I'll be revenged on them all, 255 For brave Earl Percy's fake. This vow full well the king perform'd In one day, fifty knights were flayne, 260 And of the rest, of small account, Thus endeth the hunting of Chevy-Chafe, God fave the king, and blefs this land 265 In plentye, joy, and peace; And grant henceforth, that foule debate 'Twixt noblemen may cease. THE furnames in the foregoing Ballad are altered, either by accident or defign, from the old original Copy, and in common Editions extremely corrupted. They are here rectified, as much as they could be. Thus, Pag. 263, Ver. 202. Egerton.] This name is reftored (instead of Ogerton, com. Ed.) from the Editor's folio MŠ. The pieces in that MS. appear to have been collected, and many of them compofed (among which might be this ballad) by an inhabitant of Cheshire; who was willing to pay a Compliment here to one of his countrymen, of the eminent Family De or Of Egerton (fo the name was firft written) ancestors ancestors of the prefent Duke of Bridgwater: and this he fould do with the more propriety, as the PERCIES had formerly great intereft in that county: At the fatal battle of Shrewsbury all the flower of the Cheshire gentlemen loft their lives fighting in the caufe of HOTSPUR. Ver. 203. Ratcliff.] This was a family much diftinguifhed in Northumberland. Edw. Radcliffe, mil. was Sheriff of that county in 17 of Hen. 7. and others of the Jame Jurname afterwards. (See Fuller, p. 313.) Sir George Ratcliff, Kat. was one of the commiffioners of inclofure in 1552. (See Nicholson, p. 330.)-Of this family was the late Earl of Derwentwater, who was beheaded in 1715. The Editor's folio MS. however, reads here, Sir Robert Harcliffe and Sir William. The Harcleys were an eminent family in Cumberland. See Fuller p. 224. Whether this may be thought to be the fame name, I do not determine. Ver. 204, Baron.] This is apparently altered (not to fay corrupted) from Hearon, in pag. 14. ver. 114. Ver. 207. Raby.1 This might be intended to celebrate one of the ancient poffeffors of Raby Caftle in the county of Durham. Yet it is written Rebbye, in the fol. MS. and looks like a corruption of Rugby or Rokeby, an eminent family in Yorkshire, Jee p. 14, 33. It will not be wondered that the PERCIES fhould be thought to bring followers out of that county, where they themselves were originally feated, and had always fuch extenfive property and influence. Pag. 264. Ver. 203. Murray.] So the Scottish copy. In the com. edit. it is Carrel or Currel; and Morrell in the fol. MS. Ver. Ver. 217. Murray] So the Scot. edit.—The com. copies read Murrel. The fol. MS. gives the line in the following peculiar manner, "Sir Roger Heuer of Harcliffe too.” Ver. 219. Lamb.] The folio MS. bas "Sir David Lambwell, well esteemed. This feems evidently corrupted from Lwdale or Liddell, in the old copy, pag. 15, 33. II. DEATH'S FINAL CONQUEST. Thefe fine moral stanzas were originally intended for a folemn funeral fong in a play of James Shirley's, intitled "The Contention of Ajax and Ulyffes:" no date, 8vo.Shirley flourished as a Dramatic writer early in the reign of Charles I: but he outlived the Reftoration. His death happened Oct. 29. 1666. Æt. 72. This little poem was written long after many of those that follow, but is inferted here as a kind of Dirge to the foregoing piece. It is faid to have been a favourite Song with K. Charles II. HE glories of our blood and ftate THE Are fhadows, not fubftantial things; There is no armour against fate: Death lays his icy hands on kings: Scepter and crown' Muft tumble down, 5 And And in the dust be equal made With the poor crooked scythe and spade. Some men with fwords may reap the field, And plant fresh laurels where they kill; Early or late They ftoop to fate, And must give up their murmuring breath, The garlands wither on your brow, Then boaft no more your mighty deeds, See where the victor victim bleeds: All heads must come To the cold tomb, Only the actions of the just Smell fweet, and blossom in the duit. 10 15 20 III. THE RISING IN THE NORTH.. The fubject of this ballad is the great Northern Infurrection in the 12th year of Elizabeth, 1569; which proved fo fatal to Thomas Percy the feventh Earl of Northumberland. There had not long before been a fecret negotiation entered into between fome of the Scottish and English nobility, to bring about a marriage between Mary 2 of Scots, at that time a prifoner in England, and the Duke of Norfolk, a nobleman of excellent character, and firmly attached to the Proteftant religion. This match was propojed to all the most confiderable of the English nobility, and among the reft to the Earls of Northumberland and Westmoreland, two noblemen very powerful in the North. As it feemed to promise a Speedy and fafe conclufion of the troubles in Scotland, with many advantages to the crown of England, they all confented to it, provided it should prove agreeable to 2. Elizabeth. The Earl of Leicester (Elizabeth's favourite) undertook to break the matter to her, but before he could find an opportunity, the affair had come to her ears by other hands, and the was thrown into a violent flame. The Duke of Norfolk, with feveral of his friends, was committed to the tower, and fummons were fent to the Northern Earls instantly to make their appearance at court. It is faid that the Earl of Northumberland, who was a man of a mild and gentle nature, was deliberating with himself whether he should not obey the message, and rely upon the queen's candour and clemency, when he was forced into defferate measures by a Judden report at midnight, Nov. 14. that a party of his enemies were come to feize on bis perfon ↑. The Earl was then at his boufe at Topcliffe in Yorkshire. When rifing haftily out of bed, he withdrew to the Earl of Westmoreland, at Brancepeth, where the country came in to them, and preffed them to take arms in their own defence. They accordingly fet up their ftandards, declaring their intent was to restore the ancient religion; to get the fucceffion of the crown firmly fettled, and to prevent the deftruction of the + This circumftance is overlooked in the ballad. ancient |