#A.# A Warning for Married Women, being an example of Mrs Jane
Reynolds (a West-country woman), born near Plymouth, who, having
plighted her troth to a Seaman, was afterwards married to a
Carpenter, and at last carried away by a Spirit, the manner how
shall presently be recited. To a West-country tune called ‘The Fair
Maid of Bristol,’ ‘Bateman,’ or ‘John True.’ Pepys Ballads, IV, 101.
#B.# ‘The Distressed Ship-Carpenter,’ The Rambler’s Garland, 1785 (?),
British Museum, 11621, c. 4 (57).
#C.# ‘James Herries,’ Buchan’s Ballads of the North of Scotland, I,
214.
#D.# ‘The Carpenter’s Wife,’ Kinloch MSS, I, 297.
#E.# ‘The Dæmon Lover,’ Motherwell’s MS., p. 97.
#F.# ‘The Dæmon Lover,’ Scott’s Minstrelsy, II, 427, 1812.
#G.# ‘The Dæmon Lover,’ Motherwell’s Minstrelsy, p. 93.
#H.# ‘The Banks of Italy,’ Christie, Traditional Ballad Airs, I, 138,
two stanzas.
The Pepys copy was printed for Thackeray and Passenger. Others are:
Crawford, No 1114, Printed for A. M[ilbourne], W. O[nley], and T.
Thackeray; Ewing, 377, for Coles, Vere, and Gilbertson; the same, 378,
by and for W. O[nley]. No 71 in Thackeray’s List, printed 1685. A later
copy in the Douce ballads, II, fol. 249 b, Bodleian Library, printed by
Thomas Norris at the Looking-Glass on London Bridge. Another, without
publisher’s name, in the Roxburghe collection, I, 502; Ballad Society,
III, 200.
‘The Dæmon Lover’ was first published in Scott’s Minstrelsy, 5th
edition, 1812 (#F#). William Laidlaw, who furnished the copy, inserted
four stanzas of his own (6, 12, 17, 18, here omitted).[143] Motherwell,
in 1827, had not been able to get more than nine stanzas (#G#), but
afterwards secured a version of twice as many (#E#). Kinloch says of
#D#, “My reciter, and others to whom I applied, assured me that they had
never heard any more of it than what is given here.” Buchan, I, 313,
referring to Motherwell’s fragment (#G#), is “happy to say ... there is
still a perfect copy of this curious and scarce legend in existence,
which is now for the first time given to the public” (#C#).@
An Americanized version of this ballad was printed not very long ago at
Philadelphia, under the title of ‘The House-Carpenter.’ I have been able
to secure only two stanzas, which were cited in Graham’s Illustrated
Magazine, September, 1858:
‘I might have married the king’s daughter dear;’
‘You might have married her,’ cried she,
‘For I am married to a house-carpenter,
And a fine young man is he.’
‘Oh dry up your tears, my own true love,
And cease your weeping,’ cried he,
‘For soon you’ll see your own happy home,
On the banks of old Tennessee.’
#B-H# have for their basis the broadside #A#; the substance of the story
is repeated, with traditional modifications. Two or three stanzas of #A#
are of the popular description, but it does not seem necessary to posit
a tradition behind #A#. The correspondences of the several versions are
as follows:
#A# 18^{1,2}, #C# 2.
#A# 18^{3,4}, 19, #B# 1, #D# 1, #E# 1, 2^{1,2}, #F# 1.
#A# 20, #C# 3, #D# 2, #E# 2^{3,4}, #F# 2.
#A# 21, #B# 4^{1,2}, 3^{3,4}, #C# 6^1, 12^{3,4}, #D# 3.
#A# 22, #B# 2, #C# 4^{3,4}, 5^{1,2}, #E# 3, #F# 4.
#A# 23, #C# 7.
#A# 24, #B# 5, #C# 8, #E# 5^{1,2}, #F# 6.
#A# 25, #B# 6, #C# 9, #F# 7, #G# 1.
#A# 26, #B# 8, #C# 10, #F# 9^{3,4}.
#A# 28, #B# 11.
#A# 30, #B# 12.
#B# 3^{1,2}, #E# 4^{1,2}, #F# 5^{1,2}.
