His host he parted had in three,
As leader ware1 and try'd;
And soon his spearmen on their foes
Bare down on every side.

Throughout the English archery
They dealt full many a wound:
But still our valiant Englishmen
All firmly kept their ground:

And throwing strait their bowes away,
They grasp'd their swords so bright:
And now sharp blows, a heavy shower,
On shields and helmets light.

They closed full fast on everye side,
Noe slacknes there was found;
And many a gallant gentleman
Lay gasping on the ground.

Alack! it was a griefe to see,

How each one chose his spere,
And how the blood out of their brests
Did gush like water cleere.

At last these two stout erles did meet,
Like captaines of great might:
Like lyons wode,2 they layd on lode,
And made a cruell fight:

They fought untill they both did sweat,

With swords of tempered steele ;

Until the blood, like drops of rain,
They trickling downe did feele.

"Yeeld thee, Lord Percy," Douglas sayd;

"In faith I will thee bringe, Where thou shalt high advanced bee,

By James our Scottish king:

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Thy ransome I will freely give,
And this report of thee,

Thou art the most couragious knight,

That ever I did see.'

"Noe, Douglas," quoth Erle Percy then, Thy proffer I doe scorne;

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I will not yeelde to any Scott,

That ever yett was borne."

With that, there came an arrow keene
Out of an English bow,

Which struck Erle Douglas to the heart,
A deepe and deadlye blow:

Who never spake more words than these, "Fight on, my merry men all; For why, my life is at an end;

Lord Percy sees my fall."

Then leaving life, Earl Percy tooke
The dead man by the hand;
And said, "Earl Douglas, for thy life
Wold I had lost my land.

"Ah me! my verry heart doth bleed
With sorrow for thy sake;
For sure, a more redoubted knight
Mischance did never take."

A knight amongst the Scotts there was,
Which saw Erle Douglas dye,
Who streight in wrath did vow revenge
Upon the Erle Percy :

Sir Hugh Mountgomery was he call'd,
Who, with a spere full bright,
Well-mounted on a gallant steed,
Ran fiercely through the fight:

And past the English archers all,
Without a dread or feare;

And through Erle Percy's body then
He thrust his hateful spere;

With such vehement force and might
He did his body gore,

The staff ran through the other side
A large cloth-yard, and more.

So thus did both these nobles dye,
Whose courage none could staine :
An English archer then perceived
The noble erle was slaine;

He had a bow bent in his hand,
Made of a trusty tree;
An arrow of a cloth-yard long
To the hard head haled he:

Against Sir Hugh Mountgomery
So right the shaft he sett;
The grey goose wing that was thereon
In his heart's bloode was wett.

This fight did last from breake of day,
Till setting of the sunne;

For when they rung the evening-bell,
The battle scarce was done.

With stout Erle Percy, there was slaine
Sir John of Egerton,

Sir Robert Ratcliffe, and Sir John,

Sir James, the bold barròn.

And with Sir George and stout Sir James,

Both knights of good account,

Good Sir Ralph Raby there was slaine,
Whose prowesse did surmount.

For Witherington my heart is woe,
That ever he slaine should be:
For when his legs were hewn in two,
He knelt and fought on his knee.

And with Erle Douglas, there was slaine
Sir Hugh Mountgomery,

Sir Charles Murray, that from the feeld
One foot wold never flee.

Sir Charles Murray of Ratcliffe, too,
His sister's sonne was hee;
Sir David Lamb, so well esteem'd,
But saved he cold not bee.

And the Lord Maxwell in like case
Did with Erle Douglas dye;
Of twenty hundred Scottish speres,
Scarce fifty-five did flye.

Of fifteen hundred Englishmen,
Went home but fifty-three;
The rest in Chevy-Chace were slaine,
Under the greene woode tree.

Next day did many widdowes come,
Their husbands to bewayle;
They washt their wounds in brinish teares,
But all wold not prevayle.

Their bodyes, bathed in purple blood,
They bore with them away:
They kist them dead a thousand times,
Ere they were cladd in clay.

The news was brought to Eddenborrow,
Where Scottland's king did raigne,
That brave Erle Douglas suddenlye
Was with an arrow slaine:

O heavy news," King James did say,

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Scottland can witness bee,

I have not any captaine more

Of such account as hee."

Like tydings to King Henry came,

Within as short a space,
That Percy of Northumberland
Was slaine in Chevy-Chace:

"Now by my faith," said then our king,

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Sith 't will noe better bee;

I trust I have, within my realme,
Five hundred as good as hee:

'Yet shall not Scotts nor Scottland say,
But I will vengeance take:

I'll be revenged on them all,

For brave Erle Percy's sake."

This vow full well the king perform'd
After, at Humbledowne;

In one day, fifty knights were slayne,
With lords of high renowne:

And of the rest, of small account,
Did many hundreds dye.

Thus endeth the hunting of Chevy-Chace,
Made by the Erle Percy.

God save the king, and bless this land
With plentye, joy, and peace;

And grant, henceforth, that foule debate
"Twixt noblemen may cease.

OLD BALLAD.

B 2