Chapter 5
Part 5 of Ancient Songs and Ballads of Lancashire, edited by John Harland. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. The Blessed Conscience Written on the departure from Merry England of Thomas Horton, Esquire of Horton Tower. This ballad says Dr. J. H. Dixon, an active member of the Percy Society and a great collector
of broadsides, etc. has long been sung in Pendle, Forest, Lancashire and the neighbourhood, having been handed down by tradition. It was first printed by Mr. Peter Whittle, FSA of Preston, whose copy is said to have been taken from the recitation of a Lancashire fiddler. There are various versions, but the differences between them are unimportant.
The ballad carries with it evidence of the date of the events it sings, although Mr. Whittle appears to have made free with several of the stanzas. The Bishop Young, named in the third verse, was originally a chorister at St. David's Cathedral, and in 1559 was made Bishop of that sea, from which he was translated to the Archie Episcopal Sea of York, which he held about ten years, 1560-1570, and was also
for a considerable period Lord President of the North. In both his high functions, civil and ecclesiastic, he would have had the right to summon before him any obstinate Catholic recusant who would not attend church, or who otherwise showed his determination not to conform to the sort of Protestantism which was held to be the established religion in the reign of Elizabeth.
The Thomas Horton, the hero of the ballad, was in all probability the son and heir, by his first wife, Alice Ashton, of Sir Richard, who was Knight of the Shire in 1547. At Sir Richard's death in 1559, Thomas was forty years of age. He married Catherine, daughter of Sir Thomas Gerard of Brin, and both families were persecuted for their religion.
The only full brother of Thomas was Alexander, who was twice married, but died without issue. Thomas had, however, three half-brothers, sons of his father's second wife, Alice Morley, of whom the eldest was the Thomas who was Sheriff of Lancashire in 1563, and who was slain at Lee in a tumult brought against him by Thomas Langton, Baron of Newton, in November 1589.
The other two were Roland and Richard, the latter, though only of half blood, being the only real brother in love if we are to believe the ballad. We take it from a printed copy in eight pages, obligingly forwarded to us for that purpose by Mr Whittle, only modernising the spelling. 1.
Apollo with his radiant beams inflamed the air so fair. Phaeton with his fiery teams the heat of wars did bear. The day was hot, the evening cool, and pleasures did abound, and meads with many a crystal did yield a joyful sound. 2.
This fragrant time to pleasures pressed myself forth to solace. I walkered forth as I thought best into a private place. And as I went, myself alone, there came to my presence a friend who seemed to make great mean, and said, Go get you hence. 3.
Alas, good sir, what is the cause you this have said to me? Indeed, he said, the prince's laws will bear no more with thee, for Bishop Young will summon thee, you must to his presence, for in this land you cannot live and keep your conscience. 4.
I am too old, I cannot ride, what is my best to do? Good sir, here you must not abide, unless to church you go, or else to Preston you must wend, for here's no residence, for in this land you have no friend to keep your conscience. 5. Then did I think it was the best for me in time provide, for Bishop Young would be molest
if here I should abide. Then did I cause my men prepare a ship for my defence, for in this land I could not fare and keep my conscience. 6. When my ship that it was hired, my men returned again, the time was almost full expired that
here I should remain, to Preston town I should have gone to make recognizance, for other helps perceived I none to keep my conscience. 7. To lovely Lee then I me hide, and Horton obeyed farewell, it was more time for me to ride to dwell, I durst not trust my dearest friend, but secretly stole hence, to take the fortune
God should send and keep my conscience. 8. When lovely Lee I came until, and pass'd by the gate, my cattle all with voices shrill, as if they mourned my fate, did leap and roar, as if they had understood my diligence, it seemed my cause they understood, through God's good providence.
9. O Horton High, which is a bower of sports and lordly pleasure, I wept and left that lofty tower, which was my chiefest treasure, to save my soul and lose the rest, it was my true pretense, like frightened bird I left my nest, to keep my conscience. 10.
Thus took I them I leave at last, and rode to the seaside, in the ship I hide a pace, which did for me abide, with sails I sailed from Merry England, I ask'd of non-licence, wherefore my estate fell from my hand, and was forfeit to my prince. 11. Thus Merry England have I left, and cut the raging sea, whereof the waves have me bereft
of my so dear country, with sturdy storms and blustering blasts we were in great suspense, for sixteen days and nights they last, and all for my conscience. 12. When on the shore I was arrived, through France I took my way, and on to Antwerp I me hide, in hope to make my stay, when to the city I did come, I thought that my absence would
to my men be cumbersome, though they made me no offence. 13. At Horton where I used the rest of men I had great store, full twenty gentlemen at least, of yeoman good threescore, and all of them I brought but two with me when I came thence, I left them all the world knows how, to keep my conscience.
14. But when my men came to me still, Lord, how rejoice had I to see them with so good a will to leave their own country, both friends and kin they did forsake, and all for my presence, alive or dead amends I'll make, and give them recompense. 15.
