Little Matthew Groves- Hart (VA) 1921 Davis B
[From: Davis; Traditional Ballads of Virginia; 1929. His notes follow. This version uses teh "Lord Lovel form" of the ballad (5 line stanzas with the extended 4th line).
R. Matteson 2015]
LITTLE MUSGRAVE ANN LADY BARNARD
(Child, No. 81)
THE seven variants found in Virginia have the titles, "Lord Arnold's Wife," "Lord Daniel's Wife," "Lord Vanner's Wife," "Lord Darnold," "Little Matthew Groves," and "Little Mosie Grove and Lord Burnett's wife." A general concurrence with Child A is to be noted, but the divergences are many. In the Virginia texts, the lady is more definitely the aggressor; the stanza in which Little Matthew recognizes her as Lord Barnard's wife by her rings (found in Child D, E, F, H, J, K, and L, but not in A) is included, while the stanzas in which the two lovers profess their past affection are excluded; except in Virginia A, no regret is expressed by Lord Barnett for either of his killings; except in Virginia B where the lady is shot, she dies by stroke of sword, not by the barbarity of Child A; Lord Barnett's instructions for the lovers' burial are omitted; repetition is frequent in the Virginia texts.
The story told by the Virginia texts is this: on a certain holiday Little Matthew (Mathy, Marthy, Mosie) Grove (Groves) goes to church and there sees Lord Barnett's (Burnett's, Daniel's, Arnold's, Darnold's) wife, who makes advances and invites him to lie with her that night. He at first refuses, as he sees by her ring that she is Lord Barnett's wife, but is reassured when she informs him that her husband is away. A little foot-page hears the assignation, and runs off to inform Lord Barnett, who returns and surprises the lovers in bed. He generously offers his best sword to Little Matthew and kills him in fair fight. In A, he regrets his rash act. When he finds that his lady loves little Matthew more than she loves him (B, D, and E), he kills her also.
For American texts, see Brown, p.9 (North Carolina); Bulletin, Nos. 3, 6, 7, 9, 11; Campbell and Sharp, No. 20 (North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky) Cox, No. 15; Journal, XXIII, 371 (Mackenzie, Nova Scotia); XXV, 192 (Mackenzie, Nova Scotia); XXX,309 (Kittredge, Kentucky, three texts and two melodies, Missouri, text and melody); Mackenzie, pp. 14, 88 (fragment); Mackenzie , Ballads No. 8; Pound, Ballads, No. 15; Shearin, p. 3; Shearin and Combs, p. 8, Reed Smith, No.7; Reed Smith, Ballads, No. 2; Wyman and Brockway, songs, pp. 22, 62. For additional references, see Journal, XXXI 309.
B. " Little Matthew Groves." Collected by Mr. John Stone. Sung by Mr. George Hart, of Konnarock, Va. Washington county. November 8, 1921. The irregular repetitions of the original manuscript are preserved. Stanzas 7 to 10 of this variant seem to be a crossing of this ballad with " Lady Maisry." Compare child, No. 65 A, 21 and 23, and B, 13 and 16. Compare also Virginia, No. 16, B.
1 Tum-a-high-lo, boys, tum-a-high-lo, boys,
On the very first day of the year
Little Matthew Groves to preaching go
The gospel for to hear, hear,
The gospel for to hear.
2 The first came down were Lady gay,
The next come down were a boy,
The next come down were Lord Daniel's wife,
The prince amongst them all.
3 As he passed by, as she passed by,
She cast her eye upon him,
saying, "Come go home with me, Little Matthew Groves,
On purpose for to lie, lie,
On purpose for to lie."
4 "How dear I am to go home with you,
How dear I am for my life;
For I know by the ring that you wear on your finger
That you are Lord Daniel's wife."
5 "It's what if I am Lord Daniel's wife?
Lord Daniel's not at home?
He's gone away to the knee breast key[1],
And no one for to see, see,
And no one for to see."
6 The little foot-page were a-standing by,
And he heard what they did say;
He fell to his breast and he buckled up his shoes
And he took to his heels and he ran, ran,
And he took to his heels and he ran.
