No. 253: Thomas o Yonderdale
[There are no known US or Canadian traditional versions of this ballad.]
CONTENTS:
1. Child's Narrative
2. Footnotes (There are no footnotes for this ballad)
3. Brief (Kittredge)
4. Child's Ballad Texts A a (Changes for Christie's A b text appear in End-notes.)
5. End-notes
ATTACHED PAGES (see left hand column):
1. Recordings & Info: 253. Thomas o Yonderdale
A. Roud No. 3890: Thomas o Yonderdale (4 Listings)
2. Sheet Music: Thomas o Yonderdale (including Bronson's music examples and texts)
3. English and Other Versions (Including Child versions A a- A b)
Child's Narrative: 253. Thomas o Yonderdale
A. a. Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, I, 221.
b. Christie's Traditional Ballad Airs, I, 96.
b is epitomized from a, with a few variations, mostly very trifling, as Christie had heard the ballad sung.
Thomas of Yonderdale gains Lady Maisry's love and has a son by her. Overhearing some reproachful words one day as he passes her bower, he is touched, and promises to marry her after returning from a voyage, but while he is in a strange country wooes another woman. He dreams that Maisry stands by his bed upbraiding him for his inconstancy, and sends a boy to her to bring her to his wedding. Maisry comes, arrayed, as she had been directed, in noble style. The bride asks the boy who she may be, and is told that she is Thomas's first love. Maisry asks Thomas why she was sent for: she is to be his wife. The nominal bride asks his will: she is to go home, with the comfort of being sent back in a coach, whereas she came on a hired horse! This ill-used, but not diffident, young woman proposes that Thomas shall give two thirds of his lands to his brother and make him marry her. Thomas refuses to divide his lands for any woman, and has no power over his brother. According to b, the discarded bride asks only a modest third of Thomas's lands for the brother; Thomas promises to give a third to her, but disclaims, as in a, his competency to arrange a marriage for his brother.
This looks like a recent piece, fabricated, with a certain amount of cheap mortar, from recollections of 'Fair Annie,' No 62, 'Lord Thomas and Fair Annet,' No 73, and 'Young Beichan,' No 53.
Brief Description by George Lyman Kittredge
This looks like a recent piece, fabricated, with a certain amount of cheap mortar, from recollections of Nos. 62, 73, and 53.
Child's Text
'Thomas o' Yonderdale'- Version A a; Child 253 Thomas o Yonderdale
a. Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, I, 221.
1 Lady Maisry lives intill a bower,
She never wore but what she would;
Her gowns were o the silks sae fine,
Her coats stood up wi bolts o gold.
2 Mony a knight there courted her,
And gentlemen o high degree,
But it was Thomas o Yonderdale
That gaind the love o this ladie.
3 Now he has hunted her till her bower,
Baith late at night and the mid day,
But when he stole her virgin rose
Nae mair this maid he would come nigh.
4 But it fell ance upon a time
Thomas her bower he walk d by;
There he saw her Lady Maisry,
Nursing her young son on her knee.
5 'O seal on you, my bonny babe,
And lang may ye my comfort be!
Your father passes by our bower,
And now minds neither you nor me.'
6 Now when Thomas heard her speak,
The saut tear trinkled frae his ee;
To Lady Maisry's bower he went,
Says, Now I'm come to comfort thee.
7 'Is this the promise ye did make
Last when I was in your companie?
You said before nine months were gane
Your wedded wife that I should be.'
8 'If Saturday be a bonny day,
Then, my love, I maun sail the sea;
But if I live for to return,
O then, my love, I'll marry thee.'
9 'I wish Saturday a stormy day,
High and stormy be the sea,
Ships may not sail, nor boats row,
But gar true Thomas stay with me.'
10 Saturday was a bonny day,
Fair and leesome blew the wind;
Ships did sail, and boats did row,
Which had true Thomas to unco ground.
11 He hadna been on unco ground
A month, a month but barely three,
Till he has courted anither maid,
And quite forgotten Lady Maisry.
12 Ae night as he lay on his bed,
In a dreary dream dreamed he
That Maisry stood by his bedside,
Upbraiding him for 's inconstancie.
13 He's calld upon his little boy,
Says, Bring me candle, that I see;
And ye maun gang this night, [my] boy,
Wi a letter to a gay ladie.
14 'It is my duty you to serve,
And bring you coal and candle-light,
And I would rin your errand, master,
If 'twere to Lady Maisry bright.
15 'Tho my legs were sair I coudna gang,
Tho the night were dark I coudna see,
Tho I should creep on hands and feet,
I woud gae to Lady Maisry.'
16 'Win up, win up, my bonny boy,
And at my bidding for to be;
For ye maun quickly my errand rin,
For it is to Lady Maisry.
17 'Ye'll bid her dress in the gowns o silk,
Likewise in the coats o cramasie;
Ye'll bid her coma alang wi you,
True Thomas's wedding for to see.
18 'Ye'll bid her shoe her steed before,
And a' gowd graithing him behind;
On ilka tip o her horse mane,
Twa bonny bells to loudly ring.
19 'And on the tor o her saddle
A courtly bird to sweetly sing;
Her bridle-reins o silver fine,
And stirrups by her side to hing.'
20 She dressd her in the finest silk,
Her coats were o the cramasie,
And she's awa to unco land,
True Thomas's wedding for to see.
21 At ilka tippet o her horse mane,
Twa bonny bells did loudly ring,
And on the tor o her saddle
A courtly bird did sweetly sing.
22 The bells they rang, the bird he sang,
As they rode in yon pleasant plain;
Then soon she met true Thomas's bride,
Wi a' her maidens and young men.
23 The bride she garned round about,
'I wonder,' said she, 'who this may be?
It surely is our Scottish queen,
Come here our wedding for to see.'
24 Out it speaks true Thomas's boy,
'She maunna lift her head sae hie;
But it's true Thomas's first love,
Come here your wedding for to see.'
25 Then out bespake true Thomas's bride,
I wyte the tear did blind her ee;
If this be Thomas's first true-love,
I'm sair afraid he'll neer hae me.
26 Then in it came her Lady Maisry,
And aye as she trips in the fleer,
'What is your will, Thomas?' she said,
'This day, ye know, ye calld me here.'
27 'Come hither by me, ye lily flower,
Come hither and set ye down by me,
For ye're the ane I've call'd upon,
And ye my wedded wife maun be.'
28 Then in it came true Thomas's bride,
And aye as she trippd on the stane,
'What is your will, Thomas?' she said,
'This day, ye know, ye calld my hame.'
29 'Ye hae come on hired horseback,
But ye'se gae hame in coach sae free;
For here's the flower into my bower
I mean my wedded wife shall be.'
30 'O ye will break your lands, Thomas,
And part them in divisions three;
Gie twa o them to your ae brother,
And cause your brother marry me.'
31 'I winna break my lands,' he said,
'For ony woman that I see;
My brother's a knight o wealth and might,
He'll wed nane but he will for me.'
End-Notes
A b. 14. And a' stood.
21. And mony knight.
24. this gay.
83. return again.
101. And Saturday.
104. took true.
132. I may see.
133. my boy.
162. ye maun be.
243. ain first.
303. Gie ane.
31. 'O I will break my lands,' he said,
'And ae third will I gie to thee;
But my brother's ane o wealth and might,
And he'll wed nane but he will for me.'