Little Musgrove & Lady Barnswell- McGill (NB) 1912
[From Barry Eckstorm, Smythe; British Ballads from Maine, 1929. Extensive notes which I assume are mainly from Barry may be found US and Canada versions page. This version dates back before 1912.
Barry sent McGill a number of printed texts- although she knew ballads in Scotland seventeen years ago- it's hard to tell if this is a recreation aided by print or traditional-- since it was sent in. Even though she sang one verse- this does not prove the ballad was traditional.
R. Matteson 2015]
H."Little Musgrove and Lady Barnswell." Sent in, February 1928, by Mrs. James McGill of Chamcook, New Brunswick, who learned the song in Scotland from her grandmother. Melody recorded by Mr. George Herzog.
1. There were nine ladies of the East
Assembled at a ball;
The first to come in was Lord Barnswell's ladye,
The fairest amongst them all.
2. She cast her eyes on Little Musgrove,
And Little Musgrove on she;
"How much will ye take, ye Little Musgrove,
Tae tarry ae nicht wi' me?"
3. "Tae tarry ae nicht wit thee, fair ladye,
Would cause no end of war,
For I know ye are Lord Barnswell's ladye
By the gold rings that ye wear."
4. "An' what if I be Lord Barnswell's ladye,
This nicht I mean him to beguile,
For he is away tae fair England,
And he'll not be back for a while."
5. Then up and spake the little page-boy,
An angry boy was he,
"I will neither eat nor sleep
Till my master I shall see."
6. He has rode off to his master's castle,
An' tingled at the ring,
There nair was one but Lord Barnswell himself
That let his page-boy in.
7. "Is my castle burned?" he says,
"Or any of my tenants wrong?
Or is my ladye brought to bed
Wit a daughter or a son ?"
8. "Your castle is not burned," he says,
"Nor any of your tenants wrong:
But Little Musgrove is in bed wi' your ladye,
Ant will ye tae come home."
9 "If this be true ye tell tae me,
A greev-ed man am I;
If this be lies ye tell tae me,
Tomorrow ye sall die."
10 He's called up his merry men a'
By ane, by twae an' by three,
Ant stead o' bein' the foremost man,
The very last man was he.
11 "What is that I hear?"
Says Little Musgrove.
"No, no, it is but the wind
As it stirs the leaves on the tree.
12 "Lie still, lie still, thou Little Musgrove,
And shield me from the cauld, "
'Tis not, 'tis not but a little shepherd boy
As he drives his sheep tae the fauld."
19 Then up cam Lord Barnswell an' his men,
And tingled at the ring,
"Rise up, rise up, thou tlttle Musgrove,
Rise up an' let me in."
14 An' he's ta'en aff the coverlet,
Ant he's ta'en aff the sheet,
"O now, O now, my Little Musgrove,
Dost thou find my ladye sweet?
15 "Arise, arise, thou Little Musgrove,
An' a' thy clothes put on;
It sall ne'er be said of Lord Barnswell
That he killed a naked man.
16 "There are two swords on my bed end,
. . .
. . .
. . .
17. The first blow that Musgrove gave
He wounded Lord Barnswell sore,
The very first blow that Lord Barnswell gave
Ant Little Musgrove was no more.
18. She lifted op his dying head
An' kissed him frae cheek to chin,
"I'd rather ha' thee, O Little Musgrove,
Than Lord Barnswell an' at his kin."
19. He's turned himsel' roun' tae his fair ladye
An' stabbed her tae the heart.
"Since in this life ye've lovers been,
In death ye sall not part.
"Go bury these twa lovers in ae grave,
Go bury them kith an' kin;
But put my ladye on the top,
She's of a nobler kin."
This text is of very recent introduction into this country, Mrs. McGill having come to America only about seventeen years ago. It is valuable as showing the Scotch tradition, the more so as Gavin Greig does not report '(Little Musgrave" as being found at all in the northeast of Scotland. Mrs. McGill came from Galloway in the southwestern part.