e

1388." -But this title is erroneous, and added by fom ignorant tranfcriber of after-times: for, 1. The battle was not fought by the earl of Northumberland, who was abfent, nor is once mentioned in the ballad; but by his fon SIR HENRY PERCY, Knt. furnamed HOTSPUR, (in those times they did not ufually give the title of LORD to an earl's eldest Son.) 2. Altho' the battle was fought in Richard IId's time, the fong is evidently of later date, as appears from the poet's quoting the chronicles in ver. 130; and speaking of Percy in the last stanza as dead. It was however written in all likelihood as early as the foregoing fong, if not earlier; which perhaps may be inferred from the minute circumftances with which the ftory is related, many of which are recorded in no chronicle, and were probably preferved in the memory of old people. It will be obferved that the authors of these two poems have fome lines in common; but which of them was the original proprietor, muft depend upon their priority; and this the fagacity of the reader must determine.

YT felle about the Lamas tyde,

Υ

When hofbandes winn their haye,

The dughtie Douglas bowned him to ride,
In England to take a praye:

The earle of Fyffe †, withouten ftriffe,

He bounde him over Sulway

The grete wold ever together ride;

That race they may rue for aye.

C 3

5

Over

Ver. 2. winn their haye. This is the reading in Crawford's Peerages p. 97; and this is the Northumberland phrafe to this day by which they always exprefs "getting in their hay." The orig. MS. reads bere winn their waye.

Robert Stuart, fecond fon of K. Robert II.

* i. e.

over Solway frith." This evidently refers to the other divifion of the Scottish army, which came in by way of Carlisle.- -Bounde him; i. e. bied him. Vid. Gloff.

Over Ottercap' hill they came in,
And fo doune by Rodelyffe crage,
Upon Grene Leyton' they lighted downe,
Many a ftirande ftage +:

And boldely brent Northomberlande,
And haried many a towne;

10

Of comforte that was not colde,

And faid, We have brent Northomberlande,
We have all welthe in holde.

Now we have carried all Bamborroweshire,
All the welthe in the worlde have wee;

I rede we ride to New Caftelle,

So ftill and ftalworthlye,

Uppon the morowe, when it was daye,
The ftandards fhone fulle brighte;

:

20

25

To

-The feveral fa

*They fc. the earl of Douglas and his party.tions bere mentioned, are well-known places in Northumberland. Ottercap hillis in the parish of Kirk-Whelpington, in Tynedale-ward. Rodeliffe- (or as it is more ufually pronounced Rodeley-) Cragge is a noted cliff near Rodeley, a fmall village in the parish of Hartburn, in Morpethward: It lies fouth-eaft of Ottercap. Green Leyton is another small village in the fame parifh of Hartburn, and is south-eaft of Rodeley,— The orig. MS. reads kere corruptly, Hoppertop and Lynton.

† Ver. 12. This line is probably corrupted. It fould perhaps be Stirrande many a ftagge:

A fpecies of flags or wild deer have been killed within the present centu ry, on fome of the large wafies in Northumberland.

V. 16. bounde. MS. V. 21 Probably harried, Vid. Gloff

To the New Caftelle they tooke the waye,
And thither they came fulle right.

Sir Henrye Percy laye at the New Caftelle,

;

I telle you withouten dreede;
He had bine a marche-man* all his dayes,
And kepte Barwicke upon Tweed.

To the New Caftelle when they cam,
The Scottes they cried on height,
Sir Harye Percy, and thou befte within,
Come to the feeld, and fyghte:

For we have brente Northomberland,
Thy eritage good and right;

39

35

And fyne my lodginge I have take,

With my brande dubbed many a knight.

40

Sir Henry he' came to the walles,

The Scottishe ofte for to fee;

Wher fhall I byde thee, faid the Douglas?

Or wher wilte thou come to me?

C 4

* Marche-man, i. e. a fcowrer of the marches. Ver. 39. fyne feems here to mean fince.

50 • At

"At Otterburne in the highe waye †, Theare maiefte thou well lodged be,

Theroe' full rekeles ther fhe runes,
To make the game and glee :
The faulkone and the fefante bothe,
Amonge the holtes on

hee'.

Theare maiefte thou have thie welthe at will,
Well lodged there maiste thou be."

Yt shall not be long, or I com thee till,
Sayd Sir Henrye Percy.

Ther shall I byde thee, faid the Douglas,
By the faithe of my bodye.

Ther fhall I come, fayes Sir Harye Percy;

My trowthe I plighte to thee.

55

60

A pipe of wyne he gave him over the walles, 65

For fouth, as I you faye :

Theare he made the Douglas drinke,

And all his hofte that daye.

The Douglas turned him homwarde againe,

For fouthe withouten naye,

70

He

+Otterbourn ftands near the old Watling-freet road, being in the pa rife of Eldon, and lying three miles west of that town. I be remains of the Scottish encampment are ftill visible.

Ver. 53. Roe-bucks were to be found upon the waftes not far from Hexbam within thefe forty years.

Whitfield, Efq; of Whitfield, is faid
The orig. MS. reads rowe,

to have deftroyed the last of them.
V. 56. hye. MS. V. 74. lefe. MS,

He tooke his lodginge at Otterburne

Uppon a wedensdaye :

And theare he pight his standard doune,

His getinge more and leffe,

And fyne he warned his men to goe

75

To choose their geldings graffe.

A Scottishe knight hovered on the bent,'

A watche I dare well faye :

So was he ware one the noble Percye

In the dawninge of the daye.

He pricked to his pavilliane dore,
As fast as he might roone,

Awakene, Dowglas, cried the knight,
For his love, that fits in throne.

Awakene, Dowglas, cride the knight,

For thow maiefte wakene with wynne: Yonder have I fpiede the proud Perfye,

And fevene standards with him.

80

85

V. 77. upon the best bent. MS. V. 79. one, i, e. on, for of,