The blewe a mort uppone the bent, He sayd, "It was the Duglas promys At the laste a squyar of Northombelonde He was war ath the doughetie Doglas comynge: Both with spear, 'byll,' and brande : Yt was a myghti sight to se. Hardyar men both off hart nar hande Wear not in Christiantè. The wear twenty hondrith spear-men good The wear borne a-long be the watter a Twyde, "Leave off the brytlyng of the dear," he sayde, The dougheti Dogglas on a stede "Tell me what' men ye ar," he says, 35 40 45 50 55 60 V. 31, blwe a mot. P. C. V. 42, myghtte. P. C. passim. V. 43, brylly. P. C. V. 48, withowte... feale. P. C. V. 52, boys. P. C. V. 54, ned. P. C. V. 59, whos. P. C. The first mane that ever him an answear mayd, "We wyll not tell the what' men we ar," he says, But we wyll hount hear in this chays In the spyte of thyne, and of the. The fattiste hartes in all Chyviat We have kyld, and cast to carry them a-way." "Be my troth," sayd the doughtè Dogglas agayn, "Ther-for the ton of us shall de this day." Then sayd the doughtè Doglas Unto the lord Persè : But, Persè, thowe art a lord of lande, 65 70 75 80 "Nowe Cristes cors on his crowne," sayd the lord Persè. "Who-soever ther-to says nay. Be my troth, doughtè Doglas," he says, "Thow shalt never se that day; Nethar in Ynglonde, Skottlonde, nar France, But and fortune be my chance, I dar met him on man for on." 85 Then bespayke a squyar off Northombarlonde, 90 "It shall never be told in Sothe-Ynglonde," he says, "To kyng Herry the fourth for sham. V. 65, whoys. P. C. V. 71, agay. P. C. V. 81, sayd the the. P. C. V. 88, on, i. e. one. This is probably corrupted in the MS. for Rog. Widdrington, who was at the head of the family in the reign of king Edward III. There were several successively of the names of Roger and Ralph, but none of the name of Richard, as appears from the genealogies in the Heralds' office. I wat youe byn great lordes twaw, I am a poor squyar of lande; I wyll never se my captayne fyght on a fylde, I wyll not 'fayl' both harte and hande." That day, that day, that dredfull day : 95 100 And youe wyll here any mor athe hountyng athe Chyviat, Yet ys ther mor behynde. THE SECOND FIT. THE Yngglishe men hade ther bowys yebent, The first of arros that the shote off, Yet bydys the yerle Doglas uppon the bent, And that was sene verament, For he wrought hom both woo and wouche. The Yngglyshe men let thear bowys be, Bryght swordes on basnites lyght. Thorowe ryche male, and myne-ye-ple At last the Duglas and the Persè met, Tyll the bloode owte off thear basnetes sprente, "Holde the, Persè," sayd the Doglas, 20 25 30 Wher thowe shalte have a yerls wagis 35 Thoue shalte have thy ransom fre, I hight the hear this thinge, For the manfullyste man yet art thowe, "Nay "then"" sayd the lord Persè, That I wolde never yeldyde be To no man of a woman born." With that ther cam an arrowe hastely V. 17, boys. P. C. V. 22, done. P. C. V. 32, ran. P. C. 40 45 V. 18, briggt. P. C. V. 21, throrowe. P. C. V. 33, helde. P. C. *Wane, i. e. ane, one, sc. man. An arrow came from a mighty one from a mighty man. Hit hathe strekene the yerle Duglas In at the brest bane. Thoroue lyvar and longs bathe The sharp arrowe ys gane, That never after in all his lyffe days, He spayke mo wordes but ane, 50 That was, " Fyghte ye, my merry men, whyllys ye may, For my lyff days ben gan." The Persè leanyde on his brande, He tooke the dede man be the hande, And sayd, "Wo ys me for the ! To have savyde thy lyffe I wold have pertyd with My landes for years thre, For a better man of hart, nare of hande Was not in all the north countrè." Off all that se a Skottishe knyght, 55 60 Was callyd Sir Hewe the Mongon-byrry, He sawe the Duglas to the deth was dyght; 65 Throughe a hondrith archery; He rod uppon a corsiare He never styntyde, nar never blane, 70 He set uppone the lord Persè A dynte, that was full soare; With a suar spear of a myghtè tre Clean thorow the body he the Persè bore, Athe tothar syde, that a man myght se, V. 49, throroue. P. C. V. 74, ber. P. C. *This seems to have been a Gloss added. 75 |