practised in the West after Monmouth's rebellion: but that was not the age of tenderness and humanity. Such is the account collected from Stow, Speed, Camden, Guthrie, Carte, and Rapin; it agrees in most particulars with the following ballad, which was apparently the production of some northern minstrel, who was well affected to the two noblemen. It is here printed from two MS. copies, one of them in the Editor's folio collection. They contained considerable variations, out of which such readings were chosen as seemed most poetical and consonant to history. LISTEN, lively Lordings all, Lithe and listen unto mee, And I will sing of a noble earle, The noblest earle in the north countrìe. "O goe to the court yet, good my Lord, If any dare to doe you wrong, "Now nay, now nay, thou Lady faire, The court is full of subtiltìe; And if I goe to the court, Lady, 66 Yet goe to the court, my Lord," she sayes, At court then for my dearest Lord, His faithfull borrowe I will bee." 3 This was Anne, daughter of Henry Somerset, Earl of Worcester. 20 25 "Now nay, now nay, my Lady deare; Than leave among my cruell foes "But come thou hither, my little foot-pàge, To maister Norton thou must goe In all the haste that ever may bee. He will ryde in my companie." Down he kneeled on his knee, And took the letter betwixt his hands, And when the letter it was redd Affore that goodlye companye, 50 I wis, if you the truthe wold know, A gallant youth thou seemst to bee; He sayd, "Come hither, Christopher Norton, What doest thou counsell me, my sonne, Well advanced shalt thou bee. word." 55 60 V. 35, It is well known that the fate of the Nortons forms the theme of Wordsworth's White Doe of Rylstone.-Editor. "Come you hither, my nine good sonnes, Will stand by that good erle and mee?" Eight of them did answer make, "O father, till the daye we dye 66 We'll stand by that good erle and thee.” 65 70 Gramercy now, my children deare, You showe yourselves right bold and brave; And whethersoe'er I live or dye, 75 A fathers blessing you shal have. "But what sayst thou, O Francis Norton ? Thou art mine eldest sonn and heire; Somewhat lyes brooding in thy breast; 66 Father, you are an aged man; Your head is white, your bearde is gray; It were a shame at these your yeares For you to ryse in such a fray." 80 "Now fye upon thee, coward Francis, 85 Thou never learnedst this of mee; When thou wert yong and tender of age, Why did I make soe much of thee? "But, father, I will wend with you, 90 Then rose that reverend gentleman, And with him came a goodlye band, To join with the brave Erle Percy, 95 And all the flower o' Northumberland. With them the noble Nevill came, The Erle of Westmorland was hee: At Wetherbye they mustred their host, 100 Lord Westmorland his ancyent raisde, Erle Percy there his ancyent spred, The Halfe-Moone shining all soe faire: 5 And the five wounds our Lord did beare. 105 4 Ver. 102, Dun Bull, &c.] The supporters of the Nevilles, Earls of Westmoreland, were two bulls argent, ducally collar'd gold, armed or, &c. But I have not discovered the device mentioned in the ballad among the badges, &c., given by that house. This, however, is certain, that among those of the Nevilles, Lords Abergavenny, (who were of the same family) is a dun cow with a golden collar: and the Nevilles of Chyte in Yorkshire (of the Westmoreland branch) gave for their crest in 1513, a dog's (greyhound's) head, erased. So that it is not improbable but Charles Neville, the unhappy Earl of Westmoreland here mentioned, might on this occasion give the above device on his banner. After all, our old minstrel's verses here may have undergone some corruption; for, in another ballad in the same folio MS., and apparently written by the same hand, containing the Sequel of this Lord Westmoreland's history, his banner is thus described, more conformable to his known bearings: "Sette me up my faire Dun Bull, Wi' th' Gilden Hornes, hee beares so hye." 5 Ver. 106, The Halfe-Moone, &c.] The silver crescent is a well-known crest or badge of the Northumberland family. It was probably brought home from some of the crusades against the Sarazens. In an ancient Pedigree in verse, finely illuminated on a roll of vellum, and written in the reign of Henry VII. (in possession of the family), we have this fabulous account given of its original. The author begins with accounting for the name of Gernon or Algernon, often borne by the Percies: who, he says, Gernons fyrst named of Brutys bloude of Troy : An hevynly mystery was schewyd him, old bookys reherse; In hys scheld did schyne a MONE veryfying her lyght, Which to all the ooste yave a perfytte syght, To vaynquys his enmys, and to deth them persue; And therefore the Persès (Percies) the Cressant doth renew." In the dark ages, no family was deemed considerable that did not derivo its descent from the Trojan Brutus; or that was not distinguished by prodigies and miracles. Then Sir George Bowes he straitwaye rose, 110 And aye they vowed that knight to take. To Barnard castle then fled hee; In all the speede that ever might bee, And like a royall queene shee swore,6 115 120 125 "I will ordayne them such a breakfast, 130 135 I wiss, they never stint ne blan. But the dun bulle is fled and gone, And the halfe-moone vanished away: 140 The erles, though they were brave and bold, This is quite in character: her majesty would sometimes swear at her nobles, as well as box their ears. |