#B# 7, C 13, #E# 6^4, #G# 2, #H# 1.
#B# 9,10, #C# 14,17, #D# 5, #E# 12, 13, #G# 5.
#B# 12, #C# 23.
#B# 13, #C# 24.
#C# 3, #D# 2, #E# 2, #F# 2.
#C# 11, #E# 7, #F# 8, #H# 2.
#C# 16, #D# 6, #E# 16, #F# 12, #G# 6.
#C# 21, #D# 8.
#D# 1, #E# 1, #F# 1.
#D# 7, #E# 10, #F# 10, #G# 8.
#E# 11, #F# 11, #G# 7.
#E# 14, #F# 13.
#E# 15, #F# 14.
#E# 18, #F# 15.
#F# 9^2, #G# 4^{3,4}.
It will be observed that each of the versions #B-F# adds something which
is taken up by a successor or successors. The arrangement of #E# and
#F#, of #E# especially, is objectionable.
#A.# Jane Reynolds and James Harris, a seaman, had exchanged vows of
marriage. The young man was pressed as a sailor, and after three years
was reported as dead; the young woman married a ship-carpenter, and they
lived together happily for four years, and had children. One night when
the carpenter was absent from home, a spirit rapped at the window and
announced himself as James Harris, come after an absence of seven
years[144] to claim the woman for his wife. She explained the state of
things, but upon obtaining assurance that her long-lost lover had the
means to support her—seven ships upon the sea—consented to go with him,
for he was really much like unto a man. ‘The woman-kind’ was seen no
more after that; the carpenter hanged himself.
The carpenter is preserved in #B-E#, and even his name in #C#. He swoons
in #B#, and runs distracted in #C#, when he learns what has become of
his wife; the other versions take no notice of him after the elopement.
#B-F# all begin with the return of the long-absent lover. The ship (as
it _is_ to have in #A# 26) has silken sails and gold masts, or the like,
#C# 10, #F# 9^{3,4} (_cf._ #B# 8, #G# 1); but there are no visible
mariners, #F# 9^{1,2}, #G# 4^{3,4}. The pair have been only a short time
afloat when the woman begins to weep for son, husband, or both, #B# 9,
10, #C# 14, #D# 5, #E# 12, 13, #G# 5. The seaman (as it will be
convenient to call him) tells her to hold her tongue, he will show her
how the lilies grow on the banks of Italy, #C# 16, #D# 6 (_cf._ #E# 16,
17), #F# 12, and, in a different connection, #G# 6. The seaman’s
countenance grows grim, and the sea gurly, #D# 7, #E# 10, #F# 10, #G# 8.
He will let her see the fishes swim, where the lilies grow, in the
bottom of the sea, #C# 21, #D# 8 (_cf._ #E# 16, 17). She discerns that
the seaman has a cloven foot, #E# 11, #F# 11, #G# 7. She asks, What is
yon bright hill? It is the hill of heaven, where she will never be. What
is yon dark hill? It is the hill of hell, where they two shall be: #E#
14, 15, #F# 13, 14. The seaman reaches his hand to the topmast, strikes
the sails, and the ship drowns, C 22; takes the woman up to the topmast
and sinks the ship in a flash of fire, #E# 18; strikes the topmast with
his hand, the fore-mast with his knee, and sinks the ship, #F# 15. In
#E# 9 he throws the woman into the main, and five-and-twenty hundred
ships are wrecked; in #G# 9 the little ship runs round about and never
is seen more.
In A the _revenant_ is characterized as a spirit; in #B#, which is even
tamer than #A#, he is called the mariner, and is drowned with the woman;
in #C# he expressly says to the woman, I brought you away to punish you
for breaking your vows to me. This explicitness may be prosaic, but it
seems to me regrettable that the conception was not maintained. To
explain the eery personality and proceedings of the ship-master, #E-G#,
with a sort of vulgar rationalism, turn him into the devil, and as he is
still represented in #E#, #F# (#G# being defective at the beginning) as
returning to seek the fulfilment of old vows, he there figures as a
“dæmon lover.” #D# (probably by the fortunate accident of being a
fragment) leaves us to put our own construction upon the weird seaman;
and, though it retains the homely ship-carpenter, is on the whole the
most satisfactory of all the versions.[145]
Scott’s ballad is translated by Talvj, Versuch, etc., p. 558; by
Gerhard, p. 84; and by Rosa Warrens, Schottische Volkslieder, No 14, p.
