[wintemberg] lord LOVEL AND LADY NANCY 23 



In variant E (stanza 8, lines 3-4) Lord Lovel, 



". . . . drawing forth his rapier bright, 

 Through his own heart did it run." 



This, Child thinks, "should, perhaps, be considered as taken from 

 'Lord Thomas and Fair Annet,' since in no other copy of 'Lord 

 Lovel* and in none of 'Fair Margaret and Sweet William' does the 

 hero die by his own hand."^ 



Now turning again to our version, let us notice a few of the more 

 interesting features. As in most ballads of the "Lord Lovel" set, it 

 opens with Lord Lovel 



"A-combing2 his milk-white steed, "^ 



a rather menial occupation for a courtly knight. This may suggest a 

 plebian origin for the ballad, but it may also be due to the influence 

 of its long enshrinement in the memory of the common people. In 

 Child's F, Lord Lovel is represented as "mounting his milk-white 

 steed." In all but one version (Child's D) the steed is of this color. 

 Milk-white steeds are a commonplace idea in ballads.* Sometimes 

 also they are "berry-brown," or "dapple-grey," but seldom black. 

 In our version Lord Lovel's motive for leaving Lady Nancy Bell 

 is "Strange countries for to see"; and it is the same in all other vari- 

 ants of Child's H and also in D. In Child's 5 he is 



*. . . . going to merry England, 

 To win your love aff me." 



In /, also, he is 



'. . . . going unto England, 

 And there a fair lady to see." 



1 Part III, p. 204. 



* More literally "a-currying," in the lines from the Appalachian ballad, quoted 

 above. 



' Cf. stanza 1 of Child's variant D of "Child Maurice": 

 "Gill Morice stood in stable-door. 

 With red gold shined his weed; 

 A bonnie boy him behind. 

 Dressing a milk-white steed." 

 (Part IV, p. 268). See also 



"Childe Waters in his stable stoode. 

 And stroaket his milke-white steed," 

 (Child, "Child Waters," A, stanza 1, 11. 1-2; III, p. 85); and 

 "Lord Thomas stands in his stable-door. 

 Seeing his steeds kaimd down," 

 {F, stanza 1, 11. 1-2, p. 93). 



* Child, Part II, pp. 339-340. 



Sec. II. Sig. 3 



