The Ballad of Balrinnes
The ballad which follows is taken from the publication of "Dalzell's Scotish Poems of the Sixteenth Century, vol. ii." There is a copy in the Pepys Collection, and another in the Advocates Library, printed at Edinburgh in 1681. The ballad is also printed, undoubtedly from a stall copy, in Scarce Ancient Ballads. The first four stanzas had previously been given in Jamieson's Popular Ballads. The older version of Dalzell is somewhat defective, and abounds in errors, which, as well as the corrupted spellings, are attributed to the ignorance of an English transcriber. Some lines were so corrupted that they have been ommitted.
The Ballad of Balrinnes
| I rais and tuik the way, Beleiuing weill it had not beine Nought halff ane hour to day. The lift was clad with cloudis gray, And owermaskit was the moone, Quhilk me deceaued whair I lay, And maid me ryss ouer soone. On Towie Mounth I mett a man, Weill grathed in his gear Quoth I, " Quhat neues ? " then he begane To tell a fitt of warre. Quoth he, " Of lait I heir, Ane bloodie broust there was brouine, Saying, " The ministers, I fear, A bloody browst have brown, For yesterday, withouthen mair, On the hill at Stradown, Zesterday, withouten moir, is Upone ane hill at Strathdoune." Then I, as any man wold be, us Desyrous for to know Mair of that taill he told to me, The quhilk he said he sawe Be then the day began to daw, And back with him I red ; ao Then he began the soothe to schaw, And on this wayis he said. Macallenmore cam from the wast With many a bow and brand To wast the Rinnes he thought best, The Earll of Huntlies land. He swore that none should him gainestand, Except that he war fay Bot all sould be at his comand That dwelt be northen Tay. to Then Huntlie, for to prevent that perrill, Directit hastilie " I saw three lords in battle fight Eight furiously awhile, Huntlie and Errol, as they hight, Were both against Argyle. Turn back with me and ride a mile, And I shall make it kend, How they began, the form and stile, And of the battles end." Unto the noble Erll of Erroll, Besought him for supplie. Quha said, " It is my deutie For to giue Huntlie support For if he lossis Strabolgie, My Slaines will be ill hurt. " Thairfoir I hald the subject vaine, Wold rave us of our right First sail one of us be slaine, The uther tak the flight. Suppose Argyll be muche of might, Be force of Heigheland men We's be a motte into his sight, Or he pas hame againe. " Be blaithe, my mirrie men, be blaithe, Argyll sail have the worse, Give he into this countrie kaithe, I houpe in God[i]& cross." Then leap this lord upon his horss, Ane warrlyk troupe at Torray To meit with Huntlie and his force, They ryde to Elgine of Murray. The samen night thir lordis meit For utheris, who thought long, (To tell zow all, I haue forgot) The mirthe was them amonge. Then playeris played, and songsters song, To gled the mirrie host, Quho feared not thair foes strong, Nor zet Argylles boste. They for two dayes wold not remove, Bot blaithlie dranck the wyne, Some to his lass, some to his loue," Some to his ladeis fyne. And he that thought not for to blyne, His mistres tockin tackes They kist it first, and set it syne Upone thair helmes and jackes. ao They past thair tyme right wantonly, Quhill word cam at ye last, Argyll, with ane great armie, Approached wondrous fast. Then [out] of the toune thir barrones past, And Huntlie to them said, " Good gentillmen, we will us cast To Strathbolgie but bed." Quhen they unto Strathbolgie came, To that castell but dreid, Then to forsee how thingis might frame, When they unto Strathboggy came, To council soon they geed, For to see how things might frame, For they had meikle neid, They woned them unto the dead, As kirkmen could devys Syne prayed to God that they might speed Off thair guid enterpryse. Then evirie man himself did arme, To meit Mackallanmorne, Unto Strathdoune quho did great harme The Wednesday beforne. As lyounes does poore lambes devoure, With bloodie teethe and naillis, They burnt the biggingis, tuik the store, Syne slewe the peopillis sellis. Besyd all this hie crueltie, ios He said, ere he should ceass, The standing stonnes of Strathbolgie Schould be his palione place. Bot Huntlie said, With Godis grace, First we sail fight them ones Perchance that they may tak the chess, Ere they come to the stonnes." Thir lordis keipt on at afternoone, With all thair warrmen wight Then sped up to Cabrach sone, us Whair they bed all that night. Upone the morne, quhen day was light, They rose and maid them boune Intill ane castell that stood on hight, They call it Auchindoune. Besyd that castell, on a croft, They stended pallionis ther Then spak a man that had bein oft In jeopardie of warr " My lord, zour foes they ar to fear, ias Thoughe we war neuir so stoute Thairfoir comand some man of warre To watche the rest about." Be this was done, some gentillmen Of noble kin and blood, iso To counsell with thir lordis begane, Of matteris to concluide For weill aneughe they understood The matter was of weght, They had so manie men of good iss In battell for to fight. The firstin man in counsall spak, Good Errol it was he Who say is, " I will the vaneguard tack, And leiding upone me. My Lord Huntlie, come succour me, When ze sie me opprest For fra the feild I will not flic So long as I may last." Thair at some Gordones waxed wraithe, i And said he did them wrong To lat this lord then they warre leath First to [the] battell gange. The meiting that was them amonge, Was no man that it hard, iso Bot Huntlie, with ane troupe full stronge, Bed into the reir guarde. Thir wer the number of thair force Thir lordis to battell led Ane thousand gentillmen on horss, And some fotemen they had Thrie hundreth that schot arrowes bred, Four scoir that hagbutis bore Thir war the number that they had Of footmen with them suire. ieo This worthy chevalrie All merchand to the field Argyll, with ane great armie, Upone ane hill had tane beild, Aboyding them [with] speare and scheild, With bullettis, dartis, and bowes The men could weill thair wapones weild |
