Classic and Contemporary Poetry
"CHEVY CHASE [OR, THE HUNTING OF THE CHEVIOT]", by ANONYMOUS First Line: The percy [or perse] out of northumberland Last Line: God send us all good ending Subject(s): "otterburn, Battle Of (1388); | ||||||||
Fytte I 1. THE Percy out of Northumberland, An avow to God made he That he would hunt in the mountains Of Cheviot within days three, In the maugre of doughty Douglas, And all that e'er with him be. 2. The fattest harts in all Cheviot He would kill and carry away. 'By my faith,' said the doughty Douglas again, 'I will let that hunting if I may!' 3. Then the Percy out of Banborowe came, With him a mighty meinye, With fifteen hundred archers bold Chosen out of shirès three. 4. This began on a Monday at morn, In Cheviot the hills so hye; The child may rue that is unborn, It was the more pitye. 5. The drivers through the woodès went All for to raise the deer, Bowmen bicker'd upon the bent With their broad arrows clear. 6. Then the wild thoro' the woodès went On every sidè shear; Grayhounds thoro' the grevès glent For to kill their deer. 7. This began on Cheviot the hill abune Early on a Monenday; By that it drew to the hour of noon A hundred fat harts dead there lay. 8. They blew a mort upon the bent, They 'sembled on sidès shear; To the quarry then the Percy went To the brittling of the deer. 9. He said, 'It was the Douglas' promise This day to meet me here; But I wist he would fail, verament!' A great oath the Percy sware. 10. At the last a squire of Northumberland Lookèd at his hand full nigh; He was ware o' the doughty Douglas coming, With him a great meinye. 11. Both with speär, bill and brand, 'Twas a mighty sight to see; Hardier men both of heart nor hand Were not in Christiantè. 12. They were twenty hundred spearmen good, Withouten any fail: They were born along by the water o' Tweed I' the boun's o' Teviotdale. 13. 'Leave off the brittling of deer,' he said; 'To your bows look ye take good heed, For sith ye were on your mothers born Had ye never so mickle need.' 14. The doughty Douglas on a steed Rode all his men beforn; His armour glitter'd as did a gleed, Bolder bairn was never born. 15. 'Tell me whose men ye are,' he says, 'Or whose men that ye be; Who gave you leave in this Cheviot chase In spite of mine and of me?' 16. The first man that him answer made It was the good Lord Percye: 'We will not tell thee whose men we are, Nor whose men that we be; But we will hunt here in this chase In the spite of thine and of thee. 17. 'The fattest harts in all Cheviot We have kill'd, to carry away.' 'By my troth,' said the doughty Douglas again, 'The one of us dies this day. 18. 'Yet to kill allè these guiltless men Alas, it were great pitye! But, Percy, thou art a lord of land, I an earl in my countrye Let all our men on a party stand, And do battle of thee and me!' 19. 'Christ's curse on his crown,' said the lord [Percye, 'Whosoever thereto says nay! By my troth, thou doughty Douglas,' he says, 'Thou shalt never see that day 20. 'Neither in England, Scotland nor France, Nor for no man of woman born, But, that (and fortune be my chance) I dare meet him, one man for one.' 21. Then bespake a squire of Northumberland, Richard Witherington was his name; 'It shall never be told in South England To King Harry the Fourth for shame. 22. 'I wot you bin great lordès two, I am a poor squire of land; Yet I'll ne'er see my captain fight on a field And stand myself and look on. But while that I may my weapon wield I'll not fail, both heart and hand.' 23. That day, that day, that dreadful day! The first fytte here I find: An you'll hear any more o' the hunting of Cheviot, Yet there is more behind. Fytte II 24. The Englishmen had their bows y-bent, Their hearts were good enow; The first of arrows that they shot off Seven score spearmen they slew. 25. Yet bides the Earl Douglas upon the bent, A captain good enoghe; And that was seenè verament, For he wrought them both woe and wouche. 26. The Douglas parted his host in three, Like a chief chieftain of pride; With surè spears of mighty tree They came in on every side; 27. Throughè our English archery Gave many a woond full wide; Many a doughty they gar'd to dye, Which gainèd them no pride. 28. The Englishmen let their bowès be, And pull'd out brands that were bright; It was a heavy sight to see Bright swords on basnets light. 29. Thoro' rich mail and manoplie Many stern they struck down straight; Many a freyke that was full free There under foot did light. 30. At last the Douglas and the Percy met, Like to captains of might and of main; They swapt together till they both swat With swordès of fine Milan. 