Bot doe not, doe not, prettie mine, And nevir change hir for a new : Bairne, fin thy cruel father is gane, Thy winfome fmiles maun eife my paine; 30 35 He'll comfort me whan cares doe grieve : 40 My babe and I right faft will ly, And quite forgeit man's cruelty. Balow, &c. Fareweil, fareweil, thou falfeft youth, That evir kift a womans mouth! Balow, my babe, ly ftil, and fleipe, 45 50 XIV. THE XIV. THE MURDER OF THE KING OF SCOTS. The catastrophe of Henry Stewart, lord Daraley, the unfortunate bufband of Mary 2 of Scots, is the fubject of this ballad. It is here related in that partial imperfect manner, in which fuch an event would naturally ftrike the subjects of another kingdom; of which he was a native. Henry appears to have been a vain capricious worthless young man, of weak understanding, and diffolute morals. But the beauty of his perfon, and the inexperience of his youth, would difpofe mankind to treat him with an indulgence, which the cruelty of his murder would afterwards convert into the most tender pity and regret: and then imagination would not fail to adorn his memory with all thofe virtues, he ought to have poffeffed. This will account for the extravagant elogium beftowed upon him in the first stanza, &c. Henry lord Darnley was eldeft fon of the earl of Lennox, by the lady Margaret Douglas, niece of Henry VIII. and daughter of Margaret queen of Scotland by the earl of Angus, whom that princess married after the death of James IV.-Darnley, who had been born and educated in England, was but in his zift year, when he was murdered, Feb. 9. 1567-8. This crime was perpetrated by the E. of Bothwell, not out of refpect to the memory of David Riccio, but in order to pave the way for his own marriage with the queen. This ballad (printed from the Editor's folio MS.) feems to have been written foon after Mary's escape into England in 1568, fee v. 65.—It will be remembered at v. 5. that this princess was 2. dowager of France, having been first married to Francis II. who died Dec. 4. 1560. W° OE worth, woe worth thee, false Scotlànde! The worthyeft prince that ever was borne, The queene of France a letter wrote, And fealed it with harte and ringe; And bade him come Scotland within, 5 And fhee wold marry and crowne him kinge, To be a king is a pleasant thing, To be a prince unto a peere : There was an Italyan in that place, Was as well beloved as ever was hee, And David Riccio was his name, Chamberlaine to the queene was hee. If the king had rifen forth of his place, And though the kinge were present there. Some lords in Scotlande waxed wroth, And quarrelled with him for the nonce; And I fhall tell how it befell, Twelve daggers were in him att once. 10 15 20 When When the queene fhee faw her chamberlaine flaine, 25 The king and shee wold not come in one fheete. Then fome of the lords they waxed wroth, How hee, the king himselfe, fholde dye. With gun-powder they ftrewed his roome, And layd greene rushes in his waye ; For the traitors thought that very night This worthye king for to betraye. To bedd the king he made him bowne; 30 35 He was noe fooner cast on sleepe, But his chamber was on a blafing fire. Up he lope, and the window brake, 40 Who have we here? lord Bodwell fayd: 45 Who 0 4 Who have we here? lord Bodwell fayd, "Ah, lord Bodwell, I know thee well; Some pitty on me I pray thee take.” Ile pitty thee as much, he fayd, And as much favour fhow to thee, As thou didst to the queenes chamberlaine, Through halls and towers the king they ledd, There on a peare-tree hanged him hye. When the governor of Scotland heard, How that the worthye king was flaine; He perfued the queen fo bitterlye, That in Scotland fhee dare not remaine. But he is fledd into merry England, And here her refidence hath tane; And through the queene of Englands grace, Pronounced after the northern manner dee. 50 55 60 65 XV. A |