Sir John got him an ambling nag,To Scotland for to ride-a,With a hundred horse more, all his own he swore,To guard him on every side-a.No errant-knight ever went to fight5With halfe so gay a bravado,Had you seen but his look, you'ld have sworn on a book,Hee'ld have conquer'd a whole armado.The ladies ran all to the windowes to seeSo gallant and warlike a sight-a,10And as he pass'd by, they began to cry,"Sir John, why will you go fight-a?"But he, like a cruel knight, spurr'd on,His heart did not relent-a;For, till he came there, he shew'd no fear;15Till then why should he repent-a?The king (God bless him!) had singular hopesOf him and all his troop-a:The borderers they, as they met him on the way,For joy did hollow and whoop-a.20None lik'd him so well as his own colonel,Who took him forJohn de Weart-a;But when there were shows of gunning and blows,My gallant was nothing so peart-a.For when the Scots army came within sight,25And all men prepared to fight-a,He ran to his tent; they ask'd what he meant;He swore he must needs goe s——- a.The colonel sent for him back agen,To quarter him in the van-a,30But Sir John did swear, he came not thereTo be kill'd the very first man-a.To cure his fear, he was sent to the rere,Some ten miles back, and more-a;Where he did play at tre trip for hay,35And ne'er saw the enemy more-a.But now there is peace, he's returned to increaseHis money, which lately he spent-a;But his lost honor must still lye in the dust;At Barwick away it went-a.40
Sir John got him an ambling nag,To Scotland for to ride-a,With a hundred horse more, all his own he swore,To guard him on every side-a.
No errant-knight ever went to fight5With halfe so gay a bravado,Had you seen but his look, you'ld have sworn on a book,Hee'ld have conquer'd a whole armado.
The ladies ran all to the windowes to seeSo gallant and warlike a sight-a,10And as he pass'd by, they began to cry,"Sir John, why will you go fight-a?"
But he, like a cruel knight, spurr'd on,His heart did not relent-a;For, till he came there, he shew'd no fear;15Till then why should he repent-a?
The king (God bless him!) had singular hopesOf him and all his troop-a:The borderers they, as they met him on the way,For joy did hollow and whoop-a.20
None lik'd him so well as his own colonel,Who took him forJohn de Weart-a;But when there were shows of gunning and blows,My gallant was nothing so peart-a.
For when the Scots army came within sight,25And all men prepared to fight-a,He ran to his tent; they ask'd what he meant;He swore he must needs goe s——- a.
The colonel sent for him back agen,To quarter him in the van-a,30But Sir John did swear, he came not thereTo be kill'd the very first man-a.
To cure his fear, he was sent to the rere,Some ten miles back, and more-a;Where he did play at tre trip for hay,35And ne'er saw the enemy more-a.
But now there is peace, he's returned to increaseHis money, which lately he spent-a;But his lost honor must still lye in the dust;At Barwick away it went-a.40
15.For till he came there, what had he to fear;Or why should he repent-a?Percy.22. John de Wert was a German general of reputation, and the terror of the French in the reign of Louis XIII. Hence his name became proverbial in France, where he was called De Vert.Percy.
15.
For till he came there, what had he to fear;Or why should he repent-a?
For till he came there, what had he to fear;Or why should he repent-a?
Percy.
22. John de Wert was a German general of reputation, and the terror of the French in the reign of Louis XIII. Hence his name became proverbial in France, where he was called De Vert.Percy.
FromMinstrelsy of the Scottish Border, ii. 177.
By a rapid series of extraordinary victories, (seeThe Haws of Cromdale, andThe Battle of Alfordin the Appendix,) Montrose had subdued Scotland to the royal arms, from the Grampians to Edinburgh. After taking possession of the capital, he marched forward to the frontiers, with the intention of completing the subjugation of the southern provinces, and even of leading his wild array into England to the support of King Charles. Having traversed the Border, and strengthened his army (greatly diminished by the departure of the Irish and many of the Highlanders) with some small reinforcements, Montrose encamped on the 12th of September, 1645, at Philiphaugh, a large plain,separated by the river Ettrick from the town of Selkirk, and extending in an easterly direction from a wooded hill, called the Harehead-wood, to a high ground which forms the banks of the river Tweed. Here the infantry were very conveniently disposed, while the general took up his quarters with all his cavalry at Selkirk, thus interposing a river between his horse and foot. This extraordinary error, whether rashness or oversight, was destined to be severely expiated. The very next morning, the Covenanters, under General David Lesly, recalled from England by the danger threatened their cause by the victories of Montrose, crossed the Ettrick and fell on the encampment of the infantry, unperceived by a single scout. A hopeless discomfiture was the natural consequence. Montrose, roused by the firing, arrived with a few of his cavalry too late to redeem the day, and beheld his army slaughtered, or scattered in a retreat in which he was himself fain to join. The fruit of all his victories was lost in this defeat, and he was never again able to make head in Scotland against the Covenanters.
