Recordings & Info 81: Little Musgrave & Lady Barnard (Matty Groves)
CONTENTS:
1) Alternative Titles
2) Traditional Ballad Index
3) Folk Index
4) Child Collection Index
5) Excerpt from The British Traditional Ballad in North America by Tristram Coffin 1950, from the section A Critical Biographical Study of the Traditional Ballads of North America
6) Wiki
7) Mainly Norfolk (lyrics and info)
8) Second hand songs
9) Britten, Benjamin: The Ballad of Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard (1943)
ATTACHED PAGES: (see left hand column)
1) Roud No. 52: Little Musgrave & Lady Barnard (251 Listings)
Alternative Titles
Matty Groves
Matty Grove
Little Mattie Groves
Little Mathey Groves
Mathie Groves
Lord Barnard
Lord Arnold's Wife
Lord Daniel's Wife
Little Mathigrew
Lord Donald
Lord Banner
Lord Daniel
Lord Darnell
Lord Darnold
Lord Valley
Lord Vanover
Lord Arnold (Banner, Daniel, Donald, Orland, Vanner)'s Wife
Little (Young) Matthew (Mathy, Matha, Matly, Mose) Grove(s)
Little Mosie Grove (Grew)
Little Musgrave and Lady Barnswell
The Red Rover
Traditional Ballad Index: Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard [Child 81]
DESCRIPTION: (Lady Barnard), left alone at home by her lord, convinces (Little Musgrave) to sleep with her. Her husband returns unlooked-for, and finds Musgrave in bed with his wife. Lord Barnard slays Musgrave in a duel, and then kills his wife
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1611 (Beaumont & Fletcher)
KEYWORDS: adultery death
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland,England) Ireland US(Ap,MA,MW,NE,SE,So,SW) Canada(Mar,Newf) Jamaica St Croix, St Vincent
REFERENCES (56 citations):
Child 81, "Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard" (15 texts)
Bronson 81, "Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard" (74 versions+1 in addenda)
Lyle-Crawfurd1 75, "Mossgrove" (1 text)
Lyle-Crawfurd2 107, "Wee Mess Grove" (1 text)
GlenbuchatBallads, pp. 50-53, "Moncey Grey" (1 text)
Dixon III, pp. 21-29, "Lord Burnett and Little Munsgrove" (1 text)
BarryEckstormSmyth pp. 150-194, "" (11 texts plus a collation, a fragment, and a text not from Maine, several of these being variants on versions learned from the same source; 8 tunes from Maine plus one from elsewhere; also extensive notes on version classification) {Ab=Bronson's #70, B=#59, Db=#21, E [Yankee Doodle]=#73, Gb=#60, H [The Little Red Lark] = #71, I=#66; the non-Maine tune is #13}
Percy/Wheatley III, pp. 68-74, "Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard" (1 text)
Belden, pp. 57-60, "Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard" (1 text, 1 tune) {Bronson's #13}
Randolph 20, "Little Mathy Groves" (1 short text plus 2 fragments, 2 tunes) {A=Bronson's #58, C=#12}
Eddy 15, "Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard" (1 text, 1 tune) {Bronson's #40}
Gardner/Chickering 7, "Lord Valley" (1 text, 1 tune) {Bronson's #28}
Flanders-Ancient2, pp. 195-237, "Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard" (10 texts, 7 tunes) {A=Bronson's #46, F=#65, J=#68}
Flanders/Olney, pp. 86-91, "Lord Arnold" (1 text, 1 tune) {Bronson's #46}
Davis-Ballads 23, "Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard" (6 texts, 1 tune entitled "Lord Daniel's Wife"; 1 more version mentioned in Appendix A) {Bronson's #72}
Davis-More 24, pp. 170-181, "Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard" (3 texts, 2 tunes)
BrownII 26, "Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard" (3 texts plus 2 excerpts)
Chappell-FSRA 12, "Little Matthew Groves" (1 text)
Cambiaire, pp. 50-54, "Lord Daniel" (1 text)
MHenry-Appalachians, pp. 65-68, "Matha Grove" (1 text)
Boswell/Wolfe 7, pp. 15-18, "Little Matty Grove" (1 text, 1 tune)
Scarborough-SongCatcher, pp. 143-149, colectively "Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard," with individual texts "Little Mose Grove," "Lord Donald's Wife" (2 texts plus 2 excerpts; 1 tune on p. 400) {Bronson's #36}
Ritchie-Southern, pp. 30-32, "The Lyttle Musgrave" (1 text, 1 tune)
SharpAp 23 "Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard" (10 texts plus 7 fragments, 17 tunes){Bronson's #16, #18, #22, #9, #17, #11, #19, #20, #37, #27, #14, #29, #42, #43, #48, #38, #10}
Sharp/Karpeles-80E 18, "Matthy Groves (Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard)" (1 text, 1 tune -- a composite version) {Bronson's #17}
Creighton/Senior, pp. 43-49, "Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard" (2 texts, 2 tunes) {Bronson's #2, #23}
Creighton-Maritime, pp. 11-13, "Lord Arnold" (1 text, 1 tune)
Creighton-NovaScotia 5, "Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard" (1 fragment, called "Little Matha Grove" by the singer, 1 tune) {Bronson's #47}
Peacock, pp. 613-616, "Lord Donald" (1 text, 2 tunes)
Karpeles-Newfoundland 11, "Matthy Groves" (2 texts, 2 tunes)
Mackenzie 8, "Little Matha Grove" (5 texts, 1 tune) {Bronson's #3}
Manny/Wilson 54, "Little Moscrow" (1 text, 1 tune)
Leach, pp. 265-273, "Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard" (3 texts)
Leach-Labrador 5, "Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard" (1 text, 1 tune)
OBB 50, "Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard" (1 text)
Friedman, p. 186, "Little Musgrave and the Lady Barnard" (1 text+2 fragments)
Wyman-Brockway II, p. 22, "Little Matthew Grove (or, Lord Daniel's Wife)"; p. 62, "Lord Orland's Wife (or, Little Matthew Grew)" (2 texts, 2 tunes) {p. 22=Bronson's #51; p. 62=#6?}
Fuson, pp. 52-55, "Little Musgrove and Lady Barnard" (1 text)
Warner 78, "Mathy Grove" (1 text, 1 tune)
PBB 36, "Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard" (1 text)
McNeil-SFB1, pp.119-122, "Little Massie Grove' (1 text, 1 tune)
Niles 34, "Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard" (2 texts, 1 tune)
Lomax-FSNA 164, "Little Matthy Groves" (1 text, 1 tune) {Bronson's #13}
Gummere, pp. 337-340, "Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard" (1 text, printed in the notes to "Lord Randal")
Ritchie-SingFam, pp. 123-127, "[Lyttle Musgrave]" (1 text, 1 tune) {Bronson's #15}
Hodgart, p. 60, "Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard" (1 text)
TBB 17, "Little Musgrave" (1 text)
Abrahams/Foss, pp. 105-108, "Matha Grove" (1 text, 1 tune) {Bronson's #2}
LPound-ABS, 15, pp. 37-39, "Little Matty Groves" (1 text)
JHCox 15, "Little Musgrave and Lary Barnard" (1 text)
Darling-NAS, pp. 47-50, "Lord Darnell" (1 text)
Silber-FSWB, p. 226, "Matty Groves" (1 text)
BBI, ZN286, "As it befell on a high Holyday"
DT 81, MATTIEGR* MATTIEG2*
ADDITIONAL: Roger D Abrahams, "Child Ballads in the West Indies: Familiar Fabulations, Creole Performances" in Journal of Folklore Research, Vol. XXIV, No. 2 (May-Aug 1987 (available online by JSTOR)), pp. 120-126, "Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard" (3 texts)
Martha W Beckwith, "The English Ballad in Jamaica: a Note Upon the Origin of the Ballad Form" in Publications of the Modern Language Association [PMLA], Vol. XXXIXI, No. 2 (Jun 1924 (available online by JSTOR)), #1-#3 pp. 470-473, 480, "Little Musgrove" (3 texts, 2 tunes)
ST C081 (Full)
Roud #52
RECORDINGS:
Blinky (Sylvester McIntosh) and the Roadmasters, "Matty Gru" (on VIBlinky01)
Dillard Chandler, "Mathie Groves" (on OldLove)
Green Maggard, "Lord Daniel" (AFS, 1934; on KMM)
Jean Ritchie, "Little Musgrave" (on JRitchie02)
Mrs. Thomas Walters, "Lord Donald" (on PeacockCDROM) [one verse only]
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Wood 401(91), "The Little Mousgrove, and the Lady Barnet," F. Coles (London), 1658-1664; also Douce Ballads 1(115b), Firth b.19(13)[many words illegible], "[The] Little Musgrove, and the Lady Barnet"
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "The Bonny Birdy" [Child 82] (plot)
cf. "Run Mountain" (words)
ALTERNATE TITLES:
Matty Groves
Matty Grove
Little Mattie Groves
Little Mathey Groves
Mathie Groves
Lord Barnard
Lord Arnold's Wife
Lord Daniel's Wife
Little Mathigrew
Lord Donald
NOTES: A fragment of this ballad is found in John Fletcher and Francis Beaumont's 1611 play "The Knight of the Burning Pestle," Act V, scene iii (Wine, p. 376):
And some they whistled, and some they sung,
"Hey, down, down!"
And some did loudly say,
Ever as the Lord Barnet's horn blew,
"Away, Musgrave, away!"
Chambers, p. 163, also mentions that a song of this title was entered into the Stationer's Register in 1630, so it was apparently well-known in the early seventeenth century.
Simon Fury makes an interesting note about the names. In a post to the Ballad-L mailing list, he observes, "I think it likely that the idea of 'Little Musgrave' as being a small person is just a mis-association of part of a place name to a personal attibute. Little Musgrave and Great Musgrave both still exist in Cumbria, in what used to be Westmorland... and are about 20 miles from Barnard Castle in County Durham. So what we have in the song IMHO is a simple bit of hanky-panky between the wife of the lord of Barnard Castle (the ancient seat of the de Balliol family) and a landowner in Little Musgrave.... In other words, the standard stuff of border ballad plots."
There is a somewhat interesting twist in several of the versions. Usually the song says that the wife loves Musgrave/Mattie more than her Lord and all his kin -- but in both of Scarborough's texts and in Creighton and Barry/Eckstorm/Smythe, p. 164 and a version from Sharp (Bronson's #42) and another from Karpeles (Bronson's #56) she loves his finger, and in Creighton/Senior #1 his tongue. Maybe it just strengthens the comparison -- but they're interesting body parts to care for; maybe there was more going on in that bedroom than we thought.
It also occurs to me that there is a certain similarity in this tale to "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight." Not in plot, really, but in incident. Note that Lord Barnard kills Little Musgrave in a formal contest in which Musgrave is granted the first blow. This is obviously a variant on the Beheading Game of "Sir Gawain" -- though in fact the contest is older; the first instance of the Beheading Game appears to have been the Irish prose saga of "Fled Bricrend," "Bricriu's Feast" (cf. Tolkien/Gordon, p. xv); in this, Cuchulainn twice wins the Beheading Game (and others dodge the challenge -- O hOgain, p. 49).
The idea of surviving the Beheading Game might be inspired by the legend of St. Denis of France, who carried off his head after being beheaded; Benet, p. 969. Or, closer to England, there is the story of St. Nectan of Wales, who in the sixth century was killed and beheaded by robbers and supposedly carried his head to the well where he is buried; Kerr, p. 74) There is also a sort of a variant in Blind Harry's "Life of Wallace," in which Wallace cuts off the traitor Fawdoun's head, and Fawdoun returns to him carrying the head. This even has Fawdoun announce his presence by sounding a horn (Garnett/Gosse. volume I, p. 293.
But "Sir Gawain" adds to this the temptation of Gawain by a lady while her husband is out hunting. One might say that "Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard" is "Sir Gawain" if Gawain had given in to temptation.
Not that there is much likelihood of literary dependence; "Sir Gawain" was effectively lost (only one copy is extant, although there is a rougher parallel, "The Green Knight," in the Percy folio), and the tale seems to come from a region not associated with the main versions of "Little Musgrave." But there are a number of romances (listed in Tolkien/Gordon, pp. xvi-xvii) which are similar to "Sir Gawain" though weaker. Most of these are French, but they might have inspired the story.
The other thing it reminds us of is the idea of "trial by combat," which according to Benet, p. 1181 (under the title "wager of battle") goes back to "early Teutonic times," and was incorporated into English law by William the Conqueror, not being formally repealed until 1818.
Of course, there is an important footnote here: Three people ended up in Lord Barnard's bedroom: Barnard, his wife, and Musgrave. Only Barnard came out alive. Thus every detail must have been attested by Barnard. We could not know if there was actually a contest of blows, or what Lady Barnard said; it's perfectly possible, e.g., that Barnard struck Musgrave without warning, and that Musgrave inflicted Barnard's wound after he was himself struck. Or -- well, I leave the rest as an exercise for the reader, until someone comes up with an actual incident that might be the basis for the song. - RBW
Mary Jane Soule in the liner notes to VIBlinky01: "'Matty Gru' exhorts a young man to leave the bedroom of a married lady. (Although the need for such advice is not outside the realm of possibility in St Croix, the song actually derives from a British folk drama known locally as the King George play.)" (See VIZoop01. The CD and liner notes by Mary Jane Soule give the background of scratch bands, a little on Matty Gru -- included as an instrumental -- and a selection from a "King George play.") A version of Matty Gru is in the Supplemental Traditional Text File.
