Chapter 10

26. Then spak his ladye, fair of face, She said, ‘Without consent of me, That an Outlaw shuld come before the king; I am right rad of treasonrie.

27. ‘Bid him be gude to his lordis at hame, For Edinburgh my lord sail never see.’ James tuke his leave of the Outlaw keen, To Edinburgh boun is he.

28. And when he cam before the king, He fell before him on his knee: ‘Welcome, James Boyd!’ said the noble king; ‘What forest is Ettrick Forest free?’

29. ‘Ettrick Forest is the fairest forest That ever man saw with his ee; There’s the doe, the roe, the hart, the hynde, And of a’ wild beastis great plentie.

30. ‘There’s a pretty castell of lime and stane, O gif it stands not pleasauntlie! There’s on the foreside of that castell Twa unicorns sae bra’ to see.

31. ‘There’s the picture of a knight, and a ladye bright, And the green hollin abune their bree. There the Outlaw keepis five hundred men, O gif they live not royallie!

32. ‘His merry men in ae livery clad, O’ the Lincoln green so fair to see; He and his ladye in purple clad; O! gif they live not royallie!

33. ‘He says yon forest is his ain, He wan it from the Soudronie; Sae as he wan it, sae will he keep it, Contrair all kings in Christentie.’

34. ‘Gar ray my horse,’ said the noble king, ‘To Ettrick Forest hie will I me’; Then he gard graith five thousand men, And sent them on for the forest free.

35. Then word is gane the Outlaw till, In Ettrick Forest, where dwelleth he, That the king was coming to his cuntrie, To conquer baith his lands and he.

36. ‘I mak a vow,’ the Outlaw said, ‘I mak a vow, and that trulie, Were there but three men to take my part Yon king’s coming full dear suld be.’

37. Then messengers he called forth, And bade them haste them speedilie: ‘Ane of you go to Halliday, The laird of the Covehead is he.

38. ‘He certain is my sister’s son; Bid him come quick and succour me; Tell Halliday with thee to come, And show him a’ the veritie.’

39. ‘What news, what news?’ said Halliday, ‘Man, frae thy master unto me?’ ‘Not as ye wad; seeking your aid; The king’s his mortal enemie.’

40. ‘Aye, by my troth,’ quoth Halliday, ‘Even for that it repenteth me; For gif he lose fair Ettrick Forest, He’ll tak fair Moffatdale frae me.

41. ‘I’ll meet him wi’ five hundred men, And surely mae, if mae may be.’ The Outlaw call’d a messenger, And bid him hie him speedily.

42. ‘To Andrew Murray of Cockpool, That man’s a dear cousin to me; Desire him come, and make me aid, With all the power that he may be.

43. ‘The king has vow’d to cast my castle down, And mak a widow of my gay ladye; He’ll hang my merry men pair by pair In ony place where he may them see.’

44. ‘It stands me hard,’ quoth Andrew Murray, ‘Judge if it stands not hard with me; To enter against a king with crown, And put my lands in jeopardie!

45. ‘Yet gif I come not on the day, Surely at night he sall me see.’ To Sir James Murray, laird of Traquair, A message came right speedilie.

46. ‘What news, what news?’ James Murray said, ‘Man, frae thy master unto me?’ ‘What need I tell? for wel ye ken The king’s his mortal enemie.

47. ‘He desires ye’ll come and make him aid, With all the powers that ye may be.’ ‘And, by my troth,’ James Murray said, ‘With that Outlaw will I live and die;

48. ‘The king has gifted my lands lang syne, It can not be nae war with me.’ ... ... ... ... ... ...

49. The king was coming thro’ Caddon Ford, And fifteen thousand men was he; They saw the forest them before, They thought it awsome for to see.

50. Then spak the earl hight Hamilton, And to the noble king said he, ‘My sovereign prince, some counsel take, First at your nobles, syne at me.

51. ‘Desire him meet thee at Penman’s Core, And bring four in his companie; Five earls sall gang yoursell before, Gude cause that you suld honour’d be.

52. ‘And, if he refuses to do that, Wi’ fire and sword we’ll follow thee; There sall never a Murray, after him, Have land in Ettrick Forest free.’

53. The king then call’d a gentleman, Royal banner-bearer then was he; James Hope Pringle of Torsonse, by name: He came and knelit upon his knee.

54. ‘Welcome, James Pringle of Torsonse! Ye maun a message gae for me; Ye maun gae to yon Outlaw Murray, Surely where bauldly bideth he.

