No. 180: King James and Brown
[There are no known US or Canadian versions of this ballad. Barry reports in Brittish Ballads of Maine, p. 467 that a Maine sea-captain recognized the ballad.]
CONTENTS:
1. Child's Narrative
2. Footnotes (Found at the end of Child's Narrative)
3. Brief (Kittredge)
4. Child's Ballad Text A
5. Endnotes
6. Appendix: The King of Scots and Andrew Browne
ATTACHED PAGES (see left hand column):
1. Recordings & Info: 180. King James and Brown
A. Roud No. 4009: King James and Brown (3 Listings)
2. Sheet Music: 180. King James and Brown
(Bronson's gives no music examples)
3. English and Other Versions (Including Child version A with additional notes)]
Child's Narrative: 180. King James and Brown
A. 'Kinge James and Browne,' Percy Manuscript, p. 58; Hales and Furnivall, I, 185.
As the minstrel is walking by himself, he hears a young prince lamenting. The prince says to him, Yonder comes a Scot who will do me wrong. Douglas comes with armed men, who beset the king with swords and spears. Are you lords of Scotland, come for council, asks the king, or are you traitors, come for my blood? They say that they are traitors, come for his blood. Fie on you, false Scots! exclaims the king; you have slain my grandfather, caused my mother to flee, and hanged my father. [About nine stanzas are lost here.] Douglas offers Brown his daughter in marriage to betray the king; Brown will never be a traitor. Douglas is making off fast, but Brown takes him prisoner and conducts him to the king. Douglas prays for pardon. The king replies that Douglas has sought to kill him ever since he was born. Douglas swears to be a true subject if pardoned. The king pardons him freely, and all traitors in Scotland, great and small. Douglas mutters to himself (we may suppose), If I live a twelvemonth you shall die, and I will burn Edinburgh to-morrow. This irredeemable traitor hies to Edinburgh with his men, but the people shut the gates against him. Brown is always where he is wanted, and takes Douglas prisoner again; the report that Douglas is secured goes to the king, who demands his taker to be brought into his presence, and promises him a thousand pound a year. So they call Brown; we may imagine that the distance is no greater than Holy rood. How often hast thou fought for me, Brown? asks James. Brown's first service was in Edinburgh; had he not stood stoutly there, James had never been king. The second was his killing the sheriff of Carlisle's son, who was on the point of slaying his Grace. The third was when he killed the Bishop of St. Andrews, who had undertaken to poison the king. James had already made the faithful Englishman (for such he is) knight; now he makes him an earl, with professions of fidelity to the English queen.
This third service of Brown is the subject of a poem by William Elderton, here given in an appendix. The bishop is about to give the king (then a child) a poisoned posset. The lady nurse calls for aid. Brown, an Englishman, hears, goes to help, meets the bishop hurrying off with the posset in his hand, and forces him to drink it, though the bishop makes him handsome offers not to interfere. The venom works swiftly, the bishop's belly bursts. The king knights Brown, and gives him lands and livings.
John Hamilton, Archbishop of St. Andrews, must be the person whom Brown slays in the ballad for an attempt to poison the young king. He was, however, hanged by his political enemies, April 7, 1571. This prelate was credited with being an accomplice to the murder of Darnley and to that of the Regent Murray. His elder brother was heir to the throne after the progeny of Mary Stuart, and both of these persons were more or less in the way. Mary Stuart's son was a step on which the Hamiltons must "fall down or else oerleap," and the archbishop is said to have sneered at the Duke of Chatelheraut for letting an infant live between him and the throne. A report that the archbishop had undertaken to poison this infant would readily be believed. Sir William Drury thought it worth his while to write to Cecil that Queen Mary had done the same before her son was a year old.[1]
Of Browne's two previous performances, his standing stoutly for the king at Edinburgh, st. 26, and his killing the son of the sheriff of Carlisle, st. 27, we are permitted to know only that, since these preceded the killing of the bishop, they occurred at some time before James was five years old. The epoch of the adventure with Douglas, which is the principal subject of the ballad, could be determined beyond question if we could ascertain when Brown was made an earl. It falls after the murder of the Regent Lennox, 81, that is, later than September, 1571, and the king is old enough to know something of the unhappy occurrences in his family, to forget and forgive, and to make knights and earls. There are correspondences between the ballad and the proceedings by which the Earl of Morton, after his resignation of the regency, obtained possession of the young king's person and