The insertion of the sex theme of Matty Gru into the St/King George play is not as much a reach as might seem. See the discussion of the St George play for "Sweet Moll."
The St Croix and St Vincent versions are similar -- sharing a verse -- though the Crucian version is connected with the St/King George mummers' play and the St Vincent version is connected with wakes. The Jamaica versions, like the St Vincent version, mix prose and song, but the story line is closer to the usual Child 81 plot. In all versions a parrot - not in other versions of Child 81 - is a central character. Beckwith notes, "The theme of the messenger bird who reveals crime appears in all collections of African texts and is closely bound up with the idea that the spirit of the dead takes the form of a bird in order to protect the innocent or avenge itself upon the guilty here on earth." So, for example, Jekyll reports a Jamaican version of "The Twa Sisters" in which the crime is revealed by a parrot rather than by a fiddle created from the victim's bones (See Walter Jekyll, C.S. Meyers and Lucy E Broadwood, Jamaican Song and Story (London, 1907 ("Digitized by Google")) #3 pp. 14-15, "King Daniel"). - BS
Bibliography
Benet: William Rose Benet, editor, The Reader's Encyclopdedia, first edition, 1948 (I use the four-volume Crowell edition but usually check it against the single volume fourth edition edited by Bruce Murphy and published 1996 by Harper-Collins)
Chambers: E. K. Chambers, English Literature at the Close of the Middle Ages, Oxford, 1945, 1947
Garnett/Gosse: Richard Garnett and Edmund Gosse, English Literature: An Illustrated Record four volumes, MacMillan, 1903-1904 (I used the 1935 edition published in two volumes)
Kerr: Nigel and Mary Kerr, A Guide to Medieval Sites in Britain, Diamond Books, 1988
O hOgain: Daithi O hOgain, The Lore of Ireland, Boydell Press, 2006
Tolkien/Gordon: J. R. R. Tolkien and E. V. Gordon, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, second edition revised and edited by Norman Davis, Oxford, 1967
Wine: M. L. Wine, editor, Drama of the English Renaissance, Modern Library, 1969
Folk Index: Matty/Matthy/Matha Groves [Ch 81/Sh 23]
Rt - Down Came a Lady ; Fair Margaret and Sweet William
At - Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard
Rm - Tribulation
Abrahams, Roger; & George Foss / Anglo-American Folksong Style, Prentice-Hall, Sof (1968), 6-5
Friedman, Albert B. (ed.) / Viking Book of Folk Ballads of the English-S, Viking, sof (1963/1957), p187 [1658c] (Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard)
Lloyd, A. L. & Isabel Arete de Ramon y Rivera (eds.) / Folk Songs of the, Oak, Sof (1966), # 26 (Little Matty/Massie/Mathy Groves)
Lomax, Alan / Folk Songs of North America, Doubleday Dolphin, Sof (1975/1960), p316/#164 (Little Matty/Massie/Mathy Groves)
Leach, MacEdward / The Ballad Book, Harper & Row, Bk (1955), p265 [1658] (Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard)
Leach, MacEdward / The Ballad Book, Harper & Row, Bk (1955), p269 (Little Matty/Massie/Mathy Groves)
Leach, MacEdward / The Ballad Book, Harper & Row, Bk (1955), p271 (Lord Banner)
Leach, MacEdward / The Heritage Book of Ballads, Heritage, Bk (1967), p111 (Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard)
Armstrong, Frankie. Songs and Ballads, Antilles AN 7021, LP (1976), trk# B.03 (Little Musgrave)
Baez, Joan. Joan Baez in Concert, Vanguard VRS 9112, LP (1962), trk# B.06
Baez, Joan. Siegmeister, Elie (arr.) / Joan Baez Song Book, Ryerson Music, Sof (1971/1964), p 68
Banish Misfortune. Through the Hourglass, Kicking Mule KM 319, LP (1985), trk# A.01a (Little Matty/Massie/Mathy Groves)
Baring, Catherine. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume I, British Ballads and Songs, Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p124/# 20A [1933/06/24] (Little Matty/Massie/Ma
Beers Family. Introducing the Beers Family, Columbia MS 6705, LP (1965), trk# B.07
Blake, Norman and Nancy. Just Gimme Something I'm Use To, Shanachie 6001, Cas (1992), trk# 14 (Little Matty/Massie/Mathy Groves)
Brewer, Laura. Sharp & Karpeles / English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, I, Oxford, Bk (1932/1917), p170/# 23G [1909] (Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard)
Clayton, Paul. Dulcimer Songs and Solos, Folkways FG 3571, LP (1962), trk# 17 (Massy Groves)
Coates, Mrs. J. (Gabriel). Sharp & Karpeles / English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, I, Oxford, Bk (1932/1917), p172/# 23H [1917/09/01] (Little Musgrave and Lady
Creech, Mrs. Berry. Sharp & Karpeles / English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, I, Oxford, Bk (1932/1917), p181/# 23N [1917/05/29] (Little Musgrave and Lady Barnar
Fairport Convention. Liege and Lief, Polydor 2310-019, LP (1969), trk# 3
Fairport Convention. Fairport Convention Chronicles, Island 982 255-7, CD (2005), trk# 1.15
Ford, Carrie. Sharp & Karpeles / English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, I, Oxford, Bk (1932/1917), p168/# 23F [1916/09/18] (Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard)
Gentry, Jane Hicks. Pound, Louise (ed.) / American Ballads and Songs, Scribner, Sof (1972/1922), p 37/# 15 [1916] (Little Matty/Massie/Mathy Groves)
Gentry, Jane Hicks. Sharp & Karpeles / English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, I, Oxford, Bk (1932/1917), p162/# 23B [1916/08/24] (Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard
Gentry, Jane Hicks. Smith, Betty N. / Jane Hicks Gentry. A Singer Among Singers, U. Ky, Sof (1998), p151/#11 [1916/08/24] (Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard)
Gentry, Sam. Niles, John Jacob / Ballad Book of John Jacob Niles, Bramhall House, Bk (1961), p193/N 34A [1934/08] (Little Matty/Massie/Mathy Groves)
Gibson, Bob. I Come for to Sing, Riverside RLP 12-806, LP (1957), trk# B.04
Ginandes, Shep. Sings Folk Songs, Elektra EKL 133, LP (1958), trk# 6
Green, Margaret. Cox, John Harrington (ed.) / Folk-Songs of the South, Dover, Sof (1967/1925), p 94/# 15 [1910] (Lord Daniel's Wife)
Griffin, Becky. Sharp & Karpeles / English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, I, Oxford, Bk (1932/1917), p161/# 23A [1916/08/17] (Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard)
Harding, John Wesley. Trad Arr Jones, Zero Hour Zer CD 2210, CD (1998), trk# 2 (Little Musgrave)
Hellman, Neal. Hellman, Neal; and Sally Holden / Life Is Like a Mountain Dulcimer, TRO, sof (1974), p24 (Little Musgrave)
Hollon, Mrs. Effie. Moore, Ethel & Chauncey (ed.) / Ballads and Folk Songs of the Southwest, Univ. of Okla, Bk (1964), p 64/# 23B [1930s] (Little Matty/Massie/Mathy Groves)
Jones, Cis. Sharp & Karpeles / English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, I, Oxford, Bk (1932/1917), p181/# 23M [1917/08/24] (Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard)
Knuckles, Delie. Sharp & Karpeles / English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, I, Oxford, Bk (1932/1917), p175/# 23J [1917/05/16] (Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard)
Lomax, Mary. Art of Field Recording, Vol. 1, Dust to Digital DTD 08, CD( (2007), trk# 1.27 [2007/05/26] (Lord Daniel)
Mayo, Cleaver. Sharp & Karpeles / English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, I, Oxford, Bk (1932/1917), p182/# 23P [1918/04/24] (Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard)
McCord, May Kennedy. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume I, British Ballads and Songs, Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p126/# 20C [1941/10/21] (Young Little Mathy
McNab, Mrs. William. Creighton, Helen / Songs and Ballads from Nova Scotia, Dover, sof (1996/1933), p 11/# 5 [1927-32] (Little Matty/Massie/Mathy Groves)
Mitchell, Effie. Sharp & Karpeles / English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, I, Oxford, Bk (1932/1917), p182/# 23Q [1918/09/27] (Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard)
Nolan, Willie (Singing Willie). Wells, Evelyn Kendrick (ed.) / The Ballad Tree, Ronald, Bk (1950), p110 [1920] (Little Matty/Massie/Mathy Groves)
Norton, David. Sharp & Karpeles / English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, I, Oxford, Bk (1932/1917), p164/# 23C [1916/08/31] (Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard)
Plemmons, Ruby Bowman. McNeil, W. K. (ed.) / Southern Folk Ballads, Vol 1, August House, Sof (1987), p119 [1976/10/25] (Little Matty/Massie/Mathy Groves)
Potter, Granny. Scarborough, Dorothy(ed.) / A Song Catcher in the Southern Mountains, AMS, Bk (1966/1937), p147 [1930] (Lord Donald's Wife)
Pratt, Lucindy. Sharp & Karpeles / English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, I, Oxford, Bk (1932/1917), p182/# 23O [1917/09/20] (Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard)
Pratt, Mrs. Doc.. Sharp & Karpeles / English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, I, Oxford, Bk (1932/1917), p172/# 23I [1917/09/22] (Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard)
Presley, Mary N.. Scarborough, Dorothy(ed.) / A Song Catcher in the Southern Mountains, AMS, Bk (1966/1937), p144,400 [1930] (Little Mose Groves)
Ramsay, Lucille. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume I, British Ballads and Songs, Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p125/# 20B [1920/07/20] (Little Matty/Massie/Math
Riggle, Amos. Korson, George (ed.) / Pennsylvania Songs and Legends, Univ. of Penna., Bk (1949), p 32 [1943] (Lord Darnell)
Ritchie, Jean. British Traditional Ballads in the Southern Mountains (Vol. 2), Folkways FA 2302, LP (1961), trk# B.05 (Little Musgrave)
Ritchie, Jean. Ritchie, Jean / Singing Family of the Cumberlands, Oak, sof (1955), p123 (Lyttle Musgrove)
Rogers, Sally. Unclaimed Pint, Wheatland 005, LP (1979), trk# B.05
Sear, Dave. Sing Out Reprints, Sing Out, Sof, 7, p58 (1965)
Sloan, Sudie. Sharp & Karpeles / English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, I, Oxford, Bk (1932/1917), p178/# 23K [1917/05/06] (Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard)
Smith, Hillard. Sharp & Karpeles / English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, I, Oxford, Bk (1932/1917), p166/# 23D [1909/08/10] (Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard)
Spinners. Folk at the Phil!, Fontana STL 5219, LP (1964), trk# B.03 (Little Matty/Massie/Mathy Groves)
Stockton, T. Jeff. Sharp, Cecil & Maude Karpeles (eds.) / Eighty English Folk Songs from th, MIT Press, Sof (1968), p 40 [1917ca]
Stockton, T. Jeff. Sharp & Karpeles / English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, I, Oxford, Bk (1932/1917), p168/# 23E [1916/09/04] (Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard)
Taylor, Leanna. Sharp & Karpeles / English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, I, Oxford, Bk (1932/1917), p181/# 23L [1917/05/01] (Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard)
Trivett, Joseph Able (Abe). Joseph Able Trivett, Folk Legacy FSA 002, LP (1962), trk# 13 [1961/09]
Tuggle, William S.. Moore, Ethel & Chauncey (ed.) / Ballads and Folk Songs of the Southwest, Univ. of Okla, Bk (1964), p 63/# 23A [1930s] (Little Matty/Massie/Mathy Groves)
Unidentified Singer. Niles, John Jacob / Ballad Book of John Jacob Niles, Bramhall House, Bk (1961), p196/N 34B [1934/07] (Little Matty/Massie/Mathy Groves)
Watson, Doc. Home Again, Vanguard VSD7 9239, LP (1967), trk# 13
Watson, Doc. Watson, Doc / Songs of Doc Watson, Oak, Sof (1971), p 44
West, Hedy. Pretty Saro, Topic 12T 146, LP (1966), trk# A.08 (Little Matty/Massie/Mathy Groves)
Williams, Albert. Wolfe, Charles K.(ed.) / Folk Songs of Middle Tennessee. George Boswell, Univ. Tennesse, Sof (1997), p 15/# 7 [1949/11/06] (Little Matty/Massie/Mathy Grove
Workman, Nimrod; and Phyllis Boyens. Passing Thru the Garden, June Appal JA 001, LP (1975/1972), trk# A.05 (Lord Daniel)
Workman, Nimrod. Mother Jones' Will, Rounder 0076, LP (1978), trk# 5 (Lord Daniel)
Workman, Nimrod. I Want to Go Where Things Are Beautiful, Twos & Fews DC 379CD, CD (2008), trk# 2 [1982] (Lord Daniel)
Child Collection Index; Child Ballad 081: Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard
Child #-- Artist--- Title--- Album---- Year----Length--- Have Rec
081 78 RPM Lord Daniel Folk Mountain Concert 2000 2:46 Yes
