him famous among his contemporaries. He was author of many popular songs and ballads; and probably other pieces in these volumes, besides the following, are of his composing. He is believed to have fallen a victim to his bottle before the year 1592. His epitaph has been recorded by Camden, and translated by Oldys.

Hic situs est sitiens, atque ebrius Eldertonus,
Quid dico hic situs est? hic potius sitis est.

Dead drunk here Elderton doth lie;
Dead as he is, he still is dry;

So of him it may well be said,

Here he, but not his thirst, is laid.

See Stow's Lond. [Guild-hall.]-Biogr. Brit. [Drayton, by Oldys, Note B.]-Ath. Ox.-Camden's Remains. The Exaletation of Ale, among Beaumont's Poems, 8vo. 1653.

'OUT, alas !' what a griefe is this

That princes subjects cannot be true,
But still the devill hath some of his,
Will play their parts whatsoever ensue;
Forgetting what a grievous thing
It is to offend the anointed king!

Alas for woe, why should it be so,
This makes a sorrowful heigh ho.

In Scotland is a bonnie kinge,
As proper a youth as neede to be,
Well given to every happy thing

That can be in a kinge to see:
Yet that unluckie country still
Hath people given to craftie will.
Alas for woe, &c.

On Whitsun eve it so befell,

A posset was made to give the king,
Whereof his ladie nurse hard tell,

And that it was a poysoned thing:
She cryed, and called piteouslie;
Now help, or els the king shall die!
Alas for woe, &c.

One Browne, that was an English man,
And hard the ladies piteous crye,
Out with his sword, and bestir'd him than,
Out of the doores in haste to flie;

But all the doores were made so fast,
Out of a window he got at last.

Alas for woe, &c.

He met the bishop coming fast,
Having the posset in his hande :
The sight of Browne made him aghast,
Who bad him stoutly staie and stand.
With him were two that ranne awa,
For feare that Browne would make a fray.
Alas for woe, &c.

Bishop, quoth Browne, what hast thou there?
Nothing at all, my friend, sayde he;
But a posset to make the king good cheere.
Is it so? sayd Browne, that will I see.
First I will have thyself begin,

Before thou go any further in;

Be it weale or woe, it shall be so,
This makes a sorrowful heigh ho.

The Bishop sayde, Browne I doo know,
Thou art a young man poore and bare ;
Livings on thee I will bestowe:

Let me go on, take thou no care.
No, no, quoth Browne, I will not be
A traitour for all Christiantie;

Happe well or woe, it shall be so,
Drink now with a sorrowful, &c.

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,
He humbly fell uppon his knee,
And praysed God that he did misse
To tast of that extremity :

For that he did perceive and know,
His clergie would betray him so:
Alas for woe, &c.

Alas, he said, unhappie realme,

My father, and grandfather slaine :1

1 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.

My mother banished, O extreame!
Unhappy fate, and bitter bayne!
And now like treason wrought for me,
What more unhappie realme can be!
Alas for woe, &c.

The king did call his nurse to his grace,
And gave her twenty poundes a yeere;
And trustie Browne too in like case,

He knighted him with gallant geere :
And gave him lands and livings great,
For dooing such a manly feat,

As he did showe, to the bishop's woe,
Which made, &c.

When all this treason done and past,
Tooke not effect of traytery;
Another treason at the last,

They sought against his majestie :
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 : Three noble Earles heard of this thing, And did prevent the same with speede. For a letter came, with such a charme, That they should doo their king no harme : For further woe, if they did soe, Would make a sorrowful heigh hoe.

The Earle Mourton told the Douglas then,
Take heed you do not offend the king;
But shew yourselves like honest men
Obediently in every thing:

For his godmother1 will not see
Her noble childe misus'd to be

With any woe; for if it be so,
She will make, &c.

God graunt all subjects may be true,
In England, Scotland, every where:
That no such daunger may ensue,
To put the prince or state in feare:

1 Queen Elizabeth.

That God the highest king may see
Obedience as it ought to be,

In wealth or woe, God graunt it be so
To avoide the sorrowful heigh ho.

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,
Oh! quhair hae ye been?

They hae slaine the Earl of Murray,
And hae laid him on the green.

Now wae be to thee, Huntley!
And quhairfore did you sae?
I bade you bring him wi' you,
But forbade you him to slay.

He was a braw gallant,

And he rid at the ring ;
And the bonny Earl of Murray,
Oh! he might hae been a king.

He was a braw gallant,

And he played at the ba';
And the bonny Earl of Murray
Was the flower among them a'.

He was a braw gallant,

And he playd at the gluve;
And the bonny Earl of Murray,
Oh! he was the Queenes luve.

Oh! lang will his lady

Luke owre the castle downe, 1
Ere she see the Earl of Murray
Cum sounding throw the towne.

XVIII. YOUNG WATERS

A SCOTTISH BALLAD

It has been suggested to the Editor, that this ballad covertly alludes to the indiscreet partiality, which Queen Anne of Denmark is said to have shewn for the bonny Earl of Murray; and which is supposed to have influenced the fate of that unhappy nobleman. Let the reader judge for himself.

The following account of the murder is given by a contemporary writer, and a person of credit, Sir James Balfour, knight, Lyon King of Arms, whose manuscript of the Annals of Scotland is in the Advocates' Library at Edinburgh.

"The seventh of Febry, this zeire, 1592, the Earle of Murray was cruelly murthered by the Earle of Huntley at his house in Dunibrissel in Fyffe-shyre, and with him Dunbar, sheriffe of Murray. It was given out and publicly talkt, that the Earle of Huntley was only the instrument of perpetrating this facte, to satisfie the King's jealousie of Murray, quhum the Queene, more rashely than wisely, some few days before had commendit in the King's hearing, with too many epithets of a proper and gallant man. The reasons of these surmises proceedit from a proclamatione of the Kings, the 13 of Marche following; inhibiteine the zoung Earle of Murray to persue the Earle of Huntley, for his father's slaughter, in respect he being wardeit [imprisoned] in the castell of 1 "Castle downe" here has been thought to mean the Castle of Downe, a seat. belonging to the family of Murray.