Part 9

1. Woe worth thee, woe worth thee, false Scotland! For thou hast ever wrought by a sleight; For the worthiest prince that ever was born You hanged under a cloud by night.

2. The Queen of France a letter wrote, And sealed it with heart and ring, And bade him come Scotland within, And she would marry him and crown him king.

3. To be a king, it is a pleasant thing, To be a prince unto a peer; But you have heard, and so have I too, A man may well buy gold too dear.

4. There was an Italian in that place Was as well beloved as ever was he; Lord David was his name, Chamberlain unto the queen was he.

5. For if the king had risen forth of his place, He would have sit him down in the chair, And tho' it beseemed him not so well, Altho' the king had been present there.

6. Some lords in Scotland waxed wonderous worth, And quarrell'd with him for the nonce; I shall you tell how it befell; Twelve daggers were in him all at once.

7. When this queen see the chamberlain was slain, For him her cheeks she did weet, And made a vow for a twelvemonth and a day The king and she would not come in one sheet.

8. Then some of the lords of Scotland waxed wroth, And made their vow vehemently; 'For death of the queen's chamberlain The king himself he shall die.'

9. They strowed his chamber over with gun powder, And laid green rushes in his way; For the traitors thought that night The worthy king for to betray.

10. To bed the worthy king made him boun; To take his rest, that was his desire; He was no sooner cast on sleep But his chamber was on a blazing fire.

11. Up he lope, and a glass window broke, He had thirty foot for to fall; Lord Bodwell kept a privy watch Underneath his castle wall. 'Who have we here?' said Lord Bodwell; 'Answer me, now I do call.'

12. 'King Henry the Eighth my uncle was; Some pity show for his sweet sake! Ah, Lord Bodwell, I know thee well; Some pity on me I pray thee take!'

13. 'I'll pity thee as much,' he said, 'And as much favour I'll show to thee, As thou had on the queen's chamberlain That day thou deemedst him to die.'

14. Through halls and towers this king they led, Through castles and towers that were high, Through an arbour into an orchard, And there hanged him in a pear tree.

15. When the governor of Scotland he heard tell That the worthy king he was slain, He hath banished the queen so bitterly That in Scotland she dare not remain.

16. But she is fled into merry England, And Scotland too aside hath lain, And through the Queen of England's good grace Now in England she doth remain.

[Annotations: 1.2: 'sleight,' trick. 3.3,4: A popular proverb; see _The Lord of Learne_, 39.3,4 (Second Series, p. 190). 10.1: 'made him boun,' prepared himself.]

DURHAM FIELD

+The Text+ is another of the lively battle-pieces from the Percy Folio, put into modern spelling, and no other version is known or needed. The battle of Durham, which the minstrel says (27.1, 64.2) was fought on a morning of May, and (64.3,4) within a month of Creçy and Poictiers,[1] actually took place on October 17, 1346. Stanza 18 makes the king say to Lord Hamilton that they are of 'kin full nigh'; and this provides an upper limit for the date of the ballad, as James Hamilton was married to Princess Mary, sister of James III., in 1474.

[Footnote 1: Creçy was fought on August 26, 1346; Poictiers on September 19, 1356.]

+The Story.+--We have as authorities for the history of the battle both Scottish and English chronicles, but the ballad, as might be expected, follows neither very closely. Indeed it is not easy to reconcile the Scottish account with the English. David Bruce, the young king of Scotland, seized the opportunity afforded by Edward III.'s absence in France at the siege of Calais to invade England with a large army. They were met at Durham by an English force in three divisions, led (according to the English chronicle) by (i) the Earl of Angus, Henry Percy, Ralph Neville, and Henry Scrope, (ii) the Archbishop of York, and (iii) Mowbray, Rokeby, and John of Copland. The Scots were also in three divisions, which were led (says the Scottish version) by King David, the Earl of Murray and William Douglas, and the Steward of Scotland and the Earl of March respectively. The English chronicle puts John of Douglas with the Earl of Murray, and the Earl of Buchan with King David.

The ballad, therefore, that calls Angus 'Anguish' (11.1) and puts him on the side of the Scots, as well as Neville (17.1), and apparently confuses the two Douglases (14 and 21), is not more at variance with history than is to be expected, and in the present case is but little more vague than the historical records themselves.