7 He ran till he came to the broad waterside,
And he bowed to his breast and he swum,
And he bowed to his breast and he swum, swum,
And he bowed to his breast and he swum.
8 He swum till he came to the broad dry land,
And he buckled up his shoes and he run,
And he buckled up his shoes and he run, run,
And he buckled up his shoes and he run.
9 He run till he come to the king's high gate,
And he blowed both loud and keen,
And he blowed both loud and keen, keen,
And he blowed both loud and keen.
10 "It's my log cabin's burning down
Or my retires one?[2]"
"It's your log cabin's not burning down
Nor your retires none:
Little Matthew Groves is at your house
And in the bed with your wife, wife,
And in the bed with your wife."
11 "If this be a lie, my little foot-page,
That you do tell to me,
It's out of a rope a gallows prepared
And hanged you shall be,
And hanged you shall be, be,
And hanged you shall be.
12 "If this be the truth, my little foot-page,
That you've to tell to me,
I've only one daughter dear to my heart,
Your wedded wife shall be, be,
Your wedded wife shall be."
13 "If this be a lie," says the little foot-page,
"That I've to tell to thee,
You need not have a gallows prepared;
You can hang me to a tree,
You can hang me to a tree, tree,
You can hang me to a tree."
14 He ordered him up a army of men,
He rode both keen and swift,
He ordered not a word to be said,
Nor never a horn should blow, blow,
Nor never a horn should blow.
15 Little Matthew he had a very good friend,
A very good friend indeed;
He put his bugle to his mouth
And he blowed both loud and keen, keen,
And he blowed both loud and keen.
16 "I must get up and get away from here,
Lord Daniel's coming home;
For I hear Lord Daniel's bugle horn,
It blowed both loud and keen, keen,
It blowed both loud and keen."
17 "Lie down, lie down, Little Matthew Groves,
And keep the cold from me;
It's nothing but my daddy's dogs
A-driving sheep from food, food,
A-driving sheep from food."
18 From that they fell to hugging and kissing,
From that they fell to sleep;
When they waked up there stood Lord Daniel
Right at the foot of the bed, bed,
Right at the foot of the bed.
19 "It's how do you like my new coverlids?
It's how do you like my sheets?"
"Very well do I like your new coverlids;
Very well do I like your sheets;
Much better do I like your gay lady bride
Who lies in my arms and sleeps, sleeps,
Who lies in my arms and sleeps."
20 " Get up, get up, Little Matthew Groves,
And putteth on your clothes;
For it never shall be said when I am dead
That I slew a naked man, man,
That I slew a naked man."
21 "I must get up and putteth on my clothes;
It's fighteth for my life;
You have two swords all by your side
And me not so much as a knife, knife,
And me not so much as a knife."
22 "I have two swords all by my side,
And you not so much as a knife;
I'll give to you the best of them,
And I will keep the worst, worst,
And I will keep the worst.
23 "And you may have the very first lick,
And I will take the next,
And I will take the next, next,
And I will take the next."
24 The very first lick Little Matthew struck,
He wounded deep and sore;
The very first lick Lord Daniel struck,
Little Matthew didn't fight any more, more,
Little Matthew didn't fight any more.
25 He took his bride upon his knee,
He dandled her up and down.
"It's which of those do you like the best,
Little Matthew Groves or me, me,
Little Matthew Groves or me."
26 "Very well I like your red rose cheeks,
Very well I like your chin;
Much better do I like Little Matthew Groves
Than Lord Daniel and all of his kin, kin,
Than Lord Daniel and all of his kin."
27 He drew a revolver from his side,
He shot her as she sot,
Saying, "Here's the end of two true loves
No quicker than they could part."
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1. Probably for Nebraska (Nebrasky) , another American geographical intrusion.
2 Evidently for towers won, See head-note to this variant, and cf. especially Child,
No. 65, B 16:
"Is my building broke into?'
Or is my towers won?"
3. For fold, by an easy phonetic transition.