King William- Blanding (ME) c1898 Barry A
[My title. from British Ballads from Maine; 1929; by Barry; Eckstorm; Smyth. Not sure if I understand the reference "seen through the eyes of a child" but it's clear that she accidentally or intentionally killed herself.
R. Matteson 2014]
FAIR MARGARET AND SWEET WILLIAM
(Child 74)
No tragedy is so tragic as one seen through the eyes of a child. The simple original (in Child A 4), of this back-window debacle runs:
Down she layd her ivory comb,
And up she bound her hair;
She went her way forth of her bower,
But never more did come there.
A. King William. Sent in, without title, March, 1928, by Mrs. Edward M. Blanding of Bangor, who wrote: "It was taught a childhood friend by her grandmother who was ninety when she died, about thirty years ago." The air, which accompanies, was taken down, October, 1928, by Mr. Herzog from the singing of this childhood friend, Miss Mattie Trask of Bangor.
1 Lady Margaret sat by her window
A-combing her golden hair;
She saw King William riding by,
A lady by his side.
2 She threw down her ivory comb,
Pushed back her golden hair,
And fell out of the back window,
Never to see light any more.
3 King William went home that very night
And dreamed an awful dream,
Lady Margaret's house was on fire,
Lady Margaret's room was full of blood.
4 He rose very early the next morning,
Margaret's house;
No one so glad as Lady Margaret's mother
To get up and let him in!
5 "Where, oh, where, is Lady Margaret?
Where, oh, where, is Lady Margaret?"
"Out in the back chamber,
All for the sake of you."
6 "All for the sake of me!
I'll die for the sake of her!"
And he fell out of the back window
Never to see light any more.