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61. my Land.
154. 2.
161. This line is partly pared away. Furnivall.
184. Lorid, or Louerd; or Lord,
with one stroke too many. Furnivall.
203. 3.
221. ny for my.
243. 3d 50.
312. 3d.
322. 3.
334. Partly cut away by the binder. Furnivall.
431,2, 481,2, 521,2. 50.
524. land for lord.
And for & throughout.
Variations of Percy's Reliques, 1765, I, 258.
1-3. Cf. the next ballad, 1-3.
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How long shall fortune faile me nowe,
And harrowe me with fear and dread?
How long shall I in bale abide,
In misery my life to lead? |
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To fall from my bliss, alas the while!
It was my sore and heavy e lott;
And I must leave my native land,
And I must live a man forgot. |
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One gentle Armstrong I doe ken,
A Scot he is much bound to mee;
He dwelleth on the border-side,
To him I'll goe right privilie. |
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Thus did the noble Percy 'plaine,
With a heavy heart and wel-away,
When he with all his gallant men
On Bramham moor had lost the day. |
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But when he to the Armstrongs came,
They dealt with him all treacherouslye;
For they did strip that noble earle,
And ever an ill death may they dye! |
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False Hector to Earl Murray sent,
To shew him where his guest did hide,
Who sent him to the Lough-leven,
With William Douglas to abide. |
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And when he to the Douglas came,
He halched him right courteouslie;
Sayd, Welcome, welcome, noble earle,
Here thou shalt safelye bide with mee. |
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When he had in Lough-leven been
Many a month and many a day,
To the regent the lord-warden sent,
That bannisht earle for to betray. |
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He offered him great store of gold,
And wrote a letter fair to see,
Saying, Good my lord, grant me my boon,
And yield that banisht man to mee. |
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Earle Percy at the supper sate,
With many a goodly gentleman;
The wylie Douglas then bespake,
And thus to flyte with him began. |
43,4. To-morrow a shootinge will bee held
Among the lords of the North countrye.
51. sett, the shooting's.
52. there will be.
61. hand, thou gentle Douglas: he sayes
wanting.
62. And here by my true faith, quoth hee.
63. If thou: worldes.
64. I will.
71. bespake a lady faire.
82. As I tell you in privitie.
83. he has. hath, 1794.
84. Into England nowe to 'liver.
| 9 |
Now nay, now nay, thou goodly lady,
The regent is a noble lord;
Ne for the gold in all England
The Douglas wold not break his word. |
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When the regent was a banisht man,
With me he did faire welcome find;
And whether weal or woe betide,
I still shall find him true and kind. |
101. Tween England and Scotland 't wold break truce.
Betweene: it, 1794.
103. If they.
| 11, 12 |
Alas! alas! my lord, she sayes,
Nowe mickle is their traitorle;
Then let my brother ride his ways,
And tell those English lords from thee. |
131. with him.
| 14-17 |
To the Lord Hume I will thee bring;
He is well knowne a true Scots lord,
And he will lose both land and life
Ere he with thee will break his word.' |
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'Much is my woe,' Lord Percy sayd,
'When I thinke on my own countrie;
When I thinke on the heavye happe
My friends have suffered there for mee. |
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'Much is my woe,' Lord Percy sayd,
'And sore those wars my minde distresse;
Where many a widow lost her mate,
And many a child was fatherlesse. |
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'And now that I, a banisht man,
Shold bring such evil happe with mee,
To cause my faire and noble friends
To be suspect of treacherie, |
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'This rives my heart with double woe;
And lever had I dye this day
Then thinke a Douglas can be false,
Or ever will his guest betray.' he will,
1794. |
| 18 |
'If you'll give me no trust, my lord,
Nor unto mee no credence yield,
Yet step one moment here aside,
He showe you all your foes in field.' |
191,2. Lady, I never loved witchcraft,
Never dealt in privy wyle.
194. Of truth and honoure, free from guile.
201. If you'll.
202. Yet send your chamberlaine with.
203. Let me but speak three words with him.
204. And he.
211. James Swynard with that lady went.
213. She showed him through.
213. many English lords there were.
