Part 6

+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+ |No.| Winterton. | Forest of Dean. | Liphook. | +---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+ | 1.|Mary sits a-weeping. | -- |Poor Sarah's a- | | | | |weeping. | | 2.|Mary, what are you |Oh! what is Nellie |Oh, what is she a- | | |weep'ng for? |weeping for? |weeping for? | | 3.| -- | -- | -- | | 4.|I'm weeping for a |I'm weeping for my |I'm weeping for a | | |sweetheart. |sweetheart. |sweetheart. | | 5.| -- | -- |This bright summer's | | | | |day. | | 6.| -- | -- | -- | | 7.| -- | -- | -- | | 8.|Close by the sea side.| -- | -- | | 9.| -- |On a cold and sunshine| -- | | | |day. | | |10.|Pray, get up and |Now stand up and |Rise up and choose | | |choose one. |choose one. |your lover. | |11.| -- | -- | -- | |12.| -- | -- |She shall have a | | | | |sweetheart. | |13.| -- | -- | -- | |14.| -- | -- | -- | |15.| -- | -- | -- | |16.| -- | -- | -- | |17.| -- | -- | -- | |18.| -- | -- | -- | |19.| -- | -- | -- | |20.| -- | -- | -- | |21.| -- | -- | -- | |22.| -- | -- | -- | |23.| -- | -- | -- | |24.| -- | -- | -- | |25.| -- | -- | -- | |26.| -- | -- |Go to church, love. | |27.| -- | -- | -- | |28.| -- | -- |Say your prayers, | | | | |love. | |29.| -- | -- |Kiss your lovers. | |30.| -- | -- | -- | |31.| -- | -- | -- | |32.| -- | -- | -- | |33.| -- | -- | -- | |34.| -- | -- | -- | |35.| -- | -- | -- | |36.| -- | -- | -- | |37.| -- | -- | -- | |38.| -- | -- | -- | |39.| -- | -- | -- | |40.| -- | -- | -- | |41.| -- | -- | -- | |42.| -- | -- | -- | |43.| -- | -- | -- | +---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+

+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+ |No.| Earls Heaton. | Suffolk. | Berkshire. | +---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+ | 1.| -- |Poor Mary sits a- |Poor Mary sits a- | | | |weeping. |weeping. | | 2.|Poor Mary, what are |What is she weeping | -- | | |you weeping for? |for? | | | 3.|Pray tell us what you | -- |Pray tell me what she | | |are weeping for? | |is weeping for?| | | 4.| -- |She's weeping for a |I'm weeping for a | | | |sweetheart. | | | 5.|On a bright summer's |On a fine summer's |On a bright summer's | | |day. |day. |day. | | 6.| -- | -- | -- | | 7.| -- | -- | -- | | 8.| -- | -- | -- | | 9.| -- | -- | -- | |10.| -- |Pray get up and choose| -- | | | |one. | | |11.| -- | -- | -- | |12.| -- | -- | -- | |13.| -- | -- | -- | |14.| -- |Now you're married, we| -- | | | |wish you joy. | | |15.| -- | -- | -- | |16.| -- | -- | -- | |17.| -- | -- | -- | |18.| -- | -- | -- | |19.| -- | -- | -- | |20.| -- | -- | -- | |21.| -- | -- | -- | |22.| -- |Father and mother you | -- | | | |must obey. | | |23.| -- |Love one another like | -- | | | |brother and sister. | | |24.| -- | -- | -- | |25.| -- | -- | -- | |26.| -- |Pray go to church, | -- | | | |love. | | |27.| -- | -- | -- | |28.| -- | -- | -- | |29.| -- | -- | -- | |30.|My father he is dead, | -- | -- | | |sir. | | | |31.| -- | -- | -- | |32.| -- |Pray put the ring on. | -- | |33.| -- |Pray come back, love. | -- | |34.| -- |Now it's time to go | -- | | | |away. | | |35.| -- | -- |Mary's got a | | | | |shepherd's cross. | |36.| -- | -- | -- | |37.| -- | -- | -- | |38.| -- | -- | -- | |39.| -- | -- | -- | |40.| -- | -- | -- | |41.| -- | -- | -- | |42.| -- | -- | -- | |43.| -- | -- | -- | +---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+

