Courteous Knight- Donovan (ME) 1929 Barry
[My title, text from Child A except last two lines. Fragment of two lines from Barry, Eckstorm and Smyth, British Ballads From Maine, 1929. Prompting an informant by supplying printed texts is not something I support. Since new material was recovered I'm including this fragment.
R. Matteson 2015]
Courteous Knight- Two lines supplied by Captain Charles L. Donovan of Jonesport ME, before 1929.
1 Yonder comes a courteous knight,
Lustely raking ouer the lay;
He was well ware of a bonny lasse,
As she came wandring ouer the way.
Then she sang downe a downe, hey downe derry (bis)
2 'Ioue you speed, fayre lady,' he said,
'Among the leaues that be so greene;
If I were a king, and wore a crowne,
Full soone, fair lady, shouldst thou be a queen.
Then she sang downe a downe, hey downe derry (bis)
4 Then he lookt east, then hee lookt west,
Hee lookt north, so did he south;
He could not finde a priuy place,
For all lay in the diuel's mouth.
Then she sang downe a downe, hey downe derry (bis)
5 'If you will carry me, gentle sir,
A mayde vnto my father's hall,
Then you shall haue your will of me,
Vnder purple and vnder paule.'
Then she sang downe a downe, hey downe derry (bis)
7 When she came to her father's hall,
It was well walled round about;
She rode till she came to her own cottage door[1],
Twas there she went within and left the Knight without.
Then she sang downe a downe, hey downe derry (bis)
1. Supplied by Donovan (last two lines).