The blewe a mort uppone the bent,
The semblyd on sydis shear;
To the quyrry then the Persè went
To se the bryttlynge off the deare.

He sayd, "It was the Duglas promys
This day to meet me hear;
But I wyste he wold faylle verament:
A gret oth the Persè swear.

At the laste a squyar of Northombelonde
Lokyde at his hand full ny,

He was war ath the doughetie Doglas comynge:
With him a myghtè meany,

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
Withouten any fayle;

The wear borne a-long be the watter a Twyde,
Yth bowndes of Tividale.

"Leave off the brytlyng of the dear," he sayde,
"And to your bowys look ye tayk good heed;
For never sithe ye wear on your mothars borne
Had ye never so mickle need."

The dougheti Dogglas on a stede
He rode att his men beforne;
His armor glytteryde as dyd a glede ;
A bolder barne was never born.

"Tell me what' men ye ar," he says,
"Or whos men that ye be :
Who gave youe leave to hunte in this
Chyviat chays in the spyt of me?"

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,
Yt was the good lord Persè :

"We wyll not tell the what' men we ar," he says,
"Nor whos men that we be;

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 :
"To kyll all thes giltless men,
A-las! it wear great pittè.

But, Persè, thowe art a lord of lande,
I am a yerle callyd within my contre ;
Let all our men uppone a parti stande;
And do the battell off the and of me."

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,
Nor for no man of a woman born,

But and fortune be my chance,

I dar met him on man for on."

85

Then bespayke a squyar off Northombarlonde,
Ric. Wytharynton was his nam;

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,
And stande my-selffe, and looke on,
But whyll I may my weppone welde,

I wyll not 'fayl' both harte and hande."

That day, that day, that dredfull day :
The first FIT* here I fynde.

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,
Ther hartes were good yenoughe;

The first of arros that the shote off,
Seven skore spear-men the sloughe.

Yet bydys the yerle Doglas uppon the bent,
A captayne good yenoughe,

And that was sene verament,

For he wrought hom both woo and wouche.

The Yngglyshe men let thear bowys be,
And pulde owt brandes that wer bright;
It was a hevy syght to se

Bryght swordes on basnites lyght.

Thorowe ryche male, and myne-ye-ple
Many sterne the stroke downe streght:
Many a freyke, that was full free,
Ther undar foot dyd lyght.

At last the Duglas and the Persè met,
Lyk to captayns of myght and mayne;
The swapte togethar tyll the both swat
With swordes, that wear of fyn myllàn.
Thes worthè freckys for to fyght
Ther-to the wear full fayne,

Tyll the bloode owte off thear basnetes sprente,
As ever dyd heal or rayne.

"Holde the, Persè," sayd the Doglas,
"And i' feth I shall the brynge

20

25

30

Wher thowe shalte have a yerls wagis
Of Jamy our Scottish kynge.

35

Thoue shalte have thy ransom fre,

I hight the hear this thinge,

For the manfullyste man yet art thowe,
That ever I conqueryd in filde fightyng."

"Nay "then"" sayd the lord Persè,
"I tolde it the beforne,

That I wolde never yeldyde be

To no man of a woman born."

With that ther cam an arrowe hastely
Forthe off a mightie wane,*

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. 26, to, i. e. two. Ibid, and of. 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,
And sawe the Duglas de;

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;
He spendyd a spear a trusti tre :

65

Throughe a hondrith archery;

He rod uppon a corsiare

He never styntyde, nar never blane,
Tyll he came to the good lord Persè.

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,
A large cloth yard and mare :

V. 49, throroue. P. C.

V. 74, ber. P. C.

*This seems to have been a Gloss added.

75