The Minister's Daughter of New York- 1828; Child I
[Child lists three versions of Version I:
a. Buchan's MS., II, 111.
b. Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, II, 217.
c. 'Hey wi the rose and the lindie O', Christie, Traditional Ballad Airs 106
I've provided the text and notes from Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, II, 217 below Child's. I'm using a separate page for Christie's version which is Child I c. Another version "The Minister's Dochtor o' Newarke" is found in Early English Poetry, Ballads, and Popular Literature: Volume 17 - Page 96 published by the Percy Society in 1846. Percy Society says, The Minister's Dochtor o' Newarke "is well known in Scotland under the title of 'The Minister's Daughter of New York' an evident and ludicrous corruption of Newark, the village of Newark on Yarrow being the locality."
It's also pointed out that "minister" is meant a minstrel, which contradicts Buchan's notes below, making the correct title, "The Minstrel's Daughter of Newark." Therefore, the minstrel's daughter falls in love with her father's student, who is not a priest but an aspiring minstrel.
R. Matteson 2012]
The Minister's Daughter of New York- Child's Version I a, b.
a. Buchan's MS., II, 111.
b. Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, II, 217.
c. 'Hey wi the rose and the lindie O', Christie, Traditional Ballad Airs 106.
1. THE minister's daughter of New York,
Hey wi the rose and the lindie, O
Has faen in love wi her father's clerk.
Alone by the green burn sidie, O
2. She courted him six years and a day,
At length her belly did her betray.
3. She did her down to the greenwood gang,
To spend awa a while o her time.
4. She lent her back unto a thorn,
And she's got her twa bonny boys born.
5. She's taen the ribbons frae her hair,
Bound their bodyes fast and sair.
6. She's put them aneath a marble stane.
Thinking a maiden to gae hame.
7. Looking oer her castle wa,
She spied her bonny boys at the ha.
8. 'O bonny babies, if ye worn mine,
I woud feed you with the white bread and wine.
9. 'I woud feed you wi the ferra cow's milk,
And dress you in the finest silk.'
10. 'O cruel mother, when we were thine,
We saw none of your bread and wine.
11. 'We saw none of your ferra cow's milk,
Nor worn we of your finest silk.'
12. 'O bonny babies, can ye tell me,
What sort of death for you I must die?'
13. 'Yes, cruel mother, we'll tell to thee,
What sort of death for us you must die.
14. 'Seven years a fowl in the woods,
Seven years a fish in the floods.
15. 'Seven years to be a church bell,
Seven years a porter in hell.'
16. 'Welcome, welcome, fowl in the wood[s],
Welcome, welcome, fish in the flood[s].
17. 'Welcome, welcome, to be a church bell,
But heavens keep me out of hell.'
____________
From Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, II, 217.
THE MINISTER'S DAUGHTER OF NEW YORK Page 217
Notes: This ballad narrates the illicit amour of the parson's daughter with her father's clerk, which had the effect of producing two illegitimate children; but to cover the shame to which she would thereby have been exposed, contrived to murder them. In the midst of her pretended jollity, the souls of the children appeared, and informed her of the nature and extent of the punishment she had to suffer for their murder. In all the parts of punishment she seemed to acquiesce, but that of being porter in hell for the space of seven years.
The minister's daughter of New York,
Hey wi' the rose and the lindie, O;
Has faen in love wi' her father's clerk,
Alone by the green burn sidie, O.
She courted him six years and a day.
Hey wi' the rose and the lindie, O;
At length her belly it did her betray,
Alone by the green burn sidie, O.
She did her down to the greenwood gang,
Hey wi' the rose and the lindie, O;
To spend awa' a while o' her time,
Alone by the green burn sidie, O.
She leant her back unto a thorn,
Hey wi' the rose and the lindie, O;
And she's got her twa bonny boys born,
Alone by the green burn sidie, O.
She's taen the ribbons frae her hair,
Hey wi' the rose and the lindie, O;
Bound their bodies fast and sair,
Alone by the green burn sidie, O.
