56
The Romish Lady
For the history of this ballad of Reformation times, see BSM 450
— and add to the references there given Virginia (FSV 37-8),
North Carolina (SFLQ v 147-9)- Florida (FSF 388-91), Ohio
(BSO 220-2), Indiana (BSI 257-9), Illinois (JAFL lix 207-8),
Michigan (BSSM 363-4), and Wisconsin (JAFL lii 40, from
Kentucky). Jackson prints a text in WSSU 141, and gives a list
of old songbooks in which it is found (ibid., 188-9). There are
two copies of it in our collection, both representing the same text.
One is recent, secured by Professor Abrams from Mary Bost of
Statesville. Iredell county ; the other from his Adams manuscript
of the early nineteenth century, for an account of which see the
headnote to 'A Brave Irish Lady,' No. 90, below. The latter is
OLDER BALLADS MOSTLY BRITISH 2X3
given here literatim froin the manuscript (but not punctatim ; the
pointing is the editor's). In a few places footnotes are used for
corrections from the Bost text.
1 There liv'cl a romish lady
Brought up in popery.
Her mother often told her
The priest she must obey.
'Oh pardon me, dear mother,
I humbly pray the now,
For unto those false idols
I can no longer bow.'
2 Assisted by her handmaid
Her bible she conceld,
And thus she gaind instruction
Till god his love Reveld.
No longer she prostrate^
To pictures dect in gold ;
But soon she was betrayed
And her bible from her stold.
3 'I'll bow to my dear Jesus
And worship god unseen
And live by faith forever ;
The works of man are vain.
I can not worship idols
Nor pictures made by man.
Dear mother, use your pleasure,
But pardon if you can.'
4 With grief and great vexation
Her mother strate did go
To inform the Romish clurgy
The cause of all her woe.
The preast was soon assemblyd^
And for this maid did call.
They forst her in the dungeon
To fright her soul withall.
5 The more they strove to fright her
The more she did indure ;
Altho her age was tender
Her faith was firm & shure.
The chains of gold so costly
They from this lady took ;
' Miss Best's text reads "No more she prostrates herself" ; the Mis-
souri A text, keeping the verse in better order, has "No longer would
she prostrate." ^. . . i j ..
*The other text reads, rightly, "The priests were soon assembled.
214 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
And she with all her spirit
The pride of life forsook.
6 Before the pope they brought her
In hopes of her Return;
But [there^] she was condemnd
In awfuU flames to burn.
Before the place of torment
They brought her speedily.
With lifted hands to heaven
She then agreed to die.
7 There being many ladys
Assembled at that place,
She lift her Eyes to heaven
And blest Redeeming grace:
'Weep not, you tender ladys,
Shed not a tear for me ;
While my poor bodys burning
The lord my soul shall se.
8 'Yourselves you [need]* to pity.
Your bodys must decay.
Dear ladys turn to Jesus ;
No longer make Delay.'
In came her aged mother
Her daughter to behold,
And in her hand she brought her
An image, Dect in gold.
9 'Go, take from me those idols.
Remove them from my sight.
Restore to me my bible
^ In which I take delight.
Alas ! my aged mother
Was on my Ruin brink f
It was you who did betray me.
But I am innocent.
10 'Tormenters, use your leasure
And do as you think best.
[I hope*^] my blessed Jesus
Will take my soul to rest.'
As soon as these words were spoken
Up stept the man of Death
' Supplied.
* Supplied.
" The other text has, rightly, "bent."
' Supplied from the other text.
OLDER BALLADS — MOSTLY BRITISH 215
And kindled up the fire
To stop her mortal breath.
1 1 Instead of gold and bracelets
With chanes they bound her fast.
She crys. 'my god glory,''
Or now I sink at last.
With Jesus & his angels
Forever I shall Dwell.
God pardon preast and people !
And so I bid farewell.'
-----------------------------
56
The Romish Lady
'The Romish Lady.' Sung by Miss Jewell Robbins. Recorded at Pekin, Mont-
gomery county, in 1921. This is only slightly different from the anonymous
version, which follows.
For melodic relationship cf. ***WSSU 141, No. 37, last four measures;
**FSoA 19, our measures 3-4, which occur twice there.
Scale: Mode III, plagal. Tonal Center: g. Structure: aa^ba (4,4,4,4) =
Reprisenbar.
56(1)
'The Romish Lady.' Sung by anonymous singer. Recorded as ms score, but
no date or place given. There are only slight differences here from the previous
version. These insignificant changes occur in measures 2, 6, lo-ii, and 14.
S6(2)
'The Romish Lady.' Sung by Myra Barnett Miller. Recorded probably at
Lenoir, August 1939, 1940, or 1941.
For melodic relationship of. **SHMC 82, basic melodic points only.
Scale: Mode III, plagal. Tonal Center: g. Structure: aa^aa^ (4,4,4,4) = aa
(8.8).