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At last these two stout earls did meet;
Like captains of great might,
Like lions wode, they laid on lode,
And made a cruel fight.

They fought until they both did sweat,
With swords of tempered steel,
Until the blood, like drops of rain,
They trickling down did feel.

"Yield thee, Lord Percy," Douglas said, "In faith I will thee bring

Where thou shalt high advanced be
By James, our Scottish king.

"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;

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 hand.

Chevy-Chase

"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 Mountgomery 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 drew he.

Against Sir Hugh Mountgomery
So right the shaft he set,

The gray goose-wing that was thereon
In his heart's blood was wet.

2597

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 were slain Sir John of Egerton,

Sir Robert Ratcliff, and Sir John,

Sir James, that bold baron,

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 my heart is woe
That ever he slain should be,
For when his legs were hewn in two,
He knelt and fought on his knee.

And with Earl Douglas there were slain Sir Hugh Mountgomery,

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 in Chevy-Chase were slain,

Under the greenwood tree.

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Chevy-Chase

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:

"O 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-Chase:

"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-Chase,
Made by the Earl Percy.

God save the king, and bless this land,
With plenty, joy, and peace;

And grant, henceforth, that foul debate
'Twixt noblemen may cease.

THE BONNIE HOUSE OF AIRLIE

Ir fell on a day, and a bonnie simmer day,

When green grew aits and barley, That there fell out a great dispute Between Argyll and Airlie.

Argyll has raised an hunder men,
An hunder harnessed rarely,

And he's awa' by the back of Dunkell,
To plunder the castle of Airlie.

Lady Ogilvie looks o'er her bower-window,
And O but she looks warely!

And there she spied the great Argyll,

Unknown

Come to plunder the bonnie house of Airlie.

"Come down, come down, my Lady Ogilvie, Come down and kiss me fairly:"

"OI winna kiss the fause Argyll,

If he shouldna leave a standing stane in Airlie.”

He hath taken her by the left shoulder,

Says, "Dame, where lies thy dowry?”
"O it's east and west yon wan water side,
And it's down by the banks of the Airlie."

They hae sought it up, they hae sought it down,
They hae sought it maist severely,

Till they fand it in the fair plum-tree
That shines on the bowling-green of Airlie.

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