Tales of the Olden Time

66

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

Thou art the most courageous knight
That ever I did see."

"No, Douglas," saith Earl Percy then, Thy proffer I do scorn;

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I will not yield to any Scot

That ever yet was born."

With that there came an arrow keen

Out of an English bow,

Which struck Earl Douglas to the heart,
A deep and deadly 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 took

The dead man by the hand;
And said, "Earl Douglas, for thy life
Would I had lost my land!

"In truth, my very heart doth bleed
With sorrow for thy sake;

For sure a more redoubted knight
Mischance did never take."

A knight amongst the Scots there was

Who saw Earl Douglas die,

Who straight in wrath did vow revenge
Upon the Earl Percy.

Sir Hugh Montgomery was he called,
Who, with a spear full bright,

Well mounted on a gallant steed,

Ran fiercely through the fight;

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

And through Earl Percy's body then
He thrust his hateful spear;

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 die,
Whose courage none could stain.
An English archer then perceived
The noble Earl was slain.

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.

Tales

of the

Olden

Time

Tales of the Olden Time

Against Sir Hugh Montgomery
So right the shaft he set,
The gray goose wing that was thereon
In his heart's blood was wet.

This fight did last from break of day
Till setting of the sun:

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

With stout Earl Percy there was slain
Sir John of Egerton,

Sir Robert Ratcliff, and Sir John,

Sir James, that bold baròn.

And with Sir George and stout Sir James,
Both knights of good account,
Good Sir Ralph Raby there was slain,
Whose prowess did surmount.

For Witherington needs must I wail
As one in doleful dumps;
For when his legs were smitten off,
He fought upon his stumps.

And with Earl Douglas there was slain
Sir Hugh Montgomery,

Sir Charles Murray, that from the field,
One foot would never flee.

Sir Charles Murray of Ratcliff, too—

His sister's son was he;

Sir David Lamb, so well esteemed,

But saved he could not be.

And the Lord Maxwell in like case
Did with Earl Douglas die:
Of twenty hundred Scottish spears,
Scarce fifty-five did fly.

Of fifteen hundred Englishmen,
Went home but fifty-three;

The rest on Chevy-Chace were slain,
Under the greenwood tree.

Next day did many widows come,
Their husbands to bewail;

They washed their wounds in brinish tears,
But all would not prevail.

Their bodies, bathed in purple blood,

They bore with them away;

They kissed them dead a thousand times,
Ere they were clad in clay.

The news was brought to Edinburgh,
Where Scotland's king did reign,
That brave Earl Douglas suddenly
Was with an arrow slain:

Tales of the Olden

Time

Tales of the Olden Time

"Oh heavy news," King James did say; "Scotland can witness be

I have not any captain more

Of such account as he."

Like tidings to King Henry came
Within as short a space,
That Percy of Northumberland
Was slain in Chevy-Chace:

"Now God be with him," said our king,
"Since 'twill no better be;

I trust I have within my realm
Five hundred as good as he:

"Yet shall not Scots or Scotland say
But I will vengeance take:

I'll be revenged on them all,

For brave Earl Percy's sake."

This vow full well the king performed
After at Humbledown;

In one day fifty knights were slain,
With lords of high renown;

And of the rest, of small account,

Did many hundreds die:

Thus endeth the hunting of Chevy-Chace,

Made by the Earl Percy.