The Battle of Chevy-chace

THE

BATTLE

OF

CHEVY-CHACE.

AN

Excellent Old Ballad.

GLASGOW;

Published by J. Lumsden & Son.

---

1821.

The Battle of Chevy-Chace

God proſper long our noble king,
our lives and ſafeties all:
A woeful hunting once there did
in Chevy Chace befal.
To drive the deer, with hound and horn,
Lord 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 Scotiſh woods
three ſummer days to take;
The choiceſt harts in Chevy Chace,
to kill and bear away;
The tidings to Earl Douglas came
in Scotland, where he lay:

Who ſent Earl Percy preſent word,
he would prevent his ſport,
The Engliſh Earl not fearing this,
did to the woods reſort:
With full twenty huadred bowmen bold,
all choſen men of might,
Who know full well, in time of need,
to aim their ſhafts aright.

The gallant greyhounds ſwiftly ran
to chace the fallow deer;
On Monday they began to hunt,
when daylight did appear;
And, long before high noon, they had
a hundred fat bucks ſlain;
Then having din'd, the rovers went
to rouſe them up again.

The bowmen muſter'd 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,
and with their cries the hills and dales
an echo ſhrill did make.

Lord Percy to the quarry went
to view the ſlaughter'd deer;
Quoth he, Earl Douglas promiſed
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 fifteen hundred Scotiſh ſpears
are marching in our light.
All men of pleaſant Tiviotdale,
fait by the river Tweed-
Then ceaſe your ſport; Earl Percy ſaid,
and take your bows with ſpeed:

And now with me, my countrymen,
your courage forth advance;
For never was there a champion yet
in Scotland or in France,
That ever did on horſeback come,
but, if my hap it were,
durſt encounter, man for man,
with him to break a ſpear.

Earl Douglas, on a milk white ſteed,
moſt like a baron bold,
Rode foremoſt of the company,
his armour ſhone like gold.
Shew me, ſaid he, whoſe men you be,
that hunt ſo boldly here;
And, without my conſent, do chace,
and kill my fallow deer?

The firſt that him did answer make,
was noble Percy, he
Did ſay, we lift not to declare,
or ſhew whoſe men we be;

For we will ſpend our deareſt blood,
the chiefeſt harts to ſlay,
Then Douglas ſwore a ſolemn oath,
and thus in rage did ſay:

Ere thus I will out braved be,
one of us two ſhall die;
I know thee well, an earl thou art,
Lord Percy: ſo am I.

But truſt me, Percy, pity 'twere,
and great offence, to kill
Any of theſe our harmleſs men,
for they have done no ill.

Let thou and I the battle try,
and for our men aſide.
Accurſt be he, Lord Percy ſaid,
by whom this is denied.

Then ſtept a gallant ſquire forth,
Witherington was his name,
Who ſaid, I would not have it told
to Henry, our king, for ſhame.

That e'er my captain fought on foot,
and I ſtood looking on;
You are two earls, ſaid Witherington,
and I a ſquire alone:

I'll do the beſt that I can do,
while I have ſtrength to ſtand,
Or I have power to wield my ſword,
I'll fight with heart and hand,

The Engliſh archers bent their bows,
their hearts were good and true;
At the firt flight of arrows ſent,
full threeſcore Scots they ſlew.

To drive the deer with hound and horn,
Earl Percy had been bent;
The captains mov'd with meikle pride,
The ſpears to ſhivers ſent.

They cloſed full faſt on ev'ry ſide,
no ſlackneſs there was found;
And many a gallant gentleman
lay gaſping on the ground.

Oh, dear! it was a grief to ſee,
and likewiſe for to hear,
The groans of men lying in their gore,
and ſcatter'd here and there.

At laſt theſe two bold earls met,
like captains of great might;
Like lions mov'd, they laid on blows,
and made a bloody fight.

They fought until they both did ſweat,
with ſwords of temper'd ſteel,
Until the blood, like drops of rain,
They trickling down did feel.

Yeild thee, Earl Percy, Douglas ſaid,
in faith I will thee bring,
Where thou ſhalt high advanced be
by James, our Scotiſh king;

Thy ranſom I will freely give,
and thus report of thee:
Thou art the moſt couragious knight
that ever I did ſee.

No, Douglas, quoth Earl Percy then,
thy proffers I do ſcorn:
I will not yeild 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.

He never ſpoke more words than theſe:
fight on, my merry men all-
For why? my life is at an end-
Lord Percy ſees me fall

Then leaving ſtrife- Earl Percy took
the dead man by the hand,
And ſaid, Earl Douglas, for thy life,
would I have loſt my land.

O dear! my very heart doth bleed
with ſorrow for thy ſake:
For ſure a more renowned knight
miſchance did never take;

A knight anongſt the Scots there was,
who ſaw Earl Douglas die;
And ſtraight in wrath did now revenge
upon the Lord Percy.

Sir Hugh Montgomery he was call'd;
who, with a ſpear moſt bright,
Well mounted on a gallant ſteed,
Rode fiercely through the fight;

He paſt the Engliſh archers all,
without all dread or fear:
And through Earl Percy's body then
he thruſt his hateful ſpear;

With ſuch a vehement force and might
he did his body gore,
The ſpear went through the other ſide
a full 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 is his hand,
made of a truſty yew;
An arrow of a cloth yard long,
unto the head he drew.
Againſt Sir. Hugh Montgomery,
So right the ſhaft he ſet,
The grey gooſe wing that was thereon
in his heart's blood was wet.

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 Earl Percy there was ſlain
Sir John of Ogerton,
Sir Roger Ratcliff, and Sir John,
Sir James, that bold baron;

And with Sir George, and good Sir James,
Both knights of good account,
Good Sir Ralph Raby, there was ſlain,
whoſe proweſs did ſurmount.
For Witherington I needs muſt wail,
as one in doleful dumps,
For, when his legs were ſmitten off,
he fought upon his ſtumps

Of twenty hundred bowmen bold,
Scarce fifty five did flee;
The reſt were ſlain in Chevy Chace,
Under the green-wood tree.
And with Earl Douglas there was ſlain
Sir Hugh Montgomery;
Sir Charles Currel, that from the field
one foot would never fly;

Sir Charles Currel, of Ratcliff, too,
his ſiſter's ſon was he;
Sir David Lamb, tho' ſo eſteem'd,
he ſaved could not be.
The brave Lord Maxwell likewiſe fell,
with others of high degree;
O fifteen hundred Scotiſh ſpears,
went home but fifty three.

Next day did many widows come
their huſbands to bewail;
They waſh'd their wounds in briny tears,
Yet all could not avail.
Their bodies, bath'd in purple gore,
with them they bore away;
And kiſs'd them- dead, a thousand times,
when they were cold as clay.

The news was brought to London town,
where England's king did reign,
That Percy of Northumberland,
at Chevy Chace was ſlain.
Oh! heavy news, King Henry ſaid,
England can witneſs be,
I have not another captain
of ſuch account as he.

Like tidings to King James did come,
which cauſed him much pain,
That the Earl Douglas ſuddenly
was with arrow ſlain.
Then God be with him, ſaid the King,
Since twill no better be,
I truſt I have in my realm
five hundred as good as he.

God ſave the king, and bleſs the land,
in plenty, joy, and peace;
And grant, henceforth, that foul debates
'twixt noblemen may ceaſe.