Title: The English and Scottish popular ballads, volume 2 (of 5)
Editor: Francis James Child
Release date: December 17, 2014 [eBook #47692]
Most recently updated: October 24, 2024
Language: English
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This book contains material in multiple languages, and numerous examples of archaic, non-standard and dialect forms of English. Therefore no attempts to standardize spelling would be appropriate. The only changes made to the text are to correct typographical errors etc. which are listed at the end of the book. Minor corrections to format or punctuation have been made without comment.
Footnotes have been numbered sequentially throughout the book but are presented at the end of each section or ballad to which they refer.
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THE ENGLISH AND SCOTTISH
POPULAR BALLADS
EDITED BY
FRANCIS JAMES CHILD
IN FIVE VOLUMES
VOLUME II
NEW YORK
DOVER PUBLICATIONS, INC.
This Dover edition, first published in 1965, is an unabridged and unaltered republication of the work originally published by Houghton, Mifflin and Company, as follows:
This edition also contains as an appendix to Part X an essay by Walter Morris Hart entitled "Professor Child and the Ballad," reprinted in toto from Vol. XXI, No. 4, 1906 [New Series Vol. XIV, No. 4] of the Publications of the Modern Language Association of America.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 65-24347
Manufactured in the United States of America
Dover Publications, Inc. 180 Varick Street New York, N.Y. 10014
NUMBERS 83-113
Upon concluding this Fourth Part, I have to express warm thanks to Mr James Barclay Murdoch for a punctilious recollation of Motherwell's manuscript, and to Mr Malcolm Colquhoun Thomson for again granting the use of the volume. Miss Mary Fraser Tytler, to remove a doubt about a few readings, has generously taken the trouble to make a fac-simile copy of Alexander Fraser Tytler's Brown manuscript. Mr Macmath, whose accuracy is not surpassed by photographic reproduction, has done me favors of a like kind, and of many kinds. Rev. Professor Skeat, with all his engagements, has been prompt to render his peculiarly valuable help at the libraries of Cambridge; and Mr F. H. Stoddard, late of Oxford, now of the University of California, has allowed me to call upon him freely for copies and collations at the Bodleian Library. The notes which Dr Reinhold Köhler, Professor Felix Liebricht, Professor C. R. Lanman, and Mr George Lyman Kittredge have contributed, in the way of Additions and Corrections, will speak for themselves. Miss Isabel Florence Hapgood, translator of the Epic Songs of Russia, has given me much assistance in Slavic popular poetry, and Lieutenant-Colonel W. F. Prideaux, of Calcutta, Mr Frank Kidson, of Leeds, and Mr P. Z. Round, of London, have made obliging communications as to English ballads.
F. J. C.
November, 1886.
