Sweet Willy- Brown (Aber) 1783 Jamieson-Brown MS
[From Jamieson-Brown Manuscript from English and Scottish Popular Ballads by F.J. Child, 1881, volume 1, version b. Child's notes follow. This is the first of two MS's written down by Mrs. Brown about 1783. The first MS text was made up of 20 ballads at the request of William Tytler. The changes from Aa to create Ab are at the bottom of this page (one stanza off after 6)-- this is Jamieson's version which varies slightly from his MS.
R. Matteson 2018]
b lacks altogether the passage which makes proffer of the cup, a, stanzas 5-11, and substitutes at that place the girdle of a 21-28. The woodbine in a 36, 41, is also wanting, and the concluding stanza. A deficiency both in matter and rhyme at a 32 is supplied by b 25, 26, but not happily:
'An do you to your mither then,
An bid her come to your boy's christnen;
'For dear 's the boy he 's been to you:
Then notice well what she shall do.'
b. "Sweet Willy" Jamieson MS, as printed by Jamieson in 1806. Sung by Mrs Brown, Falkland, (ex) Aberdeenshire; copied by Joseph Ritson, c. 1792–1794.
1. Sweet Willie's ta'en him o'er the faem;
He's woo'd a wife and brought her hame;
2. He's woo'd her for her yellow hair;
But's mither wrought her mickle care;
3. And mickle dolour gart her dree,
For lighter can she never be;
4. But in her bower she sits wi' pain,
And Willy mourns o'er her in vain.
5. Now to his mither he is gane,
That vile rank witch o' vilest kin;
6. He says, "My lady has a girdle,
It's a' red goud unto the middle;
7. And ay at ilka silver hem
Hings fifty silver bells and ten;
8. That goodly gift shall be your ain,
And let her be lighter o' her young bairn."
9. "O' her young bairn she's never be lighter,
Nor in her bower to shine the brighter;
10. But she shall die and turn to clay,
And you shall wed anither may."—
11. "Anither may I'll never wed,
Anither may I'll never bring hame;"
12. But, sighing, says that weary wight,
"I wish my days were at an en'!"
13. He did him till his mither again,
That vile rank witch o' vilest kin,
14. And said, " My lady has a steed,
The like o' him's nae i' the lands o' Leed;
15. For he is gouden shod before,
And he is gouden shod behin';
16. And at ilka tate o' that horse' mane
There's a gouden chess and bell ringin';—
17. "This goodly gift sall be your ain,
And lat her be lighter o' her young bairn."—
18. "O' her young bairn she's never be lighter,
Nor in her bower to shine the brighter,
19. But she shall die and go to clay,
And you shall wed anither may."
20. "Anither may I'll never wed,
Anither may I'll never bring hame;"
21. But, sighing, says that weary wight,
"I wish my life were at an en'!"
22. Then out it spak the Billy Blin,
He spak ay in a good time,
23. "Ye do you to the market-place,
And there ye buy a leaf o' wax.
24. "Ye shape it bairn and bairnly like,
And in twa glazen een ye pit;
25. And do you to your mither then,
And bid her to your boy's Christnin;
26. For dear's the boy he's been to you;
Then notice well what she shall do;
27. And do you stand a little forbye,
And listen well what she will say."
28. He did him to the market-place,
And there he bought a leaf o' wax;
29. He shaped it bairn and bairnly like,
And in twa glazen een he pat;
30. He did him till his mither then,
And bade her to his boy's Christnin;
31. And he did stand a little forbye,
And noticed well what she did say.
32. "O wha has loos'd the nine witch knots,
That was amang that lady's locks?
33. And wha's ta'en out the kaimbs o' care,
That was amang that lady's hair?
34. And wha has kill'd the master kid,
That ran aneath that lady's bed?
35. And wha has loos'd her left-foot shee,
And latten that lady lighter be?"
36. "O Willy has loos'd the nine witch knots
That hang amang his lady's locks;
37. And Willy's ta'en out the kaimbs o' care,
That hang amang his lady's hair;
38. And Willy's killed the master kid,
That ran aneath his lady's bed;
39. And Willy's loos'd her left-foot shee,
And latten his lady lighter be.
________________________
b. Divided in Jamieson's manuscript into stanzas of four verses, two verses being written in one line:
but Jamieson's 8 = a 14-16.
11. Sweet Willy 's taen.
5-11, wanting. Instead of the cup, the girdle occurs here: = a 21-28.
121. He did him till. 2. wilest kin.
131. An said, My lady.
141,2. he is.
162. An lat her be lighter o her young bairn.
181. go to clay.
a 211 = b 51 . Now to his mither he has gane. 2. kin.
a 221 = b 61 . He say[s] my lady. 2. It 's a' red.
a 231 = b 71. at ilka. 2. Hings.
a 241 = b 81. gift sall be your ain. 2. lat her ... o her.
a 29 = b 22. Then out it spake the belly blin;
She spake ay in a good time.
a 32 = b 25, 26.
An do you to your mither then,
An bid her come to your boy's christnen;
For dear 's the boy he 's been to you:
Then notice well what she shall do.
Between a 33 and a 34 occurs in b (28-31):
He did him to the market place,
An there he bought a loaf o wax.
He shap'd it bairn and bairnly like,
An in't twa glazen een he pat.
He did him till his mither then,
An bade him (sic) to his boy's christnen.
An he did stan a little forebye,
An notic'd well what she did say.
a 352 = b 332. hang amo.
36. wanting in b.
372. aneath.
392 = b 362. hang amo his.
401. kemb o care. 2 . his lady's.
41. wanting in b.
422 = b 382. ran aneath his.
44. wanting in b.
b 222 makes the Billy Blind feminine. This is not so in a, or in any other ballad, and may be only an error of the transcriber, who has not always written carefully.