JAMES HATLEY_The English and Scottish popular ballads, volume 4 (of 5)

#A. a.# “Scotch Ballads, Materials for Border Minstrelsy,” No 35, MS.

of Thomas Wilkie, p. 6, Abbotsford. #b.# ‘James Hatley,’ Campbell

MSS, II, 289. #c.# ‘James Hatelie,’ R. Chambers, The Romantic

Scottish Ballads, their Epoch and Authorship, p. 37.

#B.# ‘James Hately,’ “Scotch Ballads, Materials for Border

Minstrelsy,” No 39, MS. of Thomas Wilkie, p. 18. The same,

transcribed by Thomas Wilkie, “Scotch Ballads,” etc., No 79,

Abbotsford.

#C.# ‘Jamie O’Lee,’ Motherwell’s MS., p. 654.

#A.# ‘Sir Fenwick’ steals the king’s jewels and lays the blame on James

Hatley, who is condemned to death. The king’s daughter steals the

prison-keys from under her father’s head and pays a visit to Hatley, who

assures her of his innocence, and tells her that Fenwick is the man.

[#b#, the king is angry, and says that for stealing his jewels Hatley

shall die ‘over the barriers:’ so #B#.] The princess goes to her father

and begs the life of Hatley, and her boon is granted without demur. She

asks one thing more, that Fenwick and Hatley may try their verity at the

sword, and this is unhesitatingly conceded. Hatley is but fifteen years

old (he is seventeen #b#, eighteen #c#, fifteen again #C#), and Fenwick

is thirty-three; nevertheless, Fenwick gets three wounds. An English

lord intermits: he would have given all his estates rather than Hatley

should escape; a Scots lord replies that he would have fought to the

knees in blood before Hatley should have been hanged. (The Scots lord is

wanting in b; the passage is likely to be borrowed from ‘Geordie,’ No

209.) The king’s eldest son asks Hatley to dine, and makes him his

captain by land and sea;[146] the king’s daughter invites him to dine,

and announces that she has made a vow to marry no other man.

#B.# Hatley, accused of stealing the king’s jewels, goes to the little

prince and asks what he will do for his page; the prince goes to his

father and asks what _he_ will do for the page. The king says that

Hatley has stolen his jewels, so a Norland lord has informed him, and

Hatley must die ‘over the barriers.’ The prince offers to fight any man

who lays the blame on Hatley. Fenwick maintains that Hatley is the

thief. The prince gives Fenwick two or three mortal wounds; Fenwick

hands him the key of his coffer, and in the coffer the jewels will be

found. The king invests Hatley with Fenwick’s lands.

#C.# A false knight, Phenix, steals the queen’s jewels, and leaves the

blame on Jamie O’Lee. The king sends for his son and tells him that

Jamie has been accused of the theft by an English lord, and shall be

banished from Scotland. The prince demands a man to fight with Jamie on

this charge, and false Phenix offers himself. The prince at first

objects, for Jamie is but fifteen years old, whereas Phenix is of course

thirty-three; however, he tells Jamie that he must fight or be banished

from _England_ (8, compare 14). Jamie protests his innocence. He fights

with Phenix and receives the first wound, then runs Phenix through the

body; Phenix owns his guilt. The king tells Jamie to come home with him;

every knight in the court shall be at his command. The queen bids Jamie

come home with her; he shall have a new livery every month. The prince

invites Jamie to come home with him; all his lands in Scotland shall be

at Jamie’s command. Jamie thanks king, queen, and nobility; he has been

a prince’s page all his life, and a prince’s page he still will be.

Lines representing #B# 12^{3,4}, #C# 17^{3,4}, have been interpolated

into the fragment of ‘The Slaughter of the Laird of Mellerstain,’ No

230:

They wad take the lands frae fause Fenwick,

And give them to James Hately.

There is no a month in a’ the year

But changëd should his claithing be.

* * * * *

#a.# “Scotch Ballads, Materials for Border Minstrelsy,” No 35, MS.

of Thomas Wilkie, p. 6, Abbotsford; “from Betty Hoyl, who learned it

from her mother,” Gattonside. #b.# Campbell MSS, II, 289. #c.# R.

Chambers, The Romantic Scottish Ballads, etc., 1859, p. 37; “taken

down many years ago from the singing of an old man in the south of

Scotland.”

It happened once upon a time,

When the king he was from home,

Sir Fenwick he has stolen his jewels,

And laid the blame on James Hatley.

James Hatley was in prison strong,

A wait he was condemned to die;

There was not one in all the court

To speak one word for James Hatley.