But fortune had me so bereft of all my goods and lands, that for my men was nothing left, but at my brethren's hands. When did I think the truth to prove, while I was in absence, that I might try their constant love and keep my conscience. 16.
When to my brethren I had sense the welcome that they made, was false reports me to present, which had made my conscience sad. My brethren all did thus me cross, and little regard my fall, save only one that rude my loss, that is Richard of Park Hall. 17.
He was the comfort that I had, I proved his diligence. He was as just as they were bad, which cheered my conscience. When this report of them I heard, my heart was sore with grief, in that my purpose was so marred, my men should want relief. 18.
Good cause I had to love my men and them to recompense, their lives they ventured, I know when, and left their dear parents. Then to come home straightway I meant, my men for to relieve. My brethren sought this to prevent, and sums of gold did give. 19.
A thousand marks they offered then, to hinder my license, that I should not come home again, to keep my conscience. But if that day I once had seen my lands to have again, and that my prince had changed been, I would not me have stayne. I should my men so well have paid, through God's good providence, that they should ne'er
have been afraid to lose their due expense. 20. But now my life is at an end, and death is at the door, the grizzly ghost his bow doth through my body gore. Which nature now must yield to clay, and death will take me hence, and now I shall go where
I may, enjoy my conscience. 21. Fare England now ten times adieu, and friends that therein dwell. Farewell my brother Richard True, whom I did love so well. Farewell, farewell, good people all, and learn experience.
Love not too much the golden ball, but keep your conscience. 22. All you who now this song shall hear, help me for to bewail. The white who scarcely had his peer, till death him did assail. His life a mirror was to all, his death without offence.
Confessor, then let us him call, O blessed conscience. Notes. Lee, a manor and hamlet three miles west of Preston came to the Hortons by the marriage of Sir Richard de Horton about 1308 or 1309, to Sibylla, daughter and heiress of William, son and heir of Henry de Lee.
Lee Hall was about three and a half miles from Preston, and it was there that Thomas Horton, our hero's half-brother, then sheriff, was slain by Thomas Langton, Baron of Newton, in November 1589, a few months before Thomas the Elder died in exile. Horton was the ancient seat of the Hortons, being held as early as the reign of Henry II by Adam de Hockton, who married the daughter of Warren de Bussell, Baron of Penworthham,
shortly after the conquest. The present Horton Tower, now partly in ruins, was built by this Thomas Horton, who here laments to leave it in the reign of Elizabeth. Previously, the ancient manor house stood below the hill on the waterside, but he built the new tower with a lofty gatehouse on its present elevated and commanding site.
In a manuscript copy of this ballad, kindly forwarded to the present editor by J.W. Bowness Squire, B.A. F.S.A., and which has been in the possession of his family for two or three generations. There are several additions to the copy printed in the first edition of this work, and some variations which are worthy of notice.
The original title appears to have been an excellent song composed on Sir Thomas Horton of Horton Tower, Baronet, when he was driven off from his estate at Horton Tower since the pretended Reformation. In the second stanza, the first two lines of the manuscript are, These pastimes had my heart solace, I knowing well my case.
The first line in the fourth stanza runs thus, I am too old, I cannot ride, which is probably a better reading than the line as originally printed. The last two lines of the sixth stanza are thus given in the manuscript, but other helps received I none while I was in absence. Then follows an additional stanza.
Onto my house there did resort, both rich and also poor, Hawks and hounds for my good sport, there was no want in store, of meat of drink there was no want, nor music with licence. I left those joys which were not scant to keep my conscience. The fifth and sixth lines of the eighth stanza are better than those previously printed,
they are. They'd leap and roar as they'd been would without all dalliance. The seventh printed stanza is not in the manuscript, and the eleventh is given as follows. When on the shore I was arrived, through France I took my way, and on to Antwerp I me hide, in hope to make my stay, with sturdy storms and blustering blasts, we were in great suspense,
for all sixty days and nights they last, and all for my conscience. These lines form the first and last halves of the twelfth and eleventh as printed, the rest is not in the manuscript. After the fourteenth stanza in the printed copy the following lines occur in the manuscript. Then to come home straight away I meant, my men for to relieve, my brethren sought me
to prevent, and sums of gold did give, a thousand marks they offered then to hinder my licence, that I could not come home again to keep my conscience. These are the last and first halves of the eighteenth and nineteenth stanzas, forming stanza the fourteenth in the manuscript. In like manner the first halves of the fifteenth and eighteenth stanzas as printed from the
eighteenth stanza of the manuscript. There are several other transpositions and variations of minor importance, some of which have been adopted in the present text, but since Mr. Bone may hereafter publish his copy of the ballad in extenso, along with several others, they need not be further particularised. Mr. Bone adds,
There is a mistake of fact in the title, that Thomas Horton it relates to as neither a baronet nor a knight. He was eldest son and heir of Sir Richard Horton Knight, and Dodds Church History of England says of him, that he, being zealous for the old religion, went abroad towards the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's reign, and died at Sleige, June the third, 1580.
He assisted Cardinal Allen in founding the College of Douai. The first baronet in the Richard Horton, nephew of this Thomas. He died in 1630.
