New Ballad (Sweet Sally)- Adams (NC) 1824 Brown A
[From: Brown Collection of NC Folklore; Volume 2; The title could be Sweet Sally. This manuscript (which can be viewed on-line) has been edited so that it may be sung. There are only three stanzas that changes needed to be made and stanza 2 was not remembered and could not possibly fit with all the adjectives. I've based my changes on a similar text from a similar period- the 1823 Green Mountain Songster version.
The original text is below my edited version. The Brown Collection editor didn't try to edit it, but it took me just a minute or two.
R. Matteson 2014]
90. A Brave Irish Lady [Titled after Belden 1940]
For the relation of this ballad to Child 295, 'The Brown Girl,' and for its occurrence in other collections, see BSM 111-12, and add to the references there given Virginia (FSV 44-5), Tennessee (JAFL XLV 53-4), North Carolina (FSRA 74-5), Florida (FSF 330), Arkansas (OFS i 209), Missouri (OFS I 205-8, 209-12), Indiana (BSI 164-5), Michigan (BSSM 250-1), and Wisconsin (JAFL LII 12-13). The lady is not always Irish, and even when she is she sometimes comes from London. The ballad appears to have been widely known in this country since early in the last century; the text reported from Vermont is from a local songbook [Green Mountain Songster] of 1823, and the first of our North Carolina texts is from a manuscript of about the same date. Stall texts (e.g., that in the Brown University Library, reprinted in BBM) sometimes end happily with the man relenting, but more commonly the story ends with the death of the lovesick lady. Besides the three here described our collection has another version, without indication of source, date, or place.
A. 'New Ballad.' [Sweet Sally] From the Adams manuscript, now in the possession of W. Amos Abrams. This manuscript hook, made in 1824-25 by Moses Adams of DeHart, Wilkes county, came down through four generations of the Adams family before it reached the hands of Professor Abrams. Most of the items in the manuscript are of the pious type and will appear later in the present volumes. The sheets are worn and some times scarcely legible. It seems best to print it here as it stands in the manuscript, so far as that can be made out.
1 An Irish lady from London she came
A beautiful creature Sweet Sally by name
Her riches were more than the King could possess
And beauty was more that her wealth at her best. [1]
2 There was a young lord, one night he did steer,
To court this lady worth more than 30 thousand a year; [2]
Her beauty so lofty her portion so high,
That on this young man she could scarce fix an eye.
3 O Sally O Sally and Sally said he,
I'm afraid your love and my love will never agree;
Without your hatred I should
I'm afraid that your beauty will be my ruin
4 I have no hatred nor to no other man
But as for to love you, it is more then I can
So you may entirely end your discourse
I never will wed the unless I am forced.
5 Twenty four weeks is scarce come and past
This beautiful creature has took sick at last
She laughed in love and she new not fore why
And sent for this young man she once did deny
6 "Am I the doctor you sent for me here
Or am I the young man you love now so dear?"
"Yes, you are the doctor can kill or can cure
And without your assistance I am ruin'd I am sure."
7 "O Sally O Sally and Sally said he
Don't you remember when I courted thee;
When I courted you, you deny'd me in scorn
And now I will reward thee for what past and gone."
8 For what's past and gone forget and forgive,
And grant me some more longer time for to live
no that I want Sally while I do draw breath
For I will dance on your grave whilst you lie in the earth.
9 Then of her fingers she pull'd diamonds rings three
Here take these love and wear them while dancing on me
For I freely all forgive you although you won't me
Ten thousand time over my folly I see.
10. So fare you well pappy and all pappy's friends
So fare you well loving sweetheart, God make amends; [3]
I freely forgive all, though you won't me
So farewell to this world, it is all vanity.
1 And her beauty was more than her riches at best. (Green Mountain Songster 1823)
2. This stanza is too confused and too long be edited; instead I've changed it using GMS- 1823. The "wealthy" or "rich merchant" is found in another old NC version- Sally the Queen:
There was a young man
A rich merchant's son
He courted a fair damsel
Worth five hundred tons.
3. It's clear that this is what was intended- GMS 1823.
Original text:
1 An Irish lady from London I came
A beautifull creature sweet Sally by name
her riches were more than the King could possess
And Beauty was her welth at her best
2 to court
ter welthy young merchant
income is more than 30 thousand a yere fortion
her beauty so laufty her portion so high
on this young man she fix
3 O sally O sally & Sally said he
Im afraid your love & my love will never agre
Without your hatred I should
I'm afraid that your beauty will be my Ruin
4 I have no hatred nor no other man
But as for to love you, it is more then I can
So you may intirely end your discourse
I never will wed the without I am forst
5 Twenty four weeks is scarst come & past
This beautifull creature has took sick at last
She laughed in love & she new not fore why
And sent for this young man she once did deny
6 Am I the doctor you sent for me hier
Or am I the young man you love now so dear
Yes you are the doctor can kill or can dure
And without your assistance I am ruin'd I am shure
7 O sally O sally & sally sd he
Dont you remember when I corted the
When I courted you you deny'd me in scorn
And now I will reward the for what past & gone
8 For what past and gone forgit and forgive
And grant me some more longer time for to live
no that I want Sally whili.st I do draw breath
For I will dance on your grave whilist you lie in earth
9 Then of her fingers pull'd dimonds rings three
Here take these love and ware them while dancing on me
For I freely all forgive you all tho you wont me
Ten thousand time over my folly I se
10 So fare you well papy and all papys friends
So far you well loving sweetheart god[?J in you a
I freely all forgive all tho you wont me
So farewell to this world it is all vanity