The following ballad was first printed by Sir Walter Scott, with prefatory remarks which we have here abridged. It is preserved by tradition in Selkirkshire, and coincides closely with historical fact.
On Philiphaugh a fray began,At Hairhead-wood it ended;The Scots out o'er the Græmes they ran,Sae merrily they bended.Sir David frae the Border came,5Wi' heart an' hand came he;Wi' him three thousand bonny Scots,To bear him company.Wi' him three thousand valiant men,A noble sight to see!10A cloud o' mist them weel conceal'd,As close as e'er might be.When they came tothe Shaw burn,Said he, "Sae weel we frame,I think it is convenient15That we should sing a psalm."When they came tothe Lingly burn,As daylight did appear,They spy'd an aged father,And he did draw them near.20"Come hither, aged father!"Sir David he did cry,"And tell me where Montrose lies,With all his great army.""But first you must come tell to me,25If friends or foes you be;I fear you are Montrose's men,Come frae the north country.""No, we are nane o' Montrose's men,Nor e'er intend to be;30I am Sir David Lesly,That's speaking unto thee.""If you're Sir David Lesly,As I think weel ye be,I am sorry ye hae brought so few35Into your company."There's fifteen thousand armed menEncamped on yon lee;Ye'll never be a bite to them,For aught that I can see.40"But halve your men in equal parts,Your purpose to fulfill;Let ae half keep the water side,The rest gae round the hill."Your nether party fire must,45Then beat a flying drum;And then they'll think the day's their ain,And frae the trench they'll come."Then, those that are behind them, maunGie shot, baith grit and sma';50And so, between your armies twa,Ye may make them to fa'.""O were ye ever a soldier?"Sir David Lesly said;"O yes; I was atSolway Flow,55Where we were all betray'd."Again I was at curst Dunbar,And was a pris'ner ta'en;And many weary night and dayIn prison I hae lien."60"If ye will lead these men aright,Rewarded shall ye be;But, if that ye a traitor prove,I'll hang thee on a tree.""Sir, I will not a traitor prove;65Montrose has plunder'd me;I'll do my best to banish himAway frae this country."He halved his men in equal parts,His purpose to fulfill;70The one part kept the water side,The other gaed round the hill.The nether party fired brisk,Then turn'd and seem'd to rin;And then they a' came frae the trench,75And cry'd, "The day's our ain!"The rest then ran into the trench,And loosed their cannons a':And thus, between his armies twa,He made them fast to fa'.80Now let us a' for Lesly pray,And his brave company,For they hae vanquish'd great Montrose,Our cruel enemy.
On Philiphaugh a fray began,At Hairhead-wood it ended;The Scots out o'er the Græmes they ran,Sae merrily they bended.
Sir David frae the Border came,5Wi' heart an' hand came he;Wi' him three thousand bonny Scots,To bear him company.
Wi' him three thousand valiant men,A noble sight to see!10A cloud o' mist them weel conceal'd,As close as e'er might be.
When they came tothe Shaw burn,Said he, "Sae weel we frame,I think it is convenient15That we should sing a psalm."
When they came tothe Lingly burn,As daylight did appear,They spy'd an aged father,And he did draw them near.20
"Come hither, aged father!"Sir David he did cry,"And tell me where Montrose lies,With all his great army."
"But first you must come tell to me,25If friends or foes you be;I fear you are Montrose's men,Come frae the north country."
"No, we are nane o' Montrose's men,Nor e'er intend to be;30I am Sir David Lesly,That's speaking unto thee."
"If you're Sir David Lesly,As I think weel ye be,I am sorry ye hae brought so few35Into your company.
"There's fifteen thousand armed menEncamped on yon lee;Ye'll never be a bite to them,For aught that I can see.40
"But halve your men in equal parts,Your purpose to fulfill;Let ae half keep the water side,The rest gae round the hill.
"Your nether party fire must,45Then beat a flying drum;And then they'll think the day's their ain,And frae the trench they'll come.
"Then, those that are behind them, maunGie shot, baith grit and sma';50And so, between your armies twa,Ye may make them to fa'."
"O were ye ever a soldier?"Sir David Lesly said;"O yes; I was atSolway Flow,55Where we were all betray'd.
"Again I was at curst Dunbar,And was a pris'ner ta'en;And many weary night and dayIn prison I hae lien."60
"If ye will lead these men aright,Rewarded shall ye be;But, if that ye a traitor prove,I'll hang thee on a tree."
"Sir, I will not a traitor prove;65Montrose has plunder'd me;I'll do my best to banish himAway frae this country."
He halved his men in equal parts,His purpose to fulfill;70The one part kept the water side,The other gaed round the hill.
The nether party fired brisk,Then turn'd and seem'd to rin;And then they a' came frae the trench,75And cry'd, "The day's our ain!"
