Ther was no freke, that ther wolde flye, Ychone hewyng on other whyll they myght drye, Ther was slayne upon the Skottes syde, Syr James a Dowglas ther was slayne, The yerlle Mentaye of he was slayne, Grysely groned uppon the growynd; Syr Charlles Morrey in that place, Sir Hughe Maxwell, a lorde he was, 120 125 130 Ther was slayne upon the Skottes syde, 135 Of fowre and forty thowsande Scotts Ther was slayne upon the Ynglysshe syde, A gentell knyght, Sir John Fitz-hughe, Syr James Harebotell ther was slayne, 140 * Our old Minstrel repeats these names, as Homer and Virgil do those of their Heroes: -fortemque Gyam, fortemque Cloanthum, &c. &c. Both the MSS. read here," Sir James," but see above, Pt. i. ver. 112. V. 124. i. e. He died that day. V. 143. Covelle. MS.-For the names in this page, see the Remarks at the end of this Ballad. VOL. I. с Ther was slayne uppon the Ynglyssh perte, Of nyne thowsand Ynglyssh men The other were slayne in the fylde, Then one the morne they mayd them beeres Of byrch, and haysell graye; Many a wydowe with wepyng teyres Ther makes they fette awaye. Thys fraye bygan at Otterborne, * Then was ther a Scottyshe prisoner tayne, He borowed the Percy home agayne. † Now let us all for the Percy praye To Jesu most of myght, To bryng hys sowle to the blysse of heven, For he was a gentyll knyght. 145 150 155 160 165 *Most of the names in the two preceding ballads are found to have belonged to families of distinction in the North, as may be made appear from authentic records. Thus in THE ANCIENT BALLAD OF CHEVY CHASE. Pag. 11. Ver. 112. Agerstone.] The family of Haggerston of Haggerston, near Berwick, has been seated there for many cen * sc. captive. In the Cotton MS. is the following Note on ver. 164, in an ancient hand. "Syr Hewe Mongomery takyn prizonar, was delyvered for the restorynge of Perssy.' V. 153. "one," i. e. " on." V. 165. Percyes. Harl. MS. turies, and still remains. Thomas Haggerston was among the commissioners returned for Northumberland in 12 Hen. 6, 1433. (Fuller's Worthies, p. 310.) The head of this family at present is Sir Thomas Haggerston, Bart. of Haggerston abovementioned. N.B. The name is spelt Agerstone, as in the text, in Leland's Itinerary, Vol. vii. p. 54. It Ver. 113. Hartly.] Hartley is a village near the sea in the barony of Tinemouth, about 7 m. from North-Shields. probably gave name to a family of note at that time. Ver. 114. Hearone.] This family, one of the most ancient, was long of great consideration, in Northumberland. Haddeston, the Caput Baronia of Heron, was their ancient Residence. It descended 25 Edw. 1. to the Heir General Emiline Heron, afterwards Baroness Darcy.-Ford, &c. and Bockenfield (in com. eodem) went at the same time to Roger Heron the Heir Male; whose descendants were summoned to Parliament: Sir William Heron of Ford Castle being summoned 44 Edw. III.-Ford Castle hath descended by Heirs General to the family of Delaval (mentioned in the next article.)-Robert Heron, Esq. who died at Newark in 1753, (Father of the Right Hon. Sir Richard Heron, Bart.) was Heir Male of the Herons of Bockenfield, a younger branch of this family.-Sir Thomas Heron Middleton, Bart. is Heir Male of the Herons of Chip-Chase another branch of the Herons of Ford Castle. Ver. 115. Lovele.] Joh. de Lavale, miles, was sheriff of Northumberland 34 Hen. VII.-Joh. de Lavele, mil. in the 1 Edw. VI. and afterwards. (Fuller. 313.) In Nicholson this name is spelt Du Lovel, p. 304. This seems to be the ancient family of Delaval of Seaton Delaval, in Northumberland, whose Ancestor was one of the 25 Barons appointed to be Guardians of Magna Charta. Ver 117. Rugbè.] The ancient family of Rokeby, in Yorkshire, seems to be here intended. In Thoresby's Ducat. Leod. p. 253, fol. is a genealogy of this house, by which it appears that the head of the family, about the time when this ballad was written, was Sir Ralph Rokeby, Knt. Ralph being a common name of the Rokebys. Ver. 119. Wetharryngton.] Rog. de Widrington was sheriff of Northumberland in 36 of Edw. III. (Fuller, p. 311.)—Joh. de Widrington in 11 of Hen. IV. and many others of the same name afterwards. -See also Nicholson, p. 331.