King Henry Fifth's Conquest of France (Child 164) a Traditional Ballad Not Hitherto Found in America
by Mellinger E. Henry
PMLA, Vol. 48, No. 1 (Mar., 1933), pp. 307-310
KING HENRY FIFTH'S CONQUEST OF FRANCE (Child, 164) A TRADITIONAL BALLAD NOT HITHERTO FOUND IN AMERICA
IN THE summer of 1928, some traditional ballads had been recorded from the singing of members of the Harmon family of Cade's Cove, Tennessee. Others were taken down by some individuals of the family and forwarded by mail. One of the most interesting of the latter is a fine text of the rare "Lamkin." Meantime this entire family of Tennessee mountaineers, numbering more than a dozen persons, was compelled to sell their property holdings to the Great Smoky National Park Commission and to remove to the mountains of northern Georgia.
Though rather inaccessible and quite isolated, a visit was contemplated by the writer to their new abode during the last summer for the purpose of recording a promised version of "The Gypsy Laddie." Then the unexpected happened. On the writer's return from a camping trip to Thunderhead the entire family suddenly appeared in Cade's Cove for a visit. "Uncle" Sam Harmon and his wife "Aunt" Polly spent the best part of two days singing at the mountain cabin of the writer. Twenty-four songs were recorded, many of them traditional ballads from England, for "Uncle" Sam's grandfather, Hicks, emigrated from England
to Watauga County, North Carolina, at the age of four years. "Uncle" Sam himself came to Cade's Cove when he was a boy. Some of the songs recorded are:
"The Lass of Roch Royal," "The Gypsy Laddie," "The Farmer's Curst Wife," "The Wife Wrapped in Wether's Skin," "The Yorkshire Bite," "The Cruel Mother," "The Two Sisters" (two texts), "The Goodman," "The Mermaid," "Sweet Trinity," "Lady Alice," "Broomfield Hill," "The Bamboo Brier," "Home, Daughter, Home," "I Loved a Lass," "Two Little White Babes," "The Lexington Girl," "The Butcher Boy," and "King Henry the Fifth's Conquest of France," the ballad below.
The following texts, A and B, of this ballad together with the head-notes are reprinted by courtesy of the New Jersey Journal of Education, xx, 3-4, pp. 6-7 and the Bulletin of the Folk-Song Society of the Northeast, no. 2, pp. 5-6. In regard to the texts A and B from the same source Mr. Phillips Barry remarks (Bulletin, p. 6):
One feature of the tradition, the preservation of two texts in the same family, is easily accounted for. Mr. and Mrs. Harmon are step-brother a nd step-sister; t hey learned t heir songs from the same source, namely Grandfather Hicks, from whom, apparently, the Harmon songs have come. That "ballads run in families" is a truism. Certain aspects, however, of family tradition require closer study. It would be worth while to know why some ballads a nd not others h ave accumulated in the tradition o f a given family.
The air was not published when the ballad appeared before. It is given here as recorded by Mrs. Henry from the singing of Mr. Harmon.
(A is the text, as written down by Mrs. Harmon)
A
1. The tribute due from the King in France
Had not been paid for so long time.
Fal lal the ral roddle, fal lal day.
2. He called to him his trusty page,
"Trusty page," lo he called he,
"Now away to the King in France,
Ay, to the King in France now speed-lee."
Fal lal the ral roddle, fal lal day.
3. He come unto the King in France
And fell down on his bending knees:
"My master here for the tribute due that was due to him,
That had not been paid for so long a time.'-
Fal lal the ral roddle, fal lal day.
4. "Your master young and of a tender age,
Not fitting to come under my degree.
Mellinger E. Henrv
Here I will send him these three tennis balls
And along with them he may learn to play."
Fal lal the ral roddle, fal lal day.
5. He marched back to his own land,
And fell on his bending knees:
"What news, what news from the King in France,
What news you brought to me?"
Fal lal the ral roddle, fal lal day.
6. "He said my master was young and of a tender age,
Not fitting to come unto his degree,
And he would send you these three tennis balls,
And along with them you may learn to play."
Fal lal the ral roddle, fal lal day.
7. As they marched through France-
Their drums and fifes so merrilee-
"Yonder comes proud Henery."'
Fal lal the ral roddle, fal lal day.
B
The variant B was recorded by Mrs. Henry from the singing of Mr. Harmon.
Stanzas 2 to 6 and 8 and 11 of this variant are identical with the Child text.
Stanzas 13 and 14 could not be recalled.
1. As the King lay musing on his bed,-
The King of France owed a tribute due-
A tribute due was due to him;
It hadn't been paid for so long a time.
Far laldry lol dalla, for lol de day.
2. He called for his lovely page,
His lovely page then called he;
Saying, "You must go to the King of France,
To the King of France, sir, ride speedily."
Far laldry lol dalla, for lol de day.
3. Oh, then went away this lovely page,
This lovely page then away went he,
And when he came to the King of France,
Low he fell down on his bending knee.
Far laldry lol dalla, for lol de day.
4. "My master greets you, worthy sir,
Ten ton of gold that is due to he,
That you will send him his tribute home,
Or in French land you soon will him see."
Far laldry lol dalla, for lol de day.
309
Comment and Criticism
5. "Your master's young and of tender years,
Not fitten to come into my degree,
And I will send him three tennis balls,
That with them he may learn to play."
Far laldry lol dalla, for lol de day.
6. Oh,t herer eturnedt his lovelyp age,
This lovelyp age then returnedh e,
And when he came to our gracious king,
Low he fell down on his bending knee,
Far laldry lol dalla, for lol de day.
7. "What news, what news you brung to me?
What news you brung to me?"
"No news, no news," says he,
"For with its news you'll never agree."
Far laldry lol dalla, for lol de day.
8. "He says you're young and of tender years,
Not fitten to come into his degree;
And he will send you three tennis balls,
That with them you may learn to play."
Far laldry lol dalla, for lol de day.
9. "Not a marriedm an,
Not a widow's son;
Nor a widow's curse shan't go with me."
Far laldry lol dalla, for lol de day.
10. And then we marchedin to Frenchl and,
With drums and trumps so merrily;
And bespeaks the King of France,
"Yonder comes proud King Henery."
Far laldry lol dalla, for lol de day.
11. The firsts hot that the Frenchmeng ave,
They killedo ur Englishmens o free;
We killed ten thousand of the French,
And the rest of them they ran away.
Far laldry lol dalla, for lol de day.
It is interesting to learn that Mrs. Helen Hartness Flanders, collaborator in "Vermont Folk Songs and Ballads," has recently recorded the text and air of this ballad from a singer living in her home town in Vermont. See also Mr. Barry's two phonograph records from the same source in Bulletin of the Folk-Song Society of the Northeast, no. 4, pp. 10-11.
MELLINGER E. HENRY
Ridgefield, New Jersey