There was the doughty Douglas slain, the Percy never went away.There was never a time on the March part-es sen the Douglas and the
Percy met,
But it is marvel an the red blood run not as the rain does in the
stret.
Jesu Christ our balis bete, and to the bliss us bring!
Thus was the hunting of the Cheviot. God send us all good ending!
CHEVY CHASE (the later version.)
God prosper long our noble king,
Our lives and safeties all!
A woeful hunting once there did
In Chevy Chase befall.
To drive the deer with hound and horn
Earl Piercy took the way;
The child may rue that is unborn
The hunting of that day!
The stout Earl of Northumberland,
A vow to God did make,
His pleasure in the Scottish woods
Three summers' days to take,
The chiefest harts in Chevy Chase
To kill and bear away;
These tidings to Earl Douglas came
In Scotland where he lay,
Who sent Earl Piercy present word
He would prevent his sport.
The English Earl, not fearing that,
Did to the woods resort,
With fifteen hundred bowmen bold,
All chosen men of might,
Who knew full well in time of need
To aim their shafts aright.
The gallant greyhounds swiftly ran
To chase the fallow deer;
On Monday they began to hunt
Ere daylight did appear;
And long before high noon they had
A hundred fat bucks slain.
Then having dined, the drivers went
To rouse the deer again.
The bowmen mustered on the hills,
Well able to endure;
Their backsides all with special care
That day were guarded sure.
The hounds ran swiftly through the woods
The nimble deer to take,
That with their cries the hills and dales
An echo shrill did make.
Lord Piercy to the quarry went
To view the tender deer;
Quoth he, "Earl Douglas promised once
This day to meet me here;
"But if I thought he would not come,
No longer would I stay."
With that a brave young gentleman
Thus to the Earl did say,
"Lo, yonder doth Earl Douglas come,
His men in armour bright,
Full twenty hundred Scottish spears
All marching in our sight,
"All men of pleasant Tividale
Fast by the river Tweed."
"O cease your sports!" Earl Piercy said,
"And take your bows with speed,
"And now with me, my countrymen,
Your courage forth advance!
For there was never champion yet
In Scotland nor in France
"That ever did on horseback come,
But if my hap it were,
I durst encounter man for man,
With him to break a spear."
Earl Douglas on his milk-white steed,
Most like a baron bold,
Rode foremost of his company,
Whose armour shone like gold:
"Show me," said he, "whose men you be
That hunt so boldly here;
That without my consent do chase
And kill my fallow deer."
The first man that did answer make
Was noble Piercy, he,
Who said, "We list not to declare,
Nor show whose men we be;
"Yet we will spend our dearest blood
Thy chiefest harts to slay."
Then Douglas swore a solemn oath,
And thus in rage did say,
"Ere thus I will outbrav-ed be,
One of us two shall die!
I know thee well! an earl thou art,
Lord Piercy! so am I.
"But trust me, Piercy, pity it were,
And great offence, to kill
Any of these our guiltless men
For they have done no ill;
"Let thou and I the battle try,
