A Bundle of Ballads | Page 9

the battle of Otterburn.
At Otterburn began this spurn upon a
Monenday;
There was the doughty Douglas slain, the Percy never
went away. There was never a time on the March part-es sen the
Douglas and the Percy met,
But it is marvel an the red blood run not
as the rain does in the stret.
Jesu Christ our balis bete, and to the bliss
us bring!
Thus was the hunting of the Cheviot. God send us all good
ending!
CHEVY CHASE (the later version.)
God prosper long our noble king,
Our lives and safeties all!
A
woeful hunting once there did
In Chevy Chase befall.
To drive the deer with hound and horn
Earl Piercy took the way;

The child may rue that is unborn
The hunting of that day!
The stout Earl of Northumberland,
A vow to God did make,
His
pleasure in the Scottish woods
Three summers' days to take,
The chiefest harts in Chevy Chase
To kill and bear away;
These
tidings to Earl Douglas came
In Scotland where he lay,
Who sent Earl Piercy present word
He would prevent his sport.
The
English Earl, not fearing that,
Did to the woods resort,
With fifteen hundred bowmen bold,
All chosen men of might,
Who

knew full well in time of need
To aim their shafts aright.
The gallant greyhounds swiftly ran
To chase the fallow deer;
On
Monday they began to hunt
Ere daylight did appear;
And long before high noon they had
A hundred fat bucks slain.

Then having dined, the drivers went
To rouse the deer again.
The bowmen mustered on the hills,
Well able to endure;
Their
backsides all with special care
That day were guarded sure.
The hounds ran swiftly through the woods
The nimble deer to take,

That with their cries the hills and dales
An echo shrill did make.
Lord Piercy to the quarry went
To view the tender deer;
Quoth he,
"Earl Douglas promised once
This day to meet me here;
"But if I thought he would not come,
No longer would I stay."
With
that a brave young gentleman
Thus to the Earl did say,
"Lo, yonder doth Earl Douglas come,
His men in armour bright,

Full twenty hundred Scottish spears
All marching in our sight,
"All men of pleasant Tividale
Fast by the river Tweed."
"O cease
your sports!" Earl Piercy said,
"And take your bows with speed,
"And now with me, my countrymen,
Your courage forth advance!

For there was never champion yet
In Scotland nor in France
"That ever did on horseback come,
But if my hap it were,
I durst
encounter man for man,
With him to break a spear."
Earl Douglas on his milk-white steed,
Most like a baron bold,
Rode
foremost of his company,
Whose armour shone like gold:
"Show me," said he, "whose men you be
That hunt so boldly here;


That without my consent do chase
And kill my fallow deer."
The first man that did answer make
Was noble Piercy, he,
Who said,
"We list not to declare,
Nor show whose men we be;
"Yet we will spend our dearest blood
Thy chiefest harts to slay."

Then Douglas swore a solemn oath,
And thus in rage did say,
"Ere thus I will outbrav-ed be,
One of us two shall die!
I know thee
well! an earl thou art,
Lord Piercy! so am I.
"But trust me, Piercy, pity it were,
And great offence, to kill
Any of
these our guiltless men
For they have done no ill;
"Let thou and I the battle try,
And set our men aside."
"Accurst be
he," Earl Piercy said,
"By whom it is denied."
Then stepped a gallant squire forth,--
Witherington was his name,--

Who said, "I would not have it told
To Henry our king, for shame,
"That e'er my captain fought on foot,
And I stand looking on:
You
be two Earls," quoth Witherington,
"And I a Squire alone.
"I'll do the best that do I may,
While I have power to stand!
While I
have power to wield my sword,
I'll fight with heart and hand!"
Our English archers bent their bows--
Their hearts were good and
true,--
At the first flight of arrows sent,
Full fourscore Scots they
slew.
To drive the deer with hound and horn,
Douglas bade on the bent;

Two captains moved with mickle might,
Their spears to shivers went.
They closed full fast on every side,
No slackness there was found,

But many a gallant gentleman
Lay gasping on the ground.

O Christ! it was great grief to see
How each man chose his spear,

And how the blood out of their breasts
Did gush like water clear!
At last these two stout Earls did meet
Like captains of great might;

Like lions wood they laid on load,
They made a cruel fight.
They fought, until they both did sweat,
With swords of tempered steel,

Till blood adown their cheeks like rain
They trickling down did
feel.
"O yield thee, Piercy!" Douglas said,
"And in faith I will thee bring

Where thou shalt high advanc-ed be
By James our Scottish king;
"Thy ransom I will freely give,
And this report of thee,
Thou art the
most courageous knight
That ever I did see."
"No, Douglas!" quoth Earl Piercy then,
"Thy proffer I do scorn;
I
will not yield to any Scot
That ever yet was born!"
With that there came an arrow keen
Out of an English bow,
Which