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 shown 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 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 rashely than wisely, some few days before had commendit in the King's hearing, with too many epithets of a proper and gallant 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 abide a tryall, averring that man. 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. * This extract is copied from the Critical Review. ABOUT Zule, quhen the wind blew cule, Mony a well-favourd man. The queen luikt owre the castle wa, Beheld baith dale and down, And then she saw zoung Waters Cum riding to the town. 5 But than spake a wylie lord, Unto the queen said he, O tell me qhua's the fairest face Rides in the company. I've sene lord, and I've sene laird, And knights of high degree; Bot a fairer face than zoung Watèrs Out then spack the jealous king, (And an angry man was he) O, if he had been twice as fair, Zou're neither laird nor lord, she says, Bot to thee maun bow down. For a' that she could do or say, Appeasd he wad nae bee; Bot for the words which she had said Zoung Waters he maun dee. They hae taen zoung Waters, and Put fetters to his feet; They hae taen zoung Waters, and Thrown him in dungeon deep. 40 Aft I have ridden thro' Stirling town In the wind both and the weit; Bot I neir rade thro' Stirling town Wi fetters at my feet. Aft have I ridden thro' Stirling town 45 Bot I neir rade thro' Stirling town They hae taen to the heiding-hill* 50 And they hae taen to the heiding-hill, Heiding-hill; i. e. heading [beheading] hill. The place of execution was anciently an artificial hillock. XIX. Mary Ambree. In the year 1584, the Spaniards under the command of Alexander 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 Epicene, first acted in 1609, act 4, sc. 2: his Tale of a Tub, act i. sc. 4: and his masque entitled the Fortunate Isles, 1626, where he quotes the very words of the ballad. Mary Ambree, Were a braver wight, &c. She is also mentioned in Fletcher's Scornful Lady, act 5, sub finem. 66 My large gentlewoman, my Mary Ambree, had I but seen into you, you should have had another bedfellow. It is likewise evident, that she is the virago intended by Butler in Hudibras (p. i. c. iii. v. 365,) by her being |