Lord Thomas- Harrington (VT) 1930 Flanders H
[From Flanders' Ancient Ballads, 1966. Notes by Coffin/Flanders follow. This version closely follows the English broadside, Child D.
R. Matteson 2014]
Lord Thomas and Fair Annet
(Child 73)
Child prints nine versions of "Lord Thomas and Fair Eleanor" or "The Brown Girl" as the ballad is so frequently called; all but one are Scottish. However, this one, Child D, a seventeenth-century English broadside, seems to be the progenitor of the entire American and modern British stock of the song. Child D variants have been found frequently on both sides of the Atlantic, and this circulation no doubt accounts not only for the fact most informants know or can recognize the ballad, but also for the fact there is little difference in the ballad from one area to another.
Belden, 38, points out some of the major differences between the Scottish tradition and the American versions of the song. The Scottish opening, borrowed from "Fair Margaret and Sweet William" (Child 74), and the remarks exchanged between the women on the brown girl's complexion are both missing in this country, as may be the "rose-briar" cliche, common to Child 74 and Child 75 in "Lord Lovel"). Furthermore, the American hero himself and, not his messenger goes to see Eleanor, and he seeks advice from his mother, never other members of the family. As many texts in this country open with a description of Lord Thomas as a "bold forester," the phrase used in the Nafis and Cornish Forget-Me-Not Songster, there is little doubt this popular volume had much to do with the spread and consistency of the ballad throughout the States.
H. Lord Thomas. Recorded in Bennington, Vermont, from the singing of Sharon Harrington, as learned from his mother, Mrs. Rebecca Smith Harrington. George Brown, Collector; September 23, 1930
Lord Thomas
Lord Thomas, he was a bold forester,
A keeper of the King's deer.
Fair Eleanor was a sweet pretty girl.
Lord Thomas he loved her most dear.
"Come, Mother, tell unto us,
Tell us both as one,
Is it best to marry Fair Eleanor
Or bring the Brown Girl home?"
"The Brown Girl, she has houses and land.
Fair Eleanor, she has none
Wherefore, I advise you as my best praises
To bring the Brown Girl home."
So he call-ed up his merry men all
And dressed them all in white,
And every town that he rode through
They took him to be some knight.
And when he came at Fair Eleanor's castle,
He knocks so loud that it ring,
And none was so ready as Fair Eleanor
To arise and let him in.
"Oh, what is the matter?" Fair Eleanor says.
"What news do you bring to me?"
"I've come to invite you to my wedding,
And that is sad news to thee."
"Sad news, sad news," Fair Eleanor says'
"Sad news you bring to me,
For it's once I expected to be your bride-
And that is sad news to me.
"Come, Mother, tell unto us,
Tell us both as one,
Is it best to go to Lord Thomas' wedding,
Or is it best to stay at home?"
"I know there will be many of your daily foes
And many your daily friends,
But therefore I advise you to my best praises
To Lord Thomas' wedding don't go."
"I know there will be many of my daily friends
And many that I know,
But if I knew my life laid at the point of a knife
To Lord Thomas' wedding I'll go."
So she call-ed up her merry maids all
And dressed them all in green,
And every town that she rode through
They took her to be some queen.
And when she came to Lord Thomas' castle
She knocked so loud that it rang.
And none was so ready as Lord Thomas himself
To rise and let her in.
He took her by her lily-white hand
And he led her through the hall.
He seated her at the head of the table
Among the gentry all.
"Is this your bride?" Fair Eleanor said.
"Methinks she looks wonderful brown.
You might a had me, as gay a lady
As ever the sun shone on."
The Brown Girl she had a long penknife,
It being so long, keen, and sharp.
She stabbed Fair Eleanor under the ribs;
She stabbed her to her heart.
"Oh, what is the matter?" Lord Thomas, he says.
"Methinks you look wonderful pale.
Your cherry red cheeks and your ruby lips-
Methinks the color is gone."
"Oh, are you blind?" Fair Eleanor says.
"Or can't you very plain see?
Your own wedded wife has stabbed to my heart
With the blood that's running down by me."
Lord Thomas he had a glittering sword
Which being so long, keen, and sharp,
He cut his own wedded wife's head off
And kicked it against the wall.
[Mr. Harrington knows he killed himself, too, but could not remember the lines.]
Funny, was there ever three lovers that met together
And so suddenly did part.