Johnson and Coldwell- Rogers (NS) 1928 Mackenzie B
[From Ballads and Sea Songs from Nova Scotia; Mackenzie, 1928. His notes follow.
The informant, Rogers, was mentioned in Quest, 1919 and contributed to Mackenzie's compilation of Pretty Polly (Child 4): The only additions which I made after my interview with John were variant versions of two stanzas, supplied by an old neighbor of Little Ned's named David Rogers, whom I discovered in a town about twenty miles away. David's recollections of the ballad were slim, as the paucity of his contribution will indicate, but he made up in part for this by an earnest assurance that whatever he supplied was sure to be right.
This version from David Rogers of River John was first published in 1909 (Three Ballads from Nova Scotia by W. Roy Mackenzie; The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 23, No. 89 (Jul.- Sep., 1910), pp. 371-380.)
No mention of Rogers' "Johnson and Coldwell" is made in 1919.
R. Matteson 2015]
YOUNG JOHNSTONE
(Child, No. 88)
The two interesting texts found in Nova Scotia differ markedly in form, and are obviously derived from two distinct traditions. Version A does not follow any of the Child versions closely, nor does it seem to have been influenced by the altered text in Pinkerton's Select Scottish Ballads (I, 69), the free version in Chambers's Twelve Romantic Scottish Ballads (p. 293). In the absence the dream, and in the description of the hawk, hound and steed (coloured, respectively, dark gray, light gray, and milk-white) it is reminiscent of child C, but in most respects it is very unlike that version. As for Version B, it is clearly enough a variant of child D, which begins: "Johnstone Hey and young Caldwell." It has the same dreams of swine and the bride's bed, and of lions and ravens (the latter strangely transformed, through the medium of corbies, corbet), and the same evasive explanation from the slayer, to account for his absence, that he has been at "yon state house" -- a corruption of "you slate
house" in Child D. Here is a curroius composite of influence in the lines
I have been at yon state house,
Learning young Clark to write.
In Child B Johnstone tells his sister,
I hae been at school, sister,
Learning young clercks to sing
repeating the explanation, later, to his sweetheart. In Child D he tells his mother, his sister, and his sweetheart, in answer to their successive questions,
O I hae been at yon new slate house
Hearing the clergy speak.
"Johnson and Coldwell."- From the singing and recitation of David Rogers, Pictou, Pictou County, NS.
1 As Johnson and the Young Coldwell
Was a-drinking of their wine,
Says Johnson unto young Coldwell,
"If you marry my sister I'll marry thine."
2 "I'll not marry your sister,
Or you'll not marry mine,
But as I go through yonder town
I'll make her my Clementine."
3 Johnson had a broadsword by his side,
Which was both keen and bright,
And 'twixt the long ribs and the short
He pierced young Coldwell's heart.
4 He got up and he rode down
By the clear light of the moon,
Until he came to his mother's tower,
And there he lighted down.
5 "Where have you been, dear son," she said,
"So far and so late in the night?,,
"I've been down to yon state house,
Learning young Clark to write."
6 "I dreamt a dream, dear son," she said -
"And I hope it may be for your good _-
That the lions were nopping your noble blood,
And corbet be your flesh for food."
7 "To dream of lions, dear mother," he said,
"Is the losing of a friend,
For I have murdered young Coldwell,
And I'm afraid in my heart I'll be slain."
8 He got up and he rode down
By the clear light of the moon,
Until he came to his sister's tower,
And there he lighted down.
9. "Where have you been, dear brother," she said,
" So far and so late in the night? "
"It's I've been down to yon state house,
Learning young Clark to write."
10 "I dreamt a dream, dear brother," she said,
"I hope it may be for your good -
That the lions were nopping your noble blood,
And corbet be your flesh for food."
11 "To dream of lions, dear sister," he said,
"Is the losing of a friend,
For I have murdered young Coldwell,
And I'm afraid in my heart I'll be slain."
12 He got up and he rode down
By the clear light of the moon,
Until he came to his true love's tower,
And there he lighted down.
13 "Where have you been, my dear," she said,
"So far and so late in the night?"
"It's I've been down to yon state house.
Learning Young Clark to write."
14 "I dreamt a dream, my dear," she said,
"And I hope it may be for your good,
That your bride's bed was covered with young swine
And the sheets were stained with blood."
15 "To dream of swine, my dear," he said,
"Is the losing of a friend,
For I have murdered your brother Coldwell,
And I'm afraid in my heart I'll be slain."
16 "Lie down, lie down, my dear," she said,
"And Your guard I now will be'
For I love your little finger better
Than my brother's whole body."
17 She went unto her tower window
To see what she could see,
There she spied four and twenty young English lords
Come riding towards her tower.
18 "Did you see the murderer?" they said,
"Or did he pass this way?
White was the steed that he rode on,
And blue was the clothes that he wore."
19 "O yes, I saw the murderer," she said,
"He passed about twelve in the day,
If that be the description you give of him,
He's near to London Town."
20 She went unto her own true love
With good tidings for to bring,
And with penknife in his hand
He pierced her to the heart.
21 "Can You live at all? " he said,
"Can You live one half hour?
I'll have all the doctors in this land
To come within your tower."
22 "I cannot live at all," she said,
"I cannot live one half hour.
I tried your precious life to save
To the utmost of my power."
23 He stuck his sword all in the ground,
And the point fornent his heart
And for the sake of his own true love
He pierced his faithful heart.