virtually reestablished himself in his former power. This was in April, 1578, when James was not quite twelve years old. Morton was living at Lochleven "for policie, devysing the situation of a fayre gardene with allayis, to remove all suspicion of his consavit treason." James was in the keeping of Alexander Erskine, his guardian, at Stirling Castle, of which Erskine was governor; and the young Earl of Mar, nephew of the governor, was residing there. This young man became persuaded, perhaps through Morton's representations, that he himself was entitled to the custody of the castle, and incidentally of the king. Early in the morning of the 26th of April, before the garrison were astir, Mar (who was risen under pretence of a hunting-party), supported by two Abbot Erskines, his uncles, and a retinue of his own, demanded the castle-keys of the governor. An affray followed, in which a son of Alexander Erskine lost his life. The young king, wakened by the noise, rushed in terror from his chamber, tearing his hair. Mar overpowered resistance and seized the keys. Shortly after this, he and his uncle the governor came to terms at the instance of the king, Mar retaining Stirling Castle and the wardenship of the king, and the uncle being made keeper of the castle of Edinburgh. Morton was received into Stirling Castle, and resumed his sway. All this did not pass without opposition. The citizens of Edinburgh rose in arms against Morton (cf. sts 21, 22), and large forces collected from other parts of the country for the liberation of the king. A civil war was imminent, and was avoided, it would seem, chiefly through the influence of the English minister, Bowes, who offered himself as peacemaker, in the name of his queen (cf. sts 31, 32).[2]
The Douglas of this ballad is clearly William Douglas of Lochleven, who joined Mar at Stirling as Morton's intermediary. He was afterwards engaged in the Raid of Ruthven.
It may be added that Robert Brown, a servant of the king's, played a very humble part, for the defence of his master, in the Gowrie Conspiracy, but that was nearly twenty years after Andrew Brown was celebrated by Elderton, and when James was no young prince, but in his thirty-fifth year.
Footnotes:
1. "At the queen last being at Stirling, the prince being brought unto her, she offered to kiss him, but he would not, but put her away, and did to his strength scratch her. She offered him an apple, but it would not be received of him, and to a greyhound bitch having whelps was thrown, who eat it. and she and her whelps died presently. A sugar-loaf also for the prince was brought at the same time; it is judged to be very ill compounded." Calendar of State Papers, Foreign, May 20, 1567, p. 235: cited by Burton. Considering that the prince had only just passed his eleventh month, it would seem that the apple or the sugar-loaf might have served without any compounding.
2. Historic of King James the Sext, p. 165ff; Tytler's History, VIII, 35 ff; Burton, V, 163 ff.
Brief Description by George Lyman Kittredge
This ballad must of course not be regarded as historical, but there are correspondences between the story and the proceedings by which the Earl of Morton, in April, 1578, after his resignation of the regency, obtained possession of the person of the young king James VI and virtually reestablished himself in power. The citizens of Edinburgh rose in arms against Morton (cf. sts. 21, 22), and large forces collected from other parts of Scotland for the liberation of James. The Douglas of the ballad is clearly William Douglas of Lochleven, who was a partisan of Morton.
Child's Ballad Text
'Kinge James and Browne'- Version A; Child 180 King James and Brown
'Kinge James and Browne,' Percy Manuscript, p. 58; Hales and Furnivall, I, 185.
1 As I did walke my selfe alone,
And by one garden greene,
I heard a yonge prince make great moane,
Which did turne my hart to teene.
2 'O Lord!' he then said vntou me,
'Why haue I liued soe long?
For yonder comes a cruell Scott,'
Quoth hee, 'that will doe me some ronge.'
3 And then came traitor Douglas there,
He came for to betray his king;
Some they brought bills, and some they brought bowes,
And some the brought other things.
4 The king was aboue in a gallery,
With a heauy heart;
Vnto his body was sett about
With swords and speares soe sharpe.
5 'Be you the lordes of Scottland,' he said,
'That hither for councell seeke to me?
Or bee you traitors to my crowne,
My blood that you wold see?'
6 'Wee are the lords of Scottland,' they said,
'Nothing we come to craue of thee;
But wee be traitors to thy crowne,
Thy blood that wee will see.'
7 'O fye vpon you, you false Scotts!
For you neuer all trew wilbe;
My grandfather you haue slaine,
And caused my mother to flee.
8 'My grandfather you haue slaine,
And my owne father you hanged on a tree;
And now,' quoth he, 'The like treason
You haue now wrought for me.
9 'Ffarwell hart, and farwell hand!
Farwell all pleasures alsoe!
Farwell th . . my head
. . . .
10 . . . .
. . . .
'If thou wilt . .
