ENGLISH POETRY. CHEVY CHACE.* HEAVEN prosper long our noble king, A woeful hunting once there did To drive the deere with hound and horne, Erle Percy took his way; The child may rue that is unborne, The hunting of that day. The stout Erle of Northumberland The cheefest harts in Chevy-Chace In Scottland where he lay: *The old spelling has been preserved in this and the following ballads, because when once explained it will not be any difficulty; and the differences between the ancient and modern form will afford a useful exercise in orthography. B Who sent Erle Percy present word, With fifteen hundred bow-men bold; Who knew full well in time of neede The gallant greyhounds swiftly ran, And long before high noone they had The bow-men mustered on the hills, And all their reare, with speciall care, That day was guarded sure. The hounds ran swiftly through the woods, That with their cryes the hills and dales Lord Percy to the quarry went, To view the slaughter'd deere; Quoth he, "Erle Douglas promised This day to meet me heere: "But if I thought he would 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, All men of pleasant Tivydale, 66 Fast by the river Tweede:" Then cease your sports," Erle Percy said, "And take your bowes with speede: "And now with me, my countrymen, "That ever did on horsebacke come, I durst encounter man for man, Erle Douglas on his milke-white steede, Rode foremost of his company, 66 Whose armour shone like gold. Show me," sayd hee, "whose men you bee, That hunt soe boldly heere, That, without my consent, do chase The first man that did answer make, Who sayd, "Wee list not to declare, "Yet will we spend our deerest blood, Then Douglas swore a solemne oathe, say, And thus in rage did 66 "Ere thus I will out-braved bee, I know thee well, an erle thou art; "But trust me, Percy, pittye it were, Let thou and I the battell trye, Then stept a gallant squier forth, That ere my captaine fought on foote, You two bee erles," quo' Witherington, "And I a squier alone: 66 Ile doe the best that doe I may, While I have power to weeld my sword, Our English archers bent their bowes, Yet bides Erle Douglas on the bent, |