THE HUNTING OF CHEVY-CHACE.
God prosper long our noble King,
Our lives and safeties all,
A woful hunting once there did,
In Chevy-Chace befal,
To drive the deer with hound and horn,
Earl Percy took his 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 summer days to take;
The choicest harts of Chevy-Chace,
To kill and bear away,
These tidings to the Earl Douglas came,
In Scotland where he lay.
Who sent Lord Percy present word,
He would prevent his sport-
The English Earl not fearing him,
Did to the woods resort.
With twenty hundred bowmen bold,
All chosen men of might;
Who knew full well in time of need,
To aim their shafts aright.
The gallant greyhooods quickly ran,
To chace the fallow deer;
On Monday they began to hunt,
When day-light did appear.
And long before high noon they had
An hundred fat bucks slain;
Then having din'd, the rovers rose
To rouse them ap again.