081 Alan Kim Cochran Matty Groves Castles and Kings 2009 No
081 Alela Diane & Alina Hardin Matty Groves Alela & Alina 2009 4:44 Yes
081 Alex Campbell Little Musgrove The James Madison Carpenter Collection 1927-1955 No
081 An Comunn Mòr Matty Groves Mag Mór 2003 3:44 Yes
081 Annwn Matty Groves Come Away to the Hills 1996 7:08 Yes
081 Arthur Walker Lord Banner The Helen Hartness Flanders Collection No
081 Ashley Hutchings Matty Groves As I Cycled Out on a May Morning - The Cecil Sharp Centenary Collective 2003 5:26 Yes
081 Ashley Hutchings Matty Groves Burning Bright - The Ashley Hutchings Story 2005 4:59 Yes
081 Banish Misfortune Little Matthey Groves Through the Hourglass 1985 No
081 Bascom Lamar Lunsford Lord Daniel's Wife The Library of Congress No
081 Bashful Mountain Broadcasters Mattie Groves Bashful Mountain Broadcasters 2007 3:41 Yes
081 Bedlam Little Musgrave and the Lady Barnard Bedlam 1999 No
081 Bedlam Little Musgrave and Lady Bernard Goltraighe 2000 No
081 Bell Duncan Little Musgrove The James Madison Carpenter Collection 1927-1955 No
081 Bernadette Lord Allens Wife (Mathy Groves) <website> 1998 3:54 Yes
081 Billy Brett Matty Groves Parish Lantern 2007 4:11 Yes
081 Billy Ross Matty Groves Shore Street 2000 5:11 Yes
081 Bob Gibson Mattie Groves I Come for to Sing 1957 6:54 Yes
081 Boogertown Gap Little Mathy Groves Smoky Mountain Ballads [Boogertown Gap] 2010 No
081 Boone Estep & The Rambling Grass Lord Daniels I'll Take the Blame 1980 4:08 Yes
081 Brian Dewhurst Matty Groves Bits and Pieces of Brian Dewhurst 1974 No
081 Carl Peterson Little Musgrave (Mattie Groves) Drifting with Michener 2006 No
081 Carl Peterson Mattie Groves The Auld Scotch Sangs 1998 5:44 Yes
081 Cas Wallin Lord Daniel Crazy About a Song - Old-Time Ballad Singers and Musicians from Virginia and North Carolina 1992
No
081 Cas Wallin Lord Daniel Far in the Mountains, Vol. 3 & 4 - Songs, Tunes and Stories from Mike Yates' Appalachian Collections 1979-1983 2002 4:15 Yes
081 Chairs Matty Groves Musical Chairs 2006 6:32 Yes
081 Charles Finnemore Lord Banner The Helen Hartness Flanders Collection No
081 Christy Moore Little Musgrave Whatever Tickles Your Fancy + Christy Moore 2004 6:52 No
081 Christy Moore Little Musgrave Christy Moore 1976 6:52 Yes
081 Christy Moore Little Musgrave The Box Set 1964-2004 2004 6:38 Yes
081 Christy Moore & Declan Sinnot Little Musgrave Live at University Concert Hall, Limerick, 26th September 2008 2008 8:32 Yes
081 Chuck Owston Matty Groves <website> 2006 3:32 Yes
081 Claire Gilbert (catuvellauni1) Matty Groves <website> 2008 3:38 Yes
081 Clyde Baker Little Mathy Groves The John Quincy Wolf Folklore Collection - Ozark Folksongs 7:11 Yes
081 Colin Douglas Young Musgrave Journeyman - Celtic Songs and Ballads 2000 No
081 Continental Drifters Matty Groves Listen, Listen 2001 5:57 Yes
081 Coyote Run Matty Groves Between Wick and Flame 2008 No
081 Creech Holler Little Mathie Grove With Signs Following 2006 3:37 Yes
081 Damh the Bard Matty Groves Tales from the Crow Man 2009 5:59 Yes
081 Dave Swarbrick & Simon Nicol Matty Groves + Orange Blossom Special Another Fine Mess - Live in New York '84 2002 No
081 David Kilpatrick Matty Groves O'er the Castle Wall 2001 5:35 Yes
081 Deirdre Starr Matty Groves The Tree Below the Road 2009 No
081 Dillard Chandler Mathie Grove Dark Holler - Old Love Songs and Ballads 2005 6:11 Yes
081 Dillard Chandler Mattie Groves Old Love Songs and Ballads from the Big Laurel, North Carolina 1964 No
081 Doc Watson Matty Groves Home Again! 1966 6:07 Yes
081 Doc Watson Matty Groves Songcatcher II: The Tradition That Inspired the Movie 2002 6:06 Yes
081 Dr. C.L. Watkins Lord Daniel's Horn The Library of Congress No
081 Eden Burning Matty Groves The Best of British Folk 2000 No
081 Edward Deal Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard The Helen Creighton Collection No
081 Efenwealt Wystle Matty Groves Oasis Acoustic: With a Touch of the Tradition, Vol. 1 2000 4:18 Yes
081 Efenwealt Wystle Matty Groves A Minstrel By Trade ... And a Fool in My Spare Time .. 1999 4:18 Yes
081 Eileen McGann Little Musgrave Heritage 1997 6:23 Yes
081 Eldin Colsie Lord Banner (1) The Helen Hartness Flanders Collection No
081 Eldin Colsie Lord Banner (2) The Helen Hartness Flanders Collection No
081 Eldin Colsie Lord Banner (3) The Helen Hartness Flanders Collection No
081 Eldin Colsie Lord Banner (4) The Helen Hartness Flanders Collection No
081 Eldin Colsie Lord Banner (5) The Helen Hartness Flanders Collection No
081 Eldin Colsie Lord Banner (6) The Helen Hartness Flanders Collection No
081 Eunice Yeatts McAlexander Little Massie Groves Far in the Mountains, Vol. 1 & 2 - Songs, Tunes and Stories from Mike Yates' Appalachian Collections 1979-1983 2002 3:52 Yes
081 Ewan MacColl & Peggy Seeger Matty Groves Two-Way Trip 1961 6:02 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves Moat on the Ledge - Live at Broughton Castle 2003 9:16 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves A.T.2 - The Reunion Concert/The Boot 2000 No
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves Liege & Lief 1969 8:09 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves It All Comes 'Round Again 1987 No
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves The Best of Fairport Convention - The Millenium Collection 2002 No
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves The History of Fairport Convention 1991 No
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves Live [A Moveable Feast] 1990 7:51 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves Forever Young - Cropredy 1982 1996 No
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves Archive 2001 No
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves Shines Like Gold 2003 9:15 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves Meet on the Ledge - The Classic Years (1967-1975) 1999 8:09 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves Meet on the Ledge - an Island Records Folk-Rock Anthology 2009 8:10 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves Cropredy Warmup Gig - The Mill Arts Centre, Banbury 1991 4:57 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves The Cropredy Box 2003 7:47 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves House Full - Live at the LA Troubadour 1977 8:27 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves Before the Moon 2002 7:39 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves Before the Moon 2002 10:55 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves Folk Routes 1994 8:06 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves Cropredy 2006 2006 5:54 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves Cropredy 2003 2003 7:18 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2006 [Broadcast] 2006 6:37 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves Acoustically Down Under 1996 - The Woodworm Archives - Vol 2 2005 9:26 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves Troubadours of British Folk, Vol. 2: Folk Into Rock 1995 8:06 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves This Is Folk 2006 No
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves Cropredy 1991 1992 4:58 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves Live in Chicago 1970 1970 10:15 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves Sandy's Lament 1999 6:05 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves My Father's Place 2000 7:50 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves Journeyman's Grace 2005 No
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves Global Roots - Island Folk 2003 No
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves The Best of British Folk [2] 2005 No
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves 40 Island 1959-1999 - Volume 3 1968-1975: Acoustic Waves 1998 8:08 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves Under Review - An Independent Critical Analysis 2006 No
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves Cropredy 2007 2007 8:20 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves Georgia on Our Mind 1997 No
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves Island Life - 25 Years of Island Records 1988 No
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves Many Ears to Please - Live in Oslo 1975 2006 9:19 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves Fairport Convention Perform Liege & Lief - The Cropredy Festival 2007 2007 7:21 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves A Lasting Spirit - The Collection 2006 7:26 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves A Celebration of Great British Folk 2008 9:12 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves Fairport @ Forty 2009 No
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves Studio Outtakes, Home Demos, Unheard Songs, Complete Studio Recordings 2010 8:10 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves Studio Outtakes, Home Demos, Unheard Songs, Complete Studio Recordings 2010 7:50 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves Studio Outtakes, Home Demos, Unheard Songs, Complete Studio Recordings 2010 6:58 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves Live at Mandel Hall, University of Chicago 1970 14:08 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves Live at Sanders Theater, Cambridge, MA 1974 7:45 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves Live at Ruisrock Festival, Turku, Finland 1971 7:48 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves Ebbets Field 1974 2011 10:02 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves (Take 1) Studio Outtakes, Home Demos, Unheard Songs, Complete Studio Recordings 2010 7:46 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves (Banbury Mill Rehearsal) Cropredy Capers - 25 Years of the Festival 2004 8:07 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves (instrumental 1) Liege and Lief Outtakes 1969 3:30 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves (instrumental 2) Liege and Lief Outtakes 1969 3:29 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves (instrumental 3) Liege and Lief Outtakes 1969 3:26 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves (specially compiled multi-version) Fairport unConventioNal - Classic Convention 2002 7:36 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves (vocal 1) Liege and Lief Outtakes 1969 4:25 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves (vocal 2) Liege and Lief Outtakes 1969 4:25 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves + Dirty Linen The Mill 6-8-02 2002 13:00 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves + The Rutland Reel + Sack The Juggler The Other Boot + The Third Leg 2001 8:30 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves + The Rutland Reel + Sack the Juggler 25th Anniversary Concert 1993 10:52 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves + The Rutland Reel + Sack the Juggler Shepherd's Bush Empire, London January 22 1995 1996 9:55 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves + Dirty Linen Old New Borrowed Blue 1996 10:06 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves + High Road to Linton Encore, Encore [Farewell, Farewell] 1999 6:33 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves + The Rutland Reel + Sack the Juggler Live at Open Air Burg Herzberg, Germany - 16th of July 1999 2000 No
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves + The Rutland Reel + Sack the Juggler The Quiet Joys of Brotherhood 2004 8:37 Yes
081 Fairport Convention Matty Groves + The Rutland Reel + Sack the Juggler Cropredy 98 1999 10:32 Yes
081 Fairport Convention The Lark in the Morning + Matty Groves + The Rutland Reel + Sack the Juggler From Cropredy to Portmeirion 2002 16:02 Yes
081 Fairport Convention The Swirling Pit + Matty Goves + The Rutland Reel + Sack The Juggler In Real Time - Live '87 2003 10:49 Yes
081 Fairport Convention The Swirling Pit + Matty Groves + The Rutland Reel The Other Boot + The Third Leg 2001 11:00 Yes
081 Fairport Convention & Guests "Thanks" + Matty Groves Fairport unConventioNal - Classic Convention 2002 9:17 Yes
081 Fairport Convention & Ian Anderson Matty Groves Heart of England Vol. 2 - In Aid of Teenage Cancer Trust 2002 No
