British & Other Versions 7B. Love Has Brought Me To Despair (Constant Lady; False Lover;)
[The UK versions of Love Has Brought Me To Despair are similar to, or are based on, the 1686 broadside, Constant Lady and the False-Heart Squire. Here are the most widely borrowed stanzas (12-17) and they are also found in Love Has Brought Me To Despair:
12. The Lady round the meadow run,
"And gather'd flowers as they sprung;
Of every sort she there did pull,
Until she got her apron full.
13. "Now there's a flower," she did say,
"Is named Heart's-ease, night and day;
I wish I could that flower find,
For to ease my love-sick mind.
14. "But oh, alas! 'tis all in vain
For me to sigh and to complain;
There 's nothing that can ease my smart,
For his disdain will break my heart."
15. The green ground served as a bed,
And flowers, a pillow for her head;
She laid her down, and nothing spoke:
Alas! for love her heart was broke.
16. But when I found her body cold,
I went to her false love, and told
What unto her had just befel:
"I 'm glad," said he, "she is so well.
17. "Did she think I so fond could be,
That I could fancy none but she?
Man was not made for one alone;
I took delight to hear her moan."
In addition to these stanzas an additional stanza needs to be present for a version to be "Love Has Brought Me To Despair":
My father is a worthy Knight,
My Mother she a Lady bright,
And I their child and only heir,
Yet love his brought me to dispair(sic).
Both Ab, a reduction titled "In Woodstock Town," and B, "Slighted Love" are missing stanza 4 and technically cannot be variants of Died for Love. B, however is included since it is of the same length and type as the other "Love Has Brought Me To Despair" ballads and has the Died for Love ending. It is noted that B is a variant of "Constant Lady' but not technically a version of "Love Has Brought Me To Despair." B is the oldest collected version dated 1827.
The two variants collected by Ralph Vaughan Williams in Essex in 1904 are similar and have the required "False lover has brought me to despair" ending line. They were published in 1906 in "Songs Collected from Essex" by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Lucy E. Broadwood, Cecil J. Sharp, Frank Kidson, J. A. Fuller-Maitland and C. T. S. in the Journal of the Folk-Song Society
Vol. 2, No. 8, pp. 143-160. The versions were collated and only the first stanza was given of the other without any declaration that this was done. The MS can be viewed online at the Ralph Vaughan Williams Collection.
In Halifax Town, is the name and beginning og version , the same opening found similarly in some of the US versions. It was sung by David Lyall, shoemaker, of Skene, Aberdeenshire about 1908 and is published in the Grieg/Duncan Collection. It begins:
In Halifax toon a fair lady did dwell
As deep in love as love can excel
As deep in love as could be
Alas poor girl no cure could be.
Her father was a gentleman
My mother was a lady fair
And I myself the only one
My true love's left me in despair.
This is an example of a Died for Love/Love has Brought Me to Despair hybrid which could be classified with either or both[]. Only the first two stanzas are given here-- the first stanza has elements of "Deep in Love" and is corrupt; the second stanza is stanza is similar to Stanza 4 of Constant Lady. The last three stanzas are Constant Lady (totaling 4 stanzas) and only three are Died in Love.
I know of only two traditional version of "In Woodstock Town. The first is found in a Ms Songbook by Timothy O Connor dated c.1778 "In Woodstock Town" ("in Oxford shore"). The second is In Woodstock town from Son Townsend, a Bampton morris dancer and Fool. Son's version can be heard on Veteran cassette VT108.
R. Matteson 2017]
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Footnotes:
CONTENTS: (To access texts with notes click on the blue highlighted title below or the title attached to this page on the left-hand column)
Constant Lady and the False-Hearted Squire- London broadside 1686
Slighted Love- Mary Macqueen (Ary) 1827 Crawfurd
Near Woodstock Town- (Lon) 1866 Carpenter Bk
False Lovyer- Mr. Punt (Essex) 1904 Williams A
False Lover- Broomfield (Essex) 1904 Williams B
In Halifax Town- David Lyall (Aber) c1908 Duncan
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Son Townsend (Oxfordshire) - Veteran VT 108 sings In Woodstock Town
Son Townsend was the last link to the old Bampton Morris and his death, on Christmas Eve 2008, marks the end of an era. Although all his life he was known as Son, Sonner or Sonny he was born Thomas Albert Townsend on 24th May 1914, his father Albert kept the Elephant and Castle in Bampton which was the HQ for the Bampton Morris. He first danced at Whitsun in 1925 aged 11, on the 'instruction' of his grandfather, Thomas Porlock, one of three brothers who danced in the last half of the 19th Century. Many of the old team were related to each other and Thomas Porlock was married to Elizabeth, sister of Harry Radband, one time team Squire, and she was also aunt to William 'Jinky' Wells.
His Bampton dancing was from the old team days of the Tanners before the team split up in the late 1920s. He was fascinating to talk to about those days. After the Second World War the two teams came together for a short period, but then in the 1950s Sonny helped Arnold Woodley rebuild the old traditional team and he was the Clown for Arnold's team for many years. He remained close friends with him until Arnold's death. He kept up his dancing until well into his eighties.
from obituary by Barry Care, Musical Traditions, 30.12.08
VT108 The Horkey Load Vol 1 English traditional singers.
Near Woodstock Town
Oxford Ramble track 15
Tim Healey made a good job of creating a singable song out of the very long ballad he unearthed in the Bodleian Library. This is The Oxfordshire tragedy; or, The death of four lovers (first line "Near Woodstock-town in Oxfordshire") which dates back at least to the middle of the eighteenth century when it was printed by W. and C. Dicey of Bow-Church-Yard in London.
