King William & Lady Margaret- Greene (VT) 1941 Flanders E
[From Flanders' Ancient Ballads, 1966, version E.
R. Matteson 2012, 2014]
E. King William and Lady Margaret- Sung by Charles A. Greene of Woodstock, VT as learned as a young man from a man who lived near Charlotte, VT. Greene was unable to record because he was a sick man. May 20, 1941 Flanders E
King William was a hunting man,
A-hunting up his deer;
He courted such a gal as Lady Margaret was,
All on a summer's day.
Says he, "I'm not the man for you,
Nor you the girl for me.
Before six months has passed and gone,
My wedding you will see."
"If I am not the girl for you
Nor you're the man for me,
Before six months has passed and gone
My burial you will see."
One day King William and his bride
Were going to church together,
And they were walking side by side
Conversing of the weather.
Lady Margaret stood at her bower window
A-combing out her hair,
When she saw King William and his bride
A-going to church together.
She threw down her ivory comb,
And tossing back her hair,
She threw herself from her high bower window
And never saw light any more.
King William dreamt a curious dream,
And that it was not good;
He dreamt the bower was all on fire,
And Lady Margaret's room was full of blood.
Lady Margaret, she died on that same day;
King William, he died on the morrow.
Lady Margaret, she died of love alone;
King William, he died of sorrow.
Out of Lady Margaret's grave grew a red, red rose;
Out of King William's grew a briar;
There they 'twined themselves in a true lover's knot
And both died there together.