And soe goe away with mee.'
11 'Goe marry thy daughter to whome thou wilt,'
Quoth Browne; 'Thou marrys none to me;
For I'le not be a traitor,' quoth Browne,
'For all the gold that euer I see.'
12 This Douglas, hearing Browne soe say,
Began to flee away full fast;
'But tarry a while,' saies lusty Browne,
'I'le make you to pay before you passe.'
13 He hath taken the Douglas prisoner,
And hath brought him before the king;
He kneeled low vpon the knee,
For pardon there prainge.
14 'How shold I pardon thee,' saith the king,
'And thou'le remaine a traitor still?
For euer since that I was borne,'
Quoth he, 'Thou hast sought my blood to spill.'
15 'For if you will grant me my pardon,' he said,
'Out of this place soe free,
I wilbe sworne before your Grace
A trew subiect to bee.'
16 'God for-gaue his death,' said the king,
'When he was nayled vpon a tree;
And as free as euer God forgaue his death,
Douglas,' quoth he, 'I'le forgiue thee.
17 'And all the traitors in Scottland,'
Quoth he, 'Both great and small;
As free as euer God forgaue his death,
Soe free I will forgiue them all.'
18 'I thanke you for your pardon, king,
That you haue granted forth soe plaine;
If I liue a twelue month to an end,
You shall not aliue remaine.
19 'Tomorrow yet, or ere I dine,
I meane to doo thee one good turne;
For Edenborrow, that is thine owne,'
Quoth he, 'I will both h[arry] and [burne].'
20 Thus Douglas hied towards Edenborrow,
And many of his men were gone beffore;
And after him on euery side,
With him there went some twenty score.
21 But when that they did see him come,
They cryed lowd with voices, saying,
'Yonder comes a false traitor,
That wold haue slaine our king.'
22 They chaynd vp the gates of Edenborrow,
And there the made them wonderous fast,
And there Browne sett on Douglas againe,
And quicklye did him ouer cast.
23 But worde came backe againe to the king,
With all the speed that euer might bee,
That traitor Douglas there was taken,
And his body was there to see.
24 'Bring me his taker,' quoth the king,
'Come, quickly bring him vnto me!
I'le giue a thousand pound a yeere,
What man soeuer he bee.'
25 But then they called lusty Browne;
Sayes, 'Browne, come thou hither to mee.
How oft hast thou foughten for my sake,
And alwayes woone the victory?'
26 'The first time that I fought for you,
It was in Edenborrow, king;
If there I had not stoutly stood,
My leege, you neuer had beene king.
27 'The second time I fought for you,
Here I will tell you in this place;
I killd the sheriffs sonne of Carlile,'
Quoth he, 'That wold haue slaine your Grace.
28 'The third time that I fought for you,
Here for to let you vnderstand,
I slew the Bishopp of St Andrew[s],'
Quoth he, 'with a possat in [his hand],'
29 . . . quoth hee,
'That euer my manhood I did trye;
I'le make a vow for Englands sake
That I will neuer battell flee.'
30 'God amercy, Browne,' then said the king,
'And God amercy heartilye!
Before I made thee but a knight,
But now an earle I will make thee.
31 'God saue the queene of England,' he said,
'For her blood is verry neshe;
As neere vnto her I am
As a colloppe shorne from the fleshe.
32 'If I be false to England,' he said,
'Either in earnest or in iest,
I might be likened to a bird,'
Quoth he, 'That did defile it nest.'
End-Notes
53. yoe bee.
54. by my: cf. 64.
61. are they.
82. mother for father.
94. Half a page torn away.
183. a 12.
204. 20 score.
243. a 1000.
281. the 3d.
284. possat? Manuscript rubbed: Hales.
Appendix: King James and Brown
The King of Scots and Andrew Browne
A new Ballad, declaring the great treason conspired against the young King of Scots, and how one Andrew Browne, an Englishman, which was the king's chamberlaine, preuented the same. To the tune of Milfield, or els to Greenesleeues.
This piece, which is contained in a collection of ballads and proclamations in the library of the Society of Antiquaries, London, is signed W. Elderton, and was "imprinted at London for Yarathe Iames, dwelling in Newgate Market, ouer against Christes Church." It was licensed to James, May 30, 1581: Arber II, 393. Reprinted by Percy, Reliques, 1765, II, 204; here from the original. There is an imperfect and incorrect copy in the Percy Manuscript, p. 273; Hales and Furnivall, II, 265.
