Effusions of Love from Chatelar to Mary, Queen of Scotland Translated from a Gallic Manuscript, in the Scotch College at Paris. Interspersed with songs, sonnets, and notes explanatory, by the translator [i.e. S. W. H. Ireland]. To which is added, historical fragments, poetry, and remains of the amours, of that unfortunate Princess |
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[Woe worth, woe worth thee, false Scotlande!] |
 | Effusions of Love from Chatelar to Mary, Queen of Scotland |  |
172
[Woe worth, woe worth thee, false Scotlande!]
Woe worth, woe worth thee, false Scotlande!
For thou hast ever wrought by sleight;
The worthiest prince that ever was borne,
You hanged under a cloud by night.
For thou hast ever wrought by sleight;
The worthiest prince that ever was borne,
You hanged under a cloud by night.
The Queen of France a letter wrote,
And sealed itt with harte and ringe;
And bade him come Scotlande within,
And she wold marry and crowne him kinge.
And sealed itt with harte and ringe;
And bade him come Scotlande within,
And she wold marry and crowne him kinge.
173
To be a king is a pleasant thing,
To be a prince unto a peer:
But you have heard, and so have I too,
A man may well buy gold too dear.
To be a prince unto a peer:
But you have heard, and so have I too,
A man may well buy gold too dear.
There was an Italyan in that place,
Was as well beloved as ever was hee,
Lord David was his name,
Chamberlaine to the queene was hee.
Was as well beloved as ever was hee,
Lord David was his name,
Chamberlaine to the queene was hee.
If the king had risen forth of his place,
He would have sate him down in the cheare,
And tho' itt beseemed him not so well,
Altho' the king had been present there.
He would have sate him down in the cheare,
And tho' itt beseemed him not so well,
Altho' the king had been present there.
Some lords in Scotlande waxed wroth,
And quarrelled with him for the nonce;
I shall tell you how it befell,
Twelve daggers were in him att once.
And quarrelled with him for the nonce;
I shall tell you how it befell,
Twelve daggers were in him att once.
When the queene saw her chamberlaine was slaine,
For him her faire cheeks she did weete,
And made a vow for a year and a day
The king and she wold not come in one sheete.
For him her faire cheeks she did weete,
And made a vow for a year and a day
The king and she wold not come in one sheete.
Then some of the lords they waxed wrothe,
And made their vow all vehementlye;
For the death of the queene's chamberlaine,
The king himself how he shall dye.
And made their vow all vehementlye;
For the death of the queene's chamberlaine,
The king himself how he shall dye.
With gunpowder they strewed his roome,
And lay'd green rushes in his way;
For the traitors thought that very night
This worthye king for to betray.
And lay'd green rushes in his way;
For the traitors thought that very night
This worthye king for to betray.
174
To bed the king he made him bowne;
To take his rest was his desire;
He was no sooner cast on sleepe,
But his chamber was on a blazing fire.
To take his rest was his desire;
He was no sooner cast on sleepe,
But his chamber was on a blazing fire.
Up he lope, and the window brake,
And he had thirty foote to fall;
Lord Bodwell kept a privy watch,
Underneath his castle wall.
And he had thirty foote to fall;
Lord Bodwell kept a privy watch,
Underneath his castle wall.
Who have wee here? Lord Bodwell say'd;
Now answer me, that I may know:
“King Henry the Eighth my uncle was;
For his sweete sake some pitty shew.”
Now answer me, that I may know:
“King Henry the Eighth my uncle was;
For his sweete sake some pitty shew.”
Who have we here? Lord Bodwell say'd,
Now answer me when I do speake;
“Ah, Lord Bodwell, I know thee well;
Some pitty on me I pray thee take.
Now answer me when I do speake;
“Ah, Lord Bodwell, I know thee well;
Some pitty on me I pray thee take.
I'll pitty thee as much, he say'd,
And as much favour show to thee,
As thou didst to the queene's chamberlaine,
That day thou deemedst him to die.
And as much favour show to thee,
As thou didst to the queene's chamberlaine,
That day thou deemedst him to die.
Through halls and towers the king they ledd,
Through towers and castles that were nigh,
Through an arbour into an orchard,
There on a pear-tree hanged him high.
Through towers and castles that were nigh,
Through an arbour into an orchard,
There on a pear-tree hanged him high.
When the governor of Scotland heard
How the worthye king was slaine;
He pursued the queene so bitterlye,
That in Scotlande she dare not remaine.
How the worthye king was slaine;
He pursued the queene so bitterlye,
That in Scotlande she dare not remaine.
175
But she is fled into merry England,
And here her residence hath taine;
And through the Queene of England's grace.
In England she now doth remaine.
And here her residence hath taine;
And through the Queene of England's grace.
In England she now doth remaine.
It deserves to be mentioned here, that the governor of Scotland, who is noticed in the last stanza but one, was the Earl of Murray, half-brother to Mary, who, according to the best historians, was nearly concerned in the murder. It is true, he afterwards pursued that unfortunate princess out of her realm, but not to revenge the death of Darnley, but to clear the way for his own ambitious views, and secure to himself the regency of the kingdom of Scotland during the minority of James VI.
| Effusions of Love from Chatelar to Mary, Queen of Scotland | |