Now fpred thy ancyent, Weftmorland,
Thy dun bull faine would we fpye:
And thou, the Erle o' Northumberland,

Now rayse thy half moone up on hye.

But the dun bulle is fled and gone,

And the halfe moone vanished away:
The Erles, though they were brave and bold,
Against foe many could not stay.

140

Thee, Norton, wi' thine eight good fonnes, 145
They doom'd to dye, alas! for ruth!

Thy reverend lockes thee could not save,
Nor them their faire and blooming youthe.

Wi' them full many a gallant wight
They cruellye bereav'd of life:
And many a childe made fatherleffe,
And widowed many a tender wife.

150

IV.

NORTHUMBERLAND BETRAYED

BY DOUGLAS.

This ballad may be confidered as the fequel of the preceding. After the unfortunate Earl of Northumberland

U 4

bad

bad feen himself forfaken of his followers, be endeavour ed to withdraw into Scotlund, but falling into the hands of the thievifh borderers, was fiript and otherwife ill-treated by them. At length he reached the house of Heftor, f Harlaw, an Armstrong, with whom he hoped to lie concealed: for, Hector had engaged his honour to be true to him, and was under great obligations to this unhappy nobleman. But this faithlefs wretch betrayed his gueft for a fum of money to Murray the Regent of Scotland. who fent him to the caftle of Lough-leven, then belonging to William Douglas-All the writers of that time affure us, that Hector who was rich before, fell shortly after into poverty, and became fo infamous, that TO TAKE HECTOR'S CLOAK, grew into a proverb to exprefs a man who betrays his friend. See Camden, Carleton, Holinghed, &c.

Lord Northumberland continued in the cafle of Loughleven, till the year 1572; when James Douglas Earl of Morton being elected Regent, he was given up to the Lord Hunfden at Berwick, and being carried to York Juffered death. As Morton's party depended on Elizabeth for protection, an elegant Hiftorian thinks it was scarce poffible for them to refufe putting into her hands a person who had taken up arms against her. But, as a fum of money was paid on that account, and shared between Morton and his kinfman Douglas, the former of whom, during his exile in England, had been much indebted to Northumberland's friendship the abandoning this unha¡py nobleman to inevitable deftruction, was deemed an ungrateful and mercenary act." Robertfon's Hift.

So far Hiftory coincides with this ballad, which was apbarently written by fome Northern Bard foon after the event. The interrofal of the WITCH-LADY (v. 53.) is probably his own invention: yet, even this hath fome countenance from hiftory; for, about 25 years before, the Lady Jane Douglas, Lady Glamis, fifter of the earl of Angus and nearly related to Douglas of Lough-leven, had fuffered death for the pretended crime of witchcraft; who, it is prefumed, is the Witch-lady alludea to in verfe 33.

The

The following is felected (like the former) from two copies, which contained great variations; one of them in the Editor's folio MS. In the other copy fone of the ftanzas at the beginning of this Ballad are nearly the fame with what in that MS. are made to begin another Ballad on the escape of the E. of Westmoreland, who got fafe into Flanders, and is feigned in the ballad to have undergone a great variety of

adventures.

OW long fhall fortune faile me nowe,
And harrowe me with fear and dread?

How long fhali I in bale abide,
In mifery my life to lead ?

To fall from my blifs, alas the while!
It was my fore and heavye lott:
And I must leave my native land,
And I must live a man forgot.

One gentle Armstrong I doe ken,

A Scot he is much bound to mee:
He dwelleth on the border fide,

To him I'll goe right privilie.

Thus did the noble Percy 'plaine,
With a heavy heart and wel-away,

When he with all his gallant men

On Bramham moor had loft the day.

But when he to the Armstrongs came,

They dealt with him all treacherously;
For they did ftrip that noble earle :

And ever an ill death may they dye.

Falfe Hector to Earl Murray fent,

To fhew him where his guest did hide:
Who fent him to the Lough-levèn,

With William Douglas to abide.

And when he to the Douglas came,

He halched him right curteouslie :
Say'd, Welcome, welcome, noble earle,
Here thou shalt safelye bide with mee.

When he had in Lough-leven been

25

Many a month and many a day;

30

To the regent * the lord warden † sent,
That bannifht earle for to betray.

He offered him great store of gold,
And wrote a letter fair to fee :

Saying, Good my lord, grant me my boon,
And yield that banisht man to mee.

35

Earle Percy at the supper fate

With many a goodly gentleman:

The wylie Douglas then befpake,

And thus to flyte with him began:

40

*James Douglas Earl of Morton, elected regent of Scotland November 24, 1572.

Of one of the English marches. Lord Hunfden.

What

What makes you be fo fad, my lord,

And in your mind fo forrowfullyè?
To-morrow a shootinge will bee held
Among the lords of the North countryè.

t

The butts are fett, the fhooting's made,
And there will be great royaltye:

45

And I am fworne into my bille,

Thither to bring my lord Percye.

I'll give thee my hand, thou gentle Douglas,
And here by my true faith, quoth hee,

If thou wilt ryde to the worldes end,

I will ryde in thy companye.

And then befpake a lady faire,

50

Mary à Douglas was her name:

You fhall byde here, good English lord,

55

My brother is a traiterous man.

He is a traitor ftout and stronge,
As I tell you in privitie :

For he hath tane liverance of the erle *,

Into England nowe to 'liver thee.

60

Now nay, now nay, thou goodly lady,

The regent is a noble lord:

Ne for the gold in all England,

The Douglas wold not break his word.

*Of the earl of Morton, the Regent.

When