"Loe, yonder doth Erle Douglas come, "All men of pleasant Tivydale, "And now with me, my countrymen, 66 That ever did on horsebacke come, I durst encounter man for man, Erle Douglas on his milk-white steede, Most like a baron bold, Rode foremost of his company, Whose armour shone like gold. "Show me," said hee, "whose men you bee, That hunt soe boldly heere, That, without my consent, do chase And kill my fallow deere." The first man that did answer make, Who sayd, "Wee list not to declare, "Yet will we spend our deerest blood, Then Douglas swore a solemne oathe, "Ere thus I will out-braved bee, I know thee well, an erle thou art; 66 'But trust me, Percy, pittye it were, Any of these our guiltlesse men, Let thou and I the battell trye, "Shame on the man," Erle Percy sayd, By whome this is denyed." 66 Then stept a gallant squier forth, Witherington was his name, That e'er my captaine fought on foote, You two bee erles," quo' Witherington, "And I a squier alone: "Ile doe the best that doe I may, While I have power to stand: While I have power to weeld my sword, Ile fight with heart and hand." Our English archers bent their bowes, Yet bides Erle Douglas on the bent, His host he parted had in three, Throughout the English archery And throwing straight their bowes away, They closed full fast on everye side, Lay gasping on the ground. Alack! it was a griefe to see, How each one chose his spere, At last these two stout erles did meet, They fought untill they both did sweat, Untill the blood, like drops of rain, They trickling down did feele. "Yeeld thee, Lord Percy," Douglas sayd; "In faith I will thee bringe, Where thou shalt high advanced bee "Thy ransome I will freely give, Thou art the most couragious knight, "Noe, Douglas," quoth Erle Percy then, 66 Thy proffer I doe scorne; I will not yeelde to any Scott, That ever yett was borne." With that there came an arrow keene Which struck Erle Douglas to the heart, Who never spake more words than these, Then leaving life, Erle Percy tooke- "Ah me! my verry heart doth bleed e; For sure, a more redoubted knight A knight amongst the Scotts there was, Sir Hugh Mountgomery was he call'd, And past the English archers all, And through Erle Percy's body then With such vehement force and might The staff ran through the other side So thus did both these nobles dye, He had a bow bent in his hand, Against Sir Hugh Mountgomery The grey goose wing that was thereon This fight did last from breake of day For when they rung the evening-bell, With stout Erle Percy, there was slaine Sir Robert Ratcliffe, and Sir John Sir James the bold barròn. And with Sir George and stout Sir James, Both knights of good account, Good Sir Ralph Raby there was slaine, |