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:
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.

55

60

65

70

75

80

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.

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 heede 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:
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!

'Q. Elizabeth.

85

90

95

100

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 Hist.

་

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.

K. James, who took no care to punish the murtherers, 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 Auth. vol. I. p. 42.1

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.

5

1 Bothwell in Old Mortality,' is described as springing from Francis Stewart.-ED.

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 playd 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 Q. 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 MS. of the Annals of Scotland is in the Advocates Library at Edinburgh.

'The seventh of Febry, this yeire, 1592, the Earle of Murray was cruelly murthered by the Earle of Huntley at his house in Dunibrissel in Fyffe-shire, and with him Dunbar, sheriffe of Murray. It was given out and publickly talkt, that the Earle of Huntley was only the instrument of perpetrating this 1 Castle downe here has been thought to mean the Castle of Downe, a seat belonging to the family of Murray.

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 young Earle of Murray to persue the Earle of Huntley, for his father's slaughter, in respect he being wardeit [imprisoned] in the castell of Blacknesse for the same murther, was willing to abide a tryall, averring that he had done nothing but by the King's majesties commissione; and was neither airt nor part in the murther.'1

The following ballad is here given from a copy printed not long since at Glasgow, in one sheet 8vo. The world was indebted for its publication to the lady Jean Hume, sister to the Earl of Hume, who died at Gibraltar.

ABOUT Yule, quhen the wind blew cule,

And the round tables began,

A'! there is cum to our kings court
Mony a well-favourd man.

The queen luikt owre the castle wa,
Beheld baith dale and down,
And then she saw young Waters
Cum riding to the town.

His footmen they did rin before,
His horsemen rade behind,
Ane mantel of the burning gowd
Did keip him frae the wind.

Gowden graith'd his horse before

And siller shod behind,

5

10

The horse yong Waters rade upon

15

Was fleeter than the wind.

But than spake a wylie lord,

Unto the queen said he,

'O tell me quha's the fairest face
Rides in the company.'

1 This extract is copied from the Critical Review.

20