Up he lope, and the window brake, And hee had thirtye foote to fall; Lord Bodwell kept a privy watch, Underneath his castle wall.

Who have wee here? Lord Bodwell sayd:
Now answer me, that I may know.
"King Henry the eighth my uncle was;
For his sweete sake some pitty show."

Who have we here? Lord Bodwell sayd,
Now answer me when I doe speake.
"Ah, Lord Bodwell, I know thee well;
Some pitty on me I pray thee take."

Ile pitty thee as much he sayd,
And as much favor show to thee,
As thou didst to the queenes chamberlaine,
That day thou deemedst him to die*.

Through halls and towers the king they ledd, Through towers and castles that were nye, Through an arbor into an orchard,

There on a peare-tree hanged him hye.

When the governor of Scotland heard

With gun-powder they strewed his roome,
And layd greene rushes in his way:
For the traitors thought that very night
This worthye king for to betray.

To bedd the king he made him bowne;
To take his rest was his desire;

He was noe sooner cast on sleepe,
But his chamber was on a blasing fire.

How that the worthye king was slaine;

35

He persued the queen so bitterlye,
That in Scotland shee dare not remaine.

The following lines, if they display no rich vein of poetry, are yet so strongly characteristic of their great and spirited authoress, that the insertion of them will be pardoned. They are preserved in Puttenham's "Arte of English Poesie:" a book in which are many sly addresses to the queen's foible of shining as a poetess. The extraordinary manner in which these verses are introduced shews what kind of homage was exacted from the courtly writers of that age, viz.

"I find," says this antiquated critic "none example in English metre, so well maintaining this figure [Exargasia, or the Gorgeous, Lat. Expolitio] as that dittie of her majesties owne making, passing sweete and harmonicall; which figure beyng as his very original name purporteth the most bewtifull and gorgious of all others, it asketh in reason to be reserved for a last complement, and desciphred by a ladies penne, herselfe beyng the most bewtifull, or rather bewtie of queenes. And this was the occasion; our soveraigne lady perceiving how the Scottish queenes residence within this realme at so great libertie and ease (as were skarce meete for so great and dangerous a prysoner) bred secret factions among

her people, and made many of the nobilitie incline to favour her partie: some of them desirous of innovation in the state: others aspiring to greater fortunes by her libertie and life: the queene our soveraigne ladie, to declare that she was nothing ignorant of those secret practizes, though she had long with great wisdome and pacience dissembled it, writeth this dittie most sweete and sententious, not hiding from all such aspiring minds the danger of their ambition and disloyaltie: which afterwards fell out most truly by th' exemplary chastisement of sundry persons, who in favour of the said Scot. Qu. declining from her majestie, sought to interrupt the quiet of the realme by many evill and undutifull practizes."

This sonnet seems to have been composed in 1569, not long before the Duke of Norfolk, the Earls of Pembroke and Arundel, the Lord Lumley, Sir Nich. Throcmorton, and others, were taken into custody. See Hume, Rapin, &c.-It was originally written in long lines or alexandrines, each of which is here divided into two.

The present edition is improved by some readings adopted from a copy printed in a collection from the papers of Sir John Harrington, intituled, "Nugæ Antiquæ," Lond. 1769, 12mo. where the verses are

Pronounced after the northern manner dee.

This ballad is a proof of the little intercourse that subsisted between the Scots and English, before the accession of James I. to the crown of England. The tale which is here so circumstantially related does not appear to have had the least foundation in history, but was probably built upon some confused hearsay report of the tumults in Scotland during the minority of that prince, and of the conspiracies formed by different factions to get possession of his person. It should seem from ver. 97 to have been written during the regency, or at least before the death, of the Earl of Morton, who was condemned and executed June 2, 1581; when James was in his fifteenth year.

The original copy (preserved in the archives of the Antiquarian Society, London) is intitled, "A new Ballad, declaring the great treason conspired against the young king of Scots, and how one Andrew Browne an English-man, which was the king's chamberlaine, prevented the same. To the tune of Milfield, or els to Green-sleeves." At the end is subjoined the name of the author, W. Elderton. Imprinted at London for Yarathe James, dwelling in Newgate Market, over against Ch. Church," in black-letter folio.

This Elderton, who had been originally an attorney in the sheriffs courts of London, and afterwards (if we may believe Oldys) a comedian, was a facetious fuddling companion, whose tippling and rhymes rendered him famous among his contemporaries. He

Ver. 1, dread, al. ed. V. 9, toyes, al. ed.

was author of many popular songs and ballads ; and probably other pieces in this work, 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 Exale-tation 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.

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

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.

see,

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.

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 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 sorrowfull, &c.

100

For his godmother will not see

Her noble child misus'd to be

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 Upon this, Bucky, pointing his dagger your awin.' 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

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 supIposed 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 Advocate's 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 publickly 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 rashly 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 Blacknesse for the same murther, was willing to

⚫ Castle downe here has been thought to mean the Castle of Downe, a seat belonging to the family of Murray.

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*."

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 Zule, quhen the wind blew cule,

And the round tables began,

A'! there is cum to our kings court

Mony a well-favourd man.

Bot for the words which she had said

35

Zoung Waters he maun dee.

In the year 1584, the Spaniards, under the command of Álexander Farnese prince of Parma, began to gain great advantages in Flanders and Brabant, by recovering many strong holds and cities from the Hollanders, as Ghent, (called then by the English Gaunt,) Antwerp, Mechlin, &c. See Stow's Annals, p. 711. Some attempt made with the assistance of English volunteers to retrieve the former of those places probably gave occasion to this ballad. I can find no mention of our heroine in history, but the following rhymes rendered her famous among our poets. Ben Jonson often mentions her, and calls any remarkable virago by her name. See his Epicæne, first acted in 1609, Act 4, sc. 2. His Tale of a Tub, Act 1, sc. . And his masque intitled the Fortunate Isles, 1626, where he quotes the very words of the ballad,

-MARY AMBREE,

(Who marched so free

• This extract is copied from the Critical Review.

To the siege of Gaunt,
And death could not daunt,
As the ballad doth vaunt)
Were a braver wight, &c.

She is also mentioned in Fletcher's Scornful Lady, Act 5, sub finem.

"—" My large gentlewoman, my" Mary Ambree," had I but seen into you, you should have had another bedfellow.".

It is likewise evident that she the virago intended by Butler in Hudibras (P. 1. c. 3, v. 365.), by her being coupled with John d' Arc, the celebrated Pucelle de Orleans.

A bold virago stout and tall

As Joan of France, or English Mall.

This ballad is printed from a black-letter copy in the Pepys Collection, improved from the Editor's

• Heiding-hill; i. e. heading [beheading] hill. The place of execution was anciently an artificial hillock.