I didn't buy the record while it was available, and have always rather regretted that. I do recall, though, that Cyril said he didn't normally go in for the "big ballads" and hadn't learned the ones he had recorded: so far as I know, he used a crib-sheet for this one, so the text to go for is James Masters', which was Cyril's source. It appears in Bronson, I, 63: no.4.58. The tune was noted by Baring-Gould's collaborator, H Fleetwood Sheppard.

I don't share Roberto's preoccupation with getting the precise wording of revival arrangements of traditional songs; for myself, I'd sooner have the goods from the traditional source, but of course many revival performers neglect to tell us where they got their material. Cyril is specific about his, though, and the set as noted from tradition is to hand, so I may as well quote the whole thing. The transcription above is already commendably accurate, with only a few small mis-hearings. Punctuation is reproduced as Bronson quotes it.


THE OUTLANDISH KNIGHT

(From James Masters (86), Bradstone, Devon, June 1891. Noted by S Baring-Gould & H Fleetwood Sheppard.)

There was a rich nobleman I've heard tell
And he came a courting of me,
And he said, We will ride, and ere we return
Then married we will be.

She went into her father's stable
She was gay as gay might be,
And she mounted upon her milkwhite steed,
And the dapple gray rode he.

Jump off! Jump off! I pray, he said
And deliver your horse to me
Six pretty maids have I drowned here,
And the seventh thou shalt be.

Pull off, pull off, thy silken smock
And thy silken gown, said he.
Six pretty maids have I stripped here,
And the seventh thou shalt be.

Take up thy sickle and cut the nettle,
That grows on the water brim,
For fear it should stick in my gay gold locks
And should sting my milkwhite skin.

He took the sickle and cut the nettle
That grew on the water brim,
And she gave him a most cunning push,
And she speedily pushed him in.

O help! O help! my fair pretty maid,
And today I will marry thee
Lie there, lie there, thou falsehearted knave,
Lie there and drown, said she.

Lie there, lie there! thou false hearted knave,
Lie there and drown, said she
Six pretty maids hast thou drowned here,
And the seventh drowneth thee.

Every leaf was oppress'd and she heard no sound [1]
Nor to lark nor thrush gave heed.
Nor the throstle did call in the whole of the tree
As she mounted her milk white steed.

And she mounted her on her milk-white steed
And she led the dapple grey,
And she rode till she came to her father's hall
Just at the break of day.

O where have you been, my fair pretty quean? [2]
The parrot he did say,
That you have been out all in the night
And return before the day.

O hush! and O hush! my pretty parrot,
O say not a word, said she,
Thy cage it shall be of the beaten gold,
That was of the timbern tree.

Then up and spake her father dear,
From the bed where on he lay,
O what is the matter with my parrot
That he chatters before the day.

The cat came to my own cage-door
And threatenèd to kill me.
And I called aloud for help to come,
To come and deliver me.

Well turn'd, well turn'd my pretty parrot
Well turn'd, well turn'd said she.
Thy cage shall be made of shining gold,
That was of the timbern tree.


Baring-Gould MSS., CXIV(4); text, (B).

[1] "oppress'd" is marked with a query.

[2] "quean" given thus. "(saucy) girl": more common in Scots usage nowadays.



X:1
T:The Outlandish Knight
B:Bronson I 63: no. 4.58
S:James Masters (86), Bradstone, Devon, June 1891.
Z:S Baring-Gould (text) H Fleetwood Sheppard (tune)
N:Baring-Gould MSS., CXIV(4); text, (B).
N:Child 4, Roud 21
L:1/8
Q:1/4=100
M:4/4
K:G
G|B2 BA G2 AB|BA GF G2 Bc|
w:There was a rich no-ble-man I've_ heard_ tell And he
d2 ed cB A2|d6 Bc|
w:came a_ cour-ting of me, And he
d2 ed c2 BA|BA BA G2 GA|
w:said, We will ride, and_ ere_ we re-turn Then_
B2 cB AG F2|E6|]
w:mar-ried_ we_ will be.