{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/child/ch207.htm","path":"neu/eng/child/ch207.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch207.htm","text":"Sacred Texts\u00a0\n Legends & Sagas\u00a0\n England\u00a0\n Index\u00a0\n Previous\u00a0\n Next\u00a0\n \n \n \n 207A: Lord Delamere\n \n \n 207A.1 GOOD people, give attention, a story you shall hear,\n It is of the king and my lord Delamere;\n The quarrel it arose in the Parliament House,\n Concdrning some taxations going to be put in force.\n Ri toora loora la.\n 207A.2 Says my lord Delamere to his Majesty soon,\n \u2018If it please you, my liege, of you I\u2019ll soon beg a boon.\u2019\n \u2018Then what is your boon? let me it understand:\u2019\n \u2018It\u2019s to have all the poor men you have in your land.\n 207A.3 \u2018And I\u2019ll take them to Cheshire, and there I will sow\n Both hempseed and flaxseed, and [hang] them all in a row.\n Why, they\u2019d better be hanged, and stopped soon their breath,\n If it please you, my liege, than to starve them to death.\u2019\n 207A.4 Then up starts a French lord, as we do hear,\n Saying, \u2018Thou art a proud Jack,\u2019 to my lord Delamere;\n \u2018Thou oughtest to be stabbed\u2019-+--+-then he turnd him about-+--+-\n \u2018For affronting the king in the Parliament House.\u2019\n 207A.5 Then up starts his grace, the Duke of Devonshire,\n Saying, I\u2019ll fight in defence of my lord Delamere.\n Then a stage was erected, to battle they went,\n To kill or to be killed was our noble duke\u2019s intent.\n 207A.6 The very first push, as we do understand,\n The duke\u2019s sword he bended it back into his hand.\n He waited a while, but nothing he spoke,\n Till on the king\u2019s armour his rapier he broke.\n 207A.7 An English lord, who by that stage did stand,\n Threw Devonshire another, and he got it in his hand:\n \u2018Play low for your life, brave Devonshire,\u2019 said he,\n \u2018Play low for your life, or a dead man you will be.\u2019\n 207A.8 Devonshire dropped on his knee, and gave him his death-wound;\n O then that French lord fell dead upon the ground.\n The king called his guards, and he unto them did say,\n \u2018Bring Devonshire down, and take the dead man away.\u2019\n 207A.9 \u2018No, if it please you, my liege, no! I\u2019ve slain him like a man;\n I\u2019m resolved to see what clothing he\u2019s got on.\n Oh, fie upon your treachery, your treachery!\u2019 said he,\n \u2018Oh, king, \u2019twas your intention to have took my life away.\n 207A.10 \u2018For he fought in your armour, whilst I have fought in bare;\n The same thou shalt win, king, before thou does it wear.\u2019\n Then they all turned back to the Parliament House,\n And the nobles made obesiance with their hands to their mouths.\n 207A.11 \u2018God bless all the nobles we have in our land,\n And send the Church of England may flourish still and stand;\n For I\u2019ve injured no king, no kingdom, nor no crown,\n But I wish that every honest man might enjoy his own.\u2019\n \n \n \n 207B: Lord Delamere\n \n \n 207B.1 GOOD people give attention to a story you shall hear:\n Between the king and my lord Delamere,\n A quarrel arose in the Parliament House,\n Concerning the taxes to be put in force.\n With my fal de ral de ra.\n 207B.2 I wonder, I wonder that James, our good king,\n So many hard taxes upon the poor should bring;\n So many hard taxes, as I have heard them say,\n Makes many a good farmer to break and run away.\n 207B.3 Such a rout has been in the parliament, as I hear,\n Betwixt a Dutch lord and my lord Delamere.\n He said to the king, as he sat on the throne,\n \u2018If it please you, my liege, to grant me a boon.\u2019\n 207B.4 \u2018O what is thy boon? Come. let me understand.\u2019\n \u2018\u2019Tis to give me all the poor you have in the land;\n I\u2019ll take them down to Cheshire, and there I will sow\n Both hemp-seed and flax-seed, and hang them in a row.\n 207B.5 \u2018It\u2019s better, my liege, they should die a shorter death\n Than for your Majesty to starve them on earth.\u2019\n With that up starts a Dutch lord, as we hear,\n And he says, \u2018Thou proud Jack,\u2019 to my lord Delamere,\n 207B.6 \u2018Thou ought to be stabbed,\u2019 and he turned him about,\n \u2018For affronting the king in the Parliament House.\u2019\n Then up got a brave duke, the Duke of Devonshire,\n Who said, I will fight for my lord Delamere.\n 207B.7 \u2018He is under age, as I\u2019ll make it appear,\n So I\u2019ll stand in defence of my lord Delamere.\u2019\n A stage then was built, and to battle they went,\n To kill or be killed it was their intent.