Bold Dickie- J.M. Watson (MA) 1889 Child F
[My title, none given by Child. From English and Scottish Popular Ballads; Volume 6, by Child, 1889. This version must have been included just before Vol. 6 was printed.
Also JAF version of the same ballad, 1895 (see bottom of this page) and included by Linscott in "Folk Songs of Old New England." The missing lines in stanza 8 of ESPB are included in subsequent editions.
R. Matteson 2015]
['Bold Dickie'] Version F; Child 188; Archie o Cawfield--Communicated by Mr. J. M. Watson, of Clark's Island, Plymouth Harbor, Massachusetts, April 10, 1889, as remembered by him from the singing of his father.
1 As I walked out one morning in May,
Just before the break of day,
I heard two brothers a making their moan,
And I listened a while to what they did say.
I heard, etc. (repeat last two lines)
2 'We have a brother in prison,' said they,
'Oh in prison lieth he!
If we had but ten men just like ourselves,
The prisoner we would soon set free.'
3 'Oh, no, no, no!' Bold Dickie said he,
'Oh no, no, no, that never can be!
For forty men is full little enough
And I for to ride in their companie.
4 'Ten to hold the horses in,
Ten to guard the city about,
Ten for to stand at the prison-door,
And ten to fetch poor Archer out.'
5 They mounted their horses, and so rode they,
Who but they so merrilie!
They rode till they came to a broad river's side,
And there they alighted so manfullie.
6 They mounted their horses, and so swam they,
Who but they so merrilie!
They swam till they came to the other side,
And there they alighted so manfullie.
7 They mounted their horses, and so rode they,
Who but they so merrilie!
They rode till they came to that prison-door,
And then they alighted so manfullie.
8 . . . .
. . . .
'For I have forty men in my companie,
And I have come to set you free.'
9 'Oh no, no, no!' poor Archer says he,
'Oh no, no, no, that never can be!
For I have forty pounds of good Spanish iron
Betwixt my ankle and my knee.'
10 Bold Dickie broke lock, Bold Dickie broke key,
Bold Dickie broke everything that he could see;
He took poor Archer under one arm,
And carried him out so manfullie.
11 They mounted their horses, and so rode they,
Who but they so merrilie!
They rode till they came to that broad river's side,
And there they alighted so manfullie.
12 'Bold Dickie, Bold Dickie,' poor Archer says he,
'Take my love home to my wife and children three;
For my horse grows lame, he cannot swim,
And here I see that I must die.'
13 They shifted their horses, and so swam they,
Who but they so merrilie!
They swam till they came to the other side,
And there they alighted so manfullie.
14 'Bold Dickie, Bold Dickie,' poor Archer says he,
'Look you yonder there and see;
For the high-sheriff he is a coming,
With an hundred men in his companie.'
15 'Bold Dickie, Bold Dickie,' High-sheriff said he,
'You're the damndest rascal that ever I see!
Go bring me back the iron you've stole,
And I will set the prisoner free.'
16 'Oh no, no, no!' Bold Dickie said he,
'Oh no, no, no, that never can be!
For the iron 'twill do to shoe the horses,
The blacksmith rides in our companie.'
17 'Bold Dickie, Bold Dickie,' High-sheriff says he,
'You're the damndest rascal that ever I see!'
'I thank ye for nothing,' Bold Dickie says he,
'And you're a damned fool for following me.'
____________________________________________
The Ballad of Bold Dickie
by G. P. Bradley
The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 8, No. 30 (Jul. - Sep., 1895), pp. 256-258
THE BALLAD OF BOLD DICKIE- Written from memory by J. M. Watson of Clark's Island, Mass. Communicated by Miss Mary P. Frye.
1 As I walked out one morning in May,
Just before the break of day,
I heard two brothers making their moan,
And I listened a while to what they did say.
(Chorus: repeat last two lines.)
2 "We have a brother in prison," said they;
" Oh! in prison lieth he.
If we had ten men just like ourselves,
The prisoner we should soon set free."
3 "Oh, no ! no ! " bold Dickie said he;
"Oh, no ! no ! that never could be;
For forty men is full little enough,
And I for to ride in their companie."
4 "Ten to hold the horses in,
Ten to guard the city about,
And ten for to stand at the prison door,
And ten to fetch poor Archer out."
5 They mounted their horses, and so rode they, -
Who but they so merrilie.
They rode till they came to a broad river-side,
And there they alighted so manfullie.
6 They mounted their horses, and so swam they,-
Who but they so manfullie.
They swam till they came to the other side,
And there they alighted so drippinglie.