081 Fiddler's Green Matty Groves On and On 1997 2:56 Yes
081 Fingerz 'n' Fretz Little Musgrave The Dorchester Hornpipe 2009 No
081 Frankie Armstrong Little Musgrave Songs and Ballads 1975 5:55 Yes
081 Gael Sli Matty Groves The Irish Century 2003 5:50 Yes
081 Garibelon Little Musgrave <website> 2007 8:39 Yes
081 Gene & Francesca Mattie Groves Gene & Francesca 1958 6:44 Yes
081 Geoff Grainger Matty Groves Ditty Box 1998 5:40 Yes
081 George Edwards Lord Arnold The Helen Hartness Flanders Collection No
081 George Vinton Graham Mathy Grove California Gold - Northern California Folk Music from the Thirties Collected By Sidney Robertson Cowell 193? 1:14 Yes
081 Gerry McGandy Little Musgrave Child Ballads 2006 8:56 Yes
081 Graham H Dodsworth Little Musgrave In Good King Arthur's Day 1993 12:05 Yes
081 Green Maggard Lord Daniel The Library of Congress No
081 Green Maggard Lord Daniel Kentucky Mountain Music - Classic Recordings of the 1920s & 1930s 2003 3:29 Yes
081 Hamfisted Matty Groves Hamcestral Voices 2004 No
081 Hanford Hayes Lord Banner (1) The Helen Hartness Flanders Collection No
081 Hanford Hayes Lord Banner (2) The Helen Hartness Flanders Collection No
081 Harold Hilshie Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard The Helen Creighton Collection No
081 Harold Turner Lord Banner's Wife The Edith Fowke Collection No
081 Hedy West Little Matty Groves Pretty Saro and Other Appalachian Ballads 1966 5:28 Yes
081 Hedy West Little Matty Groves Ballads & Songs from the Appalachians 2011 No
081 Hedy West Little Mattie Groves Live in Pforzheim, Germany 1968 5:36 Yes
081 Isambarde Matty Groves + The King of the Fairies + Hide the Sausage Brunel's Kingdom 2004 No
081 Isla St. Clair Matty Groves Royal Lovers & Scandals 2000 5:49 Yes
081 Isla St. Clair Matty Groves Great Songs and Ballads of Scotland 2009 No
081 James Yorkston & The Big Eyes Family Players Little Musgrave Folk Songs [James Yorkston] 2009 6:59 Yes
081 Jana Reed Matty Groves Eleven Traditional Ballads 2004 No
081 Janice Buckner Maddy Groves Renaissance Songs & Ballads 2010 No
081 Jean Jenkins Lord Barnard The Wife of Usher's Well - Mountain Ballads 1976 No
081 Jean Ritchie Little Musgrave Ballads from Her Appalachian Family Tradition 2003 12:01 Yes
081 Jean Ritchie Little Musgrave British Traditional Ballads in the Southern Mountains - Child Ballads, Vol 2 1961 11:43 Yes
081 Jeannie Higgins (Robertson) Little Mattie Groves BBC Recordings No
081 Jeannie Robertson Little Matty Groves (Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard) Classic Ballads of Britain & Ireland - Folk Songs of England, Ireland, Scotland & Wales, Vol 1 2000 5:44 Yes
081 Jessica Haines & Mark Kaiser Maddy Groves Off She Goes 2006 No
081 Jessica Haines & Mark Kaiser Matty Groves So Here's to You 2006 5:13 Yes
081 Jim Moray Matty Groves The Lady – a Tribute to Sandy Denny 2008 6:47 Yes
081 Jim Pipkin Matty Groves Fruit of the Yew 2007 No
081 Jimmy Hutchison Matty Groves Corachree - Scots Songs & Ballads 2000 No
081 Joan Baez Matty Groves The Joan Baez Ballad Book 1972 7:13 Yes
081 Joan Baez Matty Groves In Concert Part 1 1962 7:43 Yes
081 Joan Baez Matty Groves It Ain't Me Babe, Vol 2 1995 7:19 Yes
081 Joan Baez Matty Groves American Folk Singers and Balladeers - The Classics Record Library 1964 7:17 Yes
081 John Jacob Niles Little Mattie Groves John Jacob Niles Sings American Folk Songs 1956 No
081 John Jacob Niles Little Mattie Groves The Ballads of John Jacob Niles 1960 7:46 Yes
081 John Jacob Niles Little Mattie Groves (Matty Groves) Asch Recordings, 1939-1945, Vol. 2 1967 No
081 John Sizemore Lord Danaver and Little Musgrave The Library of Congress No
081 John Wesley Harding Little Musgrave Trad Arr Jones 1999 5:38 Yes
081 John Wesley Harding Little Musgrave Dynablob 3 - 26th March 1999 2003 6:45 Yes
081 John Wright Matty Groves (Little Musgrave) Ballads 1997 6:29 Yes
081 Jon Boden Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard A Folk Song a Day - May 2011 10:22 Yes
081 Joni Minstrel Mattie Groves Joni Minstrel Kicks the King 2006 3:38 Yes
081 Joseph Able Trivett Mathy Groves Joseph Able Trivett of Butler, Tennessee 1962 No
081 Kadril Matty Groves De Andere Kust 2005 4:12 Yes
081 Keiko Walker Matty Groves Both Sides Now [Keiko Walker] 2004 No
081 Lalla Rookh Matty Groves Book One: Tales and Tradition 1998 6:17 Yes
081 Larry Keel & Rushad Eggleston Matty Groves DocFest - A Tribute to Doc Watson and His Musical Partners Merle Watson & Jack Lawrence 2002 8:08 Yes
081 Liam's Fancy Little Musgrave Irish Music and Song from Our Hearth 2006 No
081 Linda Sigismondi Matty Groves Appalachian Ballads and Songs for the Mountain Dulcimer Companion CD 2005 No
081 Linde Nijland Matty Groves Linde Nijland sings Sandy Denny 2003 4:28 Yes
081 Lissa Schneckenburger Little Musgrove and Lady Barnswell Song 2008 No
081 Lorna Campbell Matty Grove The Cock Doth Craw - Ballads from Scotland 1968 No
081 Lost Hills Matty Groves <website> 2007 7:26 Yes
081 Lowell Varney Lord Daniel Banjo Pickin' Boy from West Virginia 1972 2:49 Yes
081 M.É.Z. Matty Groves Soyez Mysterieuses 1996 4:45 Yes
081 Marcoacca Matty Groves <website> 2008- 7:58 Yes
081 Mark Shillaker Matty Groves Garden Sheds of Old England 2005 4:36 Yes
081 Martin Carthy & Dave Swarbrick Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard Prince Heathen 1969 9:36 Yes
081 Martin Simpson Little Musgrave Prodigal Son 2007 5:56 Yes
081 Martin Simpson Little Musgrave Live at Sidmouth Festival 2006 2006 6:49 Yes
081 Martin Simpson Little Musgrave BBC Proms 2008 Folk Day 2008 7:03 Yes
081 Martin Simpson Little Musgrave Live at the Stamford Guitar Festival 2008 2008 6:39 Yes
081 Martin Simpson She Slips Away + Mother Love + Little Musgrave Prodigal Son - The Concert 2009 No
081 Mary Lomax Lord Daniel Art of Field Recording, Vol. I - 50 Years of Traditional American Music Documented by Art Rosenbaum 2007 5:42 Yes
081 Mary Lomax Lord Daniel Black & White - Recorded in the Field By Art Rosenbaum 2010 No
081 Mary Lozier Little Mattie Grove Meeting's a Pleasure - Folksongs of the Upper South, Vol. 1 & 2 2006 No
081 Mary Smith Mattie Groves Of Rogues and Lovers 2003 5:42 Yes
081 Megan McInnis & Chris Chapman Matty Groves The Demon Lover 1997 No
081 Mighty Ghosts of Heaven Matty Groves Mighty Ghosts of Heaven 2007 No
081 Mighty Ghosts of Heaven Matty Groves M.G.H. Live 2005 No
081 Mike Agranoff Matty Groves The Modern Folk Musician 1993 No
081 Morrigan Maddy Groves Jack of Fools 1998 :15 Yes
081 Mrs Alex Campbell Little Musgrove The James Madison Carpenter Collection 1927-1955 No
081 Mrs. Annie Syphers Lord Banner The Helen Hartness Flanders Collection No
081 Mrs. Elwin Burditt Lord Banner (1) The Helen Hartness Flanders Collection No
081 Mrs. Elwin Burditt Lord Banner (2) The Helen Hartness Flanders Collection No
081 Mrs. Elwin Burditt Lord Banner (3) The Helen Hartness Flanders Collection No
081 Mrs. Eva Bigrow Lord Banner's Wife The Edith Fowke Collection No
081 Mrs. Goldie Hamilton Lord Darnold The Library of Congress No
081 Mrs. Maude Covill Lord Banner The Helen Hartness Flanders Collection No
081 Mrs. Pearl Brewer Little Matty Groves The Max Hunter Folk Song Collection 2:08 Yes
081 Mrs. Phyllis MacDonald Lord Banner The Helen Hartness Flanders Collection No
081 Mrs. Ruth Clark Cullipher & Angie Clark Little Matthew Grove The Library of Congress No
081 Murphy's Law Matty Groves Never the Same Way Twice 2000 4:19 Yes
081 Nic Jones Little Musgrave Ballads and Songs 1970 6:17 Yes
081 Nic Jones Little Musgrave Our Folk Music Heritage 1975 No
081 Nimrod Workman Lord Daniel Mother Jones' Will 1978 No
081 Nimrod Workman Lord Daniel I Want to Go Where Things Are Beautiful 2008 No
081 Nimrod Workman & Phyllis Boyens Lord Daniel Passing Thru the Garden 1976 No
081 Norman & Nancy Blake Little Matty Groves Just Gimme Somethin' I'm Used To 1992 7:00 Yes
081 Orlon Merrill Lord Banner (1) The Helen Hartness Flanders Collection No
081 Orlon Merrill Lord Banner (2) The Helen Hartness Flanders Collection No
081 Paddy Murphy's Wife Matty Groves One Step Further 2006 5:05 Yes
081 Paul Clayton Lord Darnell Folksongs and Ballads of Virginia 1956 4:15 Yes
081 Paul Clayton Massey Groves Dulcimer Songs and Solos 1957 4:46 Yes
081 Paul Roland Matty Groves Masque 1990 5:42 Yes
081 Pavlov's Cat Matthew Groves At the Races 2011 5:36 Yes
081 Peasants All & Benjamin Luxon Little Musgrove Country Faire - A Collection of Popular Ballads and Dance Tunes from the 16th. and 17th. Centuries 1979 10:16 Yes
081 Peggy Seeger Down Came a Lady American Folk Songs for Children 1997 :18 Yes
081 Peggy Seeger Mathie Grove Peggy Alone 1967 6:57 Yes
081 Pete Morton Little Musgrave Trespass 1998 6:54 Yes
081 Pete Morton, Roger Wilson & Simon Edwards Little Musgrave Urban Folk Vol. II 1997 7:27 Yes
081 Peter Gott Lord Daniel Digital Library of Appalachia: Warren Wilson College Collection 197?-198? 4:18 Yes
081 Piers Cawley Little Musgrave <website> 2010 5:02 Yes
081 Planxty Little Musgrave The Woman I Loved So Well 1980 11:27 Yes
081 Planxty Little Musgrave Live 2004 2004 9:19 Yes
081 Ralph Stanley Little Mathie Grove Ralph Stanley 2002 6:45 Yes
081 Raymond Crooke Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard <website> 2007 5:30 Yes
081 Raymond Crooke Matty Groves <website> 2007 8:18 Yes
081 Richard Hayes Phillips Matty Groves Foote Loose 1996 No
081 Robert Plant & Alison Krauss In the Mood incl. Matty Groves Your Long Journey 2009 7:36 Yes
081 Robin Williamson Matt Groves and Lady Barnard Just Like the River and Other Songs with Guitar 2008 6:59 Yes
081 Robyn Hitchcock Matty Groves Sandy Denny Tribute Gig at St. Ann's Church, Brooklyn, New York 1998 7:21 Yes
081 Rod Ford Matty Groves <website> 2007 3:51 Yes
081 Round the House The Little Musgrave At This Stage 2010 No
081 Ruby Bowman Plemmons Little Massie Grove (Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard) Virginia Traditions - Ballads from British Tradition 1993 4:30 Yes
081 Ruby Plemmons Little Massie Grove The Ferrum College Collection 1976-1977 4:53 Yes
081 Sally Rogers Mathey Groves The Unclaimed Pint 1986 4:13 Yes
081 Samuel Harmon Little Matthew Grove The Library of Congress No
081 Sandy Denny Matty Groves Live at Eltham Well Hall Open Theatre, May 8, 1972 1972 5:01 Yes
081 Sewanee Begley Lord Daniel The Library of Congress No
081 Shamus O'Blivion Matty Groves <website> 2003 4:28 Yes
081 Sheila K. Adams Little Mathy Grove Live at the Berea College Celebration of Traditional Music 1982-1997 6:24 Yes
081 Sheila Kay Adams Little Mathey Groves What Ever Happened to John Parrish's Boy? - Sheila Kay Adams in Concert 2002 No
081 Sheila Kay Adams Little Mathy Groves A Spring in the Burton Cove No
081 Shep Ginandes Mattie Groves Shep Ginandes Sings Folk Songs 1958 6:04 Yes
081 Silverwheel Matty Groves <website> 2007 4:58 Yes
081 Simon Care & Cecil Sharp Centenary Collective Matty Groves Oh What a Caper 2008 No
081 Skye Matty Groves/Lord Donal's March It's About Time 1999 No
081 Sláinte Little Mattic Groves Space Edition 2004 6:12 Yes
081 Song of the Lakes Maddy Groves Poets Say 2004 6:58 Yes
081 Spiral Sky Matty Groves Spiral Sky 1994 4:04 Yes
081 Spriguns of Tolgus Matty Grooves Rowdy Dowdy Day 1974 7:18 Yes
081 Stanley Accrington Matty Groves Fylde Folk Festival '83 1983 1:20 Yes
081 Stanley Williams Little Martha Grove The Helen Creighton Collection No
081 Steve Jordan Little Musgrave The Trees Scarce Green 2002 No
081 Taclem Matty Groves <website> 2005 4:20 Yes
081 Telynor Matthew Green/Seal Rock Sprig of Thyme 1998 No
081 The Beers Family Mattie Groves Introducing the Beers Family: An American Folk Tradition 1965 No
081 The Beers Family Mattie Groves Folk Classics - Roots of American Folk Music 1999 9:08 Yes
081 The Billy Diamond Band Matty Groves Homebrew 1998 4:27 Yes
081 The High Strange Drifters Mattie Groves Ancient Tones and Death Knells - Broadside Ballads 2003 7:12 Yes
081 The McKrells Matty Groves Live 2000 No
081 The Meltdowns Matty Groves Live at Matt Keats' Show on WMSC 2005 4:36 Yes
081 The Minstrels of Mayhem Mattie Groves Blind Man's Bluff 2003 No
081 The Sixteen The Ballad of Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard The Britten Edition - The Choral Works, Vol. II 1993 8:37 Yes
081 The Spectral Light and Moonshine Firefly Snakeoil Jamboree Little Matty Groves Burning Mills 2004 9:07 Yes
