{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/child/ch175.htm","path":"neu/eng/child/ch175.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch175.htm","text":"175A.1 LISTEN liuely lordings all,\nAnd all that beene this place within:\nIf you\u2019le giue eare vnto my songe,\nI will tell you how this geere did begin.\n175A.2 It was the good Erle Of Westmorlande,\nA noble erle was call d hee,\nAnd he wrought treason against the crowne;\nAlas, itt was the more pittye!\n175A.3 And soe itt was the Erle of Northumberland,\nAnother good noble erle was hee;\nThey tooken both vpon one part,\nAgainst the crowne they wolden bee.\n175A.4 Earle Pearcy is into his garden gone,\nAnd after walkes his awne ladye:\n\u2018I heare a bird sing in my eare\nThat I must either fight or flee.\u2019\n175A.5 \u2018God forbidd,\u2019 shee sayd, \u2019good my lord,\nThat euer soe that it shalbee!\nBut goe to London to the court,\nAnd faire fall truth and honestye!\u2019\n175A.6 \u2018But nay, now nay, my ladye gay,\nThat euer it shold soe bee;\nMy treason is knowen well enoughe;\nAtt the court I must not bee.\u2019\n175A.7 \u2018But goe to the court yet, good my lord,\nTake men enowe with thee;\nIf any man will doe you wronge,\nYour warrant they may bee.\u2019\n175A.8 \u2018But nay, now nay, my lady gay,\nFor soe itt must not bee;\nIf I goe to the court, ladye,\nDeath will strike me, and I must dye.\u2019\n175A.9 \u2018But goe to the court yett, [good] my lord,\nI my-selfe will ryde with thee;\nIf any man will doe you wronge,\nYour borrow I shalbee.\u2019\n175A.10 \u2018But nay, now nay, my lady gay,\nFor soe it must not bee;\nFor if I goe to the court, ladye,\nThou must me neuer see.\n175A.11 \u2018But come hither, thou litle foot-page,\nCome thou hither vnto mee,\nFor thou shalt goe a message to Master Norton,\nIn all the hast that euer may bee.\n175A.12 Comend me to that gentleman;\nBring him here this letter from mee,\nAnd say, I pray him earnestlye\nThat hee will ryde in my companye.\u2019\n175A.13 But one while the foote-page went,\nAnother while he rann;\nVntill he came to Master Norton,\nThe foot-page, neuer blanne.\n175A.14 And when he came to Master Nortton,\nHe kneeled on his knee,\nAnd tooke the letter betwixt his hands,\nAnd lett the gentleman it see.\n175A.15 And when the letter itt was reade,\nAffore all his companye,\nI-wis, if you wold know the truth,\nThere was many a weeping eye.\n175A.16 He said, Come hither, Kester Nortton,\nA fine fellow thou seemes to bee;\nSome good councell, Kester Nortton,\nThis day doe thou giue to mee.\n175A.17 \u2018Marry, I\u2019le giue you councell, father,\nIf you\u2019le take councell att me,\nThat if you haue spoken the word, father,\nThat backe againe you doe not flee.\u2019\n175A.18 \u2018God a mercy! Christopher Nortton,\nI say, God a mercye!\nIf I doe liue and scape with liffe,\nWell advanced shalt thou bee.\n175A.19 \u2018But come you hither, my nine good sonnes,\nIn mens estate I thinke you bee;\nHow many of you, my children deare,\nOn my part that wilbe?\u2019\n175A.20 But eight of them did answer soone,\nAnd spake full hastilye;\nSayes, We wilbe on your part, father,\nTill the day that we doe dye.\n175A.21 \u2018But God a mercy! my children deare,\nAnd euer I say God a mercy!\nAnd yett my blessing you shall haue,\nWhether-soeuer I liue or dye.\n175A.22 \u2018But what sayst thou, thou Ffrancis Nortton,\nMine eldest sonne and mine heyre trulye?\nSome good councell, Ffrancis Nortton,\nThis day thou giue to me.\u2019\n175A.23 \u2018But I will giue you councell, father,\nIf you will take councell att mee;\nFor if you wold take my councell, father,\nAgainst the crowne you shold not bee.\u2019\n175A.24 \u2018But fye vpon thee, Ffrancis Nortton!\nI say fye vpon thee!\nWhen thou was younge and tender af age\nI made full much of thee.\u2019\n175A.25 \u2018But your head is white, father,\u2019 he sayes,\n\u2018And your beard is wonderous gray;\nItt were shame for your countrye\nIf you shold rise and flee away.\u2019\n175A.26 \u2018But fye vpon thee, thou coward Ffrancis!\nThou neuer tookest that of mee!\nWhen thou was younge and tender of age\nI made too much of thee.\u2019\n175A.27 \u2018But I will goe with you, father,\u2019 quoth hee;\n\u2018Like a naked man will I bee;\nHe that strikes the first stroake against the crowne,\nAn ill death may hee dye!\u2019\n175A.28 But then rose vpp Master Nortton, that esquier,\nWith him a full great companye;\nAnd then the erles they comen downe\nTo ryde in his companye.\n175A.29 Att Whethersbye the mustered their men,\nVpon a full fayre day;\nThirteen thousand there were seene\nTo stand in battel ray.\n175A.30 The Erle of Westmoreland, he had in his ancyent\nThe dunn bull in sight most hye,\nAnd three doggs with golden collers\nWere sett out royallye.\n175A.31 The Erle of Northumberland, he had in his ancyent\nThe halfe moone in sight soe hye,\nAs the Lord was crucifyed on the crosse,\nAnd set forth pleasantlye.\n175A.32 And after them did rise good Sir George Bowes,\nAfter them a spoyle to make;\nThe erles returned backe againe,\nThought euer that knight to take.\n175A.33 This barron did take a castle then,\nWas made of lime and stone;\nThe vttermost walls were ese to be woon;\nThe erles haue woon them anon.\n175A.34 But tho they woone the vttermost walls,\nQuickly and anon,\nThe innermust walles the cold not winn;\nThe were made of a rocke of stone.\n175A.35 But newes itt came to leeue London,\nIn all the speede that euer might bee;\nAnd word it came to our royall queene\nOf all the rebells in the north countrye.\n175A.36 Shee turned her grace then once about,\nAnd like a royall queene shee sware;\nSayes, I will ordaine them such a breake-fast\nAs was not in the north this thousand yeere!\n175A.37 Shee caused thirty thousand men to be made,\nWith horsse and harneis all quicklye;\nAnd shee caused thirty thousand men to be made,\nTo take the rebells in the north countrye.\n175A.38 They tooke with them the false Erle of Warwicke,\nSoe did they many another man;\nVntill they came to Yorke castle,\nI-wis they neuer stinted nor blan.\n* * * * *\n175A.39 . . . .\n. . . .\n\u2018Spread thy ancyent, Erle of Westmoreland!\nThe halfe-moone faine wold wee see!\u2019\n175A.40 But the halfe-moone is fled and gone,\nAnd the dun bull vanished awaye;\nAnd Ffrancis Nortton and his eight sonnes\nAre fled away most cowardlye.\n175A.41 Ladds with mony are counted men,\nMen without mony are counted none;\nBut hold your tounge! why say you soe?\nMen wilbe men when mony is gone.","title":"The Child Ballads: 175. The Rising in the North","type":"page"}