more Elizabethan historical ballads
For those of you tired of Harry Potter and in need of something else to read, another slection from The Golden Garland of Princely Pleasures and Delicate Delights.
As we have already had ballads about the other two Richards, I thought it would be fitting to complete the set. Also, various people on my flist (such as fajrdrako and arriterre) will certainly appreciate this one, with its particular lack of historical accuracy.
OMG -- I'm just listening to Steeleye Span's latest album, Bloody Men. THERE'S A SONG ABOUT PERKIN WARBECK ON IT, HOW AWESOME IS THAT? VERY AWESOME.
...anyway. This is not that song. This is a very odd song about Richard I, made downright creepy in places by the ill-suitedness of its refrain to some of the things it's attached to. I could not find the tune for it. It can be sung (badly) to the tune of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," but I wouldn't advise it.
The text of stanza 15 is corrupt -- there's a blotch on the EEBO scan that's made parts of it illegible. I have made some guesses (in brackets) as to what the words might be, but there are places that utterly defeated me. This is how the stanza appears in EEBO's version.
A Princely song of King Richard Cordelion King of England, of his bold courage, and lamentable death.
To the tune of, You Batchelers that braue it.
Of a noble Christian Warriour,
King Richard of this Land,
For fame amongst our worthies braue,
now orderly may stand:
The God of battels gaue him still
a gallant great command,
To fight for our Sauiour Jesus Christ.
Richard Cordelion in this Land,
a noble English name,
That fils the world with wonders great,
with honour and with fame,
Then gallantly good Souldiers all,
come thunder out the same,
That fights for our Sauiour Jesus Christ.
When as faire Hierusalem,
the City of our Lord,
Lay mourning all in heauinesse,
consumed by the sword.
To succour her, all Christendome
did willingly accord,
And to fight for our Sauiour Jesus Christ.
Then marched forth most braue and bold,
King Richard from this land:
Of noble Knights and Gentlemen,
with him a warlike band:
To fight for Jesus Christ his name,
so long as they could stand,
All souldiers of our Sauiour Jesus Christ.
But by the way such chances then,
King Richard did betide:
That many of his soldiers,
for want of victuall dyed:
A new supply this noble King,
was forced to prouide,
To fight for our Sauiour Jesus Christ.
The mighty Duke of Austria,
to whome he came for ayd,
For all his kingly curtesies,
his succors were denayd.
But tooke him prisoner cowardly,
where ransome must be paid,
And not fight for our Sauiour Jesus Christ.
His noble Knights and Soldiers then,
with sorrow went away:
Wofully complaining all,
that ere they saw that day:
That such a Noble King as he,
a prisoner there should stay,
And not fight for our Sauiour Jesus Christ.
While they were here prouiding
a ransome for his grace,
The Dukes own Sonne vnreuerently,
King Richard did abase:
For which with one small boxe o'th' eare,
he kild him in that place,
In honour of our Sauiour Jesus Christ.
VVith that into a Dungeon deepe,
this noble King was cast:
VVhile as a Lyon (all in rage)
prouided was in haste,
To combate with this famous King,
so long as life did last,
The souldier of our Sauiour Jesus Christ.
But gentle pitty moued much,
the Daughter of the Duke:
Whom deepely wounded was with loue,
proceeding from his looke,
For which to saue his Princely life,
she kindly undertooke:
In honour of our Sauiour Jesus Christ.
A rich imbroydered scarfe of silke,
she secretly conuaid,
Into the Dungeon where the King,
his execution staid:
The which to saue his gentle life,
an instrument was made.
In honor of our Sauiour Jesus Christ.
For when the hunger starued beast,
into the Dungeon came:
With open mouth to swallow him,
he nimbly tooke the same:
And stoutly thrust it downe his throat,
the Lyon thus to tame.
In honor of our Sauiour Jesus Christ.
And so with valiant courage, he
puld out the Lions heart:
Which made the Duke and all his Lords,
in fearefull manner start:
To see this royall English king,
to play so braue a part:
In honor of our Sauiour Jesus Christ.
I am no prisoner, said the King,
for I am now set free:
The country and our law of Armes,
commands it so to be.
