He bare a bend-bow in his hand An arrow, that was a cloth-yard long, A dint he set, was both sad and sore, The dint it was both sad and sore The swan feathers the arrow bore With his heart's-blood they were wet. There was never a freke one foot would flee, But still in stour 24 did stand, Hewing on each other, while they might dree 25 With many a baleful brand. This battle began in Cheviot An hour before the noon, And still when evensong bell was rung The battle was not half done. They took (off) on either hand By the light of the moon; Many had no strength for to stand, Of fifteen hundred archers of England, Of twenty hundred spearmen of Scotland, That were not slain in Cheviot ; They had no strength to stand on hie. The child may rue that is unborn: It was the more pitie. 25 endure. 24 turmoil of fight. There was slain with Lord Percy, Sir Roger, the hindè 26 Hartley; Sir George, the worthy Lovel, For Witherington my heart was wo, For when both his legs were hewn in two, There was slain with the doughty Douglas, Sir Hugh the Montgomerie; Sir Davy Liddale, that worthy was, His sister's son was he; Sir Charles à Murray in that place, That never a foot would flee; So on the morrow they made them biers Many widows with weeping tears Came to fetch their makès 27 away. Tivydale may carp of 28 care, For two such captains as there were slain Word is come to Edinborough, To Jamie the Scottish king, 26 courteous. 27 mates. 28 complain through care. Doughty Douglas, lieutenant of the Marches,29 His handès did he weal and wring: "Such another captain in Scotland wide "There is not left," said he. Word is come to lovely London, To Harry the fourth our king, Lord Percy, lieutenant of the Marches, Lay slain Cheviot within. "GOD have mercy on his soul," said King Harry, "Good LORD if Thy Will it be! “I've a hundred captains in England,” he said, “As good as ever was he: "But, Percy, an I brook" my life, Thy death well quit shall be." And now may Heaven amend us all, This was the Hunting of the Cheviot: GOD send us all good ending! A GOOD Sword and a trusty hand! King James's men shall understand And have they fix'd the where and when? Here's twenty thousand Cornish men Out spake their captain brave and bold; "If London Tower were Michael's Hold, "We'll cross the Tamar, land to land, "The Severn is no stay, "With one and all, and hand to hand, "And when we come to London Wall, "Come forth! come forth! ye cowards all, "Trelawny he's in keep and hold, 66 "Trelawny he may die ; "But here's twenty thousand Cornish bold "Will know the reason why! Old Ballad. 46. A SONG FOR THE TIMES. A SONG for the times when the sweet church chimes As they opened their eyes, by the bright sunrise The squire came out of his rich old hall, And the peasants by two and by three, The woodman let his hatchet fall, And the shepherd left his tree. Through the churchyard dew, by the churchyard yew They went both old and young, And with one consent, in prayer they bent, Christmas was merry Christmas then, And Easter-tide the same And they welcom'd well, with merry bell Each Saint's day as it came. They thought with love on the Saints above, In the pious days of old We toil and we slave, till we drop in the grave But little we'll care, what wicked men May say or think of ill, They kept the Saints' days holy then, And we will keep them still. We'll cherish them now in times of strife As a holy and peaceful thing; They were bought by a faithful prelate's life And the blood of a martyr'd king. Neale. 47. LOCHINVAR. O, YOUNG LOCHINVAR is come out of the west, So faithful in love, and so dauntless in war, He stayed not for brake, and he stopped not for stone, The bride had consented, the gallant came late: |