Lord Lovel- (Roxburghshire) Kinloch 1827 Child D
Lord Lovel- Version D; Child 75 Lord Lovel
Kinloch Manuscripts, VII, 83, from the recitation of a lady of Roxburghshire; Kinloch 's Ancient Scottish Ballads, p. 31.
1 Lord Lovel stands at his stable-door,
Mounted upon a grey steed,
And bye cam Ladie Nanciebel,
And wishd Lord Lovel much speed.
2 'O whare are ye going, Lord Lovel?
My dearest, tell unto me:'
'I am going a far journey,
Some strange countrey to see.
3 'But I'll return in seven long years,
Lady Nanciebel to see:'
'Oh seven, seven, seven long years,
They are much too long for me.'
* * * * *
4 He was gane about a year away,
A year but barely ane,
Whan a strange fancy cam intil his head
That faire Nanciebel was gane.
5 It's then he rade, and better rade,
Untill he cam to the toun,
And there he heard a dismal noise,
For the church bells au did soun.
6 He asked what the bells rang for;
They said, It's for Nanciebel;
She died for a discourteous squire,
And his name is Lord Lovel.
7 The lid of the coffin he opened up,
The linens he faulded doun,
And ae he kissd her pale, pale lips,
And the tears cam trinkling doun.
8 'Weill may I kiss these pale, pale lips,
For they will never kiss me;
I'll mak a vow, and I'll keep it true,
That I'll neer kiss ane but thee.'
9 Lady Nancie died on Tuesday's nicht,
Lord Lovel upon the niest day;
Lady Nancie died for pure, pure love,
Lord Lovel for deep sorraye.
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Kinloch's Ancient Scottish Ballads, p. 31:
LORD LOVEL
THIS ballad, taken down from the recitation of a lady of Roxburghshire, appears to claim aflinity to Border Song; and the title of the “ discourtcous squire,” would incline one to suppose that it has derived its origin from some circumstance connected with the county of Northumberland, where Lovel was anciently a well known name. Lovele is the name of one of the heroes of Otterbnrn:
“Sir Jorg the worthe Lovele
A knyght of great renowen,
Sir Raff the ryche Rugbe
With dyntes wear beaten dowene."
“Joh. de Lavale, miles, was sheriff“ of Northumberland 34. Hen. VII. [VIII.] Joh. deLavele, mil. in the I. Edw. VI. and afterwards, (Fuller, 313.) In 'Nicholson this name is spelt Da Lovel, p. 304. This seems to be the ancient family of Delaval, of Seaton Delaval, in Northumberland, whose ancestor was one of the twenty-five barons appointed to be guardians of Magna Charta.” Reliq. Anc. Poetry, vol. 1, Notes to Chevy Chase.
LORD LOVEL
Loan Lover, stands at his stable door,
Mounted upon a grey steed;
And bye came Ladie Nanciebel,
And wish’d Lord Lovel much speed.
“O whare are ye going, Lord Lovel,
My dearest tell to me?”
“O I am going a far journey,
Some strange countrie to see;
But I’ll return in seven long years,
Lady Nanciebel to see.”
“O! seven, seven, seven long years,
They are much too long for me.”
He was gane a year away,
A year but barely ane,
Whan a strange fancy cam into his head,
That fair Nanciebel was gane.
It’s then he rade, and better rade,
Until he cam to the toun,
And there he heard a dismal noise,
For the church bells a’ did soun’.
He asked what the bells rang for,
They said, “It’s for Nanciebel:
She died for a discourteous squire,
And his name is Lord Level.”
The lid o’ the coffin he opened up,
The linens he faulded doun;
And ae he kiss’d her pale, pale, lips,
And the tears cam trinkling doun.
“Weill may I kiss those pale, pale, lips,
For they will never kiss me;-
I’ll mak a vow, and keep it true,
That they'll ne’er kiss ane but thee.”
Lady Nancie died on Tuesday’s nicht,
Lord Lovel upon the niest day;
Lady Nancie died for pure, pure, love,
Lord Lovel, for deep sorray*.
* Sorra, -- Sorrow.