Lord Lovel- Niles (KY) c.1915 Niles
[From The ballad Book of John Jacob Niles; 1961. This learned as a child by John Jacob Niles (April 28, 1892—March 1, 1980); I assume from his father. In his biography, I Wonder as I Wander: The Life of John Jacob Niles, Ronald Pen confirms this and dates it 1915-1917. A line of Niles notes follows.
As usual, this version smacks of being reworked.
R. Matteson 2014]
The ballad of "Lord Lovel," the third in the tragic trilogy, presents the legend of a weakling member of the nobility who suffered from an Englishman's usual desire to see far places.
Lord Lovel (Niles No. 30); learned from his father before 1917.
1. Lord Lovel he stood in his stable door,
A-combing his milk-white steed,
When down came Lady Douncebell,
A-wishing her lover goodspeed,
A-wiching her lover goodspeed.
2. "Oh, it's where be ye going, Lord Lovel?" she cried.
I pray ye, do tell me."
"I'm a-going to ride my milk-white steed
And look at some far country."
(repeat last line of each verse)
3. He had not been in that far country
Above a year and a day,
When he thought and he thought of Douncebell,
And the thought won't go away.
4. He mounted up his milk-white steed,
And he rode to London town.
And there the bells in the high chapel rang,
And the people sat mourning around.
5. "Who's dead, who's dead, who's dead?" cried he.
"Is it someone dear to me?"
" 'Tis Douncebell, who loved you well,
And called herself your Nancy.
6. "Go open her coffin, open it wide,
And turn the winding sheet down,
And let him kiss her cold, cold lips,
And see the tears twinkling down."
7. Lord Lovel was buried in the chancel church,
Douncebell lay in the choir,
And out of her grave grew a sweet, sweet rose,
And out of his grave a briar.
8. The rose and briar grew and grew,
And was known in village and town,
And would be growing unto this day,
But the sexton come cut them down.