without any regular trial. The former of these caused at Durham sixty-three constables
to be hanged at once. And the latter made his boast, that for sixty miles in length, and
forty in breadth, betwixt Newcastle and Wetherbye, there was hardly a town or village
wherein he had not executed some of the inhabitants. This exceeds the cruelties
practised in the West after Monmouth's rebellion: but that was not the age of
tenderness and humanity.
Such is the account collected from Stow, Speed, Camden, Guthrie, Carte, and
Rapin; it agrees in most particulars with the following ballad, which was apparently
the production of some northern minstrel, who was well affected to the two noblemen.
It is here printed from two manuscript copies, one of them in the Editor's folio
collection. They contained considerable variations, out of which such readings were
chosen as seemed most poetical and consonant to history.
LISTEN, lively lordings all,
Lithe and listen unto mee,
And I will sing of a noble earle,
The noblest earle in the north countrìe.
Earle Percy is into his garden gone,
And after him walkes his faire ladìe;[3]
"I heard a bird sing in mine eare,
That I must either fight, or flee."
"Now heaven forefend, my dearest lord,
That ever such harm should hap to thee:
But goe to London to the court,
And faire fall truth and honestie."
"Now nay, now nay, my ladye gay,
Alas! thy counsell suits not mee;
Mine enemies prevail so fast,
That at the court I may not bee."
"O goe to the court yet, good my lord,
And take thy gallant men with thee:
If any dare to doe you wrong,
Then your warrant they may bee."
"Now nay, now nay, thou lady faire,
The court is full of subtiltìe
And if I goe to the court, ladye,
Never more I may thee see."
"Yet goe to the court, my lord, she sayes,
And I myselfe will ryde wi' thee:
At court then for my dearest lord,
His faithfull borrowe I will bee."
"Now nay, now nay, my lady deare;
Far lever had I lose my life,
Than leave among my cruell foes
My love in jeopardy and strife.
"But come thou hither, my little foot-page,
Come thou hither unto mee,