Mathey Groves (Sheila Kay Adams)

Oh holy day, oh holy day
The first day of the year
Little Mathey Groves to church did go
Some holy words to hear, hear some holy words to hear

He spied some women dressed in black
As they came into view
Lord Daniel’s wife was gaily clad
The flower of the few (2x)

She stepped up to little Mathey Groves
Her eyes cast on the ground
“Oh please oh please come with me stay
As you pass through this town” (2x)

“I cannot stay, I will not stay
I fear ‘twill cost my life
For I can see by your finger-rings
That you are Lord Daniel’s wife”

“Lord Daniel’s in some distant land
He’s left me for to roam
He’s taken all his merry men
And I am quite alone

Oh please oh please come with me stay
I’ll hide you out of sight
I’ll pleasure you beyond compare
And sleep with you all night”

Her little footy-page was a-standing by
Was hearing every word was said
He said, “before the sun goes down
Lord Daniel’ll know what’s said”

He ran along the king’s highway
He swam against the tide
And before the sun went down
He’s standing at Daniel’s side

“What news, what news, my little footy-page
What news do you bring to me?
My castle burned, my tenants wronged,
My wife with a baby?”
“No harm has come to your house or lands
While you have been away
But little Mathey Groves is a-huggin and a-kissin
On your fair lady gay”

“If what you say is not the truth
As I take it to be
I’ll build a scaffold tower so high
And hang-ed you will be”

“If what I say is not the truth
And false as false can be
You need not build a scaffold tower,
Just hang me from a tree”

He gathered all his merry men
And bid them with him go
But warned them not to speak a word
And not a horn to blow

But all among his merry men
Was one who’d wish no ill
He popped his horn up to his mouth
And he blew both loud and shrill

“Oh what is this” cried little Mathey Groves
As he sat up in bed
“I fear it is your husband’s men
And I will soon be dead”

“Oh lie back down, my little Mathey Groves
And keep my back from cold
‘tis nothing but my father’s men
Calling their sheep to fold”

Little Mathey Groves he lay back down
And soon fell off to sleep
When he woke up Lord Daniel was
A-standing at his bed feet

Saying, “How do you like my snow-white pillow,
And how do you like my sheet?
And how do you like my pretty little woman
That’s a-laying in your arms asleep?”

“Very well do I like your snow-white pillow
Very well do I like your sheet,
Much better do I like this pretty little woman
That’s a-laying in my arms asleep”

“Get up, get up, my little Mathey Groves
And go put on your clothes
In England it shall never be said
That I killed a naked man”

“I can’t get up, I won’t get up
If fear ‘twill cost my life
For you have got two bitter swords
And I ain’t got a knife”

“It’s true I’ve got two bitter swords
They cost me deep in the purse
But you shall have the best of these
And I will take the worst”

The first stroke that little Mathey made
It hurt Lord Daniel sore
The next stroke that Lord Daniel made
Little Mathey hit the floor

“Come here, come here my pretty little wife
And set upon my knee
And tell me which you like the best,
Little Mathey Groves or me”

She looked up in Lord Daniel’s face
She saw his jutting chin
Said, “I wouldn’t trade little Mathey Groves
For you and all your kin”

He took her by the lily-white hand
He led her to the hall
He took out his sword and he chopped off her head
And he kicked it against the wall

“Go dig a grave both wide and deep
To bury these two in
Just kick little Mathey over the side
But lower my sweet wife in”

Oh holy day, oh holy day

The first day of the year

Little Mathey Groves to church did go

Some holy words to hear, hear some holy words to hear

 

He spied some women dressed in black

As they came into view

Lord Daniel’s wife was gaily clad

The flower of the few (2x)

 

She stepped up to little Mathey Groves

Her eyes cast on the ground

“Oh please oh please come with me stay

As you pass through this town” (2x)

 

“I cannot stay, I will not stay

I fear ‘twill cost my life

For I can see by your finger-rings

That you are Lord Daniel’s wife”

 

“Lord Daniel’s in some distant land

He’s left me for to roam

He’s taken all his merry men

And I am quite alone

 

Oh please oh please come with me stay

I’ll hide you out of sight

I’ll pleasure you beyond compare

And sleep with you all night”

 

Her little footy-page was a-standing by

Was hearing every word was said

He said, “before the sun goes down

Lord Daniel’ll know what’s said”

 

He ran along the king’s highway

He swam against the tide

And before the sun went down

He’s standing at Daniel’s side

 

“What news, what news, my little footy-page

What news do you bring to me?

My castle burned, my tenants wronged,

My wife with a baby?”

“No harm has come to your house or lands

While you have been away

But little Mathey Groves is a-huggin and a-kissin

On your fair lady gay”

 

“If what you say is not the truth

As I take it to be

I’ll build a scaffold tower so high

 And hang-ed you will be”

 

“If what I say is not the truth

And false as false can be

You need not build a scaffold tower,

Just hang me from a tree”

 

He gathered all his merry men

And bid them with him go

But warned them not to speak a word

And not a horn to blow

 

But all among his merry men

Was one who’d wish no ill

He popped his horn up to his mouth

And he blew both loud and shrill

 

“Oh what is this” cried little Mathey Groves

As he sat up in bed

“I fear it is your husband’s men

And I will soon be dead”

 

“Oh lie back down, my little Mathey Groves

And keep my back from cold

‘tis nothing but my father’s men

Calling their sheep to fold”

 

Little Mathey Groves he lay back down

And soon fell off to sleep

When he woke up Lord Daniel was

A-standing at his bed feet

 

Saying, “How do you like my snow-white pillow,

And how do you like my sheet?

And how do you like my pretty little woman

That’s a-laying in your arms asleep?”

 

“Very well do I like your snow-white pillow

Very well do I like your sheet,

Much better do I like this pretty little woman

That’s a-laying in my arms asleep”

 

“Get up, get up, my little Mathey Groves

And go put on your clothes

In England it shall never be said

That I killed a naked man”

 

“I can’t get up, I won’t get up

If fear ‘twill cost my life

For you have got two bitter swords

And I ain’t got a knife”

 

“It’s true I’ve got two bitter swords

They cost me deep in the purse

But you shall have the best of these

And I will take the worst”

 

The first stroke that little Mathey made

It hurt Lord Daniel sore

The next stroke that Lord Daniel made

Little Mathey hit the floor

 

“Come here, come here my pretty little wife

And set upon my knee

And tell me which you like the best,

Little Mathey Groves or me”

 

She looked up in Lord Daniel’s face

She saw his jutting chin

Said, “I wouldn’t trade little Mathey Groves

For you and all your kin”

 

He took her by the lily-white hand

He led her to the hall

He took out his sword and he chopped off her head

And he kicked it against the wall

 

“Go dig a grave both wide and deep

To bury these two in

Just kick little Mathey over the side

But lower my sweet wife in”