The Miller and the King's Daughter 1655, (Miller's Melody 1656); Child Version A
[After looking at the 1817 reprint (posted below Child's) in Facetiae, Musarum Deliciæ: or, The Muses Recreation) the second refrain ends with an O: With a hy downe, downe, a downe-o-. This is a reprint of the 1658 edition of Musarum Deliciæ. The ballad appear in the 2nd edition of 1656 and is presumed to be in the first edition in 1655.
No trace is found of "The Miller's Melody," a broadside of 1656 given by Edward F. Rimbault in Notes and Queries. The text is nearly identical to the text given by James Smith in Musarum Deliciæ.
R. Matteson 2014, 2018]
Text from Child: The Twa Sisters
Version A
a. Broadside "printed for Francis Grove, 1656," reprinted in Notes and Queries, 1st S., v, 591. [Titled, "The Miller's Melody" by Edward F. Rimbault (see below).]
b. Wit Restor'd, 1658, "p. 51," p. 153 of the reprint of 1817.
c. Wit and Drollery, ed. 1682, p. 87, = Dryden's Miscellany, Part 3, p. 316, ed. 1716.
d. Jamieson's Popular Ballads, I, 315.
A. (additional info)
a.'The Miller and the King's Daughter,' broadside of 1656, Notes and Queries, 1st S., v, 591.
b. Wit Restor'd, 1658, " p. 51," in the reprint of 1817, p. 153.
c.'The Miller and the Kino's Daughters,' Wit and Drollery, ed. 1682, p. 87.
d.'The Miller and the King's Daughter,' Jamieson's Popular Ballads, I, 315.
CHILD'S NOTES: Dr. Rimbault possessed and published a broadside of the date 1656* (A a), and the same copy is included in the miscellany called Wit Restor'd, 1658. Both of these name "Mr. Smith" as the author; that is, Dr. James Smith, a well-known writer of humorous verses, to whom the larger part of the pieces in Wit Restor'd has been attributed. If the ballad were ever in Smith's hands, he might possibly have inserted the three burlesque stanzas, 11-13; but similar verses are found in another copy (L a), and might easily be extemporized by any singer of sufficiently bad taste. Wit and Drollery, the edition of 1682, has an almost identical copy of the ballad, and this is repeated in Dryden's Miscellany, edition of 1716, Part III, p. 316
[Footnote] *Jamieson, in his Popular Ballads, II, 315, prints the ballad, with five inconsiderable variations from the broadside, as from Musarum Deliciae, 2nd edition, 1656. The careful reprint of this book, and of the same edition, in "Facetiae," etc., 1817, does not contain this piece, and the first edition, of 1655, differed in no respect as to contents, according to the editor of "Facetiae." Still it is hardly credible that Jamieson has blundered, and we may suppose that copies, ostensibly of the same edition, varied as to contents, a thing common enough with old books.
The Miller and the King's Daughter- Broadside printed for Francis Grove, 1656; Attributed to Dr. James Smith
1 There were two sisters, they went playing,
With a hie downe downe a downe-a
To see their father's ships come sayling in.
With a hy downe downe a downe-a
2 And when they came unto the sea-brym,
With a hie downe downe a downe-a
The elder did push the younger in.
With a hy downe downe a downe-a.
3 'O sister, O sister, take me by the gowne,
With a hie downe downe a downe-a
And drawe me up upon the dry ground.'
With a hy downe downe a downe-a
4 'O sister, O sister, that may not bee,
With a hie downe downe a downe-a
Till salt and oatmeale grow both of a tree.'
With a hy downe downe a downe-a.
5 Somtymes she sanke, somtymes she swam,
With a hie downe downe a downe-a
Until she came unto the mill-dam.
With a hy downe downe a downe-a.
6 The miller runne hastily downe the cliffe,
With a hie downe downe a downe-a
And up he betook her withouten her life.
With a hy downe downe a downe-a.
7 What did he doe with her brest-bone?
With a hie downe downe a downe-a
He made him a violl to play thereupon.
With a hy downe downe a downe-a.
8 What did he doe with her fingers so small?
With a hie downe downe a downe-a
He made him peggs to his violl withall.
With a hy downe downe a downe-a.
9 What did he doe with her nose-ridge?
With a hie downe downe a downe-a
Unto his violl he made him a bridge.
With a hy downe downe a downe-a.
10 What did he doe with her veynes so blew?
With a hie downe downe a downe-a
He made him strings to his violl thereto.
With a hy downe downe a downe-a.
11 What did he doe with her eyes so bright?
With a hie downe downe a downe-a
Upon his violl he played at first sight.
With a hy downe downe a downe-a.
12 What did he doe with her tongue so rough?
With a hie downe downe a downe-a
Unto the violl it spake enough.
With a hy downe downe a downe-a.
13 What did he doe with her two shinnes?
With a hie downe downe a downe-a
Unto the violl they danc'd Moll Syms.
With a hy downe downe a downe-a
14 Then bespake the treble string,
With a hie downe downe a downe-a
'O yonder is my father the king.'
With a hy downe downe a downe-a
15 Then bespake the second string,
With a hie downe downe a downe-a
'O yonder sitts my mother the queen.'
With a hy downe downe a downe-a
16 And then bespake the strings all three,
With a hie downe downe a downe-a
'O yonder is my sister that drowned mee.'
With a hy downe downe a downe-a.
17 'Now pay the miller for his payne,
With a hie downe downe a downe-a
And let him bee gone in the divel's name.'
With a hy downe downe a downe-a.