And thus to Englands blessed Land,
most ioyfully went he.
In honour of our Sauiour Jesus Christ.
But left his [dea]rest loue behind,
that ge[illegible]ud his life,
With pr[omise] to returne againe,
to ma[ke her] then his wife:
But fell [illegible]nge and bloudy warre,
did breed them further strife.
In fighting for our Sauiour Jesus Christ.
The noble hearts of Englishmen,
that could indure no wrong:
For good King Richard mustred then,
a vailant Army strong,
To passe the seas to A[con]? Walls,
to lay the same along,
In honor of our Sauiour Jesus Christ.
So first consuming fire and sword,
into that countrey came,
Destroying all their Cities braue
and townes of ancient fame:
Till those the wrongs King Richard had
were righted by the same.
In honour of our Sauiour Jesus Christ.
But in his prime of Martiall worth,
this noble King was slaine,
For wounded with a poysoned shaft,
that pierst his Princely braine,
Much sorrowing mone was long [illegible]
amongst his warlike traine.
Stil fighting for our Sauiour Iesu [Christ].
But chiefly by his Lady faire
so loyall and so kinde:
That nothing but reuenge thereof
possessed still her minde:
To know the causer of his death,
were rich rewards assingd.
Thus to honour our Sauiour Iesus Christ.
Upon the murtherer being fownd
much cruelty was showne:
By her command his skinne aliue,
was flead from flesh and bone:
And after vnto ayery fowles
his body it was throwne:
In honour of our Sauiour Iesus Christ.
Yet ended not this Ladies griefe,
for him she loude so deare:
Deepe sorrowes euen broke her heart,
as plainely did appeare:
And both were buried in one graue,
thus true loues end you heare.
That dyed for our Sauiour Iesus Christ.
Did euer Lady for her loue,
more strangely vndertake:
Did euer Daughter in this kind
a grieued father make:
Did euer Princesse end her life,
thus for her true loues sake.
And for our Sauiour Iesus Christ.
FINIS.
...also, the Steeleye song is actually about Lambert Simnel, apparently. Or rather, most of the story sounds like Perkin Warbeck, but the end is like Lambert Simnel. Insert obvious 1066 and All That line here.
As we have already had ballads about the other two Richards, I thought it would be fitting to complete the set. Also, various people on my flist (such as fajrdrako and arriterre) will certainly appreciate this one, with its particular lack of historical accuracy.
OMG -- I'm just listening to Steeleye Span's latest album, Bloody Men. THERE'S A SONG ABOUT PERKIN WARBECK ON IT, HOW AWESOME IS THAT? VERY AWESOME.
...anyway. This is not that song. This is a very odd song about Richard I, made downright creepy in places by the ill-suitedness of its refrain to some of the things it's attached to. I could not find the tune for it. It can be sung (badly) to the tune of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," but I wouldn't advise it.
The text of stanza 15 is corrupt -- there's a blotch on the EEBO scan that's made parts of it illegible. I have made some guesses (in brackets) as to what the words might be, but there are places that utterly defeated me. This is how the stanza appears in EEBO's version.
A Princely song of King Richard Cordelion King of England, of his bold courage, and lamentable death.
To the tune of, You Batchelers that braue it.
Of a noble Christian Warriour,
King Richard of this Land,
For fame amongst our worthies braue,
now orderly may stand:
The God of battels gaue him still
a gallant great command,
To fight for our Sauiour Jesus Christ.
Richard Cordelion in this Land,
a noble English name,
That fils the world with wonders great,
with honour and with fame,
Then gallantly good Souldiers all,
come thunder out the same,
That fights for our Sauiour Jesus Christ.
When as faire Hierusalem,
the City of our Lord,
Lay mourning all in heauinesse,
consumed by the sword.
To succour her, all Christendome
did willingly accord,
And to fight for our Sauiour Jesus Christ.
Then marched forth most braue and bold,
King Richard from this land:
Of noble Knights and Gentlemen,
with him a warlike band:
To fight for Jesus Christ his name,
so long as they could stand,
All souldiers of our Sauiour Jesus Christ.
But by the way such chances then,
King Richard did betide:
That many of his soldiers,
for want of victuall dyed:
A new supply this noble King,
was forced to prouide,
To fight for our Sauiour Jesus Christ.
