Argyll sall have the worse,
Give he into this countrie kaithe,
I houpe in God[i]s cross." 60
Then leap this lord upon his horss,
Ane warrlyk troupe at Torray;
To meit with Huntlie and his force,
They ryde to Elgine of Murray.
The samen night thir lordis meit; 65
For utheris, who thought long,
(To tell zow all, I haue forgot)
The mirthe was them amonge.
Then playeris played, and songsters song,
To gled the mirrie host, 70
Quho feared not thair foes strong,
Nor zet Argylles boste.
They for two dayes wold not remove,
Bot blaithlie dranck the wyne,
Some to his lass, some to his loue, 75
Some to his ladeis fyne.
And he that thought not for to blyne,
His mistres tockin tackes;
They kist it first, and set it syne
Upone thair helmes and jackes. 80
They past thair tyme right wantonly,
Quhill word cam at ye last,
Argyll, with ane great armie,
Approached wondrous fast.
Then [out] of the toune thir barrones past, 85
And Huntlie to them said,
"Good gentillmen, we will us cast
To Strathbolgie but bed."[L88]
Quhen they unto Strathbolgie came,[L89]
To that castell but dreid, 90
Then to forsee how thingis might frame,[L91]
For they had meikle neid,
They woned them unto the dead,
As kirkmen could devys;
Syne prayed to God that they might speed 95
Off thair guid enterpryse.
Then evirie man himself did arme,
To meit Mackallanmorne,
Unto Strathdoune quho did great harme
The Wednesday beforne. 100
As lyounes does poore lambes devoure,
With bloodie teethe and naillis,
They burnt the biggingis, tuik the store,
Syne slewe the peopillis sellis.
Besyd all this hie crueltie, 105
He said, ere he should ceass,
The standing stonnes of Strathbolgie
Schould be his palione place.
Bot Huntlie said, "With Godis grace,
First we sall fight them ones; 110
Perchance that they may tak the chess,
Ere they come to the stonnes."
Thir lordis keipt on at afternoone,
With all thair warrmen wight;
Then sped up to Cabrach sone, 115
Whair they bed all that night.
Upone the morne, quhen day was light,
They rose and maid them boune
Intill ane castell that stood on hight,
They call it Auchindoune. 120
Besyd that castell, on a croft,
They stended pallionis ther;
Then spak a man that had bein oft
In jeopardie of warr:
"My lord, zour foes they ar to fear, 125
Thoughe we war neuir so stoute;
Thairfoir comand some man of warre
To watche the rest about."
Be this was done, some gentillmen
Of noble kin and blood, 130
To counsell with thir lordis begane,
Of matteris to concluide:
For weill aneughe they understood
The matter was of weght,
They had so manie men of good 135
In battell for to fight.
The firstin man in counsall spak,
Good Errol it was he;
Who sayis, "I will the vaneguard tack
And leiding upone me. 140
My Lord Huntlie, come succour me,
When ze sie me opprest;
For fra the feild I will not flie
So long as I may last."
Thair at some Gordones waxed wraithe, 145
And said he did them wrong;
To lat this lord then they warre leath
First to [the] battell gange.
The meiting that was them amonge,[L149]
Was no man that it hard, 150
Bot Huntlie, with ane troupe full stronge,
Bed into the reir guarde.
Thir wer the number of thair force
Thir lordis to battell led:
Ane thousand gentillmen on horss, 155
And some fotemen they had;
Thrie hundreth that schot arrowes bred,
Four scorr that hagbutis bore:
Thir war the number that they had
Of footmen with them suire. 160
This worthy chevalrie[L161]
All merchand to the field;
Argyll, with ane great armie,
Upone ane hill had tane beild,
Aboyding them [with] speare and scheild,[L165] 165
With bullettis, dartis, and bowes;
The men could weill thair wapones weild;[L167]
To meit them was no mowes.
When they so near uther war come,
That ilk man saw his foe, 170
"Goe to, and assay the gaime," said some;
Bot Capitane Ker said, "No:
First lat the gunes befoir us goe,
That they may break the order":
Quoth both the lordis, "Lat it be so, 175
Or euer we goe forder."
