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ENGLISH POETRY.

CHEVY CHACE.*

HEAVEN prosper long our noble king,
Our lives and safetyes all;

A woeful hunting once there did
In Chevy-Chace befall.

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
A vow he once did make,
His pleasure in the Scottish woods.
Three summer days to take;

The cheefest harts in Chevy-Chace
To kill and beare away.
These tydings to Erle Douglas came,

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,
He would prevent his sport.
The English Erle, not fearing that,
Did to the woods resort,

With fifteen hundred bow-men bold;
All chosen men of might,

Who knew full well in time of neede
To ayme their shafts arright.

The gallant greyhounds swiftly ran,
To chase the fallow deere:
On Munday they began to hunt,
When day-light did appeare;

And long before high noone they had
An hundred fat buckes slaine;
Then having dined, the drovyers went
To rouze the deere againe.

The bow-men mustered on the hills,
Well able to endure;

And all their reare, with speciall care,

That day was guarded sure.

The hounds ran swiftly through the woods,
The nimble deere to take,

That with their cryes the hills and dales
An eccho shrill did make.

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,
His men in armour bright;
Full twenty hundred Scottish speres
All marching in our sight;

All men of pleasant Tivydale,

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Fast by the river Tweede:"

Then cease your sports," Erle Percy said, "And take your bowes with speede:

"And now with me, my countrymen,
Your courage forth advance;
For never was there champion yett,
In Scottland or in France,

"That ever did on horsebacke come,
But if my hap it were,

I durst encounter man for man,
With him to break a spere."

Erle Douglas on his milke-white steede,
Most like a baron bold,

Rode foremost of his company,

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Whose armour shone like gold.

Show me," sayd hee,

"whose men you bee,

That hunt soe boldly heere,

That, without my consent, do chase
And kill my fallow-deere."

The first man that did answer make,
Was noble Percy he;

Who sayd, "Wee list not to declare,
Nor show whose men wee bee:

"Yet will we spend our deerest blood,
Thy cheefest harts to slay."

Then Douglas swore a solemne oathe, say,

And thus in rage did

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"Ere thus I will out-braved bee,
One of us two shall dye:

I know thee well, an erle thou art;
Lord Percy, soe am I.

"But trust me, Percy, pittye it were,
And great offence, to kill
Any of these our guiltlesse men,
For they have done no ill.

Let thou and I the battell trye,
And set our men aside."
"Shame on the man," Erle Percy sayd,
"By whome this is denyed."

Then stept a gallant squier forth,
Witherington was his name,
Who said, "I wold not have it told
To Henry our king for shame,

That ere my captaine fought on foote,
And I stood looking on.

You two bee erles," quo' Witherington, "And I a squier alone:

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Ile doe the best that doe I may,
While I have power to stand:

While I have power to weeld my sword,
Ile fight with heart and hand."

Our English archers bent their bowes,
Their hearts were good and trew;
Att the first flight of arrowes sent,
Full four-score Scots they slew.

Yet bides Erle Douglas on the bent,
As chieftain stout and good;
As valiant captain, all unmov'd
The shock he firmly stood.

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