rather spurious, and the after-insertion of some person, did not distinguish between the two stories.

who

Hearne has printed this ballad without any division of stanzas, in long lines, as he found it in the old written copy; but it is usual to find the distinction of stanzas neglected in ancient MSS., where, to save room, two or three verses are frequently given in one line undivided. See flagrant instances in the Harleian Catalogue, No. 2253, s. 29, 34, 61, 70, et passim.

THE FIRST FIT. 4

THE Persè owt of Northombarlande,
And a vowe to God mayd he,

That he wolde hunte in the mountayns
Off Chyviat within dayes thre,
In the mauger of doughtè Dogles,
And all that ever with him be.

The fattiste hartes in all Cheviat

away:

He sayd he wold kill, and cary them
Be my feth, sayd the dougheti Doglas agayn,
I wyll let that hontyng yf that I may.

Then the Persè owt of Banborowe cam,
With him a myghtye meany:
With fifteen hondrith archares bold;

The wear chosen out of shyars thre5.

Ver. 5, magger in Hearne's P. c. [Printed Copy.] V. 11, The the Persè. P. C. V. 13, archardes bolde off blood and bone. P. C.

4 Fit, see v. 100.

5 By these "shyars thre" is probably meant three districts in Northum. berland, which still go by the name of shires, and are all in the neighbour. hood of Cheviot. These are Island-shire, being the district so named from Holy-Island: Norehamshire, so called from the town and castle of Noreham (or Norham); and Bamboroughshire, the ward or hundred belonging to Bamborough-castle and town.

This begane on a monday at morn
In Cheviat the hillys so he;

The chyld may rue that ys un-born,
It was the mor pittè.

The dryvars thorowe the woodes went
For to reas the dear;

Bomen bickarte uppone the bent
With ther browd aras cleare.

Then the wyld thorowe the woodes went
On every syde shear;

Grea-hondes thorowe the greves glent
For to kyll thear dear.

The begane in Chyviat the hyls above
Yerly on a monnyn day;

Be that it drewe to the oware off none
A hondrith fat hartes ded there lay.

The blewe a mort uppone the bent,
The semblyd on sydis shear;
To the quyrry then the Persè went

To se the bryttlynge off the deare.

He sayd, It was the Duglas promys
This day to meet me hear;
But I wyste he wold faylle verament:
A gret oth the Persè swear.

At the laste a squyar of Northombelonde

Lokyde at his hand full ny,

He was war ath the doughetie Doglas comynge:

With him a myghtè meany,

Both with spear, 'byll,' and brande:

Yt was a myghti sight to se.

V. 19, throrowe. P. C.

passim.

V. 31, blwe a mot. P.C. V. 42, myghtte, P. C.

V. 43, brylly. P.C.

Hardyar men both off hart nar hande

Wear not in Christiantè.

The wear twenty hondrith spear-men good
Withouten any fayle;

45

The wear borne a-long be the watter a Twyde,
Yth bowndes of Tividale.

50

Leave off the brytlyng of the dear, he sayde,
And to your bowys tayk good heed;

For never sithe ye wear on your mothars borne
Had ye never so mickle need.

The first mane that ever him an answear mayd,
Yt was the good lord Persè:

We wyll not tell the 'what' men we ar,

he says,

65

Nor whos men that we be;

But we wyll hount hear in this chays

In the spyte of thyne, and of the.

The fattiste hartes in all Chyviat

We have kyld, and cast to carry them a-way. Be my troth, sayd the doughtè Dogglas agayn, Ther-for the ton of us shall de this day.

70

V. 59, whos. P. C.

V. 52, boys look ye tayk.
V. 65, whoys. P. C.

P.C.

V. 71,

V. 48, withowte... feale. P.C. V. 54, ned. P. C. agay. P.C.

75

80

Then sayd the doughtè Doglas

Unto the lord Persè:
To kyll all thes giltles men,
A-las! it wear great pittè.

But, Persè, thowe art a lord of lande,
I am a yerle callyd within my contre;
Let all our men uppone a parti stande;

And do the battell off the and of me.

Nowe Cristes corse on his crowne, sayd the lord Persè,

Who-soever ther-to says nay.

Be my troth, doughtè Doglas, he says,
Thow shalt never se that day;

Nethar in Ynglonde, Skottlonde, nar France,
Nor for no man of a woman born,

But and fortune be my chance,

I dar met him on man for on.

Then bespayke a squyar off Northombarlonde,
Ric. Wytharynton 6 was his nam;

It shall never be told in Sothe-Ynglonde, he says,
To kyng Herry the fourth for sham.

I wat youe byn great lordes twa,
I am a poor squyar of lande;

I wyll never se my captayne fyght on a fylde,
And stande my-selffe, and looke on,
But whyll I may my weppone welde
I wyll not 'fayl' both harte and hande.

V. 81, sayd the the. P. C.

V. 88, on, i. . one.

V. 93, twaw. P.C.

• This is probably corrupted in the MS. for Rog. Widdrington, who was at the head of the family in the reign of King Edw. III. There were several successively of the names of Roger and Ralph, but none of the name of Richard, as appears from the genealogies in the Herald's office.

That day, that day, that dredfull day:

The first FIT here I fynde.

100

And you wyll here any mor athe hountyng athe Chyviat, Yet ys ther mor behynde.

THE SECOND FIT.

THE Yngglishe men hade ther bowys yebent,
Ther hartes were good yenoughe;

The first of arros that the shote off,
Seven skore spear-men the sloughe..

Yet bydys the yerle Doglas uppon the bent,
A captayne good yenoughe,

5

And that was sene verament,

The Yngglyshe men let thear bowys be,

And pulde owt brandes that wer bright; It was a hevy syght to se

Bryght swordes on basnites lyght.

Thorowe ryche male, and myne-ye-ple
Many sterne the stroke downe streight:

V. 101, youe.... hountyng. P. C. byddys. P. C. V. 17, boys. P. C. throrowe. P. C. V. 22, done. P. C.

V. 3, first, i. e. flight.
V. 18, briggt. P.C.

7 FIT, vide Gloss.

15

20

V. 5,

V. 21,