Then Androw Gray, upone ane horss,
Betuixt the battillis red;
Makand the signe of holy cross,
_In manus tuas_ he said.[L180] 180
He lighted thair [the] gunes to led,
Quhill they cam to the rest;
Then Capitane Ker unto him sped,
And bad him shuit in haist.
"I will not [shuit]," quothe Androw Gray, 185
"Quhill they cum over zonder hill;
We have an ower guid caus this dey,[L187]
Through misgydins to spill.
Goe back, and bid our men byd still,
Quhill they cum to the plaine; 190
Then sall my shuitting doe them ill,
I will not shuit in vaine."
"Shuit up, shuit up," quothe Capitane Ker,
"Shuit up, to our comfort!"
The firsten shot [it] was to neir, 195
It lighted all to schort.
The nixtin shot thair foes hurt,
It lighted wounderous weill:
Quoth Androw Gray, "I sie ane sport,
Quhen they began to reill. 200
"Goe toe, good mattes, and say the game,
Zonder folkis ar in a fray;
Lat sie how we can well with them,
Into thair disaray.
Goe, goe, it is not tyme to stay, 205
All for my bennisoune;
Saue non this day ze may gar dye,
Quhill ze the feild haue wonne."[L209]
Then Errol haisted to the hight,
Whair he did battell byd;
With him went Auchindoune and Gight,[L219]
And Bonnitoune by his syd: 220
Whair manie gentillman did with him byd,
Whos prais sould not be smored;
Bot Capitane Ker, that was thair gyde,
Red ay befoir my lord.
They war not manie men of werre, 225
Bot they war wonder trewe;
With hagbutis, pistolet, bowe, and speare,
They did thair foes persewe,
Quhair bullettis, dartis, and arrowes flew,
Als thick as haill or raine, 230
Quhilk manie hurt, and some they slew,
Of horss and gentillmen.
Huntlie maid haist to succour him,
And charged furiouslie,
Quhair manie menis sight grew dim, 235
The shottis so thick did flie;
Quhilk gart right manie doghtie die,
Of some on euerie syd;
Argyll with his tald hoste did flie,
Bot Macklenne did abyd. 240
Macklene had one ane habershoune,
Ilk lord had one ane jack;
Togidder feirc[e]lie are they rune,
With manie a gunes crack.
The splenderis of thair spearis they break, 245
Flewe up into the air,
Quhilk boore doune maney on thair back,
Againe ros neuer mair.[L249]
"Alace, I sie ane soré sight," 265
Said the Laird of Macklenne;
"Our feible folkis is tenne the flight,
And left me myne allaine.
Now must I flie, or els be slaine,
Since they will not returne;" 270
With that he ran ouer ane dyne,
Endlongis ane lytill burne.
Then after great Argylles hoste
Some horssmen tuik the chess,
Quha turned their backes for all thair bost, 275
Contrair the fooles say[s].
They cried "oh," with manie "alace,"
Bot neuir for mercie sought;
Thairfoir the Gordones gaue no grace,
Becaus they craved it nought. 280
Then some guidman perseiued sharpe,[L281]
With Erroll and Huntlie,
And thai with [a] capitane did carpe,
Quhais name was Ogilvie.
He sayis, "Gentillmen, lat see 285
Who maniest slaine slaydis;[L286]
Save non this day ze may gar die,
For pleadis, nor ransome paynes."[L288]
Lyk hartes, up howes and hillis thei ranne,
Quhair horsmen might not winn: 290
"Reteir againe," quoth Huntlie then,
"Quhair we did first begin.
Heir lyes manie carved skinnes,
With manie ane bloodie beard,
For anie helpe, with litell dinne, 295
Sall rotte aboue the eard."
When they cam to the hill againe,
The sett doune one thair knees,
Syne thanked God that they had slaine
Soe manie enimies. 300
They ros befor Argylles eyis,
Maid Capitane Ker ane knight;
Syne bed among the dead bodies,
Whill they war out of sight.
[L305-12]
[L313-20]
This deid so doughtilie was done,
As I hard trewe men tell,
Upone ane Thursday afternoone,
St. Franecis ewill befell.[L324]
Guid Auchindoune was slaine himself, 325
With uther seven in battéll;
So was the Laird of Lochinzell,
Grate pitie was to tell.
