A young man who has been attached to a girl sends her word by letter that he cannot fancy her because she is so brown (he has left her for another maid in =B=). She sends a disdainful reply. He writes again that he is dangerously ill (he is love-sick in =B=), and begs her come to him quickly and give him back his faith. She takes her time in going, and when she comes to the sick man’s bedside, cannot stand for laughing. She has, however, brought a white wand with her, which she strokes on his breast, in sign that she gives him back the faith which he had given her. But as to forgetting and forgiving, that she will never do; she will dance upon his grave. This little ballad recalls ‘Lord Thomas and Fair Annet’ (‘Lord Thomas and Fair Ellinor, with the downfall of the Brown Girl’), ‘Sweet William’s Ghost,’ ‘Clerk Saunders,’ ‘The Unquiet Grave,’ ‘Bonny Barbara Allan,’ and has something of all of them. Compare No 73; No 77, =A= 4, =B= 2, 9, =C= 6, 14, =D= 4, 13, =E= 6, 14; No 84 (for the laughing, =B= 12); No 69, =A= 20-22, =D= 11, 14, =E= 17-20, =G= 23-25; No 78, =B= 2, =E= 2, =F= 2. Still it is not deliberately and mechanically patched together (as are some pieces in Part VIII), and in the point of the proud and unrelenting character of the Brown Girl it is original. A The Brown Girl’s Garland, British Museum, 11621. c. 3 (10), n. d., before 1788. 1 ‘I am as brown as brown can be, My eyes as black as a sloe; I am as brisk as a nightingale, And as wilde as any doe. 2 ‘My love has sent me a love-letter, Not far from yonder town, That he could not fancy me, Because I was so brown. 3 ‘I sent him his letter back again, For his love I valu’d not, Whether that he could fancy me Or whether he could not. 4 ‘He sent me his letter back again, That he lay dangerous sick, That I might then go speedily To give him up his faith.’ 5 Now you shall hear what love she had Then for this love-sick man; She was a whole long summer’s day In a mile a going on. 6 When she came to her love’s bed-side, Where he lay dangerous sick, She could not for laughing stand Upright upon her feet. 7 She had a white wand all in her hand, And smoothd it all on his breast; ‘In faith and troth come pardon me, I hope your soul’s at rest. 8 ‘I’ll do as much for my true-love As other maidens may; I’ll dance and sing on my love’s grave A whole twelvemonth and a day.’ B Taken down lately by Rev. S. Baring-Gould from a blacksmith, parish of Thrushleton, Devon. 1 ‘I am as brown as brown can be, And my eyes as black as sloe; I am as brisk as brisk can be, And wild as forest doe. 2 ‘My love he was so high and proud, His fortune too so high, He for another fair pretty maid Me left and passed me by.