'Vaughan' (13.1) may be Baughan or Buchan, though it is doubtful whether there was an Earl of Buchan in 1346. 'Fluwilliams' (41.3) is perhaps a form of Llewellyn (Shakespeare spells it Fluellen), but this does not help to identify that lord.

DURHAM FIELD

1. Lordings, listen and hold you still; Hearken to me a little [spell]; I shall you tell of the fairest battle That ever in England befell.

2. For as it befell in Edward the Third's days, In England, where he ware the crown, Then all the chief chivalry of England They busked and made them boun.

3. They chosen all the best archers That in England might be found, And all was to fight with the King of France, Within a little stound.

4. And when our king was over the water, And on the salt sea gone, Then tidings into Scotland came That all England was gone.

5. Bows and arrows they were all forth, At home was not left a man But shepherds and millers both, And priests with shaven crowns.

6. Then the King of Scots in a study stood, As he was a man of great might; He sware he would hold his Parliament in leeve London, If he could ride there right.

7. Then bespake a squire, of Scotland born, And said, 'My liege, apace, Before you come to leeve London, Full sore you'll rue that race.

8. 'There been bold yeomen in merry England, Husbandmen stiff and strong; Sharp swords they done wear, Bearen bows and arrows long.'

9. The King was angry at that word; A long sword out he drew, And there before his royal company His own squire he slew.

10. Hard hansel had the Scots that day, That wrought them woe enough, For then durst not a Scot speak a word For hanging at a bough.

11. 'The Earl of Anguish, where art thou? In my coat-armour thou shalt be, And thou shalt lead the forward Thorough the English country.

12. 'Take thee York,' then said the King, 'In stead whereas it doth stand; I'll make thy eldest son after thee Heir of all Northumberland.

13. 'The Earl of Vaughan, where be ye? In my coat-armour thou shalt be; The high Peak and Derbyshire I give it thee to thy fee.'

14. Then came in famous Douglas, Says 'What shall my meed be? And I'll lead the vanward, lord, Thorough the English country.'

15. 'Take thee Worcester,' said the King, 'Tewkesbury, Kenilworth, Burton upon Trent; Do thou not say another day But I have given thee lands and rent.

16. 'Sir Richard of Edinburgh, where are ye? A wise man in this war! I'll give thee Bristow and the shire The time that we come there.

17. 'My lord Nevill, where been ye? You must in these wars be; I'll give thee Shrewsbury,' says the King, 'And Coventry fair and free.

18. 'My lord of Hamilton, where art thou? Thou art of my kin full nigh; I'll give thee Lincoln and Lincolnshire, And that's enough for thee.'

19. By then came in William Douglas, As breme as any boar; He kneeled him down upon his knees, In his heart he sighed sore.

20. Says 'I have served you, my lovely liege, These thirty winters and four, And in the Marches between England and Scotland, I have been wounded and beaten sore.

21. 'For all the good service that I have done, What shall my meed be? And I will lead the vanward Thorough the English country.'

22. 'Ask on, Douglas,' said the King, 'And granted it shall be.' 'Why then, I ask little London,' says Will Douglas, 'Gotten if that it be.'

23. The King was wrath, and rose away; Says 'Nay, that cannot be! For that I will keep for my chief chamber, Gotten if it be.

24. 'But take thee North Wales and Westchester, The country all round about, And rewarded thou shalt be, Of that take thou no doubt.'

25. Five score knights he made on a day, And dubb'd them with his hands; Rewarded them right worthily With the towns in merry England.

26. And when the fresh knights they were made, To battle they busk them boun; James Douglas went before, And he thought to have won him shoon.

27. But they were met in a morning of May With the communalty of little England; But there scaped never a man away, Through the might of Christës hand.

28. But all only James Douglas; In Durham in the field An arrow struck him in the thigh; Fast flings he towards the King.

29. The King looked toward little Durham, Says 'All things is not well! For James Douglas bears an arrow in his thigh, The head of it is of steel.

30. 'How now, James?' then said the King, 'How now, how may this be? And where been all thy merry men That thou took hence with thee?'

31. 'But cease, my King,' says James Douglas, 'Alive is not left a man!' 'Now by my faith,' says the King of the Scots, 'That gate was evil gone.

32. 'But I'll revenge thy quarrel well, And of that thou may be fain; For one Scot will beat five Englishmen, If they meeten them on the plain,'

33. 'Now hold your tongue,' says James Douglas, 'For in faith that is not so; For one Englishman is worth five Scots, When they meeten together tho.

