OD 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,
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 summer's days to take;
The chiefest harts in Chevy-chase
To kill and bear away.
The tidings to Earl Douglas came,
In Scotland where he lay ;
Who sent Earl Percy present word
He would prevent his sport:
The English Earl, not fearing this,
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,
When day-light did appear;
And, long before high noon, they had
A hundred fat bucks slain;
Then, having dined, the drovers went
To rouse them up again.
The bowmen muster'd on the hills,
Well able to endure;
And all their rear, with special care,
That day was guarded sure.
The hounds ran swiftly through the woods,
The nimble deer to take,
And with their cries the hills and dales
An echo shrill did make.
Lord Percy to the quarry1 went,
To view the slaughter'd deer;
Quoth he, Earl Douglas promised
This day to meet me here :
If that 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.
Then cease your sport, Earl Percy said,
And take your bows with speed:
And now with me, my countrymen,
Your courage forth advance;
For never was there champion yet,
In Scotland or in France,
1 i. e., the heap of slain decr.
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 a milk-white steed,
Most like a baron bold,
Rode foremost of the 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 man that first did answer make,
Was noble Percy, 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 out-bravèd be,
One of us two shall die:
I know thee well, an earl thou art,
Lord Percy, so am I.
But trust me, Percy, pity it were,
And great offence, to kill
Any of these our harmless men,
For they have done no ill :
Let thou and I the battle try,
And set our men aside.
Accurs'd be he, Lord Percy said,
By whom this is denied.
Then stepp'd 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 stood looking on :
You be two earls, said Witherington,
And I a squire alone:
I'll do the best that do I may,
While I have strength 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 threescore Scots they slew.
To drive the deer with hound and horn,
Earl Douglas had the bent,
A captain mov'd with mickle pride,
The spears to shivers sent.
They clos'd full fast on every side,
No slackness there was found:
And many a gallant gentleman
Lay gasping on the ground.
Alack! it was a grief to see,
And likewise for to hear
The cries of men lying in their gore,
And scatter'd here and there.
At last these two stout earls did meet,
Like captains of great might;
Like lions mov'd, they laid on load,
And made a cruel fight.
They fought until they both did sweat,
With swords of temper'd steel ;
Until the blood, like drops of rain,
They trickling down did feel.
Yield thee, Lord Percy, Douglas said,
In faith I will thee bring
Where thou shalt high advanced be
By James our Scottish king:
Thy ransom I will freely give,
And thus report of thee,
Thou art the most courageous knight
That ever I did see.
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 to the heart,
A deep and deadly blow;
Who never spoke 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,
And said, Earl Douglas, for thy life
Would I had lost my land.
Ah me! my very heart dóth bleed
With sorrow for thy sake;
For sure, a more renowned knight
Mischance did never take.
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