My mother banished, O extreame
Unhappy fate, and bitter bayne!70
And now like treason wrought for me—
What more unhappie realme can be!"
Alas for woe, &c.
The king did call his nurse to his grace,
And gave her twenty poundes a yeere;75
And trustie Browne too in like case,
He knighted him with gallant geere,
And gave him lands and livings great,
For dooing such a manly feat,
As he did showe, to the bishop's woe,80
Which made, &c.
When all this treason done and past
Tooke not effect of traytery,
Another treason at the last,
They sought against his majestie;85
How they might make their kinge away
By a privie banket on a daye.
Alas for woe, &c.
'Another time' to sell the king
Beyonde the seas they had decreede:90
Three noble Earles heard of this thing,
And did prevent the same with speede.
For a letter came, with such a charme,
That they should doo their king no harme:
For further woe, if they did soe,95
Would make a sorrowful heigh hoe.
The Earle Mourton told the Douglas then,
"Take heede you do not offend the king;
But shew yourselves like honest men
Obediently in every thing;100
For [his godmother] will not see
Her noble child misus'd to be
With any woe; for if it be so,
She will make," &c.
God graunt all subjects may be true,105
In England, Scotland, every where,
That no such daunger may ensue,
To put the prince or state in feare:
That God, the highest king, may see
Obedience as it ought to be.110
In wealth or woe, God graunt it be so,
To avoide the sorrowful heigh ho.
[68]. His father was Henry Lord Darnley. His grandfather, the old Earl of Lenox, regent of Scotland, and father of Lord Darnley, was murdered at Stirling, Sept. 5, 1571.—P.
[101]. Queen Elizabeth.