It's of a Farmer-- (Herts) 1913 R. V. Williams
[No informant named. From Palmer's, Everyman's Book of English Country Songs, No 59 p. 111.
R. Matteson 2016]
It's of a Farmer- Sung by an unnamed singer, Poolend, Ashperton, Hertfordshire; collected by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Sept., 1913 (MS 8vo E5)
1. It's of a farmer lived near Bridgwater,
He had two sons and one daughter dear,
And they thought it fitting to plough the ocean
To plough the raging main so clear.
2. "Our servant man's going to wed our sister,
Our sister she has a man to wed,
But their courtship shall soon be ended,
I'll send him to his silent bed."
3. One hunting day it was appointed,
To take this young man's life away;
They did this young man overflatter[1]
To hunting unto go with them.
4. And through the woods as they were riding,
They saw a brake of briars grow;
They soon became and his blood they slaughtered,
And a brake of briars pulled him through.
5. "O welcome home," then said the sister,
"But where is our young servant man?
I only ask because you whispered,
Dear brothers tell me if you can."
6. "Now through the woods as we was riding,
There we lost him and never him found;
But I tell you we are affronted,
You do hard and examine we."
7. Three days and nights she lay lamenting,
she dreamed, she dreamed her love she saw,
By her bedside the tears lamenting,
All over and over with gore.
8. "Lay still, lay still, my patient jewel,
It's all in vain for to complain;
Her brothers killed me, now weren't they cruel,
In such a place that you may find."
9. Then through the woods as she was riding
She heard such fearful dismal groans;
"Surely that is my own true love
In a brake of briars killed and thrown."
10. She kissed his lips that were all dry-ed,
His tears as salt as any brine;
She kissed his lips and ofttimes sighed:[2]
"O here lays a bold young friend of mine."
1. MS has "over flake?" Seems right now.
2. I read MS as "ofttimes cry-ed"