The Life of Georgia- Ashby (MO) c.1870 Belden A
[Belden A, The Life of Georgia, was taken from James Ashby's MS book compiled shortly after the Civil War. It was sent to Belden in 1906. It was published by H. M. Belden in The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 20, No. 79 (Oct. - Dec., 1907), pp. 319-320 under the title, Old-Country Ballads in Missouri, "Geordie".
At the bottom of this page for comparison is the broadside of "George of Oxford," printed by Child in the Appendix to No. 209 (iv, 141 f.).
R. Matteson 2013]
OLD-COUNTRY BALLADS IN MISSOURI - "GEORDIE."
THE following version of Geordie (Child, 209) is in James Ashby's MS. ballad book, but was overlooked when I sent in the Missouri versions of ballads found in Child.[1] It is apparently a reduction by oral transmission of the broadside of "George of Oxford," printed by Child in the Appendix to No. 209 (iv, 141 f.).
THE LIFE OF GEORGIA
As I was going over Muldars Bridge
It was in the Morning early
I heard a fair damsel lamenting and say
Lord spair me the life of Georgia. [2]
Go bridle up my milk white steed
And sadle him up so gayly
That I may ride to the Kings castle town
And plead for the life of Georgia.
She rode all day she rod all night
Untill she was wet and weary
And Combing back her fine yellow hair
Pleading for the life of Georgia.
Pulling out a purse of gold
Saying unto the lawyers
Lawyers lawers fee yourselvs
But spair me the life of Georgia.
Says Georgia unto the Layers
I never murdered any
But I stold sixteen of the Kings white steeds
And sold them in Bohema
Says the Layers unto Georgia
Lord I feel so sorry for you
But your own confession has condended you to die
May the Lord have mercy on you
Georgie shall be hung with a golden chain
If it cost ten thousand guineas
Because he came of a royal race
And corted a virtuous Lady
As he walked up and down the streets
And he bid farewell to many
And he bid farewell to his own dear girl
Which grieved him more than any
I wish I was on London's shore
Where work and money is plenty
With a sword and pistol by my side
I would fight for the life of Georgia.
Dark so dark.
H. M. Belden.
Footnotes:
1 See Nos. lxxiv and lxxv of the Journal of American Folk-Lore
2. [My footnote] pronounced, "Georgie"
--------------
"The Life and Death of George of Oxford. To a pleasant tune, called Poor Georgy." Roxburghe Collection, IV, 53, Pepys, II, 150, Jersey, I, 86, Huth, I, 150, according to Mr. J. W. Ebsworth, Roxburghe Ballads, VII, 70, 1890. It was printed for P. Brooksby, whose time Mr. Ebsworth gives as between 1671 and 1692.
1 As I went over London Bridge,
All in a misty morning,
There did I see one weep and mourn,
Lamenting for her Georgy.
His time it is past, his life it will not last,
Alack and alas, there is no remedy!
Which makes the heart within me ready to burst in three,
To think on the death of poor Georgy.
2 'George of Oxford is my name,
And few there 's but have known me;
Many a mad prank have I playd,
But now they 've overthrown me.'
3 O then bespake the Lady Gray;
'I 'le haste me in the morning,
And to the judge I 'le make my way,
To save the life of Georgy.
4 'Go saddle me my milk-white steed,
Go saddle me my bonny,
That I may to New-Castle speed,
To save the life of Georgy.'
5 But when she came the judge before,
Full low her knee she bended;
For Georgy's life she did implore,
That she might be befriended.
6 'O rise, O rise, fair Lady Gray,
Your suit cannot be granted;
Content your self as well you may,
For Georgy must be hanged.'
7 She wept, she waild, she [w]rung her hands,
And ceased not her mourning;
She offerd gold, she offerd lands,
To save the life of Georgy.
8 'I have travelld through the land,
And met with many a man, sir,
But, knight or lord, I bid him stand;
He durst not make an answer.
9 'The Brittain bold that durst deny
His money for to tender,
Though he were stout as valiant Guy,
I forced him to surrender.
10 'But when the money I had got,
And made him cry peccavi,
To bear his charge and pay his shot,
A mark or noble gave I.
11 'The ladies, when they had me seen,
Would ner have been affrighted;
To take a dance upon the green
With Georgy they delighted.
12 When I had ended this our wake,
And fairly them bespoken,
Their rings and jewels would I take,
To keep them for a token.'
13 The hue-and-cry for George is set,
A proper handsome fellow,
With diamond eyes as black as jet,
And locks like gold so yellow.
14 Long it was, with all their art,
Ere they could apprehend him,
But at the last his valiant heart
No longer could de-fund him.
15 'I ner stole horse nor mare in my life,
Nor cloven foot, or any.
But once, sir, of the king's white steeds,
And I sold them to Bohemia.'
16 Georgy he went up the hill,
And after followed many;
Georgy was hanged in silken string,
The like was never any.
The burden (here given with only the first stanza) is from time to time varied.
81, 61. Oh,
After 7. George's Confession.