13-24.
Saying, "The ministers, I fear,
A bloody browst have brown,
For yesterday, withouthen mair, 15
On the hill at Stradown,
I saw three lords in battle fight
Right furiously awhile,
Huntlie and Errol, as they hight,
Were both against Argyle. 20
Turn back with me and ride a mile,
And I shall make it kend,
How they began, the form and stile,
And of the battles end."
JAMIESON.
36. landis.
88. beed.
91. fraine.
89-96. This stanza is unintelligible in Dalzell. It stands thus in
Laing's copy.
When they unto Strathboggy came,
To council soon they geed,
For to see how things might frame,
For they had meikle need.
They voted then to do a deed
As kirkmen do devise,
And pray'd that they might find good speed
In that great interprise.
149. This line seems to be corrupted.
161. Some words are lost.
Thus with their noble cavalry
They marched to the field.
LAING.
165. speares and scheildis.
167. weild thair wapones weill.
180. mannis.
187. then ower.
209-216.
Then awful Erroll he can say
"Good fellows, follow me: 210
I hope it shall be ours this day,
Or else therefore to die.
Tho they in number many be,[L213]
Set on, withoutten words;
Let ilk brave fellow brake his tree, 215
And then pursue with swords."
213. many were.
219. within went.
249-56.
Then some men said, "We will be sure
And take Maclean by course; 250
Go to, for we are men anew
To bear him down by force."
But noble Errol had remorse,
And said, "It is not best,
For tho Argyle has got the worst, 255
Let him gang with the rest.
257-64.
"What greater honour could ye wish
In deeds of chivalry,
Or brave victory than this,
Where one has chac'd thrice three? 260
Therefore, good fellows, let him be;
He'll die before he yield;
For he with his small company
Bade langest in the field."
281. perceiued.
286, 288. corrupted.
305-12.
Now I have you already tauld, 305
Huntly and Errol's men
Could scarce be thirteen hundred called,
The truth if ye would ken.[L308]
And yet Argyle his thousands ten[L309]
Were they that took the race, 310
And tho that they were nine to ane,
They caused [them] take the chace.
308. he.
309. has.
313-20.
Sae Argyle's boast it was in vain,
(He thought sure not to tyne)
That if he durst cum to the plain, 315
He would gar every nine
Of his lay hold upon ilk man
Huntly and Errol had:
But yet for all his odds he ran[L319]
To tell how ill he sped. 320
319. fled.
324. should be _eve_, or _vigil_.
BONNY JOHN SETON.
This ballad is taken from Maidment's _North Countrie Garland_, p. 15.
There is another version in Buchan's _Ballads of the North of
Scotland_, ii. 136 (_The Death of John Seton_).
John Seton of Pitmedden, a young and brave cavalier, was shot through
the middle by a cannon ball, during the skirmish at the Bridge of Dee,
while engaged, under the Viscount of Aboyne, in resisting the advance
of Montrose upon the town of Aberdeen, in June, 1639. It was the hard
fate of Aberdeen to suffer from the arms of Montrose, first, when he
was general of the Covenanters, and again while he was lieutenant for
the King. The murder and pillage perpetrated in the town by the Irish
after the defeat of Lord Burleigh, in 1644, have been made the subject
of violent reproach by his enemies, but it may perhaps be said, that
for all that exceeded the usual horrors of war, the heroic commander
was not responsible. In Buchan's version of the present ballad, the
clemency shown by Montrose on taking possession of the city in 1639 is
commemorated in three stanzas worthy of preservation. The Covenanters
were "resolved to have sacked it orderly."
Out it speeks the gallant Montrose,
(Grace on his fair body!)
"We winna burn the bonny burgh,
We'll even lat it be."
Then out it speaks the gallant Montrose,
"Your purpose I will break;
We winna burn the bonny burgh,
We'll never build its make.
"I see the women and their children
Climbing the craigs sae hie;
We'll sleep this night in the bonny burgh,
And even lat it be."
* * * * *
Upon the eighteenth day of June,
A dreary day to see,
The Southern lords did pitch their camp
Just at the bridge of Dee.
