Hi,

I looked at MSS of Roud 28829. The link I posted that claims to have Baring-Gould's complete notes-- are just his final reworked pages, not his actually messy notes. Baring-Gould version in Song's of the West was completely reworded to have an AABB rhyme so it should be disregarded. The actual traditional versions are very sketchy and I'll need to spend some time to figure out what he did. However, there are several versions.

Unfortunately Baring-Gould labeled these different variants of Unfortunate Swain, Deep in Love, which apparently became a label that somehow stuck-- when it's the rewording of the third line of 9 random stanzas. As mystifying as that is to me- so be it (or, as Sir Paul penned, "Let it Be").

I've found a couple traditional versions that I feel qualify to be Deep in Love versions. One is a song sung by Newcastle miners:

From Notes and Queries (page 441) 1867:

Song.—I came across a song a few days ago, of which I append the words. I was told that it is a fragment of a song frequently sung by the Newcastle pitmen. The melody, as I heard it, is very quaint, and also good, and has an ancient ring about it. Perhaps you or some of your readers can give the rest of the song, or anything of its history, &c.

"I saw a ship sailing on the sea.
As deeply laden as she could be;
But not so deep as in love I am,
For I care not whether I sink or swim.

"I leaned my back against an oak,
Thinking it was some trusty tree;
But first it bent, and then it broke,
And so did my false love to me.

"I put my hand into a thorn,
Thinking the sweetest rose to find;
I pricked my finger to the bone.
And left the beauteous flower behind.

"I wish, I wish, but 'tis all in vain—
I wish I had my heart back again;
I'd lock it up in a silver box,
And fasten it with a golden chain."

C. L. Acland.

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Richie