No one but the king’s daughter,

A wait she loved him tenderlie;

She’s stolen the keys from her father’s head,

And gaed and conversed wi James Hatley.

‘Come, tell to me now, James,’ she said,

‘Come, tell to me if thou hast them stolen,

And I’ll make a vow, and I’ll keep it true,

Ye shall never be the worse of me.’

‘I have not stolen them, lady,’ he said,

‘Nor as little it was intended by me;

Sir Fenwick he has stolen them himself;

A wait he has laid the blame on me.’

‘One asking, one asking, father dear,

One asking, one asking grant to me,

For I never asked one in my life;

I am sure you cannot but grant it to me.’

‘Weel ask it, weel ask it, daughter dear,

Ask it, and it granted shall be;

If it should be my hole estate,

Naesaid, naesaid, it shall not be.’

‘I want none of your gold, father,

And I want none of your fee;

All that I ask, father dear,

It is the life of James Hatley.’

‘Weel ask it, weel ask it, daughter dear,

Weel ask it, and it answerëd shall be;

For I’ll make a vow, and I’ll keep it true,

James Hatley shall never hangëd be.’

‘Another asking, father dear,

Another asking grant to me;

Let Fenwick and Hatley go [to] the sword,

And let them try their verity.’

‘’Tis weel askëd, daughter dear,

’Tis weel asked, and it granted shall be;

For eer the morn or twelve o’clock

They both at the point of the sword shall be.’

James Hatley was fifteen years old,

Sir Fenwick he was thirty three;

But James lap about, and he struck about,

Till he’s gaen Sir Fenwick wounds three.

‘Hold up, hold up, James Hatley,’ he cry’d,

‘And let my breath go out and in;

For I have stolen them myself,

More shame and disgrace it is to me.’

Up and spake an English lord,

And O but he spake haughtily!

‘I would reather given my whole estates

Before ye had not hanged James Hatley.’

But up and spake a Scottish lord,

And O but he spake boldly!

‘I would reather hae foughten among blood to the knees

Before ye had hanged James Hatley.’

Up and spake the king’s eldest son,

‘Come hame, James Hatley, and dine wi me;

For I’ve made a vow, I’ll keep it true,

Ye’s be my captain by land and by sea.’

Up and spake the king’s daughter,

‘Come home, James Hatley, and dine wi me;

For I’ve made a vow, I’ll keep it true,

I’ll never marry a man but thee.’

* * * * *

“Scotch Ballads, Materials for Border Minstrelsy,” No 39, MS. of

Thomas Wilkie, p. 18, “as sung by Chirsty Robertson, Dunse.” The

same, transcribed by Thomas Wilkie, “Scotch Ballads,” etc., No 79.

Abbotsford.

It happened once upon a time,

When the king he was from home,

False Fennick he has stolen his jewels,

And laid the blame on James Hately.

The day was sett . . . .

And the wind blew shill oer the lea;

There was not one in all the court

To speak a word for James Hately.

James is to the prince’s chamber gone,

And he’s bowd low down on his knee:

‘What will ye do for me, my little pretty prince?

O what will ye do for your page, James Hately?’

. . . . . . .

‘And I will away to my father, the king,

And see if your life can savëd be.’

The prince he’s to his father gone,

And he’s bowed low down on his knee:

‘What will ye do for me, my father?

O what will ye do for my page, James Hately?’

‘James Hately has my jewels stolen,

A Norland lord hath told it to me;

James Hately has my jewels stolen,

And oer the barras he maun die.’

The prince he drew his little brown sword—

It was made of the metal so free—

And he swore he would fight them man by man

That would lay the blame on James Hately.

Up then spoke the false Fennick,

And an ill-spoken man was he;

‘James Hately has the king’s jewels stolen,

. . . . . . . .’

The prince he drew his little brown sword—

It was made of the metal so free—

And he’s thrust it in false Fennick’s side,

And given him death-wounds two or three.

‘O hold your hand, my little pretty prince,

And let my breath go out and in,

For spilling of my noble blood

And shaming of my noble kin.

‘O hold your hand, my little pretty prince,

And let my breath go out and in,

And there’s the key of my coffer,

And you’ll find the king’s jewels lying therein.’

‘If this be true,’ the king he said,

‘If this be true ye tell to me,

I will take your lands, false Fennick,’ he said,

‘And give them all to James Hately.’

* * * * *

Motherwell’s MS., p. 654; “from the recitation of the wife of

Charles Drain, sow-gelder, etc., Kilmarnock.”