Bonny John Seton of Pitmeddin, 5
A bold baron was he,
He made his testament ere he went out,
The wiser man was he.
He left his land to his young son,
His lady her dowry, 10
A thousand crowns to his daughter Jean,
Yet on the nurse's knee.
Then out came his lady fair,
A tear into her e'e;
Says "Stay at home, my own good lord, 15
O stay at home with me!"
He looked over his left shoulder,
Cried, "Souldiers, follow me!"
O then she looked in his face,
An angry woman was she: 20
"God send me back my steed again,
But ne'er let me see thee!"
His name was Major Middleton
That manned the bridge of Dee;
His name was Colonel Henderson 25
That let the cannons flee.
His name was Major Middleton
That manned the bridge of Dee;
And his name was Colonel Henderson
That dung Pitmeddin in three. 30
Some rode on the black and gray,
And some rode on the brown,
But the bonny John Seton
Lay gasping on the ground.
Then bye there comes a false Forbes, 35
Was riding from Driminere;
Says "Here there lies a proud Seton,
This day they ride the rear."
Cragievar said to his men,[L39]
"You may play on your shield; 40
For the proudest Seton in all the lan'
This day lies on the field."
"O spoil him, spoil him," cried Cragievar,
"Him spoiled let me see;
For on my word," said Cragievar, 45
"He had no good will at me."
They took from him his armour clear,
His sword, likewise his shield;
Yea they have left him naked there
Upon the open field. 50
The Highland men, they're clever men
At handling sword and shield,
But yet they are too naked men
To stay in battle field.
The Highland men are clever men[L55] 55
At handling sword or gun,
But yet they are too naked men
To bear the cannon's rung.
For a cannon's roar in a summer night
Is like thunder in the air; 60
There's not a man in Highland dress
Can face the cannon's fire.
39. Sir William Forbes of Cragievar.
55-62. The Highlanders were thrown into great consternation by cannon
shot, to which they were not accustomed. At the Raid of Stonehaven, just
previous to the affair of the Bridge of Dee, the first volley made them
wheel about and fly in disorder. They declared that they could not abide
"the musket's mother."
THE HAWS OF CROMDALE.
Ritson's _Scottish Songs_, ii. 40. Johnson's _Museum_, p. 502.
This ballad, very popular in Scotland, was long sold on the stalls
before it was received into the collections. A glance will show that
it has at best been very imperfectly transmitted by oral tradition. In
fact, the Ettrick Shepherd seems to be right in maintaining that two
widely separated events are here jumbled together. The first five
stanzas apparently refer to an action in May, 1690, when Sir Thomas
Livingston surprised fifteen hundred Highlanders in their beds at
Cromdale, and the remainder to the lost battle of Auldern, where
Montrose, with far inferior forces, defeated Sir John Hurry with
prodigious slaughter, on the 4th of May, 1645. Mr. Stenhouse states,
indeed, that after that imprudent division of the army of the Covenant
which opened the way to the disaster at Auldern, Hurry surprised and
routed at Cromdale a body of Highlanders under the lion-hearted
Allaster Macdonald. But this check appears, by his own language, to
have been too slight an affair to call forth such verses as those with
which the ballad begins. See Hogg's _Jacobite Relics_, ii. 157,
Johnson's _Museum_ (1853), iv. 428.
As I came in by Achendown,
A little wee bit frae the town,
When to the highlands I was bown,
To view the haws of Cromdale,
I met a man in tartan trews, 5
I spier'd at him what was the news:
Quoth he, "The highland army rues
That e'er we came to Cromdale."
"We were in bed, sir, every man,
When the English host upon us came; 10
A bloody battle then began
Upon the haws of Cromdale.
"The English horse they were so rude,
They bath'd their hoofs in highland blood,
But our brave clans they boldly stood, 15
Upon the haws of Cromdale.
"But alas! we could no longer stay,
For o'er the hills we came away,
And sore we do lament the day
That e'er we came to Cromdale." 20
* * * * *
Thus the great Montrose did say,
"Can you direct the nearest way?
For I will o'er the hills this day,
And view the haws of Cromdale."
