D

1It fell about the Lammas tide,When the muir-men win their hay,The doughty Douglas bound him to rideInto England, to drive a prey.2He chose the Gordons and the Græmes,With them the Lindesays, light and gay;But the Jardines wald not with him ride,And they rue it to this day.3And he has burnd the dales of Tyne,And part of Bambrough shire,And three good towers on Reidswire fells,He left them all on fire.4And he marchd up to Newcastle,And rode it round about:‘O wha’s the lord of this castle?Or wha’s the lady o’t? ’5But up spake proud Lord Percy then,And O but he spake hie!I am the lord of this castle,My wife’s the lady gay.6‘If thou’rt the lord of this castle,Sae weel it pleases me,For, ere I cross the Border fells,The tane of us shall die.’7He took a lang spear in his hand,Shod with the metal free,And for to meet the Douglas thereHe rode right furiouslie.8But O how pale his lady lookd,Frae aff the castle-wa,When down before the Scottish spearShe saw proud Percy fa.9‘Had we twa been upon the green,And never an eye to see,I wad hae had you, flesh and fell;But your sword sall gae wi me.’10‘But gae ye up to Otterbourne,And, wait there dayis three,And, if I come not ere three dayis end,A fause knight ca ye me.’11‘The Otterbourne’s a bonnie burn;’Tis pleasant there to be;But there is nought at OtterbourneTo feed my men and me.12‘The deer rins wild on hill and dale,The birds fly wild from tree to tree;But there is neither bread nor kaleTo fend my men and me.13‘Yet I will stay at Otterbourne,Where you shall welcome be;And, if ye come not at three dayis end,A fause lord I’ll ca thee.’14‘Thither will I come,’ proud Percy said,‘By the might of Our Ladye;’‘There will I bide thee,’ said the Douglas,‘My troth I plight to thee.’15They lighted high on Otterbourne,Upon the bent sae brown;They lighted high on Otterbourne,And threw their pallions down.16And he that had a bonnie boy,Sent out his horse to grass;And he that had not a bonnie boy,His ain servant he was.17But up then spake a little page,Before the peep of dawn:‘O waken ye, waken ye, my good lord,For Percy’s hard at hand.’18‘Ye lie, ye lie, ye liar loud!Sae loud I hear ye lie:For Percy had not men yestreenTo dight my men and me.19‘But I have dreamd a dreary dream,Beyond the Isle of Sky;I saw a dead man win a fight,And I think that man was I.’20He belted on his guid braid sword,And to the field he ran,But he forgot the helmet good,That should have kept his brain.21When Percy wi the Douglas met,I wat he was fu fain;They swakked their swords, till sair they swat,And the blood ran down like rain.22But Percy with his good broad sword,That could so sharply wound,Has wounded Douglas on the brow,Till he fell to the ground.23Then he calld on his little foot-page,And said, Run speedilie,And fetch my ain dear sister’s son,Sir Hugh Montgomery.24‘My nephew good,’ the Douglas said,‘What recks the death of ane!Last night I dreamd a dreary dream,And I ken the day’s thy ain.25‘My wound is deep; I fain would sleep;Take thou the vanguard of the three,And hide me by the braken-bush,That grows on yonder lilye lee.26‘O bury me by the braken-bush,Beneath the blooming brier;Let never living mortal kenThat ere a kindly Scot lies here.’27He lifted up that noble lord,Wi the saut tear in his ee;He hid him in the braken-bush,That his merrie men might not see.28The moon was clear, the day drew near,The spears in flinders flew,But mony a gallant EnglishmanEre day the Scotsmen slew.29The Gordons good, in English bloodThey steepd their hose and shoon;The Lindsays flew like fire about,Till all the fray was done.30The Percy and Montgomery met,That either of other were fain;They swapped swords, and they twa swat,And aye the blood ran down between.31‘Now yield thee, yield thee, Percy,’ he said,‘Or else I vow I’ll lay thee low!’‘To whom must I yield,’ quoth Earl Percy,‘Now that I see it must be so?’32‘Thou shalt not yield to lord nor loun,Nor yet shalt thou yield to me;But yield thee to the braken-bush,That grows upon yon lilye lee.’33‘I will not yield to a braken-bush,Nor yet will I yield to a brier;But I would yield to Earl Douglas,Or Sir Hugh the Montgomery, if he were here.’34As soon as he knew it was Montgomery,He struck his sword’s point in the gronde;The Montgomery was a courteous knight,And quickly took him by the honde.35This deed was done at the Otterbourne,About the breaking of the day;Earl Douglas was buried at the braken-bush,And the Percy led captive away.

1It fell about the Lammas tide,When the muir-men win their hay,The doughty Douglas bound him to rideInto England, to drive a prey.