34. 'For they are as eager men to fight As a falcon upon a prey; Alas! if ever they win the vanward, There scapes no man away.'

35. 'O peace thy talking,' said the King, 'They be but English knaves, But shepherds and millers both, And priests with their staves.'

36. The King sent forth one of his heralds of armes To view the Englishmen. 'Be of good cheer,' the herald said, 'For against one we be ten.'

37. 'Who leads those lads,' said the King of Scots, 'Thou herald, tell thou me.' The herald said 'The Bishop of Durham Is captain of that company.

38. 'For the Bishop hath spread the King's banner, And to battle he busks him boun.' 'I swear by St. Andrew's bones,' says the King, 'I'll rap that priest on the crown.'

39. The King looked towards little Durham, And that he well beheld, That the Earl Percy was well armed, With his battle-axe entered the field.

40. The King looked again towards little Durham, Four ancients there see he; There were two standards, six in a valley, He could not see them with his eye.

41. My lord of York was one of them, My lord of Carlisle was the other, And my lord Fluwilliams, The one came with the other.

42. The Bishop of Durham commanded his men, And shortly he them bade, That never a man should go to the field to fight Till he had served his God.

43. Five hundred priests said mass that day In Durham in the field, And afterwards, as I heard say, They bare both spear and shield.

44. The Bishop of Durham orders himself to fight With his battle-axe in his hand; He said 'This day now I will fight As long as I can stand!'

45. 'And so will I,' said my lord of Carlisle, 'In this fair morning gay.' 'And so will I,' said my lord Fluwilliams, 'For Mary, that mild may.'

46. Our English archers bent their bows Shortly and anon; They shot over the Scottish host And scantly touched a man.

47. 'Hold down your hands,' said the Bishop of Durham, 'My archers good and true.' The second shoot that they shot, Full sore the Scots it rue.

48. The Bishop of Durham spoke on high That both parties might hear, 'Be of good cheer, my merrymen all, The Scots flien and changen their cheer.'

49. But as they saiden, so they diden, They fell on heapës high; Our Englishmen laid on with their bows As fast as they might dree.

50. The King of Scots in a study stood Amongst his company; An arrow struck him thorough the nose, And thorough his armoury.

51. The King went to a marsh-side And light beside his steed; He leaned him down on his sword-hilts To let his nose bleed.

52. There followed him a yeoman of merry England, His name was John of Copland; 'Yield thee, traitor!' says Copland then, 'Thy life lies in my hand.'

53. 'How should I yield me,' says the King, 'And thou art no gentleman?' 'No, by my troth,' says Copland there, 'I am but a poor yeoman.

54. 'What art thou better than I, sir King? Tell me, if that thou can! What art thou better than I, sir King, Now we be but man to man?'

55. The King smote angrily at Copland then, Angrily in that stound; And then Copland was a bold yeoman, And bore the King to the ground.

56. He set the King upon a palfrey, Himself upon a steed; He took him by the bridle-rein, Towards London he gan him lead.

57. And when to London that he came, The King from France was new come home, And there unto the King of Scots He said these words anon.

58. 'How like you my shepherds and my millers? My priests with shaven crowns?' 'By my faith, they are the sorest fighting men That ever I met on the ground.

59. 'There was never a yeoman in merry England But he was worth a Scottish knight.' 'Ay, by my troth,' said King Edward, and laugh, 'For you fought all against the right.'

60. But now the prince of merry England Worthily under his shield Hath taken the King of France, At Poictiers in the field.

61. The prince did present his father with that food, The lovely King of France, And forward of his journey he is gone. God send us all good chance!

62. 'You are welcome, brother!' said the King of Scots to the King of France, 'For I am come hither too soon; Christ leve that I had taken my way Unto the court of Rome!'

63. 'And so would I,' said the King of France, 'When I came over the stream, That I had taken my journey Unto Jerusalem!'

64. Thus ends the battle of fair Durham, In one morning of May, The battle of Creçy, and the battle of Poictiers, All within one monthës day.

65. Then was wealth and welfare in merry England, Solaces, game, and glee, And every man loved other well, And the king loved good yeomanry.

66. But God that made the grass to grow, And leaves on greenwood tree, Now save and keep our noble King, And maintain good yeomanry!

