* Ther was never a tym on the march partes Sen the Doglas and the Persè met, But yt was marvele, and the redde blude ronne not, Jhesue Christ our balys bete, And to the blys us brynge! Thus was the hountynge of the Chevyat: God send us all good ending! *The style of this and the following ballad is uncommonly rugged and uncouth, owing to their being writ in the very coarsest and broadest northern dialect. The battle of Hombyll-down, or Humbledon, was fought Sept. 14, 1402 (anno 3 Hen. IV.), wherein the English, under the command of the Earl of Northumberland, and his son Hotspur, gained a complete victory over the Scots. The village of Humbledon is one mile northwest from Wooler, in Northumberland. The battle was fought in the field below the village, near the present turnpike road, in a spot called ever since Red-Riggs. Humbledon 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 slain fighting with a Percy, was that of Otterbourn, which is the subject of this ballad. It is here related with the allowable partiality of an English_poet, and much in the same manner as it is recorded in the English Chronicles. The Scottish writers have, with a partiality at least as excusable, related it no less in their own favour. Luckily we have a very circumstantial narrative of the whole affair from Froissart, a French historian, who appears to be unbiassed. Froissart's relation is prolix; I shall therefore give it, with a few corrections, as abridged by Carte, who has however had recourse to other authorities, and differs from Froissart in some things, which I shall note in the margin. In the twelfth year of Richard II. 1388, "The Scots taking advantage of the confusions of this nation, and falling with a party into the WestMarches, ravaged the country about Carlisle, and carried off 300 prisoners. It was with a much greater force, headed by some of the principal nobility, that, in the beginning of August,' they invaded Northumberland; and, having wasted part of the county of Durham,2 advanced to the gates of Newcastle where, in a skirmish, they took a 'penon' or colours belonging to Henry Lord Percy, surnamed Hotspur, son of the Earl of 1 Froissart speaks of both parties (consisting in all of more than 40,000 men) as entering England at the same time; but the greater part by way of Carlisle. 2 And, according to the ballad, that part of Northumberland called Bamboroughshire; a large tract of land so named from the town and castle of Bamborough, formerly the residence of the Northumbrian kings. 3 This circumstance is omitted in the ballad. Hotspur and Douglas were two young warriors much of the same age. HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY - WIDENER LIBRARY 8 Northumberland. In their retreat home, they attacked a castle near Otterbourn: and, in the evening of Aug. 9 (as the English writers say, or rather, according to Froissart, Aug. 15), after an unsuccessful assault, were surprised in their camp, which was very strong, by Henry, who at the first onset put them into a good deal of confusion. But James Earl of Douglas rallying his men, there ensued one of the best-fought actions that happened in that age; both armies showing the utmost bravery;1 the Earl Douglas himself being slain on the spot; the Earl of Murrey . mortally wounded; and Hotspur, with his brother Ralph Percy, taken prisoners. These disasters on both sides have given occasion to the event of the engagement's being disputed; Froissart (who derives his relation from a Scotch knight, two gentlemen of the same country, and as many of Foix) affirming that the Scots remained masters of the field; and the English writers insinuating the contrary. These last maintain that the English had the better of the day: but night coming on, some of the northern lords, coming with the Bishop of Durham to their assistance, killed many of them by mistake, supposing them to be Scots; and the Earl of Dunbar, at the same time falling on another side 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 best of their way home: and the same party was taken by the other corps about Carlisle." 5 Such is the account collected by Carte, in which he seems not to be free from partiality: for prejudice must own that Froissart's circumstantial account carries a great appearance of truth, and he gives the victory to the Scots. He however does justice to the courage of both parties; and represents their mutual generosity in such a light, that the present age might edify by the example. "The Englysshmen on the one partye, and Scottes on the other party, are good men of warre, for whan they mete, there is a hard fighte without sparynge. There is no hoo betwene them as long as speares, swordes, 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 so in their dedes of armes, and are so joyfull, that suche as be taken, they shall be ransomed or they go out of the felde; so 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." Froissart's Cronycle (as translated by Sir Johan Bourchier Lord Berners), cap. cxlij. The following ballad is (in this present edition) printed from an old manuscript in the Cotton Library 7 (Cleopatra, c. iv.) and contains many 1 Froissart says the English exceeded the Scots in number three to one, but that these had the advantage of the ground and were also fresh from sleep, while the English were greatly fatigued with their previous march. 2 By Henry Lord Percy, according to this ballad, and our old English historians, as Stow, Speed, &c. but borne down by numbers, if we may believe Froissart. 