At last these two stout earls did meet; They fought until they both did sweat, "Yield thee, Lord Percy," Douglas said, "In faith I will thee bring Where thou shalt high advanced be "Thy ransom I will freely give. And this report of thee, Thou art the most courageous knight That ever I did see." "No, Douglas," saith 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 deep and deadly blow; Who never spake more words than these: 'Fight on, my merry men all; For why, my life is at an end; Then leaving life, Earl Percy took And said, "Earl Douglas, for thy life Chevy-Chase "In truth, my very heart doth bleed For sure a more redoubted knight A knight amongst the Scots there was Who straight in wrath did vow revenge Sir Hugh Mountgomery was he called, And past the English archers all, And through Earl Percy's body then With such vehement force and might The staff ran through the other side So thus did both these nobles die, He had a bow bent in his hand, An arrow of a cloth-yard long Against Sir Hugh Mountgomery The gray goose-wing that was thereon 2597 This fight did last from break of day For when they rung the evening-bell With stout Earl Percy there were slain Sir John of Egerton, Sir Robert Ratcliff, and Sir John, Sir James, that bold baron, And with Sir George and stout Sir James, For Witherington my heart is woe And with Earl Douglas there were slain Sir Hugh Mountgomery, Sir Charles Murray, that from the field One foot would never flee; Sir Charles Murray of Ratcliff, too,- Sir David Lamb, so well esteemed, But saved he could not be. And the Lord Maxwell in like case Of fifteen hundred Englishmen, The rest in Chevy-Chase were slain, Under the greenwood tree. 2599 Chevy-Chase Next day did many widows come, Their husbands to bewail; They washed their wounds in brinish tears, Their bodies, bathed in purple blood, They bore with them away; They kissed them dead a thousand times, The news was brought to Edinburgh, "O 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, "Since 'twill no better be; I trust I have within my realm "Yet shall not Scots or Scotland say But I will vengeance take; I'll be revenged on them all For brave Earl Percy's sake." This vow full well the king performed In one day fifty knights were slain With lords of high renown; And of the rest, of small account, Did many hundreds die: Thus endeth the hunting of Chevy-Chase, God save the king, and bless this land, And grant, henceforth, that foul debate THE BONNIE HOUSE OF AIRLIE Ir fell on a day, and a bonnie simmer day, When green grew aits and barley, That there fell out a great dispute Between Argyll and Airlie. Argyll has raised an hunder men, And he's awa' by the back of Dunkell, Lady Ogilvie looks o'er her bower-window, And there she spied the great Argyll, Unknown Come to plunder the bonnie house of Airlie. "Come down, come down, my Lady Ogilvie, Come down and kiss me fairly:" "OI winna kiss the fause Argyll, If he shouldna leave a standing stane in Airlie.” He hath taken her by the left shoulder, Says, "Dame, where lies thy dowry?” They hae sought it up, they hae sought it down, Till they fand it in the fair plum-tree |