It fell about the Lammas tide,

When the muir-men win their hay,

The doughty Douglas bound him to ride

Into England, to drive a prey.

2He chose the Gordons and the Græmes,With them the Lindesays, light and gay;But the Jardines wald not with him ride,And they rue it to this day.

He chose the Gordons and the Græmes,

With them the Lindesays, light and gay;

But the Jardines wald not with him ride,

And they rue it to this day.

3And he has burnd the dales of Tyne,And part of Bambrough shire,And three good towers on Reidswire fells,He left them all on fire.

And he has burnd the dales of Tyne,

And part of Bambrough shire,

And three good towers on Reidswire fells,

He left them all on fire.

4And he marchd up to Newcastle,And rode it round about:‘O wha’s the lord of this castle?Or wha’s the lady o’t? ’

And he marchd up to Newcastle,

And rode it round about:

‘O wha’s the lord of this castle?

Or wha’s the lady o’t? ’

5But up spake proud Lord Percy then,And O but he spake hie!I am the lord of this castle,My wife’s the lady gay.

But up spake proud Lord Percy then,

And O but he spake hie!

I am the lord of this castle,

My wife’s the lady gay.

6‘If thou’rt the lord of this castle,Sae weel it pleases me,For, ere I cross the Border fells,The tane of us shall die.’

‘If thou’rt the lord of this castle,

Sae weel it pleases me,

For, ere I cross the Border fells,

The tane of us shall die.’

7He took a lang spear in his hand,Shod with the metal free,And for to meet the Douglas thereHe rode right furiouslie.

He took a lang spear in his hand,

Shod with the metal free,

And for to meet the Douglas there

He rode right furiouslie.

8But O how pale his lady lookd,Frae aff the castle-wa,When down before the Scottish spearShe saw proud Percy fa.

But O how pale his lady lookd,

Frae aff the castle-wa,

When down before the Scottish spear

She saw proud Percy fa.

9‘Had we twa been upon the green,And never an eye to see,I wad hae had you, flesh and fell;But your sword sall gae wi me.’

‘Had we twa been upon the green,

And never an eye to see,

I wad hae had you, flesh and fell;

But your sword sall gae wi me.’

10‘But gae ye up to Otterbourne,And, wait there dayis three,And, if I come not ere three dayis end,A fause knight ca ye me.’

‘But gae ye up to Otterbourne,

And, wait there dayis three,

And, if I come not ere three dayis end,

A fause knight ca ye me.’

11‘The Otterbourne’s a bonnie burn;’Tis pleasant there to be;But there is nought at OtterbourneTo feed my men and me.

‘The Otterbourne’s a bonnie burn;

’Tis pleasant there to be;

But there is nought at Otterbourne

To feed my men and me.

12‘The deer rins wild on hill and dale,The birds fly wild from tree to tree;But there is neither bread nor kaleTo fend my men and me.

‘The deer rins wild on hill and dale,

The birds fly wild from tree to tree;

But there is neither bread nor kale

To fend my men and me.

13‘Yet I will stay at Otterbourne,Where you shall welcome be;And, if ye come not at three dayis end,A fause lord I’ll ca thee.’

‘Yet I will stay at Otterbourne,

Where you shall welcome be;

And, if ye come not at three dayis end,

A fause lord I’ll ca thee.’

14‘Thither will I come,’ proud Percy said,‘By the might of Our Ladye;’‘There will I bide thee,’ said the Douglas,‘My troth I plight to thee.’

‘Thither will I come,’ proud Percy said,

‘By the might of Our Ladye;’

‘There will I bide thee,’ said the Douglas,

‘My troth I plight to thee.’

15They lighted high on Otterbourne,Upon the bent sae brown;They lighted high on Otterbourne,And threw their pallions down.

They lighted high on Otterbourne,

Upon the bent sae brown;

They lighted high on Otterbourne,

And threw their pallions down.

16And he that had a bonnie boy,Sent out his horse to grass;And he that had not a bonnie boy,His ain servant he was.

And he that had a bonnie boy,

Sent out his horse to grass;

And he that had not a bonnie boy,

His ain servant he was.

17But up then spake a little page,Before the peep of dawn:‘O waken ye, waken ye, my good lord,For Percy’s hard at hand.’

But up then spake a little page,

Before the peep of dawn:

‘O waken ye, waken ye, my good lord,

For Percy’s hard at hand.’

18‘Ye lie, ye lie, ye liar loud!Sae loud I hear ye lie:For Percy had not men yestreenTo dight my men and me.

‘Ye lie, ye lie, ye liar loud!

Sae loud I hear ye lie:

For Percy had not men yestreen

To dight my men and me.

