When all this treason done and pasty

Tooke not effect of traytery ;
Another treason at the last,

They fought 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 feas they had decreede :
Three noble Earles heard of this thing,

And did prevent the fame with speede.
For a letter came, with such a charme,
That they mould doo their king no harme:

For further woe, if they did foe,
Would make a sorrowful heigh hoe.

95

100

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 godmother * will not fee
Her noble childe misus'd to be

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

105

God graunt all subjects may be true,

Io England, Scotland, every where :

2. Elizabeth.

That

That no such daunger may enfue,

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 fo
To avoide the forrowful heigh ho,

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 fovereign James V 1. but being disappointed, had retired towards the north. The king unadvisedly gave a commission to George Gordon Earl of Huntley, to pursue Both well and his followers with fire and sword Huntley, under cover of executing that commiffion took occafion to revenge a private quarrel he hat against James Stewart Earl of Murray, a relation of Both-well's. In the night of Feb. 7, 1542, he befet Murray s house, burnt it to the ground, and New Murray himself; a joung nobleman of the most promising virtues, and the very darling of the people. See Robertson's Hit.

The present Lord Murray hath now in his poffeffion a pice ture of his ancesior naked and covered with wounds, which bad been carried about, according to the cufiom of that age, in order to inflame the populace to revenge his death. If this picture did not flatrer, he well deserved the name of the B.N VY EAR-, for he is there represented as a tall and comely perfinage. It is a tradition in the family, that Gordon of Bucky gave him a wound in the face : Murray half

P 3

expiring,

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 betowed on this unfortunate youth. See the preface to the next bcllad. See also Mr. Walpole's Catalogue of Royal Auth. vol. I. p.42.

YE bighlands

, and ye 1:w.ands,

E

Oh! qubair hae ye been?
They h e flaine the Earl of Ivurray,

And hae laid him on the green.

* Castle downe bere bas been thought to mean the CASTLE OF DOWNI, a feat belonging to the family of Murray.

XVIII.
YOUNG WATERS.

A SCOTTISH BALLAD,

It bas been suggested to the Editor, that this ballad covertly alludes to the indiscreet partiality, which 2. Anne of Denmark is said to have Mewn 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 Bal. four, knight, Lyon King of Arms, whox MS of the Aunals 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 Dunibrillel in Fyffe-thyre, and with him

P4

· Dunbar,

Dunbar, sheriffe of Murray. It was given out and " publickly talkt, that the Earle of Huntley was only the inftrument of perpetrating this

facte, to satisfie the King's jealousie of Murray, quhum the Queene more raskely than

wisely, fome 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 pro“ clamatione of the Kings, the 13 of Marche folleving; "inhibiteine the zoung Earle of Murray to persue the Earle " of Huntley, for his father's fanghter, in respect he

being wardeit (imprisoned) in the castell of Blacknesse “ for the same muriher, was willing to abide a tryall,

averring that he had done nothing but by the King's

majesiies commisione; and was neither airt nor part in to the murther * "

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, fifter to the Earle of Hume, who died at Gibraltar,

A

BOUT Zule, quhen the wind blew cule,

And the round tables began,
A'! there is cum to our kings court

Mony a well-favourd man.

5

The queen luikt owre the castle wa,

Beheld baith dale and down,
And then she saw zoung Waters

Cum riding to the town.

His footmen they did rin before,
His horfemen rade behind,

10
Ane mantel of the burning gowd
Did keip him frae the wind.
* This extract is copied
from the Critical Roview.

Gowden