55. ‘Bid him meet me at Penman’s Core, And bring four of his companie; Five earls sall come wi’ mysel, Gude reason I suld honour’d be.

56. ‘And if he refuses to do that, Bid him look for nae good o’ me; There sall never a Murray after him Have land in Ettrick Forest free.’

57. James came before the Outlaw keen, And served him in his ain degree; ‘Welcome, James Pringle of Torsonse! What tidings frae the king to me?’

58. ‘He bids you meet him at Penman’s Core, And bring four of your companie; Five earls will come with the king, Mae mair in number will he be.

59. ‘And gif you refuse to do that, I freely here upgive wi’ thee, There will never a Murray after thee Have land in Ettrick Forest free.

60. ‘He’ll cast your bonny castle down, And make a widow of your gaye ladye, He’ll hang your merry men pair by pair In ony place where he may them see.’

61. ‘It stands me hard,’ the Outlaw said; ‘Judge if it stands not hard with me; I reck not of losing of mysell, But all my offspring after me.

62. ‘Auld Halliday, young Halliday, Ye sall be twa to gang wi’ me; Andrew Murray, and Sir James Murray, We’ll be nae mae in companie.’

63. When that they came before the king, They fell befor him on their knee; ‘Grant mercy, mercy, royal king! E’en for His sake who died on tree.’

64. ‘Siecan like mercie sall ye have; On gallows ye sall hangit be!’ ‘God forbid,’ quo’ the Outlaw then, ‘I hope your grace will better be!’

65. ‘These lands of Ettrick Forest fair, I wan them frae the enemie; Like as I wan them, sae will I keep them, Contrair all kings in Christentie.’

66. All the nobles said, the king about, Pitie it were to see him die: ‘Yet grant me mercy, sovereign prince, Extend your favour unto me!

67. ‘I’ll give you the keys of my castell, With the blessing o’ my fair ladye, Mak me the sheriff of the forest, And all my offspring after me.’

68. ‘Wilt thou give me the keys of thy castell, With the blessing of thy fair ladye? I’ll mak thee sheriff of the Forest, Surely while upwards grows the tree; If you be not traitour to the king, Forfaulted sall ye never be.’

69. ‘But, prince, what sall come o’ my men? When I go back, traitour they’ll ca’ me. I had rather lose my life and land, Ere my merry men rebukëd me.’

70. ‘Will your merry men amend their lives? And all their pardons I grant thee; Now, name thy landes where’er they be, And here I render them to thee.’

71. ‘Fair Philiphaugh, prince, is my ain, I biggit it wi’ lime and stane; The Tinnies and the Hangingshaw, My liege, are native steads of mine.

72. ‘ ... ... ... ... ... ... I have mony steads in the forest shaw, But them by name I dinna knaw.’

73. The keys of the castle he gave the king, With the blessing of his fair ladye; He was made sheriff of Ettrick Forest, Surely while upward grows the tree; And if he was not traitour to the king, Forfaulted he suld never be.

74. Wha ever heard, in ony times, Siccan an outlaw in his degree Sic favour get before a king As did the Outlaw Murray of the forest free?

[Annotations: 2.1: ‘biggit,’ built. 5.4: ‘courtrie,’ courtiers. 8.1: ‘redd,’ advise. 14.4: ‘frith,’ wood. 16.4: ‘whidderand,’ whizzing. 22.3: ‘Soudron,’ Southron, _i.e._ southern, English. 26.4: ‘rad,’ afraid. 34.1: ‘Gar ray,’ cause to be arrayed, _i.e._ saddled. 34.3: ‘graith,’ equip, prepare. 41.2: ‘mae,’ more. 49.1: A ford on the Tweed, at the mouth of the Caddon Burn, near Yair. 64.1: ‘Siccan,’ such. 71.4: ‘steads,’ dwelling-places. Cp. farm-stead, home-stead.]

SIR ANDREW BARTON

+The Text+ is taken from the Percy Folio MS., but the spelling is modernised. There is another version, extant in broadsides to be found in nearly all the large collections; this, when set beside the Folio MS. text, provides a remarkable instance of the loss a ballad sustained by falling into the hands of the broadside-printers. The present text, despite the unlucky hiatus after st. 35, is a splendid example of an English ballad, which cannot be earlier than the sixteenth century. There is a fine rhythm throughout, and, as Child says, ‘not many better passages are met with in ballad poetry than that which tells of the three gallant attempts on the mainmast tree (stt. 52-66).’

