Lady Margaret- McAtee (WV) 1917 Cox E
[From Folk-Songs of the South- 1925 by John Harrington Cox. Footnotes moved to the end. His notes follow.
R. Matteson 2012, 2014]
11. FAIR MARGARET AND SWEET WILLIAM (Child, No. 74)
Seven variants have been recovered in West Virginia under the titles: "Sweet William," "Lady Margaret," and "Lady Margaret's Ghost." A glance at these ballads shows that they are largely identical; a comparison with the Child versions indicates that they are to be classed with group A, B, as witnessed by the blue suit, the dream of white swine, and the seven brethren.
For American texts see Child, v, 293 (Massachusetts); Journal, xix, 281 (Belden; Missouri); xxin, 381 (Combs; Kentucky); xxvni, 154 (Perrow; North Carolina) ; xxx, 303 (Kittredge; Missouri); xxxi, 74 (Waugh; Ontario); xxxv, 340 (Tolman and Eddy; Ohio); Wyman and Brockway, p. 94 (Kentucky); McGill, p. 69 (Kentucky; reprinted by Pound, No. 16); Campbell and
Sharp, No. 17 (Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia); Focus, iv, 426 (Virginia); Ralph, Harper's Monthly Magazine, July, 1903, cvn, 272 (Kentucky); Mackenzie, p. 124 (Nova Scotia); Smith, p. 18 (two tunes); Minish MS. (North Carolina). Cf. Shearin and Combs, p. 8; Belden, No. 5; F. C. Brown, p. 9; Bulletin, Nos. 2-6, 8-10; Cox, xlv, 159; Reed Smith, Journal,
xxvni, 200.
E. "Lady Margaret." Communicated by Mrs. Hilary G. Richardson, Clarksburg, Harrison County, 1917; obtained from Mrs. Nancy McDonald McAtee.
1 Her father says to Sweet William :
"Come tell to me this long, long love
Betwixt Lady Margaret and thee."
2. " I know nothing of Lady Margaret,
Nor Lady Margaret knows nothing of me;
But to-morrow, agin eight o'clock,
Lady Margaret my bride shall be." [1]
3. Lady Margaret up in her high story,
A-combin' her long yellow hair;
And who should she see but Love William with his bride,
As they went ridin' by?
4. Down she throwed her ivory comb,
And tore down her long yellow hair,
And throwed herself from the top of the high hall,
Where she never was no more seen.
5. The very next morning Love William arose,
And he dressed in the best of his clothes,
And he said, "I am troubled in my mind
With a dream I dremp last night.
6. "For I dremp that my household
Was all covered with a white shroud,
And my merry maids all in tears."
7. And he never rested till he got relief,
From his nuby [2] wedded wife,
. . . . .
Lady Margaret he might see.
8 He put his foot in his right stirrup
And merrily rode away;
He rode till he came to Lady Molly's hall,
And tingered low at the ring. [3]
9 There was none so ready as the seventh brother
To git up and let him in:
"Where is Lady Molly? Is she in her chamber hall,
Or is she in her chamber so high?"
10 "Lady Molly she's not in her chamber hall,
Lady Molly's in her lead coffin,
And her face cold against the wall."
11 "Tear down those milk-white sheets,
And let me git a kiss from her cold dyin' lips,
For ofttimes she's kissed mine."
12 Three times he kissed her cold dyin' lips,
Three times he kissed her chin;
And when he kissed her cold dyin' lips,
He pierced his heart with tears. [4]
13 Lady Molly died this one glad day,
Sweet William died to-morrow;
Lady Molly died for the loss of her dear,
Sweet William died for sorrow.
14 Lady Molly was buried in the green churchyard,
Sweet William was buried close by her;
And out of her breast grew a red rose bush,
And from his'n there grew a brier;
And there they tied in a true-lover's knot,
The red rose and the brier.
1. [My footnote] Lady Margaret my bride shall see."
2. For "newly."
3. With this stanza compare G3 of "Lord Thomas and Fair Annet," p. 59.
4. [My footnote] That pierced his heart within. (see Daw Henson's version)