66. Bruce's wife, it is said, replied to her husband, when he was boasting of his royal rank, "You are indeed a summer king, but you will scarce be a winter one," alluding to the ephemeral sovereignty of the Lord of the May.129. He was one of the Scottish prisoners in the Tower; and is said to have been so confident of the safety or success of Sir Simon Fraser, that he had offered to lay his own head on the block, if that warrior suffered himself to be taken; and (however involuntarily) it seems he kept his word. Vide M. West. 460.—Ritson.MS. Morham.145. 7th September.147. Sir Thomas Multon was one of the justices of the King's Bench in 1289. Sir Ralph Sandwich was made Baron of the Exchequer in 1312.—Ritson.148. MS. told.175. Sir Simon was one of those whom King Edward brought out of Scotland in 1296, when that kingdom was first subdued. He remained a close prisoner about eight months, and was then freed, on entering into the usual engagement with the conqueror, to which, however, it is certain he did not think proper to adhere; esteeming it, perhaps, more sinful to keep such a forced obligation than to take it. Abercrombie, i. 552.—Ritson.218. The Earl of Athol, John de Strathbogie. Attempting to escape by sea, he was driven back by a storm, taken, and conveyed to London, where he was tried, condemned, and, with circumstances of great barbarity, put to death, 7th, &c. November, 1306. (M. West. 461.) Which proves the present ballad to have been composed between that time and the 7th of September preceding.—Ritson.
66. Bruce's wife, it is said, replied to her husband, when he was boasting of his royal rank, "You are indeed a summer king, but you will scarce be a winter one," alluding to the ephemeral sovereignty of the Lord of the May.
129. He was one of the Scottish prisoners in the Tower; and is said to have been so confident of the safety or success of Sir Simon Fraser, that he had offered to lay his own head on the block, if that warrior suffered himself to be taken; and (however involuntarily) it seems he kept his word. Vide M. West. 460.—Ritson.MS. Morham.
145. 7th September.
147. Sir Thomas Multon was one of the justices of the King's Bench in 1289. Sir Ralph Sandwich was made Baron of the Exchequer in 1312.—Ritson.
148. MS. told.
175. Sir Simon was one of those whom King Edward brought out of Scotland in 1296, when that kingdom was first subdued. He remained a close prisoner about eight months, and was then freed, on entering into the usual engagement with the conqueror, to which, however, it is certain he did not think proper to adhere; esteeming it, perhaps, more sinful to keep such a forced obligation than to take it. Abercrombie, i. 552.—Ritson.
218. The Earl of Athol, John de Strathbogie. Attempting to escape by sea, he was driven back by a storm, taken, and conveyed to London, where he was tried, condemned, and, with circumstances of great barbarity, put to death, 7th, &c. November, 1306. (M. West. 461.) Which proves the present ballad to have been composed between that time and the 7th of September preceding.—Ritson.
☞Figures placed after words denote the pages in which they occur.
Transcriber's NotesPageiv: added "Book VIII." to the Table of Contents.Page87and note on page88: changed "169" to "129" (129. The land-sergeant (mentioned also inHobbie Noble) ...)Page93(note to line 70): changed "ross" to "across" ( ... chains drawn across the chest of a war-horse ...)Page129(note to line 66): changed "East-gath" to "East-gate" (The family of Emerson of East-gate, a fief, ...)Page139(note to line 24): added missing closing quotation mark (All bravely fought that day."—S.)Page148: changed "opprobious" to "opprobrious" ( ... gave Car some very opprobrious language ...)Page189: added missing closing quotation mark ( ... the accused party was soon restored to society.")Page214(line 34): added missing closing quotation mark ("And ye shall pardoned be:")Page253(line 54): changed "Jonne[a] rounde" to "Jonne [a]rounde" (And so besett poore Jonne [a]rounde,)Page260(first line of chorus): changed "Re" to "Be" (Be content, be content,)Page260suspected typo "fortunately" should perhaps be read "unfortunately" ( ... the circumstances which have given rise to it were fortunately too common ...)
Pageiv: added "Book VIII." to the Table of Contents.
Page87and note on page88: changed "169" to "129" (129. The land-sergeant (mentioned also inHobbie Noble) ...)
Page93(note to line 70): changed "ross" to "across" ( ... chains drawn across the chest of a war-horse ...)
Page129(note to line 66): changed "East-gath" to "East-gate" (The family of Emerson of East-gate, a fief, ...)
Page139(note to line 24): added missing closing quotation mark (All bravely fought that day."—S.)
Page148: changed "opprobious" to "opprobrious" ( ... gave Car some very opprobrious language ...)
Page189: added missing closing quotation mark ( ... the accused party was soon restored to society.")
Page214(line 34): added missing closing quotation mark ("And ye shall pardoned be:")
Page253(line 54): changed "Jonne[a] rounde" to "Jonne [a]rounde" (And so besett poore Jonne [a]rounde,)
Page260(first line of chorus): changed "Re" to "Be" (Be content, be content,)
Page260suspected typo "fortunately" should perhaps be read "unfortunately" ( ... the circumstances which have given rise to it were fortunately too common ...)