Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE RISING IN THE NORTH, by ANONYMOUS


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE RISING IN THE NORTH, by                    
First Line: "listen, lively lordings all"
Last Line: And the five wounds our lord did bear
Subject(s): Scotland - Relations With England


Listen, lively lordings all,
Lithe and listen unto me,
And I will sing of a noble earl,
The noblest earl in the north countrie.
Earl Percy is into his garden gone,
And after him walks his fair ladie:
I heard a bird sing in mine ear,
That I must either fight or flee.
But come thou hither, my little foot-page,
Come thou hither unto me,
To master Norton thou must go
In all the haste that ever may be.
Commend me to that gentleman,
And bear this letter here fro me;
And say that earnestly I pray,
He will ride in my companie.
And when the letter it was read
Affore that goodly company,
I wis, if you the truth would know,
There was many a weeping eye.
Come you hither, my nine good sons,
Gallant men I trow you be:
How many of you, my children dear,
Will stand by that good earl and me?
Eight of them did answer make,
Eight of them spake hastilie,
O father, till the day we die
We'll stand by that good earl and thee.
Gramercy now, my children dear,
You show yourselves right bold and brave;
And whethersoe'er I live or die,
A father's blessing you shall have.
But what say'st thou, O Francis Norton,
Thou art mine eldest son and heir:
Somewhat lies brooding in thy breast;
Whatever it be, to me declare.
Father, you are an aged man,
Your head is white, your beard is grey;
It were a shame at these your years
For you to rise in such a fray.
Now fie upon thee, coward Francis,
Thou never learnedst this of me:
When thou wert young and tender of age,
Why did I make so much of thee?
But, father, I will wend with you,
Unarm'd and naked will I be;
And he that strikes against the crown,
Ever an ill death may he dee.
Then rose that reverend gentleman,
And with him came a goodly band
To join with the brave Earl Percy,
And all the flower o' Northumberland.
With them the noble Nevill came,
The earl of Westmoreland was he:
At Wetherby they mustered their host,
Thirteen thousand fair to see.
Lord Westmoreland his ancyent raised,
The Dun Bull he raised on high,
And three Dogs with golden collars
Were there set out most royally.
Earl Percy there his ancyent spread,
The Half-Moon shining all so fair:
The Nortons' ancyent had the cross,
And the five wounds our Lord did bear.





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