3.
The long commanding Rome, And old Byzantium, Lisbon in Portugal, Are situated all Upon Hills strongly: All therefore that protest Hilly ground's not the best, Are of their wits bereav'd, And all of them deceiv'd, And censure wrongly.
4.
The Peer of England known Darby's Earldom to own, Is honoured by the style Of King of Mona's Isle Hereditary. Why hath Orantus found A Channel under ground Where t'lye hid, but for shame When it hears Darwin's[3] name, Which Fame doth carry?
5.
Why do the Nymphs (believe)
Of Nile, it down Rocks drive; Unless it be for fear Trent's glory should go near To overgo them? The Spaw Luick Land hath, And Sommerset the Bath: Buxtons (dear County) be As famous unto thee As they unto them.
6.
For King Mausolus Tomb, Lango's known by each Groom; And the Campanian Lake Doth very famous make Italies confines; The walls of burned stone Eternise Babylon: And the large Devil's vault Doth Darbyshire exalt, Wherein no sun shines.
7.
The Pike to Tennariff An high repute doth give; And the Coloss of brass, Where under ships did pass, Made Rhodes aspire. Tunbridge makes Kent renown'd And Epsome Surryes Ground: Pools-hole, and St. Anne's Well Makes Darbyshire excell Many a shire.
8.
Here on an Hill's side steep
Is Elden hole, so deep, That no man living knowes How far it hollow goes; Worthy the knowing. Here also is a Well Whose Waters do excell All waters thereabout; Both being in and out Ebbing and flowing.
9.
Here's Lead, whereof is made
Bullets for to invade
Them whose pride doth prevail
So far, as to assail
Our Brittish borders.
Our Lead so much may do,
That it may win Peru; And (if we chance to meet A Spanish silver Fleet) Commit great murthers.
10.
Diana's Fane to us Extolleth Ephesus: The Sand-hil, and deaf stone, Do Darbyshire renown, Worth Admiration. Windsor Berks doth commend, And Essex Audley-end; We of our Chatsworth boast, A glory to our coast, And the whole Nation.
11.
Spain doth vaunt of its sack, And France of Claret crack; Of Rhenish Germany; And of thy Ale speak free, My gallant County. Now I have made an end, I wish you to commend Either the author's wit, Or me for singing it, Out of your bounty.
THE MOST PLEASANT
Song of Lady Bessy, The Eldest Daughter of King Edward the Fourth, and how she married King Henry the Seventh, of the House of Lancaster.
This fine old ballad concerning the Princess Elizabeth of York, wife of Henry VII. of Lancaster, relates to the Earl of Derby, the Earl of Shrewsbury, and others connected with Derbyshire. It is supposed to have been written by Humphrey Brereton. There are two versions of this curious ballad. The version here given is from a MS. copy of the time of Charles II., belonging to the late Mr. Bateman. It was edited by Mr. Halliwell for the Percy Society.
For Jesus sake be merry and glad,
Be blythe of blood, of bone, and blee,
And of your words be sober and sad,
And a little while listen to me:
I shall tell you how Lady Bessy made her moan,
And down she kneeled upon her knee
Before the Earle of Darby her self alone,
These were her words fair and free:—
Who was your beginner, who was your ground,
Good father Stanley, will you tell me?
Who married you to the Margaret Richmond,
A Dutchess of a high degree?
And your son the Lord George Strange
By that good lady you had him by. And Harden lands under your hands, And Moules dale also under your fee, Your brother Sir William Stanley by parliament, The Holt Castle who gave him truely? Who gave him Brome-field, that I now ment? Who gave him Chirk-land to his fee? Who made Him High Chamberlain of Cheshire? Of that country farr and near They were all wholly at his desire, When he did call they did appear; And also the Forrest of Delameer, To hunt therin both day and night As often as his pleasure were, And to send for baron and knight; Who made the knight and lord of all? Good father Stanley, remember thee! It was my father, that king royall, He set you in that room so high. Remember Richmond banished full bare, And lyeth in Brittain behind the sea, You may recover him of his care, If your heart and mind to him will gree: Let him come home and claim his right, And let us cry him King Henry! And if you will maintain him with might, In Brittain he needeth not long to tarry. Go away, Bessy, the Lord said then, I tell thee now for certainty, That fair words make oft fooles full faine, When they be but found vain glory. Oh! father Stanley, to you I call, For the love of God remember thee, Since my father King Edward, that king royall, At Westminster on his death bed lee; He called to him my unckle Richard, So he did Robert of Brackenbury, And James Terrill he was the third; He sent them to Ludlow in the west countrey, To fetch the Duke of York, and the Duke of Clarence, These two lords born of a high degree. The Duke of York should have been prince, And king after my father free, But a balle-full game was them among, When they doomed these two lords to dye: They had neither justice nor right, but had great wrong, Alack! it was the more pitty! Neither were they burried in St. Maries, In church or churchyard or holy place; Alas! they had dolefull destinies, Hard was their chance, worse was their disgrace! Therefore, help good father Stanley, while you have space, For the love of God and mild Mary, Or else in time to come you shall, alas! Remember the words of Lady Bessy! Good Lady Bessy, be content, For tho' your words be never so sweet, If King Richard knew, you must be shent, And perchance cast into prison deep; Then had you cause to waill and weep, And wring your hands with heavy chear; Therefore, good lady, I you beseek To move me no more in this mattér. Oh! good father Stanley, listen now and hear; Heare is no more but you and I: King Edward that was my father dear, On whose estate God had mercy, In Westminster as he did stand, On a certain day in a study, A book of reason he had in his hand, And so sore his study he did apply, That his tender tears fell on the ground, All men might see that stood him by: There were both earls and lords of land, But none of them durst speak but I. I came before my father the king, And kneeled down upon my knee; I desired him lowly of his blessing, And full soon he gave it unto me: And in his arms he could me thring, And set
