No. 254: Lord William, or, Lord Lundy
[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-C
5. End-notes
ATTACHED PAGES (see left hand column):
1. Recordings & Info: 254. Lord William, or, Lord Lundy
A. Roud No. 106: Lord William, or, Lord Lundy (6 Listings)
2. Sheet Music: 254. Lord William, or, Lord Lundy (including Bronson's single music example and text)
3. English and Other Versions (Including Child versions A-C)
Child's Narrative: 254. Lord William, or, Lord Lundy
A. Motherwell's Manuscript, p. 361. 'Sweet William,' Motherwell's Minstrelsy, p. 307.
B. 'Lord Lundy,' Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, II, 57.
C. 'Lord William,' Buchan's Manuscripts, II, 126; Dixon, Scottish Traditional Versions of Ancient Ballads, p. 57, Percy Society, voL xvii.
Sweet William (Lord William's son, or Lord William) and the Baillie's daughter (Lord Lundy's daughter) have been lovers: they have in fact been over-sea together, learning "some unco lair." The young woman's father recalls her from her studies abroad, and requires her to marry a Southland lord (the young prince of England). She will submit to her father's will, though she had rather die. In A she sends a letter to William by a bird. The minister has begun the marriage-service, when the lover enters the church with a party of armed men and bids the bridegroom stand back; the bride shall join with him. The father fumes; would shoot William if he had a pistol, A; will give his daughter no dowry, B. William of course cares not the least for dowry; he has what he wants. He tells his 'foremost man' to lift his bride on her horse, and sends commendations to her mother.
A 4, B 10, 11, C 6, 7, may be borrowed from 'Fair Janet,' No 64, G 1, 2, II, 110.
Brief Description by George Lyman Kittredge
For the story, compare 'Katharine Jaffray,' No, 221. In Buchan's version the lady's father is "Lord Lundie."
Child's Ballad Texts
'Sweet William'- Version A; Child 254 Lord William, or Lord Lundy
Motherwell's Manuscript, p. 361; from the recitation of Agnes Lyle, an old woman of Kilbarchan.
1 Sweet William's gone over seas,
Some unco lair to learn,
And our gude Bailie's ae dochter
Is awa to learn the same.
2 In one broad buke they learned baith,
In one broad bed they lay;
But when her father came to know
He gart her come away.
3 'It's you must marry that Southland lord,
His lady for to be;
It's ye maun marry that Southland lord,
Or nocht ye'll get frae me.'
4 'I must marry that Southland lord,
Father, an it be your will;
But I rather it were my burial-day,
My grave for to fill.'
5 She walked up, she walked down,
Had none to make her moan,
Nothing but the pretty bird
Sat on the causey-stone.
6 'If thou could speak, wee bird,' she says,
'As weell as thou can flee,
I would write a long letter
To Will ayont the sea.'
7 'What thou wants wi Will,' it says,
'Thou'll seal it with thy ring,
Tak a thread o silk and anither o twine,
About my neck will hing.'
8 What she wanted wi Willie
She sealed it wi a ring,
Took a thread of silk, another o twine,
About its neck did hing.
9 This bird flew high, this bird flew low,
This bird flew owre the sea,
Until it entered the same room
Wherein was Sweet Willie.
10 This bird flew high, this bird flew low,
Poor bird, it was mistaen!
It let the letter fa on Baldie's breist,
Instead of Sweet William.
11 'Here's a letter, William,' he says,
'I'm sure it's not to me;
And gin the morn gin twelve o'clock
Your love shall married be.'
12 'Come saddle to me my horse,' he said,
'The brown and a' that's speedie,
And I'll awa to Old England,
To bring home my ladie.'
13 Awa he gaed, awa he rade,
Awa wi mickle speed;
He lichtit at every twa miles' end,
Lichtit and changed his steed.
14 When she entered the church-style,
The tear was in her ee;
But when she entered the church-door
A blythe sicht did she see.
15 'O hold your hand, you minister,
Hold it a little wee,
Till I speak wi the bonnie bride,
For she's friend to me.
16 'Stand off, stand off, you braw bridegroom,
Stand off a little wee;
Stand off, stand off, you braw bridegroom,
For the bride shall join wi me.'
17 Up and spak the bride's father,
And an angry man was he;
'If I had pistol, powther and lead,
And all at my command,
I would shoot thee stiff and dead
In the place where thou dost stand.'
18 Up and spoke then Sweet William,
And a blithe blink from his ee;
'If ye neer be shot till I shoot you,
Ye'se neer be shot for me.
19 'Come out, come out, my foremost man,
And lift my lady on;
Commend me all to my good-mother,
At night when ye gang home.'
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'Lord Lundy'- Version B; Child 254 Lord William, or Lord Lundy
Buchan'a Ballads of the North of Scotland, II, 57.
1 Lord William has but ae dear son,
In this world had nae mair;
Lord Lundie had but ae daughter,
And he will hae nane but her.
2 They dressed up in maids' array,
And passd for sisters fair;
With ae consent gaed ower the sea,
For to seek after lear.
3 They baith did eat at ae braid board,
In ae bed baith did lye;
When Lord Lundie got word o that,
He's taen her soon away.
