Unto death thus wounded, 115 His heart with sorrow swounded, And to them all he made this heavy mone: "Thus have I left my country deere, To be so vilely murthered heere, Even in this place whereas I am not known. 120
"My life I have much wronged; Of what to her belonged I vainely spent in idle course of life. What I have done is past, I see, And bringeth nought but greef to me, 125 Therefore grant now thy pardon, gentle wife!
"Life, I see, consumeth, And death, I feel, presumeth To change this life of mine into a new: Yet this me greatest comfort brings, 130 I liv'd and died in love of kings, And so brave Stukely bids the world adew."
Stukelys life thus ended, Was after death befrended, And like a soldier buried gallantly; 135 Where now there stands upon his grave A stately temple, builded brave, With golden turrets piercing in the skye.
No plausible foundation for this ballad has as yet been found in history. It has been suggested that Delaware is a corruption of De la Mare, a speaker of the House of Commons, and a great advocate of popular rights, in the reign of Edward the Third! But there is no accounting for the Dutch lord and the Welsh Duke of Devonshire on this or any other supposition.
The ballad is given from Lyle's _Ancient Ballads and Songs_, p. 135, as "noted down from the singing of a gentleman," and then "remodelled and smoothed down" by the editor. The same copy is printed in Dixon's _Ancient Poems, Ballads and Songs_ (Percy Society, vol. xvii.), p. 80, and in Bell's volume with the same title, p. 66.
In the Parliament House, A great rout has been there, Betwixt our good king And the Lord Delaware: Says Lord Delaware 5 To his Majesty full soon, "Will it please you, my Liege, To grant me a boon?"
"What's your boon?" says the King, "Now let me understand." 10 "It's, give me all the poor men We've starving in this land; And without delay, I'll hie me To Lincolnshire, To sow hemp-seed and flax-seed, 15 And hang them all there.
"For with hempen cord it's better To stop each poor man's breath, Than with famine you should see Your subjects starve to death." 20 Up starts a Dutch lord, Who to Delaware did say, "Thou deservest to be stabb'd!" Then he turned himself away: