Popular Songs
[The stanzas which follow are selected from the popular songs of the period. They date from a year or two before Mary’s arrival in Scotland, but will serve to illustrate the extreme difficulty experienced by a Roman Catholic queen in dealing with such a people.]
The Gude and Godly Ballates. Reprint of 1868, P. 153
The hunt is up, the hunt is up,10
It is now perfect day,
Jesus, our King, is gone in hunting,
Who likes to speed, they may.
A cursed fox lay hid in rocks
This long and many a day,
Devouring sheep, while he might creep,
None might him scare away.
It did him good to lap the blood
Of young and tender lambs;
None could he miss, for all was his,
The young ones with their dams.
The hunter is Christ, that huntis in haste,
The hounds are Peter and Paul;
The Pope is the fox, Rome is the rocks,
That rubs us on the gall.
THE POPE, THAT PAGAN FULL OF PRIDE
Ibid.
The Pope, that pagan full of pride,
He has us blinded long;
For where the blind the blind does guide,
No wonder they go wrong;
Like prince and king, he led the ring
Of all iniquity;
“Hay trix, tryme go trix,”
Under the greenwood tree.
But his abomination
The Lord has brought to light;
His Popish pride, and threefold crown,
Almost have lost their might.
His plack pardons are but lardouns11
Of new found vanity;
“Hay trix, tryme go trix,”
Under the greenwood tree.
Of late I saw these limmers12 stand
Like mad men at mischief,
Thinking to get the upper hand,
They look after relief;
But all in vain, go tell them plain
That day will never be;
“Hay trix, tryme go trix,”
Under the greenwood tree.
O Jesus! if they thought great glee
To see God’s word down smorit,13
The Congregation made to flee,
Hypocrisy restorit;
With masses sung, and bellis rung,
To their idolatry;
Marry, God thank you, we shall gar brank14 you,
Before that time truly.
MURRAY, LETHINGTON, AND KNOX