Sweet William & Lady Margaret- Clark (VA) 1920 Davis E
[John Stone's title and transcription. 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.
E. "Sweet William and Lady Margaret." collected by Mr. John Stone. sung by- Y.. T. C Clark, of Whitehall, Va. Albemarle County. November 20, 1920. With music. "Mr. Clark is seventy-seven years old. He learned when a boy of fifteen from James Ripitoe, a boy of about the same age and son of capt. Ripitoe, at that time sheriff of Albemarle. Mr. Clark was unable to recite the words, but could sing them. He said he had not sung it more than a few times in the last twenty years" (Mr. Stone).
1 Sweet William arose one May, May morning
And dressed himself in blue.
"Come tell unto me this long, long love
Between Lady Margaret and you."
2 "I know nothing of Lady Margaret,
And the least she knows of me;
Before tomorrow morning at ten o'clock
Lady Margaret my bride shall be."
3 Lady Margaret was standing at her dormer window
Combing her long yellow hair.
Who did she spy but Sweet William and his bride
In the churchyard as they passed by?
4 'T was down she threw her ivory comb,
And back she threw her hair,
And from her dormer window she fell,
And was no more seen there.
5 The night being spent and the day coming on
And most of the men were awake,
Sweet William he said he had troubles in his head,
The dreams that he dreamt last night.
6 "Such dreams, such dreams, they must be true,
Such dreams they must be so;
I dreamed my hall was full of white swine
And my love bed floating in tears."
7 He called his maid from the bed,[1]
By one, by two, by three;
And he asked leave of his new wedded bride
Lady Margaret he might go see.
8 He rode till he came to Lady Margaret's hall,
He knocked and he loudly called;
And who was so ready as Lady Margaret's brother
To rise and let him in.
9 "Is Lady Margaret in the kitchen?" he said
"Or is she in the hall?
Or is she in the upper chamber
With her merry maids all?"
10 "She is neither in the kitchen," he said,
"Nor neither in the hall.
She is in her coffin made of lead
With her pale face turned to the wall."
11 "Fold down, fold down those lily-white sheets
Which makes the olive so fine,[2]
That I may kiss her pale, cold lips,
As ofttimes she kissed mine."
12. It's "Once I kissed her lily-white breast,
Twice I kissed her chin,
Three times I kissed her pale, cold lips,
Which breaks my heart within."
13. Lady Margaret died on Whitsun Monday,[3]
Sweet William died tomorrow;
Lady Margaret died for pure, pure love,
Sweet William died for sorrow.
14. Lady Margaret was buried under one willow tree
Sweet William was buried under another;
Out of Lady Margaret's grave grew a red rosy bush,
And out of Sweet William's a briar.
15. They grew till they grew to the church steeple top,
Till they could-grow no higher,
And the leaves spread about and the branches they did meet
And they tied in a true love's knot.
1 Variant line: "He called unto his merry men all."
2 Variant line for, "Made of the holland so fine."
3. Cf. Scarborough Polly Morris; "as if it were Monday"