"Alas, my lord, you're not so strong; 25
You scarcely have two thousand men,
And there's twenty thousand on the plain,
Stand rank and file on Cromdale."
Thus the great Montrose did say,
"I say, direct the nearest way, 30
For I will o'er the hills this day,
And see the haws of Cromdale."
They were at dinner, every man,
When great Montrose upon them came;
A second battle then began 35
Upon the haws of Cromdale.
The Grants, Mackenzies, and M'Kys,
Soon as Montrose they did espy,
O then they fought most vehemently,
Upon the haws of Cromdale. 40
The M'Donalds, they return'd again,
The Camerons did their standard join,
M'Intosh play'd a bonny game,
Upon the haws of Cromdale.
The M'Gregors fought like lyons bold, 45
M'Phersons, none could them controul,
M'Lauchlins fought like loyal souls,
Upon the haws of Cromdale.
[M'Leans, M'Dougals, and M'Neals,
So boldly as they took the field, 50
And made their enemies to yield,
Upon the haws of Cromdale.]
The Gordons boldly did advance,
The Fraziers [fought] with sword and lance,
The Grahams they made their heads to dance, 55
Upon the haws of Cromdale.
The loyal Stewarts, with Montrose,
So boldly set upon their foes,
And brought them down with highland blows,
Upon the haws of Cromdale 60
Of twenty thousand Cromwells men
Five hundred went to Aberdeen,
The rest of them lyes on the plain,
Upon the haws of Cromdale.
THE BATTLE OF ALFORD.
Two months after the defeat of Sir John Hurry at Auldern, Montrose
utterly destroyed the other division of the covenanting army, under
General Baillie, at Alford on the Don. On the 2d of July, the King's
forces marched from Drumminor, and crossed the Don to Alford, Montrose
and the Earl of Aboyne taking up their quarters in the castle of
Asloun. Baillie, who was now in pursuit of the royalists, moved
southward, and encamped on the day just mentioned, at Lesly. The next
morning he crossed the river (halting on the way near a farm called
Mill Hill), whereupon the battle took place. Montrose dearly purchased
this new victory by the loss of Lord George Gordon, who commanded the
_right_ wing, not the left.
These fragmentary verses are from _The Thistle of Scotland_, p. 68.
The Graham[s and] Gordons of Aboyne
Camp'd at Drumminor bog;
At the castle there they lay all night,
And left them scarce a hog.
The black Baillie, that auld dog, 5
Appeared on our right;
We quickly raise up frae the bog,
To Alford march'd that night.
We lay at Lesly all night,
They camped at Asloun; 10
And up we raise afore daylight,
To ding the beggars doun.
Before we was in battle rank,
We was anent Mill Hill;
I wat full weel they gar'd us rue,[L15] 15
We gat fighting our fill.
They hunted us and dunted us,
They drave us here and there,
Untill three hundred of our men
Lay gasping in their lair. 20
The Earl of Mar the right wing guided,
The colours stood him by;
Lord George Gordon the left wing guided,
Who well the sword could ply.
There came a ball shot frae the west 25
That shot him through the back;
Although he was our enemy,
We grieved for his wreck.
We cannot say 'twas his own men,
But yet it came that way; 30
In Scotland there was not a match
To that man where he lay.
15. fell.
THE BATTLE OF PENTLAND HILLS.
_Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border_, ii. 203
"The insurrection commemorated and magnified in the following ballad,
as indeed it has been in some histories, was, in itself, no very
important affair. It began in Dumfries-shire, where Sir James Turner,
a soldier of fortune, was employed to levy the arbitrary fines imposed
for not attending the Episcopal churches. The people rose, seized his
person, disarmed his soldiers, and, having continued together,
resolved to march towards Edinburgh, expecting to be joined by their
friends in that quarter. In this they were disappointed; and, being
now diminished to half their numbers, they drew up on the Pentland
Hills, at a place called Rullien Green. They were commanded by one
Wallace; and here they awaited the approach of General Dalziel, of
Binns; who, having marched to Calder, to meet them on the Lanark road,
and finding, that, by passing through Collington, they had got to the
other side of the hills, cut through the mountains and approached
them. Wallace showed both spirit and judgment: he drew up his men in a
very strong situation, and withstood two charges of Dalziel's cavalry;
but, upon the third shock, the insurgents were broken and utterly
dispersed. There was very little slaughter, as the cavalry of Dalziel
were chiefly gentlemen, who pitied their oppressed and misguided
countrymen. There were about fifty killed, and as many made prisoners.
