[Roxburghe Collection, III. 913; IV. 83.]

The Scotch Lasse's Constancy ;

Or,

Jenny's Lamentation for the Death of Jockey, who, for her sake, was unfortunately kill'd bp Sawny in a Duel. Being a most pleasant New Song, to a New Tune. [Music given.]

66

[The other cuts are on pp. 5, 577, and 612. Cf. p. 741.]
Wa Bonny Lads were Sawny and Jockey,

TW

Blithe Jockey was lov'd, but Sawny unlucky;
Yet Sawny was tall, well favour'd and witty,
But I'se in my heart thought Jockey more pritty.
For when he view'd me, su'd me, woo'd me,
Never was Ladd so like to undo me:

'Fie!' I cry'd, and almost dy'd,

Least Jockey wou'd gang, and come no more to me.

"Jockey would Love, but he would not Marry,
And I was afraid that I shou'd miscarry;
For his cunning Tongue with Wit was so guilded,
That I had a dread my heart would 'a yielded:
Dayly he prest me, blest me, kist me,

Lost was the hour, methought, when he mist me;
Crying, denying, and sighing, I woo'd him,
And mickle adoe I had to get fro' him.

8

16

614

"Unfortunate Jockey, as first continued.

"But cruel Fate robb'd me of my Jewel,

For Sawny would make him fight in a Duel,
And down in a Dale, with cypress surrounded,
Oh! there to his death poor Jockey was wounded ;
But when he thrill'd him, fell'd him, kill'd him,
Who can express my grief that beheld him?
Raging, I tore my Hair for to bind him,

And vow'd and swore, I'de ne're stay behind him.”

[Thus far only the Song is by Tom D'Urfey.

24

What follow are the lengthening-out stanzas of the broadside version.]

"I'se shriek'd and I'se cry'd, ' Wae's me, so unhappy!
For I'se now have lost mine nene sweet Jockey.'
Sawny I curst, and bid him to fly me,

I vow'd and I swore he shou'd ne'r come nigh me;
But I'd spight him, hate him, fight him,
And never again would Jenny like him:
Though he did sigh, and almost dye,

He cry'd Fie!' on me, 'cause I did slight him.

"And from me I'se bid him straightway be ganging,
When with arms a-cross, and head down hanging,
Whilst that my poor Jockey was a-dying,
He to the woods then departed sighing:
And his breath wanted, panted, fainted,
Whilst that for him my tears were not scanted;
I'se beat my breast, and my grief expressed,
Wae's me! that Death my Joy has suppressed.'

"At which my Jockey a little reviving,

[= 2nd Roxb.

32

40

And with Death as it were he lay then striving,
Open'd his Eyes, and looked upon me,

And faintly sigh'd, Ah! Death has undone me!'

Jenny, my Honey! I'se must part from thee,

But when I'm dead, sure there's none will wrong thee.

I did love thee, and that did move me

48

To fight, that so a man I'se might prove me.

"But ah, cruel Fate, to Death I am wounded;
Oh!' and with that again he then swounded;
Whilst for to dress his wound I apply'd me,
alas! his life was deny'd me.

But wae,

Death had appaul'd him, gaul'd him, thrall'd him,
So that he dy'd, with grief I beheld him :

And left poor Jenny all a-mourning,

And cruel Sauny cursing and scorning.

56

1 See note at close of the ballad. The differences from D'Urfey's Scotch Song, sung by Chloe in "The Royalist," 1682, are trifling, those of the second line are here cancelled for the original readings: in the broadside "But Jockey was lo'd," and, in 20th line, "Oh! there in my sight, poor Jockey," etc.

Second Series of Continuation- Verses.

"From Jockey's cold lips I often stole kisses,

The which whilst he lived were still my blisses;
A thousand times I did sob it, sigh it,
And muckle ado I'se had to be quiet:
For as I ey'd him, spy'd him, ply'd him,
Never a thought could then pass beside him :
I'se bann the Fates that, Life denying,

Had robb'd me of Jockey, and long I sat sighing.

"Till I'se at last with Cyprus crown'd him,

And with my tears I'se almost drown'd him:
The Turtles about us then came flying,

And mourning, coo'd, to seem a-sighing:

I'se view'd him, ru'd him, with flowers strew'd him,
And with my love to the last pursu'd him :
Resolving that I'se not stay behind him,

But sighing, dye, and seek for to find him."

Printed for P. Brookshy, in West-Smith-field. 1682.

[White-letter, no cut: One cut in Case 22. Second Roxburghe copy, B. H. Bright's, IV. 83, was printed for J. Wright, J. Clarke, W. Thackeray, and T. Passinger. Black-letter, with five woodcuts: given respectively on pp. 5, 577, 612, 613. Title, "Unfortunate Jockey and mournful Jenny.”]

The earliness of the date when this broadside lengthened version followed the Playhouse Song, which was confessedly popular, strengthens the supposition that " The Royalist" may have been acted shortly before 1682, although not printed until that year. (Compare p. 179.) The "Scotch Song" belonged to the third Act, and was sung by Chloe. It is sometimes called "Unfortunate Jockey." Other copies are in the Pepys Collection, III. 359, 389; in the Douce, at Oxford, II. 190; and in British Museum Coll., Case 22. e. 2, fo. 174. Oddly enough, it was not reprinted in Pills to Purge Melancholy. The three earliest verses had been printed by Joseph Hindmarsh, in A New Collection of Songs and Poems, by Thomas D'Urfey, Gent., 1683, p. 14. The composer's name is not mentioned, but it was probably Tom Farmer. We have given the ballad at this place, instead of delaying it, because of its connection with the political parody concerning Argyle, entitled "The Rebel Captive," on p. 621.