The rest then ran into the trench,And loosed their cannons a':And thus, between his armies twa,He made them fast to fa'.80
Now let us a' for Lesly pray,And his brave company,For they hae vanquish'd great Montrose,Our cruel enemy.
13. A small stream that joins the Ettrick near Selkirk, on the south side of the river. S.16. Various reading: "That we should take a dram." S.17. A brook which falls into the Ettrick, from the north, a little above the Shaw burn. S.37. Montrose's forces amounted to twelve or fifteen hundred foot, and about a thousand cavalry. Lesly had five or six thousand men, mostly horse.55. It is a strange anachronism, to make this aged father state himself to have been at the battle of Solway Flow, which was fought a hundred years before Philiphaugh; and a still stranger, to mention that of Dunbar, which did not take place till five years after Montrose's defeat. S.
13. A small stream that joins the Ettrick near Selkirk, on the south side of the river. S.
16. Various reading: "That we should take a dram." S.
17. A brook which falls into the Ettrick, from the north, a little above the Shaw burn. S.
37. Montrose's forces amounted to twelve or fifteen hundred foot, and about a thousand cavalry. Lesly had five or six thousand men, mostly horse.
55. It is a strange anachronism, to make this aged father state himself to have been at the battle of Solway Flow, which was fought a hundred years before Philiphaugh; and a still stranger, to mention that of Dunbar, which did not take place till five years after Montrose's defeat. S.
FromMinstrelsy of the Scottish Border, ii. 187
In this lament for the melancholy fate of Montrose and his heroic companions, it was clearly the humble minstrel's aim to sketch the chief incidents in the great Marquis's career as the champion and the martyr of Royalty. The derangements and omissions which may be found in the verses as they now stand are but the natural effects of time. The ballad was first published in Scott'sMinstrelsy, as obtained from tradition, with enlargements and corrections from an old printed copy (entitledThe Gallant Grahams of Scotland) furnished by Ritson.
The summer following the rout at Philiphaugh, King Charles committed himself to the treacherous protection of the Presbyterians. They required of him that his faithful lieutenant should at once disband his forces and leave the country. During three years of exile, Montrose resided at various foreign courts, either quite inactive, or cultivating the friendship of the continental sovereigns, by whom he was overwhelmed with attentions and honors. The execution of the King drew from him a solemn oath "before God, angels, and men," that he would devote the rest of his life to the avenging the death of his master and reëstablishing his son on the throne. He received from Charles II. a renewal of his commission as Captain-General in Scotland, and while Charles was treating with the Commissioners of the Estates concerning his restoration (negotiations which Montrose regarded with no favor), set out for the Orkneys with a few hundred men, mostly Germans. His coming, even with this feeble band, struck a great terror into the Estates, and Lesly was ordered to march against him with four thousand men. Destitute of horse to bring him intelligence, Montrose was surprised at Corbiesdale, on the confines of Ross-shire, by a body of Covenanting cavalry under Colonel Strachan, which had been sent forward to check his progress. The whole of his little army was destroyed or made prisoners. Montrose escaped from the field after a desperate resistance, and finally gave himself up to Macleod of Assaint, who sold him to his enemies for four hundred bolls of meal!
"He was tried," says Scott, "for what was termed treason against the Estates of the Kingdom; and, despite the commission of Charles for his proceedings, he was condemned to die by a Parliament who acknowledged Charles to be their king, and whom, on that account only, Montrose acknowledged to be a Parliament."
(SeeScott'sMinstrelsy,Hume, ch. lx., andNapier'sMontrose and the Covenanters.)