19‘But I have dreamd a dreary dream,Beyond the Isle of Sky;I saw a dead man win a fight,And I think that man was I.’

‘But I have dreamd a dreary dream,

Beyond the Isle of Sky;

I saw a dead man win a fight,

And I think that man was I.’

20He belted on his guid braid sword,And to the field he ran,But he forgot the helmet good,That should have kept his brain.

He belted on his guid braid sword,

And to the field he ran,

But he forgot the helmet good,

That should have kept his brain.

21When Percy wi the Douglas met,I wat he was fu fain;They swakked their swords, till sair they swat,And the blood ran down like rain.

When Percy wi the Douglas met,

I wat he was fu fain;

They swakked their swords, till sair they swat,

And the blood ran down like rain.

22But Percy with his good broad sword,That could so sharply wound,Has wounded Douglas on the brow,Till he fell to the ground.

But Percy with his good broad sword,

That could so sharply wound,

Has wounded Douglas on the brow,

Till he fell to the ground.

23Then he calld on his little foot-page,And said, Run speedilie,And fetch my ain dear sister’s son,Sir Hugh Montgomery.

Then he calld on his little foot-page,

And said, Run speedilie,

And fetch my ain dear sister’s son,

Sir Hugh Montgomery.

24‘My nephew good,’ the Douglas said,‘What recks the death of ane!Last night I dreamd a dreary dream,And I ken the day’s thy ain.

‘My nephew good,’ the Douglas said,

‘What recks the death of ane!

Last night I dreamd a dreary dream,

And I ken the day’s thy ain.

25‘My wound is deep; I fain would sleep;Take thou the vanguard of the three,And hide me by the braken-bush,That grows on yonder lilye lee.

‘My wound is deep; I fain would sleep;

Take thou the vanguard of the three,

And hide me by the braken-bush,

That grows on yonder lilye lee.

26‘O bury me by the braken-bush,Beneath the blooming brier;Let never living mortal kenThat ere a kindly Scot lies here.’

‘O bury me by the braken-bush,

Beneath the blooming brier;

Let never living mortal ken

That ere a kindly Scot lies here.’

27He lifted up that noble lord,Wi the saut tear in his ee;He hid him in the braken-bush,That his merrie men might not see.

He lifted up that noble lord,

Wi the saut tear in his ee;

He hid him in the braken-bush,

That his merrie men might not see.

28The moon was clear, the day drew near,The spears in flinders flew,But mony a gallant EnglishmanEre day the Scotsmen slew.

The moon was clear, the day drew near,

The spears in flinders flew,

But mony a gallant Englishman

Ere day the Scotsmen slew.

29The Gordons good, in English bloodThey steepd their hose and shoon;The Lindsays flew like fire about,Till all the fray was done.

The Gordons good, in English blood

They steepd their hose and shoon;

The Lindsays flew like fire about,

Till all the fray was done.

30The Percy and Montgomery met,That either of other were fain;They swapped swords, and they twa swat,And aye the blood ran down between.

The Percy and Montgomery met,

That either of other were fain;

They swapped swords, and they twa swat,

And aye the blood ran down between.

31‘Now yield thee, yield thee, Percy,’ he said,‘Or else I vow I’ll lay thee low!’‘To whom must I yield,’ quoth Earl Percy,‘Now that I see it must be so?’

‘Now yield thee, yield thee, Percy,’ he said,

‘Or else I vow I’ll lay thee low!’

‘To whom must I yield,’ quoth Earl Percy,

‘Now that I see it must be so?’

32‘Thou shalt not yield to lord nor loun,Nor yet shalt thou yield to me;But yield thee to the braken-bush,That grows upon yon lilye lee.’

‘Thou shalt not yield to lord nor loun,

Nor yet shalt thou yield to me;

But yield thee to the braken-bush,

That grows upon yon lilye lee.’

33‘I will not yield to a braken-bush,Nor yet will I yield to a brier;But I would yield to Earl Douglas,Or Sir Hugh the Montgomery, if he were here.’

‘I will not yield to a braken-bush,

Nor yet will I yield to a brier;

But I would yield to Earl Douglas,

Or Sir Hugh the Montgomery, if he were here.’

34As soon as he knew it was Montgomery,He struck his sword’s point in the gronde;The Montgomery was a courteous knight,And quickly took him by the honde.

As soon as he knew it was Montgomery,

He struck his sword’s point in the gronde;

The Montgomery was a courteous knight,

And quickly took him by the honde.

35This deed was done at the Otterbourne,About the breaking of the day;Earl Douglas was buried at the braken-bush,And the Percy led captive away.

This deed was done at the Otterbourne,

About the breaking of the day;

Earl Douglas was buried at the braken-bush,

And the Percy led captive away.

