A Dolefull Ditty, or sorowfull Sonet of the Lord Darly, sometime King of Scots.
Nevew to the Noble and worthy King, King Henry the eyght, and is to be song to the tune
of blacke and yellowe.
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MY hand and pen proceede to write,
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A wofull tale to tell:
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My pen it cannot halfe indite,
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Alas how it befell.
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Wo worth the man that Treason first
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This thing did take in hande,
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Of all mens mouthes they may be curst,
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Throughout this English land.
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wo worth wo worth wo worth them all
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wo worth to them I say:
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wo worth wo worth wo worth them all
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wo worth to them alway.
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As it befell to Lord Darly,
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Whose friendes they may all rew,
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That ever he on Scotland ground,
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Or any place thereof knew.
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The Queene of Scots a letter sent,
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With it a hart and Ring,
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Desiring him to come to her,
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And she would make him king.
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Wo worth. etc.
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He thought it was a Courteous deed,
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So noble a Queene as she,
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Would marry him, and make him king,
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Whereto he did agree.
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When first in Scotland that he went,
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He was discreete and sage:
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And when in hand he tooke to rule,
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But twentie yeares of age.
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Wo worth. etc.
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The garde of Scotlande he did leade,
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With all his noble trayne:
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And ruled Scotland vertuously,
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While life he did sustayne.
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But listen now and give good care,
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To heare what chaunce befell.
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For as the proverbe olde doth go
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Gold may be bought to well.
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Wo worth. etc.
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So did this noble Lord Darly,
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When England he forsooke:
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When that in Scotland first he went,
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The rule thereof he tooke.
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There dwelt a straunger in the court,
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Sinior David calde by name,
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He was the first that went about,
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This Treason vile to frame.
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Wo worth. etc.
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And chamberlayn he was to the Queen,
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Who preferde him wondrous well,
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As all the Lordes in Court behealde,
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Which causde their heartes to swell,
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Against this David grudged the king,
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A quarrell was pickt for the nonce,
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Within the chamber there was drawn,
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Twelve Daggers all at once.
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Wo worth. etc.
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Some of the Lords tooke the kings part
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And some tooke his certayne,
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Two Daggers he had at his hart,
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And so David was slayne.
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And when the Queen hard of this news
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she sore began to weepe,
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And made a vowe and oth certayne,
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That she did meane to keepe.
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Wo worth. etc.
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That in a twelvemonth and a day,
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She would not pleased be:
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Because that David so was slayne,
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With such great crueltie.
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The twelvemoneth and a day expyrde,
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A meeting there should be,
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By all the Lordes it was agreede,
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with great solemnitie. Wo worth. etc.
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At Rocksborow Castle there,
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this king and Queene should meete,
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And be made friendes as earst they were
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Some Lordes the same did seeke.
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Three wights conspired the kings death
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Whose names are all well knowne.
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For which alas the people in
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The countrey made great mone.
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Wo worth. etc.
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The wightes which this treason began,
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for to destroy the king,
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They tooke with them Gonpouder then,
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the chamber they went in.
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And to them close they shut the dore,
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For feare of being spide,
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They strawed the pouder round about,
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Full thick on every side.
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Wo worth. etc.
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And thereon strewed rushes greene,
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to hide the powder withall,
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Because they would not have it seene,
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Nor nothing smelt at all.
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The banquet then prepared is,
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They suppe and drinke the wine,
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The king (alas) knew not of this,
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The which was wrought that time.
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Wo worth. etc.
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And after supper they did talke,
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to passe away the time,
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And every man his fancie spake,
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As best did please his minde,
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Some men with Siniour David heald,
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The king then in a rage:
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Up to his chamber went straightway,
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none with him but a page. Wo worth.
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And when he came the Chamber in,
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the Page began to tell:
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You are betrayde O noble king,
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for pouder I doe smell.
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O flee from hence haste you away,
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and I on you will waight,
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The king that hearing presently,
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Leapt out the window straight.
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Wo worth. etc.
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One of them stoode under the window
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and tooke him in his arme,
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Saying who art thou, O man feare not,
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For thou shalt have no harme,
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I am an Englishman quoth he,
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Of Scotland I am king,
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King Henry once myne Uncle was,
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Which was of England King,
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Wo worth, etc.
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I know thee well quoth one of them,
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For that thou shalt fare the worse,
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That ever thou sluest the Chamberlayn,
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that day thou sure shalt curse,
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For looke what frendship thou didst shew
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the Chamberlayne unto:
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The like also to thee I am,
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Now minded for to do. Wo worth. etc
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Two of them tooke the king straightway
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And bound him foote and hand,
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On a pearetree in the orcharde,
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this noble king they hangde,
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And when the Queen hard of this news.
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She sore weapt for the king,
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Peace Madame quoth the Lord Jamie,
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you do but fayn this thing, wo worth.
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For why quoth she though he were yong,
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none was more meete then he,
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To have worn the crowne for his linage
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He came of high degree.
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But now I wish my chamberlayne,
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Had hanged in his roome:
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So that the king alive had bene,
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For to have worn the Crowne.
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wo worth. etc.
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Thus hath this noble king alas,
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His life lost as you heare:
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Therefore I say and will doe still,
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He did buy Gold to deare.
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God graunt good Lord with hart I pray
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Our noble Queene to guide,
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And graunt that never traytours false,
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about her highnesse bide.
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wo worth wo worth wo worth them al
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wo worth to them I say:
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wo worth wo worth wo worth them all
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wo worth to them alway.
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