Lady Margaret- Lynch (VA) 1916 Davis H
[From Traditional Ballads of Virginia; Kyle Davis Jr. editor; 1929. His notes follow.
R. Matteson 2012, 2014]
FAIR MARGARET AND SWEET WILLIAM
(Child, No. 74)
For a general introduction to Nos. 18, 19, and 20, see the head-note to No. 18. The twenty-nine items collected for this ballad indicate that it is fairly widespread in the state, though it is somewhat less popular than either of its immediate neighbors, which boast thirty-seven items each. The ballad is known not only as"Fair Margaret and Sweet William," but also as "Lady Marget," "Lydia Marget," "Sweet William," "Sweet William's Bride," and "Sweet William and Lady Margaret." As in the case of Eleanor in the preceding ballad, the name Margaret is variously spelled and pronounced. Eight melodies have been recovered.
The normal Virginia text shows no very exact similarity to any one of the Child versions, A, B, or C, though it has some likenesses to each. It is like A in that the dream is William's and in the "such dreams" stanza, which is common to both. It is like B verbally, in the conversation that takes place between William and Margaret's ghost, and in the direct rose-and-briar-ending, without aftermath. It is like C in that no hint is given that the bride is brown. This touch, characteristic of "Lord Thomas and Fair Annet," has slipped into Child A and B but does not appear in any Virginia text. All told, a general likeness to Child B is most apparent, but the Virginia text would surely have to be printed as a version separate from the Child versions.
The story of the Virginia text is this: Sweet William arises one morning end dresses himself in blue. He denies that there is anything of moment between Lady Margaret and himself, and says that on the following day Lady Margaret will see his bride. Lady Margaret stands at her window as he and his bride pass by; she throws down her ivory comb in her emotion, and is
never more seen there. That night Lady Margaret's ghost appears at the foot of Sweet William's bridal bed and inquires how he likes his bride. He replies that best of all he likes the lady that stands at his bed's feet. He wakes, hints to his wife of his ominous dream, and gets her permission to go and see Lady Margaret. Her brother lets him in and informs him that Lady Margaret is in her coffin. After taking farewell kisses of her, he dies of sorrow. The two lovers are buried nearby, and sympathetic plants grow from their graves and entwine to symbolize their love transcending death.
For American texts, see Belden, No. J (fragment); Brown, p. 9 (North Carolina); Bulletin, Nos. 2-6, 8-10; Campbell and Sharp, No. 17 (Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia); Child, v, 293 (Massachusetts); Cox, No. 11 and p. 522 (seven texts, two melodies); Hudson, No. 11 (Mississippi); Journal, XIX, 281 (Belden, Missouri); XXIII, 381 (Combs, Kentucky); III, 154 (Perrow, North Carolina); XXX, 303 (Kittredge, Missouri); XXXI, (Waugh, Ontario, text and melody); xxxv, 340 (Tolman and Eddy, Ohio, text and melody); McGill, p.71; Mackenzie, p. 124, Mackenzie,-Ballads; Pound, Ballads, No. 16; Shearin, p.3; Shearin and Combs, p.8; C. Smith.(Virginia, two melodies only); Wyman and Brockway, p.94. For additional references, see Cox, p.65; Journal, XXIX, 160; XXX, 302.
H. "Lady Margaret." Collected by Miss Juliet Fauntleroy. Sung by Miss Bab Lynch, near Altavista, Va. Campbell County. August 24, 1916. The irregular repetition of the last two lines of a stanza is to be noted in the original manuscript.
1 Sweet William he rose in the morning of May,
And he dressed up himself in blue:
"Oh, come and tell me the long, long love,
Between Lady Margaret and you."
2 "Though I know no harm of Lady Margaret,
Though she knows no harm of me,
But tomorrow morning about eight o'clock,
Lady Margaret my bride shall see."
3 Lady Margaret was sitting by her violet door,
Combing of her pretty yellow hair;
The first that she spied was Sweet William and his bride,
To the churchyard they drew nigh.
4 Oh, the morning's come and gone,
And the evening shades have appeared,
Sweet William he said, "From the strutters in my head,
From the dream that I dreamt last night.
5 "The dream that I dreamt last night
Was an awful dream, I'm sure,
I dreamt that my hall was full of idle swine, [1]
And true lovers swimming in blood."
6 He called his waiting maids,
He called them all by one, by two, by three;
He called his Lady out of Galilee,
Lady Margaret to go and see.
7 He ran and he ran till he got just there,
. . . .
And there was no one there but her own brother
To rise and let him in."
8 "Is she in her room,
Is she in the hall?"
"No, she is in her own coffin.
Which sets by the side of the wall."
9 "Unfold, unfold them lily-white sheets,
Unfold them down so fine,
They I should kiss her red, rosy cheeks
Just as often as she kissed mine."
10 It's first he kissed her cheeks,
And the next he kissed was her chin,
The next he kissed was her cold, cold lips,
Which had no breath within.
11 Lady Margaret she died for love.
And Sweet William he died fro sorrow.
It sprung a red rose from Lady Margaret's breast
And from Sweet William's a brier,
At length they tied in a true lover's knot,
For all true lovers to admire.
1 wild swine