Classic Poem

Woe : worth thee, woe worth thee, false Scottlande!
ffor thou hast eu er wrought by a sleight;
for the worthyest Prince tha t euer was borne,
you hanged vnder a cloud by night!

the queene of ffrance a letter wrote,
& sealed itt w i th hart and ringe;
& bade him come Scottland w i thin,
& shee wold marry him & crowne him K ing .

to be a K ing , itt is a pleasant thing;
to bee a Prince vnto a Peere;
but you haue heard, & so haue I too,
a man may well by gold to deere.

there was an Italyan in that place,
was as welbeloved as euer was hee;
Lo rd David was his name,
chamberlaine vnto the Queene was hee

ffor if the King had risen forth of his place,
he wold haue sitt him downe in the cheare,
& tho itt beseemed him not soe well,
altho the King had beene p re sent there

some lords in Scottland waxed wonderous wroth,
& quarrelld w i th him for the nonce:
I shall you tell how itt beffell;
12 daggers were in him all att once

when this queene see the Chamberlaine was slaine,
for him her cheeks shee did weete,
& made a vow for a 12 month & a day
the K ing & shee wold not come in one sheete.

then some of the Lo rd s of Scottland waxed wrothe,
& made their vow vehementlye,
" for death of the queenes Chamberlaine
the K ing himselfe he shall dye."

they strowed his chamber ou er w i th gunpowder,
& layd greene rushes in his way;
ffor the traitors thought tha t night
the worthy king for to betray

to bedd the worthy K ing made him bowne;
to take his rest, tha t was his desire;
he was noe sooner cast on sleepee,
but his chamber was on a blasing fyer

vp he lope, & a glasse window broke;
he had 30 foote for to ffall

Lo rd Bodwell kept a priuy wach
vnderneath his castle wall
" who haue wee heere? " sayd Lo rd Bodwell;
" answer me, now I doe call. "

" K ing Henery the 8 th my vnckle was;
some pitty show for his sweet sake!
" Ah, Lo rd Bodwell! I know thee well;
some pitty on me I pray thee take! "

" Ile pitty thee as much, " he sayd,
" & as much favor Ile show to thee
As thou had on the Queenes Chamberlaine
tha t day thou deemedst him to dye. "

through halls & towers this K ing they Ledd,
through castles & towers tha t were hye,
through an arbor into an orchard,
& there hanged him in a peare tree.

when the gou er nor of Scottland he heard tell
tha t the worthye king he was slaine,
he hath banished the Queene soe bitterlye
tha t in Scottland shee dare not remaine;

but shee is ffled into Merry England,
& Scottland to aside hath laine;
& through the Queene of Englands good grace
now in England shee doth remaine.