Lady Marget- Keister (VA) 1913 Davis F
[From Traditional Ballads of Virginia; Kyle Davis Jr. editor; 1929. His notes follow.
R. Matteson 2012, 2014]
FAIR MARGARET AND SWEET WILLIAM
(Child, No. 74)
For a general introduction to Nos. 18, 19, and 20, see the head-note to No. 18. The twenty-nine items collected for this ballad indicate that it is fairly widespread in the state, though it is somewhat less popular than either of its immediate neighbors, which boast thirty-seven items each. The ballad is known not only as"Fair Margaret and Sweet William," but also as "Lady Marget," "Lydia Marget," "Sweet William," "Sweet William's Bride," and "Sweet William and Lady Margaret." As in the case of Eleanor in the preceding ballad, the name Margaret is variously spelled and pronounced. Eight melodies have been recovered.
The normal Virginia text shows no very exact similarity to any one of the Child versions, A, B, or C, though it has some likenesses to each. It is like A in that the dream is William's and in the "such dreams" stanza, which is common to both. It is like B verbally, in the conversation that takes place between William and Margaret's ghost, and in the direct rose-and-briar-ending, without aftermath. It is like C in that no hint is given that the bride is brown. This touch, characteristic of "Lord Thomas and Fair Annet," has slipped into Child A and B but does not appear in any Virginia text. All told, a general likeness to Child B is most apparent, but the Virginia text would surely have to be printed as a version separate from the Child versions.
The story of the Virginia text is this: Sweet William arises one morning end dresses himself in blue. He denies that there is anything of moment between Lady Margaret and himself, and says that on the following day Lady Margaret will see his bride. Lady Margaret stands at her window as he and his bride pass by; she throws down her ivory comb in her emotion, and is
never more seen there. That night Lady Margaret's ghost appears at the foot of Sweet William's bridal bed and inquires how he likes his bride. He replies that best of all he likes the lady that stands at his bed's feet. He wakes, hints to his wife of his ominous dream, and gets her permission to go and see Lady Margaret. Her brother lets him in and informs him that Lady Margaret is in her coffin. After taking farewell kisses of her, he dies of sorrow. The two lovers are buried nearby, and sympathetic plants grow from their graves and entwine to symbolize their love transcending death.
For American texts, see Belden, No. J (fragment); Brown, p. 9 (North Carolina); Bulletin, Nos. 2-6, 8-10; Campbell and Sharp, No. 17 (Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia); Child, v, 293 (Massachusetts); Cox, No. 11 and p. 522 (seven texts, two melodies); Hudson, No. 11 (Mississippi); Journal, XIX, 281 (Belden, Missouri); XXIII, 381 (Combs, Kentucky); III, 154 (Perrow, North Carolina); XXX, 303 (Kittredge, Missouri); XXXI, (Waugh, Ontario, text and melody); xxxv, 340 (Tolman and Eddy, Ohio, text and melody); McGill, p.71; Mackenzie, p. 124, Mackenzie, Ballads; Pound, Ballads, No. 16; Shearin, p.3; Shearin and Combs, p.8; C. Smith.(Virginia, two melodies only); Wyman and Brockway, p.94. For additional references, see Cox, p.65; Journal, XXIX, 160; XXX, 302.
F. "Lady Marget." collected by Miss Martha M. Davis. sung by Mrs. William Keister. Rockingham County July 31, 1913. With music.
1 Lady Marget stood by her high dawning[1] window,
Combing her long yellow hair,
When whom should she spy, but Sweet William and his bride
As the church door they drew nigh.
2 Lady Marget threw down her ivory comb.
Forced back her long yellow hair.
She left her high dawning window,
And never more was seen there.
3 "Oh, how do you like your bed?" she said,
"And how do you like your sheet?
And how do you like your newly-wed bride
That lies in your arms asleep."
4 "Very well do I like my bed," he said,
"Very well do I like my sheet.
But the dearest of all is the dear little maid
That's standing at my bed's feet."
5 He rode all day and he rode all night,
Till he came to Lady Marget's hall.
. . .
. . .
6 "Oh, is she in her kitchen room,
Or is she in her hall?
Or is she in her chamber
With her merry maidens all?"
7. "She's neither in her kitchen room,
Nor is she in her hall,
But under her cold coffin lid,
Her face turned to the wall."
8 "Fall down, fall down, ye milk-white sheets,
White fallies[3] are so fine,
That I may kiss the clay-cold lips
That ofttimes have kissed mine."
9 Three times he kissed her on each cheek,
Three times he kissed her chin,
Three times he kissed the clay-cold lips
That bound his heart within.
10 Lady Marget died on Whitsuntide[4] Monday,
Sweet William died on the morrow;
Lady Marget died for pure, pure love,
Sweet William died for sorrow.
11 They buried her in the old churchyard,
They buried him in the tower;
Out of her breast grew a red rose bush,
And out of his a green briar.
12 They wound and they wound to the top of the church,
And they could not well go higher;
And there they tied in a true lover's knot,
Which many did admire.
1. Possibly for dormer [or dower].
2. variant lines for 7 c and d, marked "original" by Miss Davis:
"But yonder lies under her cold coffin lid
With her pale face turned to the wall."
3 Evidently for farlies; that is, novelties.
4. Cf. Scarborough Morris; and Davis E possibly a derivative of "like it was Monday"