{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/boeb/boeb14.htm","path":"neu/eng/boeb/boeb14.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/boeb/boeb14.htm","text":"KING JAMIE hath made a vow,\n \u00a0\u00a0Keepe it well if he may:\n That he will be at lovely London\n \u00a0\u00a0Upon Saint James his day.\nUpon Saint James his day at noone,\n \u00a0\u00a0At faire London will I be,\n And all the lords in merrie Scotland,\n \u00a0\u00a0They shall dine there with me.\n\"March out, march out, my merry men,\n \u00a0\u00a0Of hie or low degree;\n I'le weare the crowne in London towne,\n \u00a0\u00a0And that you soon shall be.\"\nThen bespake good Queene Margaret,\n \u00a0\u00a0The teares fell from her eye:\n \"Leave off these warres, most noble King,\n \u00a0\u00a0Keepe your fidelitie.\n\"The water runnes swift, and wondrous deepe,\n \u00a0\u00a0From bottome unto the brimme;\n My brother Henry hath men good enough;\n \u00a0\u00a0England is hard to winne.\"\n\"Away\" quoth he \"with this silly foole!\n \u00a0\u00a0In prison fast let her lie:\n For she is come of the English bloud,\n \u00a0\u00a0And for these words she shall dye.\"\nWith that bespake Lord Thomas Howard,\n \u00a0\u00a0The Queenes chamberlaine that day:\n If that you put Queene Margaret to death,\n \u00a0\u00a0Scotland shall rue it alway.\"\nThen in a rage King Jamie did say,\n \u00a0\u00a0\"Away with this foolish mome;\n He shall be hanged, and the other be burned,\n \u00a0\u00a0So soone as I come home.\"\nAt Flodden Field the Scots came in,\n \u00a0\u00a0Which made our English men faine;\n At Bramstone Greene this battaile was seene,\n \u00a0\u00a0There was King Jamie slaine.\nHis bodie never could be found,\n \u00a0\u00a0When he was over throwne,\n And he that wore faire Scotland's crowne\n \u00a0\u00a0That day could not be knowne.\nThen presently the Scot did flie,\n \u00a0\u00a0Their cannons they left behind;\n Their ensignes gay were won all away,\n \u00a0\u00a0Our souldiers did beate them blinde.\nTo tell you plaine, twelve thousand were slaine,\n \u00a0\u00a0That to the fight did stand,\n And many prisoners tooke that day,\n \u00a0\u00a0The best in all Scotland.\nThat day made many [a] fatherlesse child,\n \u00a0\u00a0And many a widow poore,\n And many a Scottish gay lady\n \u00a0\u00a0Sate weeping in her bower.\nJack with a feather was lapt all in leather,\n \u00a0\u00a0His boastings were all in vaine;\n He had such a chance, with a new morrice-dance\n \u00a0\u00a0He never went home againe.\n_______________\nThis was written to adapt the ballad to the seventeenth century.\nNow heaven we laude that never more\n \u00a0\u00a0Such biding shall come to hand;\n Our King, by othe, is King of both\n \u00a0\u00a0England and faire Scotland.","title":"A Book of Old English Ballads: Flodden Field","type":"page"}