7 They mounted their horses, and so rode they, -
Who but they so gallantlie.
They rode till they came to that prison door,
And there they alighted so manfullie.
8 "' Poor Archer! poor Archer!" bold Dickie says he;
"Oh! look you not so mournfullie;
For I've forty men in my companie,
And I have come to set you free."
9 " Oh, no ! no ! no! " poor Archer says he;
"Oh, no! no ! no! that never can be;
For I have forty weight of good Spanish iron
Betwixt my ankle and my knee."
10 Bold Dickie broke lock, bold Dickie broke key;
Bold Dickie broke everything he could see:
He took poor Archer under one arm,
And he carried him out so manfullie.
11 They mounted their horses, and so rode they, -
Who but they so merrilie.
They rode till they came to that broad river,
And there they alighted so manfullie.
12 "Bold Dickie ! bold Dickie!" poor Archer says he;
"Take my love home to my wife and children three;
For my horse grows lame, he cannot swim,
And here I see that I must dee!"
13 They shifted their horses, and so swam they,--
Who but they so daringlie.
They swam till they came to the other side,
And there they alighted so shiveringlie.
14 "Bold Dickie! bold Dickie " poor Archer says he;
"Look you yonder there and see;
For the High Sheriff he is a-coming,
With an hundred men in his companie."
15 "Bold Dickie! bold Dickie! " High Sheriff says he,-
"You are the worst rascal that ever I see;
Go bring me back the iron you stole,
And I will set the prisoner free!"
16 "Oh, no! no ! no!" bold Dickie says he;
"Oh, no! no! no! that never can be;
For the iron will do to shoe the horses,
The blacksmith rides in our companie."
17 "Bold Dickie! bold Dickie !" High Sheriff says he,
"You are the worst scoundrel that I ever see."
"I thank you for nothing," bold Dickie says he, --
"And you are a big fool for following me!"
__________________________________________
BOLD DICKIE- Same version from Folk Songs of Old New England, Linscott. Collected from Mary P. and Serena J. Frye, MA.
As I walked out one morning in May,
Just before the break of day,
I heard three brothers making their moan,
I listen'd a while to what they did say.
"We have a brother in prison," said they,
"Oh, in prison lieth he,
If we had ten men just like ourselves
The prisoner we should soon set free.
"Oh, no, oh, no, Bold Dickie," said he.
"No, no, no, that never could be;
For forty men is full little enough
And I for to ride in their companie."
"Ten to hold the horses in,
Ten to guard the city about,
And ten for to stand at the prison door,
And ten to fetch poor Archer out."
They mounted their horses and so rode they,
Who but they so merrilie ?
They rode till they came to a broad riverside
And there they alighted so manfullie.
They mounted their horses and so swam they,
Who but they so manfullie!
They swam till they came the the other side
And there they alighted so drippinglie.
They mounted their horses and so rode they,
Who but they so gallantlie!
They rode till they came to that prison door
And there they alighted so manfullie.
"Poor Archer, poor Archer," Bold Dickie says he,
"Oh, look you not so mournfullie
For I've forty men in my companie
And I have come to set you free. "
"Oh, no, no, no," poor Archer says he,
"Oh, no, oh, no, that never can be,
For I have forty weight of good Spanish iron
Betwixt my ankle and my knee."
Bold Dickie broke lock, (and Dickie broke bolt)
Bold Dickie broke everything he could see.
He took poor Archer under one arm
And he carried him out so manfullie.
They mounted their horses and so rode they,
Who but they so merrilie !
They rode till they came to that broad river,
And there they alighted so manfullie.
"Bold Dickie, Bold Dickie," poor Archer says he,
"Take my love home to my wife and children three,
For my horse grows lame, he cannot swim,
And here I see that I must dee."
They shifted horses and so swam they,
Who but they so daringlie !
They swam till they came to the other side,
And there they alighted so shiveringlie.
"Bold Dickie, Bold Dickie," poor Archer says he,
"Look you yonder there and see,
For the High Sheriff he is a-coming
With a hundred men in his companie."
"Bold Dickie, Bold Dickie," High Sheriff says he,
"You are the worst rascal that ever I see;
Go bring me back the iron you stole
And I will set the prisoner free."
"Oh, no, no, no," Bold Dickie says he,
"Oh, no, no, that never can be;
For the iron will do to shoe the horses
The blacksmith rides in our companie."
"Bold Dickie, Bold Dickie," High Sheriff says he,
"You are the worst scoundrel that I ever see."
"I thank you for nothing," Bold Dickie says he,
"And you are a big fool for following me."