Finlay’s Scottish Ballads, I, xviii f; from recitation.

1Then out an spak a little wee boy,And he was near o Percy’s kin:Methinks I see the English hostA coming branking us upon.2Wi nine waggons scaling wide,And seven banners bearing high;It wad do any living gudeTo see their bonny colours fly.

1Then out an spak a little wee boy,And he was near o Percy’s kin:Methinks I see the English hostA coming branking us upon.

Then out an spak a little wee boy,

And he was near o Percy’s kin:

Methinks I see the English host

A coming branking us upon.

2Wi nine waggons scaling wide,And seven banners bearing high;It wad do any living gudeTo see their bonny colours fly.

Wi nine waggons scaling wide,

And seven banners bearing high;

It wad do any living gude

To see their bonny colours fly.

Motherwell’s Minstrelsy, p. lxxi, note 30; from a recited copy.

‘O yield thee to yon braken-bush,That grows upon yon lilly lie;For there lies aneth yon braken-bushWhat aft has conquerd mae than thee.’

‘O yield thee to yon braken-bush,

That grows upon yon lilly lie;

For there lies aneth yon braken-bush

What aft has conquerd mae than thee.’

A. a.

34. many a styrande. “The reading of the MS. is, I suspect, right; for stage, or staig, in Scotland means a young horse unshorn of its masculine attributes, and the obvious intention of the poet is merely to describe that the Scottish alighted from many a prancing steed, in order to prepare for action.”Motherwell, Minstrelsy, p. lxxi, note 30, who would read accordingly, [Off] many a styrande stage.The fourth line, as amended by Motherwell, would be a superfluity, whereas Percy’s reading, here adopted, adds a pleasing incident, the rousing of the deer as the troopers passed their haunts.

201. beste,correctedto bent.

221.repeated at the top of fol. 65 back.

313. the one;b, thy one.

342. soth soth.

411.b, weynde.

463. cressawttes.

503. schapped:cf.541.

604. SyrJames:cf.284.

643. Covell.

Crossed finalll,inall, styll, Castell, schall, well,etc., has not been renderedlle.

A Songe made in R. 2. his tyme of the Battelle at Otterburne betweene the Lord Henry Percye, Earle of Northomberland, and the Earle Douglas of Scotland, Anº. 1388.

Eitherbis a transcript ofa, or both are from the same source.

32. Redclyffe.

34. Many a stirande.

44. bound.

74. they ranne.

111. SrHenry came.

132. wille.

142. game and.

152. maiste thou.

154. Henrye.

201. houered vppon the beste bent.

244. gare me oute to.

284. Aguiston.

313. thy one.

351. no more.

352. cronicles.

373. abyde.

394. wththie eye.

401. yonde Skotes.

411. Ffor yf I weynde.

443. my avowe.

462. Iwanting.

491. arrowes gan vpe to.

503. schapped: swatte.

511. from the.

541. swotte.

571. stonderes; elke syde.

593. awanting.

604. SrJames.

633. Ffitzhughe.

641. Harbotle.

643. Covelle.

664. awanting.

671. the morowe.

701. Percyes.

A pencil note on the first leaf ofb(signed F. M., Sir F. Madden) states that it is in Ralph Starkey’s hand.

B. a.

23. Fuifein my transcript ofHerd, I; Fyfe in II.

33. haeis omitted inIIand the printed copy.

34.printedinto a fire.

53. bravestin my transcript ofHerd, I; brawest, II;printedbrawest.

73.The second MS. hasgae;printedgae.

83. bring mein my transcript ofHerd, I; buryin the second MS., and so printed.

122. II, into.

11. andwanting.

24. Hugh the.

31. have harried.

32. they Bambroshire.

33. Andwanting.

34. a’in a blaze o fire.

51. true, thou little foot-page.

52. If this be true thou tells to me.

54. This daywanting; morning’s.

61. thou little.

62. lie thou tells to.

63. that’swanting.

64. hang.

71. boy has.

72. hung right low.

73. gave Lord.

74. I wot a.

81. Douglas to the Montgomery said.

83. me by the.

84. that grows.

91. The Percy.

92. That either of other were fain.

101. Yield thee, O yield.

104. it must.

11Thou shalt not yield to lord nor loun,Nor yet shalt thou yield to me;But yield thee to the braken-bush,That grows upon yon lilye lee.

Thou shalt not yield to lord nor loun,

Nor yet shalt thou yield to me;

But yield thee to the braken-bush,

That grows upon yon lilye lee.

121. I will not.

122. I to.

124. Hugh the: he were.

131,3. And the Montgomery.

134. And quickly took him.

144. the Percy.

341.In one copy: As soon as he knew it was Sir Hugh.

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