Now, fare thee well, sweetEnnerdaleBaith kith and countrie I bid adieu;For I maun away, and I may not stay,To some uncouth land which I never knew.To wear the blue I think it best,5Of all the colours that I see;And I'll wear it for the gallant Grahams,That are banished from their countrie.I have no gold, I have no land,I have no pearl nor precious stane;10But I wald sell my silken snood,To see the gallant Grahams come hame.In Wallace days, when they began,Sir John the Grahamdid bear the greeThrough all the lands of Scotland wide:15He was a lord of the south countrie.And so was seen full many a time;For the summer flowers did never spring,But every Graham, in armour bright,Would then appear before the king.20They were all drest in armour sheen,Upon the pleasant banks of Tay;Before a king they might be seen,These gallant Grahams in their array.At the Goukhead our camp we set,25Our leaguer down there for to lay;And, in the bonny summer light,We rode our white horse and our gray.Our false commander sold our kingUnto his deadly enemie,30Who was the traitor, Cromwell, then;So I care not what they do with me.They have betray'd our noble prince,And banish'd him from his royal crown;But the gallant Grahams have ta'en in hand35For to command those traitors down.InGlen-Prosenwe rendezvous'd,March'd to Glenshie by night and day,And took the town of Aberdeen,And met the Campbells in their array.40Five thousand men, in armour strong,Did meet the gallant Grahams that dayAt Inverlochie, where war began,And scarce two thousand men were they.Gallant Montrose, that chieftain bold,45Courageous in the best degree,Did for the king fight well that day;The Lord preserve his majestie!Nathaniel Gordon, stout and bold,Did for King Charleswear the blue;50But the cavaliers they all were sold,And braveHarthill, a cavalier too.AndNewton-Gordon, burd-alone,AndDalgatie, both stout and keen,And gallantVeitchupon the field,55A braver face was never seen.Now, fare ye weel, Sweet Ennerdale!Countrie and kin I quit ye free;Cheer up your hearts, brave cavaliers,For the Grahams are gone to High Germany.Now brave Montrose he went to France,61And to Germany, to gather fame;And bold Aboyne is to the sea,YoungHuntlyis his noble name.Montrose again, that chieftain bold,65Back unto Scotland fair he came,For to redeem fair Scotland's land,The pleasant, gallant, worthy Graham!At the water of Carron he did begin,And fought the battle to the end;70Where there were kill'd, for our noble king,Two thousand of our Danish men.Gilbert Menzies, of high degree,By whom the king's banner was borne;For a brave cavalier was he,75But now to glory he is gone.Then woe to Strachan, andHacketbaith!And, Leslie, ill death may thou die!For ye have betray'd the gallant Grahams,Who aye were true to majestie.80And the Laird of Assaint has seized Montrose,And had him into Edinburgh town;And frae his body taken the head,And quarter'd him upon a trone.AndHuntly's gone the self-same way,85And our noble king is also gone;He suffer'd death for our nation,Our mourning tears can ne'er be done.But our brave young king is now come home,King Charles the Second in degree;90The Lord send peace into his time,And God preserve his majestie!
Now, fare thee well, sweetEnnerdaleBaith kith and countrie I bid adieu;For I maun away, and I may not stay,To some uncouth land which I never knew.
To wear the blue I think it best,5Of all the colours that I see;And I'll wear it for the gallant Grahams,That are banished from their countrie.
I have no gold, I have no land,I have no pearl nor precious stane;10But I wald sell my silken snood,To see the gallant Grahams come hame.
In Wallace days, when they began,Sir John the Grahamdid bear the greeThrough all the lands of Scotland wide:15He was a lord of the south countrie.
And so was seen full many a time;For the summer flowers did never spring,But every Graham, in armour bright,Would then appear before the king.20
They were all drest in armour sheen,Upon the pleasant banks of Tay;Before a king they might be seen,These gallant Grahams in their array.
At the Goukhead our camp we set,25Our leaguer down there for to lay;And, in the bonny summer light,We rode our white horse and our gray.
Our false commander sold our kingUnto his deadly enemie,30Who was the traitor, Cromwell, then;So I care not what they do with me.
They have betray'd our noble prince,And banish'd him from his royal crown;But the gallant Grahams have ta'en in hand35For to command those traitors down.
InGlen-Prosenwe rendezvous'd,March'd to Glenshie by night and day,And took the town of Aberdeen,And met the Campbells in their array.40
Five thousand men, in armour strong,Did meet the gallant Grahams that dayAt Inverlochie, where war began,And scarce two thousand men were they.
Gallant Montrose, that chieftain bold,45Courageous in the best degree,Did for the king fight well that day;The Lord preserve his majestie!
Nathaniel Gordon, stout and bold,Did for King Charleswear the blue;50But the cavaliers they all were sold,And braveHarthill, a cavalier too.
AndNewton-Gordon, burd-alone,AndDalgatie, both stout and keen,And gallantVeitchupon the field,55A braver face was never seen.
Now, fare ye weel, Sweet Ennerdale!Countrie and kin I quit ye free;Cheer up your hearts, brave cavaliers,For the Grahams are gone to High Germany.
Now brave Montrose he went to France,61And to Germany, to gather fame;And bold Aboyne is to the sea,YoungHuntlyis his noble name.
Montrose again, that chieftain bold,65Back unto Scotland fair he came,For to redeem fair Scotland's land,The pleasant, gallant, worthy Graham!
At the water of Carron he did begin,And fought the battle to the end;70Where there were kill'd, for our noble king,Two thousand of our Danish men.
Gilbert Menzies, of high degree,By whom the king's banner was borne;For a brave cavalier was he,75But now to glory he is gone.
Then woe to Strachan, andHacketbaith!And, Leslie, ill death may thou die!For ye have betray'd the gallant Grahams,Who aye were true to majestie.80
And the Laird of Assaint has seized Montrose,And had him into Edinburgh town;And frae his body taken the head,And quarter'd him upon a trone.
AndHuntly's gone the self-same way,85And our noble king is also gone;He suffer'd death for our nation,Our mourning tears can ne'er be done.
But our brave young king is now come home,King Charles the Second in degree;90The Lord send peace into his time,And God preserve his majestie!
