They clos'd full fast on everye side,

Noe slacknes there was found;

And many a gallant gentleman
Lay gasping on the ground.

125

Like lyons wood, they layd on lode,
And made a cruell fight:

135

They fought untill they both did sweat,
With swords of tempered steele ;

Until the blood, like drops of rain,

They trickling downe did feele.

140

Yeeld thee, Lord Percy, Douglas sayd;

In faith I will thee bringe,

Where thou shalt high advanced bee

By James our Scottish king:

Thy ransome I will freely give,

And thus report of thee,

That ever I did see.

Thou art the most couragious knight,

145

Noe, Douglas, quoth Erle Percy then,

Thy proffer I doe scorne;

I will not yeelde to any Scott,

That ever yett was borne.

150

Then leaving liffe, Erle Percy tooke

The dead man by the hand;

160

And said, Erle Douglas, for thy life

Wold I had lost my land.

O Christ! my verry hart doth bleed
With sorrow for thy sake;

165

For sure, a more renowned knight

Mischance cold never take.

A knight amongst the Scotts there was,
Which saw Erle Douglas dye,

170

Who streight in wrath did vow revenge
Upon the Lord Percye:

Sir Hugh Mountgomerye was he call'd,

Who, with a spere most bright, Well-mounted on a gallant steed, Ran fiercely through the fight;

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

And thro' Earl Percyes body then
He thrust his hatefull spere;

175

180

With such a vehement force and might

He did his body gore,

The speare went 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 perceiv'd

The noble erle was slaine;

185

This fight did last from breake of day,

Till setting of the sun;

For when they rung the evening bell,*

The battel scarce was done.

200

With brave Erle Percy, there was slaine,
Sir John of Egerton, †

And with Erle Douglas, there was slaine

Sir Hugh Mountgomerye,

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

215

* Sc. the Curfew-bell, usually rung at eight o'clock; to which the moderniser apparently alludes, instead of the Evensong-bell, or bell for vespers of the original author, before the Reformation. Vide suprà, p. 13, v. 97.

The con

+ For the surnames, see the Notes at the end of the ballad. i.e." I, as one in deep concern, must lament." struction here has generally been misunderstood. The old MS. reads wofull dumpes.

Sir Charles Murray, of Ratcliff, too,

His sisters sonne was hee;

Sir David Lamb, so well esteem'd,
Yet saved 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 were slaine in Chevy-Chace,

Under the greene wood tree.

220

225

Where Scottlands king did raigne,

That brave Erle Douglas suddenlye

Was with an arrow slaine :

240