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No. XXXIV. (page 316.): The Battle of Bothwell Bridge—a Scottish - History of the Conquest of England by the Normans; Its Causes, and its Consequences, in England, Scotland, Ireland, & on the Continent, vol. 2

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No. XXXIV. (page 316.): The Battle of Bothwell Bridge—a Scottish - Augustin Thierry, History of the Conquest of England by the Normans; Its Causes, and its Consequences, in England, Scotland, Ireland, & on the Continent, vol. 2 [1856]

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History of the Conquest of England by the Normans; Its Causes, and its Consequences, in England, Scotland, Ireland, & on the Continent, translated from the seventh Paris edition, by William Hazlitt (London: H.G. Bohn, 1856). In 2 volumes. Vol. 2.

Author: Augustin Thierry
Translator: William Hazlitt

Part of: History of the Conquest of England by the Normans; Its Causes, and its Consequences, in England, Scotland, Ireland, & on the Continent, 2 vols.

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No. XXXIV. (page 316.)

The Battle of Bothwell Bridge—a Scottish

- “O, billie, billie, bonny billie,
- Will ye go to the wood wi’ me?
- We’ll ca’ our horse hame masterless,
- An’ gar them trow slain men are we.”
- “O no, O no!” says Earlstoun,
- “For that’s the thing that mauna be;
- For I am sworn to Bothwell Hill,
- Where I maun either gae or die.”
- So Earlstoun rose in the morning,
- An’ mounted by the break o’ day;
- An’ he has joined our Scottish lads,
- As they were marching out the way.
- “Now, farewell, father, and farewell, mother,
- And fare ye weel, my sisters three;
- An’ fare ye weel, my Earlstoun,
- For thee again I’ll never see!”
- So they’re awa’ to Bothwell Hill,
- An’ waly’ they rode bonnily!
- When the duke o’ Monmouth saw them comin’,
- He went to view their company.
- Ye’re welcome, lads,” the Monmouth said,
- ‘Ye’re welcome, brave Scots lads, to me;
- And sae are you, brave Earlstoun,
- The foremost o’ your company!
- ‘But yield your weapons ane an’ a’;
- O yield your weapons, lads, to me;
- For gin ye’ll yield your weapons up,
- Ye’ se a’ gae hame to your country.”
- Out then spak a Lennox lad,
- And waly but he spoke bonnily
- “I winna yield my weapons up,
- To you nor nae man that I see.”
- Then he set up the flag o’ red,
- A’ set about wi’ bonny blue;
- “Since ye’ll no cease, and be at peace,
- See that ye stand by ither true.”
- They stell’d their cannons on the height,
- And showr’d their shot down in the howe;
- An’ beat our Scots lads even down,
- Thick they lay slain on every knowe.
- As e’er you saw the rain down fa’,
- Or yet the arrow frae the bow,
- Sae our Scottish lads fell even down,
- An’ they lay slain on every knowe.
- “O hold your hand,” the Monmouth cry’d.
- Gie quarters to yon men for me!”
- But wicked Claver’se swore an oath,
- His cornet’s death revenged sud be.
- “O hold your hand,” then Monmouth cry’d,
- “If onything you’ll do for me;
- Hold up your hand, you cursed Græme,
- Else a rebel to our king ye’ll be.”
- Then wicked Claver’se turn’d about,
- I wot an angry man was he;
- And he has lifted up his hat,
- And cry’d, “God bless his majesty!”
- Then he’s awa’ to London town,
- Aye e’en as fast as he can dree;
- Fause witnesses he has wi’ him ta’en,
- And ta’en Monmouth’s head frae his body.
- Alang the brae, beyond the brig,
- Mony brave man lies cauld and still;
- But lang we’ll mind, and sair we’ll rue,
- The bloody battle of Bothwell Hill.

Als thar haf wryten and sayd
Haf I alle in myn Inglis layd,
In symple speclie, as I couthe.
* * * * * * * * *
Bot for the luf of symple men
* * * * * * * * *
That strange Inglis can not ken:
Thar sayd it for pride and nobleye.
(Robert of Brunne’s Prologue to his Chronicle, Hearne’s edit. p. xcvii.)

Exemplo patrum, commotus amore legendi,
Ivit ad Hibernos sophia mirabile claros.
(Collectanea de rebus Hibernicis, i. 112.)

Sappi chi’ son Beltram dal Bornio, quelli
Che diedi al Re Giovann’ i mai conforti.
(Inferno, canto xxviii.)

Lignum crucis, signum ducis,
Sequitur exercitus, quod non cessit, sed præcessit,
In vi Sancti Spiritus. (Ib.)

Qui certant quotidie laudibus militiæ
Gratis insigniri. (Ib.)

Non enim qui pluribus cutem curant sumptibus,
Emunt Deum precibus. (Ib.)

Satis est dominicum corpus ad viaticum
Crucem defendenti. (Ib. 640.)

Christus tradens se tortori, mutuavit peccatori. (Ib.)

Pro n’ay d’amis, mas paure son li don;
Ancta lur es si per ma rezenson,
Soi sai dos yvers pres
(Raynouard, Choix des poesies des Troubadours, iv. 183.) See Appendix No. XIX.

I shall you tell of a good yeman,
His name was Robin Hode. (Ib.)

From wealthy abbot’s chests, and churche’s abundant store,
What oftentimes he took, he shar’d amongst the poore.
(Robert Brune’s Chronicle, ii. 667.)

They were outlawed for venyson
These yemen everechone.
(Pieces of Ancient Popular Poetry, p. 6.)

They swore them brethren upon a day,
To Englysshe wod for to gone. (Ib.)

One vowe shal I make, sayde the sheriffe,
A payre of new galowes shal I for the make. (Ib. p. 11.)

Cum, juris apostata nostri,
Succombet victus tibi cum Xantone Niortus...
In Pyrenæo figes tentoria monte.
(Guill. Britonis Philippid., ut sup. p. 285.)

Ai Toloza e Proensa
E la terra d’Agensa,
Bezers et Carcassey
Quo vos vi, e quo us vey.
(Raynouard, Choir des poesies des Troubadours, iv. 192.)

... Que ton
Los Frances e’ls escorsa,
El’s pen e n’ai fai pon.—
(Ib. p. 314.)

... Et ill clerc sont li
Cotz e fozil.—
(Raynouard, ut sup. v. 578.)

The king had never but tempest foule and rain
As longe as he was ay in Wales grounde,
(Harding’s Chronicle, cap. ccii. at the word Henry the Fourth.)

William Waleis...that maister was of theuves.
(Robert Brune’s Chron., ii. 329.)

—Latro publicus.
(Thomas. de Walsingham, Ypodigma Neustriæ; Camden, Anglica, &c., p. 486.)

...The king him answered soon
All en till Frankish as used be.
(Wyntoun, apud Ellis, Metrical Romances.)

Freinshe use this gentilman,
Ac everich inglishe can.
(Introduction to the romance of Arthur and Merlin, quoted by Sir W. Scott, in his introduction to Sir Tristrem, p. 30.)

Mani noble I have y-seighe
That no Frenysche couth seye,
Begin I chill for her love. .
On englyshe tel my tale.
(Sir W. Scott, loc. sup. cit.).

Read where so thou be or elles sing
That thou beest understood God I beseech.

When Tommy came his master before,
He kneeled down upon his knee;
“What tidings hast thou brought, my man,
As that thou makes such courtesie?”
Ritson’s Ant. Songs, p. 253.