Lord Banner- Libby (ME) 1929 Barry I
[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.
R. Matteson 2015]
I. "Lord Banner." Text sent in by the kindness of Mr. D. A. Nesbitt, St. Stephen, New Brunswick, as written down, March, 1929, by Mrs.David J. Libby. Melody recorded by Mr. Nesbitt.
1. Four and twenty gay ladies,
Obeying at a ball,
Lord Banner's lady she was there,
The gayest of them all,
And Young Magrue from Scotland too,
As bright as the rising sun;
He looked at her, she winked at him,
The likes was never known.
3. "Oh, will you take a ride with me,
Oh, will you take a ride?
You will have servants to wait on you
And a fair lady by your side."
"To take a ride I dare not do it,
Oh, not for all my life;
For by the ring you wear on your finger
You are Lord Banner's wife."
5. "Oh, what if I am Lord Banner's wife,
Sure he is not at home;
He has gone to fair England
To take King Henry's throne."
One of his foot-pages standing near
Heard what had been said and done.
He said, "My master shall have the news
Before the rising sun."
7. He ran till he came to the river's side,
There he jumped in and he swam,
He swam till he came to the other side,
He took to his heels and he run.
He ran till he came to the cottage door,
He rapped both loud and shrill;-
There is none so ready as Lord Banner
To let this fair page in.
9. Saying, "Is there any of my castles down,
Or any of my towers three,
Or has there anything happen-ed
To my fair Lady?"
"Oh, no, there's none of your castles down,
Or none of your towers three,
But young Magrue from Scotland
Is in bed with your fair Lady."
11. "If that is a lie you tell to me,
As I suppose it to be,
I will rig a gallows
And hang-ed you shall be."
"If this be a lie I tell to you,
As you suppose it to be,
You need not rig any gallows,
You can hang me on a tree."
13. Then he called down his Army Men,
By one, by two, by three,
Saying, "We will go over to fair Scotland
Those fancies for to see."
"Oh, what is that," said young Magrue
"That sounds so loud in my ear?
It is Lord Banner's bugle
That sounds so loud and clear."
15. "Lay down, lay down and keep me warm,
Pray keep me from the cold;
It is Lord Banner's shepherd boy
Driving the sheep to the fold."
He huddled her and he cuddled her
And they both fell fast asleep,
And early the next morning
Lord Banner stood at their feet.
17. Saying: "How do you like my blankets fine,
And how do you like my sheets,
And how do you like my false lady
That lays in your arms and sleeps?"
"It's well I like your blankets fine,
And well I like your sheets,
But best of all your fair lady
That lays in my arms and sleeps."
19. "Rise up, rise up and put on your clothes
As quick as ever you can,
For they never shall say in fair Scotland
I fought with a naked man."
"To put on my clothes I dare not do it,
Not for all my life;
For by your side you have two broadswords
And I not a single knife."
21. "If by my side I have two broadswords,
They cost me deep in purse,
But you may take the best one
And I will take the worst;
And you may strike the very first blow
And strike it like a man,
And I will strike the second
And kill you if I can."
23. Magrue he struck the very first blow,
He wounded Lord Banner sore;
Lord Banner struck the second
And left him in his gore.
He caught his fair lady by the waist,
He gave her kisses three,
Saying, "Which of us do you like the best,
Young Magrue or me?"
25 "It's well I like your rosy cheeks
And your dimpled chin;
Far better I like young Magrue
Than you or any of your kin."
He caught her by the hair of the head,
He split her brains in twain,
He threw her on the floor
Where she never rose again.
27 He put the hilt of the sword
Unto the floor, the point was to his breast;
There never was three lovers
So quickly sent to their rest.
The original manuscript is written in ink. On it stanza 26 has been partly crossed off and this, in pencil, apparently in Mr. Nesbitt's hand, is added:
He caught her by the lily-white hand
And threw her on the floor,
And with his sword dashed out her brains,
Lord Banner was no more.
on the back of the sheet has been written and afterward crossed out:
They dug their graves both long and wide
And layed them side by side.
It is possible that Mrs. Libby had heard the close sung in two ways and was not sure which was preferable. One might suppose, from the apparent evidence of the air, which is in double measure' that there should have been four more lines to the last stanza. On the other hand, the text of "Willie of Hazel Green" (see page 371), is apparently similarly defective, though obviously complete, as far as the story of the ballad is concerned. In the case of this text, as with Mrs. Libby's "Lord Banner," there is no difficulty in singing a four-line stanza lo the first half of the melody, for the reason that in each of the respective airs, the second phrase ends with a full cadence, thus giving complete melodic satisfaction.