081 The Spinners Little Matty Groves Folk at the Phil! 1964 8:17 Yes
081 The Strangelings Matty Groves Season of the Witch 2007 No
081 The Strangelings Matty Groves Live at the Falcon Ridge Folk 2007 6:06 Yes
081 Tich Frier Matty Groves - The Final Conflict The Morrigan 1997
No 081 Tom Aley Hark Ye Hear the Lassies Cry The Max Hunter Folk Song Collection 1:03 Yes
081 Uncle Dirtytoes Matty Groves Make Them Come Alive - Live at Stony Point Barn 1997 4:39 Yes
081 Vergie Bailey Lord Daniel (1) The Library of Congress No
081 Vergie Bailey Lord Daniel (2) The Library of Congress No
081 Vergie Bailey Lord Daniel (3) The Library of Congress No
081 Vikki Clayton Matty Groves Lost Lady Found 1997 7:23 Yes
081 Vikki Clayton Matty Groves In Flight 1993 6:46 Yes
081 W.M. Keen Lord Daniel's Wife The Library of Congress No
081 Walker and Jay Mathey Groves John Christ Recordings 2006 6:44 Yes
081 Water Street Bridge Matty Groves Danse Macabre 2007 No
081 William Gilkie Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard (Little Moth Grone) (1) The Helen Creighton Collection No
081 William Gilkie Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard (Little Moth Grone) (2) The Helen Creighton Collection No
081 Wylde Nept Matty Groves Traditional Routes 2006 3:34 Yes
Excerpt from The British Traditional Ballad in North America by Tristram Coffin 1950, from the section A Critical Biographical Study of the Traditional Ballads of North America
81. LITTLE MUSGRAVE AND LADY BARNARD
Texts: The American Songster (Cozzens, N.Y.) / Barry, JBrit Bids Me, 150 / Belden, Mo F-S, BrownCo\ll BFSSNE, III, 6; IV, 12; VII, 9/ Bull (75C#i62,#7/ Cambiaire, Ea Ttnn Wstn Va Mt Bids, 50 / Chappell, F-S Rnke Alb, 29 / Cox, F-S South, 94 / Creighton, Sgs Bids N Sc, 1 1 / Davis, Trd Bid Fa, 289 / Duncan, No Hamilton Cnty, 63 / Eddy, Bids Sgs Ohio, 48 / Flanders, New Gn Mt Sgstr, 135 / Fuson, Bids Ky Hgblds, 52 / Gardner and Chickering, Bids Sgs So Mich, 46 / Grapurcbat, East Radford (Va.) State Teachers College, 8 25 '32 / Henry, F-S So Hgblds, 73 / Henry, Sgs Sng So Aplchns, 65 / JAFL, XXIII,
371 ; XXV, 182; XXX, 309; XLII, 265 / MacKenzie, Bids Sea Sgs N Sc, 27 / MacKenzie, Quest Bid, 14, 88 / Notes from ike Pine Mt. Settlement School, Harlan County, Ky., 1935, VII, :Ji/Perry, CarterCnty, 1 05 / PMLA, XXXIX, 470 /Randolph, Oz F-S, 1, 124 /Scarborough, Sgctcbr So Mts, 143 / SharpC, Eng F-S So Aplcbns, #20 / Sharp K, Eng F-S So Aplcbns, I, 161 / Shearin and Combs, Ky Syllabus, 8 / Reed Smith, SC Bids, 125 / Smith and Rufty, Am Anth Old Wrld Bids, 26 / Va FLS Bull, #s 3, 6, 7, 9, 11 / Univ. West Virginia Studies, III (Philological Papers, II), 14 / Wyman and Brockway, 20 Ky Mt Sgs, 22, 62. Korson, Pa Sgs Lgds, 32.
Local Titles: Lord Banner, Lord Daniel, Lord Darnell, Lord Darnold, Lord Valley, Lord Vanover, Lord Arnold (Banner, Daniel, Donald, Orland, Vanner)'s Wife, Little (Young) Matthew (Mathy, Matha, Matly, Mose) Grove(s), Little Mosie Grove (Grew), Little Musgrave and Lady Barnswell, The Red Rover.
Story Types: A: Matthew Groves attends church or a ball and catches the eye of Lord Arnold's wife who, even though pregnant in some versions, makes advances toward him and asks him to sleep with her that night. When he sees by the ring on her finger that she is the Lord's wife, he refuses, but consents when she assures him her husband is away. A page overhears
their plans and hurries off to inform the Lord. After blowing on his bugle (sometimes it is a friend of Matthew's in the Lord's retinue who blows the bugle against orders), Lord Arnold surprises the sleeping lovers in bed. He offers Matthew the best sword and then kills him in a fair fight. In some texts he regrets his act. However, he then slays his wife when she tells him
she loves Groves better than she loves him. In a group of texts the Lord plans suicide or says he will die in the near future.
Examples: Barry (Aa), Belden, Davis (A), Fuson.
B: The story is the same as that of Type A, but it is mentioned at the end that the Lord shall "be hanged tomorrow".
Examples: Chappell, Creighton, Smith (A).
C: The story is the same as that of Type A, but there is no cajoling of the lover by the lady or refusal by Matthew at the start. He embraces her at once, when she makes advances toward him. The page, seeing this, departs.
Examples: Henry, F-S So Hghlds (A).
Discussion: This ballad, as it has a pure oral tradition in America, offers the scholar an excellent subject for study. Several of the texts are outstanding, and identical versions have been found as far apart as Maine and Missouri (See Barry, Brit Bids Me, 17711. and JAFL, XXX, 315). Barry, op. cit. 9 iSoff. prints a long discussion of the ballad as a means of revealing how folk songs develop. His contention is that there are two versions (the Banner and the Arnold or Daniel: one containing the bugle blowing and the "away, Musgrave, away" refrain, the other mentioning King Henry) which split in Britain and developed independently in America. In connection with this argument, he points out (p. 182) that the American texts are more vivid
and incisive than Child's and probably older and decides that the song has been in this country over three hundred years.
The idea of a pre-American split is attacked point-blank by Helen Pettigrew (Univ. of West Virginia Studies III, Philological Papers II, 8ff.) She also disagrees with Barry's interpretation of the trip of the husband and discusses the American versions and variants farther. She indicates how few New World texts have the lady pregnant and that none (as do eight Child texts) have Musgrave blame the lady for the compromising situation when the lovers are discovered. In addition, she points out that the horn-blowing is still frequently retained over here (See MacKenzie, Bids Sea Sgs N Sc, A, C; Gardner and Chickering, Bids Sgs So Mick; Scarborough, Sgctchr So Mts, A; SharpK, Eng F-S So A-plchns, F) and attributes the visit to King Henry to American romanticization.
The American texts vary somewhat in their inclusion and exclusion of material, as do those in Child. Type A stories may begin at church (Child A, C, H), at a ball (BFSSNE, III, 6), or playing ball (Child D, E, K, L), although the letter-writing (Child G) does not seem to be in America. (Belden, Mo F-S 58 points out that the church-beginning characterizes southern American
texts, while the playing at ball, the northern.) The attempts to bribe the page are missing (Child C-F, H-L, O). The bugle-blowing scenes are faulty and, if included, disagree as to whether the Lord himself or a friend of Musgrave's warns the lover against orders. The Lord may or may not regret his act, and a few times, as in Child C and G, he commits suicide. Musgrave's
wife is omitted, but the pregnancy of Lady Barnard is frequently retained. The Cambiaire, Ea Tenn Wstn Va Mt Bids, 50 version finds a close friend of the family taking the page's role.
Type B follows the ending of Child E, while Type C is perhaps closer to the spirit of the British texts than the other American versions. The lady is never as aggressive in England as she is on this side of the ocean. Nevertheless, no American song that I have seen contains the barbaric torture to be found in Child A, nor do any indicate clearly a past affair between the
lovers. However, see Type C.
For a discussion of this ballad in Jamaica see PMLA, XXXIX, 455 ff.
The song is generally considered "dirty" by folk-singers. Check the headnotes in Randolph, Oz F-S 9 I.
Matty Groves From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Child's Ballads/81 "Matty Groves"
"Matty Groves" is an English folk ballad that describes an adulterous tryst between a man and a woman that is ended when the woman's husband discovers and kills them. It dates to at least the 17th century, and is one of the Child Ballads collected by 19th-century American scholar Francis James Child. It has several variant names, including "Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard."
Synopsis
The wife of a nobleman, Lord Arlen (other names include Lord Daniel, Arnold, Donald, and Barnard), entices Matty Groves (or Little Musgrave), a servant or retainer of her husband, into an adulterous affair. Lord Arlen receives word of the betrayal; in some versions a foot-page hears them planning and warns Lord Arlen; the lord promises reward if he is telling the truth -- to make him his heir, or marry him to his eldest daughter -- and execution if he is lying. The nobleman returns home, where he surprises the lovers in bed. The death may be put off by Matty arguing for a weapon. Lord Arlen kills Matty Groves in a duel. When his wife spurns him and expresses a preference for her lover, even in death, over her husband, he stabs her through the heart. The ballad may end there, or with the lord's death, by suicide or execution. Yet another version has him cutting off his wife' head and kicking it against the wall in anger.
Some versions of the ballad include elements of an aubade, a poetic form in which lovers part after spending a night together.
Commentary
Believed to have originated no later than the early 17th century.
Standard references
Child ballad 81
Textual variants
Google Books Information
Variant Lord/Lady's surname Lover Notes
The Old ballad of Little Musgrave and the Lady Barnard Barnard Little Musgrave This version has the foot-page
Mattie Groves Arlen Little Mattie Groves [1]
Matty Groves Darnell Matty Groves [2]
Some of the versions of the song subsequently recorded differ from Child's catalogued version.
The earliest published version appeared in 1658 (but see Literature section below).
A copy was also printed on a broadside by Henry Gosson, who is said to have printed between 1607 and 1641. [3]
Some variation occurs in where Matty is first seen; sometimes at church, sometimes playing ball.
Other names:
Based on the lover
Matthy Groves
Young Musgrave
Wee Messgrove
Little Musgrave
Little Sir Grove
Little Miushiegrove
Little Massgrove
Based on the lord
Lord Barnard
Lord Barnaby
Lord Barlibas
Lord Barnabas
Lord Bengwill
Lord Barnett
Lord Arlen
Lord Arnold
Lord Aaron
Lord Donald
Lord Darlen
Lord Darnell
Based on a combination of names
Lord Barnett and Little Munsgrove
Little Musgrave and Lady Barnet
Literature
There is an allusion to the ballad in Beaumont and Fletcher's play The Knight of the Burning Pestle (1613); this is the earliest known reference.
A book by Deborah Grabien (3rd in the Haunted Ballad series) puts a different spin on the ballad.[4]
Recordings: Album/Single--- Performer-- Year-- Variant Notes
John Jacob Niles Sings American Folk Songs John Jacob Niles 1956 Little Mattie Groves
British Traditional Ballads in the Southern Mountains, Volume 2 Jean Ritchie 1960 Little Musgrave
Joan Baez in Concert Joan Baez 1962 Matty Groves
Home Again Doc Watson 1966
Liege & Lief Fairport Convention 1969 Matty Groves Several live versions released since
Prince Heathen Martin Carthy 1969 Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard
Ballads and Songs Nic Jones 1970 Little Musgrave
Just Gimme Somethin' I'm Used To Norman Blake and his wife, Nancy Blake 1992 Little Matty Groves
Folque Folque 1974 Skjøn Jomfru (in Norwegian)
Christy Moore Christy Moore 1976 Little Musgrave
The Woman I Loved So Well Planxty 1980 Little Musgrave Christy Moore, who also recorded the song, was a member of Planxty
Out Standing in a Field The Makem Brother and Brian Sullivan 1992 Matty Groves
You Could Be the Meadow Eden Burning 1994
Robyn Hitchcock Matty Groves performed live; never released [1]
Live at the Mineshaft Tavern ThaMuseMeant 1995
Hepsankeikka Tarujen Saari 2000 Kaunis neito (in Finnish)
On and On Fiddler's Green 1997 Matty Groves
Never Set the Cat on Fire Frank Hayes 1977 Like a Lamb to the Slaughter Done as a parody talking blues version
Listen, Listen Continental Drifters 2001 Matty Groves Trad. Arr. Fairport Convention
Ralph Stanley Ralph Stanley 2002 Little Mathie Grove
sings Sandy Denny Linde Nijland 2003 Matty Groves
De Andere Kust Kadril 2005 Matty Groves
Season of the Witch The Strangelings 2007 Matty Groves
Prodigal Son Martin Simpson 2007 Little Musgrave
The Peacemaker's Chauffeur Jason Wilson Band 2008 Matty Groves Reggae arrangement featuring Dave Swarbrick, based largely on the Fairport version.
