Little Mathew Grove- Adams (KY) 1916 Wyman; Kittredge II.
[From: Ballads and Songs by G. L. Kittredge; The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 30, No. 117 (Jul. - Sep., 1917), pp. 283-369. His notes follow.
[Matthew is spelled Mathew throughout. It's unclear if the last verse is repeated throughout, since one repeat is written (bis.) on verse 8 it seems that the last verse should not be repeated.
R. Matteson 2012, 2015]
LITTLE MUSGRAVE AND LADY BARNARD (Child, No. 81).
This famous ballad, one of the finest that exist, is well preserved in America. This Journal has printed a version from Nova Scotia, collected by Professor W. R. Mackenzie of Washington University, St. Louis (23 :371-374; 25 : 182-183: "Little Matha Grove"). Texts are reported from Kentucky by Shearin and Coombs (p. 8, "Lord Vanner's [or Lord Daniel's] Wife "),[1] from Virginia by Professor C. Alphonso Smith (Bulletin, No. 3, p. 4), from North Carolina by Professor F. C. Brown (p. 9, cf. JAFL 28 :201), from South Carolina by Professor Reed Smith (JAFL 28 : 201), and a fragment from West Virginia by Professor J. H. Cox (46 : 22, 64).
II. Little Mathew Grove.
Collected by Miss Loraine Wyman, 1916, as sung by Sallie Adams, Letcher County, Kentucky.
1. Oh, first came down dressed in red;
Next came down in green;
Next came down as Lord Daniel's wife,
As fine as any queen,
As fine as any queen.
2. She stepped up to little Mathew Grove;
She says, "Go home with me to-night."
"I can tell by the little ring you have on your hand,
You are Lord Daniel's wife." [bis. ?]
3. "It makes no difference whose wife I am,
To you nor no other man:
My husband's not at home to-night;
He's in some distant land."
4. The little footpage was standing by,
Heard every word was said:
"Your husband surely will hear these words
Before the break of day."
5. He had sixteen miles to go,
And ten of them he run;
He run, he run to the broken broken bridge,
He smote on his breast and swum.
6. He run till he came to Lord Daniel's hall,
He run till he came to the gate,
He rattled those bells and he rung,
. . . . . .
7. " What's the matter, what's the matter, little white footpage?
What's the news you bring to me?"
"There's another man in the bed with your wife,
As sure as you are born."
8. "If this be a lie," Lord Daniel said,
"That you have brought to me,
I'1l build me a scaffold on the king's highway road,
And hanged you shall be!" (bis)
9. "If this be a lie I bring to you,
Which you're taking it to be,
You need not build a scaffold on the king's highroad,
But hang me to a tree."
10. He gathered up an army of his men,
And he started with a free good will;
He put his bugle to his mouth,
And he blowed both loud and shrill.
11. "Get up, get up, little Mathew Grove;
Get up, then put on your clothes!"
"Lord Daniel surely comes home this night,
For I hear his bugle blow."
12. "Lie still, lie still
And keep me from the cold!
It's nothing but my father's shepherd,
Blowing of his sheep to the fold."
13. From that they fell to hugging and kissing,
From that they fell asleep,
And when they waked up, Lord Daniel
Was standing at their feet."
14. "How do you like your pillow, sir?
How do you like your sheet?
How do you like the gay ladye
That lies in your arms and sleeps?"
15. "Very well I like your pillow, sir;
Very well I like your sheet;
Much better I like your gay ladye,
That lies in my arms and sleeps."
16. "Get up, get up, little Mathew Grove;
Get up and put on your clothes!
It never shall be said in this wide world
A naked man I slew."
17. "You have two bright swords," he said,
" Me not so much as a knife."
"You may have the very best sword,
And I will take the worst." [1]
I8. "You may take the very first lick,
And make it like a man;
And I will take the very next lick,
And kill you if I can."
19. Little Mathew struck the very first lick,
Lord Daniel struck the floor;
Lord Daniel took the very next lick,
Little Mathew struck no more.
20. He took the ladye all by the hand,
Says, "Come sit on my knee!
Which of those men you love best -
Little Mathew Grove or me?"
21. "Much better I like your rosy cheeks;
Much better I like your chin:
Much better I like little Mathew Grove
As you and all your kin."
22. . . . . . .
he led her to the hall;
He drew his sword and cut off her head;
He stove it against the wall.
Footnote:
1. This fragment was also collected by Miss Wyman:--
"Give me a show for my life," he said,
"Give me a show for my life;
For you have two bright swords by your side,
And I have not so much as a knife."