In Scotland is a bonnie kinge,

As proper a youth as neede`to be, Well given to every happy thing,

That can be in a kinge to fee: Yet that unluckie country still, Hath people given to craftie will.

Alas for woe, &c.

On Whitfun eve it so befell,

A poflet was made to give the king, Whereof his ladie nurfe hard tell,

And that it was a poysoned thing: She cryed, and called piteouflie; Now help, or els the king fhall die! Alas for woe, &c.

One Browne, that was an English man,
And hard the ladies piteous crye,

Out with his fword, and beftir'd him than,
Out of the doores in haite to flie ;

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But all the doores were made fo faft,

Out of a window he got at last.

Alas for woe, &c.

He met the bishop coming fast,

Having the poffet in his hande:

The fight of Browne made him aghaft,
Who bad him stoutly staie and stand.

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With

With him were two that ranne awa,

For feare that Browne would make a fray. 35 Alas for woe, &c.

Bishop, quoth Browne, what hast thou there?

Nothing at all, my friend, fayde he; But a poffet to make the king good cheere. Is it fo? fayd Browne, that will I fee, First I will have thy felf begin,

Before thou go 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 pocre and bare;
Livings on thee I will bestowe:

Let me go on, take thou no care.
No, no, quoth Browne, I will not be
A traitour for all Christiantie:

Happe well or woe, it fhall be fo,
Drink now with a forrowfull, &c.

The bishop dranke, and by and by

His belly burst and he fell downe:

A just rewarde for his traitery.

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This was a poffet indeed, quoth Brown!

He ferched the bishop, and found the keyes,

To come to the kinge when he did please.

Alas for woe, &c.

As

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 perceive and know,
His clergie would betray him so:
Alas for woe, &c.

Alas, he faid, unhappie realme,
My father, and grandfather 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.

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65

70

The king did call his nurse to his grace,
And gave her twenty poundes a yeere;

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And truftie Browne too in like cafe,

He knighted him with gallant geere;

And gave him 'lands and livings great,

For dooing fuch a manly feat,

As he did fhowe, to the bishop's woe,
Which made, &c.

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V.67. His father was Henry Lord Darnley. His grandfather the old Earl of Lenox, regent of Scotland, and father of Lord Durnley, was murdered at Stirling, Sept. 5, 1571.

When all this treason 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.

"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 fhould 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 honest 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 :

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Elizabeth.

That

That no fuch daunger may enfue,
To put the prince or ftate in feare:
That God the highest king may fee
Obedience as it ought to be,

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

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XVII.

THE BONNY EARL OF MURRAY.

A SCOTTISH SONG.

In December 1591, Francis Stewart, Earl of Bothwell, had made an attempt to feize on the perfon of his fovereign James VI. but being disappointed, had retired towards the north. The king unadvisedly gave a commiffion to George Gordon Earl of Huntley, to purfue 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 houfe, burnt it to the ground, and flew Murray himfelf; a young nobleman of the most promifing virtues, and the very darling of the people. See Robertfon's Hift.

The prefent Lord Murray hath now in his poffeffion a picture of his anceflor 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 EAR, 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,

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