| BALLAD | PAGE | |
| 54. | The Cherry-Tree Carol | 1 |
| (Additions and Corrections: II, 509; V, 220.) | ||
| 55. | The Carnal and the Crane | 7 |
| (Additions and Corrections: II, 509; III, 507; IV, 462; V, 220.) | ||
| 56. | Dives and Lazarus | 10 |
| (Additions and Corrections: II, 510; III, 507; IV, 462; V, 220, 292.) | ||
| 57. | Brown Robyn's Confession | 13 |
| (Additions and Corrections: II, 510; III, 508; IV, 462; V, 220, 292.) | ||
| 58. | Sir Patrick Spens | 17 |
| (Additions and Corrections: II, 510; V, 220.) | ||
| 59. | Sir Aldingar | 33 |
| (Additions and Corrections: II, 510; III, 508; IV, 463; V, 292.) | ||
| 60. | King Estmere | 49 |
| (Additions and Corrections: II, 510; III, 508; IV, 463.) | ||
| 61. | Sir Cawline | 56 |
| (Additions and Corrections: II, 511; III, 508; IV, 463.) | ||
| 62. | Fair Annie | 63 |
| (Additions and Corrections: II, 511; IV, 463; V, 220.) | ||
| 63. | Child Waters | 83 |
| (Additions and Corrections: II, 511; III, 508; IV, 463; V, 220.) | ||
| 64. | Fair Janet | 100 |
| (Additions and Corrections: III, 508; IV, 464; V, 222, 292.) | ||
| 65. | Lady Maisry | 112 |
| (Additions and Corrections: III, 508; IV, 466; V, 222, 292.) | ||
| 66. | Lord Ingram and Chiel Wyet | 126 |
| (Additions and Corrections: II, 511; III, 508; V, 223, 292.) | ||
| 67. | Glasgerion | 136 |
| (Additions and Corrections: II, 511; III, 509; IV, 468; V, 293.) | ||
| 68. | Young Hunting | 142 |
| (Additions and Corrections: II, 512; III, 509; IV, 468; V, 223.) | ||
| 69. | Clerk Saunders | 156 |
| (Additions and Corrections: II, 512; III, 509; IV, 468; V, 223, 293.) | ||
| 70. | Willie and Lady Maisry | 167 |
| 71. | The Bent Sae Brown | 170 |
| (Additions and Corrections: III, 509; IV, 469; V, 223.) | ||
| 72. | The Clerk's Twa Sons o Owsenford | 173 |
| (Additions and Corrections: II, 512; III, 509; IV, 469; V, 293.) | ||
| 73. | Lord Thomas and Fair Annet | 179 |
| (Additions and Corrections: II, 512; III, 509; IV, 469; V, 223, 293.) | ||
| 74. | Fair Margaret and Sweet William | 199 |
| (Additions and Corrections: V, 224, 293.) | ||
| 75. | Lord Lovel | 204 |
| (Additions and Corrections: II, 512; III, 510; IV, 471; V, 225, 294.) | ||
| 76. | The Lass of Roch Royal | 213 |
| (Additions and Corrections: III, 510; IV, 471; V, 225, 294.) | ||
| 77. | Sweet William's Ghost | 226 |
| (Additions and Corrections: II, 512; IV, 474; V, 225, 294.) | ||
| 78. | The Unquiet Grave | 234 |
| (Additions and Corrections: II, 512; III, 512; IV, 474; V, 225, 294.) | ||
| 79. | The Wife of Usher's Well | 238 |
| (Additions and Corrections: III, 513; V, 294.) | ||
| 80. | Old Robin of Portingale | 240 |
| (Additions and Corrections: II, 513; III, 514; IV, 476; V, 225, 295.) | ||
| 81. | Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard | 242 |
| (Additions and Corrections: II, 513; IV, 476; V, 225.) | ||
| 82. | The Bonny Birdy | 260 |
| 83. | Child Maurice | 263 |
| (Additions and Corrections: III, 514; IV, 478.) | ||
| 84. | Bonny Barbara Allan | 276 |
| (additions and Corrections: III, 514.) | ||
| 85. | Lady Alice | 279 |
| (Additions and Corrections: III, 514; V, 225.) | ||
| 86. | Young Benjie | 281 |
| (Additions and Corrections: IV, 478.) | ||
| 87. | Prince Robert | 284 |
| (Additions and Corrections: V, 295.) | ||
| 88. | Young Johnstone | 288 |
| 89. | Fause Foodrage | 296 |
| (Additions and Corrections: II, 513; III, 515; IV, 479.) | ||
| 90. | Jellon Grame | 302 |
| (Additions and Corrections: II, 513; III, 515; IV, 479; V, 226, 295.) | ||
| 91. | Fair Mary of Wallington | 309 |
| (Additions and Corrections: II, 513; III, 515; IV, 479; V, 227.) | ||
| 92. | Bonny Bee Hom | 317 |
| (Additions and Corrections: V, 229.) | ||
| 93. | Lamkin | 320 |
| (Additions and Corrections: II, 513; III, 515; IV, 480; V, 229, 295.) | ||
| 94. | Young Waters | 342 |
| (Additions and Corrections: III, 516.) | ||
| 95. | The Maid Freed from the Gallows | 346 |
| (Additions and Corrections: II, 514; III, 516; IV, 481; V, 231, 296.) | ||
| 96. | The Gay Goshawk | 355 |
| (Additions and Corrections: III, 517; IV, 482; V, 234, 296.) | ||
| 97. | Brown Robin | 368 |
| 98. | Brown Adam | 373 |
| 99. | Johnie Scot | 377 |
| (Additions and Corrections: IV, 486; V, 234.) | ||
| 100. | Willie o Winsbury | 398 |
| (Additions and Corrections: II, 514; III, 517; IV, 491; V, 296.) | ||
| 101. | Willie o Douglas Dale | 406 |
| (Additions and Corrections: III, 517; V, 235.) | ||
| 102. | Willie and Earl Richard's Daughter | 412 |
| (Additions and Corrections: III, 518.) | ||
| 103. | Rose the Red and White Lily | 415 |
| 104. | Prince Heathen | 424 |
| (Additions and Corrections: V, 296.) | ||
| 105. | The Bailiff's Daughter of Islington | 426 |
