But the dun bulle is fled and gone,

And the halfe moone vanished away :
The Erles, though they were brave and bold,
Against soe many could not stay.

Thee, Norton, wi' thine eight good sonnes, 145
They doom'd to dye, alas! for ruth!
Thy reverend lockes thee could not save,
Nor them their faire and blooming youthe.

Wi' them full many a gallant wight
They cruellye bereav'd of life:
And many a childe made fatherlesse,

And widowed many a tender wife.

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HE following version of this ballad is from the Folio MS. (ed. Hales and Furnivall, 1867, vol. ii. p. 210.)

Listen liuely lordings all,

and all that beene this place within!

if youle giue eare vnto my songe,

I will tell you how this geere did begin.

It was the good Erle of Westmorlande,
a noble Erle was called hee;

and he wrought treason against the crowne;
alas, itt was the more pittye!

and soe itt was the Erle of Northumberland,
another good Noble Erle was hee,

they tooken both vpon on part,

against their crowne they wolden bee.

Earle Pearcy is into his garden gone,
and after walks his awne ladye;

"I heare a bird sing in my eare

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that I must either ffight or fflee."

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"God fforbidd," shee sayd, "good my Lord,

that euer soe that it shalbee !

but goe to London to the court,

and faire ffall truth and honestye !"

"but nay, now nay, my Ladye gay,

that euer it shold soe bee;

my treason is knowen well enoughe;

att the court I must not bee."

"but goe to the Court! yet, good my Lord,

take men enowe with thee;

if any man will doe you wronge,

your warrant they may bee."

"but nay, now nay, my Lady gay,

for soe itt must not bee;

If I goe to the court, Ladye,

death will strike me, and I must dye."

"but goe to the Court! yett, [good] my Lord,

I my-selfe will ryde with thee;

if any man will doe you wronge,

your borrow I shalbee."

"but nay, now nay, my Lady gay,

for soe it must not bee;

for if I goe to the Court, Ladye,

thou must me neuer see.

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"but come hither, thou litle footpage,

come thou hither vnto mee,

for thou shalt goe a Message to Master Norton

in all the hast that euer may bee:

"comend me to that gentleman; bring him here this letter from mee, and say, 'I pray him earnestlye

that hee will ryde in my companye.'"

but one while the foote page went, another while he rann;

vntill he came to Master Norton, the ffoot page neuer blanne ;

and when he came to Master Nortton, he kneeled on his knee,

and tooke the letter betwixt his hands, and lett the gentleman it see

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and when the letter itt was reade
affore all his companye,
I-wis, if you wold know the truth,
there was many a weeping eye.

he said, "come hither, Kester Nortton,
a ffine ffellow thou seemes to bee;
some good councell, Kester Nortton,
this day doe thou giue to mee."

"Marry, Ile giue you councell, ffather, if youle take councell att me,

that if you haue spoken the word, father, that backe againe you doe not flee."

"god amercy, Christopher Nortton, I say, god amercye !

if I doe liue and scape with liffe,

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well advanced shalt thou bee;

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"but come you hither, my nine good sonnes,

in mens estate I thinke you bee;

how many of you, my children deare,

on my part that wilbe ?"

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but eight of them did answer soone, and spake ffull hastilye,

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sayes we willbe on your part, ffather, till the day that we doe dye."

"but god amercy, my children deare, and euer I say god amercy!

and yett my blessing you shall have, whether-so euer I liue or dye.

"but what sayst thou, thou ffrancis Nortton, mine eldest sonne and mine heyre trulye? some good councell, ffrancis Nortton,

this day thou giue to me."

"but I will giue you councell, ffather,
if you will take councell att mee;
for if you wold take my councell, father,
against the crowne you shold not bee."

"but ffye vpon thee, ffrancis Nortton!
I say ffye vpon thee!

when thou was younge and tender of age I made ffull much of thee."

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"but your head is white, ffather," he sayes,
"and your beard is wonderous gray;
itt were shame ffor your countrye

if you shold rise and fflee away."

"but ffye vpon thee, thou coward ffrancis! thou neuer tookest that of mee!

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when thou was younge and tender of age

I made too much of thee."

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"but I will goe with you, father," Quoth hee;

"like a naked man will I bee;

he that strikes the first stroake against the crowne, an ill death may hee dye!"

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but then rose vpp Master Nortton that Esquier,

with him a ffull great companye;

and then the Erles they comen downe

the Erle of Westmoreland, he had in his ancyent

the Dume bull in sight most hye,

and 3 doggs with golden collers

were sett out royallye.

the Erle of Northumberland, he had in his ancyent the halfe moone in sight soe hye,

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as the Lord was crucifyed on the crosse,

and sett forthe pleasantlye.

and after them did rise good Sir George Bowes,

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after them a spoyle to make;

but newes itt came to leeue London

in all they speede that euer might bee; and word it came to our royall Queene of all the rebells in the north countrye.

shee turned her grace then once about,
and like a royall Queene shee sware,
sayes, "I will ordaine them such a breake-fast
as was not in the North this 1000 yeere!"

shee caused 30000 men to be made

with horsse and harneis all quicklye; and shee caused 30000 men to be made

to take the rebells in the North countrye.

they took with them the false Erle of Warwicke, soe did they many another man

vntill they came to yorke Castle,

I-wis they neuer stinted nor blan.

;

"spread thy ancyent, Erle of Westmoreland !

The halfe moone ffaine wold wee see!"

but the halfe moone is fled and gone, and the Dun bull vanished awaye;

and ffrancis Nortton and his 8 sonnes are ffled away most cowardlye.

Ladds with mony are counted men

men without mony are counted none; but hold your tounge! why say you soe? men wilbe men when mony is gone.

ffins.]

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