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that it be, And seven with him, and no more else, For to bear him company. Bid him lay away watch and ward, And take no heed to mynstrel's glee; Bid him sit at the lower end of the board, When he is amongst his meany, His back to the door, his face to the wall, That comers and goers shall not him see; Bid him lodge in no common hall, But keep him unknowne right secretly. Commend me to my brother Sir William so dear, In the Holt Castle there dwelleth hee; Since the last time that we together were, In the forest of Delameere both fair and free, And seven harts upon one hearde, Were brought to the buck sett to him and me; But a forester came to me with a whoore bearde, And said, good sir, awhile rest ye, I have found you a hart in Darnall Park, Such a one I never saw with my eye. I did him crave, he said I shoud him have; He was brought to the broad heath truely; At him I let my grayhound then slipp, And followed after while I might dree. He left me lyeing in an ould moss pit, A loud laughter then laughed hee; He said, Rise up, and draw out your cousin; The deer is dead, come you and see. Bid him come as a marchant of Carnarvon, Or else of Bew-morris whether it be; And in his company seven Welshmen, And come to London and speak to me; I have a great mind to speak with him, I think it long since I him see. Commend me to Sir John Savage, that knight, Lady, he is my sister's sone, Since upon a friday at night Before my bedside he kneeled downe: He desired me as I was uncle dear, Many a time full tenderly, That I would lowly King Richard require If I might get him any fee. I came before my soveraigne Lord, And kneeled down upon my knee, So soon to me he did accord, I thanked him full courteously, A gatt him an hundred pounds in Kent To him and his heirs perpetually, Also a manor of a duchy rent, Two hundred pounds he may spend thereby, And high sheriff of Worcestershire, And also the park of Tewksbury. He hath it all at his desire, Therewith dayley he may make merry. Bid him come as a merchant man Of West Chester, that fair city, And seven yeomen to wait him on, Bid him come to London and speak with me. Commend me to good Gilbert Talbott, A gentle esquire forsooth is he; Once on a Fryday, full well I woot King Richard called him traitour high: But Gilbert to his fawchon prest, A bold esquire forsooth is he; Their durst no sarjant him arreast, He is called so perlous of his body. In the Tower Street I meet him then Going to Westminster to take sanctuarie; I light beside my horse I was upon, The purse from my belt I gave him truely; I bad him ride down into the North-West, Perchance a knight in England I might him see: Wherefore pray him at my request To come to London to speak with me. Then said the royall Lord so just, Now you have written, and sealed have I, There is no messenger that we may trust, To bring these writeings into the West Countrey. Because our matter it is so high, Least any man wou'd us descry. Humphrey Brereton, then said Bessye, Hath been true to my father and me; He shall take the writeings in hand, And bring them into the West Countrey: I trust him best of all this land On this message to go for me. Go to thy bed, Father, and sleep full soon, And I shall wake for you and me, By tomorrow at the riseing of the sune, Humphrey Brereton shall be with thee. She brings the Lord to his bed so trimly dight All that night where he should lye, And Bessy waked all that night, There came no sleep within her eye: In the morning when the day can spring, Up riseth young Bessye, And maketh hast in her dressing; To Humphrey Brereton gone is she: But when she came to Humphrey's bower bright, With a small voice called she, Humphrey answered that lady bright, Saith, Who calleth on me so early? I am King Edward's daughter right, The Countesse clear, young Bessy, In all hast with mean and might Thou must come speak with the Earle of Darby. Humphrey cast upon him a gowne, And a pair of slippers upon his feet; Alas! said Humphrey, I may not ride, My horse is tired as you may see; Since I came from London city, Neither night nor day, I tell you plain, There came no sleep within my eye; On my business I thought certaine. Lay thee down, Humphrey, he said, and sleep, I will give space of hours three: A fresh horse I thee beehyte, Shall bring thee through the West Countrey. Humphrey slept not hours two, But on his journey well thought hee; A fresh horse was brought him tooe, To bring him through the West Countrey. Then Humphrey Brereton with mickle might, Hard at Latham knocketh hee; Who is it, said the porter, this time of the night, That so hastily calleth on mee? The porter then in that state, That time of the night riseth hee, And forthwith opened me the gate, And received both my horse and me. Then said Humphrey Brereton, truely With the Lord Strange