| (Additions and Corrections: III, 518; V, 237.) | ||
| 106. | The Famous Flower of Serving-Men | 428 |
| (Additions and Corrections: III, 518; IV, 492.) | ||
| 107. | Will Stewart and John | 432 |
| (Additions and Corrections: V, 237.) | ||
| 108. | Christopher White | 439 |
| 109. | Tom Potts | 441 |
| (Additions and Corrections: III, 518.) | ||
| 110. | The Knight and Shepherd's Daughter | 457 |
| (Additions and Corrections: IV, 492; V, 237.) | ||
| 111. | Crow and Pie | 478 |
| 112. | The Baffled Knight | 479 |
| (Additions and Corrections: III, 518; IV, 495; V, 239, 296.) | ||
| 113. | The Great Silkie of Sule Skerry | 494 |
| (Additions and Corrections: III, 518; IV, 495.) | ||
| Additions and Corrections | 495 | |
A. a. 'Joseph was an old man,' Sandys, Christmas Carols, p. 123. b. Sandys, Christmastide, p. 241.
B. a. 'The Cherry-Tree Carol,' Husk, Songs of the Nativity, p. 59. b. Hone's Ancient Mysteries, p. 90. c. 'The Cherry-Tree Carol,' Sylvester, A Garland of Christmas Carols, p. 45. d. 'The Cherry-Tree,' Birmingham chap-book, of about 1843, in B. Harris Cowper's Apocryphal Gospels, p. xxxviii.
C. 'The Cherry-Tree Carol,' Bramley and Stainer, Christmas Carols, p. 60.
D. Notes and Queries, Fourth Series, XII, 461.
The proper story of this highly popular carol is derived from the Pseudo-Matthew's gospel, chapter xx; Tischendorf, Evangelia Apocrypha, p. 82; Thilo, Codex Apocryphus Novi Testamenti, Historia de Nativitate Mariæ et de Infantia Salvatoris, p. 395. What succeeds, after A 9, B 8, C 7, D 6, is probably founded on the angel's words to the shepherds in Luke ii, and on Jesus's predictions in the authentic gospels. This latter portion is sometimes printed as an independent carol, under the title of 'Joseph and the Angel.'[1]
On the third day of the flight into Egypt, Mary, feeling the heat to be oppressive, tells Joseph that she will rest for a while under a palm-tree. Joseph helps her to light from her beast, and Mary, looking up from under the tree, and seeing it full of fruit, asks for some. Joseph somewhat testily expresses his surprise that she should think of such a thing, considering the height of the tree: he is much more concerned to get a supply of water. Then Jesus, sitting on his mother's lap, bids the palm to bow down and refresh his mother with its fruit. The palm instantly bends its top to Mary's feet.
The truly popular carol would be sure to adapt the fruit to its own soil. In English the tree is always a cherry. We have the story also in the fifteenth of the Coventry Mysteries, ed. Halliwell, p. 146 (not omitting Joseph's quip in A 5, etc.), with the addition of a little more miracle: for it is not the season for cherries, and Mary's wish is anticipated by the tree's blooming before she has uttered it. In Catalan and Provençal the tree is an apple. On the way from Bethlehem to Nazareth, Mary and Joseph come upon a gardener who is climbing an apple-tree, and Mary asks for an apple. He politely gives her leave to pluck for herself. Joseph, who this time has not been disobliging, tries, but the branches go up; Mary tries, and the branches come to her:[2] Milá, Romancerillo, p. 3, No 4. Also p. 63, No 55, where again Joseph is molt felló, very crusty; further, Briz, III, 228; Arbaud, Chants populaires de la Provence, 'Lou premier Miracle,' I, 23, and 'La Fuito en Egypto,' II, 237 f. In other legendary ballads, not so entirely popular, the palm-tree is preserved: Meinert, p. 262; Böhme, p. 628, No 523=Weinhold, Weihnachtspiele, p. 385; Lexer, Kärntisches Wörterbuch, p. 310; Feifalik, Die Kindheit Jesu, pp 101, 106=Pailler, Weihnachtlieder aus Oberösterreich, No 314, p 338 f; Pailler, p. 332, No 310; Hoffmann, Horæ Belgicæ, Part Ten, p. 59; Alberdingk Thijm, I, 212. In Schmitz, Sitten und Sagen des Eifler Volkes, I, 116, and Pailler, as above, No 311, we have a fig-tree. Some of these are very imperfect, or have even lost chief points in the story.
There are many narratives of the childhood of Jesus, based on the apocryphal gospels, in which this legend must needs be found: as, Cursor Mundi, ed. Morris, II, 668 f, v. 11,657 ff; Horstmann, Altenglische Legenden, 1875, p. 6, 1878, pp 102, 112; Stephens, Fornsvenskt Legendarium, p. 71; Pitré, Canti popolari siciliani, II, 333.[3]
a. Sandys, Christmas Carols, p. 123, West of England. b. Sandys, Christmastide, p. 241.
a. Husk, Songs of the Nativity, p. 59, from a Worcester broadside of the last century. b. Hone's Ancient Mysteries, p. 90, from various copies, c. Sylvester, A Garland of Christmas Carols, p. 45. d. Birmingham chap-book, of about 1843, in B. Harris Cowper's Apocryphal Gospels, p. xxxviii.
Bramley and Stainer, Christmas Carols, p. 60.