The Three Sisters- Seleucus (Lancashire); 1852 Child R a.
[From: Notes and Queries, 1st S., vi, 102; Dated July 31, 1852. This is a version of the Child Y form (Bow down) of 1770 commonly found in American. The informant, Seleucus, contributed a N & Q post in 1825.
R. Matteson 2014, 2018]
Child R has three versions:
a. 'The Three Sisters,' Notes and Q., 1st S., vi, 102.
b. 'Bodown,' communicated by J. F. Campbell, Esq.
c. 'The Barkshire Tragedy,' The Scouring of the White Horse, p. 158.
Here's Version R a. 'The Three Sisters,' Notes and Q., 1st S., vi, 102; Dated July 31, 1852: Below are Child's notes and Version R.
BALLAD OF "THE THREE SISTERS"
(Vol. v., pp. 316. 591.)
The following Lancashire ballad, although quite different in its termination and story from those given by your correspondents, has not only similar circumstances, but begins in very nearly the same words. I suspect it to be the oldest of the several versions. It is supposed to be sung by the second sister:
There was a King of the north countree,
Bow down, bow down, bow down!
There was a King of the north countree,
And he had daughters one, two, three.
I'll be true to my love, and my love'll be true to me!
To the eldest he gave a beavor hat,
Bow down, &c.
To the eldest, &c.
And the youngest she thought much of that.
I'll be true, &c.
To the youngest he gave a gay gold chain,
Bow down, &c.
To the youngest, &c.
And the eldest she thought much of the same.
I'll be true, &c.
These sisters were walking on the bryn [shore],
Bow down, &c.
These sisters, &c.
And the elder pushed the younger in.
I'll be true, &c.
Oh, sister! oh, sister! oh, lend me your hand!
Bow down, &c.
Oh, sister ! &c.
And I will give you both houses and land.
I'll be true, &c.
I'll neither give you my hand nor glove,
Bow down, &c.
I'll neither, &c.
Unless you give me your true love.
I'll be true, &c.
Away she sank, away she swam,
Bow down, &c.
Away, &c.
Until she came to a miller's dam.
I'll be true, &c.
The miller and daughter stood at the door,
Bow down, &c.
The miller, &c.
And watched her floating down the shore.
I'll be true, &c.
Oh, father! oh, father! I see a white swan,
Bow down, &c.
Oh, father! &c.
Or else it is a fair wo-man.
I'll be true, &c.
The miller he took up his long crook,
Bow down, &c.
The miller, &c.
And the maiden up from the stream he took.
I'll be true, &c.
I'll give to thee this gay gold chain,
Bow down, &c.
I'll give to thee, &c.
If you'll take me back to my father again.
I'll be true, &c.
The miller he took the gay gold chain,
Bow down, &c.
The miller he took, &c.
And he pushed her into the water again.
I'll be true, &c.
The miller was hanged on his high gate,
Bow down, &c.
The miller was hanged, &c.
For drowning our poor sister Kate.
I'll be true, &c.
The cat's behind the buttery shelf,
Bow down, &c.
The cat's behind the buttery shelf;
If you want any more, you may sing it yourself*
I'll be true to my love, and my love'll be true to me!
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[footnote]
* It will be remembered that MR. HALLIWELL gives a nursery rhyme,
"John Cook had a little grey mare," &c.
Which ends,
"The bridle and saddle were laid on the shelf,
He, haw, hum.
If you want any more, you may sing it yourself,
He, haw, hum."
SELEUCUS.
__________________________
The Three Sisters- Child Ra
1. There was a king of the north countree,
Bow down, bow down, bow down
There was a king of the north countree,
And he had daughters one, two, three.
I'll be true to my love, and my love'll be true to me.
2. To the eldest he gave a beaver hat,
Bow down, bow down, bow down
To the eldest he gave a beaver hat,
And the youngest she thought much of that.
I'll be true to my love, and my love'll be true to me.
3 To the youngest he gave a gay gold chain,
Bow down, bow down, bow down
To the youngest he gave a gay gold chain,
And the eldest she thought much of the same.
I'll be true to my love, and my love'll be true to me
4 These sisters were walking on the bryn,
Bow down, bow down, bow down
These sisters were walking on the bryn,
And the elder pushed the younger in.
I'll be true to my love, and my love'll be true to me
5 'Oh sister, oh sister, oh lend me your hand,
Bow down, bow down, bow down
'Oh sister, oh sister, oh lend me your hand,
And I will give you both houses and land.'
I'll be true to my love, and my love'll be true to me
6 'I'll neither give you my hand nor glove,
Bow down, bow down, bow down
'I'll neither give you my hand nor glove,
Unless you give me your true love.'
I'll be true to my love, and my love'll be true to me
7 Away she sank, away she swam,
Bow down, bow down, bow down
Away she sank, away she swam,
Until she came to a miller's dam.
I'll be true to my love, and my love'll be true to me
8 The miller and daughter stood at the door,
Bow down, bow down, bow down
The miller and daughter stood at the door,
And watched her floating down the shore.
I'll be true to my love, and my love'll be true to me
9 'Oh father, oh father, I see a white swan,
Bow down, bow down, bow down
'Oh father, oh father, I see a white swan,
Or else it is a fair woman.'
I'll be true to my love, and my love'll be true to me
10 The miller he took up his long crook,
Bow down, bow down, bow down
The miller he took up his long crook,
And the maiden up from the stream he took.
I'll be true to my love, and my love'll be true to me
11 'I'll give to thee this gay gold chain,
Bow down, bow down, bow down
'I'll give to thee this gay gold chain,
If you'll take me back to my father again.'
I'll be true to my love, and my love'll be true to me
12 The miller he took the gay gold chain,
Bow down, bow down, bow down
The miller he took the gay gold chain,
And he pushed her into the water again.
I'll be true to my love, and my love'll be true to me
13 The miller was hanged on his high gate
Bow down, bow down, bow down
The miller was hanged on his high gate
For drowning our poor sister Kate.
I'll be true to my love, and my love'll be true to me
14 The cat's behind the buttery shelf,
Bow down, bow down, bow down
The cat's behind the buttery shelf,
If you want any more, you may sing it yourself.
I'll be true to my love, and my love'll be true to me
-----------------------
R. a. The title 'The Three Sisters,' and perhaps the first stanza, belongs rather to No 1 A, B, p. 3f.