________________________
Facetiae, Musarum Deliciæ: or, The Muses Recreation, by Sr. J.M. and Ja: S by John Mennes (sir.), James Smith
THE MILLER AND THE KING'S DAUGHTER,
BY MR. SMITH
There were two sisters they went a playing,
With a hie downe, downe, a downe-a-
To see their fathers ships come sayling in
With a hy downe, downe, a downe-o-
And when they came unto the sea-brym,
With, &c,
The elder did push the younger in;
With, &c.
O sister, O sister, take me by the gowne,
With, &c,
And drawe me up upon the dry ground,
With, &c.
O sister, O sister, that may not bee,
With, &c,
Till salt and oatmeale grow both of a tree;
With, &c.
Somtymes she sanke, somtymes she swam,
With, &c,
Untill she came unto the mil-dam;
With, &c.
The miller runne hastily downe the cliffe,
With &c,
And up he betook her withouten her life,
With, &c.
What did he doe with her brest bone?
With, &c,
He made him a viall to play thereupon.
With, &c.
What did he doe with her fingers so small?
With, &c.
He made him peggs to his violl withall;
With, &c.
What did he doe with her nose-ridge?
With, &c.
Unto his violl he made him a bridge,
With, &c.
What did he do with her veynes so blewe?
with, &c.
He made him strings to his viole thereto;
With, &c.
What did he doe with her eyes so bright?
with, 8fc.
Upon his violl he played at first sight;
With, &c.
What did he doe with her tongue soe rough?
With, &c.
Unto the violl it spake enough;
With, &c.
What did he doe with her two shinnes?
with, &c.
Unto the violl they danc't Moll Syms;
With, &c.
Then bespake the treble string,
with, &c.
O yonder is my father the king;
With, &c.
Then bespake the second string,
with, &c.
O yonder sitts my mother the queen:
with, &c.
And then bespake the stringes all three;
with, &c.
O yonder is my sister that drowned mee
with, &c.
Now pay the miller for his payne,
with, &c.
And let him bee gone in the divels name.
with, &c.
________________________
"THE MILLERS MELODY," AN OLD BALLAD [Article by Edward F. Rimbault in Notes and Queries 1856 p. 591]
(Vol. v., p. 316.)
The original ballad of "The Miller's Melody" is the production of no less a person than a "Doctor in Divinity," of whom the following are a few brief particulars.
James Smith was born about 1604, educated at Christ Church and Lincoln Colleges, in Oxford; afterwards naval and military chaplain to the Earl of Holland, and domestic chaplain to Thomas Earl of Cleveland. On the Restoration of Charles II. beheld several Church preferments, nnd ultimately became canon and "chauntor" in Exeter Cathedral. Ha was created D.D. in 1661, and quitted this life in 1667. Wood informs us he was much in esteem "with the poetical wits of that time, particularly with Philip Massinger, who call'd him his son."
I have an old "broadside" copy of the ballad in question, "Printed for Francis Grove, 1656," which is here transcribed, verbatim et literatim, for the especial benefit of your numerous readers. It may also be found in a rare poetical volume, entitled Wit Restored, 1658, and in Dryden's Miscellany Poems (second edition, which differs materially from the first).
The Miller And The King's Daughter
By Mr. Smith
"There were two sisters they went playing,
With a hie downe, downe, a downe-a,
To see their father's ships come sayling in.
With a hy downe, downe, a downe-a.
"And when they came unto the sea-brym,
With, &c.
The elder did push the younger in;
With, &c.
"O sister, O sister, take me by the gowne,
With, &c.
And drawe me up upon the dry ground,
With, &c.
"O sister, O sister, that may not bee,
With, &c.
Till salt and oatmeale grow both of a tree,
With, &c.
"Sometymes she sanke, sometymes she swam,
With, &c.
Until she came unto the mill-dam;
With, &c.
"The miller runne hastily downe the cliffe,
With, &c.
And up he betook her withouten her life,
With, &c.
"What did he doe with her brest bone?
With, &c.
He made him a violl to play thereupon,
With, &c.
"What did he doe with her fingers so small?
With, &c.
He made him peggs to his violl withall;
With, &c.
"What did he doe with her nose-ridge?
With, &c.
Unto his violl he made him a bridge,
With, &c.
"What did he doe with her veynes so blew?
With, &e.
He made him strings to his violl thereto;
With, &c.
"What did he doe with her eyes so bright?
With, &c.
Upon his violl he played at first sight;
With, &c.
"What did he doe with her tongue so rough?
With, &c.
Unto the violl it spake enough;
With, &c.
"What did he doe with her two shinnes?
With, &c.
Unto the violl they danc'd Mall Syms;
With, &c.
"Then bespake the treble string,
With, &c.
O yonder is my father the king;
With, &c.
"Then bespake the second string,
With, &c.
O yonder sitts my mother the queen;
With, &c.
"And then bespake the strings all three;
With, &c.
O yonder is my sister that drowned mee.
With, &c.
"Now pay the miller for his payne,
With, &c.
And let him bee gone in the divel's name.
With, &c."
As this old ditty turns upon the making "a viol," it may be as well to add that this instrument was the precursor of the violin: but while the viol was the instrument of the higher classes of society, the "fiddle" served only for the amusement of the lower. The viol was entirely out of use at the beginning of the last century.
Moll (or Mall) Symms (mentioned in the thirteenth stanza) was a celebrated dance tune of the sixteenth century. The musical notes may be found in Queen Elizabeth's Virginal Bonk, in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; and in the curious Dutch collection, Neder Lanttche Oedenck clank, Uberlem, 1626.
Edward F. Rimbault.