No plausible foundation for this ballad has as yet been found in history. It has been suggested that Delaware is a corruption of De la Mare, a speaker of the House of Commons, and a great advocate of popular rights, in the reign of Edward the Third! But there is no accounting for the Dutch lord and the Welsh Duke of Devonshire on this or any other supposition.
The ballad is given from Lyle's Ancient Ballads and Songs, p. 135, as "noted down from the singing of a gentleman," and then "remodelled and smoothed down" by the editor. The same copy is printed in Dixon's Ancient Poems, Ballads and Songs (Percy Society, vol. xvii.), p. 80, and in Bell's volume with the same title, p. 66.
In the Parliament House,
A great rout has been there,
Betwixt our good king
And the Lord Delaware:
Says Lord Delaware5
To his Majesty full soon,
"Will it please you, my Liege,
To grant me a boon?"
"What's your boon?" says the King,
"Now let me understand."10
"It's, give me all the poor men
We've starving in this land;
And without delay, I'll hie me
To Lincolnshire,
To sow hemp-seed and flax-seed,15
And hang them all there.
"For with hempen cord it's better
To stop each poor man's breath,
Than with famine you should see
Your subjects starve to death."20
Up starts a Dutch lord,
Who to Delaware did say,
"Thou deservest to be stabb'd!"
Then he turned himself away:
"Thou deservest to be stabb'd,25
And the dogs have thine ears,
For insulting our king
In this parliament of peers."
Up sprang a Welsh lord,
The brave Duke of Devonshire,30
"In young Delaware's defence, I'll fight
This Dutch lord, my Sire.
"For he is in the right,
And I'll make it so appear:
Him I dare to single combat,35
For insulting Delaware."
A stage was soon erected,
And to combat they went,
For to kill, or to be kill'd,
It was either's full intent.40
But the very first flourish,
When the heralds gave command,
The sword of brave Devonshire
Bent backward on his hand;
In suspense he paused awhile,45
Scann'd his foe before he strake,
Then against the king's armour,
His bent sword he brake.