90. A Brave Irish Lady [Titled after Belden 1940]
For the relation of this ballad to Child 295, 'The Brown Girl,' and for its occurrence in other collections, see BSM 111-12, and add to the references there given Virginia (FSV 44-5), Tennessee (JAFL XLV 53-4), North Carolina (FSRA 74-5), Florida (FSF 330), Arkansas (OFS i 209), Missouri (OFS I 205-8, 209-12), Indiana (BSI 164-5), Michigan (BSSM 250-1), and Wisconsin (JAFL LII 12-13). The lady is not always Irish, and even when she is she sometimes comes from London. The ballad appears to have been widely known in this country since early in the last century; the text reported from Vermont is from a local songbook of 1823, and the first of our North Carolina texts is from a manuscript of about the same date. Stall texts (e.g., that in the Brown University Library, reprinted in BBM) sometimes end happily with the man relenting, but more commonly the story ends with the death of the lovesick lady. Besides the three here described our collection has another version, without indication of source, date, or place.
A. 'New Ballad.' From the Adams manuscript, now in the possession of W. Amos Abrams. This manuscript hook, made in 1824-25 by Moses Adams of DeHart, Wilkes county, came down through four generations of the Adams family before it reached the hands of Professor Abrams. Most of the items in the manuscript are of the pious type and will appear later in the present volumes. The sheets are worn and some times scarcely legible. It seems best to print it here as it stands in the manuscript, so far as that can be made out.
1 An Irish lady from London I came
A beautifull creature sweet Sally by name
her riches were more than the King could possess
And Beauty was her welth at her best
2 to court
ter welthy young merchant
income is more than 30 thousand a yere fortion
her beauty so laufty her portion so high
on this young man she fix
3 O sally O sally & Sally said he
Im afraid your love & my love will never agre
Without your hatred I should
I'm afraid that your beauty will be my Ruin
4 I have no hatred nor no other man
But as for to love you, it is more then I can
So you may intirely end your discourse
I never will wed the without I am forst
5 Twenty four weeks is scarst come & past
This beautifull creature has took sick at last
She laughed in love & she new not fore why
And sent for this young man she once did deny
6 Am I the doctor you sent for me hier
Or am I the young man you love now so dear
Yes you are the doctor can kill or can dure
And without your assistance I am ruin'd I am shure
7 O sally O sally & sally sd he
Dont you remember when I corted the
When I courted you you deny'd me in scorn
And now I will reward the for what past & gone
8 For what past and gone forgit and forgive
And grant me some more longer time for to live
no that I want Sally whili.st I do draw breath
For I will dance on your grave whilist you lie in earth
9 Then of her fingers pull'd dimonds rings three
Here take these love and ware them while dancing on me
For I freely all forgive you all tho you wont me
Ten thousand time over my folly I se
So fare you well papy and all papys friends
So far you well loving sweetheart god[?J in you a
I freely all forgive all tho you wont me
So farewell to this world it is all vanity
B. 'Fair Sally.' Secured by Thomas Smith in 1915 from the recitation of Mrs. Peggy Perry of Zionville, Watauga county. "She heard it when a young woman nearly sixty years ago." The last two lines seem to mean that he relents and that all ends happily.
1 There was a fair lady, from London she came,
She being Fair Sally, Fair Sally by name;
2 She being so rich and desperately high,
Upon a poor boy she would scarce cast an eye.
3 'Oh Sally, oh Sally, I'm sorry,' said he,
'I'm sorry that my love and yours won't agree.
4 'For if you won't have me your own it will prove ;
Perhaps your own hatred will turn into love.'
5 In five or six weeks come fast and gone
She sent for the young man she slighted with scorn.
6 And when he came in to her bedside
He said, 'Oh, dear Sally, your head or your side?'
7 'Oh, my dear lover, the right you have not guessed ;
The pain that torments me now lies in my breast.'
8 'The time has now come I'll freely forgive
And grant you a while longer in this world to live.'
C. 'Sweet Sally.' Secured by W. Amos Abrams from Mrs. A. L. Bostic of Mooresboro, Cleveland county, and sent to Dr. Brown in 1938.
1 A noble young squire from London he came
To court this fair damsel, and Sally by name.
Her being so lofty and a fortune so high
That 'twas on this young squire she would scarce cast an eye.
2 'Oh, Sally, sweet Sally, pretty Sally,' said he,
'I'm fearing your beauty my ruin will be.
. . . . . .
Unless your hatred will turn into love.'
3 'I've no hatred for you, sir; I've no other man;
But to say that I love you is more than I can.'
4 About six months after, the seventh not past,
I heard of this young lady's misfortune at last.
She was pierced through the breast and she knew not in what form,
So she sent for this young lawyer whom she had slighted and scorned.
5 As he approached the bedside he said,
'Is the pain in your head, love, or is it your side?'
*No, sir, you've not the right guess ;
The pain that's so piercing is right here in my breast.'
6 'Oh, Sally, sweet Sally, pretty Sally,' said he,
'Do you remember when you slighted me?
You slighted me most shamefully, likewise and you scorned;
Now I will reward you for what's past and gone.'
7 'I hope you'll forgive me for what's past and gone
And spare me some longer a time for to live.'
'I'll never forgive you whilst I have a breath
But will dance on your grave when you're laid in the earth.'
8 'Twas off her fingers pulled diamond rings three :
'Take these rings and wear them while dancing on me.
They tell me the buried shall rest in the ground.
Peace and goodwill to every nation around.
9 'Farewell to my kindred, farewell to my friends.
Farewell to pretty Johnny ; God make him a man.
ril freely forgive him although he won't me.
Ten thousand times over my folly I see.'
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90
A Brave Irish Lady
'New Ballad.' Sung by Horton Barker. From the previous recording of Dr. W. A. Abrams, probably at Boone. No date given. (In II 299 for BSSM
For melodic relationship of. **SharpK i 299, No. 44G, the main points in the
general melodic progressions.
Scale: Heptachordal, plagal. Tonal Center: a. Structure: abcci (4,4,4.4") =
ab (8,8).
'Sweet Sally.' Sung by Mrs. G. L. Bostic. Recorded at Mooresboro, Cleveland county, August 7, 1939- Other titles given are 'Brown Girl,' 'Irish Girl,' and 'Pretty Girl.'
For melodic relationship cf. **SharpK i 299, No. 44G, measures 2-3 and 7-8
with our 5-6 and 7-8.
Scale: Mode I. Tonal Center: c. Structure: abacacdbi (2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2) =
aa^a^b (4,4,4,4).
'Sally Dover.' Sung by C. K. Tillett. Recorded at Wanchese, Roanoke Island, December 29, 1922. Other titles given are 'Sally,' 'Fair Sally,' and 'Brown Girl' The tune of this version is almost identical with that of 'The Sheffield Apprentice' (120B) by the same singer. For similar texts cf. JAFL xxviii (1914). 67-76 (stanza 3), and SharpK 11 210, No. 155 (stanza 2). This recording was made two years prior to that printed in FSRA 74-5 by the same singer. The second stanza of the latter is that given here. The word "aching" may possibly be incorrect, as the recording is very poor.
For melodic relationship cf. **FSRA 74-5.
Scale: Irrational. Tonal Center: e-flat. Structure: abb^ai (4,4,4,4).