1. A corruption of Endrickdale. The principal and most ancient possessions of the Montrose family lie along the water of Endrick, in Dumbartonshire. S.5. About the time when Montrose first occupied Aberdeen (1639) the Covenanters began to wear a blue ribbon, first as a scarf, afterwards in bunches in their caps. Hence the phrase of a true blue Whig. The blue ribbon was one of "Montrose's whimsies," and seems to have been retained by his followers (see v.50) after he had left the Covenanters for the king.14. The faithful friend and adherent of the immortal Wallace, slain at the battle of Falkirk. S.37. Glen-Prosen is in Angus-shire. S.49. Of the family of Gicht in Aberdeenshire. He was taken at Philiphaugh, and executed the 6th of January, 1646.52. Leith, of Harthill, was a determined loyalist, and hated the Covenanters, by whom he had been severely treated. S.53. Newton, for obvious reasons, was a common appellation of an estate, or barony, where a new edifice had been erected. Hence, for distinction's sake, it was anciently compounded with the name of the proprietor; as, Newton-Edmonstone, Newton-Don, Newton-Gordon, &c. Of Newtown, I only observe, that he was, like all his clan, a steady loyalist, and a follower of Montrose. S.54. Sir Francis Hay, of Dalgatie, a steady cavalier, and a gentleman of great gallantry and accomplishments. He was a faithful follower of Montrose, and was taken prisoner with him at his last fatal battle. He was condemned to death with his illustrious general. S.55. I presume this gentleman to have been David Veitch, brother to Veitch of Dawick, who, with many other of the Peebles-shire gentry, was taken at Philiphaugh. S.64. James, Earl of Aboyne, who fled to France, and there died heart-broken. It is said his death was accelerated by the news of King Charles's execution. He became representative of the Gordon family (or Young Huntly, as the ballad expresses it) in consequence of the death of his elder brother, George, who fell in the battle of Alford. S.72. Montrose's foreign auxiliaries, who, by the way, did not exceed 600 in all. S.73. Gilbert Menzies, younger of Pitfoddells, carried the royal banner in Montrose's last battle. It bore the headless corpse of Charles I., with this motto, "Judge and revenge my cause, O Lord!" Menzies proved himself worthy of this noble trust, and, obstinately refusing quarter, died in defence of his charge.Montrose'sMemoirs. S.77. Sir Charles Hacket, an officer in the service of the Estates. S.85. George Gordon, second Marquis of Huntly, one of the very few nobles in Scotland who had uniformly adhered to the King from the very beginning of the troubles, was beheaded by the sentence of the Parliament of Scotland (so calling themselves) upon the 22d March, 1649, one month and twenty-two days after the martyrdom of his master. S.
1. A corruption of Endrickdale. The principal and most ancient possessions of the Montrose family lie along the water of Endrick, in Dumbartonshire. S.
5. About the time when Montrose first occupied Aberdeen (1639) the Covenanters began to wear a blue ribbon, first as a scarf, afterwards in bunches in their caps. Hence the phrase of a true blue Whig. The blue ribbon was one of "Montrose's whimsies," and seems to have been retained by his followers (see v.50) after he had left the Covenanters for the king.
14. The faithful friend and adherent of the immortal Wallace, slain at the battle of Falkirk. S.
37. Glen-Prosen is in Angus-shire. S.
49. Of the family of Gicht in Aberdeenshire. He was taken at Philiphaugh, and executed the 6th of January, 1646.
52. Leith, of Harthill, was a determined loyalist, and hated the Covenanters, by whom he had been severely treated. S.
53. Newton, for obvious reasons, was a common appellation of an estate, or barony, where a new edifice had been erected. Hence, for distinction's sake, it was anciently compounded with the name of the proprietor; as, Newton-Edmonstone, Newton-Don, Newton-Gordon, &c. Of Newtown, I only observe, that he was, like all his clan, a steady loyalist, and a follower of Montrose. S.
54. Sir Francis Hay, of Dalgatie, a steady cavalier, and a gentleman of great gallantry and accomplishments. He was a faithful follower of Montrose, and was taken prisoner with him at his last fatal battle. He was condemned to death with his illustrious general. S.
55. I presume this gentleman to have been David Veitch, brother to Veitch of Dawick, who, with many other of the Peebles-shire gentry, was taken at Philiphaugh. S.
64. James, Earl of Aboyne, who fled to France, and there died heart-broken. It is said his death was accelerated by the news of King Charles's execution. He became representative of the Gordon family (or Young Huntly, as the ballad expresses it) in consequence of the death of his elder brother, George, who fell in the battle of Alford. S.
72. Montrose's foreign auxiliaries, who, by the way, did not exceed 600 in all. S.
73. Gilbert Menzies, younger of Pitfoddells, carried the royal banner in Montrose's last battle. It bore the headless corpse of Charles I., with this motto, "Judge and revenge my cause, O Lord!" Menzies proved himself worthy of this noble trust, and, obstinately refusing quarter, died in defence of his charge.Montrose'sMemoirs. S.
