The Twa Brothers- Sharpe 1817 Child A
[The Twa Brothers or more appropriately "The Twa Brethren" since the word brother is not used in the text, was from Elizabeth Kerry and found in C. K. Sharpe's papers (watermark of 1817). It also appears in Sharpe's 1823 Ballad-Book, p. 56. Below Child's notes and publsihed text is Sharpe's text.]
Here are Child's notes:
1[2. Var. to the chase.
10[3. "As to Kirk-land, my copy has only kirk-yard, till the last verse, where land has been added from conjecture." Sharpe's Ballad-Book, p. 56.
p. 438. A was derived by Sharpe from Elizabeth Kerry. The original copy was not all written at one time, but may have been written by one person. The first and the last stanza, and some corrections, are in the same hand as a letter which accompanied the ballad. The paper has a watermark of 1817. A few trifling differences in the Manuscript may be noted:
1[1. twa.
1[2. school (Note. "I have heard it called the Chase"): the githar.
1[4. afar.
2[1. wrestled.
4[4. And.
5[1. brother.
6. both.
7[2, 8[2, 9[2. Should for Gin.
8[1. what shall.
10[1. But wanting.
10[3. in fair Kirkland. (Letter. "I remembered a fair Kirk something, and Kirkland it must have been.")
10[4. again wanting.
The Twa Brothers (Twa Brethren) Sharpe 1817 Child A
C. K. Sharpe's papers (watermark of 1817) from Elizabeth Kerry; Sharpe's Ballad Book, p. 56, No 19.
1 There were twa brethren in the north,
They went to the school thegither;
The one unto the other said,
Will you try a warsle afore?
2 They warsled up, they warsled down,
Till Sir John fell to the ground,
And there was a knife in Sir Willie's pouch,
Gied him a deadlie wound.
3 'Oh brither dear, take me on your back,
Carry me to yon burn clear,
And wash the blood from off my wound,
And it will bleed nae mair.'
4 He took him up upon his back,
Carried him to yon burn clear,
And washd the blood from off his wound,
But aye it bled the mair.
5 'Oh brither dear, take me on your back,
Carry me to yon kirk-yard,
And dig a grave baith wide and deep,
And lay my body there.'
6 He's taen him up upon his back,
Carried him to yon kirk-yard,
And dug a grave baith deep and wide,
And laid his body there.
7 'But what will I say to my father dear,
Gin he chance to say, Willie, whar's John?'
'Oh say that he's to England gone,
To buy him a cask of wine.'
8 'And what will I say to my mother dear,
Gin she chance to say, Willie, whar's John?'
'Oh say that he's to England gone,
To buy her a new silk gown.'
9 'And what will I say to my sister dear,
Gin she chance to say, Willie, whar's John?'
'Oh say that he's to England gone,
To buy her a wedding ring.'
10 'But what will I say to her you loe dear,
Gin she cry, Why tarries my John?'
'Oh tell her I lie in Kirk-land fair,
And home again will never come.'
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[Sharpe's Ballad-Book, p. 56.]
XIX. THE TWA BROTHERS
There were twa brethern in the north,
They went to the school[1] thegither;
The one unto the other said,
"Will you try a warsle afore?"
They warsled up, they warsled down,
Till Sir John fell to the ground,
And there was a knife in Sir Willie's pouch,
Gied him a deadlie wound.
"Oh, brither, dear, take me on your back,
Carry me to yon burn clear,
And wash the blood from off my wound,
And it will bleed nae mair."
He took him up upon his back,
Carried him to yon burn clear,
And wash'd the blood from off his wound,
But aye it bled the mair.
'' Oh brither, dear, take me on your back,
Carry me to yon kirk-yard;
And dig a grave baith wide and deep,
And lay my body there."
He's ta'en him up upon his back,
Carried him to yon kirk-yard;
And dug a grave baith deep and wide,
And laid his body there.
"But what will I say to my father dear,
Gin he chance to say, ' Willie, whar's John?'"
"Oh, say that he's to England gone,
To buy him a cask of wine."
''And what will I say to my mother dear,
Gin she chance to say, 'Willie, whar's John?'"
"Oh, say that he's to England gone,
To buy her a new silk gown."
"An what will I say to my sister dear,
Gin she chance to say, 'Willie, whar's John? '''
"Oh, say that he's to England gone,
To buy her a wedding-ring."
"But what will I say to her you lo'e dear,
Gin she cry, 'Why tarries my John ?'"
"Oh, tell her I lie in kirk-land fair,
And home again will never come." [2]
1. Chase is sometimes substituted for school.—C. K. S.
2. In the month of July, 1588, at the Drum, near Dalkeith, William, Master of Somerville, accidentally killed his brother John, with whom he had ever lived in the most affectionate manner, by the unexpected discharge of his pistol ("Memorie of the Somervilles," vol. i. p. 466). This event, I am convinced, is the origin of this ballad, of which A fuller and more correct edition is to be found in Jamieson. As to kirk-land, my copy has only kirk-yard, till the last verse, where land has been added from conjecture