\n 207B.8 The very first blow, as we understand,\n Devonshire\u2019s rapier went back to his hand;\n Then he mused awhile, but not a word spoke,\n When against the king\u2019s armour his rapier he broke.\n 207B.9 O then he stept backward, and backward stept he,\n And then stept forward my lord Willoughby;\n He gave him a rapier, and thus he did say;\n Play low, Devonshire, there\u2019s treachery, I see.\n 207B.10 He knelt on his knee, and he gave him the wound,\n With that the Dutch lord fell dead on the ground:\n The king calld his soldiers, and thus he did say:\n Call Devonshire down, take the dead man away.\n 207B.11 He answered, My liege, I\u2019ve killed him like a man,\n And it is my intent to see what clothing he\u2019s got on.\n O treachery! O treachery! as I well may say,\n It was your intent, O king, to take my life away.\n 207B.12 \u2018He fought in your armour, while I fought him bare,\n And thou, king, shalt win it before thou dost it wear;\n I neither do curse king, parliament, or throne,\n But I wish every honest man may enjoy his own.\n 207B.13 \u2018The rich men do flourish with silver and gold,\n While poor men are starving with hunger and cold;\n And if they hold on as they have begun,\n They\u2019ll make little England pay dear for a king.\u2019\n \n \n \n 207C: Lord Delamere\n \n \n 207C.1 O THE Duchess of Devonshire was standing hard by;\n Upon her dear husband she cast her lovely eye:\n \u2018Oh, fie upon treachery! there\u2019s been treachery I say,\n It was your full intent to have taen my duke\u2019s life away.\u2019\n 207C.2 Then away to the parliament these votes all went again,\n And there they acted like just and honest men.\n I neither curse my king, nor kingdom, crown or throne,\n But I wish every honest man to enjoy but what is his own.\n \n \n \n 207D: Lord Delamere\n \n \n 207D.1 IN the Parliament House a great rout has been there,\n Betwixt our good king and the lord Delaware:\n Says Lord Delaware to his Majesty full soon,\n \u2018Will it please you, my liege, to grant me a boon?\u2019\n 207D.2 \u2018What\u2019s your boon?\u2019 says the king, \u2019Now let me understand.\u2019\n \u2018It\u2019s, give me all the poor men we\u2019ve starving in this land,\n And without delay I\u2019ll hie me to Lincolnshire,\n To sow hemp-seed and flax-seed, and hang them all there.\n 207D.3 \u2018For with hempen cord it\u2019s better to stop each poor man\u2019s breath\n Than with famine you should see your subjects starve to death.\u2019\n Up starts a Dutch lord, who to Delaware did say,\n Thou deservest to be stabbd! then he turnd himself away.\n 207D.4 \u2018Thou deservest to be stabbd, and the dogs have thine ears,\n For insulting our king, in this parliament of peers.\u2019\n Up sprang a Welsh lord, the brave Duke of Devonshire:\n \u2018In young Delaware\u2019s defence, I\u2019ll fight this Dutch lord, my sire.\n 207D.5 \u2018For he is in the right, and I\u2019ll make it so appear;\n Him I dare to single combat, for insulting Delaware.\u2019\n A stage was soon erected, and to combat they went;\n For to kill or to be killd, it was either\u2019s full intent.\n 207D.6 But the very first flourish, when the heralds gave command,\n The sword of brave Devonshire bent backward on his hand.\n In suspense he paused a while, scannd his foe before he strake,\n Then against the king\u2019s armour his bent sword he brake.\n 207D.7 Then he sprang from the stage to a soldier in the ring,\n Saying, Lend your sword, that to an end this tragedy we bring.\n Though he\u2019s fighting me in armour, while I am fighting bare,\n Even more than this I\u2019d venture for young Lord Delaware.\n 207D.8 Leaping back on the stage, sword to buckler now resounds,\n Till he left the Dutch lord a bleeding in his wounds.\n This seeing, cries the king to his guards without delay,\n Call Devonshire down! take the dead man away!\n 207D.9 \u2018No,\u2019 says brave Devonshire, \u2018I\u2019ve fought him as a man;\n Since he\u2019s dead, I will keep the trophies I have won.\n For he fought me in your armour, while I fought him bare,\n And the same you must win back, my liege, if ever you them wear.\n 207D.10 \u2018God bless the Church of England! may it prosper on each hand,\n And also every poor man now starving in this land.\n And while I pray success may crown our king upon his throne,\n I\u2019ll wish every poor man may long enjoy his own.\u2019\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Next: 208. Lord Dernwentwater","title":"The Child Ballads: 207. Lord Delamere","type":"page"}