The battle was fought on the 28th November, 1666; a day still
observed by the scattered remnant of the Cameronian sect, who
regularly hear a field-preaching upon the field of battle.
"I am obliged for a copy of the ballad to Mr. Livingston of Airds, who
took it down from the recitation of an old woman residing on his
estate.
"The gallant Grahams, mentioned in the text, are Graham of
Claverhouse's horse." SCOTT.
The gallant Grahams cam from the west,
Wi' their horses black as ony craw;
The Lothian lads they marched fast,
To be at the Rhyns o' Gallowa.
Betwixt Dumfries town and Argyle, 5
The lads they marched mony a mile;
Souters and tailors unto them drew,
Their covenants for to renew.
The Whigs, they, wi' their merry cracks,
Gar'd the poor pedlars lay down their packs; 10
But aye sinsyne they do repent
The renewing o' their Covenant.
At the Mauchline muir, where they were review'd,
Ten thousand men in armour show'd;
But, ere they came to the Brockie's burn, 15
The half of them did back return.
General Dalyell, as I hear tell,
Was our lieutenant-general;
And Captain Welsh, wi' his wit and skill,
Was to guide them on to the Pentland hill. 20
General Dalyell held to the hill,
Asking at them what was their will;
And who gave them this protestation,
To rise in arms against the nation?
"Although we all in armour be, 25
It's not against his majesty;
Nor yet to spill our neighbour's bluid,
But wi' the country we'll conclude."
"Lay down your arms, in the King's name,
And ye shall a' gae safely hame;" 30
But they a' cried out wi' ae consent,
"We'll fight for a broken Covenant."
"O well," says he, "since it is so,
A wilfu' man never wanted woe:"
He then gave a sign unto his lads, 35
And they drew up in their brigades.
The trumpets blew, and the colours flew,
And every man to his armour drew;
The Whigs were never so much aghast,
As to see their saddles toom sae fast. 40
The cleverest men stood in the van,
The Whigs they took their heels and ran;
But such a raking was never seen,
As the raking o' the Rullien Green.
THE READING SKIRMISH.
Several companies, principally Irish, belonging to the army of King
James, and stationed at Reading, had quitted the town in consequence
of a report that the Prince of Orange was advancing in that direction
with the main body of his forces. On the departure of the garrison,
the people of Reading at once invited the Prince to take possession of
the place, and secure them against the Irish. But the King's troops,
having learned that it was only a small detachment of William's
soldiers, and not the main army, by whom they were threatened,
returned and reoccupied their post. Here they were attacked by two
hundred and fifty of the Dutch, and though numbering six hundred, were
soon put to flight, with the loss of their colors and of fifty men,
the assailants losing but five. This skirmish occurred on Sunday, the
9th of December, 1688.
This piece is extracted from Croker's _Historical Songs of Ireland_,
p. 14, Percy Society, vol. i., and was there given from a collection
of printed ballads in the British Museum. The burden seems to be
derived from the following stanza of _Lilli burlero_:
"Now, now de heretics all go down,
_Lilli, &c._
By Chreist and St. Patrick de nation's our own,
_Lilli, &c._
THE READING SKIRMISH;
OR, THE BLOODY IRISH ROUTED BY THE VICTORIOUS DUTCH.
Five hundred papishes came there,
To make a final end
Of all the town, in time of prayer,
But God did them defend.
To the tune of _Lilli borlero_. Licensed according to order. Printed
for J. D. in the year 1688.
We came into brave Reading by night,
Five hundred horsemen proper and tall;
Yet not resolved fairly to fight,
But for to cut the throats of them all.
Most of us was Irish Papists, 5
Who vowed to kill, then plunder the town;
We this never doubted, but soon we were routed,
By Chreest and St. Patrick, we all go down.