'Kinge James and Browne,' Percy Manuscript, p. 58;
Hales and Furnivall, I, 185.
| 1 |
As I did walke my selfe alone,
And by one garden greene,
I heard a yonge prince make great moane,
Which did turne my hart to teene. |
| 2 |
'O Lord!' he then said vntou me,
'Why haue I liued soe long?
For yonder comes a cruell Scott,'
Quoth hee, 'that will doe me some ronge.' |
| 3 |
And then came traitor Douglas there,
He came for to betray his king;
Some they brought bills, and some they brought bowes,
And some the brought other things. |
| 4 |
The king was aboue in a gallery,
With a heauy heart;
Vnto his body was sett about
With swords and speares soe sharpe. |
| 5 |
'Be you the lordes of Scottland,' he said,
'That hither for councell seeke to me?
Or bee you traitors to my crowne,
My blood that you wold see?' |
| 6 |
'Wee are the lords of Scottland,' they said,
'Nothing we come to craue of thee;
But wee be traitors to thy crowne,
Thy blood that wee will see.' |
| 7 |
'O fye vpon you, you false Scotts!
For you neuer all trew wilbe;
My grandfather you haue slaine,
And caused my mother to flee. |
| 8 |
'My grandfather you haue slaine,
And my owne father you hanged on a tree;
And now,' quoth he, 'The like treason
You haue now wrought for me. |
| 9 |
'Ffarwell hart, and farwell hand!
Farwell all pleasures alsoe!
Farwell th . . my head
. . . . |
| 10 |
. . . .
. . . .
'If thou wilt . .
And soe goe away with mee.' |
| 11 |
'Goe marry thy daughter to whome thou wilt,'
Quoth Browne; 'Thou marrys none to me;
For I'le not be a traitor,' quoth Browne,
'For all the gold that euer I see.' |
| 12 |
This Douglas, hearing Browne soe say,
Began to flee away full fast;
'But tarry a while,' saies lusty Browne,
'I'le make you to pay before you passe.' |
| 13 |
He hath taken the Douglas prisoner,
And hath brought him before the king;
He kneeled low vpon the knee,
For pardon there prainge. |
| 14 |
'How shold I pardon thee,' saith the king,
'And thou'le remaine a traitor still?
For euer since that I was borne,'
Quoth he, 'Thou hast sought my blood to spill.' |
| 15 |
'For if you will grant me my pardon,' he said,
'Out of this place soe free,
I wilbe sworne before your Grace
A trew subiect to bee.' |
| 16 |
'God for-gaue his death,' said the king,
'When he was nayled vpon a tree;
And as free as euer God forgaue his death,
Douglas,' quoth he, 'I'le forgiue thee. |
| 17 |
'And all the traitors in Scottland,'
Quoth he, 'Both great and small;
As free as euer God forgaue his death,
Soe free I will forgiue them all.' |
| 18 |
'I thanke you for your pardon, king,
That you haue granted forth soe plaine;
If I liue a twelue month to an end,
You shall not aliue remaine. |
| 19 |
'Tomorrow yet, or ere I dine,
I meane to doo thee one good turne;
For Edenborrow, that is thine owne,'
Quoth he, 'I will both h[arry] and [burne].' |
| 20 |
Thus Douglas hied towards Edenborrow,
And many of his men were gone beffore;
And after him on euery side,
With him there went some twenty score. |
| 21 |
But when that they did see him come,
They cryed lowd with voices, saying,
'Yonder comes a false traitor,
That wold haue slaine our king.' |
| 22 |
They chaynd vp the gates of Edenborrow,
And there the made them wonderous fast,
And there Browne sett on Douglas againe,
And quicklye did him ouer cast. |
| 23 |
But worde came backe againe to the king,
With all the speed that euer might bee,
That traitor Douglas there was taken,
And his body was there to see. |
| 24 |
'Bring me his taker,' quoth the king,
'Come, quickly bring him vnto me!
I'le giue a thousand pound a yeere,
What man soeuer he bee.' |
| 25 |
But then they called lusty Browne;
Sayes, 'Browne, come thou hither to mee.
How oft hast thou foughten for my sake,
And alwayes woone the victory?' |
| 26 |
'The first time that I fought for you,
It was in Edenborrow, king;
If there I had not stoutly stood,
My leege, you neuer had beene king. |
| 27 |
'The second time I fought for you,
Here I will tell you in this place;
I killd the sheriffs sonne of Carlile,'
Quoth he, 'That wold haue slaine your Grace. |
| 28 |
'The third time that I fought for you,
Here for to let you vnderstand,
I slew the Bishopp of St Andrew[s],'
Quoth he, 'with a possat in [his hand],' |
| 29 |
. . . quoth hee,
'That euer my manhood I did trye;
I'le make a vow for Englands sake
That I will neuer battell flee.' |
| 30 |
'God amercy, Browne,' then said the king,
'And God amercy heartilye!
Before I made thee but a knight,
But now an earle I will make thee. |
| 31 |
'God saue the queene of England,' he said,
'For her blood is verry neshe;
As neere vnto her I am
As a colloppe shorne from the fleshe. |
| 32 |
'If I be false to England,' he said,
'Either in earnest or in iest,
I might be likened to a bird,'
Quoth he, 'That did defile it nest.' |
