The Cruel Brother, or the Bride's Testament- Mrs. Brown, 1800 Child A
[Anna Gordon Brown was born at Old Machar, Aberdeen, in 1747, and died in the same place, in 1810. Her father, Thomas Gordon, was Professor of Humanity at King's College, Aberdeen; and her husband, the Rev. Andrew Brown, D.D., Aberdeen, was minister at Falkland and later at Tranent. Robert Anderson characterized Mrs. Brown to Bishop Percy in the following highly relevant terms:
"Mrs. Brown is fond of ballad poetry, writes verses, and reads everything in the marvellous way. Yet her character places her above the suspicion of literary imposture; but it is wonderful how she should happen to be the depository of so many curious and valuable ballads." [From Mrs. Brown and the Ballad- Bronson 1945]
According to Child: A a. was obtained directly from Mrs. Brown of Falkland, in 1800, by Alexander Fraser Tytler. Jamieson says that he gives b. verbatim from the recitation of Mrs. Arrott; but it would seem that this must have been a slip of memory, for the two agree except in half a dozen words.
Most of Mrs Brown's ballads were learned when she was young. According her letters she "learned her repertory as a child from the singing of three persons: an aunt, her mother, and an old nurse of the family." This would date the ballad to about 1755 when she was eight to about 1765 when she was about eighteen so my approximate date is c.1760. See below Child's A a., Jamieson's text A b.
R. Matteson 2011]
THE CRUEL BROTHER, OR, THE BRIDE'S TESTAMENT Child 11; Version A a.
a. Alex. Fraser Tytler's Brown Manuscript
b. Jamieson's Popular Ballads, I, 66, purporting to be from the recitation of Mrs. Arrot of Aberbrothick. (see below)
1. There was three ladies playd at the ba,
With a hey ho and a lillie gay
There came a knight and played oer them a',
As the primrose spreads so sweetly
2 The eldest was baith tall and fair,
With a hey ho and a lillie gay
But the youngest was beyond compare.
As the primrose spreads so sweetly
3 The midmost had a graceful mien,
With a hey ho and a lillie gay
But the youngest lookd like beautie's queen.
As the primrose spreads so sweetly
4 The knight bowd low to a' the three,
With a hey ho and a lillie gay
But to the youngest he bent his knee.
As the primrose spreads so sweetly
5 The ladie turned her head aside,
With a hey ho and a lillie gay
The knight he woo'd her to be his bride.
As the primrose spreads so sweetly
6 The ladie blushd a rosy red,
With a hey ho and a lillie gay
And sayd, 'Sir knight, I'm too young to wed.'
As the primrose spreads so sweetly
7 'O ladie fair, give me your hand,
With a hey ho and a lillie gay
And I'll make you ladie of a' my land.'
As the primrose spreads so sweetly
8 'Sir knight, ere ye my favor win,
With a hey ho and a lillie gay
You maun get consent frae a' my kin.'
As the primrose spreads so sweetly
9 He's got consent frae her parents dear,
With a hey ho and a lillie gay
And likewise frae her sisters fair.
As the primrose spreads so sweetly
10 He's got consent frae her kin each one,
With a hey ho and a lillie gay
But forgot to spiek to her brother John.
As the primrose spreads so sweetly
11 Now, when the wedding day was come,
With a hey ho and a lillie gay
The knight would take his bonny bride home.
As the primrose spreads so sweetly
12 And many a lord and many a knight
With a hey ho and a lillie gay
Came to behold that ladie bright.
As the primrose spreads so sweetly
13 And there was nae man that did her see,
With a hey ho and a lillie gay
But wishd himself bridegroom to be.
As the primrose spreads so sweetly
14 Her father dear led her down the stair,
With a hey ho and a lillie gay
And her sisters twain they kissd her there.
As the primrose spreads so sweetly
15 Her mother dear led her thro the closs,
With a hey ho and a lillie gay
And her brother John set her on her horse.
As the primrose spreads so sweetly
16 She leand her oer the saddle-bow,
With a hey ho and a lillie gay
To give him a kiss ere she did go.
As the primrose spreads so sweetly
17 He has taen a knife, baith lang and sharp,
With a hey ho and a lillie gay
And stabbd that bonny bride to the heart.
As the primrose spreads so sweetly
18 She hadno ridden half thro the town,
With a hey ho and a lillie gay
Until her heart's blude staind her gown.
As the primrose spreads so sweetly
19 'Ride softly on,' says the best young man,
With a hey ho and a lillie gay
'For I think our bonny bride looks pale and wan.'
As the primrose spreads so sweetly
20 'O lead me gently up yon hill,
With a hey ho and a lillie gay
And I'll there sit down, and make my will.'
As the primrose spreads so sweetly
21 'O what will you leave to your father dear?'
With a hey ho and a lillie gay
'The silver-shod steed that brought me here.'
As the primrose spreads so sweetly
22 'What will you leave to your mother dear?'
With a hey ho and a lillie gay
'My velvet pall and my silken gear.'
As the primrose spreads so sweetly
23 'What will you leave your sister Anne?'
With a hey ho and a lillie gay
'My silken scarf and my gowden fan.'
As the primrose spreads so sweetly
24 What will you leave to your sister Grace?'
With a hey ho and a lillie gay
My bloody cloaths to wash and dress.'
As the primrose spreads so sweetly
25 'What will you leave to your brother John?'