She's put them aneath a marble stane,
Hey wi' the rose and the lindie, O;
Thinking a maiden to gae hame.
Alone by the green burn sidie, O.
Looking o'er her castle wa'.
Hey wi' the rose and the lindie, O;
She spied her bonny boys at the ba'.
Alone by the green burn sidie, O.
O bonny babies if ye were mine,
Hey wi' the rose and the lindie, O;
I wou'd feed you with white bread and wine,
Alone by the green burn sidie, O.
I wou'd feed you with the feria cow's milk,
Hey wi' the rose and the hndie, O;
And dress you in the finest silk.
Alone by the green burn sidie, O.
O cruel mother, when we were thine,
Hey wi' the rose and the lindie, O;
We saw nane o' your bread and wine,
Alone by the green burn sidie, O.
We saw nane o' your ferra cow's milk.
Hey wi' the rose and the lindie, O;
Nor wear'd we o' your finest silk,
Alone by the green burn sidie, O.
O bonny babies, can ye tell me.
Hey wi' the rose and the lindie, O,
What sort of death for you I must die,
Alone by the green burn sidie, O?
Yes, cruel mother, we'll tell to thee,
Hey wi' the rose and the lindie, O,
What sort of death for us you maun die.
Alone by the green burn sidie, O.
Seven years a fool in the woods,
Hey wi' the rose and the lindie, O;
Seven years a fish in the floods.
Alone by the green burn sidie, O.
Seven years to be a church bell,
Hey wi' the rose and the lindie, O;
Seven years a porter in hell,
Alone by the green burn sidie, O.
Welcome, welcome, fool in the woods,
Hey wi' the rose and the lindie, O;
Welcome, welcome, fish in the floods.
Alone by the green burn sidie, O.
Welcome, welcome, to be a church bell.
Hey wi' the rose and the lindie, O;
But, heavens keep me out of hell.
Alone by the green burn sidie, O!
_______________
The Minister's Dochtor o' Newarke; From: Early English poetry, ballads, and popular literature: Volume 17 - Page 96
Percy Society - 1846
VII.
The minister's dochter o' Newarke,
Hey wi' the rose and the lindie, O;
Has fa'en i' luve wi' her father's clerk,
Alane by the green burn sidie, O.
She courted him sax years and a day,
Hey wi' the rose and the lindie, O;
At length her fause-luve did her betray,
Alane by the green burn sidie, O.
She did her doun to the green woods gang,
Hey wi' the rose and the lindie, O;
To spend awa' a while o' her time,
Alane by the green burn sidie, O.
She lent her back unto a thorn,
Hey wi' the rose and the lindie, O;
And she's got her twa bonnie boys born,
Alane by the green burn sidie, O.
She's ta'en the ribbons frae her hair,
Hey wi' the rose and the lindie, O;
Boun' their bodies fast and sair,
Alane by the green burn sidie, O.
She's put them aneath a marble stane.
Hey wi' the rose and the lindie, O;
Thinkin' a may to gae her home,
Alane by the green burn sidie, O.
Leukin' o'er her castle wa',
Hey wi' the rose and the lindie, O;
She spied twa bonny boys at the ba' ,
Alane by the green burn sidie, O;
O bonny babies if ye were mine,
Hey wi' the rose and the lindie, O;
I wou'd feed ye wi' the white bread and wine,
Alane by the green burn sidie, O;
I wou'd feed ye with the ferra cow's milk.
Hey wi' the rose and the lindie, O;
An' dress ye i' the finest silk,
Alane by the green burn sidie, O.
O, cruel mother! when we were thine,
Hey wi' the rose and the lindie, O;
We saw nane o' your bread and wine,
Alane by the green burn sidie, O.
We saw nane o' your ferra cow's milk,
Hey wi' the rose and the lindie, O;
Nor wore we o' your finest silk,
Alane by the green burn sidie, O.