3 Hotspur (after a very sharp conflict) was taken prisoner by John Lord Montgomery, whose eldest son, Sir Hugh, was slain in the same action with an arrow, according to Crawford's Peerage (and seems also to be alluded to in the foregoing ballad, p. 73), but taken prisoner and exchanged for Hotspur, according to this ballad. Froissart (according to the English translation) says he had his account from two squires of England, and from a knight and squire of Scotland, soon after the battle. So in Langham's letter concerning Queen Elizabeth's entertainment at Killingworth Castle, 1575, 12mo. p. 61. "Heer was no ho in devout drinkyng." 6i.. They scorn to take the advantage, or to keep them lingering in long captivity. 7 The notice of this MS. I must acknowledge with many other obligations, owing to the friendship of Thomas Tyrwhitt, Esq. late Clerk of the House of Commons. stanzas more than were in the former copy, which was transcribed from a manuscript in the Harleian Collection [No. 293, fol. 52]. In the Cotton manuscript this poem has no title, but in the Harleian copy it is thus inscribed, "A songe made in R. 2. his tyme of the battele of Otterburne, betweene Lord Henry Percye Earle of Northomberlande and the Earle Douglas of Scotlande, anno 1388." But this title is erroneous, and added by some ignorant transcriber of after-times: for, I. The battle was not fought by the Earl of Northumberland, who was absent, but by his son Sir Henry Percy, Knt. surnamed Hotspur. [In those times they did not usually give the title of Lord to an earl's eldest son.] 2. Although the battle was fought in Richard IId's time, the song is evidently of later date, as appears from the poet's quoting the chronicles in Pt. II. ver. 26; and speaking of Percy in the last stanza as dead. It was however written in all likelihood as early as the foregoing song, if not earlier. This perhaps may be inferred from the minute circumstances with which the story is related, many of which are recorded in no chronicle, and were probably preserved in the memory of old people. It will be observed that the authors of these two poems have some lines in common; but which of them was the original proprietor must depend upon their priority; and this the sagacity of the reader must determine. Yr felle abowght the Lamasse tyde, 1 Whan husbonds wynn ther haye,1 The dowghtye Dowglasse bowynd hym to ryde, The yerlle of Fyffe,2 withowghten stryffe, The grete wolde ever together ryde; That race they may rue for aye. Over 'Ottercap' hyll they came in, Upon Grene 'Leyton' they lyghted dowyn, 1 "Winn their heaye." Harl. MS. This is the Northumberland phrase to this day: by which they always express "getting in their hay." Robert Stuart, second son of King Robert II. 3 i. e. 66 over Solway frith." This evidently refers to the other division of the Scottish army, which came in by way of Carlisle. "Bowynd," or "Bounde him;" i. e. hied him. Vid. Gloss. " 4 "They: sc. the Earl of Douglas and his party. The several stations here mentioned are well-known places in Northumberland. Ottercap-hill is in the parish of Kirk-Whelpington, in Tynedale-ward. Rodeliffe- (or as it is more usually pronounced Rodeley-) Cragge is a noted cliff near Rodeley, a small village in the parish of Hartburn, in Morpeth-ward: it lies south-east of Óttercap, and has, within these few years, been distinguished by a small tower erected by Sir Walter Blacket, Bart. which, in Armstrong's map of Northumberland, is pompously called Rodeleycastle. Green Leyton is another small village in the same parish of Hartburn, and is south-east of Rodeley. Both the original MSS. read here corruptly, Hoppertop and Lynton. 5 This line is corrupt in both the MSS. viz. "Many a styrande stage." Stags have been killed within the present century on some of the large wastes Northumberland 10 HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY-WIDENER LIBRARY And boldely brente Northomberlonde, They dyd owr Ynglyssh men grete wrange, Than spake a berne upon the bent, And sayd, We have brent Northomberlond, Now we have haryed all Bamboroweshyre, Uppon the morowe, when it was daye, Sir Henry Percy laye at the Newe Castelle, He had byn a march-man 1 all hys dayes, To the Newe Castell when they cam, For we have brente Northomberlonde, And syne 2 my logeyng I have take, With my brande dubbyd many a knyght. Sir Harry Percy cam to the walles, "And thow hast brent Northomberlond, Yf thou hast haryed all Bambarowe shyre, For the trespasse thow hast me done, 1 " "Marche-man," i. e. a scourer of the Marches. Where schall I byde the? sayd the Dowglas, At Otterborne in the hygh way,1 Ther maist thow well logeed be. The roo 2 full rekeles ther sche rinnes, 3 Ther maist thow have thy welth at wyll, Yt schall not be long, or I com the tyll," Ther schall I byde the, sayd the Dowglas, Thether schall I com, sayd Syr Harry Percy; A pype of wyne he gave them over the walles, Ther he mayd the Douglas drynke, And all hys oste that daye. The Dowglas turnyd him homewarde agayne, He tooke his logeyng at Oterborne Uppon a Wedyns-day : And ther he pyght hys standerd dowyn, And syne he warned hys men to goo A Skottysshe knyght hoved upon the bent,1 So was he ware on the noble Percy He prycked to his pavyleon dore, As faste as he myght ronne, The 1 Otterbourn is near the old Watling-street road, in the parish of Elsdon. Scots were encamped in a grassy plain near the river Read. The place where the Scots and English fought is still called Battle Riggs. 2 Roe-bucks were to be found upon the wastes not far from Hexham in the reign of Geo. I. Whitfield, Esq. of Whitfield, is said to have destroyed the last of them. 3 " 'Hye." MSS. 4 "Upon the best bent." MS. HARMON COLLEGE UBRARY - WIDENER LIDRAPY |