Dear Lord Duke- Brown (N, Bruns.) 1900 Newell C
[My title. From Early American Ballads. II; by William Wells Newell The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 13, No. 49 (Apr. - Jun., 1900), pp. 105-122. Newell's notes follow.
The first verse of this version is incomplete or the end is used as an introduction. Both "Dear Lord Duke and "Young Henry" are mentioned.
R. Matteson 2011, 2014]
LORD RANDAL
The song of this name (Child, No. 12), like the history of the Merrick youth, deals with a death caused by the venom of a serpent. In this case, however, the hero is destroyed by the agency of his " true love" or betrothed bride, who administers the poison. The ballad is of wide diffusion through Europe, and is connected with a class of similar histories, including the celebrated Italian ballad of "Bella Lombarda," which, with no very good reason, has been supposed to owe its origin to the story of the Lombard queen Rosemunda of the sixth century. This English ballad has become popular in a nursery song, very familiar in this country. A number of American variants are given by Child, to which may be added the following: -
C. DEAR LORD DUKE (no title given) Contributed by Mrs. Bergen, from the recitation of Mary Brown, Miramichi, New Brunswick.
"Mother, make my bed soon,
For I feel a pain in my heart, and I fain would lie down."
" What will you leave to your father, dear lord duke?"
"Four horses and a carriage, mother, make my bed soon," etc.
"What will you leave to your mother," etc.
"Three horses and a carriage," etc.
"What will you leave to your brother," etc.
"Three horses and a carriage," etc.
"What will you leave to your sister," etc
"My gold and silver," etc.
"What will you leave to your true love," etc.
"A rope to hang her with," etc.
"What was it she gave you, young Henry, my son?"
Three little freckled fishes, mother, make my bed soon,
For I'm sick at my heart, and I fain would lie down."