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Title
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Fair Eleanor and the brown girl
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Singer
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Harris, E. Miss
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Notes
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Note 1
Alfred Williams - 'This is generally known under the title 'Lord Thomas and fair Eleanor', though at Quenington, where I met with the ballad, it is called 'Fair Eleanor and the brown girl'. The piece dates from about 1700, and there is a Scotch version, longer and very different from this in Johnson's 'Scots Musical Museum, 1803'. The copy I obtained of Miss E Harris, who wrote it out for me on the recital of her grandmother, now very aged.'
Note 2
There are nineteen verses in the manuscript and twenty one in the printed version. Verse 1 in the printed version is the first verse on the third sheet of the manuscript which is:
Lord Thomas he was a bold forester,
A forester over the dell
Fair Eleanor was a fair young woman
Lord Thomas he loved her well.
Verse 6 in the printed version is a verse on the third sheet which is:
'A wedding, a wedding, Lord Thomas?' she said,
I think it is wonderful soon
I thought to have been thy bride my own self
And thou would'st have been the bridgegroom
There is an alternative start to Verse 1 in the manuscript, Verse 2 in the printed version:
Come riddle my riddle dear mother he said
And riddle it both as one etc
There is an alternative indicated to Verse 3 but it is not easy to see how it fits with the remainder of the verse:
Therefore do I bid thee with my whole heart [Miss Davis, Theale, Reading]
The original text for this line read:
Therefore I do bid thee with thy old horse
Miss Davis, Theale, Reading, is not referred to in any other of William's notes in the folk song file.
There is an alternative indicated to Verse 4 Line 2:
He knocked so loud on the ring
There is an isolated line which is difficult to place into context:
Betimes thy life, betimes thy death
There are possible amendments to Verse 16 Line 1
He took and chopped off
And to Verse 16 Lines 1 and 2:
Lord Thomas he had a sword at his side
As he was crossing the hall
There is a last verse indicated:
Lord Thomas he laid the sword unto his breast
The blade point was against his heart
There never three lovers no sooner did meet
No sooner did ever they part
Part of the manuscript is a third sheet which contains the printed newspaper version as a cutting and a number of fragmentary verses which are not used elsewhere in the manuscript text. The amendments to the newspaper text are not included in the printed version which followed. They include:
Verse 5 Line 4:
Or better I tarry at home?'
Verse 8 Lines 2 and 3:
Her waiting maids all in green,
And every borough that she went through,
Verse 11 Line 4:
As ever trod England's ground.'
In addition there are three manuscript sheets which differ in some respects from the fair copy manuscript.
Verse 1, line 2
Well better I have Fair Eleanor or bring the brown girl home
Verse 3, line 2
And boldly rung the bell
Verse 7 lines 1 and 2 are missing but the verse structure is implied in Verse 6
Verse 8, line 1
Then she dressed herself all in my milk white
Verse 11, line 3
When they could'st have had me and as fair a lady
Verse 13, line 1
The Brown she had a little penknife
Verse 14, line 2
What makes you look wonderful pale
Verse 15, lines 2 to 4
Or can't you very well see
Can'st thee not see my very heart blood
Run trickling down my knee
Verse 16, line 3
And off he cut his own head
These possible field notes [they are in pencil and similar in style to the script in the Notebook] do contain some obvious errors [did for dig in Verse 17] for example. However, they may give an insight into William's editing role from his field notes to his fine copy.
Transcribed and edited by Chris Wildridge, 2007.
