Such another captayn Skotland within, Worde ys commyn to lovly Londone Till the fourth Harry our kyng, 145 That lord Perfè, leyff-tenante of the Merchis, 150 He lay flayne Chyviat within. God have merci on his foll, fayd kyng Harry, Good lord, yf thy will it be! I have a hondrith captayns in Yynglonde, he fayd, As good as ever was hee : But Perfè, and I brook my lyffe, Thy deth well quyte shall be. As our noble kyng made his a-vowe, For the deth of the lord Perfè, 155 V. 146. ye feth. PC, V. 149. cheyff tennante. PC. Old men that knowen the grownde well yenoughe, Call it the Battell of Otterburn. At Otterburn began this fpurne Uppon a monnyn day: Ther was the dougghté Doglas flean, The Perfè never went away. Ther was never a tym on the march partes Sen the Doglas, and the Perfè met, 170 But yt was marvele, and the rede blude ronne not, As the reane doys in the ftret. 176 Jhefue Crift our balys bete, And to the blys us brynge! Thus was the hountynge of the Chevyat: God fend us all good ending! 180 II. THE The ftyle of this and the following ballad is uncom monly rugged and uncouth, owing to their being writ in the very coarjeft and broadeft northern Dialect. The battle of Hombyll-down, or Humbleton, was fought Sept. 14. 1402. (anno 3. Hen. IV.) wherein the English, under the command of the E. of Northumberland, and his fon Hotspur, gained a compleat victory over the Scots. The village of HUMBLETON is one mile north-west from Wooller in Northumberland: near it are two hills, which retain to this day evident marks of encampments.-Humbleton is in GLENDALE WARD, a district so named in this county, and mentioned above in ver. 163. II. THE BATTLE OF OTTERBOURNE. The only battle, wherein an Earl of Douglas was flain fighting with a Percy, was that of Ötterbourn, which is the fubject of this ballad. It is here related with the allowable partiality of an English poet, and much in the fame manner as it is recorded in the English Chronicles. The Scottish writers have, with a partiality at least as excufeable, `related it no less in their own favour. Luckily we have a very circumftantial narrative of the whole affair from Froiffart a French hiftorian, who appears to be unbiaffed. Froiffart's relation is prolix; I hall therefore give it as abridged by Carte, who has however had recourse to other authorities, and differs from Froiffart in fome things, which I fhall note in the margin. In the twelfth year of Richard II. 1388, The Scots taking advantage of the confufions of this nation, and falling "with a party into the weft-marches, ravaged the country "about Carlisle, and carried off 300 prifoners. It was wi "a much greater force, beaded by fome of the principal, no"bility, that, in the beginning of Auguft*, they invaded Northumberland: and having wafted part of the county' of Durham†, advanced to the gates of Newcastle; where, 4 " in *Froiffart fpeaks of both parties (confifting in all of more than 40,000 men) as entering England at the fame time: but the greater part by way of Carlifle. And, according to the ballad, that part of Northumberland called Bamboroughfire; a large tract of land fo named from the town and caftle of Bamborough; formerly the refidence of the Northumbrian Kings. 66 "in a skirmish, they took a penon' or colours* belangir.gi to Henry lord Percy, furnamed Hotfpur, fon to the earl of "Northumberland. In their retreat home, they attacked the caftle of Otterbourn: and in the evening of Aug. 9. (as "the English writers fay, or rather, according to Froiart, Aug. 15.) after an unsuccessful afault were furprised in "their camp, which was very strong, by Henry, who at "the first onfet put them into a good deal of confufion. But "James earl of Douglas rallying his men, there enfued one of the beft-fought actions that happened in that age; both "armies fhewing the utmost bravery †: the earl Douglas himself being flain on the spat ; the earl of Murrey mortally wounded; and Hotspur |, with his brother Ralph "Percy, taken prisoners. These disasters on both fides have "given occafion to the event of the engagement's being dif puted; Froiffart (who derives his relation from a Scotch knight, two gentlemen of the fame country, and as many of Foix) affirming that the Scots remained mafters of the field; and the English writers infinuating the contrary. Thefe laft maintain that the English had the better of the "day: bat night coming on, fome of the northern lords, coming with the bishop of Durham to their affiftance, kil"led 66 แ C 2 This circumstance is omitted in the ballad. Hotspur and Douglas were two young warriors much of the fame age. Froilart fays the English exceeded the Scots in number three to one, but that these bad the advantage of the ground, and were also fresh from Sleep, while the English were greatly fatigued with their previous march. By Henry L. Percy, according to this ballad, and our old English biftorians, as Stow, Speed, &c. but borne down by numbers, if we may believe Froiffart. Hotspur (after a very sharp conflict) was taken prisoner by John lord Montgomery, whofe eldest fon Sir Hugh was flain in the fame action with an arrow, according to Crawfurd's Peerage (and feems also to be alluded to in the foregoing ballad, p. 13.) but taken prifoner and exchanged for Hotfpur, according to this ballad. Froiffart (according to the Eng. Tranflation) fays he had his account from two fquires of England, and from a knight and fquire of Scetland, foon after the battle. 66 "led many of them by mistake, fuppofing them to be Scots; "and the earl of Dunbar at the fame time falling on an"other fide upon Hotspur, took him and his brother prisoners, and carried them off while both parties were fighting. It is at least certain, that immediately after this "battle the Scots engaged in it made the beft of their way home and the fame party was taken by the other corps "about Carlifle." 66 Such is the account collected by Carte, in which he seems not to be free from partiality for prejudice muft own that Froiffart's circumftantial account carries a great appearance of truth, and he gives the victory to the Scots. He however does juftice to the courage of both parties; and represents their mutual generosity in fuch a light, that the prefent age might edify by the example. "The Englysfomen "The Englysfomen on the one partye, "and Scottes on the other party, are good men of warre, σε for whan they mete, there is a hard fighte without Spa66 rynge. There is no hoo* betwene them as long as fpeares, fordes, axes, or dagers wyll endure; but lay on eche upon other and whan they be well beaten, and that the one party hath obtayned the victory, they than glorifye fo "in their dedes of armes, and are so joyfull, that fuche as "be taken, they shall be ransomed or they go out of the felde† ; fo that shortely ECHE OF THEM IS SO CONTENTE WITH OTHER, THAT AT THEIR DEPARTYNGE, CURTOYSLY THEY WILL SAYE, GOD THANKE YOU. "But in fyghtynge one with another there is no playe, nor Sparynge." Froiffart's Cronycle, (as tranflated by Sir. Johan Bourchier Lord Berners) Cap. cxlij. The following ballad is printed from a manufcript copy in the Harleian Collection [No. 293. fol. 52.] where it is intitled, "A fonge made in R. 2. his tyme of the battele of Otterburne, betweene Lord Henry Percye earle of North"omberlande and the earle Douglas of Scotlande, Anno '1388." 66 So in Langham's letter concerning Q, Elizabeth's entertainment as Killingworth Castle, 1575. 12o. p. 61. "Heer was no be in devout drinkyng." ti.e. They fcorn to take the advantage, or to keep them lingering in long captivity. |