Foxhat Compilation The Fox Hat! 2009 Matty Groves
Folk Songs James Yorkston and the Big Eyes Family Players 2009 Little Musgrave
Alela & Alina Alela Diane featuring Alina Hardin 2009 Matty Groves, Lord Arland
Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers and Bastards Tom Waits 2009 Mathie Grove
Sweet Joan Sherwood 2010 Matty Groves In Russian language
Little Musgrave The Musgraves 2011 Little Musgrave Recorded as a YouTube Video to help explain bands name origins
In Silence Marc Carroll 2011 Matty Groves
Retrospective The Kennedys 2012 Matty Groves
Musical variants
In 1943, the English composer Benjamin Britten used this folk song as the basis of a choral piece entitled "The Ballad of Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard".[5]
Other songs with the same tuneIn the United States the song was transformed into the less graphic "Shady Grove", which has itself become a traditional.
Dave van Ronk's version of "House of the Rising Sun" uses the tune of a version of "Matty Groves".
References
1.^ Mattie Groves, http://www.contemplator.com/child/mattie.html
2.^ Matty Groves, http://celtic-lyrics.com/forum/index.php?autocom=tclc&code=lyrics&id=559
3.^ Mattie Groves, http://www.contemplator.com/child/mattie.html
4.^ Mattie Groves, http://www.deborahgrabien.com/matty.htm
5.^ Reviews at Musical Quarterly 51 (4), 722; Music & Letters 34 (2), 172.
External links
Lyrics (F.J.Child)
Lyrics (Fairport Convention)
Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard
Mattie Groves a variant
Mainly Norfolk: Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard
[Roud 52; Child 81; Ballad Index C081; trad.]
This ballad of cheating and revenge murder was sung unaccompanied by Martin Carthy on his 1969 album with Dave Swarbrick, Prince Heathen. He commented in the album's sleeve notes:
The story speaks for itself and really needs nothing written about it at all. The tune I pinched from a version of the Holy Well.
And Nic Jones sang Little Musgrave on his first solo album, Ballads and Songs. He commented in his album sleeve notes:
Three very common ballads are included in this record: Sir Patrick Spens, The Outlandish Knight and Little Musgrave. All three are well-known to anyone with a knowledge of balladry, as they are well represented in most ballad collections. … Musgrave's tune is more a creation of my one than anything else, although the bulk of it is based on an American variant of the same ballad, entitled Little Matty Groves.
See also Karen Myer's blog analysing Nic Jones' version.
Martin Simpson sang Little Musgrave in 2007 on his Topic CD Prodigal Son. This video shows him at Bournemouth Folk Club, Centre Stage, Dorset, UK on March 8, 2009:
Jon Boden sang Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard as the May 30, 2011 entry of his project A Folk Song a Day.
Compare this to Sandy Denny singing Matty Groves on Fairport Convention's album Liege and Lief; there are many more Fairport versions of this song.
Lyrics
Martin Carthy sings Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard
On a day, on a day, on a bright holiday as many there be in the year
When Little Musgrave to the church did go, god's holy word to hear.
He went and he stood all at the church door; he watched the priest at his mass.
But he had more mind of the fair women than he had of Our Lady's grace.
For some of them were clad in the green and some were clad in the pall,
And in and come Lord Barnard's wife, the fairest among them all.
She cast her eye on Little Musgrave, full bright as the summer sun,
And then and thought this Little Musgrave, this lady's heart I have won.
Says she, “I have loved thee, Little Musgrave, full long and many's the day.”
“So have I loved, lady fair, yet never a word durst I say.”
“Oh I have a bower at Bucklesfordberry all daintily painted white
And if thou'd went thither, thou Little Musgrave, thou's lie in my arms all this night.”
Says he, “I thank thee, lady fair, this kindness thou showest to me
And this night will I to Bucklesfordberry, all night for to lay with thee.”
When he heard that, her little foot page all by her foot as he run
He says, “Although I am my lady's page, yet am I Lord Barnard's man.
My Lord Barnard shall know of this, whether I do sink or do swim.”
And ever where the bridges were broke, he laid to his breast and he swum.
“Oh sleep thou wake, thou Lord Barnard, as thou art a man of life.
For Little Musgrave is at Bucklesfordberry in bed with thine own wedded wife.”
“Oh if this be true, thou little foot page, this thing that thou tellest to me
Then all my land in Bucklesfordberry freely I give it to thee.
But if this be a lie, thou little foot page, this thing that thou tellest to me
Then from the highest tree in Bucklesfordberry high hanged thou shalt be.”
And he called to him his merry men, all by one by two by three,
Says, “this night must I to Bucklesfordberry, for never had I greater need.”
And he called to him his stable boy, “Go saddle me me milk-white steed.”
And he's trampled o'er them green mossy banks, till his horse's hooves did bleed.
And some men whistled, and some men sang, and some these words did say
Whene'er my Lord Barnard's horn blew, “Away, Musgrave away.”
“Methinks I hear the thistle cock, methinks I hear the jay,
Methinks I hear the Lord Barnard's horn, and I wish I were away.”
“Lie still, lie still, thou Little Musgrave, come cuddle me from the cold,
For tis nothing but a shepherd boy, adriving his sheep to the fold.
Is not thy hawk sat upon his perch, they steed eats oats and hay,
And thou with a fair maid in thy arms and would'st thou be away.”
With that my Lord Barnard come to the door and he lit upon a stone,
And he's drawn out three silver keys and he's opened the doors each one.
And he's lifted up the green coverlet and he's lifted up the sheet:
“How now, how now, thou Little Musgrave, dost find my lady sweet?”
“I find her sweet,” says Little Musgrave, “The more tis to my pain
For I would give three hundred pounds, that I was on yonder plain.”
“Rise up, rise up,” thou Little Musgrave, “and put thy clothes on
For never shall they say in my own country i slew a naked man.
Oh I have two swords in one scabbard, full dearly they cost my purse.
And thou shall have the best of them, and I shall have the worst.”
Now the very first blow Little Musgrave struck, he hurt Lord Barnard sore;
But the very first blow Lord Barnard struck, little Musgrave ne'er struck more.
Then up and spoke his lady fair, from the bed whereon she lay,
She says, “Although thou art dead, thou Little Musgrave, yet for thee will I pray.
I will wish well to thy soul, as long as I have life,
Yet will I not for thee Lord Barnard, though I am your own wedded wife.”
Oh he's cut the paps from off her breast, great pity it was to see
How the drops of this lady's heart's blood came a-trickling down her knee.
“Oh woe be to ye, me merry men, all you were ne'er born for my good.
Why did you not offer to stay my hand, when you see me grow so mad?”
“A grave, a grave,” Lord Barnard cried, “to put these lovers in.
But lay my lady on the upper hand, she was the chiefest of her kin.”
Nic Jones sings Little Musgrave
As it fell out upon a day, as many in the year,
Musgrave to the church did go to see fair ladies there.
And some came down in red velvet and some came down in pall,
And the last to come down was the Lady Barnard, the fairest of them all.
And she's cast a look on the little Musgrave as bright as the summer's sun.
And then bethought this little Musgrave, this lady's love I've won.
“Good day, good day, you handsome youth, God make you safe and free,
What would you give this day, Musgrave, to lie one night with me?”
“Oh, I dare not for my lands, lady, I dare not for my life,
For the ring on your white finger shows you are Lord Barnard's wife.”
“Lord Barnard's to the hunting gone and I hope he'll never return;
And you shall sleep into his bed and keep his lady warm.”
“There's nothing for to fear, Musgrave, you nothing have to fear.
I'll set a page outside the gates to watch till morning clear.”
And woe be to the little footpage and an ill death may he die,
For he's away to the greenwood as fast as he could fly.
And when he came to the wide water he fell on his belly and swam,
And when he came to the other side he took to his heels and ran.
And when he came to the greenwood, 'twas dark as dark can be,
And he found Lord Barnard and his men a-sleeping 'neath the trees.
“Rise up, rise up, master,” he said, “Rise up and speak to me.
Your wife's in bed with the little Musgrave, rise up right speedily.”
“If this be truth you tell to me then gold shall be your fee,
And if it be false you tell to me then hanged you shall be.”
“Go saddle me the black,” he said, “Go saddle me the grey,
And sound you not the horn,” said he, “Lest our coming it would betray.”
Now there was a man in Lord Barnard's train who loved the little Musgrave,
And he blew his horn both loud and shrill: “Away, Musgrave, away.”
“Oh, I think I hear the morning cock, I think I hear the jay,
I think I hear Lord Barnard's horn: Away, Musgrave, away.”
“Oh, lie still, lie still, you little Musgrave, and keep me from the cold.
It's nothing but a shepherd boy driving his flock to the fold.
Is not your hawk upon its perch, your steed has eaten hay,
And you a gay lady in your arms and yet you would away.”
So he's turned him right and round about and he fell fast asleep,
And when he woke Lord Barnard's men were standing at his feet.
“And how do you like my bed, Musgrave, and how do you like my sheets?
And how do you like my fair lady that lies in your arms asleep?”
“Oh, it's well I like your bed,” he said, “And well I like your sheets,
And better I like your fair lady that lies in me arms asleep.”
“Well get up, get up, young man,” he said, “Get up as swift you can,
For it never will be said in my country I slew an unarmed man.
I have two swords in one scabbard, full dear they cost me purse,
And you shall have the best of them and I shall have the worse.”
And so slowly, so slowly, he rose up and slowly he put on,
And slowly down the stairs he goes a-thinking to be slain.
The first stroke little Musgrave took it was both deep and sore,
And down he fell at Barnard's feet and word he never spoke more.
“And how do you like his cheeks, lady, and how do you like his chin?
And how do you like his fair body now there's no life within?”
“Oh, it's well I like his cheeks,” she said, “And well I like his chin.
And better I like his fair body than all your kith and kin.”
And he's taken up his long, long sword to strike a mortal blow,
And through and through the lady's heart the cold steel it did go.
As it fell out upon a day, as many in the year,
Musgrave to the church did go to see fair ladies there.
-------------
Second Hand Songs: Versions
Title -- Performer -- Release date
1 Little Mattie Groves John Jacob Niles 1956
2 Lord Darnell Paul Clayton 1956
3 Mattie Groves Bob Gibson 1957
4 Little Musgrave Jean Ritchie 1961
5 Mattie Groves (Child No. 81) Paul Clayton 1962
6 Matty Groves Joan Baez September 1962
7 Little Matty Groves The Spinners [1] 1964
8 Little Matty Groves Hedy West 1966
9 Matty Groves Doc Watson 1966
10 Mathie Grove Peggy Seeger 1967
11 Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick 1969
12 Matty Groves Fairport Convention December 1969
13 Little Musgrave Nic Jones 1970
14 Little Musgrave Frankie Armstrong 1975
15 Mathey Groves Sally Rogers 1980
16 Little Matty Groves Norman & Nancy Blake 1992
17 Little Musgrave Eileen McGann 1998
18 Little Musgrave John Wesley Harding 1999
19 Little Musgrave Martin Simpson 2007
20 Matt Groves and Lady Barnard Robin Williamson 2008
Benjamin Britten: The Ballad of Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard (1943) for male voices and piano
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8NgdY7sX_Q
Repertoire Note by Paul Spicer
This work had a curious genesis. Britten’s stance as a conscientious objector in World War II is well known but his sympathies for those caught up in its ramifications were as deeply felt as anyone’s. Written in the middle of the war years, this ballad was composed ‘For Richard Wood and the musicians of Oflag VIIb – Germany’. Wood had organised a music festival at this concentration camp at Eichstätt, Bavaria between February and March 1943 and Britten’s work was performed at seven of the concerts. The story tells of an unfaithful wife and her lover (Lady Barnard and little Musgrave) being discovered in flagrante delicto and murdered by the cheated husband, Lord Barnard. The music is wonderfully descriptive of the tale beginning with a plodding piano part and the prosaic opening of the tale. As the baritones and then the tenors join the fray, so intensity grows as the liaison between the two lovers is laid bare. A ‘little tiny page’ – Lady Barnard’s footman – overhears the assignation made between the two, and he dashes off to spill the beans to his master who hastens to catch them red-handed. Musgrave thinks he hears Lord Barnard’s hunting horn urging his horses to speed on. His mistress, however, encourages him to lie longer , thinking it is just a shepherd’s horn. And so the die is cast. The ending is a moving slow threnody as Barnard laments the death of his wife, urging the gravediggers to put her on top of Musgrave as ‘she comes from nobler kin’.This is a wonderfully dramatic work which will be well within the capabilities of most reasonable choirs. It needs a group of singers who can sustain long-ish lines in the slower passages, and counter a possible tendency to flatness in these sections as well. Care should be taken over the balance between the three parts and especially over the division between the two bass parts. The ability (desire) to tell the story with a sense of involvement and of passion will make all the difference to a successful performance.