[Annotations: 1.2: '[spell]' suggested by Child. 6.3: 'leeve,' pleasant, dear; formerly a regular epithet of London. 10.1: 'Hard hansel,' bad omen. 12.2: 'stead,' place. 14.1: 'famous' may be a scribe's error for 'James.' 14.3: 'vanward,' vanguard. 15.2: The manuscript gives 'Tuxburye, Killingworth.' 19.2: 'breme,' fierce. 26.2: 'they busk them boun,' they make themselves ready. 31.4: 'gate,' way. 33.4: 'tho,' then. 40.2: 'ancients,' ensigns. 44.1: 'orders,' prepares. 45.4: 'may,' = maid; the Virgin. 46.4: 'scantly,' scarcely. 48.4: 'cheer,' face, appearance. 49.4: 'dree,' hold out. 53.2: 'And,' if. 61.1: 'food,' man. 62.1: The last five words are perhaps inserted by the scribe. 62.3: 'leve,' grant.]

THE BATTLE OF HARLAW

+The Text+ of this ballad was sent to Professor Child by Mr. C. E. Dalrymple of Kinaldie, Aberdeenshire, from whose version the printed variants (_Notes and Queries_, Third Series, vii. 393, and Aytoun's _Ballads of Scotland_, i. 75) have been more or less directly derived.

The ballad is one of those mentioned in _The Complaynt of Scotland_ (1549), like the 'Hunttis of Chevet' (see p. 2 of this volume). It is again mentioned as being in print in 1668; but the latter may possibly refer to a poem on the battle, afterwards printed in Allan Ramsay's _Evergreen_. The fact that the present ballad omits all reference to the Earl of Mar, and deals with the Forbes brothers, who are not otherwise known to have taken part in the battle, disposes Professor Child to believe that it is a comparatively recent ballad.

+The Story.+--The battle of Harlaw was fought on July 24, 1411. Harlaw is eighteen miles north-west of Aberdeen, Dunidier a hill on the Aberdeen road, and Netherha' is close at hand. Balquhain (2.2) is a mile south of Harlaw, while Drumminnor (15.3) is more than twenty miles away--though the horse covered the distance there and back in 'twa hours an' a quarter' (16.3).

The ballad is narrated by 'John Hielan'man' to Sir James the Rose (derived from the ballad of that name given earlier in the present volume) and Sir John the Gryme (Graeme). 'Macdonell' is Donald of the Isles, who, as claimant to the Earldom of Ross, advanced on Aberdeen, and was met at Harlaw by the Earl of Mar and Alexander Ogilvy, sheriff of Angus. It was a stubborn fight, though it did not last from Monday to Saturday (23), and Donald lost nine hundred men and the other party five hundred.

Child finds a difficulty with the use of the word 'she' in 4.3, despite 'me' in the two previous lines. Had it been 'her,' the difficulty would not have arisen.

THE BATTLE OF HARLAW

1. As I cam in by Dunidier, An' doun by Netherha', There was fifty thousand Hielan'men A-marching to Harlaw. _Wi' a dree dree dradie drumtie dree_

2. As I cam on, an' farther on, An' doun an' by Balquhain, Oh there I met Sir James the Rose, Wi' him Sir John the Gryme.

3. 'O cam ye frae the Hielan's, man? An' cam ye a' the wey? Saw ye Macdonell an' his men, As they cam frae the Skee?'

4. 'Yes, me cam frae ta Hielan's, man, An' me cam a' ta wey, An' she saw Macdonell an' his men, As they cam frae ta Skee.'

5. 'Oh was ye near Macdonell's men? Did ye their numbers see? Come, tell to me, John Hielan'man, What micht their numbers be?'

6. 'Yes, me was near, an' near eneuch, An' me their numbers saw; There was fifty thousan' Hielan'men A-marchin' to Harlaw.'

7. 'Gin that be true,' says James the Rose, 'We'll no come meikle speed; We'll cry upo' our merry men, And lichtly mount our steed.'

8. 'Oh no, oh no,' says John the Gryme, 'That thing maun never be; The gallant Grymes were never bate, We'll try phat we can dee.'

9. As I cam on, an' farther on, An' doun an' by Harlaw, They fell fu' close on ilka side; Sic fun ye never saw.

10. They fell fu' close on ilka side, Sic fun ye never saw; For Hielan' swords gied clash for clash At the battle o' Harlaw.

11. The Hielan'men, wi' their lang swords, They laid on us fu' sair, An' they drave back our merry men Three acres breadth an' mair.

