THE BATTLE OF OTTERBOURNE It fell about the Lammas tide, When the muir-men win their hay, He chose the Gordons and the Graemes, And he has burn'd the dales of Tyne, And part of Bambroughshire; And three good towers on Reidswire fells, He left them all on fire. But up spake proud lord Percy, then, And O but he spake hie! "I am the lord of this castle, My wife's the lady gay." "If thou'rt the lord of this castle, Sae well it pleases me! For, ere I cross the Border fells, The tane of us shall dee." He took a lang spear in his hand, Shod with metal free, And for to meet the Douglas there, 5 10 15 20 25 But O how pale his lady look'd, Frae aff the castle wa', When down before the Scottish spear, She saw proud Percy fa'. "Had we twa been upon the green, And never an eye to see, I wad hae had you, flesh and fell; "But gae ye up to Otterbourne, And, if I come not ere three dayis end, "The Otterbourne 's a bonny burn; 'Tis pleasant there to be; But there is nought at Otterbourne "The deer runs wild on hill and dale, The birds fly wild from tree to tree; But there is neither bread nor kale, To fend my men and me. "Yet I will stay at Otterbourne, Where you shall welcome be; And, if you come not at three dayis end, "Thither will I come," proud Percy said, "By the might of Our Ladye!" "There will I bide thee," said the Douglas, My troth I plight to thee.". They lighted high on Otterbourne, And he that had a bonnie boy, Sent out his horse to grass; And he that had not a bonnie boy, His ain servant he was. But up then spake a little page, Before the peep of dawn — "O waken ye, waken ye, my good lord, For Percy's hard at hand." "Ye lie, ye lie, ye liar loud! "But I have dreamed a dreary dream. Beyond the Vale of Skye; I saw a dead man win a fight, And I think that man was I." 60 65 70 75 They swakked their swords till sair they swat, And the blood ran down like rain. But Percy, with his good broad sword, Then he called on his little foot-page, "My nephew good," the Douglas said, "My wound is deep; I fain would sleep · Take thou the vanguard of the three, And hide me by the braken bush That grows on yonder lilye lee. "O bury me by the braken bush, Beneath the blooming brier, Let never living mortal ken, That ere a kindly Scot lies here." He lifted up that noble lord, Wi' the saut tears in his ee; He hid him in the braken bush, That his merrie-men might not see. The moon was clear, the day drew near, The spears in flinders flew, But mony a gallant Englishman, Ere day the Scotsmen slew. The Gordons good, in English blood, The Percy and Montgomery met, "Now yield thee, yield thee, Percy," he said, 215 : 20 "Thou shalt not yield to lord nor loun, 125 Nor yet shalt thou yield to me ; But yield ye to the braken bush, "I will not yield to a braken bush, Nor yet will I yield to a brier; But I would yield to earl Douglas Or sir Hugh the Montgomery, if he were here." 130 As soon as he knew it was Montgomery, He struck his sword's point in the gronde; 135 The Montgomery was a courteous knight, This deed was done at Otterbourne About the breaking of the day; Earl Douglas was buried at the braken bush, And the Percy led captive away. 140 |