+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+ |No.| Staffordshire. | Newbury. | South Devon. | +---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+ | 1.|Poor Mary sits a- |Poor Mary sits a- |Poor Mary is a- | | |weeping. |weeping. |weeping. | | 2.| -- |Pray what are you |What is she weeping | | | |weeping for? |for? | | 3.| -- | -- | -- | | 4.|She's weeping for her |She's weeping for a |She's weeping for her | | |lover. |lover. |lover. | | 5.|On a bright summer's |This bright summer's |On a fine summer's | | |day. |day. |day. | | 6.| -- | -- | -- | | 7.| -- | -- | -- | | 8.| -- | -- |[See No. 41.] | | 9.| -- | -- | -- | |10.|Stand up and choose |Rise up and choose | -- | | |your lover. |your lover. | | |11.| -- | -- | -- | |12.| -- | -- | -- | |13.| -- | -- | -- | |14.| -- |Now Mary she is | -- | | | |married. | | |15.| -- | -- | -- | |16.| -- | -- | -- | |17.| -- | -- | -- | |18.| -- | -- | -- | |19.| -- | -- | -- | |20.| -- | -- | -- | |21.| -- | -- | -- | |22.| -- | -- | -- | |23.| -- | -- | -- | |24.| -- | -- | -- | |25.| -- | -- | -- | |26.| -- | -- | -- | |27.| -- | -- | -- | |28.| -- | -- | -- | |29.| -- | -- | -- | |30.| -- | -- | -- | |31.| -- | -- | -- | |32.| -- | -- | -- | |33.| -- | -- | -- | |34.| -- | -- | -- | |35.| -- | -- | -- | |36.|Now she's got a lover.| -- | -- | |37.| -- | -- |Who is her lover? | |38.| -- | -- |I. O. is her lover. | |39.| -- | -- |Where is her lover? | |40.| -- | -- |Her lover is sleeping.| |41.| -- | -- |At the bottom of the | | | | |sea. | |42.| -- | -- | -- | |43.| -- | -- | -- | +---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+

+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+ |No.| Cambridge. | Ogbourne. | Manton. | +---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+ | 1.|Poor Mary is a- |Poor Mary is a- |Poor Sally is a- | | |weeping. |weeping. |weeping. | | 2.| -- |Pray what is she |Pray tell me what | | | |weeping for? |you're weeping for. | | 3.| -- | -- | -- | | 4.| -- |I'm weeping for my |I'm weeping for my | | | |true love. |sweetheart. | | 5.| -- |On a bright summer's | -- | | | |day. | | | 6.| -- | -- | -- | | 7.| -- | -- | -- | | 8.| -- | -- |Down by the seaside. | | 9.| -- | -- | -- | |10.|Stand up upon your |Stand up and choose | -- | | |feet and show the one |your true love. | | | |you love so sweet. | | | |11.| -- | -- | -- | |12.| -- | -- | -- | |13.|On the carpet she | -- | -- | | |shall kneel till the | | | | |grass grows on the | | | | |field. | | | |14.|Now you're married I | -- | -- | | |wish you joy. | | | |15.|First a girl and | -- | -- | | |second a boy. | | | |16.| -- | -- | -- | |17.| -- | -- | -- | |18.| -- | -- | -- | |19.| -- | -- | -- | |20.| -- | -- | -- | |21.| -- | -- | -- | |22.| -- | -- | -- | |23.| -- | -- | -- | |24.| -- | -- | -- | |25.| -- | -- | -- | |26.| -- | -- | -- | |27.| -- | -- | -- | |28.| -- | -- | -- | |29.|If one don't kiss, the| -- | -- | | |other must. | | | |30.| -- | -- | -- | |31.| -- | -- | -- | |32.| -- | -- | -- | |33.| -- | -- | -- | |34.| -- | -- | -- | |35.| -- | -- | -- | |36.| -- | -- | -- | |37.| -- | -- | -- | |38.| -- | -- | -- | |39.| -- | -- | -- | |40.| -- | -- | -- | |41.| -- | -- | -- | |42.| -- |Ring a ring o' roses a|A ring of roses a | | | |pocketful of posies. |pocketful of posies. | |43.| -- | -- |We all tumble down. | +---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+