31. These worthy freykès for to fight Thereto they were full fain, Till the blood out of their basnets sprent As ever did hail or rain. 32. 'Yield thee, Percy,' said the Douglas, 'And i' faith I shall thee bring Where thou shalt have an Earl's wages Of Jamie our Scottish king. 33. 'Thou shaltè have thy ransom free, I hight thee here this thing; For the manfullest man thou art that e'er I conquer'd in field fighting.' 34. But 'Nay', then said the lord Percye, 'I told it thee beforn That I would never yielded be To man of a woman born.' 35. With that an arrow came hastily Forth of a mighty wane; And it hath stricken the Earl Douglas In at the breastè-bane. 36. Thoro' liver and lungès both The sharp arròw is gone, That never after in his life-days He spake mo words but one: 'Twas, 'Fight ye, my merry men, whiles ye may, For my life-days bin gone!' 37. The Percy leanèd on his brand And saw the Douglas dee; He took the dead man by the hand, And said, 'Woe is me for thee! 38. 'To have sav'd thy life I'd have parted with My lands for yearès three, For a better man of heart nor of hand Was not in the north countrye.' 39. All this there saw a Scottish knight, Sir Hugh the Montgomerye: When he saw Douglas to the death was dight, Through a hundred archerye He never stint nor he never blint Till he came to the lord Percye. 40. He set upon the lord Percy A dint that was full sore; With a surè spear of a mighty tree Thro' the body him he bore, O' the t'other side that a man might see A large cloth-yard and more. 41. An archer of Northumberland Saw slain was the lord Percye: He bare a bent bow in his hand, Was made of a trusty tree. 42. An arrow that was a cloth-yard long To the hard steel halèd he, A dint that was both sad and sair He set on Montgomerye. 43. The dint it was both sad and sair That he on Montgomerye set; The swan-feathers that his arrow bare With his heart-blood they were wet 44. There was never a freykè one foot would flee, But still in stoure did stand; Hewing on each other, while they might dree, With many a baleful brand. 45. This battle began in Cheviot An hour before the noon, And when the even-song bell was rung The battle was not half done. 46. They took their stand on either hand By the lee light of the moon; Many had no strength for to stand In Cheviot the hills abune. 47. Of fifteen hundred archers of England Went away but seventy-and-three; Of twenty hundred spearmen of Scotland But even five-and-fifty. 48. There was slain with the bold Percye Sir John of Agerstoune, Sir Roger, the hendè Hartley, Sir William, the bold Herone. 49. Sir George, the worthy Loumlye, A knight of great renown, Sir Ralph, the richè Rabye, With dints were beaten down. 50. For Witherington my heart was woe That ever he slain should be: For when both his legs were hewn in two Yet he kneel'd and fought on his knee. 51. There was slayn with the doughty Douglas Sir Hugh the Montgomerye, Sir Davy Lambwell, that worthy was, His sister's son was he. 52. Sir Charles a Murray in that place, That never a foot would flee: Sir Hew Maxwell, a lord he was, With the Douglas did he dee. 53. So on the morrow they made them biers Of birch and hazel so gray; Many widows with weeping tears Came to fetch their makes away. 54. Teviotdale may carp of care, Northumberland may make moan, For two such captains as slain were there On the March-parts shall never be none. 55. Word is come to Edinboro', To Jamie the Scottish King, Earl Douglas, lieutenant of the Marches, Lay slain Cheviot within. 56. His hands the King did weal and wring, Said, 'Alas! and woe is me! Such another captain Scotland within I' faith shall never be!' 57. Word is come to lovely London To the fourth Harry, our King, Lord Percy, lieutenant of the Marches, Lay slain Cheviot within. 58. 'God have mercy on his soul' said King Harry, 'Good Lord, if thy will it be! I've a hundred captains in England,' he said, 'As good as ever was he: But Percy, an I brook my life, Thy death well quit shall be.' 59. And as our King made his avow Like a noble prince of renown, For Percy he did it well perform After, on Homble-down; 60. Where six-and-thirty Scottish knights On a day were beaten down; Glendale glitter'd on their armour bright Over castle, tower and town. 61. This was the Hunting of the Cheviot; That e'er began this spurn! Old men, that knowen the ground well, Call it of Otterburn. 62. There was never a time on the Marche-partès Since the Douglas and Percy met, But 'tis marvel an the red blood run not As the reane does in the street. 63. Jesu Christ! our balès bete, And to the bliss us bring! 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