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O Christ! it was a grief to see,
And likewise for to hear,

The cries of men lying in their gore,
And scatter'd here and there.

At last these two stout earls did meet,
Like captains of great might;
Like lions moved they laid on loud,
And made a cruel fight.

They fought until they both did sweat ;
With swords of temper'd steel;

Until the blood like drops of rain,
They trickling down did feel.

"Yield thee, Lord Percy," Douglas said;
"In faith I will thee bring,
Where thou shalt high advanced be,
By James, our Scottish king.

"Thy ransom I will freely give,
And thus 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 to the heart,

A deap and deadly blow:

Who never spoke more words than these

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Fight on, my merry men all;

For why, my life is at an end,

Lord Percy sees my fall."

Then leaving strife, Earl Percy took
The dead man by the hand;
And said, "Earl Douglas, for thy life
Would I had lost my land!

"O Christ! my very heart doth bleed With sorrow for thy sake:

For sure a more renowned knight
Mischance did never take."

A knight amongst the Scots there was,
Which saw Earl Douglas die,
Who straight in wrath did vow revenge
Upon the Earl Percy.

Sir Hugh Montgomery was he call'd,
Who, with a spear most bright,
Well mounted on a gallant steed,
Ran fiercely through the fight;

And pass'd the English archers all,
Without all dread or fear,

And through Earl Percy's body then
He thrust his hateful spear.

With such a veh'ment force and might
He did his body gore,

The spear ran through the other side
A large cloth-yard and more.

So thus did both these nobles die,
Whose courage none could stain;
An English archer then perceived
The noble earl was slain.

He had a bow bent in his hand,
Made of a trusty tree;
An arrow of a cloth-yard long
Up to the head drew he.

Against Sir Hugh Montgomery
So right his shaft he set,

The gray-goose wing that was thereon
In his heart's blood was wet.

This fight did last from break of day Till setting of the sun;

For when they rung the evening-bell, The battle scarce was done.

With the Earl Percy there was slain
Sir John of Ogerton,

Sir Robert Ratcliff, and Sir John,
Sir James, that bold baron.

And with Sir George and good Sir James,
Both knights of good account,
Good Sir Ralph Rabby 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 was slain
Sir Hugh Montgomery,

Sir Charles Carrel, that from the field
One foot would never fly.

Sir Charles Murray of Ratcliff, too,
His sister's son was he;

Sir David Lamb, so well-esteem'd,
Yet saved could not be.

And the Lord Maxwell in like wise
Did with Earl Douglas die;
Of twenty hundred Scottish spears
Scarce fifty-five did fly.

Of fifteen hundred Englishmen
Went home but fifty-three;
The rest were slain in Chevy Chase,
Under the greenwood tree.

Next day did many widows come,
Their husbands to bewail;

They wash'd their wounds in brinish tears,
But all would not prevail.

Their bodies, bathed in purple blood,

They bore with them away:

They kiss'd them dead a thousand times, When they were clad in clay.

This news was brought to Edinburgh,
Where Scotland's king did reign,
That brave Earl Douglas suddenly
Was with an arrow slain.

"Oh heavy news!" King James did say ; "Scotland can 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 'twill no better be;

I trust I have within my realm
Five hundred as good as he.

"Yet shall not Scot nor Scotland say, But I will vengeance take,

And be revengèd on them all,

For brave Earl Percy's sake."

This vow full well the king perform'd,
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 of Chevy Chase,

Made by the Earl Percy.

God save the king, and bless the land
In plenty, joy, and peace;

And grant henceforth that foul debate
'Twixt noblemen may cease!

THE DOWIE1 DENS OF YARROW.

THIS ballad, the preservation of which is due to Sir Walter Scott, is understood to be founded on fact. It relates to a duel fought between John Scott of Tushielaw, and his brother-in-law, Walter Scott, third son of Robert of Thirlstane, in which the latter was slain. Tradition affirms, however, that he was not killed in fair fight, but that he was stabbed in the back by an accomplice of Tushielaw's, named Annan. Thirlstane was the brother of either the wife, or the betrothed bride of his opponent, and the alleged cause of feud was the lady's father having proposed to endow her with half of his property upon her marriage with a warrior of such renown.

LATE at e'en, drinking the wine,
And ere they paid the lawing,2
They set a combat them between,
To fight it in the dawing.3

“Oh stay at hame, my noble lord,
Oh stay at hame, my marrow ! 4
My cruel brother will you betray

On the dowie houms of Yarrow."

"Oh fare ye weel, my ladye gaye!
Oh fare ye weel, my Sarah!
For I maun gae, though I ne'er return
Frae the dowie banks o' Yarrow."

She kiss'd his cheek, she kaim'd his hair,
As oft she had done before, O;
She belted him with his noble brand,
And he's away to Yarrow.

As he gaed up the Tennies bank,5
I wot he gaed wi' sorrow,

Till, down in a den, he spied nine arm'd men,
On the dowie houms of Yarrow.

"Oh come ye here to part your land,
The bonnie Forest thorough?

Or come ye here to wield your brand,
On the dowie houms of Yarrow?"

1 Dismal, or dull.

? Reckoning.

3 Dawn. 4 Mate (husband.)

The Tennies is the name of a farm of the Duke of Buccleuch's, a little below Yarrow Kirk.

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