The Lucetts and the Cressawnts both:
The Skotts faught them agayne.*]

Uppon sent Andrewe lowde cane they crye,
And thrysse they schowte on hyght,

And

syne marked them one owr Ynglysshe men, 75 As I have tolde yow ryght.

Sent George the bryght owr ladyes knyght,

To name they were full fayne,

Owr Ynglysshe men they cryde on hyght

And thrysse the schowtte agayne.

Wyth that scharpe arowes bygan to flee,

I tell yow in sertayne;

Men of armes byganne to joyne;

Many a dowghty man was ther slayne.

The Percy and the Dowglas mette,

That ether of other was fayne;

They schapped together, whyll that the swette,
With swords of fyne Collayne;

80

85

* The arms of Douglas are pretty accurately emblazoned in the former stanza, especially if the readings were, The crowned harte, and Above stode starres thre, it would be minutely exact at this day. As for the Percy family, one of their ancient badges or cognizances was a white lyon, statant; and the silver crescent continues to be used by them to this day: they also give three luces argent for one of their quarters.

ti.e. the English.

Tyll the blood from ther bassonetts ranne,

As the roke doth in the rayne. Yelde the to me, sayd the Dowglàs,

Or ells thow schalt be slayne:

90

For I see, by thy bryght bassonet,
Thow arte sum man of myght;

And so I do by thy burnysshed brande,
Thow art an yerle, or ells a knyght.*

95

By my good faythe, sayd the noble Percy,
Now haste thou rede full ryght,

Yet wyll I never yelde me to the,

Whyll I may stonde and fyght.

100

They swapped together, whyll that they swette,

Wyth swordes scharpe and long;

Ych on other so faste they beette,

Tyll ther helmes cam in peyses dowyn.

The Percy was a man of strenghth,

I tell yow in thys stounde,

He smote the Dowglas at the swordes length,
That he felle to the growynde.

The sworde was scharpe and sore can byte,

I tell yow in sertayne;

To the harte he cowde hym smyte,

Thus was the Dowglas slayne.

* Being all in armour, he could not know him.

105

110

The stonders stode styll on eke syde

With many a grevous grone;

Ther the fowght the day, and all the nyght,
And many a dowghty man was 'slone.'

115

Ther was no freke, that ther wolde flye,
But styffly in stowre can stond,

Ychone hewyng on other whyll they myght drye,
Wyth many a bayllefull bronde.

Ther was slayne upon the Skottes syde,

For soth and sertenly,

120

* Our old minstrel repeats these names, as Homer and Virgil do those of their heroes:

fortemque Gyam, fortemque Cloanthum, &c. &c. Both the MSS. read here, "Sir James:" but see above, Pt. 1, ver. 112.

Ther was slayne upon the Skottes syde,

For soth as I yow saye,

Of fowre and forty thowsande Scotts
Went but eyghtene awaye.

Ther was slayne upon the Ynglysshe syde,
For soth and sertenlye,

A gentell knyght, Sir John Fitz-hughe,

Yt was the more petye.

135

140

Syr James Harebotell ther was slayne,
For hym ther hartes were sore,

The gentyll Lovelle' ther was slayne,

That the Percyes standerd bore.

Ther was slayne uppon the Ynglyssh perte, 145

For soth as I yow saye;

Of nyne thowsand Ynglyssh men

Fyve hondert cam awaye :

The other were slayne in the fylde,

Cryste kepe ther sowles from wo,

Seyng ther was so fewe fryndes

Agaynst so many many a foo.

Then one the morne they mayd them beeres
Of byrch, and haysell graye;

150

V. 143, Covelle. MS.-For the names in this page, see the remarks at the end of this ballad.

V. 153, one, i. e. on.

Many a wydowe with wepyng teyres
Ther makes they fette awaye.

155

Thys fraye bygan at Otterborne

Bytwene the nyghte and the day:

Ther the Dowglas lost hys lyfe,

And the Percy was lede awaye.*

Then was ther a Scottyshe prisoner tayne,
Syr Hughe Mongomery was hys name,
For soth as I yow saye

He borowed the Percy home agayne. †

Now let us all for the Percy praye

To Jesu most of myght,

To bryng hys sowle to the blysse of heven,
For he was a gentyll knyght.

160

165

Most of the names in the two preceding ballads are found to have belonged to families of distinction in the North, as may be made appear from authentic records. Thus, in

THE ANCIENT BALLAD OF CHEVY-CHASE.

Pag. 14, ver. 112, Agerstone.] The family of Haggerston of Haggerston, near Berwick, has been seated there for many centuries, and still remains. Thomas HaggerV. 165, Percyes. Harl. MS.

* Sc. captive.

+ In the Cotton MS. is the following note on ver. 164, in an ancient hand:"Syr Hewe Mongomery takyn prizonar, was delyvered for the restorynge of Perssy."