God prosper long our noble King,
Our lives and safeties all!
A woeful Hunting once there did
In Chevy Chase befall.
To drive the deer, with hound and horn,
Earl Percy took the way;
The child may rue, that is unborn,
The hunting of that day!
The stout Earl of Northumberland
A vow to God did make,
His pleasure in the Scottish Woods,
Three summer days to take;
The chiefest harts in Chevy Chase,
To kill and bear away.
These tidings to Earl Douglas came
In Scotland, where he lay.
Who sent Earl Percy present word,
He would prevent his sport.
The English Earl, not fearing that,
Did to the woods resort.
With fifteen hundred bowmen bold,
All chosen men of might,
Who knew full well, in time of need,
To aim their shafts aright.
The gallant greyhounds swiftly ran,
To chase the fallow deer.
On Monday they began to hunt,
Ere daylight did appear;
And long before high noon they had
A hundred fat bucks slain:
Then, having dined, the droviers went
To rouse the deer again.
The hounds ran swiftly through the woods,
The nimble deer to take,
That with their cries the hills and dales
An echo shrill did make.
Lord Percy to the quarry went,
To view the tender deer,
Quoth he, “Earl Douglas promised once
This day to meet me here:
“But if I thought he would not come,
No longer would I stay!”
With that a brave young gentleman
Thus to the Earl did say:
“Lo! Yonder doth Earl Douglas come,
His men in armour bright;
Full twenty hundred Scottish spears
All marching in our sight!
“All men of pleasant Tividale,
Fast by the river Tweed.”
“O, cease your sports!” Earl Percy said,
“And take your bows with speed;
“And now with me, my countrymen,
Your courage forth advance;
For there was never champion yet,
In Scotland, nor in France,
“That ever did on horseback come,
But and if my hap it were,
I durst encounter man for man,
With him to break a spear!”
Earl Douglas, on his milk-white steed,
Most like a baron bold,
Rode foremost of his company,
Whose armour shone like gold.
“Show me,” said he, “whose men ye be,
That hunt so boldly here—
That, without my consent, do chase
And kill my fallow deer.”
The first man that did answer make,
Was noble Percy he,
Who said, “We list not to declare,
Nor show whose men we be:
“Yet we will spend our dearest blood,
Thy chiefest harts to slay.”
Then Douglas swore a solemn oath,
And thus in rage did say:
“Ere thus I will outbraved be,
One of us two shall die:
I know thee well! An earl thou art;
Lord Percy, so am I.
“But, trust me, Percy, pity it were,
And great offense, to kill
Any of these, our guiltless men,
For they have done no ill.
“Let thou and I the battle try;
And set our men aside.”
“Accursed be he,” Earl Percy said,
“By whom it is denied!”
Then stepped a gallant squire forth,
Witherington was his name,
Who said, “I would not have it told
To Henry our King, for shame,
“That e’er my Captain fought on foot,
And I stood looking on.
You be two earls,” quoth Witherington,
“And I a squire alone.
“I’ll do the best that do I may,
While I have power to stand:
While I have power to wield my sword,
I’ll fight with heart and hand.”
Our English archers bent their bows,
Their hearts were good and true.
At the first flight of arrows sent,
Full fourscore Scots they slew.
To drive the deer with hound and horn,
Douglas bade on the bent.
Two captains moved with mickle might;
Their spears to shivers went.
They closed full fast on every side;
No slackness there was found:
But many a gallant gentleman
Lay gasping on the ground.
O Christ! It was great grief to see,
How each man chose his spear,
And how the blood out of their breasts
Did gush like water clear.
At last, these two stout earls did meet,
Like captains of great might;
Like lions wood they laid on load,
And made a cruel fight:
They fought, until they both did sweat,
With swords of tempered steel,
Till blood adown their cheeks like rain
They trickling down did feel.
“O yield thee, Percy,” Douglas said,
“And in faith I will thee bring,
Where thou shalt high advanced be,
By James, our Scottish King!
“Thy ransom I will freely give,
And this report of thee—
Thou art the most courageous knight
That ever I did see.”
“No, Douglas,” quoth Earl Percy then,
“Thy proffer I do scorn;
I will not yield to any Scot
That ever yet was born!”
With that, there came an arrow keen
Out of an English bow,
Which struck Earl Douglas on the breast
A deep and deadly blow;
Who never said more words than these,
“Fight on, my merry men all!
For why my life is at an end;
Lord Percy sees my fall!”
Then leaving life, Earl Percy took
The dead man by the hand,
Who said, “Earl Douglas, for thy sake,
Would I had lost my land!
“O Christ! my very heart doth bleed
For sorrow, for thy sake,
For, sure, a more redoubted knight
Mischance could never take!”
A knight amongst the Scots there was,
Which saw Earl Douglas die;
Who straight in heart did vow revenge
Upon the Lord Percy.
Sir Hugh Montgomery was he called;
Who, with a spear full bright,
Well mounted on a gallant steed,
Ran fiercely through the fight,
And passed the English archers all,
Without all dread or fear;
And through Earl Percy’s body then
He thrust his hateful spear.
With such a vehement force and might,
His body he did gore,
The staff ran through the other side,
A large cloth-yard and more.
Thus did both those nobles die,
Whose courage none could stain;
An English archer then perceived
The noble earl was slain.
He had a good bow in his hand,
Made of a trusty tree.
An arrow of a cloth-yard long
To the hard head haled he.
Against Sir Hugh Montgomery,
So right the shaft he set;
The Grey-goose wing that was thereon,
In his heart’s blood was wet.
This fight from break of day did last
Till setting of the sun:
For when they rang the evening bell
The battle was scarce done.
With stout Earl Percy there was slain
Sir John of Egerton,
Sir Robert Radcliffe, and Sir John,
Sir James, that bold Baron.
And with Sir George and stout Sir James,
Both knights of good account,
Good Sir Ralph Raby there was slain,
Whose prowess did surmount.
For Witherington needs must I wail,
As one in doleful dumps,
For when his legs were smitten off,
He fought upon his stumps.
And with Earl Douglas there were slain
Sir Hugh Montgomery;
And Sir Charles Murray, that from field
One foot would never flee.
Sir Charles Murray of Ratcliffe, too,
His sister’s son was he:
Sir David Lamb, so well esteemed,
But saved he could not be.
And the Lord Maxwell, in like case,
Did with Earl Douglas die.
Of twenty hundred Scottish spears
Scarce fifty-five did fly.
Next day did many widows come
Their husbands to bewail:
They washed their wounds in brinish tears;
But all would not prevail.
Their bodies, bathed in purple blood,
They bore with them away.
They kissed the, dead, a thousand times,
Ere they were clad in clay.
The news was brought to Edinborough,
Where Scotland’s king did reign,
That brave Earl Douglas suddenly
Was with an arrow slain.
“O, heavy news!” King James did say,
“Scotland may witness be,
I have not any captain more
Of such account as he!”
Like tidings to King Henry came,
Within as short a space,
That Percy of Northumberland,
Was slain in Chevy Chase.
“Now, God be with him!” said our King,
“Sith it will no better be;
I trust I have, within my realm,
Five hundred as good as he.
“Yet shall not Scots, nor Scotland, say
But I will vengeance take;
And be revenged on them all,
For brave Earl Percy’s sake.”
This vow the King did well perform
After, on Humbledown,
In one day fifty knights were slain,
With lords of great renown;
And of the rest, of small account,
Did many thousands die.
Thus endeth the hunting in Chevy Chase,
Made by the Earl Percy.
God save our King; and bless this land
With plenty, joy, and peace!
And grant henceforth, that foul debate
‘Twixt noblemen may cease!
