Classic Poem

Now list and lithe you gentlemen
And Ist tell you the veretye,
How they haue delt with a banished man
Driuen out of his countrye.

When as hee came on Scottish ground,
As woe and wonder be them amonge,
Full much was there traitorye
They wrought the Erle of Northumberland.

When they were att the supper sett,
Beffore many goodly gentlemen
They ffell a fflouting and mocking both,
And said to the Erle of Northumberland:

What makes you be soe sad, my Lord,
And in your mind soe sorrowffullye?
In the North of Scottland to-morrow theres a shooting,
And thither thoust goe, my Lord Percye.

The buttes are sett, and the shooting is made,
And there is like to be great royaltye,
And I am sworne into my bill
Thither to bring my Lord Pearcy.

Ile giue thee my land, Douglas, he sayes,
And be the faith in my bodye,
If that thou wilt ryde to the worlds end
Ile ryde in thy companye.

And then bespake the good Ladye,
Mary a Douglas was her name,
You shall byde here, good English Lord;
My brother is a traiterous man.

He is a traitor stout and stronge,
As Ist tell you the veretye,
For he hath tane liuerance of the Erle
And into England he will liuor thee.

Now hold thy tounge, thou goodlye Ladye,
And let all this talking bee;
For all the gold thats in Loug[h] Leuen
William wold not liuor mee.

It wold breake truce betweene England and Scottland,
And freinds againe they wold neuer bee
If he shold liuor a bani[s]ht Erle
Was driuen out of his owne countrye.

Hold your tounge, my Lord, shee sayes,
There is much ffalsehood them amonge;
When you are dead then they are done,
Soone they will part them freinds againe.

If you will giue me any trust, my Lord,
Ile tell you how you best may bee;
Youst lett my brother ryde his wayes
And tell those English Lords trulye

How that you cannot with them ryde
Because you are in an Ile of the sea;
Then ere my Brother come againe
To Edenborrow castle Ile carry thee;

Ile liuor you vnto the Lord Hume,
And you know a trew Scot[ts] Lord is hee,
For he hath lost both Land and goods
In ayding of your good bodye.

Marry, I am woe, woman, he sayes,
That any freind fares worse for mee;
For where one saith it is a true tale,
Then two will say it is a Lye.

When I was att home in my [realm]
Amonge my tennants all trulye,
In my time of losse, wherin my need stoode,
They came to ayd me honestlye.

Therfore I left many a child ffatherlese
And many a widdow to looke wanne;
And therfore blame nothing, Ladye,
But the woeffull warres which I began.

If you will giue me noe trust, my Lord,
Nor noe credence you will giue mee,
And youle come hither to my right hand
Indeed, my Lord, Ile lett you see.

Saies, I neuer loued noe witchcraft
Nor neuer dealt with treacherye
But euermore held the hye way;
Alas, that may be seene by mee.

If you will not come your selfe, my Lord,
Youle lett your chamberlaine goe with mee,
Three words that I may to him speake;
And soone he shall come againe to thee.

When Iames Swynard came that Lady before,
Shee let him see thorrow the weme of her ring
How many there was of English lords
To wayte there for his Master and him.

But who beene yonder, my good Ladye,
That walkes soe royallye on yonder greene?
Yonder is Lord Hunsden, Iamye, she say[d],
Alas, heele doe you both tree and teene.

And who beene yonder, thou gay Ladye,
That walkes soe royallye him beside?
Yond is Sir William Drurye, Iamy, shee sayd,
And a keene Captain hee is, and tryde.

How many miles is itt, thou good Ladye,
Betwixt yond English Lord and mee?
Marry, thryse fifty mile, shee sayd,
And euen to s[ai]le and by the sea.

I neuer was on English ground
Nor neuer see itt with mine eye,
But as my witt and wisedome serues
And as [the] booke it telleth mee.

My mother, shee was a witch woman
And part of itt shee learned mee;
Shee wold let me see out of Lough Leuen
What they dyd in London Cytye.

But who is yond, thou good Ladye,
That comes yonder with an Osterne face?
Yonds Sir Iohn Forster, Iamye, shee sayd;
Methinks thou sholdest better know him then I.
Euen soe I doe, my goodlye Ladye,
And euer alas, soe woe am I.