The same ballad was in existence earlier than this however - Pepys' ballad collection includes a version under the title The Constant Lady and Falsehearted Squire... To a New Tune. The ballad tune was used in a number of eighteenth century ballad operas; ours is as given in William Chappell's Popular Music of the Olden Time.
A much shorter version, with a completely different tune, was collected in Oxfordshire as recently as the 1970s, when Mike Yates recorded In Woodstock town from Son Townsend, Bampton morris dancer and Fool. Son's version can be heard on Veteran cassette VT108 The Horkey Load Vol 1.
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[Quatrain form with a two line chorus]
"The Deceased Maiden Lover," to the tune ‘Bonny Nell,' attributed to lutenist Robert Johnson (c1583–1633); published in Playford's Ayres and Dialogues, fol. 1652.
Being a pleasant new Court-Song: to an excellent
new tune. Or to be sung to the tune of Bonny Nell
AS I went forth one Summers day,
To view the Meddowes fresh & gay
A pleasant Bower I espide,
Standing hard by a River side:
And int a Maiden I heard cry,
Alas theres none ere lovd like I.
I couch-ed close to heare her mone,
With many a sigh and heavie grone,
And wisht that I had been the wight
That might have bred her hearts delight
But these were all the words that she
Did still repeate, none loves like me.
Then round the Meddowes did she walke
Catching each Flower by the stalke,
Such as within the Meddowes grew,
As Dead-man-thumb & Harebel blew
And as she pluckt them, still crid she
Alas there's none ere lov'd like me.
A Bed therein she made to lie,
Of fine greene things that grew fast by,
Of Poplers and of Willow leaves,
Of Sicamore and flaggy sheaves:
And as she pluckt them still crid she,
Alas there's none ere lov'd like mee.
The little Larke-foot, sheed not passe,
Nor yet the flouers of Three leavd grasse
With Milkmaids Hunny-suckles phrase
The Crows-foot, nor the yellow Crayse,
And as she pluckt them still cride she,
Alas there's none ere lov'd like me.
The pretty Daisie which doth show
Her love to phoebus bred her woe,
Who joyes to see his chearefull face,
And mournes when he is not in place.
Alacke, alacke, alacke, quoth she
There's none that ever loves like me.
The flowers of the sweetest scent,
She bound them round with knotted Bent
And as she laid them still in bands,
She wept she waild, and wrung her hands
Alas, alas, alas, quoth she.
There's none that ever lov'd like me.
False man (quoth she) forgive thee heaven
As I do with my sinnes forgiven:
In blest El[i]zium I shall sleep,
when thou with pe[j]urd soule shalt weepe:
Who when they lived did like to thee,
That lov'd there loves as thou dost me.
When shee had fild her apron full
Of such sweet flowers as she could cull,
The green Leaves serv'd her for her Bed
The Flowers pillowes for her head.
then down she lay, nere more did speak
alas with love her heart did breake.
FINIS.
Printed by the Assignes of Thomas Symcocke.
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THE CONSTANT LADY, AND Fals Hearted Squire,
Being a Relation of a Knights Daughter near Woodstock in Oxford-shier, that dy'd for Love of a Squire. To a New Tune
Near Woodstock Town in Oxford shire
As I Walk'd forth to take the A[i]re,
To v[i]ew the fields and Meadows Round,
Me thought's I hear'd a Mournful Sound.
Down by a Christal River side,
A gallant Bower I espi'd
Wher a fair Lady made great moan,
With many a sigh and bitter Groan.
Allas! quoth she, my love's unkind,
My sight and Tear's he will not mind,
But is so cruel unto me,
Which Causes all my Misiry.
My father is a worthy Knight,
My Mother she a Lady bright,
And I their child and only heir,
Yet love his brought me to dispair.
A wealthy Esquire lives hard by,
Who an my Beauty cast an Eye;
He courted me both day and night,
For to be his Jewel and delight.
To me these words he often said,
Fair Beautious Lady, lovly maid,
Oh! pitty me I you Imploar,
For it' is you I do adore
He still did beg me to be kind,
And ease his love Tormented mind,
For if, says he you should deny,
For love of you alass I dye.
These words did peirce my tender heart
I soon did yeald to ease his Smart,
And unto him made this reply,
Dear Sir for me you shall not dye.
With that he flew unto my Aarmes,
And swore I had a thousand Charms,
He call'd me Angel, Saint, and he,
Did sware for ever true to be.
Soon after he had gaind my Heart,
He cruelly from me did part,
An other Maid he does pursue,
And to all his Vows has bid adieu.
Tis he that makes me to Lament,
He causes all my discontent,
Tis he that causes my dispair,
Tis he's the cause of all my care.
This Lady round the Meadow run,
And geather'd flowers where they sprung
Of every sort she there did pull,
Until she had her Apron ful.
There is a Flower she did say,
Tis call'd hearts ease by night and day,
I wish I could that Flower find,
For to ease my heart and cure my mind.
But oh! alass it is in vain,
For me to sigh or to complane,
Theres nothing now can ease my smart,
For his disdain has broak my Heart,
The Green it serv'd me for a Bed,
The Flowers Pillows for my Head,
I lay'd me down and no more Spoak,
But a lass for love my heart Broak.
But when I found he Corps was cold,
I went to her fals Love and told.
What unto this fair Maid befel,
I am glad, quoth he, she is so well.
Oh did she think I so fond would be,
That would fancy none but she,
Man was not Made for one a lone,
For I take delight to hear their moan.
Oh! Cruel man I find thou art,
Thus for to berak a Virgins Heart,
In Abraham's Bosom may she Sleep,
While they Tormented Soul shall weep:
LONDON, Printed for R.B. near Fleet-Street