,2,2,2) =
Reprisenbar. Circular Tune (V).

 

A(2)

'Young Johnny.' Sung by Mrs. Myra Barnett Miller. Recorded as ms score,
probably at Lenoir ; no date given. Text and tune are identical with a version
(ms score 286) by Dr. I. G. Greer.


Scale: Pentachordal. Tonal Center: c. Structure: abb^c (2,2,2,2) = ab (4,4).

 

'What Luck, Young Johnny?' Sung by S. T. Faulkner. Recorded at Durham,
about 1915-16. This is very similar to io8A(i).


Scale : Hexatonic (6) . Tonal Center : d. Structure : abed (2,2,2,2) .

 

'Young Johnny.' Sung by Mrs. James York. Recorded at Olin, Iredell county,
in 1939. The structure of the tune requires the stanzas as given in II 336-7 to
be grouped in pairs.

 

Scale: Irrational. Tonal Center: c. Structure: aabb^ (2,2,2,2) = ab (4,4).