Johnny Armstrongs Last Good Night.
Declaring how Johnny Armstrong and his Eightscore
Men fought a bloody Battle with the King of Edinburg
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IS there ever a Man in all Scotland
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From the highest Estate to the lowest Degree
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That can show himself before our King,
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Scotland is so full of treachery.
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Yes there is a Man in Westmoreland,
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And Johnny Armstrong they do him call,
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He has no Lands no Rents coming in,
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Yet he keeps Eightscore Men with in his Hall.
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He has Horse and Harness for them all,
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And goodly Steeds that be milk-white,
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With goodly Belts about their Necks,
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with Hats and Feathers all alike.
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The King he wrote a loving Letter,
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And with his own Hand so tenderly
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And sent it unto Johnny Armstrong,
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To come and speak with him speedily.
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When John he lookt this Letter upon,
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Good Lord, he was as blith as a Bird in a Tree
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I never was before a King in my Life,
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My Father, my Grandfather, nor none of us Three
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But seeing we must go before the King,
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Lord, we will go most gallantly,
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Ye shall everyone have a Velvet Cap
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Laid down with Golden Laces three
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And ye shall everyone have a Scarlet Cloak
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Laid down with Golden Laces five.
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With your Golden Belts about your Necks
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With Hats and Feathers all alike
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But when John he went from Guiltknock-hall
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the wind it blew and full hard it did Rain
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Now fare thee well thou Guiltknock-hall
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I fear I shall never see thee again
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Now Johnny is to Edinburgh gone,
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with his Eightscore Men so gallantly,
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And every of them on a milk-white Steed
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with Bucklers and Swords hanging to their Knee.
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But when John came the King before
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with his Eightscore Men so gallant to see
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The King he moved his Bonnet to him,
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He thought he had been a King as well as he
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He thought he had been a King as well as he
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O pardon O pardon my Sovereign Liege,
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Pardon for my Eightscore men and me
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For my Name it is Johnny Armstrong,
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and a subject of yours my Liege, said he.
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Away with thee, thou false Traytor,
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No pardon will I grant to thee,
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But tomorrow Morning by Eight of the Clock,
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I will hang up thy Eightscore Men and thee
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Then Johnny lookt over his left Shoulder
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and to his merry Men thus said he
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I have asked Grace of a graceless Face
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No Pardon there is for thee nor me.
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Then John pull'd out his good broad Sword
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that was made of Mettal so free,
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Had not the King moved his Foot as he did,
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John had taken his Head from his fair Body
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Come follow me my merry Men all
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we will scorn one Foot to fly,
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it shall never be said we were hang'd like Dogs,
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we will fight it out so manfully.
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Then they fought on like Champions bold
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For their Hearts were sturdy stout and free
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Till they had kill'd all the King's own Guards,
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there was none left alive but two or three
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But then rose up all Edi[n]borough
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they rose up by Thousands three,
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a cowardly Scot came John behind,
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and run him through the fair Body
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Said John fight on my merry Men all
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I am a little wounded, but am not slain,
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I will lay me down to bleed a-while
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then I'll rise and fight with you again.
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Then they fought on like mad Men all,
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till many a Man lay dead on the Plain,
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For they were resolv'd before they'd yield,
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that every Mon would there be slain.
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So there they fought couragiously,
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till most of them lay dead there and slain,
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But little Musgrove that was his Foot-page
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with his bonny Grissel got away unta'en
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But when he came to Guiltknock-hall,
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the Lady espied him presently
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what News, what News thou little Foot-page,
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what News from thy Master and his Company.
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My News is bad; Lady he said,
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which I do bring, as you may see
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My Master Johnny Armstrong is slain
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and all his gallant Company.
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Yet thou art welcome my bonny Grissel,
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Full oft thou hast been fed with Corn and Hay,
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But now thou shalt be fed with Bread and Wine,
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and thy Sides shall be spurr'd no more I say.
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O then bespoke his little Son,
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as he sat on his Nurses Knee,
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if ever I live to be a Man,
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my Fathers Death reveng'd shall be.
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