22 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



In à variant^ from the Southern Appalachians, Lord Lovel- (as in 

 Barry's^ 2) 



". . . . was at his gate side 

 A-currying his milk-white steed." 



It includes a stanza that may have been borrowed from some 

 other ballad : 



"Go dig my grave," Lord Lovel he said; 

 "Go dig my grave," says he. 

 "For I have no longer in this world to stay. 

 For the loss of my Lady Nancy." 



Child gives nine other variants of "Lord Lovel, "^ in which many 

 important divergences from our version may be noticed. 



In variant A, apparently the earliest printed record,^ the name of 

 Lord Lovel's lady love is "Ouncebell." The name "Ounceville" 

 occurs in C, "Oonzabel" in E, "Isabell" in G, and "Anzibell" in /. 

 These are mere perversions of the same original name. 



The name "Lovel" also undergoes some modifications in spelling. 

 Thus, in C, it is "Travell," and in G, -Revel." In B, a variant from 

 Scotland, the name naturally becomes "Lavel." 



From other variants we learn that the Nancy Bell of our version 

 was more than a mere Lady — she was a king's daughter. 



The lines, in two of Child's variants: 



"Dey down, dey down, dey down dery down, 

 I wish Lord Lovill good speed!" 

 and 



"Hey down, hey down, hey derry, hey down!" etc., 



are also to be noticed.^ 



The stanza of variant B, in which the grief-stricken lover cries, 



"O hast thou died, Fair Nancybelle, 

 O hast thou died for me! 

 O hast thou died Fair Nancybelle! 

 Then I will die for thee," 



does not occur in any other known ballad of the Lord Lovel type. 



^English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, comprising 122 songs 

 and ballads and 323 tunes. Collected by Olive Dame Campbell and Cecil J. Sharp. 

 (New York and London, 1917.) 



2 This variant lacks stanza 8, and the last two stanzas. 



3 Part III, pp. 207-212, and IV, p. 512. 



^ From the "Percy Papers, communicated by the Rev. P. Parsons of Wye from 

 singing; May 22, 1770, and April 19, 1775." (Child, Part III, p. 209.) 



5 Variant A, Stanza 4, line 3, and Stanzas 2 and 4, line 3 of Variant E. 



