Long Longkin

Collected by Rev. Philip Parsons from a female parishioner, Wye

Sent to Thomas Percy 19th April 1775

From the Percy Papers (Percy MS – 129.A) via the Bluegrass Messengers website, http://www.bluegrassmessengers.com/long-longkin–parsons-1775-child-93k-lamkin.aspx

Roud 6, Child 93

Steve Gardham suggests  that the lines “He was in league with the nurse who let him in to one of the low rooms” and “Whilst he and the nurse are plundering the house the Lord comes home & avenges himself upon those wicked villains” were spoken interjections, where the singer could remember the gist of the story, but not the specific   

Ballad of Sweet William

Collected by Rev. Philip Parsons from a female parishioner, Wye

Sent to Thomas Percy 7th April 1770

From the Percy Papers (Percy MS – 129.A) via the Bluegrass Messengers website, http://www.bluegrassmessengers.com/fair-margaret–child-74c-.aspx

Roud 253, Child 74

The first two verses were omitted in Parson’s original, but are reproduced from Percy’s Reliques of ancient English poetry, Volume 3. Rev Parsons Parsons wrote:

The Ballad of Sweet William was the same as Yours in the Stanzas I have omitted. In the 8th Stanza and 35th Line Yours runs:

To dream thy Bower was full of ‘red’ Swine, which last words are marked as of uncertain reading. I think I have restored the Original Reading. The Person from whose mouth I took it Sung it thus:

My Chamber was full of wild men’s wine, which is absolute nonsense, but if altered to wild men and Swine, is perfect sense and naturally Expresses a horrid and hurrying Dream.

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