First I will have thyfelf begin,
Before thou goe any further in;

Be it weale or woe it shall be so,

This makes a forrowful heigh ho.

The bishop fayde, Browne I doo know,

Thou art a young man poore and bare; Livings on thee I will bestowe:

Let me go on take thee no care.

45

To come to the kinge when he did please.

Alas for woe, &c.

As foon as the king got word of this,
He humbly fell uppon his knee,
And prayfed God that he did mifse

To taft of that extremity;
For that he did perccave and know,
His clergie would betray him fe:
Alas for woe, &c.

69

65

Alas,

Alas, he faid, unhappie realme,

My father and godfather flaine:
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 nurfe to his grace,
And gave her twenty poundes a yeere ;

And truftie Browne too in like cafe,

He knighted him, with gallant geere ;
And him lands and' livings great,

gave

For dooing fuch a manly feat,

As he did fhowe, to the bishop's woe,

Which made, &c.

When all this treafon done and past,

Tooke not effect of traytery;

Another treafon at the last,

They fought against his majestie :

How they might make their kinge away:
By a privie banket on a daye.

Alas for woe, &c.

70

75

80

$5

• Another'

V. 67. His father was Henry lord Darnley. His godfathers were the duke of Savoy : and Charles IX. king neither of thefe were murdered.

of France, but

• Another time' to fell the king

Beyonde the feas they had decreede :
Three noble earles heard of this thing,
And did prevent the fame with speede.
For a letter came, with fuch a charme,
That they should doo their king no harme :
For further woe, if they did foe,
Would make a forrowful heigh hoe.

The earle Mourton told the Douglas then,
Take heede you do not offend the king;
But fhew yourselves like honeft men

Obediently in every thing:

For his godmother will not fee
Her noble childe mifus'd to be

With any woe; for if it be fo
She will make, &c.

God graunt all fubjects may be true,
In England, Scotland, every where:
That no fuch daunger may enfue,
To put the prince or ftaté in feare:
That God the highest king may see
Obedience as it ought to be.

In wealth or woe, God graunt it be fo
To avoide the forrowful heigh ho.

90

95

100

105

110

:

XVII.

THE BONNY EARL OF MURRAY.

A SCOTTISH SONG.

In December 1591, Francis Stewart earl of Bothwell bad made an attempt to feize on the person of his fovereign James VI. but being disappointed, had retired towards the north. The king unadvifedly gave a commiffion to George Gordon earl of Huntley, to perfue Bothwell and his followers with fire and fword. Huntley, under cover of executing that commiffion, took occafion 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 befet Murray's house, burnt it to the ground, and flew Murray himself; a young man of the most promifing virtues, and the very darling of the people. See Robertfon's Hift.

noble

The prefent lord Murray hath now in his poffeffion 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 deferved the name of the BONNY EARL, for he is there reprefented as a tall and comely perfonage. It is a tradition in the family, that Gordon of Bucky gave him a wound in the face: Murray half expiring faid, "You hae fpilt a better face than your awin." Upon this Bucky pointing his dagger at Huntley's breaft, Sawore, "You shall be as deep as I;" and forced him te pierce the poor defenceless body.

James did not fufficiently exert himself in punishing the murderers, but I know not any reason for fuppofing he was jealous of Murray with his queen.

YE