of Percy in the last stanza as dead. It was however written, in all likelihood, as early as the foregoing song, if not earlier; which 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. YT felle abowght the Lamasse tyde, The dowghtye Dowglasse bowynd hym to ryde, The Yerlle of Fyffe, withowghten stryffe, 4 Over 'Ottercap' hyll they came in, 10 Upon Grene 'Leyton' they lyghted dowyn, And boldely brente Northomberlonde, They dyd owr Ynglyssh men grete wrange, To battell that were not bowyn. 15 Ver. 2. wynn their heaye. Harl. MS. This is the Northumberland phrase to this day by which they always express "getting in their hay." The orig. MS. reads here winn their waye. 2 Robert Stuart, second son of K. Robert II. 3 i. e. "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.-Vide Gloss. 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 Tynedaleward. Rodeliff- (or as it is more usually pronounced Rodeley-) Cragge is a noted cliff near Rodeley, a small village in the parish of Hartburn, in Morpethward: it lies south-east of Ottercap. Green Leyton is another small village in the same parish of Hartburn, and is south-east of Rodeley.-Both the orig. 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 in Northumberland. Than spake a berne upon the bent, Of comforte that was not colde, And sayd, "We have brent Northomberlond, "Now we have haryed all Bamboroweshyre, All the welth in the worlde have wee; 20 Uppon the morowe, when it was daye, 25 To the Newe Castelle the toke the waye, Syr Henry Percy laye at the Newe Castelle, 30 He had byn a marche-man 6 all hys dayes, To the Newe Castell when they cam, The Skottes they cryde on hyght, "Syr Harye Percy, and thou byste within, 35 Com to the fylde, and fyght: "Yf thou hast haryed all Bambarowe shyre, Thow hast done me grete envye; 45 For the trespasse thow hast me done, V. 39, syne seems here to mean since. Marche-man, i.e. a scourer of the Marches, "Where schall I byde the?" sayd the Dowglas, "Or where wylte thow come to me?" "At Otterborne in the hygh way," 50 Ther maist thow well logeed be. "The roo full rekeles ther sche rinnes, To make the game and glee: The fawkon and the fesaunt both, 55 Amonge the holtes on 'hee.' Yt schall not be long, or I com the tyll," "Ther maist thow have thy welth at wyll, Well looged ther maist be; Sayd Syr Harry Percye. 60 "Ther schall I byde the," sayd the Dowglas, "By the fayth of my bodye." "Thether schall I com," sayd Syr Harry Percy; A pype of wyne he gave them over the walles, 65 For soth, as I yow saye; Ther he mayd the Douglas drynke, And all hys oste that daye. The Dowglas turnyd hym homewarde agayne, For soth withowghten naye; 70 He tooke his logeyng at Oterborne Uppon a Wedyns-day: And ther he pyght hys standerd dowyn, Hys gettyng more and lesse, And syne he warned hys men to goo To chose ther geldyngs gresse. A Skottysshe knyght hoved upon the bent, A wache I dare well saye: So was he ware on the noble Percy In the dawnynge of the daye. 75 80 V. 53. Roe-bucks were to be found upon the wastes not far from Hexham destroyed the last of them. V. 56, hye MSS. V. 77, upon the best bent. MS. 'Otterbourn stands near the old Watling-street road, in the parish of 66 He prycked to his pavyleon dore, And seven standardes wyth hym." "Nay by my trowth," the Douglas sayed, 85 90 He durste not loke on my bred banner, For all Ynglonde so haylle. "Was I not yesterdaye at the Newe Castell, That stonds so fayre on Tyne? For all the men that Percy hade, 95 He cowde not garre me ones to dyne.' "The Yerle of Mentaye, thow arte my eme, 8 The fowarde I gyve to the: The Yerlle of Huntlay, cawte and kene, He schall wyth the be. "The Lorde of Bowghan,9 in armure bryght, 105 On the other hand he schall be: Lorde Jhonstone, and Lorde Maxwell, They to schall be with me. 66 Swynton, fayre fylde upon your pryde! 110 Syr Davy Scotte, Syr Walter Stewarde, Syr Jhon of Agurstone." A FYTTE. Elsdon. The Scots were encamped in a grassy plain near the river Read. The place where the Scots and English fought is still called Battle-Riggs. 8 The Earl of Menteith. 9 The Lord Buchan. THE Perssy came byfore hys oste, "For thow haste brente Northumberlonde, 5 For thys trespasse thou hast me done, The Dowglas answerde hym agayne With grete wurds up on 'hee,' 10. And sayd, "I have twenty agaynst 'thy' one,1 That ryall was ever in rowght; Every man schoote hys horsse him froo, 20 Thus Syr Hary Percye toke the fylde, Jesu Cryste in hevyn on hyght But nyne thowzand, ther was no moo, 25 Forty thowsande Skottes and fowre That day fowght them agayne. But when the batell byganne to joyne, 'Then' letters fayre furth hath he tayne V. 1, 13, Pearcy, al. MS. promised. Ver. 10, hye. MSS. V. 4, I will hold to what I have 1 He probably magnifies his strength, to induce him to surrender. |