77. Sir Charles Hacket, an officer in the service of the Estates. S.
85. George Gordon, second Marquis of Huntly, one of the very few nobles in Scotland who had uniformly adhered to the King from the very beginning of the troubles, was beheaded by the sentence of the Parliament of Scotland (so calling themselves) upon the 22d March, 1649, one month and twenty-two days after the martyrdom of his master. S.
Graham of Claverhouse and Balfour of Kinloch, commonly called Burly, the principal persons mentioned in this ballad, are characters well known to the readers ofOld Mortality, in the earlier chapters of which the skirmish at Loudon Hill is described.
A few weeks after the memorable assassination of Archbishop Sharpe, Robert Hamilton, a fierce Cameronian, Burly, and a few others of the proscribed "Westlan' men" resolved to take up arms against the government. They began their demonstrations by entering the royal burgh of Rutherglen, on the 29th of May, 1679 (which, as the anniversary of the Restoration, was appointed by Parliament to be kept as a holyday) extinguishing the bonfires made in honor of the occasion, and burning at the cross certain acts in favor of Prelacy and for the suppression of Conventicles. After this exploit, and affixing to the cross a solemn protest against the obnoxious acts, they encamped at Loudon Hill, being by this time increased to the number of five or six hundred men. Claverhouse was in garrison at Glasgow, and immediately marched against the insurgents, with about a hundred and fifty cavalry. Hamilton, the commander of the Whigs, had skilfully posted his men in a boggy strait with a broad ditch in front, and the dragoons in attempting to charge were thrown into utter disorder. At this critical moment they were vigorously attacked by the rebels and easily routed. Claverhouse barely escaped being taken prisoner, and lost some twenty of his troopers, among them his cornet, Robert Graham, whose fate is alluded to in the ballad. Burly, though not the captain, was a prominent leader in this action. SeeScott'sMinstrelsy, vol. ii. 206,et seq.
You'l marvel when I tell ye o'Our noble Burly and his train,When last he march'd up through the land,Wi' sax-and-twenty Westland men.Than they I ne'er o' braver heard,5For they had a' baith wit and skill;They proved right well, as I heard tell,As they cam up o'er Loudon Hill.Weel prosper a' the gospel lads,That are into the west countrie,10Aye wicked Claver'se to demean,And aye an ill deid may he die!For he's drawn up i' battle rank,An' that baith soon an' hastilie;But they wha live till simmer come,15Some bludie days for this will see.But up spak cruel Claver'se, then,Wi' hastie wit, an' wicked skill;"Gae fire on yon Westlan' men;I think it is my sov'reign's will."20But up bespake his Cornet, then,"It's be wi' nae consent o' me!I ken I'll ne'er come back again,An' mony mae as weel as me."There is not ane of a' yon men,25But wha is worthy other three;There is na ane amang them a',That in his cause will stap to die."An' as for Burly, him I knaw;He's a man of honour, birth, and fame;30Gie him a sword into his hand,He'll fight thysell an' other ten."But up spake wicked Claver'se, then,I wat his heart it raise fu' hie!And he has cried that a' might hear,35"Man, ye hae sair deceived me."I never ken'd the like afore,Na, never since I came frae hame,That you sae cowardly here suld prove,An' yet come of a noble Græme."40But up bespake his Cornet then,"Since that it is your honour's will,Mysell shall be the foremost manThat shall gie fire on Loudon Hill."At your command I'll lead them on,45But yet wi' nae consent o' me;For weel I ken I'll ne'er return,And mony mae as weel as me."Then up he drew in battle rank;I wat he had a bonny train!50But the first time that bullets flew,Aye he lost twenty o' his men.Then back he came the way he gaed,I wat right soon and suddenly!He gave command amang his men,55And sent them back, and bade them flee.Then up came Burly, bauld an' stout,Wi's little train o' Westland men,Wha mair than either aince or twiceIn Edinburgh confined had been.60They hae been up to London sent,An' yet they're a' come safely down;Sax troop o' horsemen they hae beat,And chased them into Glasgow town.
You'l marvel when I tell ye o'Our noble Burly and his train,When last he march'd up through the land,Wi' sax-and-twenty Westland men.
Than they I ne'er o' braver heard,5For they had a' baith wit and skill;They proved right well, as I heard tell,As they cam up o'er Loudon Hill.
Weel prosper a' the gospel lads,That are into the west countrie,10Aye wicked Claver'se to demean,And aye an ill deid may he die!
For he's drawn up i' battle rank,An' that baith soon an' hastilie;But they wha live till simmer come,15Some bludie days for this will see.
But up spak cruel Claver'se, then,Wi' hastie wit, an' wicked skill;"Gae fire on yon Westlan' men;I think it is my sov'reign's will."20
But up bespake his Cornet, then,"It's be wi' nae consent o' me!I ken I'll ne'er come back again,An' mony mae as weel as me.