214. Waiting for.
221. And who walkes yonder.
222. That walkes wanting.
223. O yonder is the lord Hunsden.
224. you drie and teene.
231. who beth,
232. so proudly.
233. That is: lamy wanting.
234. And wanting.
241. itt, madame.
242. lords.
243,4. Marry, it is thrice fifty miles,
To sayl to them upon the sea.
252. Ne never sawe.
253,4. But as my book it sheweth mee,
And through my ring I may descrye.
261. witch ladye.
262. And of her skille she.
271. thou lady faire.
272. That looketh with sic an.
273,4. Yonder is Sir John Foster, quoth shee,
Alas! he'll do ye sore disgrace.
275,6. wanting.
281. downe over his browe.
282. And in his heart he was full woe. He
wept; his heart he was full of woe, 1794.
283,4. And he is gone to his noble lord,
Those sorrowfull tidings him to show.
| 29 |
Now nay, now nay, good James Swynard,
I may not believe that witch ladle;
The Douglasses were ever true,
And they can neer prove false to mee. |
30, 31 wanting.
321. I have now in Lough-leven been.
323. And I have never had. Yett have I never had, 1794.
324. Ne no good.
| 33 |
Therefore I'll to yond shooting wend,
As to the Douglas I have hight;
Betide me weale, betide me woe,
He neer shall find my promise light. |
341. He writhe a gold ring from.
342. that faire ladle, that gay ladle, 1794.
343. Sayes, It was all that I cold save.
| 35 |
And wilt thou goe, thou noble lord?
Then farewell truth and honestle!
And farewell heart, and farewell hand!
For never more I shall thee see. |
36 wanting.
| 371,2. |
The wind was faire, the boatmen calld,
And all the saylors were on borde;
Then William Douglas took to his boat,
And with him went that noble lord. |
| 373-6. |
Then he cast up a silver wand,
Says, Gentle lady, fare thee well!
The lady fett a sigh soe deepe,
And in a dead swoone down shee fell. |
| 38, 39. |
Now let us goe back, Douglas, he sayd,
A sickness hath taken yond faire ladle;
If ought befall yond lady but good,
Then blamed for ever I shall bee. |
402. Come on, come on, and let her bee.
404. For to: that gay.
| 41 |
'If you'll not turne yourself, my lord,
Let me goe with my chamberlaine;
We will but comfort that faire lady,
And wee will return to you againe. |
| 422,4. |
'Come on, come on, and let her bee;
My sister is crafty, and wold beguile
A thousand such as you and mee. |
432. Now wanting: restored, 1794.
433,4. wanting.
435,6. Hee sent his man to ask the Douglas
When they shold that shooting see.
441. Faire words, quoth he, they make.
442. And that by thee and thy lord is seen.
443. You may hap to.
444. Ere you that shooting reach, I ween.
451. his hatt pulled over.
| 452-4. |
He thought his lord then was betrayd;
And he is to Earle Percy againe,
To tell him what the Douglas sayd. |
46 wanting.
471. head, man, quoth his lord,
| 472-4. |
Nor therfore let thy courage fail;
He did it but to prove thy heart,
To see if he cold make it quail. |
481. had other fifty sayld.
483. calld to the Douglas himselfe. to D., 1794
484. Sayd, What wilt thou nowe doe.
492. And your horse goe swift as ship.
501. sayd. sayth, 1794.
502. What needest thou to flyte with mee.
511. he hath, hath, 1794.
512. Who dealt with mee so treacherouslie.
513. A false Armstrong he hath. hath. 1794.
514. geere that, geere, 1794.
523. landed him at Berwick towne.
Manuscript reading restored, 1794.
52 4 . The Douglas landed Lord Percie.
Manuscript reading restored with 'laird' for land.
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Then he at Yorke was doomde to dye,
It was, alas! a sorrowful sight;
Thus they betrayed that noble earle,
Who ever was a gallant wight. |
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