Disregarding the eighteenth century variations, it is fit that we give the changed verses of the 1685 Loyal Songs, p. 282, beginning with fourth verse:

"I sigh'd and sob'd until I was weary,

To think my poor Jockey should so miscarry;
And never was any in such a sad taking

As I, hapless Jenny, whose heart is still aking,

To think how I crost him, tost him, and lost him,
Too late it was to coyn words to accost him;
Alone then I sat, lamenting and crying,
Still wishing each minute that I were a-dying.

"Ah! Jockey, since thou behind thee hast left me,
And death of all joys and all comfort bereft me;
Thy Destiny I will lament very mickle,

And down my pale cheeks salt tears they shall trickle.
To ease me of trouble each bubble shall double,
To think of my Jockey so Loyal and Noble :
I'se grieve for to think that those eyes are benighted,
Wherein mournful Jenny so much once delighted.

[= 1st Roxb.

32*

40*

616 Second Version of "Jenny's Lamentation.”

"That blow, Oh Sawny! was base and unlucky,
That robb'd poor Jenny of her dearest Jockey;
A bonny boon Youth 'twas known he was ever,
To please his poor Jenny was still his endeavour;
But 'twas Fortune uncertain, our parting
Procur'd, and caus'd this breaking and smarting:
But whilst I do live, 'tis resolv'd by Jenny,
For Jockey's dear sake, ne're to lig more with any."

Thus Jenny for Jockey lay sighing and weeping,
Oft wringing her hands while others were sleeping;
But Sawny to see her thus strangely distressed
For the loss of her Love, his heart was oppressed.
Tho' this deluder view'd her, and su'd her,
'Twas all but in vain, for she call'd him intruder;
And said, "If you die for my Love, I will mock ye,
For you were the cause of the death of my Jockey.

"That bonny brave Scot hath left nene behind him
That like to himself was worthy of minding;
His Father's delight, and the joy of his Mother,
And Scotland before ne're bred sike another.
When I think on his Beauty, let duty confute ye,
Death never before had sike a great booty;

For all, that do know him, do sigh and bewail him,
But Oceans of tears now can little avail him.

"Ah, Jockey! there's nene that are left to inherit
The tythe of thy virtues, thy wonderful merit,
But whilst I do live thou shalt ne'r be forgotten,
I'll sing out thy praise when thy carkass is rotten.
For thou wert the fairest, rarest, and dearest,
And now thou art dead like a Saint thou appearest;
I'll have on thy Tomb-stone these Verses inserted,
'Here lies hapless Jockey, who was so true-hearted.'

"And when this thy Motto shall fairly be written,

There's none shall read but with grief shall be smitten,
And say, 'twas pity that one so true-hearted
Should by cruel Death from his Jenny be parted.'
And thus I with weeping, creeping, and peeping,
Look into the Grave where thou dost lie sleeping;
Till, sighing, my self I have brought to my end,

To shew that poor Jenny was Jockey's true friend."

48*

56*

[deserving of.

64*

72*

80*

[Thus ends Nathanael Thompson's version; the first three verses being virtually the same as those already printed on pp. 613, 614, viz. Tom D'Urfey's original "Royalist" Song. It continued popular, for about 1738 it was thrice reprinted, viz. in The Musical Entertainer, i. 59; Calliope, i. 138; and A Collection of Diverting Songs, 4to., p. 481.]

This song was parodied in ridicule of Argyle. The burlesque is entitled "The Rebel Captive" (as in the One Hundred and Eighty Loyal Songs, 1685, where, with the music, it is given). See p. 621, for parody; and Vol. IV., p. 453, for remarks on the cut. Another picture, there mentioned, is on our p. 741.

IN

The Rebel Captive.

"From Covenanting tag and rag,

From horse-robber, scuttler, scold and hag,
Tinker, trawler, sloven and slut,

Dick, Jack, and Tom, long-taile and cut;
Drunkard, and dyuor, thief, and [m]ore,
Infamous rascals by the score:

These are the mates of Catharus,
From which the Lord deliver us!"

[i.e. Puritan.

-Second Part of The New Litany, 1633.

comparison with the tragic romance of Arygle's ill-starred expedition to excite rebellion in Scotland, Monmouth's own delayed insurrection in the West of England was tame and prosaic; contrasted, like the respective scenery of the two places where their equally disastrous struggles were made. On the grandeur, the gloom, and the sharp agony of Argyle's northern landing, or his warfare, we dare not linger. The narrative fascinates and enthralls, but it is foreign to our main purpose in gathering these ballads, which record The Struggle between York and Monmouth; therefore we must leave in outline our pourtrayal of the most calamitous failure in modern times. Considering the reputed disaffection of his nation, the betrayal of Argyle to defeat and execution, through the cowardice and insubordination of his countryman, has left a stigma of disgrace upon them, which no historian of their own race and Whig politics can overcome.

The inability to gain decisive promises of support from England, with liberal supplies of money for the purchase of shipping and ammunition, had damped the courage of Monmouth's followers in Holland. Delay of the messengers' return, hesitating and inadequate reports from those who had recently seemed to be so full of bluster and assurance, made the more cautious of conspirators tremble with apprehension, and counsel a farther delay. It was this, chiefly, which caused Monmouth's breach of faith, after having solemnly promised Argyle that the English Insurrection should be made simultaneously with the northern onslaught, so that government might be paralyzed when the news arrived of many places being in revolt.

While John Trenchard and other lukewarm traitors, abiding in Devonshire and the neighbouring counties, were procrastinating, and scheming to keep themselves safe from detection or punishment until success could be attained without their being endangered by giving early help, so that they might thereafter join forces with conquering Monmouth and share the reward of his uprise, their anxious confederates in Holland were the prey of serious misgivings. It was more difficult for Argyle to obtain intelligence from Scotland.