There was a fause knicht in the court,

And he was fu o treacherie,

And he staw the queen’s jewels in the nicht,

And left the wyte on Jamie O’Lee.

The king he wrate a braid letter,

And sealed it richt tenderlie,

And he sent it to his only son,

To come and speak to him speedilie.

When he cam afore the king,

He kneeled low down on his knee:

‘What is your will, my sovereign leige?

What is your will? cum tell to me.’

‘Jamie O’Lee has my jewels stown,

As the English lord tells unto me,

And out o Scotland he shall be sent,

And sent awa to Germanie.’

‘O no, O no,’ then said the prince,

‘Sic things as that can never be;

But get me a man that will take on hand

The morn to fecht young Jamie O’Lee.’

Syne out and spak the fause Phenix,

And oh, he spak richt spitefullie;

‘I am the man will tak on han

To fecht and conquer Jamie O’Lee.’

‘Oh no, oh no,’ syne said the prince,

‘Sic things as that can never bee,

For Jamie O’Lee’s no fifteen years auld,

And ye, fause Phenix, are thretty three.’

The prince he mounted then wi speed,

He’s aff wi tidings to Jamie O’Lee,

Saying, The morn’s morning ye maun fecht,

Or out o England banisht bee.

When Jamie O’Lee the tidings heard,

Fast the saut tear blindit his ee;

‘I’m saikless o thae jewels,’ he said,

‘As the bairn that sits on the nourice knee.’

Then Phenix munted a scaffold hie,

A’ for to shaw his veritie;

Whilk gart the nobles a’ to cry

‘A dead man are ye, Jamie O’Lee!’

The first straik the fause Phenix gied,

He gart the blude rin speedilie;

It gart the prince’s heart to ache,

And cry, Oh, alace for my Jamie O’Lee!

Jamie O’Lee he stepped back,

Waiting for opportunitie,

And wi his sword baith lang and sharp

He ran it thro Phenix fause bodie.

‘O haud your hand, Jamie O’Lee,’ he said,

‘And let the breath remain in me,

And skail nae mair o my noble blude,

’Tis a great disgrace to my loyaltie.’

‘Confess, confess, ye fause Phenix,

Confess your faults this day to me;

Were there nae mair men in a’ England,

My ain twa hands your death suld be.’

‘Ye were sae great wi king and queen,

I thocht I wuld hae banisht thee,

And I staw the queen’s jewels in the nicht,

And left the wyte on Jamie O’Lee.’

Syne out and spak the king himsell,

Saying, Jamie O’Lee, come hame wi me,

And there’s no a knicht in a’ my court

But what at your command sall be.

Syne out and spak the queen hersell,

Saying, Jamie O’Lee, come hame wi me,

And there’s no a month in a’ the year

But changed and brothered ye sall be.

Syne out and spak the prince himsell,

Saying, Jamie O’Lee, come hame wi me;

I hae free lands in a’ Scotland,

And at your command they a’ sall be.

‘I thank ye, king, and I thank ye, queen,

I thank ye a’, nobilitie,

But a prince’s page I was a’ my life,

And a prince’s page I yet will be.’

The king gied him a silk waistcoat,

And it was lined wi the taffetie,

Wi a band o gowd around his neck,

And a prince’s page he seems to be.

* * * * *

#A. a.#

1^1. day _written over_ time.

1^2. from home was he?

2^2, 3^2, 5^4. Await.

4^2. _The_ -ee _rhyme may be restored by transposing_ Come tell to

me, as in #c# (_or adding_ said she).

7^4. Nae said, nae said.

13^2–13^3. _Two half-stanzas are wanting here_: _see_ #b#, #c#.

_16 follows 17, but see_ #b#, #c#.

#b.#

1^2. king was from home but lately.

1^3. That Sir.

2^1. was laid.

2^2, 3^2, 5^4. I wat.

2^3. And there’s not a man in.

2^4. Wad speak.

3^1. king’s fair.

3^4. And went in and.

4^2. if you have.

4^3. vow, I’ll.

5^2. was it.

5^4. And I wat he’s.

_After 5_:

* * * * *

Up then spak the king himsel,

And an angry man I wot was he:

‘For stealin o my jewels rare,

Hatlie shall oer the barriers die.’

6^{1,2}. A boon, a boon, O.

6^3. askit a boon before.

6^4. And I’m sure that you will grant it me.

7^1. O ask it, ask it.

7^3. And gin it be the half o my estate.

7^4. Granted sal it be to thee.

‘O grant me this favour, father dear,

O grant this favour unto me,

For I never askëd favour before;

O spare the life of James Hatlie!’