"There is not ane of a' yon men,25But wha is worthy other three;There is na ane amang them a',That in his cause will stap to die.
"An' as for Burly, him I knaw;He's a man of honour, birth, and fame;30Gie him a sword into his hand,He'll fight thysell an' other ten."
But up spake wicked Claver'se, then,I wat his heart it raise fu' hie!And he has cried that a' might hear,35"Man, ye hae sair deceived me.
"I never ken'd the like afore,Na, never since I came frae hame,That you sae cowardly here suld prove,An' yet come of a noble Græme."40
But up bespake his Cornet then,"Since that it is your honour's will,Mysell shall be the foremost manThat shall gie fire on Loudon Hill.
"At your command I'll lead them on,45But yet wi' nae consent o' me;For weel I ken I'll ne'er return,And mony mae as weel as me."
Then up he drew in battle rank;I wat he had a bonny train!50But the first time that bullets flew,Aye he lost twenty o' his men.
Then back he came the way he gaed,I wat right soon and suddenly!He gave command amang his men,55And sent them back, and bade them flee.
Then up came Burly, bauld an' stout,Wi's little train o' Westland men,Wha mair than either aince or twiceIn Edinburgh confined had been.60
They hae been up to London sent,An' yet they're a' come safely down;Sax troop o' horsemen they hae beat,And chased them into Glasgow town.
FromMinstrelsy of the Scottish Border, ii. 237.
The success of the Cameronians at Loudon Hill induced a considerable number of the moderate Presbyterians to join the army of the insurgents. But though increased numbers gave the revolt a more formidable appearance, they cannot be said to have added much to the strength of the rebels, since there was no concert between the two factions, each having its own set of officers, and issuing contrary orders at the same time. An army of ten thousand men under the Duke of Monmouth advanced from Edinburgh against these distracted allies, who, in all not more than four thousand, were encamped near Hamilton, on the western side of the Clyde, and had possession of the bridge between that point and the village of Bothwell. While the Duke was preparing to force a passage, the more moderate of the Whigs offered terms, and while they were debating the Duke's reply, the Cameronians, who bravely defended the bridge, were compelled to abandon theirpost. The Duke's army then crossed the river without opposition, because the rebels were at that juncture occupied with cashiering their officers and electing new ones. The first discharge of Monmouth's cannon caused the cavalry of the Covenanters to wheel about, and their flight threw the foot into irrecoverable disorder. Four hundred of the rebels were killed, and a body of twelve hundred surrendered at discretion, and were preserved from death by the clemency of the Duke. This action took place on the 22d of June, 1679.
Scott informs us that there were two Gordons of Earlstoun engaged in the rebellion, a father and son. The former was not in the battle, but was met hastening to it by English dragoons, and was killed on his refusing to surrender. The son, who is supposed to be the person mentioned in the ballad, was of the milder Presbyterians, and fought only for freedom of conscience and relief from the tyrannical laws against non-conformists. He escaped from the battle, and after being several times condemned to die, was finally set at liberty, and restored to his forfeited estates.
In this ballad Claverhouse's unsparing pursuit of the fugitives is imputed to a desire to revenge the death of his kinsman at Loudon Hill, and his anger at being thwarted is, with great simplicity, asserted to have led to the execution of Monmouth.
Scott's copy of this ballad was given from recitation. In the First Series of Laing'sFugitive Scottish Poetry, there is an amusingly prosaic Covenanting ditty upon this subject, calledBothwell Lines, and in the Second Series, a Cavalier song, entitled TheBattell of Bodwell Bridge, or The Kings Cavileers Triumph.
"O, billie, billie, bonny billie,Will ye go to the wood wi' me?We'll ca' our horse hame masterless,An' gar them trow slain men are we.""O no, O no!" says Earlstoun,5"For that's the thing that mauna be;For I am sworn to Bothwell Hill,Where I maun either gae or die."So Earlstoun rose in the morning,An' mounted by the break o' day;10An' he has joined our Scottish lads,As they were marching out the way."Now, farewell, father, and farewell, mother,And fare ye weel, my sisters three;An' fare ye weel, my Earlstoun,15For thee again I'll never see!"So they're awa' to Bothwell Hill,An' waly they rode bonnily!When the Duke o' Monmouth saw them comin',He went to view their company.20"Ye're welcome, lads," the Monmouth said,"Ye're welcome, brave Scots lads, to me;And sae are you, brave Earlstoun,The foremost o' your company!"But yield your weapons ane an a',25O yield your weapons, lads, to me;For gin ye'll yield your weapons up,Ye'se a' gae hame to your country."Out then spak a Lennox lad,And waly but he spoke bonnily!30"I winna yield my weapons up,To you nor nae man that I see."Then he set up the flag o' red,A' set about wi' bonny blue;"Since ye'll no cease, and be at peace,35See that ye stand by ither true."They stell'd their cannons on the height,And showr'd their shot down in the howe;An' beat our Scots lads even down,Thick they lay slain on every knowe.40As e'er you saw the rain down fa',Or yet the arrow frae the bow,—Sae our Scottish lads fell even down,An' they lay slain on every knowe."O hold your hand," then Monmouth cry'd,45"Gie quarters to yon men for me!"But wicked Claver'se swore an oath,His Cornet's death revenged sud be."O hold your hand," then Monmouth cry'd,"If onything you'll do for me;50Hold up your hand, you cursed Græme,Else a rebel to our king ye'll be."Then wicked Claver'se turn'd about,I wot an angry man was he;And he has lifted up his hat,55And cry'd, "God bless his Majesty!"Than he's awa' to London town,Aye e'en as fast as he can dree;Fause witnesses he has wi' him ta'en,And ta'en Monmouth's head frae his body.60Alang the brae, beyond the brig,Mony brave man lies cauld and still;But lang we'll mind, and sair we'll rue,The bloody battle of Bothwell Hill.
