Barbara Allenxml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

In een passage in de roman van Goldsmith wordt door een van de kinderen een ballade gezongen. Het betreft een oude Schotse ballade waarvan vele versies bestaan. De eerste is een hele oude, de tweede is een versie gezongen door Joan Baez.

It was in and about the Martinmas time,     November 11
When the green leaves were a-falling,
That Sir John Graeme, in the West country,
Fell in love with Barbara Allen

He sent his men down through the town
To the place where she was dwelling:         living
"O haste and come to my master dear,        hurry up
Gin ye be Barbara Allen."                           if you are

O hooly, hooly rose she up,                         slowly
To the place where he was lying,
And when she drew the curtain by'
"Young man, I think you're dying."

"O it's I'm sick, and very, very sick,
And it's a' for Barbara Allen;"                    all
"O the better for me you shall never be,
Though your heart's blood were a spilling."

"O dinna ye mind, young man," she said,  remember
"When the red wine ye were filling,
That ye made the healths gae round and round, drank some toasts go
And slighted Barbara Allen?"        upset

He turned his face unto the wall,
And death was with him dealing;   doing business
"Adieu, adieu, my dear friends all,
And be kind to Barbara Allen."

Barbara Allen
   ------Joan Baez

Twas in the merry month of May
When green buds all were swelling,
Sweet William on his death bed lay
For love of Barbara Allen.

He sent his servant to the town
To the place where she was dwelling,
Saying you must come, to my master dear
If your name be Barbara Allen.

So slowly, slowly she got up
And slowly she drew nigh him,
And the only words to him did say
Young man I think you're dying.

He turned his face unto the wall
And death was in him welling,
Good-bye, good-bye, to my friends all
Be good to Barbara Allen.

When he was dead and laid in grave
She heard the death bells knelling
And every stroke to her did say
Hard hearted Barbara Allen.

Oh mother, oh mother go dig my grave
Make it both long and narrow,
Sweet William died of love for me
And I will die of sorrow.

And father, oh father, go dig my grave
Make it both long and narrow,
Sweet William died on yesterday
And I will die tomorrow.

Barbara Allen was buried in the old churchyard
Sweet William was buried beside her,
Out of sweet William's heart, there grew a rose
Out of Barbara Allen's a briar.

They grew and grew in the old churchyard
Till they could grow no higher
At the end they formed, a true lover's knot
And the rose grew round the briar.