As foon as the king got word of this, To taft of that extremity : For that he did perceive and know, Alas, he said, unhappie realme, 60 65 70 The king did call his nurse to his grace, 75 And truftie Browne too in like case, And gave himlands and' livings great, For dooing fuch a manly feat, As he did fhowe, to the bishop's woe, Which made, &c. When 7.67. His father was Henry Lord Darnley. His grandfather the old Earl of Lenox, regent of Scotland, and father of Lord Darnley, was murdered at Stirling, Sept. 5. 1571. When all this treafon done and past, Tooke not effect of traytery ; Another treafon at the last, They fought against his majestie : How they might make their kinge away, By a privie banket on a daye. 85 Alas for woe, &c. Another time' to fell the king Beyonde the feas they had decreede : 90 Three noble Earles heard of this thing, And did prevent the fame with speede. For a letter came, with such a charme, That they should doo their king no harme: For further woe, if they did foe, Would make a forrowful heigh hoe. The Earle Mourton told the Douglas then, Obediently in every thing: For his godmother * will not fee With any woe; for if it be fo, God graunt all fubjects may be true, P 2 * Elizabeth. 95 ICO 105 That That no fuch daunger may enfue, In wealth or woe, God graunt it be fo XVII. THE BONNY EARL OF MURRAY. A SCOTTISH SONG. In December 1591, Francis Stewart Earl of Bothwell had made an attempt to feize on the person of his fovereign James VI. but being disappointed, had retired towards the north. The king unadvifedly gave a commiffion to George Gordon Earl of Huntley, to pursue Bothwell and his followers with fire and fword. Huntley, under cover of executing that commiffion, took occafion to revenge a private quarrel be bad against James Stewart Earl of Murray, a relation of Bothwell's. In the night of Feb. 7. 1592, he befet Murray's houfe, burnt it to the ground, and flew Murray himfelf; a young nobleman of the most promifing virtues, and the very darling of the people. See Robertfon's Hift. The prefent Lord Murray hath now in his poffeffion a picture of his ancestor naked and covered with wounds, which had been carried about, according to the custom of that age, in order to inflame the populace to revenge his death. If this picture did not flatter, he well deferved the name of the BONNY EARL, for he is there reprefented as a tall and comely perfonage. It is a tradition in the family, that Gordon of Bucky gave him a wound in the face: Murray half expiring, expiring, faid, "You hae fpilt a better face than your awin." Upon this, Bucky pointing his dagger at Huntley's breaft, fore," You shall be as deep as I;" and forced him to pierce the poor defenceless body. K. James, who took no care to punish the murtherers, is Jaid by fome to have privately countenanced and abetted them, being ftimulated by jealousy for fome indifcreet praifes which his Queen had too lavishly beftowed on this unfortunate youth. See the preface to the next ballad. See also Mr. Walpole's Catalogue of Royal Auth. vol. 1. p. 42. E highlands, and ye lawlands, Y1 Oh! quhair hae ye been? He was a braw gallant, And he playd at the gluve; Oh! he was the Queenes luve. Oh! lang will his lady Luke owre the caftle downe Cum founding throw the towne. 20 * Caftle downe bere has been thought to mean the CASTLE OF DowNE, a feat belonging to the family of Murray. It has been fuggefted to the Editor, that this ballad cavertly alludes to the indifcreet partiality, which Q. Anne, of Denmark is faid to have fewn for the BONNY EARL OF MURRAY; and which is supposed to have influenced the fate of that unhappy nobleman. Let the Reader judge for himself. The following account of the murder is given by a contemporary writer, and a perfon of credit, Sir James Bulfour, Knight, Lyon King of Arms, whofe MS. of the Annals of Scotland is in the Advocates library at Edinburgh. "The Seventh of Febry, this zeire, 1592, the Earle of Murray was cruelly murthered by the Earle of Huntley at "his boufe in Dunibriffel in Fyffe-fbyre, and with him 66 Dunbar, |