Morton was beheaded only three days after these verses were licensed, and had been in durance for several months before at the castle of Edinburgh. Elderton cannot be supposed to have the last news from Scotland, and he was not a man to keep his compositions by him nine years. The exhortation of Morton to his confederate, Douglas, in the last stanza but one is divertingly misplaced. The fictions of the privie banket and the selling of the king beyond seas are of the same mint as those in the ballad.
Jesus, God! what a griefe is this,
That princes subiects cannot be true,
But still the deuill hath some of his
Will play their parts, whatsoeuer ensue;
Forgetting what a greeuous thing
It is to offend the annointed kinge.
Alas for woe! why should it be so?
This makes a sorowfull heigh ho.
In Scotland is a bonie kinge,
As proper a youthe as ueede to be,
Well giuen to euery happy thing
That can be in a kinge to see;
Yet that vnluckie countrie still
Hath people giuen to craf tie will.
Alas for woe! why should it be so?
This makes a sorowfull heigh ho.
On Whitson cue it so befell
A posset was made to give the kinge,
Whereof his ladie-nurse hard tell,
And that it was a poysoned thing.
She cryed, and called piteouslie,
'Now helpe, or els the king shall die!'
Alas for woe! why should it be so?
This makes a sorowfull heigh ho.
One Browne, that was an English man,
And hard the ladies piteous crye,
Out with his sword, and besturd him than
Out of the doores in haste to flie;
But all the doores were made so fast,
Out of a window he got at last.
Alas for woe! why should it be so?
This makes a sorowfull heigh ho.
He met the bishop comming fast,
Hauing the posset in his hande;
The sight of Browne made him agast,
Who bad him stoutly staie and stand.
With him were two that ranne away,
For feare that Browne would make a fray.
Alas for woe! why should it be so?
This makes a sorowfull heigh ho.
'Bishop,' quoth Browne, 'what hast thou there?
'Nothing at all, my freend,' sayde he,
'But a posset to make the king good cheere.'
'Is it so?' sayd Browne, 'that will I see.
First I will haue thy selfe begin,
Before thou goe any further in;
Be it weale or woe, it shall be so.'
This mtekes a sorrowfull heigh ho.
The bishop saide, Browne, I doo know
Thou art a young man poore and bare;
Liuings on thee I will bestowe;
Let me go on, take thee no care.
'No, no,' quoth Browne, 'I will not be
A traitour for all Christiantie.
Happe weal or woe, it shall be so:
Drinke now, with a sorrowfull heigh ho.'
The bishop dranke, and by and by
His belly burst and he fell downe:
A iust reward for his traytery.
'This was a posset in deede!' quoth Browne.
He serched the bishop, and found the keyes
To come to the kinge when he did please.
Alas for woe! why should it be so?
This makes a sorowfull heigh ho.
As soone as the king gat word of this,
He humbly fell vppon his knee,
And praysed God that he did misse
To tast of that extremity:
For that he did perceaue and know
His clergie would betray him so.
Alas for woe! why should it be so?
This makes a sorowfull heigh ho.
'Alas,' he said, 'vnhappy realme!
My father and godfather slaine,
My mother banished, O extreame
Vnhappy fate, and bitter bayne!
And now like treason wrought for me.
What more vnhappy realme can be!'
Alas for woe! why should it be so?
This makes a sorowfull heigh ho.
The king did call his nurse to his grace,
And gave her twentie pound a yeere;
And trustie Browne to, in like case,
He knighted him, with gallant geere,
And gaue him ... liuings great,
For dooing such a manly feat
As he did sho[w]e, to the bishops woe,
Which made a sorowfull heigh ho.
When all this treason don and past
Tooke not effect of traytery,
Another treason at the last
They sought against his Maiestie;
How they might make their kinge away
By a priuie banket on a daye.
Alas for woe! why should it be so?
This makes a sorowfull heigh ho.
Wherat they ment to sell the king
Beyonde the seas, it was decreede:
Three noble earles heard of this thing,
And did preuent the same with speede.
For a letter came, with such a charme,
That they should doo they[r] king no harme,
For further woe, if they did so;
Which made a sorrowfull heigh ho.
The Earle Mourton told the Douglas then,
'Take heede you doo not offend the kinge;
But shew your selues like honest men,
Obediently in euery thing;
For his godmother will not see
Her noble childe misvsde to be
With any woe; for if it be so,
She will make a sorrowfull heigh ho.'
God graunt all subiects may be true,
In England, Scotland, and euerie 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.
In wealth or woe, God graunt it be so!
To auoide the sorrowfull 'heigh ho