Lord Leven- Richardson (WV) pre1925 Cox B
[From Folk-Songs of the South by John Harrington Cox; 1925. His notes follow.
R. Matteson 2012, 2014]
12. LORD LOVEL (Child, No. 75)
Five variants have been recovered, under the titles: "Lord Lovel," "Lord Lover," and "Lord Leven." They are all to be classed with Child H. A is practically identical with Child H to the end of the seventh stanza. Stanza 8 is made up of verses 1 and 2 of Child 8, and 3 and 4 of Child H 9. Stanza 9 is the same as Child H 10. In additions and corrections to "Lord Lovel" Mr. Child has the following: "211 H. I have received a copy recited by a lady in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which was evidently derived from print, and differs but slightly from a, omitting 8 3,4, 9 1,2 ." It would seem that the Massachusetts version and West Virginia A are identical.
B is the same as Child H stanza for stanza, but the phraseology is not quite so close as is that of West Virginia A. C, more or less fragmentary, does not differ materially from A and B. Stanza D 4 is not found in Child H. Cf. Child C 4. E shows some likenesses to Child D. The name "Lady Ouncebell" is found in this form in Child A 1.
For American texts see Journal, xvni, 291 (Barry; Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island); xrx, 283 (Belden; Kentucky, Missouri); Shoemaker, p. 124 (Pennsylvania); McGill, p. 9 (Kentucky); Focus, iv, 215 (Virginia); Campbell and Sharp, No. 18 (North Carolina) ; Clifton Johnson, What They Say in New England, p. 225; Pound, No. 2 (Illinois, Wyoming); Ralph, Harper's Monthly Magazine, July, 1903, cvn, 272; Minish MS. (North Carolina). Cf. Barry, No. 14; Belden, No. 6; Shearin and Combs, p. 8; Pound, p. 9; Bulletin, Nos. 2-10; Reed Smith, Journal, xxvin, 199.
No old ballad has oftener been printed in American song-books and broadsides. See references, which could be indefinitely extended, in Journal, xxix, 160, note 1. It has sometimes been sung as a comic ditty: see, for example, Bob Smith's Clown Song Book, p. 51 ("as sung by Bob Smith"). A satirical parody beginning "Lord Lovell he sat in St. Charles's Hotel," was popular in the sixties and has often been printed (for example, in Tony Pastor's New Union Song Book, cop. 1862, p. 66, " The New Ballad of Lord Lovell " in Frank Moore's Songs of the Soldiers [New York, 1864], p. 174; and in R. G. White's Poetry, Lyrical, Narrative, and Satirical of the Civil War [New York, 1866], p. 115); Belden has found it in Missouri (No. 128). Another, called "Ye Ballade of Mans. Lovell," is in Frank Moore's Personal and Political Ballads (New York, 1864), p. 321. A Confederate parody, " Where are you going, Abe Lincoln? " is printed in Allan's Lone Star Ballads (Galveston, 1874), p. 31. For a recent parody see Carolyn Wells, A Parody Anthology, p. 326.
B. "Lord Leven." Communicated by Mrs. Hilary G. Richardson, Clarksburg, Harrison County, who obtained it from Mrs. Nancy McDonald McAtee.
1. Lady Nancy Belle was standing in her door,
And who should she spy
But Lord Leven,
A-dressing up his milk-white steed.
2 " Where are you going, Lord Leven?" she said,
"O where are you going from me?"
"I am a-going, Lady Nancy Belle,
Strange countries for to see."
3 "How long will you be gone, Lord Leven?" she said,
"How long will you be gone from me?"
"Twelve months and a day, Lady Nancy Belle,
And then I'll return to thee."
4 "That's too long, Lord Leven," she said,
"Too long to be gone from me;
You'll soon forget Lady Nancy Belle
And take up with some other ladie."
5. . . . .
. . . . .
He put his foot in his right stirrup,
And merrily rode away.
6. He had not rode not many miles,
Not over two or three,
Till a ring busted off his little finger,
And his nose began to bleed.
7. . . . . .
. . . . . .
"I'll turn myself back home again,
Lady Nancy Belle I'll see."
8 He had not rode not half way home again,
Till he heard the noise of the church-bell ring,
And the ladies come mourning thereby.
9 "O who is sick, or who is dead,
I pray you will me tell."
"It 's a fine young lady," some answered and said,
"And her name it is Nancy Belle."
10. Nancy Belle died this one glad day,
Lord Leven died to-morrow;
Nancy Belle died for the loss of her dear,
Lord Leven died for sorrow.
11. Lady Nancy was buried in the green church yard,
Lord Leven was buried close by;
From her breast grew a red, red rose,
From his 'n grew a brier.
They grew till they come to the top of the church,
And they could not grow no higher.