Matthy Groves- Snow (NL) 1929 Karpeles B
[From Folk Songs from Newfoundland; Karpeles 1934. The opening stanza has the names confused then skips to the page (post boy) reporting to Lord Dannel.
R. Matteson 2015]
B. MATTHY GROVES --Sung by Mr. William Snow at Harbour Grace, 12th October 1929. He learned it from an English sailor on the Labrador.
It being of a day and a noble day,
The very best day in the year,
Young Matthy Groves to the play-house went
Some funny words to hear,
O some funny words to hear.
Some were dressed in robes of satin
And more were dressed in silk
And who should come in but Lord Allen's wife
And her skin as white as milk.
She look-ed up and she look-ed down,
And who should she spy
But this very night young Matthy Groves
In bed with me must lie.
He said: I would not, nor I cannot,
Nor I would not for my life,
For by the ring that's on your finger
You are Lord Allen's wife.
She said: If I am Lord Allen's wife,
What is that to thee?
For Lord Allen is gone to Newcastle
King Henry for to see.
The little foot-page was standing by,
He took to his heels and run,
And when he got to the riverside
He fell to his breast and swum.
He swum till he come to King Henry's door,
And he knocked so loud at the ring,
And nobody so ready as Lord Allen himself
For to let that foot-page in.
Is there any of my castles fallen down,
Or any of my towers won,
Or is my fair lady put to bed
With a daughter or a son?
There's none of your castles fallen down,
Nor none of your towers won,
But this very night young Matthy Groves
In bed with your lady's come.
He called up all his merry men
And placed them in a row,
And he ordered not one word to be spoken
Nor neither a horn to blow.
But one of his merry men
To gain his mistress's will,
He put a horn all to his mouth
And he blowed both loud and shrill.
I think I hear Lord Allen's horn,
And I think I hear him say:
A man is in bed with another man's wife
And it's time to be jogging away.
You do not hear Lord Allen's horn
Nor you do not hear him say:
A man is in bed with another man's wife.
You can sleep till the break of day.
Come huddle me, come cuddle me,
And keep me from the cold,
For it is like father's shepherd's boy
A-putting his sheep in fold.
He huddled her, he cuddled her,
Till they both fell fast asleep,
And when they woke to her surprise
Lord Allen stood at their feet.
Then how do you like my bed, he said,
And how do you like my sheet,
And how do you like my fair lady
Lies in your arms to sleep?
Very well I like your bed, he said,
But better I like your sheet,
And better I like your fair lady
Lies in my arms to sleep.
Then rise, O rise, young Matthy Groves,
And some of your clothes put on,
For it'll never be said when I am dead
I killed a naked man.
I would not, nor I cannot,
Nor I would not for my life,
For you got two swords by your side
And I got ne'er a knife.
If I got two swords by my side
I paid for them in my purse,
Then you can take the best of them
And I will take the worst.
You can take the very first blow,
And I will take the other;
And what fairer could Lord Allen say,
If you do not he would burn both.
The very first stroke young Matthy he made,
He wounded Lord Allen sore;
The very next stroke Lord Allen made,
Young Groves he was no more.
Then he called up his fair lady,
And daddled her on his knee,
Saying: You choose, you choose, my fair lady,
Between young Groves and me.
Then well I like your lips,
But better I like your chin,
But better I like you in the bed
Than all your chief or king.
The bells did ring, the birds did sing,
. . . .
Lord Allen killed his wife today
And he will be hanged tomorrow.