4 When Lord Lundie got word of that,
An angry man was he;
He wrote his daughter on great haste
To return right speedilie.
5 When she looked the letter upon,
A light laugh then gae she;
But ere she read it till an end
The tear blinded her ee.
6 'Bad news, bad news, my love Willie,
Bad news is come to me;
My father's written a braid letter,
Bids me gae speedilie.
7 'Set trysts, set trysts, my love Willie,
Set trysts, I pray, wi me;
Set trysts, set trysts, my love Willie,
When will our wedding be.'
8 'On Wednesday, on Wednesday,
The first that ever ye see;
On Wednesday at twelve o'clock,
My dear, I'll meet wi thee.'
9 When she came to her father's ha,
He hailed her courteouslie;
Says, I'll forgie offences past,
If now ye'll answer me.
10 'Will ye marry yon young prince,
Queen of England to be?
Or will you marry Lord William's son,
Be loved by nane but he?'
11 'I will marry yon young prince,
Father, if it be your will;
But i woud rather I were dead and gane,
My grave I woud win till.'
12 When she was in her saddle set,
She skyred like the fire,
To go her bridegroom for to meet,
For whom she'd nae desire.
13 On every tippet o her horse mane
There hang a siller bell,
And whether the wind blew east or west
They gae a sundry knell.
14 And when she came to Mary's kirk
She skyred like the fire;
There her young bridegroom she did meet,
For whom she'd nae desire.
15 She looked ower her left shoulder,
The tear blinded her ee;
But looking ower her right shoulder,
A blythe sight then saw she.
16 There she saw Lord William's son,
And mony a man him wi,
Wi targes braid and glittering spears
All marching ower the lee.
17 The minister looked on a book
Her marriage to begin:
'If there is naething to be said,
These two may join in ane.'
18 'O huly, huly, sir,' she said,
'O stay a little wee;
I hae a friend to welcome yet
That's been a dear friend to me.'
19 O then the parson he spake out,
A wise word then spake he;
'You might hae had your friends welcomd
Before ye'd come to me.'
20 Then in it came the bride's first love,
And mony a man him wi:
'Stand back, stand back, ye jelly bridegroom,
Bride, ye maun join wi me.'
21 Then out it speaks him Lord Lundie,
An angry man was he;
'Lord William's son will hae my daughter
Without leave askd of me.
22 'But since it's sae that she will gang,
And proved sae fause to thee,
I'll make a vow, and keep it true,
Nae portion shall I gie.'
23 Then out it speaks the bride's first love,
And [a] light laugh then gae he;
'I've got the best portion now, my lord,
That ye can gie to me.
24 'Your gude red gold I value not,
Nor yet your white monie;
I hae her by the hand this day
That's far dearer to me.
25 'So gie the prince a coffer o gold
When he gaes to his bed,
And bid him clap his coffer o gold,
And I'll clap my bonny bride.'
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'Lord William'- Version C; Child 254 Lord William, or Lord Lundy
Buchan's Manuscripts, II, 126.
1 Lord William has gane oer the sea
For to seek after lear;
Lord Lundie had but ae daughter,
And he'd wed nane but her.
2 Upon a book they both did read,
And in ae bed did ly:
'But if my father get word o this,
I'll soon be taen away.'
3 'Your father's gotten word of this,
Soon married then ye'll be;
'Set trysts, set trysts wi me, Janet,
Set trysts, set trysts wi me.
4 'Set trysts, set trysts wi me, Janet,
When your wedding-day's to be;
'On Saturday, the first that comes,
Must be my wedding-day.'
5 'Bad news, bad news is come, Janet,
Bad news is come to me;
Your father's gotten word of this,
Soon married then ye'll be.'
6 'O will ye marry the young prince, daughter,
The queen of England to be?
Or will ye marry Lord William,
And die immediately?'
7 'O I will marry the young prince, father,
Because it is your will;
But I wish it was my burial-day,
For my grave I could gang till.'
8 When they gaed in into the kirk,
And ae seat they sat in,
The minister took up the book,
The marriage to begin.
9 'Lay down the book, O dear, kind sir,
And wait a little wee;
I have a lday to welcome yet,
She's been a good friend to me.'
10 Out then spake the minister,
An angry man was he;
'You might have had your ladies welcomd
Before ye came to me.'
11 She looked oer her left shoulder,
And tears did blind her ee;
But she looked oer her right shoulder,
And a blythe sight saw she,
For in there came him Lord William,
And his valiant company.
12 And in ther came him Lord William,
His armour shining clear,
And in it came him Lord William,
And many glittering spear.
13 'Stand by, stand by, ye bonny bridegroom,
Stand by, stand by,' said he;
'Stand by, stand by, ye bonny bridegroom,
Bride, ye maun join wi me.
14 'Let the young prince clap his coffer of gold
When he gangs to his bed;
Let the young prince clap his coffer of gold,
But I'll clap my bonny bride.'
15 Out it spake him Lord Lundie,
And an angry man was he;
'My daughter will marry him Lord William,
It seems, in spite of me.'
End-Notes
A, C. Motherwell and Dixon have made a few slight changes.