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'Both bodily deth and werldly shame': 'Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard' as Source for "A Woman Killed With Kindness"
by Dean A. Hoffman
Comparative Drama, Vol. 23, No. 2 (Summer 1989), pp. 166-178
'Both bodily deth and werldly shame': 'Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard' as Source for A Woman Killed With Kindness
Dean A. Hoffman
A fundamental concern of Thomas Heywood's A Woman Killed With Kindness, first published in 1607, is the power of forgiveness, a notion implicit in the play's ironic title and bitter final scene wherein Mistress Frankford dies after she and her husband resolve their conflict over her adultery with Wendoll in an apparent attitude of Christian charity. Yet it is insufficient to recognize that Heywood develops this theme through explic- itly Christian references to corruption and pardon throughout the play. Servant Nicholas does indeed attribute his mistress' seduction to Satan; Master Frankford characterizes Wendoll three times as "Judas"; and in the final scene, Frankford pardons his wife "as my Redeemer hath forgiven his death." More importantly, the main plot of A Woman Killed With Kindness also reveals a distinctive handling of an archetypal motif involving adultery, one that seems to have provided Heywood the potential for deeper character development and a deliberately non-violent conclusion. Ascertaining the sources of this main plot has proven to be an intractable task at best. The story of a high-born wife's affair with an unworthy lover is an old one, and has appeared in at least four major treatments that have been offered as background for Heywood's play of A Woman Killed With Kindness in "The Conversion of an English Courtesan" from the appendix to Robert Greene's pamphlet, A Disputation Between a He Conny-catcher and a She Conny-catcher (1592), a tale that first appeared as "The Adventures of Master F. J." in George Gascoigne's Hundredth Sundry Flowers (1573). [2] Greene's tale and Heywood's play both contain not only the love triangle but also several impor- tant plot points: each concludes without violence; the wife of the tale repents and is reconciled with her husband; there is a card game with suggestive dialogue; and the maid revealing the affair to her master attributes evidence of her "eyes," much as Nicholas does to Master Frankford. [3] But if "The Conversion of an English Courtesan" preserves most of the plot details of A Woman Killed With Kindness, several important segments of Heywood's play may owe alle- giance to yet another source that is both decidedly English and popular. In the ballad "Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard" (Child 81), a landed wife commits adultery and is soon dis- patched along with her lover by her vengeful husband who has been informed of the affair by his eavesdropping servant. Although early seventeenth-century versions of this ballad post- date the play, it is likely that "Little Musgrave" has some history of transmission prior to the earliest manuscripts. Thomas Percy notes its antiquity,[4] and proof of its popularity with dramatists and theater audiences alike is found in stanzas and title references in William Davenant's The Wits (1672), in John Fletcher's Monsieur Thomas (c.1632), and in his two plays with Francis Beaumont, Bonduca (1619) and Knight of the Burning Pestle (1611), both of which predate Francis Child's earliest copies and contain snatches of the ballad with a "Hey down" refrain and references to the title character as "Lord Barnet" - allusions corresponding very closely to a complete version of the ballad preserved in Child's A text of 1658.[5] As a miscellanist, Heywood was no less familiar with the popular ballad than with the rogue pamphlet. He adapted both a ballad and a play about Richard Whittington into a popular biography (1637);[6] the ballads "Edward IV and the Tanner of Tamworth" and "Jane Shore" contributed details of domestic scenes with which Heywood supplemented the chronicles of Holinshed and Stowe in Edward 1VÇ a ballad source has been suggested for The Fair Maid of the West$ and in the first scene of A Woman Killed With Kindness, the members of Frankf ord's household mention ten popular dance titles - beginning with the appropriately doom-laden "Shaking of the Sheets"^ - which furnished tunes for broadside ballads throughout the seventeenth century. McNeir has suggested that the notion of forgiveness in Heywood's play was inspired by popular recollections in Lincoln- shire of mystery play versions of the Woman Taken in Adultery,[10] and it is possible that the dramatist came in contact with some version of "Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard" before leaving for London in 1594, either through oral circulation or from a manuscript now lost. No pattern of dissemination for this ballad has been ascertained, but if "Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard" spread southward in the late sixteenth century from the northern counties of England - a fertile milieu for ballad devel- opment since the late Middle Agesll - to the stages and broad- side presses of London by at least 1611, its affinities with A Woman Killed With Kindness are considerable, for it enhances the prospect that Thomas Heywood has augmented his pamphlet source with a popular domestic tragedy in verse first heard in his native Lincolnshire and that his intent was to play upon its familiarity to audiences through deliberate reversals in critical scenes of this bald, straightforward revenge tale. [12] An aversion to violence has been noted in several of Heywood's plays, [13] and the main plot of A Woman Killed With Kindness offers situations teeming with potentially bloody resolutions - particularly in Master Frankford's apprehension of his wife in the act of adultery - that are purposively rejected by the playwright. "Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard" may thus ultimately be of less interest as source material than for the light it may shed on Heywood's complex attitude toward domestic violence. Like many ballads produced during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, "Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard," despite its length, moves swiftly, sacrificing background and character development in favor of continuity and suspense. Initially, any similarities between poem and play appear at best to be superficial: there is apparently no friendship between husband and adulterer in the ballad on the order of Frankford's close relationship with Wendoll, and whereas Lady Barnard boldly accosts Little Musgrave and proposes their assignation, it is Wendoll who first confesses his love for Anne who, unlike Musgrave, hesitates, not through fear of detection, but over the dire consequences of entering "the labyrinth of sin" (vi. 160).
Yet it is in this scene of the play that Heywood may have turned from the pamphlet to the ballad for inspiration. As Lady Barnard and her lover discuss their impending tryst, Lord Barnard's attentive page, like Frankford's man Nicholas, recalls his responsibility to his master as well as to his mistress and, with a similarly proverbial turn of phrase, prepares to tell him of the affair:
With that he heard, a little tynë page,
By his ladye's coach as he ran:
"All though I am my ladye's foot-page, "
Yet I am Lord Barnard's man.
"My lord Barnard shall knowe of this,
Whether I sink or swim;"
And ever where the bridges were broake
He laid him downe to swimme. (Stanzas 8-9)
I love my master, and I hate that slave;
I love my mistress, but these tricks I like not;
My master shall not pocket up this wrong;
I'll eat my fingers first. (vi. 167-70)
Both gentlemen are angered at their servants' reports: Lord Barnard vows to hang the page if he speaks falsely, while Frankford strikes Nicholas and threatens him with dismissal. Yet whereas Lord Barnard continues in this vein, hastily rallying his men and rushing to expose the illicit lovers, Frankford is so disillusioned upon hearing Nicholas' full disclosure that, failing to act, he instead turns his violent sentiments inward in a moment of sudden weakness:
Thou hast kill'd me with a weapon whose sharpen'd point
Hath prick'd quite through and through my shivering heart.
Drops of cold sweat sit dangling on my hairs
Like morning's dew upon the golden flowers,
And I am plung'd into a strange agony. (viii.57-63)
Despite this sudden upheaval, Frankford, like Othello, will see before he doubts, and so delays acting upon his suspicions until a suitable trap can be laid - a development that allows Heywood to include Greene's card game scene, here with brutal double entendre. It is this scene which reveals evidence of the affair and reinforces the interdependence between Frankford and Nicholas. This segment of the ballad may also help to explain the swiftness of the affair in Heywood's version. Noting that Greene unobtrusively compressed roughly eight years of episodes from Gascoigne's story into a single year, McNeir infers that Heywood similarly telescoped his narrative pattern in light of WendolFs inconsistent references on the night of Frankford's discovery to his "new found love" alongside Nicholas' testimony of seeing "vile notorious tricks" between the lovers, and then deduces an approximate length of eight months from the time of Frankford's wedding by virtue of the subplot's time scheme. [14] But these passages, along with Jenkin's description fairly late in the play of Wendoll as "my new master," might appear less illogical if Nicholas' report to Frankford and the exposure of the lovers are modelled on the page's immediate flight to Lord Barnard and his own headlong rush to his lady's bower. It is difficult not to speculate that the demands of the ballad plot also compromised Heywood's development of Anne's character and thus resulted in her unsatisfyingly rapid submission to a lover. As the cuckolded Lord Barnard prepares to surprise his wife and Musgrave, the anonymous poet underscores the lord's potential for bloody retaliation by enumerating each step of his approach, particularly his passage through the doors of the bower:
With that my lord Barnard came to the dore,
And lit a stone upon;
He plucked out three silver keys,
And he opend the dores each one.
He lifted up the coverlett,
He lifted up the sheet:
"How now, how now, thou Littell Musgrave,
Doest thou find my lady sweet?" (Stanzas 18-19)
Frankford's entrance into the bedroom occupied by his unsus- pecting wife and friend is far more reluctant, and the mood of the scene is less one of increasing suspense than of mounting anguish. Heywood's squire too must unlock a series of doors, the last of which is described in sacred images that barely conceal a potential for violence still expressed in terms of his own inner torment rather than directed in vengeance toward his rival:
This is the key that opes my outward gate,
This is the hall door, this my withdrawing chamber.
But this, that door that's bawd unto my shame,
Fountain and spring of all my bleeding thoughts,
Where the most hallowed order and true knot
Of nuptial sanctity hath been profan'd.
It leads to my polluted bedchamber,
Once my terrestrial heaven, now my earth's hell,
The place where sins in all their ripeness dwell. (xiii. 8-16)
An even more divided spirit prevails in the rather awkward sequence of events that follows. While Lord Barnard slays both his wife and her lover with his sword, Frankford, who explicitly states his fear of such a reaction before entering the room, begs for divine assistance against committing a crime passionnel in terms that veer wildly between self-punishment and constraint:
Oh, keep my eyes, you Heavens, before I enter,
From any sight that may transfix my soul;
Or if there be so black a spectacle,
Oh, strike mine eyes stark blind; or if not so,
Lend me such patience to digest my grief,
That I may keep this white and virgin hand
From any violent outrage or red murder.
And with that prayer I enter. (xiii.27-34)
Frankford enters his bedchamber only to return without having avenged himself against the lovers, and he rationalizes his cowardice in words that only thinly disguise the urge to destroy the pair in the manner of Lord Barnard:
But that I would not damn two precious souls
Bought with my Saviour's blood, and send them laden
With all their scarlet sins upon their backs
Unto a fearful judgement, their two lives
Had met upon my rapier. (xiii.43-49)
After Frankford's second entrance into the room, however, Heywood creates a violent tableau which hearkens back to the climactic scene of the ballad: Frankford chases the gown-clad Wendoll with his drawn sword - a wordless scene conveyed only through a lengthy stage direction. Lord Barnard reflects upon the consequences of such behavior only after he has rashly slain his wife for proclaiming her love for the vanquished Musgrave:
"Woe worth you, woe worth, my mery men all
You were nere borne for my good;
Why did you not offer to stay my hand
When you see me wax so wood?" (Stanza 27)
But in Heywood's detailed stage direction, a servant does indeed "stay the hand" of the master, whose reaction seems to preserve the temperament of his ballad counterpart:
I thank thee, maid; thou like the angel's hand
Hast stay'd me from a bloody sacrifice.
Go, villain, and my wrongs sit on thy soul
As heavy as this grief doth upon mine.
When thou record'st my many courtesies,
And shalt compare them with thy treacherous heart,
Lay them together, weigh them equally,
Twill be revenge enough.
Go, to thy friend A Judas; pray, pray, lest I live to see
Thee Judas-like hang'd on an elder tree. (xiii.69-78)
Frankford's allusions to the sacrifice of Isaac and its New Testament counterpart in the Crucifixion are especially ironic here in that the spirit of his response seems to owe less to the Christian notion of grace that presumably informs the play than to the retributive ethic of Exodus' "life for life, Eie for eie, tothe for tothe" (21.23-24; Geneva version). And Anne, despite her guilt-ridden praise of her husband's gentleness toward her during this scene, begs that he not deliver a punishment equal in severity to that suffered by Lady Barnard: "yet once my husband,/ . . . mark not my face/ Nor hack me with your sword" (xiii.96, 99-100). At this narrative juncture, the ballad ends, and Heywood's play continues in a lengthy denouement detailing Frankford's judgment against his wife and the contrasting resolution through marriage of the conflict between the Acton family and Sir Charles Mountford. Although the concerns of these scenes lie for the most part outside the scope of this analysis, three late incidents in the play that seem to allude to elements of the ballad may have been intentional additions on Heywood's part. While Anne's encounters with Wendoll occur in Frankford's bedroom, Lady Barnard's tryst with Little Musgrave takes place at her bower at Bucklesfordberry, presumably at some distance from her husband's house. Yet it is to a similarly remote place - "a manor seven mile off" - that Anne is banished by her lord as punishment for her sin, a development that may be seen as an ironic reversal of the play's source. Equally striking is the contrast apparent in each woman's feelings toward her lover following her husband's discovery. Lady Barnard declares her love for Little Musgrave and defies her husband in an expression that precipitates her gruesome death: With that bespake this faire lady, In bed whereas she lay:
"Although thou'rt dead, thou Little Musgrave,
Yet I for thee will pray.
