He tooke his lodginge at Otterburne

Uppon a wedensdaye:

And theare he pight his ftandard doune,

His getinge more and leffe,

And fyne he warned his men to goe
To choose their geldings graffe.

75

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 faft 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 Persye,

And fevene ftandards with him.

8

85

Was I not yesterdaye at the Newe Caftell,

That ftands fo fayere one Tyne ?

For

V. 77, upon the beft bent. MS. V. 79. one, i, e, en, for of

For all the men the Percye hade,

He could not gare me once to dyne.

He steped out at his pavillian dore,

To looke and it were lefse;
Arraye you, lordinges, one and all,
For heare begyns no peace.

The earle of Mentaye*, thou art my came,
The fowarde I geve to thee:

The earle of Hunteley kawte and keene,

95

ΙΘΟ

He fhall with thee bee.

The lord of Bowghan † in armor brighte

105

One the other hande he shall be:
Lord Jhonftone, and lord Maxwell,
They two fhall be with me.

Swintone faire feelde uppon your pride

To battelle make you bowen :
Sir Davie Scotte, Sir Walter Stewarde,
Sir John of Agurstone.

The Percy came before his ofte,
Which was ever a gentle knighte,
Uppon the Dowglas lowde can he crie,
I wille hould that I have highte:

For thowe hafte brente Northomberlande,

And done me greate envye;

110

115

For

V. 113. 125.

The earl of Menteith. The lord Buchan.
Pearcy. MS. V. 116. I will hold to what I have promised.

For this trefpas thou hafte me done,
The tone of us fhall dye.

The Dowglas answered him againe
With greate worde upe on 'hee',

And fayd, I have twenty against thy one,
Beholde and thou mayefte fee.

120

With that the Percy was greeved fore,

125

For fothe as I you fay :

Jhefu Chrifte in hevene on height

Did helpe him well that daye,

But nine thoufand thear was no more,
The Chronicles will not leane;

Forty thousand of Scots and fowere

That daye fought them againe.

Uppon St. Andrewe loud cane they crye,
And Chrifte they shout on heighte,

130

And fyne marcht on' our Englishe men,

135

As I have tould you righte.

St. George the brighte our Ladye's knighte

*

To name they weare full fayne,

Our Englishe mene they cried on height,
And Chrifte they shoute againe.

V. 122. highe. MS. V. 135. marked then one. MS.

* i. e. the English.

140

With

1

With that sharpe arrowes gane up to fly,
I tell you in fertayne;

Men of armes begane to joyne;

Many a doughty man was flayne.

The Percye and the Douglas mette,

That ether of other was faine;

The swapped together, whille that they swatte,
With fwoards of ffyne Collayne ;

Tyll the bloode from the baffonets ranne,

As the rocke doth in the rayne.
Yeld thee to me, fayd the Dowglàs,
Or else thowe fhalte be slayne:

For I fee, by thy brighte baffonete,
Thou art fome mane of mighte;

145

159

And fo I doe by thy burnished brande,
Thou arte an earle, or elfe a knighte*.

155

By my good faithe, faid the noble Percye,
Now hafte thou rede full righte,

Yet will I never yeeld me to thee,

Whille I maye fionde and fighte.

160

They fwopede together, while that they fwotte,
With fwoards sharpe and longe;

[144. was theare flaine. MS. V. 147. fchapped. MS. Being all in armour be could not know him.

t

Eiche

The ftonderes flood still one elke fyde

With many a greevous grone;

Ther the foughte the daye, and all the nighte, 175

And many a doughtie man was

Ther was no ffreke, that wold flye,

But ftyfly in ftowre cane stand,

'flone.'

Eyche hewinge on other whylle they might drye,

With many a balfull brande.

Theare was flayne uppon the Scotes fyd,

For fouthe and fertenlye,

Sir James Dowglas theare was flayne,
That daye that he could dye.

163. i.e. Each on other. V. 176. flayne. MS. one hewinge. MS. V. 180. bronde. MS. V. 184. that day.

180

The

179. Eyche i. e. He died