+---+----------------------+----------------------+ |No.| Berwickshire. | Scotland. | +---+----------------------+----------------------+ | 1.|What is Jennie weeping|Poor Mary is a- | | |for? |weeping. | | 2.| -- |Pray tell me what | | | |you're weeping for. | | 3.| -- | -- | | 4.|I'm weeping for my own| -- | | |true love. | | | 5.|All on this summer's |On a fine summer's | | |day. |day. | | 6.| -- | -- | | 7.| -- | -- | | 8.| -- | -- | | 9.| -- | -- | |10.| -- |Stand up and choose | | | |your love. | |11.| -- | -- | |12.|Rise up and choose | -- | | |another love. | | |13.| -- | -- | |14.| -- | -- | |15.| -- | -- | |16.| -- | -- | |17.| -- | -- | |18.| -- | -- | |19.| -- | -- | |20.| -- | -- | |21.| -- | -- | |22.| -- | -- | |23.| -- | -- | |24.| -- | -- | |25.| -- | -- | |26.| -- | -- | |27.| -- | -- | |28.| -- | -- | |29.| -- | -- | |30.| -- |Because my father's | | | |dead and gone. | |31.| -- |She's kneeling by her | | | |father's grave. | |32.| -- | -- | |33.| -- | -- | |34.| -- | -- | |35.| -- | -- | |36.| -- | -- | |37.| -- | -- | |38.| -- | -- | |39.| -- | -- | |40.| -- | -- | |41.| -- | -- | |42.| -- | -- | |43.| -- | -- | +---+----------------------+----------------------+

(_b_) A ring is formed by the children joining hands. One child kneels in the centre, covering her face with her hands. The ring dances round, and sings the first two verses. The kneeling child then takes her hands from her face and sings the next verse, still kneeling. While the ring sings the next verse, she rises and chooses one child out of the ring. They stand together, holding hands while the others sing the marriage formula, and kiss each other at the command. The ring of children dance round quickly while singing this. When finished the first "Mary" takes a place in the ring, and the other child kneels down (Barnes and other places). At Enborne school, Newbury (Miss Kimber), this game is played by boys and girls. All the children in the ring sing the first two verses. Then the boys alone in the ring sing the next verse; all the ring singing the fourth. While singing this the kneeling child rises and holds out her hand to any boy she prefers, who goes into the ring with her. When he is left in the ring at the commencement of the game again, a boy's name is substituted for that of "Mary." There appears to be no kissing. In the Liphook version (Miss Fowler), after the girl has chosen her sweetheart the ring breaks, and the two walk out and then kneel down, returning to the ring and kissing each other. A version identical with that of Barnes is played by the girls of Clapham High School. All tunes sent me were similar to that given.

(_c_) The analysis of the game rhymes is on pp. 56-60.

This analysis shows that the incidents expressed by the rhymes are practically the same in all the versions. In the majority of the cases the weeping is depicted as part of a ceremony, by which it is known that a girl desires a lover; she is enabled then to choose one, and to be married. The marriage formula is the usual one in the Barnes' version, but follows another set of words in three other versions. In the cases where the marriage is neither expressed by a formula, nor implied by other means (Winterton and Forest of Dean), the versions are evidently fragments only, and probably at one time ended, as in the other cases, with marriage. But in three other cases the ending is not with marriage. The Earls Heaton and Scottish versions represent the cause of weeping as the death of a father, the Berkshire version introduces the apparently unmeaning incident of Mary bearing a shepherd's cross, and the South Devon version represents the cause of weeping the death of a lover at sea. It is obvious that at places where sailors abound, the incident of weeping for a sailor-lover who is dead would get inserted, and the fact of this change only occurring once in the versions I have collected, tells all the more strongly in favour of the original version having represented marriage and love, and not death, but it does not follow that the marriage formula belongs to the oldest or original form of the game. I am inclined to think this has been added since marriage was thought to be the natural and proper result of choosing a sweetheart.

(_d_) The change in some of the verses, as in the Cambridge version, is due to corruption and the marked decadence now occurring in these games. No. 13 in the analysis is from the game "Pretty little girl of mine," and Nos. 42-3 "Ring o' Roses."

Poor Widow