morning, 24th Aug. 1572, was still fresh in the minds of many as they mustered round their gallant leader on the field of Ivry. Between sixty and seventy thousand of their brethren had been slain at the instigation of Catharine de' Medici. 12 Ho! maidens of Vienna! Ho! matrons of Lucerne! Austria, Switzerland, and Spain had each sent reinforcements to the army of the League, and the first two are represented by leading cities in them. 13 Ho! Philip, send, for charity, thy Mexi can pistoles. Philip II., an ardent Roman Catholic, was king of Spain during this struggle between the League and the Huguenots. The vast American continent, whose wealth had but lately been laid open, supplied him with endless resources. 14 Antwerp, a province and city of the Netherlands. See Note 2. 15 St Genevieve, Paris, of which St Genevieve is the patron saint. The citizens zealously supported the League. To drive the deer with hound and horn, Earl Percy took his way; The child may rue 2 that is unborn The stout Earl of Northumberland The chiefest harts in Chevy Chase This tidings to Earl Douglas came, Who sent Earl Percy present word, With fifteen hundred bowmen bold; The gallant greyhounds swiftly ran And long before high noon they had The hounds ran swiftly through the woods The nimble deer to take, That with their cries the hills and dales 'Shew me,' saith he, 'whose men you be That hunt so boldly here; That, without my consent, do chase And kill my fallow-deer?' 'That e'er my captain fought on foot, And I stood looking on. You be two earls,' said Witherington, 'I'll do the best that do I may, 138 CHEVY CHASE. Our English archers bent their bows, Yet bides Earl Douglas on the bent,6 At last these two stout earls did meet, They fought until they both did sweat, 'Yield thee, Lord Percy,' Douglas said; 'Thy ransom I will freely give, Thou art the most courageous knight That ever I did see.' 'No, Douglas,' quoth Earl Percy then; With that there came an arrow keen Which struck Earl Douglas to the heart, A deep and deadly blow; |