the thievish borderers, was stript and otherwise ill-treated by them. At length he reached the house of Hector of Harlaw, an Armstrong, with whom he hoped to lie concealed; for Hector had engaged his honour to be true to him, and was under great obligations to this unhappy nobleman. But this faithless wretch betrayed his guest for a sum of money to Murray, the regent of Scotland, who sent him to the castle of Lough-leven, then belonging to William Douglas. All the writers of that time assure us that Hector, who was rich before, fell shortly afterwards into poverty, and became so infamous, that to take Hector's cloak, grew into a proverb, to express a man who betrays his friend. See Camden, Carleton, Holingshed, &c.

Lord Northumberland continued in the castle of Loughleven, till the year 1572; when James Douglas Earl of Morton being elected regent, he was given up to the Lord Hunsden at Berwick, and being carried to York, suffered death. As Morton's party depended on Elizabeth for protection, an elegant historian thinks "it was scarce possible for them to refuse putting into her hands a person who had taken up arms against her. But as a sum of money was paid on that account, and shared between Morton and his kinsman Douglas, the former of whom during his exile in England had been much indebted to Northumberland's friendship, the abandoning this unhappy nobleman to inevitable destruction, was deemed an ungrateful and mercenary act."-Robertson's Hist.

So far history coincides with this ballad, which was apparently written by some northern bard, soon after the event. The interposal of the witch-lady (v. 53,) is probably his own invention: yet even this hath some countenance from history; for about 25 years before, the Lady Jane Douglas, Lady Glamis, sister of the Earl of Angus, and nearly related to Douglas of Lough-leven, had suffered

death for the pretended crime of witchcraft; who, it is presumed, is the witch-lady alluded to in v. 133.

The following is selected (like the former) from two copies, which contained great variations: one of them in the Editor's folio MS. In the other copy, some of the stanzas at the beginning of this ballad are nearly the same with what in that MS. are made' to begin another ballad on the escape of the Earl of Westmoreland, who got safe into Flanders, and is feigned in the ballad to have undergone a great variety of adventures.

How long shall fortune faile me nowe,
And harrowe me with fear and dread?

How long shall I in bale abide,
In misery my life to lead?

To fall from my bliss, alas the while!
It was my sore and heavye lott:
And I must leave my native land,
And I must live a man forgot.

One gentle Armstrong I doe ken,

5

A Scot he is much bound to mee:

10

He dwelleth on the border side,

To him I'll goe right privilie.

Thus did the noble Percy 'plaine,
With a heavy heart and wel-away,

When he with all his gallant men,

15

On Bramham moor had lost the day.

But when he to the Armstrongs came,
They dealt with him all treacherouslye;
For they did strip that noble earle :

And ever an ill death may they dye.

False Hector to Earl Murray sent,

To shew him where his guest did hide:
Who sent him to the Lough-levèn,
With William Douglas to abide.

And when he to the Douglas came,

He halched him right curteouslìe :
Say'd, Welcome, welcome, noble earle,

Here thou shalt safelye bide with mee.

When he had in Lough-leven been

20

25

Many a month and many a day;

30

To the regent * the lord warden † sent,
That bannisht earle for to betray.

He offered him great store of gold,

And wrote a letter fair to see:

Saying, Good my lord, grant me my boon,
And yield that banisht man to mee.

Earle Percy at the supper sate

With many a goodly gentleman :

35

* James Douglas Earl of Morton, elected regent of Scotland

Nov. 24, 1572.

* Of one of the English Marches. Lotd Hunsden.

The wylie Douglas then bespake,

And thus to flyte with him began:

What makes you be so sad, my lord,
And in your mind so sorrowfullyè ?
To-morrow a shootinge will bee held

Among the lords of the North countryè.

40

The butts are sett, the shooting's made,
And there will be great royalty:

45

And I am sworne into my bille,

Thither to bring my lord Percye.

I'll give thee my hand, thou gentle Douglas,
And here by my true faith, quoth hee,

If thou wilt ride to the worldes end,

I will ride in thy companye.

And then bespake a lady faire,

50

Mary à Douglas was her name:

You shall bide here, good English lord,

55

My brother is a traiterous man.

He is a traitor stout and stronge,

As I tell you in privitìe :

For he hath tane liverance of the earle,*

Into England nowe to 'liver thee

60

*Of the Earl of Morton, the regent.

Now nay, now nay, thou goodly lady,

The regent is a noble lord:

Ne for the gold in all England,

The Douglas wold not break his word.

When the regent was a banisht man,

With me he did faire welcome find;

And whether weal or woe betide,

I still shall find him true and kind.

65

Between England and Scotland it wold breake truce,

And friends againe they wold never bee,

If they shold 'liver a banisht erle

Was driven out of his own countrie.

Alas! alas! my lord, she sayes,

Nowe mickle is their traitorìe;

Then let my brother ryde his ways,

And tell those English lords from thee,

How that you cannot with him ryde,

*

sea,*

Because you are in an ile of the
Then ere my brother come againe
To Edinbrow castle † Ile carry thee.

To the Lord Hume I will thee bring,

He is well knowne a true Scots lord,

70

75

80

* i. e. Lake of Leven, which hath communication with the sea. At that time in the hands of the opposite faction.