12. Brave Forbës to his brither did say, 'Noo, brither, dinna ye see? They beat us back on ilka side, An' we'se be forced to flee.'

13. 'Oh no, oh no, my brither dear, That thing maun never be; Tak' ye your good sword in your hand, An' come your wa's wi' me.'

14. 'Oh no, oh no, my brither dear, The clans they are ower strang, An' they drive back our merry men, Wi' swords baith sharp an' lang.'

15. Brave Forbës drew his men aside, Said 'Tak' your rest awhile, Until I to Drumminnor send, To fess my coat o' mail.'

16. The servant he did ride, An' his horse it did na fail, For in twa hours an' a quarter He brocht the coat o' mail.

17. Then back to back the brithers twa Gaed in amo' the thrang, An' they hewed doun the Hielan'men, Wi' swords baith sharp an' lang.

18. Macdonell he was young an' stout, Had on his coat o' mail, An' he has gane oot throw them a', To try his han' himsell.

19. The first ae straik that Forbës strack, He garrt Macdonell reel, An' the neist ae straik that Forbës strack, The great Macdonell fell.

20. An' siccan a lierachie I'm sure ye never saw As wis amo' the Hielan'men, When they saw Macdonell fa'.

21. An' whan they saw that he was deid, They turn'd an' ran awa, An' they buried him in Leggett's Den, A large mile frae Harlaw.

22. They rade, they ran, an' some did gang, They were o' sma' record; But Forbës an' his merry men, They slew them a' the road.

23. On Monanday, at mornin', The battle it began, On Saturday, at gloamin', Ye'd scarce kent wha had wan.

24. An' sic a weary buryin' I'm sure ye never saw As wis the Sunday after that, On the muirs aneath Harlaw.

25. Gin ony body speer at you For them ye took awa', Ye may tell their wives and bairnies They're sleepin' at Harlaw.

[Annotations: 15.4: 'fess,' fetch. 19.1: 'ae,' one. 20.1: 'lierachie,' confusion, hubbub. 25.1: 'speer at,' ask of.]

THE LAIRD OF KNOTTINGTON

+The Text+ was sent to Percy in 1768 by R. Lambe of Norham. The ballad is widely known in Scotland under several titles, but the most usual is _The Broom of Cowdenknows_, which was the title used by Scott in the _Minstrelsy_.

+The Story+ is not consistently told in this version, as in 11.3,4 the daughter gives away her secret to her father in an absurd fashion.

An English song, printed as a broadside about 1640, _The Lovely Northerne Lasse_, is directed to be sung 'to a pleasant Scotch tune, called The broom of Cowden Knowes.' It is a poor variant of our ballad, in the usual broadside style, and cannot have been written by any one fully acquainted with the Scottish ballad. It is in the Roxburghe, Douce, and other collections.

THE LAIRD OF KNOTTINGTON

1. There was a troop of merry gentlemen Was riding atween twa knows, And they heard the voice of a bonny lass, In a bught milking her ews.

2. There's ane o' them lighted frae off his steed, And has ty'd him to a tree, And he's gane away to yon ew-bught, To hear what it might be.

3. 'O pity me, fair maid,' he said, 'Take pity upon me; O pity me, and my milk-white steed That's trembling at yon tree.'

4. 'As for your steed, he shall not want The best of corn and hay; But as to you yoursel', kind sir, I've naething for to say.'

5. He's taen her by the milk-white hand, And by the green gown-sleeve, And he has led her into the ew-bught, Of her friends he speer'd nae leave.

6. He has put his hand in his pocket, And given her guineas three; 'If I dinna come back in half a year, Then luke nae mair for me.

7. 'Now show to me the king's hie street, Now show to me the way; Now show to me the king's hie street, And the fair water of Tay.'

8. She show'd to him the king's hie street, She show'd to him the way; She show'd him the way that he was to go, By the fair water of Tay.

9. When she came hame, her father said, 'Come, tell to me right plain; I doubt you've met some in the way, You have not been your lain.'

10. 'The night it is baith mist and mirk, You may gan out and see; The night is mirk and misty too, There's nae body been wi' me.

11. 'There was a tod came to your flock, The like I ne'er did see; When he spake, he lifted his hat, He had a bonny twinkling ee.'

12. When fifteen weeks were past and gane, Full fifteen weeks and three, Then she began to think it lang For the man wi' the twinkling ee.