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Read Ebook: The Book of Old English Ballads by Edwards George Wharton Mabie Hamilton Wright Commentator
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Ebook has 654 lines and 37557 words, and 14 pages
The gallant greyhounds swiftly ran, To chase the fallow deere; On Munday they began to hunt, Ere day-light did appeare;
And long before high noone they had An hundred fat buckes slaine; Then having din'd, the drovyers went To rouze the deare againe.
The bow-men mustered on the hills, Well able to endure; Theire backsides all, with speciall care, That day were guarded sure.
The hounds ran swiftly through the woods, The nimble deere to take, That with their cryes the hills and dales An eccho shrill did make.
Lord Percy to the quarry went, To view the tender deere; Quoth he, "Erle Douglas promised This day to meet me heere;
"But if I thought he wold not come, Noe longer wold I stay." With that, a brave younge gentleman Thus to the Erle did say:
"Loe, yonder doth Erle Douglas come, His men in armour bright; Full twenty hundred Scottish speres, All marching in our sight.
"All men of pleasant Tivydale, Fast by the river Tweede:" "O cease your sport," Erle Percy said, "And take your bowes with speede.
"And now with me, my countrymen, Your courage forth advance; For never was there champion yett In Scotland or in France,
"That ever did on horsebacke come, But, if my hap it were, I durst encounter man for man, With him to breake a spere."
Erle Douglas on his milke-white steede, Most like a baron bold, Rode formost of his company, Whose armour shone like gold.
"Show me," sayd hee, "whose men you bee, That hunt soe boldly heere, That, without my consent, doe chase And kill my fallow-deere."
The man that first did answer make Was noble Percy hee; Who sayd, "Wee list not to declare, Nor shew whose men wee bee.
"Yet will wee spend our deerest blood, Thy cheefest harts to slay;" Then Douglas swore a solempne oathe, And thus in rage did say;
"But trust me, Percy, pittye it were, And great offence, to kill Any of these our guiltlesse men, For they have done no ill.
Then stept a gallant squier forth, Witherington was his name, Who said, "I wold not have it told To Henry our king for shame,
"That ere my captaine fought on foote, And I stood looking on: You bee two erles," sayd Witherington, "And I a squier alone.
"Ile doe the best that doe I may, While I have power to stand; While I have power to weeld my sword, Ile fight with hart and hand."
Our English archers bent their bowes, Their harts were good and trew; Att the first flight of arrowes sent, Full four-score Scots they slew.
They clos'd full fast on everye side, Noe slacknes there was found; And many a gallant gentleman Lay gasping on the ground.
O Christ! it was a griefe to see, And likewise for to heare, The cries of men lying in their gore, And scattered here and there.
At last these two stout erles did meet, Like captaines of great might; Like lyons wood they layd on lode, And made a cruell fight.
They fought, untill they both did sweat, With swords of tempered steele; Until the blood, like drops of rain, They trickling downe did feele.
"Thy ransom I will freely give, And thus report of thee, Thou art the most couragious knight That ever I did see."
"Noe, Douglas," quoth Erle Percy then, "Thy proffer I doe scorne I will not yeelde to any Scott, That ever yett was borne."
With that, there came an arrow keene Out of an English bow, Which struck Erle Douglas to the heart, A deepe and deadlye blow:
Who never spake 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 liffe, Erle Percy tooke The dead man by the hand; And said, "Erle Douglas, for thy life Wold I had lost my land!
"O Christ! my verry hart doth bleed With sorrow for thy sake; For sure, a more renowned knight Mischance cold never take."
A knight amongst the Scotts there was, Which saw Erle Douglas dye, Who streight in wrath did vow revenge Upon the Lord Percye;
Sir Hugh Mountgomerye was he call'd, Who, with a spere most bright, Well-mounted on a gallant steed, Ran fiercely through the fight;
And past the English archers all, Without all dread or feare, And through Earl Percyes body then He thrust his hatefull spere
With such a vehement force and might He did his body gore, The speare ran through the other side A large cloth-yard, and more.
So thus did both these nobles dye, Whose courage none could staine; An English archer then perceiv'd The noble erle was slaine.
He had a bow bent in his hand, Made of a trusty tree; An arrow of a cloth-yard long Up to the head drew hee.
Against Sir Hugh Mountgomerye, So right the shaft he sett, The grey goose-wing that was thereon In his harts bloode was wett.
This fight did last from breake of day Till setting of the sun; For when they rung the evening bell, The battel scarce was done.
With stout Erle Percy, there was slaine, Sir John of Egerton, Sir Robert Ratcliff, and Sir John, Sir James, that bold Bar n.
And with Sir George and stout Sir James, Both knights of good account, Good Sir Ralph Rabby there was slaine, Whose prowesse did surmount.
For Witherington needs must I wayle, As one in doleful dumpes; For when his legs were smitten off, He fought upon his stumpes.
And with Erle Douglas, there was slaine Sir Hugh Mountgomerye, Sir Charles Murray, that from the feeld One foote wold never flee.
Sir Charles Murray of Ratcliff, too, His sisters sonne was hee; Sir David Lamb, so well esteem'd, Yet saved cold not bee.
And the Lord Maxwell in like case Did with Erle Douglas dye; Of twenty hundred Scottish speres, Scarce fifty-five did flye.
Of fifteen hundred Englishmen, Went home but fifty-three; The rest were slaine in Chevy-Chace, Under the greene wood tree.
Next day did many widowes come, Their husbands to bewayle; They washt their wounds in brinish teares, But all wold not prevayle.
Theyr bodyes, bathed in purple blood, They bore with them away: They kist them dead a thousand times, Ere they were cladd in clay.
This newes was brought to Eddenborrow, Where Scotlands king did raigne, That brave Erle Douglas suddenlye Was with an arrow slaine.
"O heavy newes," King James did say; "Scottland can witnesse bee, I have not any captaine more Of such account as hee."
Like tydings to King Henry came, Within as short a space, That Percy of Northumberland Was slaine in Chevy-Chace.
"Now God be with him," said our king, "Sith it will noe better bee; I trust I have, within my realme, Five hundred as good as hee.
"Yett shall not Scotts nor Scotland say, But I will vengeance take, I'll be revenged on them all, For brave Erle Percyes sake."
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