Sweet William- Jones (WV) c.1871 Cox C
[From Folk-Songs of the South- 1925 by John Harrington Cox. Footnotes moved to the end. His notes follow.
R. Matteson 2012, 2014]
11. FAIR MARGARET AND SWEET WILLIAM (Child, No. 74)
Seven variants have been recovered in West Virginia under the titles: "Sweet William," "Lady Margaret," and "Lady Margaret's Ghost." A glance at these ballads shows that they are largely identical; a comparison with the Child versions indicates that they are to be classed with group A, B, as witnessed by the blue suit, the dream of white swine, and the seven brethren.
For American texts see Child, v, 293 (Massachusetts); Journal, xix, 281 (Belden; Missouri); xxin, 381 (Combs; Kentucky); xxvni, 154 (Perrow; North Carolina) ; xxx, 303 (Kittredge; Missouri); xxxi, 74 (Waugh; Ontario); xxxv, 340 (Tolman and Eddy; Ohio); Wyman and Brockway, p. 94 (Kentucky); McGill, p. 69 (Kentucky; reprinted by Pound, No. 16); Campbell and
Sharp, No. 17 (Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia); Focus, iv, 426 (Virginia); Ralph, Harper's Monthly Magazine, July, 1903, cvn, 272 (Kentucky); Mackenzie, p. 124 (Nova Scotia); Smith, p. 18 (two tunes); Minish MS. (North Carolina). Cf. Shearin and Combs, p. 8; Belden, No. 5; F. C. Brown, p. 9; Bulletin, Nos. 2-6, 8-10; Cox, xlv, 159; Reed Smith, Journal,
xxvni, 200.
C. "Sweet William." Contributed by Miss Sallie D. Jones, Hillsboro, Pocahontas County, January, 1917; learned about forty-six years ago from Miss M. E. Harper, Pendleton County; assisted in remembering by Mrs. Dickenson and Mrs. Forest Hammer, Franklin, Pendleton County.
1 Sweet William arose one May misty morning,
And dressed himself in blue:
"Come tell unto me the long, long love
Between Lady Margaret and you."
2 "I know nothing about Lady Margaret," he said,
"Lady Margaret knows nothing about me;
But to-morrow morning about eight o'clock,
Lady Margaret my bride shall be." [1]
3 Lady Margaret was sitting in her high dawning window,
Combing her long, yellow hair;
When whom should she spy but Sweet William and his bride,
As they drew nigh to the church.
4 She dashed down her ivory comb
And tossed back her long, yellow hair,
And departed from the high dawning window,
And was never more seen there.
5 The day being past and night coming on,
When most of the men were asleep,
Lady Margaret's ghost it did appear
At Sweet William's own bed feet.
6 "How do you like your bed?" said she,
And how do you like your sheet?
And how do you like your newly-wedded^bride,
Who lies in your arms asleep?"
7 "Very well do I like my bed," said he,
"Very well do I like my sheet;
But the dearest of all is the dear little girl,
Who stands at my bed feet."
8 The night being past and the day coming on,
When most of the men were awake,
Sweet William he said, "I am troubled in my mind,
By the dream that I dreamed last night."
9. . . . .
. . . . .
"I dreamed that my hall was haunted by white swine,
And my bed was floating away."
10 He called up his merry maids all
And dressed six of them in green,
Saying, "Take up my newly wedded bride,
For Lady Margaret I'll go see."
11. . . . . .
. . . . . .
He rode all day and he rode all night,
He rode till he came to her hall.
12 Sweet William tingled at the bell,
As there was no other;
Who was so ready as to rise and let him in
As Lady Margaret's own brother.
13 "O is she in her chamber high?
Or is she in the hall?
Or is she in her kitchen room,
Among her maidens all?"
14 "She is neither in her chamber high,
She is neither in her hall;
But yonder she lies on her cold coffin lid,
With her pale face turned to the wall."
15 "Fall down, fall down, ye milk-white sheets,
White hollands ye are so fine,
That I may kiss the clay-cold lips
That ofttimes have kissed mine."
16 Three times he kissed her on the cheek,
Three times he kissed her chin;
Three times he kissed her clay-cold lips,
And it pierced his heart within.
1. Should be: "Lady Margaret my bride shall see."