The False-Hearted Knight- Hathaway (ME) 1928 Barry G; Bronson 13
[From Barry, Eckstorm, and Smyth, "British Ballads from Maine", 1929, pp. 26-28, Version G. Barry compares this (nettle reference in Verse 10 and 11) with Child version F, 'The False Knight Outwitted,' Roxburghe Ballads, British Museum, III, 449 in 1875.
Roxburghe's Chappell says of the date: In the catalogue of the British Museum, "London? 1710?" Barry says (1929 British Ballads from Maine) Ebsworth, the Roxburghe Ballads editor, dates this as c.1765. He also says this version is older than Child F:
That some of our Maine texts are earlier than this Roxburghe copy (Child F) seems proved, when we compare Mrs. Hathaway's text with Roxburghe' text contains the same singular lines about "the sickle to crop the nettle," but it is six stanzas longer (eight stanzas as originally submitted).
Barry et all make similar claims about the age of other Child ballads (Child 2 for example) but although they may be true there is no documentation of the date in this country. Certainly an ancient version may have entered this country at a later date.
R. Matteson 2011; 2014]
The False-Hearted Knight- Sung by Mrs. Guy R. Hathaway, Mattawamkeag, Maine, 1928; learned from her father.
1 I'll tell you of a false hearted knight
Who courted a lady gay,
And all that he wanted of this pretty fair maid
Was to take her sweet life away.
2 "Go bring me some of your mamma's gold,
And some of your daddy's fee,
And away we'll ride to some foreign country
And married we shall be."
3 She brought him some of her mamma's gold,
And some of her daddy's fee,
And two of the best horses in her father's stable,
Where there stood thirty and three.
4 She then mounted the milk-white steed,
And he upon the grey,
They rode till they came to a fair river side,
Six hours before it was day.
5 "Alight, alight, my pretty fair maid,
I have something to tell unto thee;
For it's six maidens fair I have drowned here
And you the seventh shall be."
6 "Some pity, some pity, my own true love,
Some pity show unto me,
For of all the gold that I ever gave to thee,
I will double it over three."
7 "Take off, take off your satin gown,
And give it unto me,
For I do think that your clothing is too gay
To rot in the watery sea."
8 She then took off her satin gown
And laid it upon the ground,
And out of this fair lady's pocket
He took ten thousand pounds.
9 "Go bring me the sickle, that I may crop the nettle
That grows on the river's brim,
That it may not entangle my curly, curly locks
Nor nettle my milk-white skin."
10 He brought the sickle, that she might crop the nettle
That grew on the river's brim,
And with all of the strength that this fair maid had,
She pushed the false knight in.
11 "Lie there, lie there, you false-hearted knight,
For I think that you've got your doom,
And I do not think that your clothing is too gay
To rot in a watery tomb."
12 "Some pity, some pity, my pretty fair maid,
Some pity show unto me:
For of all the vows that I ever made to thee,
I will double them over three!"
13 "Lie there, lie there, you false hearted knight,
Lie there instead of me,
For it's six maidens fair you have drowned here,
And the seventh hath drowned thee."
14 She then mounted the milk-white steed,
And home she led the grey,
She rode till she came to her father's stable door,
Three hours before it was day.
15 The parrot being up in the chamber so high,
Hearing his mistress, did say:
"What is the matter, my own mistress,
That you tarry so long before day?"
16 The maid being up in the chamber so high,
Hearing what the parrot did say:
"O! What is the matter, you silly parrot,
That you prattle so long before day?"
17 "The cat she came to my cage door,
And would not let me be,
And I was obliged my own mistress to call
To drive the cat away."
18 "Hold your tongue, my own parrot,
And tell no tales on me,
And your cage shall be made of the finest of gold,
And doors of ivory."
---------------------------
X:13
T:The False-Hearted Knight
T:Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight
C:Trad
B:Bronson
O:Barry, Eckstorm, and Smyth, "British Ballads from Maine",I929,
O:pp. 26(G)-28. Sung by Mrs. Guy R. Hathaway, Mattawamkeag, Maine,
O: I928; learned from her father.
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:Gm % Bronson has Dorian
D2 | G3 B d3 c | B2 AB G2 d2 |
w:I'll tell you of a false heart-ed knight Who
g2 de f2 ec | d6 d2 | g2 de fe d>c |
w:cour-ted a la-dy_ gay, And all that he want-ed of this
B2 AB G2 GB | d2 dd dc BA | G6 |]
w:pret-ty fair maid Was to take her sweet life_ a_ way.
W:
W:I'll tell you of a false hearted knight
W:Who courted a lady gay,
W:And all that he wanted of this pretty fair maid
W:Was to take her sweet life away.
W:
W:"Go bring me some of your mamma's gold,
W:And some of your daddy's fee,
W:And away we'll ride to some foreign country
W:And married we shall be."
W:
W:She brought him some of her mamma's gold,
W:And some of her daddy's fee,
W:And two of the best horses in her father's stable,
W:Where there stood thirty and three.
W:
W:She then mounted the milk-white steed,
W:Apd he upon the grey,
W:They rode till they came to a fair river side,
W:Six hours before it was day.
W:
W:"Alight, alight, my pretty fair maid,
W:I have something to tell unto thee;
W:For it's six maidens fair I have drowned here
W:And you the seventh shall be."
W:
W:"Some pity, some pity, my own true love,
W:Some pity show unto me,
W:For of all the gold that I ever gave to thee,
W:I will double it over three."
W:
W:"Take off, take off your satin gown,
W:And give it unto me,
W:For I do think that your clothing is too gay
W:To rot in the watery sea."
W:
W:She then took off her satin gown
W:And laid it upon the ground,
W:And out of this fair lady's pocket
W:He took ten thousand pounds.
W:
W:"Go bring me the sickle, that I may crop the nettle
W:That grows on the river's brim,
W:That it may not entangle my curly, curly locks
W:Nor nettle my milk-white skin."
W:
W:He brought the sickle, that she might crop the nettle
W:That grew on the river's brim,
W:And with all of the strength that this fair maid had,
W:She pushed the false knight in.
W:
W:"Lie there, lie there, you false hearted knight,
W:For I think that you've got your doom,
W:And I do not think that your clothing is too gay
W:To rot in a watery tomb."
W:
W:"Some pity, some pity, my pretty fair maid,
W:Some pity show unto me:
W:For of all the vows that I ever made to thee,
W:I will double them over three!"
W:
W:"Lie there, lie there, you false hearted knight,
W:Lie there instead of me,
W:For it's six maidens fair you have drowned here,
W:And the seventh hath drowned thee."
W:
W:She then mounted the milk-white steed,
W:And home she led the grey,
W:She rode till she came to her father's stable door,
W:Three hours before it was day.
W:
W:The parrot being up in the chamber so high,
W:Hearing his mistress, did say:
W:"What is the matter, my own mistress,
W:That you tarry so long before day?"
W:
W:The maid being up in the chamber so high,
W:Hearing what the parrot did say:
W:"O! What is the matter, you silly parrot,
W:That you prattle so long before day?"
W:
W:"The cat she came to my cage door,
W:And would not let me be,
W:And I was obliged my own mistress to call
W:To drive the cat away."
W:
W:"Hold your tongue, my own parrot,
W:And tell no tales on me,
W:And your cage shall be made of the finest of gold,
W:And doors of ivory."