He pulled his hatt ouer his eyes
And Lord, he wept soe tenderlye;
He is gone to his Master againe
And euen to tell him the veretye.

Now hast thou beene with Mary, Iamy, he sayd,
Euen as thy tounge will tell to me;
But if thou trust in any womans words
Thou must refraine good companye.

It is noe words, my Lord, he sayes,
Yonder the men shee letts me see,
How many English Lords there is
Is wayting there for you and mee.

Yonder I see the Lord Hunsden,
And hee and you is of the third degree;
A greater enemye indeed, my Lord,
In England none haue yee.

And I haue beene in Lough Leuen
The most part of these yeeres three,
Yett had I neuer noe out-rake
Nor good games that I cold see;

And I am thus bidden to yonder shooting
By William Douglas all trulye;
Therfore speake neuer a word out of thy mouth
That thou thinkes will hinder mee.

Then he writhe the gold ring of his ffingar
And gaue itt to that Ladye gay;
Sayes, That was a legacye left vnto mee
In Harley woods where I cold bee.

Then ffarewell hart and ffarewell hand,
And ffarwell all good companye;
That woman shall neuer beare a sonne
Shall know soe much of your priuitye.

Now hold thy tounge, Ladye, hee sayde,
And make not all this dole for mee,
For I may well drinke but Ist neuer eate
Till againe in Lough Leuen I bee.

He tooke his boate att the Lough Leuen
For to sayle now ouer the sea,
And he hath cast vpp a siluer wand,
Saies, Fare thou well, my good Ladye;
The Ladye looked ouer her left shoulder,
In a dead swoone there fell shee.

Goe backe againe, Douglas, he sayd,
And I will goe in thy companye,
For sudden sicknesse yonder Ladye has tane
And euer alas shee will but dye;

If ought come to yonder Ladye but good
Then blamed fore that I shall bee,
Because a banished man I am
And driuen out of my owne countrye.

Come on, come on, my Lord, he sayes,
And lett all such talking bee;
Theres Ladyes enow in Lough Leuen
And for to cheere yonder gay Ladye.

And you will not goe your selfe, my lord,
You will lett my chamberlaine goe with me;
Wee shall now take our boate againe
And soone we shall ouertake thee.

Come on, come on, my Lord, he sayes,
And lett now all this talking bee;
For my sister is craftye enoughe
For to beguile thousands such as you and mee.

When they had sayled fifty myle,
Now fifty mile vpon the sea,
Hee had fforgotten a message that hee
Shold doe in Lough Leuen trulye:
Hee asked how farr it was to that shooting
That William Douglas promised mee.

Now faire words makes fooles faine,
And that may be seene by thy Master and thee;
For you may happen think itt soone enoughe
When-euer you that shooting see.

Iamye pulled his hatt now ouer his browe,
I wott the teares fell in his eye;
And he is to his Master againe
And ffor to tell him the veretye:

He sayes, fayre words makes fooles faine,
And that may be seene by you and mee;
For wee may happen thinke itt soone enoughe
When-euer wee that shooting see.

Hold vpp thy head, Iamye, the Erle sayd,
And neuer lett thy hart fayle thee;
He did itt but to proue thee with
And see how thow wold take with death trulye.

When they had sayled other fifty mile,
Other fifty mile vpon the sea.
Lord Peercy called to him, himselfe,
And sayd, Douglas, what wilt thou doe with mee?

Looke that your brydle be wight, my Lord,
That you may goe as a shipp att sea;
Looke that your spurres be bright and sharpe
That you may pricke her while sheele awaye.

What needeth this, Douglas, he sayth,
That thou needest to ffloute mee?
For I was counted a horsseman good
Before that euer I mett with thee.

A ffalse Hector hath my horsse,
And euer an euill death may hee dye;
And Willye Armestronge hath my spurres
And all the geere belongs to mee.

When they had sayled other fifty mile,
Other fifty mile vpon the sea,
They landed low by Barwicke side;
[There Douglas] landed Lord Percye.