+The Story+ told in the ballad is a piece of history, and belongs originally to the beginning of the sixteenth century. Andrew Barton was one of three sons of John Barton, a Scots trader whose ship had been plundered by the Portuguese in 1476; letters of reprisal were granted to the brothers Barton, and renewed to them in 1506 ‘as no opportunity had occurred of effectuating a retaliation.’ It seems, however, that this privilege was abused, at least by Andrew, who was reported in June 1511 to Henry VIII. as seizing English ships under the pretext that they were Portuguese. The king did not send Lord Charles Howard, as the ballad states--Lord Charles was not born till twenty-five years afterwards--but Sir Thomas and Sir Edward Howard set out against the pirate by Henry’s leave. They took two ships, not one, the meeting with Henry Hunt (st. 18) being the ballad-maker’s invention. Lord Charles’s fraudulent use of the ‘white flag’ in st. 37 is supported by Bishop Lesley’s partisan account of the engagement, written _c._ 1570. The time-scheme of the ballad is unusually vague: it begins ‘in midsummer-time,’ and the punitive expedition starts on ‘the day before midsummer even’--_i.e._ June 19, which agrees with the chronicles. The fight takes place within the week; but Lord Charles does not get home until December 29 (st. 71). Hall’s chronicle says that they returned on August 2.

Lord Charles Howard was created Earl of Nottingham in 1596; but the adoption of this into the ballad (st. 78) dates only our text. It is quite probable that it existed in a previous version with names and facts more correctly stated.

SIR ANDREW BARTON

1. As it befell in midsummer-time, When birds sing sweetly on every tree, Our noble king, King Henry the Eighth, Over the river of Thames passed he.

2. He was no sooner over the river, Down in a forest to take the air, But eighty merchants of London city Came kneeling before King Henry there.

3. ‘O ye are welcome, rich merchants, Good sailors, welcome unto me!’ They swore by the rood they were sailors good, But rich merchants they could not be.

4. ‘To France nor Flanders dare we not pass, Nor Bordeaux voyage we dare not fare, And all for a false robber that lies on the seas, And robs us of our merchant’s-ware.’

5. King Henry was stout, and he turned him about, And swore by the Lord that was mickle of might; ‘I thought he had not been in the world throughout That durst have wrought England such unright.’

6. But ever they sighed, and said, alas! Unto King Henry this answer again; ‘He is a proud Scot that will rob us all If we were twenty ships and he but one.’

7. The king looked over his left shoulder, Amongst his lords and barons so free; ‘Have I never a lord in all my realm Will fetch yond traitor unto me?’

8. ‘Yes, that dare I!’ says my lord Charles Howard, Near to the king whereas he did stand; ‘If that your Grace will give me leave, Myself will be the only man.’

9. ‘Thou shalt have six hundred men,’ saith our king, ‘And choose them out of my realm so free, Besides mariners and boys, To guide the great ship on the sea.’

10. ‘I’ll go speak with Sir Andrew,’ says Charles, my lord Howard, ‘Upon the sea, if he be there; I will bring him and his ship to shore, Or before my prince I will never come near.’

11. The first of all my lord did call, A noble gunner he was one; This man was three score years and ten, And Peter Simon was his name.

12. ‘Peter,’ says he, ‘I must sail to the sea, To seek out an enemy; God be my speed! Before all others I have chosen thee; Of a hundred gunners thou’st be my head.’

13. ‘My lord,’ says he, ‘if you have chosen me Of a hundred gunners to be the head, Hang me at your main-mast tree If I miss my mark past three pence bread.’

14. The next of all my lord he did call, A noble bowman he was one; In Yorkshire was this gentleman born, And William Horsley was his name.

15. ‘Horsley,’ says he, ‘I must sail to the sea, To seek out an enemy; God be my speed! Before all others I have chosen thee; Of a hundred bowmen thou’st be my head.’

16. ‘My lord,’ says he, ‘if you have chosen me Of a hundred bowmen to be the head, Hang me at your main-mast tree If I miss my mark past twelve pence bread.’

17. With pikes, and guns, and bowmen bold, This noble Howard is gone to the sea On the day before mid-summer even, And out at Thames’ mouth sailed they.

18. They had not sailed days three Upon their journey they took in hand, But there they met with a noble ship, And stoutly made it both stay and stand.

19. ‘Thou must tell me thy name,’ says Charles, my lord Howard, ‘Or who thou art, or from whence thou came, Yea, and where thy dwelling is, To whom and where thy ship does belong.’

