Then ranne I to our comlye king,

These tidings sore to tell.
But ever alacke!' sayes Aldingar,

Falsing never doth well.

200

Forgive, forgive me, queene, madame,

The short time I must live.' • Nowe Christ forgive thee, Aldingar,

As freely I forgive.

205

*Here take thy queene, our king Harryè,

And love her as thy life,
For never had a king in Christentye,

A truer and fairer wife.'

210

King Henrye ran to claspe his queene,

And loosed her full sone:
Then turnd to look for the tinye boye;

- The boye was vanisht and gone.

But first he had touchd the lazar man,

And stroakt him with his hand: The lazar under the gallowes tree

All whole and sounde did stand.

215

The lazar under the gallowes tree

Was comelye, straight and tall;
King Henrye made him his head stewarde

To wayte withinn his hall. **

220

Tradition informs us that the author of this song was K. James V. of Scotland. This prince (whose character for wit and libertinism bears a great resemblance to that of his gay successor Charles II.) was noted for strolling about his dominions in disguise,' and for his frequent gallantries with country girls. Two adventures of this kind he hath celebrated with his own pen, viz. in this ballad of The Gaberlunzie Man' and in another intitled The Jolly Beggar,' beginning thus :

Thair was a jollie beggar, and a begging he was boun,
And he tuik up his quarters into a land'art toun.

Fa, la, la, &c. It seems to be the latter of these ballads (which was too licentious to be admitted into this collection) that is meant in the Catalogue of Royal and Noble Authors, where the ingenious writer remarks, that there is something very ludicrous in the young woman's distress when she thought her first favour had been thrown away upon a beggar.

Bp. Tanner has attributed to James V. the celebrated ballad of Christ's Kirk on the Green,' which is ascribed to K. James I. in Bannatyne's MS. written in 1568: And notwithstanding that authority, the Editor of this book is of opinion that Bp. Tanner was right.

K. James V. died Deo. 13th, 1542, aged 33.

The pauky auld Carle came ovir the lee
Wi' mony good-eens and days to mee,
Saying, "Goodwife, for your courtesie,

Will ye lodge a silly poor man?'
The night was cauld, the carle was wat,
And down ayont the ingle he sat;
My dochters shoulders he gan to clap,
· And cadgily ranted and sang. .

O wow!' quo he, 'were I as free,
As first when I saw this countrie,

10 How blyth and merry wad I bee!

And I wad nevir think lang.' sc. of a tinker, beggar, &c. Thus he used to visit a smith's daughter at Niddry, near Edinburgh.—2 Vol. II. p. 203.

VOL II.

He grew canty, and she grew fain;
But little did her auld minny ken
What thir slee twa togither were say’n,

When wooing they were sa thrang.

15

* And O!' quo he, ‘ann ye were as black,
As evir the crown of your dadyes hat,
Tis I wad lay thee by my back,

And awa wi' me thou sould gang.'
• And O!' quoth she, “ann I were as white,
As evir the snaw lay on the dike,
Ild clad me braw, and lady-like,

And awa with thee Ild gang.'

Between the twa was made a plot;
They raise a wee before the cock,
And wyliely they shot the lock,

And fast to the bent are they gane.
Up the morn the auld wife raise,
And at her leisure put on her claiths,
Syne to the servants bed she gaes

To speir for the silly poor man.

30

man

35

She gaed to the bed, whair the beggar lay,
The strae was cauld, he was away,
She clapt her hands, cryd, ‘Dulefu' day!

For some of our geir will be gane.'
Some ran to coffer, and some to kist,
But nought was stown that could be mist.
She dancid her lane, cryd, 'Praise be blest,

I have lodgd a leal poor man.

40

Since naithings awa, as we can learn,
The kirns to kirn, and milk to earn,

Ver. 29, The Carline. Other copies.

Gae butt the house, lass, and waken my

bairn, And bid her come quickly ben,' The servant gaed where the dochter lay, 45 The sheets was cauld, she was away, And fast to her goodwife can say,

Shes aff with the gaberlunzie-man.'

50

O fy gar ride, and fy gar rin,
And hast ye, find these traitors agen;
For shees be burnt, and hees be slein,

The wearyfou gaberlunzie-man.'
Some rade upo horse, some ran a fit,
The wife was wood, and out o'her wit;
She could na gang, nor yet could she sit,

But ay did curse and did ban.

55

Mean time far hind out owre the lee,
Fu’ snug in a glen, where nane could see,
The twa, with kindlie sport and glee,

Cut frae a new cheese a whang.
The priving was gude, it pleas’d them baith,
To lo'e her for ay, he gae her his aith.
Quo she, “to leave thee, I will be laith,

My winsome gaberlunzie-man.

65

O kend my minny I were wi' you,
Illfardly wad she crook her mou,
Sic a poor man sheld nevir trow,

Aftir the gaberlunzie-mon.'
My dear,' quo he, 'yee're yet owre yonge;
And hae na learnt the beggars tonge,
To follow me frae toun to toun,

And carrie the gaberlunzie on.'

70 75

• Wi' kauk and keel, Ill win your bread,
And spindles and whorles for them wha need,
Whilk is a gentil trade indeed

The gaberlunzie to carrie-0.
Ill bow my leg and crook my knee,
And draw a black clout owre my ee,
A criple or blind they will cau me:

While we sall sing and be merrie--0.

80

XI.

ON THOMAS LORD CROMWELL. It is ever the fate of a disgraced minister to be forsaken by his friends, and insulted by his enemies, always reckoning among the latter the giddy inconstant multitude. We have here a spurn at fallen greatness from some angry partisan of declining popery, who could never forgive the downfall of their Diana, and loss of their craft. The ballad seems to have been composed between the time of Cromwell's commitment to the Tower, June 11, 1540, and that of his being beheaded July 28, following. A short interval! but Henry's passion for Catharine Howard would admit of no delay. Notwithstanding our libeller, Cromwell had many excellent qualities ; his great fault was too much obsequiousness to the arbitrary will of his master; but let it be considered that this master had raised him from obscurity, and that the high-born nobility had shewn him the way in every kind of mean and servile compliance. - The original copy printed at London in 1540, is intitled, “A newe ballade made of Thomas Crumwel, called Trolle on away.' To it is prefixed this distich by way of burthen,

Trolle on away, trolle on awaye.

Synge heave and howe rombelowe trolle on away. Both man and chylde is glad to here tell Of that false traytoure Thomas Crumwell, Now that he is set to learne to spell.

Synge trolle on away. When fortune lokyd the[e] in thy face, Thou haddyst fayre tyme, but thou lackydyst grace; 5 Thy cofers with golde thou fyllydst a pace.

Synge, &c.