-Of this family was the late Lord Witherington. Ver. 124. Mongon-byrry.] Sir Hugh Montgomery was son of John Lord Montgomery, the lineal ancestor of the present Earl of Eglington. Ver. 125. Lwdale.] The ancient family of the Liddels were originally from Scotland, where they were Lords of Liddel Castle, and of the Barony of Buff. (Vid. Collins's Peerage.) The head of this family is the present Lord Ravensworth, of Ravensworth Castle, in the county of Durham. IN THE BATTLE OF OTTERBOURNE. Pag. 20. ver. 101. Mentaye] At the time of this battle the Earldom of Menteith was possessed by Robert Stewart, Earl of Fife, third son of K. Robert II. who, according to Buchanan, commanded the Scots that entered by Carlisle. But our Minstrel had probably an eye to the family of Graham, who had this Earldom when the ballad was written. See Douglas's Peerage of Scotland, 1764, fol. Ver. 103. Huntlay.] This shews this ballad was not composed before 1449; for in that year Alexander Lord of Gordon and Huntley, was created Earl of Huntley by K. James II. Ver. 105. Bowghan.] The Earl of Buchan at that time was Alexander Stewart, fourth son of K. Robert II. Ver. 107. Jhonstone-Maxwell.] These two families of Johnstone Lord of Johnston, and Maxwell Lord of Maxwell, were always very powerful on the borders. Of the former family was Johnston Marquis of Annandale: of the latter was Maxwell Earl of Nithsdale. I cannot find that any chief of this family was named Sir Hugh; but Sir Herbert Maxwell was about this time much distinguished. (See Doug.) This might have been originally written Sir H. Maxwell, and by transcribers converted into Sir Hugh. So above in No I. v. 90. Richard is contracted into Ric. Ver. 109. Swynton] i. e. The Laird of Swintone: a small village within the Scottish border, three miles from Norham. This family still subsists, and is very ancient. Ver. 111. Scotte.] The illustrious family of Scot, ancestors of the Duke of Buccleugh, always made a great figure on the borders. Sir Walter Scot was at the head of this family when the battle was fought; but his great-grandson, Sir David Scot, was the hero of that house, when the Ballad was written. Ibid. Stewarde.] The person here designed was probably Sir Walter Stewart, Lord of Dalswinton and Gairlies, who was eminent at that time. (See Doug.) From him is descended the present Earl of Galloway. Ver. 112. Agurstone.] The seat of this family was sometimes subject to the kings of Scotland. Thus Richardus Hagerstoun miles, is one of the Scottish knights who signed a treaty with the English in 1249. temp. Hen. III. (Nicholson, p. 2. note.)-It was the fate of many parts of Northumberland often to change their masters, according as the Scottish or English arms prevailed. Pag. 25, ver. 129. Morrey.] The person here meant was probably Sir Charles Murray of Cockpoole, who flourished at that time, and was ancestor of the Murrays, sometime Earls of Annandale. See Doug. Peerage. Ver. 139. Fitz-hughe.] Dugdale (in his Baron. V. I. p. 403.) informs us, that John, son of Henry Lord Fitz-hugh, was killed at the battle of Otterbourne. This was a Northumberland family. Vid. Dugd. p. 403. col. 1.; and Nicholson, pp. 33. 60. Ver.141. Harebotell] Harbottle is a village upon the river Coquet, about ten miles west of Rothbury. The family of Harbottle was once considerable in Northumberland. (See Fuller, pp. 312, 313.) A daughter of Guischard Harbottle, Esq. married Sir Thomas Percy, Knt. son of Henry the Fifth,-and father of Thomas seventh, Earls of Northumberland. III. THE JEW'S DAUGHTER, A SCOTTISH BALLAD, -Is founded upon the supposed practice of the Jews in crucifying or otherwise murthering Christian children, out of hatred to the religion of their parents: a practice which hath been always alledged in excuse for the cruelties exercised upon that wretched people, but which probably never happened in a single instance. For, if we consider, on the one hand, the ignorance and superstition of the times when such stories took their rise, the virulent prejudices of the monks who record them, and the eagerness with which they would be catched up by the barbarous populace as a pretence for plunder; on the other hand, the great danger incurred by the perpetrators, and the inadequate motives they could have to excite them to a crime of so much horror; we may reasonably conclude the whole charge to be groundless and malicious. The following ballad is probably built upon some Italian Legend, and bears a great resemblance to the Prioresse's Tale in Chaucer: the poet seems also to have had an eye to the known story of "Hugh of Lincoln," a child said to have been there murthered by the Jews in the reign of Henry III. The conclusion of this ballad appears to be wanting: what it probably contained may be seen in Chaucer. As for "Mirry land Toun," it is probably a corruption of Milan (called by the Dutch Meylandt) Town: the Pa is evidently the river Po; altho' the Adige, not the Po, runs thro' Milan. Printed from a MS. copy sent from Scotland. |