20. ‘My name,’ says he, ‘is Harry Hunt, With a pure heart and a penitent mind; I and my ship they do belong Unto the New-castle that stands upon Tyne.’

21. ‘Now thou must tell me, Harry Hunt, As thou hast sailed by day and by night, Hast thou not heard of a stout robber? Men call him Sir Andrew Barton, knight.’

22. But ever he sighed and said, ‘Alas! Full well, my lord, I know that wight; He robbed me of my merchant’s-ware, And I was his prisoner but yesternight.

23. ‘As I was sailing upon the sea, And Bordeaux voyage as I did fare, He clasped me to his arch-board, And robbed me of all my merchant’s-ware.

24. ‘And I am a man both poor and bare, And every man will have his own of me, And I am bound towards London to fare, To complain to my prince Henry.’

25. ‘That shall not need,’ says my lord Howard; ‘If thou canst let me this robber see, For every penny he hath taken thee fro, Thou shalt be rewarded a shilling,’ quoth he.

26. ‘Now God forfend,’ says Henry Hunt, ‘My lord, you should work so far amiss: God keep you out of that traitor’s hands! For you wot full little what a man he is.

27. ‘He is brass within, and steel without, And beams he bears in his top-castle strong; His ship hath ordnance clean round about; Besides, my lord, he is very well manned.

28. ‘He hath a pinnace is dearly dight, Saint Andrew’s cross, that is his guide; His pinnace bears nine score men and more, Besides fifteen cannons on every side.

29. ‘If you were twenty ships, and he but one, Either in arch-board or in hall, He would overcome you every one, And if his beams they do down fall.’

30. ‘This is cold comfort,’ says my lord Howard, ‘To welcome a stranger thus to the sea; I’ll bring him and his ship to shore, Or else into Scotland he shall carry me.’

31. ‘Then you must get a noble gunner, my lord, That can set well with his eye, And sink his pinnace into the sea, And soon then overcome will he be.

32. ‘And when that you have done this, If you chance Sir Andrew for to board, Let no man to his top-castle go; And I will give you a glass, my lord,

33. ‘And then you need to fear no Scot, Whether you sail by day or by night; And to-morrow, by seven of the clock, You shall meet with Sir Andrew Barton, knight.

34. ‘I was his prisoner but yesternight, And he hath taken me sworn,’ quoth he; ‘I trust my Lord God will me forgive And if that oath then broken be.

35. ‘You must lend me six pieces, my lord,’ quoth he, ‘Into my ship, to sail the sea, And to-morrow, by nine of the clock, Your honour again then will I see.’

36. And the hatch-board where Sir Andrew lay Is hatched with gold dearly dight: ‘Now by my faith,’ says Charles, my lord Howard, ‘Then yonder Scot is a worthy wight!

37. ‘Take in your ancients and your standards, Yea, that no man shall them see, And put me forth a white willow wand. As merchants use to sail the sea.’

38. But they stirred neither top nor mast, But Sir Andrew they passed by. ‘What English are yonder,’ said Sir Andrew, ‘That can so little courtesy?

39. ‘I have been admiral over the sea More than these years three; There is never an English dog, nor Portingale, Can pass this way without leave of me.

40. ‘But now yonder pedlars they are past, Which is no little grief to me; Fetch them back,’ says Sir Andrew Barton, ‘They shall all hang at my mainmast tree.’

41. With that the pinnace it shot off, That my lord Howard might it well ken; It struck down my lord’s foremast, And killed fourteen of my lord his men.

42. ‘Come hither, Simon,’ says my lord Howard, ‘Look that thy words be true thou said; I’ll hang thee at my mainmast tree If thou miss thy mark past twelve pence bread.’

43. Simon was old, but his heart it was bold; He took down a piece, and laid it full low; He put in chain yards nine, Besides other great shot less and moe.

44. With that he let his gunshot go; So well he settled it with his eye, The first sight that Sir Andrew saw, He saw his pinnace sunk in the sea.

45. When he saw his pinnace sunk, Lord! in his heart he was not well. ‘Cut my ropes, it is time to be gone; I’ll go fetch yond pedlars back myself!’

46. When my lord Howard saw Sir Andrew loose, Lord! in his heart that he was fain. ‘Strike on your drums, spread out your ancients; Sound out your trumpets, sound out amain!’

47. ‘Fight on, my men,’ says Sir Andrew Barton, ‘Weet, howsoever this gear will sway, It is my lord Admiral of England Is come to seek me on the sea.’

