Hardier men, both of heart nor hand,

Were not in Christianty.

They were twenty hundred spearmen good,
Without any fail;

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They were born along by the water o' Tweed, I' the bounds of Tivydale.

"Leave off the brittling of the deer," he said," "And to your bows look ye take good heed; For never sith ye were on your mothers born Had ye never so mickle need."

The doughty Douglas on a steed
He rode all his men beforn;
His armor glittered as did a glede ;
A bolder bairn was never born.

"Tell me whose men ye are," he says,

"Or whose men that ye be:

Who gave you leave to hunt in this Cheviot

chase,

In the spite of mine and of me?"

The first man that ever him an answer made, It was the good Lord Percy:

"We will not tell thee whose men we are," he

says,

"Nor whose men that we be;

But we will hunt here in this chase,

In the spite of thine and of thee.

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"The fattest harts in all Cheviot

We have killed and cast to carry them. /'

away."

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"By my troth," said the doughty Douglas again, Therefor the ton of us shall die this day,"

Then said the doughty Douglas

Unto the Lord Percy,

"To kill all these guiltless men,

Alas, it were great pity!

"But, Percy, thou art a lord of land,

I am an earl called within my country; Let all our men upon a party stand,

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And do the battle of thee and of me."

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"Now Christ's curse on his crown," said the Lord Percy,

"Whosoever thereto says nay!

By my troth, doughty Douglas," he says, "Thou shalt never see that day.

"Neither in England, Scotland, nor France,
Nor for no man of a woman born,-
But, an fortune be my chance,

I dare meet him, one man for one."

Then bespake a squire of Northumberland,
Richard Witherington was his name;

"It shall never be told in South England," he

says,

"To King Harry the Fourth for shame.

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"I wot you been great lordes twa,
I am a poor squire of land;

I will never see my captain fight on a field, 95
And stand myself and look on,
But while I may my weapon wield,

I will not [fail], both heart and hand.”

That day, that day, that dreadful day!

The first fit here I find;

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An you will hear any more o' the hunting o' the Cheviot

Yet is there more behind.

I

THE SECOND FIT

The Englishmen had their bows ybent,
Their hearts were good enough;
The first of arrows that they shot off,
Seven score spearmen they slough.

Yet bides the Earl Douglas upon the bent,
A captain good enough,

And that was seen, verament,

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For he wrought hem both woe and wouch. 110

The Douglas parted his host in three,

Like a chief chieftain of pride;
With sure spears of mighty tree,
They come in on every side;

Through [though?] our English archery,
Gave many a wound full wide;

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Many a doughty they gar'd to die,
Which gained them no pride.

The Englishmen let their bows be,

And pulled out brands that were bright; 120 It was a heavy sight to see

Bright swords on basnets light.

Thorough rich mail and manople [?]

Many stern they stroke down straight; Many a freke that was full free,

There under-foot did light.

At last the Douglas and the Percy met,
Like two captains of might and of main;
They swapped together till they both swat,
With swords that were of fine Milan.

These worthy frekes for to fight,
Thereto they were full fain,

Till the blood out of their basnets sprent,
As ever did hail or rain.

"Yield thee, Percy," said the Douglas, "And i' faith I shall thee bring Where thou shalt have an earl's wages Of Jamie our Scottish king.

"Thou shalt have thy ransom free,

I hight thee here this thing;

For the manfullest man yet art thou

That ever I conquered in field fighting."

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"Nay," said the Lord Percy,

"I told it thee beforn,

That I would never yielded be

To no man of a woman born."

With that there came an arrow hastily,
Forth of a mighty wane;

It hath stricken the Earl Douglas

In at the breast bane.

Thorough liver and lunges baith
The sharp arrow is gane,

That never after in all his life-days
He spake mo words but ane:

That was, "Fight ye, my merry men, whiles

The Percy leaned on his brand,
And saw the Douglas die;
He took the dead man by the hand,
And said, "Woe is me for thee!

"To have saved thy life I would have parted

with

My lands for years three,

For a better man, of heart nor of hand,
Was not in all the north country."

Of all that see a Scottish knight,

Was called Sir Hugh the Montgomery ;

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