Lady Margret- Armistead (VA) 1915 Davis G
[My title. From Traditional Ballads of Virginia; Kyle Davis Jr. editor; 1929. His notes follow.
R. Matteson 2012, 2014]
FAIR MARGARET AND SWEET WILLIAM
(Child, No. 74)
For a general introduction to Nos. 18, 19, and 20, see the head-note to No. 18. The twenty-nine items collected for this ballad indicate that it is fairly widespread in the state, though it is somewhat less popular than either of its immediate neighbors, which boast thirty-seven items each. The ballad is known not only as"Fair Margaret and Sweet William," but also as "Lady Marget," "Lydia Marget," "Sweet William," "Sweet William's Bride," and "Sweet William and Lady Margaret." As in the case of Eleanor in the preceding ballad, the name Margaret is variously spelled and pronounced. Eight melodies have been recovered.
The normal Virginia text shows no very exact similarity to any one of the Child versions, A, B, or C, though it has some likenesses to each. It is like A in that the dream is William's and in the "such dreams" stanza, which is common to both. It is like B verbally, in the conversation that takes place between William and Margaret's ghost, and in the direct rose-and-briar-ending, without aftermath. It is like C in that no hint is given that the bride is brown. This touch, characteristic of "Lord Thomas and Fair Annet," has slipped into Child A and B but does not appear in any Virginia text. All told, a general likeness to Child B is most apparent, but the Virginia text would surely have to be printed as a version separate from the Child versions.
The story of the Virginia text is this: Sweet William arises one morning end dresses himself in blue. He denies that there is anything of moment between Lady Margaret and himself, and says that on the following day Lady Margaret will see his bride. Lady Margaret stands at her window as he and his bride pass by; she throws down her ivory comb in her emotion, and is
never more seen there. That night Lady Margaret's ghost appears at the foot of Sweet William's bridal bed and inquires how he likes his bride. He replies that best of all he likes the lady that stands at his bed's feet. He wakes, hints to his wife of his ominous dream, and gets her permission to go and see Lady Margaret. Her brother lets him in and informs him that Lady Margaret is in her coffin. After taking farewell kisses of her, he dies of sorrow. The two lovers are buried nearby, and sympathetic plants grow from their graves and entwine to symbolize their love transcending death.
For American texts, see Belden, No. J (fragment); Brown, p. 9 (North Carolina); Bulletin, Nos. 2-6, 8-10; Campbell and Sharp, No. 17 (Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia); Child, v, 293 (Massachusetts); Cox, No. 11 and p. 522 (seven texts, two melodies); Hudson, No. 11 (Mississippi); Journal, XIX, 281 (Belden, Missouri); XXIII, 381 (Combs, Kentucky); III, 154 (Perrow, North Carolina); XXX, 303 (Kittredge, Missouri); XXXI, (Waugh, Ontario, text and melody); xxxv, 340 (Tolman and Eddy, Ohio, text and melody); McGill, p.71; Mackenzie, p. 124, Mackenzie,-Ballads; Pound, Ballads, No. 16; Shearin, p.3; Shearin and Combs, p.8; C. Smith.(Virginia, two melodies only); Wyman and Brockway, p.94. For additional references, see Cox, p.65; Journal, XXIX, 160; XXX, 302.
[Last two lines may be repeated. Originally titled "Fair Margaret and Sweet William." ]
G. [Lady Margret] "Fair Margaret and Sweet William." Collected by Miss Nancy Pearson. Sung by Mr. Armistead, of Cobbs Creek, Va. Mathews County; September 14, 1915. With music. According to the original manuscript, the last two lines of some stanzas are repeated, but irregularly. The music does not indicate this repetition but can easily be made singer's pleasure. The changes from "Margaret" to "Margret " are preserved.
1 Young William he rose early in the morning,
Dressed himself in blue.
"Come tell with me the long courtship
Between Lady Margret and you."
2 "I know nothing of Lady Margaret
And she knows nothing of me;
But before to-morrow ten, ten o'clock,
Lady Margret, my bride you'll see."
3 Lady Margret was standing at the high way window
Combing back her hair,
And who did she spy but William and his bride
To the church as they passed by?
4 Lady Margaret threw down her comb and brush,
And also threw back her hair,
And away she ran from the high way window,
And no more came there.
5 "I had a dream the other night,
I'm sure it was no good.
I dreamed that my hall was full of white swan,[1]
And my bride's bed was floating in blood."
6 "I dreamed I saw Lady Margret's ghost
Standing at my bed feet
Say, "How do you like your covering,
And how do you like your sheet?
And how do you like that new lady bride
That lies in your arms asleep?"
7 "I like my coverin' very well,
And I also like my sheet
But I love, I love bride
That lies at my bed feet."
B Young William- he rose and called for his horse,
He rode to her father's gate;
Saying: "Is she in the kitchen?
Or is she in the hall?
Or is she in some upper chamber
Among those fair ladies all?"
9 "She's neither in the kitchen.
She's neither in the hall,
Cold, O cold, cold clay corpse,
Lies up on yonder wall."
10 "Pull down them linen sheets
That look so neat and fine,
And let me kiss them cold clay lips
Which ofttimes have kissed mine."
11 Lady Margret was buried in the new churchyard,
Young William was buried in the choir;
Out of her bosom there sprang a red rose,
And out of William's a briar.
12 They grew and they grew to the church steeple top,
Until they could grow no higher;
They tied themselves in a true lovers' knot
For all true love to admire.