But all the doores were made so fast, Out of a window he got at last. He met the bishop coming fast, Having the posset in his hande : The sight of Browne made him aghast, 30 With him were two that ranne awa, For feare that Browne would make a fray. 35 Bishop, quoth Browne, what hast thou there? Is it so? sayd Browne, that will I see. First I will have thyself begin, 40 Before thou go any further in; Be it weale or woe, it shall be so, The Bishop sayde, Browne I doo know, 45 Thou art a young man poore and bare; Livings on thee I will bestowe : Let me go on, take thou no care. Happe well or woe, it shall be so, 50 The bishop dranke, and by and by His belly burst and he fell downe : A just rewarde for his traitery. This was a posset indeed, quoth Brown! He serched the bishop, and found the keyes, To come to the kinge when he did please. Alas for woe, &c. As soon as the king got word of this, For that he did perceive and know, . His clergie would betray him so : Alas for woe, &c. Alas, he said, unhappie realme, Unhappy fate, and bitter bayne! The king did call his nurse to his grace, 55 60 65 70 And gave her twenty poundes a yeere; 75 Ver. 67. His father was Henry Lord Darnley. His grandfather, the old Earl of Lenox, regent of Scotland, and father of Lord Darnley, was murdered at Stirling, Sept. 5, 1571. And trustie Browne too in like case, He knighted him with gallant geere : As he did showe, to the bishop's woe, When all this treason done and past, Tooke not effect of traytery; 80 Another treason at the last, They sought against his majestie : 85 How they might make their kinge away, By a privie banket on a daye. Alas for woe, &c. 'Another time' to sell the king Beyonde the seas they had decreede : For a letter came, with such a charme, The Earle Mourton told the Douglas then, Obediently in every thing: 90 95 100 For his godmother1 will not see With any woe; for if it be so, God graunt all subjects may be true, To put the prince or state in feare: In wealth or woe, God graunt it be so To avoide the sorrowful heigh ho. 1 Queen Elizabeth. 105 110 XVII. The Bonny Earl of Murray. A SCOTTISH SONG. IN December, 1591, Francis Stewart, Earl of Bothwell, had made an attempt to seize on the person of his sovereign, James VI., but being disappointed, had retired towards the north. The king unadvisedly gave a commission to George Gordon, Earl of Huntley, to pursue Bothwell and his followers with fire and sword. Huntley, under cover of executing that commission, took occasion to revenge a private quarrel he had against James Stewart, Earl of Murray, a relation of Bothwell's. In the night of Feb. 7, 1592, he beset Murray's house, burnt it to the ground, and slew Murray himself; a young nobleman of the most promising virtues, and the very darling of the people. See Robertson's History. The present Lord Murray hath now in his possession a picture of his ancestor naked and covered with wounds, which had been carried about, according to the custom of that age, in order to inflame the populace to revenge his death. If this picture did not flatter, he well deserved the name of the BONNY EARL, for he is there represented as a tall and comely personage. It is a tradition in the family, that Gordon of Bucky gave him a wound in the face: Murray half expiring, said, "You hae spilt a better face than your awin." Upon this, Bucky, pointing his dagger at Huntley's breast, swore, “You shall be as deep as I;" and forced him to pierce the poor defenceless body. King James, who took no care to punish the murderers, is said by some to have privately countenanced and abetted them, being stimulated by jealousy for some indiscreet praises which his queen had too lavishly bestowed on this unfortunate youth. See the preface to the next ballad. See also Mr. Walpole's Catalogue of Royal Authors, vol. i. p. 42. YE highlands, and ye lawlands, Now wae be to thee, Huntley! And quhairfore did you sae! |