The mighty Duke of Austria,
to whome he came for ayd,
For all his kingly curtesies,
his succors were denayd.
But tooke him prisoner cowardly,
where ransome must be paid,
And not fight for our Sauiour Jesus Christ.
His noble Knights and Soldiers then,
with sorrow went away:
Wofully complaining all,
that ere they saw that day:
That such a Noble King as he,
a prisoner there should stay,
And not fight for our Sauiour Jesus Christ.
While they were here prouiding
a ransome for his grace,
The Dukes own Sonne vnreuerently,
King Richard did abase:
For which with one small boxe o'th' eare,
he kild him in that place,
In honour of our Sauiour Jesus Christ.
VVith that into a Dungeon deepe,
this noble King was cast:
VVhile as a Lyon (all in rage)
prouided was in haste,
To combate with this famous King,
so long as life did last,
The souldier of our Sauiour Jesus Christ.
But gentle pitty moued much,
the Daughter of the Duke:
Whom deepely wounded was with loue,
proceeding from his looke,
For which to saue his Princely life,
she kindly undertooke:
In honour of our Sauiour Jesus Christ.
A rich imbroydered scarfe of silke,
she secretly conuaid,
Into the Dungeon where the King,
his execution staid:
The which to saue his gentle life,
an instrument was made.
In honor of our Sauiour Jesus Christ.
For when the hunger starued beast,
into the Dungeon came:
With open mouth to swallow him,
he nimbly tooke the same:
And stoutly thrust it downe his throat,
the Lyon thus to tame.
In honor of our Sauiour Jesus Christ.
And so with valiant courage, he
puld out the Lions heart:
Which made the Duke and all his Lords,
in fearefull manner start:
To see this royall English king,
to play so braue a part:
In honor of our Sauiour Jesus Christ.
I am no prisoner, said the King,
for I am now set free:
The country and our law of Armes,
commands it so to be.
And thus to Englands blessed Land,
most ioyfully went he.
In honour of our Sauiour Jesus Christ.
But left his [dea]rest loue behind,
that ge[illegible]ud his life,
With pr[omise] to returne againe,
to ma[ke her] then his wife:
But fell [illegible]nge and bloudy warre,
did breed them further strife.
In fighting for our Sauiour Jesus Christ.
The noble hearts of Englishmen,
that could indure no wrong:
For good King Richard mustred then,
a vailant Army strong,
To passe the seas to A[con]? Walls,
to lay the same along,
In honor of our Sauiour Jesus Christ.
So first consuming fire and sword,
into that countrey came,
Destroying all their Cities braue
and townes of ancient fame:
Till those the wrongs King Richard had
were righted by the same.
In honour of our Sauiour Jesus Christ.
But in his prime of Martiall worth,
this noble King was slaine,
For wounded with a poysoned shaft,
that pierst his Princely braine,
Much sorrowing mone was long [illegible]
amongst his warlike traine.
Stil fighting for our Sauiour Iesu [Christ].
But chiefly by his Lady faire
so loyall and so kinde:
That nothing but reuenge thereof
possessed still her minde:
To know the causer of his death,
were rich rewards assingd.
Thus to honour our Sauiour Iesus Christ.
Upon the murtherer being fownd
much cruelty was showne:
By her command his skinne aliue,
was flead from flesh and bone:
And after vnto ayery fowles
his body it was throwne:
In honour of our Sauiour Iesus Christ.
Yet ended not this Ladies griefe,
for him she loude so deare:
Deepe sorrowes euen broke her heart,
as plainely did appeare:
And both were buried in one graue,
thus true loues end you heare.
That dyed for our Sauiour Iesus Christ.
Did euer Lady for her loue,
more strangely vndertake:
Did euer Daughter in this kind
a grieued father make:
Did euer Princesse end her life,
thus for her true loues sake.
And for our Sauiour Iesus Christ.
FINIS.
...also, the Steeleye song is actually about Lambert Simnel, apparently. Or rather, most of the story sounds like Perkin Warbeck, but the end is like Lambert Simnel. Insert obvious 1066 and All That line here.