Lady Margot and Sweet William- Holcolm (KY) 1932 Niles A
[From the Ballad Book of John Jacob Niles; 1961. As always with Niles it's hard to tell if this is real, real but edited or a complete recreation. The first stanza is not found in tradition-- so . . .
R. Matteson 2014]
Lady Margot and Sweet William- Granny Holcolm (Kingdom Come, KY) 1932 Niles A
1 Sweet Willie rose in the month of May,
And decked himself in red,
Saying, "How, of how can a man find out,
If Lady Margot's love is dead?"
2. "Oh, I've never done my true love harm,
And she never harm-ed me,
But ere the sun draps to yon high hill,
Lady Margot my bride will see."
3. As Margot sat in her tower room,
A-combin' her hair of gold,
Then up did ride Sweet Will and his bride
As the church bells gaily tolled.
4. Oh, it's clown, clown, down went that ivory comb,
And wild her hair did toss,
For none did know as well as Margot
How much she suffered loss.
5. 'Twas late, late, late in the middle of the dark,
When honest men did sleep.
Something white did fright that fair young pair
By standing at their feet,
6. Sayin', "How do you like your soft weddin' bed,
And how like ye them pillows and sheets.
And the soft yellow hair of that young woman fair,
What lies in Your arms asleep?"
7. "'Tis well I like my weddin' bed,
And my wife's fair golden hair,
But the ghost of one I used to love,
Hit makes my blood run cold.
8. "Such dreams ain't fitten for honest men,
They bring the sleeper no good,
For why, I see my fair Young bride
A-covered up with blood'"
9. Next morn said Willie to his mounted men,
"Go Ye by two, by three,
And ask the leave of my fine new wife
If Lady Margot I might go see."
10. He rode up to Lady Margot's powder chest,
And quickly knocked ting-a-ling,
And none was so spry as the prince, her brother,
To run and let Willie in.
11. "Lady Margot's not with her merry maids,
Lady Margot's not in the hall,
Lady Margot's in that long white coffie[1]
That lies twixt the altar and yon wall."
12. Her father budged the coffie lid,
Her brother unwound the sheet,
And after sweet Willie kissed her many times'
He died there at her feet.
13. Lady Margot died like hit might be at night,
Sweet Willie, he died of the morrow,
Lady Margot, she died of a pure heart,
Sweet Willie, he died of his sorrow.
14. Oh, it's bury them out in the quiet church-yard,
Where praying folk retire,
And see how it growed from her heart a rose,
And up from his heart a briar.
15. And it's let them grow up to the church's peak,
Till they can't not grow no higher,
And there they'll tie a true-lovers' knot,
The red rose and the briar.
1. Coffin.