"And wish well to thy soule will I,
So long as I have life;
So will I not for thee, Barnard,
Although I am thy wedded wife." (Stanzas 24-25)
But Mistress Anne, en route to her solitary new home, rejects Wendoll in an equally passionate outburst, and in so doing she uses imagery that underscores both the depth of her guilt and her view of Wendoll as a source of temptation:
Oh, for God's sake fly!
The devil doth come to tempt me ere I die. My coach!
This fiend that with an angel's face
Courted mine honour till he sought my wrack
In my repentant eyes seems ugly black. (xvi. 108-12)
It is Anne's death, however, that remains the most problem- atic element in A Woman Killed With Kindness with respect not only to Heywood's possible source material but also to the larger consideration of the violence implicit in the darker, more preceptive ethos of the Elizabethan domestic tragedy. Within the limitations of this genre, violence is less often a solution in The Spanish Tragedy, The Duchess of Malfi, or 'Tis Pity She's a Whore than it is the central problem. In Arden of Faversham, adulterous murderers find themselves in a realm of corruption like that of Macbeth where "bloody instructions return to plague th' inventor," as witnessed by Arden's corpse which bleeds in his killers' presence and for over two years leaves its imprint in the field where it is hidden - a continuing warning to the audience against the inevitability of punishment for such a crime. Likewise, the husband of A Yorkshire Tragedy proclaims in his gallows speech that the forces of evil have led him into mass murder, but his realization comes too late to save his soul. This play's earliest viewers would no doubt recall the severe punishment of la peine fort et dure meted out to this character's infamous real-life model, William Calverley, whose lurid crime provided the subject for no fewer than five literary treatments. [15] The outcome of A Woman Killed With Kindness, however, is much less predictable, for what lingers after the final scene is not simply a sense of justice achieved against Anne's disgrace but also its haunting aftermath: Frankford's vain searching of her empty room, her tearful speech over the lute and the unmis- takable equation between them, and her wrenching plea for her husband's pardon. Nor are all guilty parties punished in this play - Wendoll, unlike Alice Arden's lover Mosbie, lives on, in his last appearance expressing his hope of rising to favor in court once word of his complicity has passed. And the final scene's ostensible allusion to Christ's pardon of the woman taken in adultery, conveyed through its more overtly Christian sentiment of redemption through forgiveness, is soon undermined by Anne's death so that it becomes instead a representation of the grief caused by an unanticipated breach of familial loyalty. But, more importantly, the violent sensibility of "Little Musgrave" seems to lie at the heart of A Woman Killed With Kindness. Redress of manslaughter is not only the focus of the play's subplot, but its presence is felt during its resolution as well, as Susan Mountford offers to stab herself to avoid being dishonored by Acton, who speaks of his "violent humour of passion and love" upon viewing her for the first time. Only the servant's fortuitous appearance in the climactic scene between the Frankfords and Wendoll prevents the shedding of blood that has underscored Frankford's language up to that point, and Wendoll foreshadows this inevitable scene through the equally grisly subtext of his soliloquy before his confession of love to Anne in references to his "red tears of blood" and his imminent destruction of the bonds of friendship:
Base man! Ingrate!
Hast thou the power straight with thy gory hands
To rip thy image from his bleeding heart?
To scratch thy name from out the holy book
Of his remembrance, and to wound his name
That holds thy name so dear, or rend his heart
To whom thy heart was joined and knit together? (vi.44-50)
It is interesting to note in this regard that Nicholas' immediate reaction upon hearing the exchange between Wendoll and Anne that follows is a deadly threat - "I'll kill the rogue . . . . . Zounds, I'll stab" (vi. 162, 165) - accompanied by the drawing of his dagger. In particular, the final scene of the play bears out this obsessive quality: Anne's death by starvation is a passive, self- directed act of execution, its brutality surfacing only in the extremity of her language that foreshadows it: Oh, to redeem my honour, I would have this hand cut off, these my breasts sear'd Be rack'd, strappado'd, put to any torment; Nay, to whip but this scandal out, I would hazard The rich and dear redemption of my soul. (xiii.135-39) And Francis Acton's uneasy commendation of Frankford's par- don betrays the more vengeful attitude of Lord Barnard:
My brother Frankford show'd too mild a spirit
In the revenge of such a loathed crime;
Less than he did no man of spirit could do.
I am so far from blaming his revenge
That I commend it. Had it been my case
Their souls at once had from their breasts been freed;
Death to such deeds of shame is the due meed. (xvii. 16-22)
This inherent division in A Woman Killed With Kindness finds further expression in a marked tendency toward opposition and balance in the play's verse, as is evident in the catalogue of contrasts offered by the prologue in the manner of Chorus from Henry V which urges the audience to imagine "Our barren plot, a large and spacious field;/ Our coarse fare, banquets; our thin water, wine" (11. 8-9). Early on, Sir Charles praises the marriage of the Frankfords as an even match - "There's equality/ In this fair combination; you are both scholars,/ Both young, both being descended nobly" (i. 66-6 8) - while the melancholy Nicholas in the complementary second scene appraises himself as "sudden and not superfluous," "quarrelsome, and not sedi- tious," "peaceable, and not contentious" (ii.20-22). When Anne's affair comes to light, her husband interrogates her in a "debate" over her choice of Wendoll and concludes it with a pronouncement that unites the play's motif of betrayal and its violent background: "It was thy hand cut two hearts out of one" (xiii.186). And the symmetrical phrases of Sir Francis effec- tively convey his shifting sentiments of love and bitterness toward his sister in the concluding scene:
I came to chide you, but my words of hate
Are turn'd to pity and compassionate grief.
I came to rate you, but my brawls, you see,
Melt into tears, and I must weep by thee. (xvii.63-66)
Finally Nicholas, ever the faithful servant, finds himself weeping over his dying mistress and yet staunchly maintains his equi- librium amid the bathos of those gathered around her, while he responds to Frankford's wish to die with pity in words that echo his earlier self-portrait, "So will not I;/ I'll sigh and sob, but, by my faith, not die" (xvii.99-100). Ultimately, the rationale of Thomas Heywood's play is probably best perceived in the evocative passage which contributes its title: as Frankford vows to his wife, "I'll . . . with usage/ Of more humility torment thy soul,/ And kill thee, even with kindness" (xiii. 154-57), a perspective that reveals less equanimity than equivocation. Yet it is this very spirit of duality which gives A Woman Killed With Kindness a degree of verisi- militude that elevates it above the sources ascribed to it - sources which include "Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard." The ambig- uity of Heywood's conclusion should not necessarily be qualified as evidence of a predilection toward Christian forbearance and restraint or as a foreshadowing of the school of sensibility and the bloodless tragedies of Ibsen, [16] but may be regarded as an implicit recognition that the men and women of this play and the conflicts in which they engage must be presented in shades of gray. It is in the play's very unevenness - its narrative inconsistencies, the sketchiness of its heroine's motivation, its facile resolution of the subplot - as well as in its symmetrical verse, its hero's wrestling with conflicting attitudes of mercy and revenge, and the ultimately deadly effect of his gentle punish- ment that we can detect in Heywood's preoccupation with the darker side of domestic life what has been called a "tinge of stoicism," [17] a striving for detachment and judgment that is cruelly successful. Whereas Lord Barnard pays perfunctory tribute to his lady by ordering that her body be buried above that of her lover in deference to her station, Master Frankford instead asks that a monument be raised to his dead wife and that this monument should bear the paradoxical inscription, "Here lies she whom her husband's kindness kill'd" - an enduring emblem of separation and ambivalence.
NOTES
1 Emil Koeppel first suggested the fifty-eighth novel of the first book of Painter's Palace of Pleasure (1566) - an adaptation of the thirty-sixth story of Marguerite of Navarre's Heptameron (1558) also appearing in Part I of Bandello's Tragical Dis- courses (1554) ("Quellen-Studien zu den Dramen Ben Jonson's, John Marston's und Beaumont's und Fletcher's" Münchener Beiträge, 11 [1895], 136). Robert G. Martin has cited Painter's forty-third novel as the source text ("A New Source for A Woman Killed With Kindness," English Studies, 43 [1911], 229-33), and both of these tales, according to McEvoy Patterson, along with Painter's fifty-seventh story, "A Strange Punishment of Adultery," furnished Heywood with his main plot ("Origin of the Main Plot of A Woman Killed With Kindness," University of Texas Studies in English, 17 [1937], 75-87).
2 Waldo F. McNeir, "Heywood's Sources for the Main Plot of A Woman Killed With Kindness," Studies in the English Renaissance Drama, ed. Josephine W. Bennett, Oscar Cargill, and Vernon Hall, Jr. (Washington Square: New York Univ. Press, 1959), pp. 189-211.
3 Robert Greene, A Disputation Between a He Conny-catcher and a She Conny- catcher, in Cony-Catchers and Bawdy Baskets: An Anthology of Elizabethan Low Life, ed. Gamini Salgado (Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1972), pp. 302-08.
4 Thomas Percy, ed., Reliques of Ancient English Poetry (London: Swan, Son- nenschein, Lowrey, 1887), III, 68.
5 Francis James Child, ed., The English and Scottish Popular Ballads (1885; rpt. New York: Folklore Press, 1956), II, 244-45. All further citations are to the A text of this ballad in Child's edition except when otherwise noted.
6 Arthur Melville Clark, Thomas Heywood: Playwright and Miscellanist (1958; rpt. New York: Russell and Russell, 1967), p. 173.
7 Otelia Cromwell, Thomas Heywood: A Study in the Elizabethan Drama of Everyday Life (1928; rpt. [New Haven]: Archon Books, 1969), pp. 155-57.
8 See Katherine Lee Bates' edition (Boston, 1917), pp. 140-42.
9 Thomas Heywood, A Woman Killed With Kindness, ed. Brian W. M. Scobie (London: A. and C. Black, 1985), p. 5n. All further citations are from this edition. For modern transcriptions of these tunes, see Claude M. Simpson, ed., The British Broadside Ballad and Its Music (New Brunswick: Rutgers Univ. Press, 1966), and Jeremy Barlow, ed., The Complete Country Dance Tunes from Playford's Dancing Master (1651-ca. 1728) (London: Faber Music, 1985).
10 McNeir, "Heywood's Sources," p. 205.
11 J. C. Holt, Robin Hood (London: Thames and Hudson, 1982), p. 128. "Little Musgrave" seems to share a predominantly northern orientation with the Yorkshire of Heywood's play. Although no verifiable setting is mentioned in the ballad, the lover possesses a Westmorland place-name, and roll sources throughout the Middle Ages place the surname Barnard variously in Huntingdonshire (1066, Domesday Book), Norfolk (1101-16, 5/. Benet of Holme, Norfolk Ree. Soc, II, III), Lincolnshire (1130, Pipe Rolls, Ree. Comm., 3 vols. [1833-44]), and York (1446, Register of the Freemen of York, Surtees Soc, 96, 102 [1897, 1900]). Most importantly, a Scottish manuscript that antedates Child's texts (several of them designated as "northern versions") is noted by Bertrand Bronson, ed., The Traditional Tunes of the Child Ballads (Princeton: Princeton Univ. Press, 1962), II, 267.
12 Although such a premise begs the obvious question of whether Heywood's play instead inspired the anonymous ballad, two important factors militate against this possibility: most popular ballads and chapbook tales deriving from literary sources - e.g., those of Sir Gawain and King Arthur, William Wallace, King Orfeo, Doctor Faustus, and Guy of Warwick - do not reflect such a stark or concerted reversal of major narrative incidents. Notable accretions do occur in other variants of "Little Musgrave" - a threat or bribe is held against the page to secure his silence; the lord and his enemy are blood relations; Musgrave is himself married; Lord Barnard either kills himself, is hanged, or does penance; or the lady's blood is caught in a basin of silver (Child, II, 243) - yet clearly none of these touches derives from Heywood's play. More decisively, such secondary treatments are commonly marked by a faithful transcription of significant character names from their sources. None of Child's or Bronson's versions refer remotely to appellations like "Frankford," "Acton," "Wen- doll," or "Anne," but contain instead recognizable offshoots of "Barnard" (Barnet, Burnett, Barnaby, Barnabas, Barlibas) and "Musgrave" (Mousgrove, Mossgrey, Mess- grove, Sir Grove, Matty Groves, Mathew Grew).
13 Allan Holaday, "Thomas Heywood and the Puritans," Journal of English and Germanic Philology, 49 (1950), 197-98.
14 McNeir, "Heywood's Sources," pp. 199-200.
15 Keith Sturgess, ed., Three Elizabethan Domestic Tragedies (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1985), p. 30.
16 McNeir, "Heywood's Sources," p. 206; Clark, Thomas Heywood, p. 236.
17 Cromwell, Thomas Heywood, p. 105.
About the Author:
1. The most convincing of these studies thus far is that of Waldo F. McNeir, who finds the origin DEAN A. HOFFMAN is a Lecturer in English at the University of California, Riverside, where he completed his Ph.D. in 1987. His previous publications have appeared in Neuphilologische Mitteilungen and Studia Neophilologica.