O, bonny babies can ye tell me,
Hey wi' the rose and the lindie, O;
What sort o' death for ye I maun dee,
Alane by the green burn sidie, O.
Yes, cruel mother, we'll tell to thee,
Hey wi' the rose and the lindie, O;
What sort o' death for us ye maun dee,
Alane by the green burn sidie, O.
Seven years a fool i' the woods,
Hey wi' the rose and the lindie, O;
Seven years a fish i' the floods,
Alane by the green burn sidie, O.
Seven years to be a church bell,
Hey wi' the rose and the lindie, O;
Seven years a porter i' hell,
Alane by the green burn sidie, 0.
Welcome, welcome, fool i' the wood,
Hey wi' the rose and the lindie, O;
Welcome, welcome, fish i' the flood,
Alane by the green burn sidie, O.
Welcome, welcome, to be a church bell,
Hey wi' the rose and the lindie, O;
But heavens keep me out o' hell,
Alane by the green burn sidie, O.
Notes: This ballad is on the same subject as the preceding one, and appears to be more ancient. It is well known in Scotland under the title of "The Minister's Daughter of New York" an evident and ludicrous corruption of Newark, the village of Newark on Yarrow being the locality. By "minister" is meant a minstrel, as in Chaucer:—
"A gret host of ministers
With instruments and sounes diverse."
Chaucer's Dreamt, 1. 2132.
By "clerk," the editor is inclined to think, is not meant a person in holy orders, but a student. The term, when so applied by Chaucer, Gower, Douglas, &c. signifies a student at an university, as, "the clerk of Oxenforde"; but our student appears to be only a young man learning "al maner of mynstralcie."
The burden of this ballad is very ancient, and when coupled with the purgatorial nature of the punishment of the heroine, affords a strong presumption of the antiquity of the whole composition. The "lindie" is the lime or lindentree, a tree which figures in the burdens of the old Scalds. The word is derived from an Icelandic verb signifying to bind, bonds or ropes having been formerly made of the bark of that tree. The linden, under the term " lynde" or " linde" often occurs in the old English authors, as in
Chaucer:— "Be ay of chere, as light as lcfe on linde."
Clerke's Tale, 1. 0087.
In the old ballad of " Adam Bell, Clym of the Clouch, and William of Cloudesly," in Percy's Reliques, the "lynde" occurs twice:—
"Thus be these good yemen gon to the wood
And lygbtly as lefe on lynde.''
"Cloudesle walked a lytle beside,
He looked under the grene wood lynde."
The ancient ballad-writers seem to have rung the changes between the expressions "under the lynde," and "under the green-wood tree," both being frequently to be met with in the works of writers of the same age. The reason why, more than any other tree, the linden was so great a favourite with the Scalds, whose compositions our old ballad authors copied, may perhaps be found in the fact of bow-strings having been made from the bark.
The instances in very old ballads of burdens containing the names of trees, shrubs, and flowers, are very numerous, and many examples might be adduced; the oak, the lime or linden, the willow, the mulberry, the rose, the juniper, the rosemary, the birk, the broom, the lily, cfcc.; all of these may be found in different old burdens.
P. 50, v. 3.—In this verse, (the only one where it is so), the rhyme is deficient. The reciter has no doubt made a mistake in the first line, which is not such an one as an old minstrel would have written. There can be little question that the true reading is—
"She did her doun to the green wood linde."
This reading, the word linde, being, after the Scottish manner, pronounced lin, would no doubt be thought by the writer, a good rhyme with "time."
P. 51, v. 4,—Ferra cow.] A ferra cow is a cow that is not with calf, and therefore, continues to give milk through the winter. Dr. Jamieson supposes the phrase to be derived, (on the Incus a non lucendo principle), from the Belgic vare koe, i.e. a milkless cow; "the original idea being that a cow that did not carry, would, by degrees, lose her milk entirely."
P. 52, v. 3.—A fool.] A fowl. The spelling being in accordance with the pronunciation.