From The Treasury of Song for the Home Circle by Daniel H. Morrison (Philadelphia: Hubbard Brothers, 1882), page 245:


THE LADY OF THE LEA
Words, W. H. Bellamy. Music, Henry Smart. 1861*

Oh! the Lady of the Lea,
Fair and young and gay was she,
Beautiful exceedingly,
The Lady of the Lea.
Many a wooer sought her hand
For she had gold, and she had land,
Ev'rything at her command,
The Lady of the Lea.
Oh! the Lady of the Lea,
Fair and young and gay was she,
Fanciful exceedingly,
The Lady of the Lea,
The Lady of the Lea.

When she held, in bow'r or hall,
Banquet high or festival,
On ev'ry side her glance would fall,
Sparking merrily
But when ask'd if she would wed,
She would toss her dainty head,
Saying, laughingly, instead,
"Sirs, we would be free.
Time enough I trow," quoth she,
"When we're tir'd of liberty;
For the present we would be,
The Lady of the Lea,
The Lady of the Lea."

To her bow'r at length there came,
A youthful Knight of noble name,
Hand and heart in hope to claim,
And in love fell she.
Still she put his suit aside,
So he left her in her pride;
And broken hearted, droop'd and died,
The Lady of the Lea!
Oh! the Lady of the Lea,
Fair and young as fair could be,
Cold within the tomb lies she!
Sleeping peacefully!
Sleeping peacefully!


* Advertisements for the sheet music, marked "Just Published" appeared in The Musical World in 1861.