"O, billie, billie, bonny billie,Will ye go to the wood wi' me?We'll ca' our horse hame masterless,An' gar them trow slain men are we."
"O no, O no!" says Earlstoun,5"For that's the thing that mauna be;For I am sworn to Bothwell Hill,Where I maun either gae or die."
So Earlstoun rose in the morning,An' mounted by the break o' day;10An' he has joined our Scottish lads,As they were marching out the way.
"Now, farewell, father, and farewell, mother,And fare ye weel, my sisters three;An' fare ye weel, my Earlstoun,15For thee again I'll never see!"
So they're awa' to Bothwell Hill,An' waly they rode bonnily!When the Duke o' Monmouth saw them comin',He went to view their company.20
"Ye're welcome, lads," the Monmouth said,"Ye're welcome, brave Scots lads, to me;And sae are you, brave Earlstoun,The foremost o' your company!
"But yield your weapons ane an a',25O yield your weapons, lads, to me;For gin ye'll yield your weapons up,Ye'se a' gae hame to your country."
Out then spak a Lennox lad,And waly but he spoke bonnily!30"I winna yield my weapons up,To you nor nae man that I see."
Then he set up the flag o' red,A' set about wi' bonny blue;"Since ye'll no cease, and be at peace,35See that ye stand by ither true."
They stell'd their cannons on the height,And showr'd their shot down in the howe;An' beat our Scots lads even down,Thick they lay slain on every knowe.40
As e'er you saw the rain down fa',Or yet the arrow frae the bow,—Sae our Scottish lads fell even down,An' they lay slain on every knowe.
"O hold your hand," then Monmouth cry'd,45"Gie quarters to yon men for me!"But wicked Claver'se swore an oath,His Cornet's death revenged sud be.
"O hold your hand," then Monmouth cry'd,"If onything you'll do for me;50Hold up your hand, you cursed Græme,Else a rebel to our king ye'll be."
Then wicked Claver'se turn'd about,I wot an angry man was he;And he has lifted up his hat,55And cry'd, "God bless his Majesty!"
Than he's awa' to London town,Aye e'en as fast as he can dree;Fause witnesses he has wi' him ta'en,And ta'en Monmouth's head frae his body.60
Alang the brae, beyond the brig,Mony brave man lies cauld and still;But lang we'll mind, and sair we'll rue,The bloody battle of Bothwell Hill.
This battle was fought on the evening of the 27th of July, 1689, a little to the north of the pass of Killiecrankie, in the Highlands of Perthshire, between King William's army under General Mackay, and a body of Highlanders under the renowned Claverhouse,the bravest and most faithful adherent of the house of Stuart. Mackay's troops, which were partly Dutch and partly English, amounted to 4,500 foot and two companies of horse. The Highlanders were not much more than half as numerous. They consisted of the followers of Maclean, Macdonald of Sky, Clanronald, Sir Evan Cameron of Lochiel, and others, with a few Irish. The left wing of Mackay's army was almost instantly routed by a furious charge of the Macleans. The right wing stood their ground manfully, and even repulsed the assault of the Macdonalds, but being taken in flank by the Camerons and a part of the Macleans, they were forced to retire and suffered great loss. While directing the oblique movement of the Camerons, Claverhouse received a mortal wound under the arm, and with him fell the cause of King James.
This ballad, which is taken from Herd'sScottish Songs, i. 163, was printed as a broadside near the time of the battle. The author is unknown. There was an old song calledKilliecrankie, which, with some alterations, was inserted in Johnson'sMuseum(p. 302). It is also found in Hogg'sJacobite Relics, i. 32, with an additional stanza. A contemporary Latin ballad on the same event by Herbert Kennedy, a professor in the University of Edinburgh, is given in theMuseum, and may be seenin our Appendix.