THE BATTLE OF OTTERBOURN.

T fell about the Lamasse tide,

2

When husbands1 win their hay,

The doughty Douglass bound him to ride,
In England to take a prey:

The Earl of Fyffe, without strife,
He bound him over Sulway:
The great would ever together ride;
That race they may rue for aye.

Over Ottercap hill they came in,

And so down by Rodelyffe crag,

Upon Green Leyton they lighted down,
Stirring many a stag;

3

And boldly brent Northumberland,

And harried many a town;

They did our English men great wrong,

To battle that were not born.

1

[Husbandmen.]

2 [Get in.]

3 [Burnt.]

Then spake a berne1 upon the bent,

Of comfort that was not cold,

And said, "We have brent Northumberland, We have all wealth in hold.

Now we have harried all Bamboroughshire, All the wealth in the world have we;

I rede we ride to New Castle,

So still and stalwartly."

Upon the morrow, when it was day,
The standards shone full bright;
To the New Castle they took the way,
And thither they came full right.

Sir Henry Percy lay at the New Castle,
I tell you without dread;

He had been a march-man all his days,
And kept Berwick upon Tweed.

To the New Castle when they came,
The Scots they cried on hight,2

"Sir Harry Percy, and thou beest within,
Come to the field, and fight:

[Chief; Anglo-Saxon.]

2 [High]

For we have brent Northumberland,
Thy heritage good and right;
And since my lodging I have taken,
With

my brand dubbed many a knight."

Sir Harry Percy came to the walls
The Scottish host for to see;
"And thou hast brent Northumberland,
Full sore it rueth me.

If thou hast harried all Bamboroughshire,
Thou hast done me great envy;
For the trespass thou hast me done,
The one of us shall die."

"Where shall I bide thee?" said the Douglas, "Or where wilt thou come to me?"

"At Otterburn in the highway,

There mayst thou well lodged be.

The roe full reckless there she runs,
To make the game and glee:
The falcon and the pheasant both,

Among the holtes1 on high.

1[Woods.]

There mayst thou have thy wealth at will,
Well lodged there mayst be.

It shall not be long, or I come thee till,"
Said Sir Harry Percy.

"There shall I bide thee," said the Douglas,
"By the faith of my body."

"Thither shall I come," said Sir Harry Percy;
"My troth I plight to thee."

A pipe of wine he gave them over the walls,
For sooth, as I now say:

There he made the Douglas drink,

And all his host that day.

The Douglas turned him homeward again,

For sooth without nay,

He took his lodging at Otterburn

Upon a Wednesday:

2

And there he pight his standard down,

His getting more or less,

And syne1 he warned his men to go

To choose their geldings gresse.5

[To; before I come to thee.] 3 [Plunder, booty.]

117

A Scottish knight hoved' upon the bent,

A wache2 I dare well say:

So was he ware on the noble Percy
In the dawning of the day.

He pricked to his pavilion door,
As fast as he might run,
"Awaken Douglas," cried the Knight,
"For His love, that sits in throne."

1 [Hovered.]

2[Watch, picquet.]