61 (after Aytoun, who repeats Scott, omitting one of Laidlaw’s stanzas).
Knortz, Lieder und Romanzen Alt-Englands, p. 192, translates Allingham’s
ballad.
* * * * *
A
Pepys Ballads, IV, 101; from a copy in Percy’s papers.
1
There dwelt a fair maid in the West,
Of worthy birth and fame,
Neer unto Plimouth, stately town,
Jane Reynolds was her name.
2
This damsel dearly was belovd
By many a proper youth,
And what of her is to be said
Is known for very truth.
3
Among the rest a seaman brave
Unto her a wooing came;
A comely proper youth he was,
James Harris calld by name.
4
The maid and young man was agreed,
As time did them allow,
And to each other secretly
They made a solemn vow,
5
That they would ever faithfull be
Whilst Heaven afforded life;
He was to be her husband kind,
And she his faithfull wife.
6
A day appointed was also
When they was to be married;
But before these things were brought to pass
Matters were strangely carried.
7
All you that faithfull lovers be
Give ear and hearken well,
And what of them became at last
I will directly tell.
8
The young man he was prest to sea,
And forcëd was to go;
His sweet-heart she must stay behind,
Whether she would or no.
9
And after he was from her gone
She three years for him staid,
Expecting of his comeing home,
And kept herself a maid.
10
At last news came that he was dead
Within a forraign land,
And how that he was buried
She well did understand,
11
For whose sweet sake the maiden she
Lamented many a day,
And never was she known at all
The wanton for to play.
12
A carpenter that livd hard by,
When he heard of the same,
Like as the other had done before,
To her a wooing came.
13
But when that he had gained her love
They married were with speed,
And four years space, being man and wife,
They loveingly agreed.
14
Three pritty children in this time
This loving couple had,
Which made their father’s heart rejoyce,
And mother wondrous glad.
15
But as occasion servd, one time
The good man took his way
Some three days journey from his home,
Intending not to stay.
16
But, whilst that he was gone away,
A spirit in the night
Came to the window of his wife,
And did her sorely fright.
17
Which spirit spake like to a man,
And unto her did say,
‘My dear and onely love,’ quoth he,
‘Prepare and come away.
18
‘James Harris is my name,’ quoth he,
‘Whom thou didst love so dear,
And I have traveld for thy sake
At least this seven year.
19
‘And now I am returnd again,
To take thee to my wife,
And thou with me shalt go to sea,
To end all further strife.’
20
‘O tempt me not, sweet James,’ quoth she,
‘With thee away to go;
If I should leave my children small,
Alas! what would they do?
21
‘My husband is a carpenter,
A carpenter of great fame;
I would not for five hundred pounds
That he should know the same.’
22
‘I might have had a king’s daughter,
And she would have married me;
But I forsook her golden crown,
And for the love of thee.
23
‘Therefore, if thou’lt thy husband forsake,
And thy children three also,
I will forgive the[e] what is past,
If thou wilt with me go.’
24
‘If I forsake my husband and
My little children three,
What means hast thou to bring me to,
If I should go with thee?’
25
‘I have seven ships upon the sea;
When they are come to land,
Both marriners and marchandize
Shall be at thy command.
26
‘The ship wherein my love shall sail
Is glorious to behold;
The sails shall be of finest silk,
And the mast of shining gold.’
27
When he had told her these fair tales,
To love him she began,
Because he was in human shape,
Much like unto a man.
28
And so together away they went
From off the English shore,
And since that time the woman-kind
Was never seen no more.
29
But when her husband he come home
And found his wife was gone,
And left her three sweet pretty babes
Within the house alone,
30
He beat his breast, he tore his hair,
The tears fell from his eyes,
And in the open streets he run
With heavy doleful cries.
31
And in this sad distracted case
He hangd himself for woe
Upon a tree near to the place;
The truth of all is so.
32
The children now are fatherless,
And left without a guide,
But yet no doubt the heavenly powers
Will for them well provide.
* * * * *
B