With a hey ho and a lillie gay
'The gallows-tree to hang him on.'
As the primrose spreads so sweetly
26 'What will you leave to your brother John's wife?'
With a hey ho and a lillie gay
'The wilderness to end her life.'
As the primrose spreads so sweetly
27 This ladie fair in her grave was laid,
With a hey ho and a lillie gay
And many a mass was oer her said.
As the primrose spreads so sweetly
28 But it would have made your heart right sair,
With a hey ho and a lillie gay
To see the bridegroom rive his haire.
As the primrose spreads so sweetly
________________________
THE CRUEL BROTHER, OR, THE BRIDE'S TESTAMENT [Jamieson's Popular Ballads and Songs, I, p. 66, 1806 from the recitation of Mrs. Arrot of Aberbrothick.]
This ballad, and that which follows it, are given verbatim, upon the same authority as the preceding. It is very popular in Scotland; and an edition of it, differing materially from that here given, has appeared in the Edinburgh Collection, in two volumes.
There was three ladies play'd at the ba',
With a heigh-ho! and a lily gay;
There came a knight, and play'd o'er them a.',
As the primrose spreads so sweetly.
The eldest was baith tall and fair,
With a heigh-ho! and a lily gay;
But the youngest was beyond compare.
As the primrose spreads so sweetly.
The midmost had a gracefu' mien,
With a heigh-ho! and a lily gay;
But the youngest look'd like Beauty's queen,
As the primrose spreads so sweetly.
The knight bow'd low to a' the three,
With a heigh-ho! and a lily gay;
But to the youngest he bent his knee,
As the primrose spreads so sweetly.
The lady turned her head aside,
With a heigh-ho! and a lily gay;
The knight he woo'd her to be his bride,
As the primrose spreads so sweetly.
The lady blush'd a rosy red,
With a heigh-ho! and a lily gay;
And said, "Sir knight, I'm o'er young to wed,
As the primrose spreads so sweetly."
"O, lady fair, give me your hand,
With a heigh-ho! and a lily gay;
And I'll mak you ladie of a' my land,
As the primrose spreads so sweetly."
"Sir knight, ere you my favour win,
With a heigh-ho! and a lily gay;
Ye maun get consent frae a' my kin,
As the primrose spreads so sweetly."
He has got consent frae her parents dear,
With a heigh-ho! and a lily gay;
And likewise frae her sisters fair,
As the primrose spreads so sweetly.
He has got consent frae her kin each one,
With a heigh-ho! and a lily gay;
But forgot to spear at her brother John,
As the primrose spreads so sweetly.
Now, when the wedding day was come,
With a heigh-ho! and a lily gay;
The knight would take his bonny bride home,
As the primrose spreads so sweetly.
And many a lord and many a knight,
With a heigh-ho! and a lily gay,
Came to behold that lady bright,
As the primrose spreads so sweetly.
And there was nae man that did her see,
With a heigh-ho! and a lily gay,
But wished himself bridegroom to be,
As the primrose spreads so sweetly.
Her father dear led her down the stair,
With a heigh-ho! and a lily gay;
And her sisters twain they kiss'd her there,
As the primrose spreads so sweetly.
Her mother dear led her through the close,
With a heigh-ho ! and a lily gay;
And her brother John set her on her horse, As the primrose spreads so sweetly. She lean'd her o'er the saddle-bow, ,, With a heigh-ho ! and a lily gay, To give him a kiss ere she did go, As the primrose spreads so sweetly. He has ta'en a knife, baith lang and sharp, With a heigh-ho ! and a lily gay, And stabb'd the bonny bride to the heart As the primrose spreads so sweetly.
She hadna ridden half thro' the town,
With a heigh-ho! and a lily gay, Until her heart's blood stained her gown, As the primrose spreads so sweetly.
" Ride saftly on," said the best young man, " With a heigh-ho! and a lily gay;
For I think our bonny bride looks pale and wan, As the primrose spreads so sweetly."
" O, lead me gently up yon hill,
With a heigh-ho ! and a lily gay, And I'll there sit down, and make my will, As the primrose spreads so sweetly."
" O, what will you leave to your father dear, With a heigh-ho ! and a lily gay t"
" The silver-shod steed that brought me here, As the primrose spreads so sweetly."
" What will you leave to your mother dear, With a heigh-ho! and a lily gay f* " My velvet pall and silken gear, As the primrose spreads so sweetly."
" And what will ye leave to your sister Ann,
With a heigh-ho ! and a lily gay?" " My silken scarf, and my golden fan.
As the primrose spreads so sweetly."
" What will ye leave to your sister Grace, With a heigh-ho ! and a lily gay ?"
" My bloody cloaths to wash and dress, As the primrose spreads so sweetly."
" What will ye leave to your brother John, With a heigh ho ! and a lily gay ?" " The gallows-tree to hang him on, As the primrose spreads so sweetly." " What will ye leave to your brother John's wife, With a heigh-ho! and a lily gay ?"
" The wilderness to end her life, As the primrose spreads so sweetly." This fair lady in her grave was laid, With a heigh-ho ! and a lily gay; And a mass was o'er her said,
As the primrose spreads so sweetly.
But it would have made your heart right sair, With a heigh-ho! and a lily gay, To see the bridegroom rive his hair, As the primrose spreads so sweetly.