To drive the deer with hound and horn, Earl Percy took his way; The child may rue that is unborn The hunting of that day. The stout Earl of Northumberland The chiefest harts in Chevy Chase This tidings to Earl Douglas came, Who sent Earl Percy present word, With fifteen hundred bowmen bold; The gallant greyhounds swiftly ran, And long before high noon they had The bowmen mustered on the hills, Well able to endure; Their hinder parts, with special care, The hounds ran swiftly through the woods That with their cries the hills and dales Lord Percy to the quarry went, But if I thought he would not come, "Lo, yonder doth Earl Douglas come, All men of pleasant Teviotdale, "O cease your sport," Earl Percy said, And now with me, my countrymen, That ever did on horseback come, I durst encounter man for man, Earl Douglas on his milk-white steed, Rode foremost of his company, Whose armour shone like gold. "Show me," saith 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 Who said, "We list not to declare, Yet will we spend our dearest blood 66 'Ere thus will I out-bravèd be, I know thee well, an earl thou art; But trust me, Percy, pity 'twere Let thou and I the battle try, 66 And set our men aside." Accurst be he," Early Percy said, Then stepped a gallant squire forth, That e'er my captain fought on foot, You be two earls," said Witherington, "And I a squire alone: I'll do the best that do I may, While I have power to stand: Our English archers bent their bows, At the first flight of arrows sent, Yet bides Earl Douglas on the bent, His host he parted had in three, Throughout the English archery And throwing straight their bows away, They grasped their swords so bright: And now sharp blows, a heavy shower, On shields and helmets light. They closed full fast on every side, O sad! it was a grief to see, The cries of men lying in their gore, At last these two stout earls did meet, They fought until they both did sweat, With swords of tempered steel; Until the blood, like drops of rain, "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, Thou art the most courageous knight "No, Douglas," quoth Earl Percy then, With that there came an arrow keen Which struck Earl Douglas to the heart, A deep and deadly blow; Who never spake more words than these: "Fight on, my merry men all; For why, my life is at an end- Then leaving strife, Earl Percy took O sad! my very heart doth bleed A knight among the Scots there was Who straight in wrath did vow revenge |