speak would I faine, From his father the Earle of Darby. Then was I welcome that time certaine; A torch burned that same tide, And other lights that he might see; And brought him to the bedd side Where as the Lord Strange lie. The lord mused in that tide, Said, Humphrey Brereton, what mak'st thou here? How fareth my father, that noble lord, In all England that hath no peer? Humphrey took him a letter in hand, And said, Behold, my lord, and you may see. When the Lord Strange looked the letter upon, The tears trickled downe from his eye: He said, we must come under a cloud, We must never trusted bee; We may sigh and make a great moane, This world is not as it will bee. Have here, Humphrey, pounds three, Better rewarded may thou bee; Commend me to my father dear, His daily blessing he would give me; He said also in that tide, Tell him all thus from me; If I be able to go or ride, This appointment keep will I. When Humphrey received the gold, I say, Straight to Manchester rideth hee. The sun was light up of the day, He was aware of the Warden and Edward Stanley; The one brother said to the other, As they together their matins did say: Behold, he said, my own dear brother, Yonder comes Humphrey Brereton, it is no nay, My father's servant at command, Some hasty tydeings bringeth hee. He took them either a letter in hand, And bad them behold, read and see: They turn'd their backs shortly tho', And read those letters readily. Up they leap and laughed too, And also they made game end glee— Fair fare our father, that noble lord, To stirr and rise now beginneth hee; Buckingham's blood shall be wroken, That was beheaded in Salsbury; Fare fall that countesse, the king's daughter, That fair lady, young Bessye, We trust in Jesus in time hereafter, To bring thy love over the sea. Have here, Humphrey, of either of us shillings ten, Better rewarded may thou bee. He took the gold of the two gentlemen, To sir John Savage then rideth hee; He took him then a letter in hand, And bad him behold, read and see: When sir John Savage looked the letter upon, All blackned the knight's blee; Woman's wisdom is wondrous to hear, loe, My uncle is turned by young Bessye: Whether it turn to waile or woe, At my uncle's bidding will I bee. To Sheffield Castle at that same tide, In all the hast that might bee, Humphrey took his horse and forth could ride To Gilbert Talbot fair and free. He took him a letter in his hand, Behold, said Humphrey, read and see; When he the letter looked upon, A loud laughter laughed hee— Fare fall that Lord in his renowne there, To stirr and rise beginneth hee: Fair fall Bessie that countesse clear, That such councell cou'd give truely; Commend me to my nephew nigh of blood, The young Earle of Shrewsbury, Bid him neither dread for death nor good; In the Tower of London if he bee, I shall make London gates to tremble and quake, But my nephew borrowed shall bee. Commend me to the countess that fair make, King Edward's daughter, young Bessy: Tell her I trust in Jesu that hath no pear, To bring her love over the sea. Commend me to that lord to me so dear, That lately was made the Earle of Darby; And every hair of my head For a man counted might bee, With that lord without any dread, With him will I live and dye. Have here, Humphrey, pounds three, Better rewarded may thou bee: Look to London gates thou ride quickly, In all the hast that may bee; Commend me to that countesse young Bessy, She was King Edward's daughter dear, Such a one she is, I say truely, In all this land she hath no peer. He took his leave at that time, Strait to London rideth he, In all the hast that he could wind, His journey greatly he did apply. But when he came to London, as I weene, It was but a little before the evening, There was he warr, walking in a garden, Both the earle, and Richard the king. When the earle did Humphrey see, When he came before the king, He gave him a privy twink then with his eye, Then down falls Humphrey on his knees kneeling; Welcome, Humphrey, says the lord, I have missed thee weeks three. I have been in the west, my lord, There born and bred was I, For to sport and play me certaine, Among my friends far and nigh. Tell me, Humphrey, said the earle then, How fareth all that same countrey? Of all the countreys I dare well say, They be the flower of chivalry; For they will bycker with their bowes, They will fight and never fly. Tell me, Humphrey, I thee pray, How fareth King Richard his commenty? When King Richard heard him say so, In his heart he was right merry; He with his cap that was so dear, He thanked that lord most courteously: And said, father Stanley, thou art to me near, You are the chief of our poor commenty; Half England shall be thine, It shall be equall between thee and me; I am thine and thou art mine, So two fellows will we bee. I swear by Mary, that mild maiden, I know no more such under the skye;
