114

CHEVY CHASE.

"No, Douglas," quoth Earl Percy 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 struck Earl Douglas on the breast

A deep and deadly blow.

Who never said more words than these:

"Fight on, my merry men all!

For why, my life is at an end,
Lord Percy sees my fall."

Then leaving life, Earl Percy took
The dead man by the hand;
Who said, "Earl Douglas, for thy life

Would I had lost my land!

"O Christ! my very heart doth bleed
For sorrow for thy sake,
For sure a more redoubted knight
Mischance could never take."

A knight amongst the Scots there was
Which saw Earl Douglas die,

Who straight in heart did vow revenge
Upon the Lord Percy.

Sir Hugh Montgomery was he called,
Who, with a spear full bright,
Well mounted on a gallant steed,

Ran fiercely through the fight,

And past the English archers all,

Without all dread or fear,

And through Earl Percy's body then
He thrust his hateful spear.

With such a vehement force and might
His body he did gore,

The staff ran through the other side
A large cloth-yard, and more.

Thus did both those nobles die,
Whose courage none could stain;
An English archer then perceived
The noble earl was slain.

He had a good bow in his hand
Made of a trusty tree;

An arrow of a cloth-yard long
To the hard head haled he.

Against Sir Hugh Montgomery
His shaft full right he set;

The gray-goose-wing that was thereon
In his heart's blood was wet.

This fight from break of day did last
Till setting of the sun,

For when they rang the evening-bell
The battle scarce was done.

With stout Earl Percy there was slain

Sir John of Egerton,

Sir Robert Harcliff and Sir William,

Sir James, that bold baron.

And with Sir George and Sir James,
Both knights of good account,
Good Sir Ralph Raby there was slain,
Whose prowess did surmount.

For Witherington needs must I wail
As one in doleful dumps.

For when his legs were smitten off,
He fought upon his stumps.

And with Earl Douglas there was slain

Sir Hugh Montgomery,

And Sir Charles Morrell, that from field
One foot would never flee;

Sir Roger Heuer of Harcliff, too,
His sister's son was he;

Sir David Lambwell, well esteemed,
But saved he could not be.

And the Lord Maxwell, in like case,
With Douglas he did die;
Of twenty hundred Scottish spears,
Scarce fifty-five did fly.

Of fifteen hundred Englishmen
Went home but fifty-three;

The rest in Chevy Chase were slain,
Under the greenwood tree.

Next day did many widows come

Their husbands to bewail;

They washed their wounds in brinish tears,

But all would not prevail

Their bodies, bathed in purple blood,
They bore with them away;

They kissed them dead a thousand times
Ere they were clad in clay.

The news was brought to Edinburgh,
Where Scotland's king did reign,
That brave Earl Douglas suddenly

Was with an arrow slain.

"O heavy news!" King James can say, "Scotland may witness be

I have not any captain more

Of such account as he."

Like tidings to King Henry came

Within as short a space, That Percy of Northumberland

Was slain at Chevy Chase.

"Now God be with him!" said our king,

"Since it will no better be;

I trust I have within my realm
Five hundred as good as he.

"Yet shall not Scots nor Scotland say

But I will vengeance take,

And be revenged on them all

For brave Earl Percy's sake."

This vow the king did well perform
After on Humble-down;

In one day fifty knights were slain

With lords of great renown.

118

BEWICK AND GRAHAME.

And of the rest, of small account,

Did

many hundreds die:

Thus endeth the hunting in Chevy Chase

Made by the Earl Percy.

God save our king, and bless this land
With plenty, joy, and peace,

And grant henceforth that foul debate
"Twixt noble men may cease!

"The ballad can scarcely be a deliberate fiction. The singer is not a critical historian, but he supposes himself to be dealing with facts; he may be partial to his countrymen, but he has no doubt that he is treating of a real event; and the singer in this particular case thought he was describing the battle of Otter. burn, the Hunting of the Cheviot being indifferently so called."—"The Eng. lish and Scottish Popular Ballads," edited by Francis James Child, VI., p. 304.

"I never heard the olde song of Percy and Duglas that I found not my heart mooved more then with a trumpet; and yet it is sung but by some blinde crouder, with no rougher voyce then rude stile: which, being so evill apparrelled in the dust and cobwebbes of that uncivill age, what would it worke trymmed in the gorgeous eloquence of Pindar!"—"An Apologie for Poetrie," by Sir Philip Sidney.

BEWICK AND GRAHAME.

OLD Grahame he is to Carlisle gone,
When Sir Robert Bewick there met he;

In arms to the wine they are gone,
And drank till they were both merry.

Old Grahame he took up the cup,

And said, "Brother Bewick, here's to thee;
And here's to our two sons at home,