48. Simon had a son; with shot of a gun, Well Sir Andrew might it ken, He shot it at a privy place, And killed sixty more of Sir Andrew’s men.

49. Harry Hunt came in at the other side, And at Sir Andrew he shot then; He drove down his foremast tree, And killed eighty more of Sir Andrew’s men.

50. ‘I have done a good turn,’ says Harry Hunt, ‘Sir Andrew is not our king’s friend; He hoped to have undone me yesternight, But I hope I have quit him well in the end.’

51. ‘Ever alas!’ said Sir Andrew Barton, ‘What should a man either think or say? Yonder false thief is my strongest enemy, Who was my prisoner but yesterday.

52. ‘Come hither to me, thou Gordon good, And be thou ready at my call, And I will give thee three hundred pound If thou wilt let my beams down fall.’

53. With that he swarved the mainmast tree, So did he it with might and main; Horsley, with a bearing arrow, Strake the Gordon through the brain.

54. And he fell into the hatches again, And sore of this wound that he did bleed; Then word went through Sir Andrew’s men That the Gordon he was dead.

55. ‘Come hither to me, James Hamilton, Thou art my sister’s son, I have no more; I will give thee six hundred pound If thou will let my beams down fall.’

56. With that he swarved the mainmast tree, So did he it with might and main; Horsley, with another broad arrow, Strake the yeoman through the brain.

57. That he fell down to the hatches again; Sore of his wound that he did bleed. Covetousness gets no gain, It is very true as the Welshman said.

58. But when he saw his sister’s son slain, Lord! in his heart he was not well. ‘Go fetch me down my armour of proof, For I will to the top-castle myself.

59. ‘Go fetch me down my armour of proof, For it is gilded with gold so clear; God be with my brother, John of Barton! Amongst the Portingales he did it wear.’

60. But when he had his armour of proof, And on his body he had it on, Every man that looked at him Said, gun nor arrow he need fear none.

61. ‘Come hither, Horsley,’ says my lord Howard, ‘And look your shaft that it go right; Shoot a good shoot in the time of need, And for thy shooting thou’st be made a knight.’

62. ‘I’ll do my best,’ says Horsley then, ‘Your honour shall see before I go; If I should be hanged at your mainmast, I have in my ship but arrows two.’

63. But at Sir Andrew he shot then; He made sure to hit his mark; Under the spole of his right arm He smote Sir Andrew quite through the heart.

64. Yet from the tree he would not start, But he clinged to it with might and main; Under the collar then of his jack He strake Sir Andrew through the brain.

65. ‘Fight on, my men,’ says Sir Andrew Barton, ‘I am hurt, but I am not slain; I’ll lay me down and bleed awhile, And then I’ll rise and fight again.

66. ‘Fight on, my men,’ says Sir Andrew Barton, ‘These English dogs they bite so low; Fight on for Scotland and Saint Andrew Till you hear my whistle blow!’

67. But when they could not hear his whistle blow, Says Harry Hunt, ‘I’ll lay my head You may board yonder noble ship, my lord, For I know Sir Andrew he is dead.’

68. With that they boarded this noble ship, So did they it with might and main; They found eighteen score Scots alive, Besides the rest were maimed and slain.

69. My lord Howard took a sword in his hand, And smote off Sir Andrew’s head; The Scots stood by did weep and mourn, But never a word durst speak or say.

70. He caused his body to be taken down, And over the hatch-board cast into the sea, And about his middle three hundred crowns: ‘Wheresoever thou lands, it will bury thee.’

71. With his head they sailed into England again, With right good will and force and main, And the day before New Year’s Even Into Thames’ mouth they came again.

72. My lord Howard wrote to King Henry’s grace, With all the news he could him bring: ‘Such a New Year’s gift I have brought to your Grace As never did subject to any king.

73. ‘For merchandise and manhood, The like is not to be found: The sight of these would do you good, For you have not the like in your English ground.’

74. But when he heard tell that they were come, Full royally he welcomed them home; Sir Andrew’s ship was the king’s New Year’s gift; A braver ship you never saw none.

75. Now hath our king Sir Andrew’s ship, Beset with pearls and precious stones; Now hath England two ships of war-- Two ships of war, before but one.

76. ‘Who holp to this?’ says King Henry, ‘That I may reward him for his pain.’ ‘Harry Hunt, and Peter Simon, William Horsley, and I the same.’

77. ‘Harry Hunt shall have his whistle and chain, And all his jewels, whatsoever they be, And other rich gifts that I will not name, For his good service he hath done me.