From Lives of the Queens of Scotland and English Princesses Connected with the Regal Succession of Great Britain, Vol. 5 by Agnes Strickland (Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood and Sons, 1854), page 244:


Feb. 1567.

A Doleful Ditty and a Sorrowful Sonnet of the Lord Darnley, some time King of Scots, Nephew to the Noble and Worthy King, King Henry the Eight, and is to be sung to the tune of Black and Yellow.*

1. My pen and hand proceed to write,
A woeful tale to tell:
My pen it cannot half indite,
Alas! how it befell.
Woe worth the men that treason first,
This thing did take in hand;
Of all men's mouths they may be curst
Throughout this English land.

[CHORUS:] Woe worth, woe worth, woe worth them all,
Woe worth to them, I say;
Woe worth, woe worth, woe worth them all,
Woe worth to them alway.

2. As it befell to Lord Darnley,
Whose friends they may all rue,
That ere he on Scotland ground,
Or any place therein knew.
The Queen of Scots a letter sent,
With it a heart and ring,
Desiring him to come to her,
And she would make him king.

3. He thought it was a courteous deed,
So noble a Queen as she
Would marry him, and make him King;
Thereto he did agree.
When first in Scotland that he went,
He was discreet and sage;
And when in hand he took to rule,
But twenty years of age.

4. But listen now, and give good ear,
To hear what chance befell;
For, as the proverb old doth go,
Gold may be bought too well.
There dwelt a stranger in the court,
Signior David called by name,
He was the first that went about
This treason vile to frame.

5. And Chamberlain he was to the Queen,
Who preferred him wondrous well,
As all the lords in court beheld,
Which caused their hearts to swell.
Against this David grudged the King,
A quarrel was picked for the nonce;
Within the chamber there was drawn
Twelve daggers all at once.

6. Some of the lords took the King's part,
And some took his certain;
Two daggers he had at his heart,
And so was David slain.
And when the Queen heard of this news,
She sore began to weep,
And made a vow and oath certain,
That she did mean to keep—

7. 'That in a twelvemonth and a day
She would not be pleased be,
Because that David so was slain,
With such great cruelty.'
The twelvemonth and a day expired,
A meeting there should be;
By all the lords it was agreed
With great solemnity.

8. 'At Rocksborough Castle then and there
This King and Queen should meet,
And be made friends as erst they were;'
Some lords the same did seek.
Three wights conspired the King's death,
Whose names are all well known:
For which, alas! the people in
The country made great moan.

9. The wights which this treason began,
For to destroy the King,
They took with them gunpowder there,
The chamber they went in.
And to them close they shut the door,
For fear of being spied;
They strewed the powder round about
Full thick on every side.

10. And thereon strewed rushes green,
To hide the powder withal,
Because they would not have it seen,
Nor nothing smelt at all.
The banquet then prepared is,
They sup and drink the wine;
The King, alas! knew not of this,
The which was wrought that time.

11. And after supper they did talk,
To pass away the time;
And every man his fancy spake
As best did please his mind:
Some men with Signior David held;
The King then, in a rage,
Up to his chamber went straightway,
None with him but a page.

12. And when he came the chamber in,
The page began to tell—
'You are betrayed, oh noble King,
For powder I do smell.
Oh flee from hence, haste you away,
And I on you will wait.'
The King that hearing, presently
Leapt out the window straight.

13. One of them stood under the window,
And took him in his arm,
Saying,'Who art thou? Oh man, fear not,
For thou shalt have no harm.'
'I am an Englishman,' quoth he,
'Of Scotland I am King;
King Henry once my uncle was,
Which was of England King.'

14. Two of them took the King straightway,
And bound him hand and foot;
On a pear-tree in the orchard
This noble King they hanged.
And when the Queen heard of this news,
She sore wept for the King;
'Peace, madam,' quoth the Lord Jamie,
'You do but feign this thing.'

15. 'For why?' quoth she; 'though he were young,
None was more meet than he
To have worn the crown; for his lineage,
He came of high degree.
But now I wish my Chamberlain
Had hanged in his room,
So that the King alive had been
For to have worn the crown.'

16. Thus hath this noble King also,
His life cost, as you hear;
Therefore I say, and will do still,
He did buy gold too dear.
God grant, good Lord, with heart I pray,
Our noble Queen to guide;
And grant that never traitors false
About her Highness bide."

* Imprinted at London, by Thomas Gosson, dwelling in Paternoster Row, next the sign of the Castle."—[A broadside in English type, three columns.] I am indebted to the kindness of my friend Robert Chambers, Esq., for the communication of this curious contemporary poem, recently discovered by himself at Cambridge.