To meit them was no mowes. When they so near uther war come, That ilk man saw his foe, iro " Goe to, and assay the gaime," said some Bot Capitane Ker said, " No Thus with their noble cavalry They inarched to the field. speares and scheildis. weild thair wapones weill. First lat the gunes befoir us goe, That they may break the order Quoth both the lordis, " Lat it be so, Or euer we goe forder." Then Androw Gray, upone ane horss, Betuixt the battillis red Makand the signe of holy cross, In manus tuas he said. iao He lighted thair [the] gunes to led, Quhill they cam to the rest Then Capitane Ker unto him sped, And bad him shuit in haist. " I will not [shuit]," quothe Androw Gray, iss " Quhill they cum over zonder hill We have an ower guid caus this dey, Through misgydins to spill. Goe back, and bid our men byd still, Quhill they cum to the plaine Then sail my shuitting doe them ill, I will not shuit in vaine." " Shuit up, shuit up," quothe Capitane Ker, " Shuit up, to our comfort ! " The firsten shot [it] was to neir, It lighted all to schort. The nixtin shot thair foes hurt, It lighted wounderous weill Quoth Androw Gray, " I sie ane sport, Quhen they began to reill. mannis. then ower. " Goe toe, good mattes, and say the game, Zonder folkis ar in a fray Lat sie how we can well with them, Into thair disaray. Goe, goe, it is not tyme to stay, All for my bennisoune Saue non this day ze may gar dye, Quhill ze the feild haue wonne." Then Errol haisted to the hight, Whair he did battell byd With him went Auchindoune and Gight, And Bonnitoune by his syd Whair manie gentillman did with him byd, Whos prais sould not be smored Bot Capitane Ker, that was thair gyde, Red ay befoir my lord. They war not manie men of werre, Bot they war wonder trewe With hagbutis, pistolet, bowe, and speare, They did thair foes persewe, Quhair bullettis, dartis, and arrowes flew, Als thick as haill or raine, Then awful Erroll he can say " Good fellows, follow me I hope it shall be ours this day, Or else therefore to die. Tho they in number many be, Set on, withoutten words Let ilk brave fellow brake his tree, And then pursue with swords." many were. within went. Quhilk manie hurt, and some they slew, Of horss and gentillmen. Huntlie maid haist to succour him, And charged furiouslie, Quhair manie menis sight grew dim, The shottis so thick did flie Quhilk gart right manie doghtie die, Of some on euerie syd Argyll with his tald hoste did flie, Bot Macklenne did abyd. Macklene had one ane habershoune, Ilk lord had one ane jack Togidder feirc[e]lie are they rune, With manie a gunes crack. The splenderis of thair spearis they break, Flewe up into the air, Quhilk boore doune maney on thair back, Againe ros neuer mair. " Alace, I sie ane sore sight," Said the Laird of Macklenne " Our feible folkis is tenne the flight, Then some men said, " We will be sure And take Maclean by course Go to, for we are men anew To bear him down by force." But noble Errol had remorse, And said, " It is not best, For tho Argyle has got the worst, “ Let him gang with the rest. And left me myne allaine. Now must I file, or els be slaine, Since they will not returne ; " With that he ran ouer ane dyne, Endlongis ane lytill burne. Then after great Argylles hoste Some horssmen tuik the chess, Quha turned their backes for all thair bost, Contrair the fooles say[s]. They cried " oh," with manie " alace," Bot neuir for mercie sought Thairfoir the Gordones gaue no grace, Becaus they craved it nought. Then some guidman perseiued sharpe, With Erroll and Huntlie, And thai with [a] capitane did carpe, Quhais name was Ogilvie. He sayis, " Gentillmen, lat see Who maniest slaine slaydis Save non this day ze may gar die, For pleadis, nor ransome paynes." " What greater honour could ye wish In deeds of chivalry, Or brave victory than this, Where one has chac'd thrice three? Therefore, good fellows, let him be He'll die before he yield For he with his small company Bade langest in the field." perceiued. line is corrupted. Lyk hartes, up howes and hillis thei ranne, Quhair horsmen might not winn " Reteir againe," quoth Huntlie then, " Quhair we did first begin. Heir lyes manie carved skinnes, With manie ane bloodie beard, For anie helpe, with litell dinne, Sail rotte aboue the eard." When they cam to the hill againe, The sett doune one thair knees, Syne thanked God that they had slaine Soe manie enimies. aoo They ros befor Argylles eyis, Maid Capitane Ker ane knight Syne bed among the dead bodies, Whill they war out of sight. This deid so doughtilie was done, As I hard trewe men tell, Upone ane Thursday afternoone, St. Franecis ewill befell. Now I have you already tauld, Huntly and Errol's men Could scarce be thirteen hundred called, The truth if ye would ken. And yet Argyle his thousands ten Were they that took the race, And tho that they were nine to ane, They caused [them] take the chace. He has should be ere, or vigil. |
