THE

HUNTING IN CHEVY-CHASE.

A BALLAD.

OD profper long our noble king,

GOD

Our lives and fafeties all;

A woeful hunting once there did
In Chevy-Chafe befal.

To drive the deer with hound and horm

Earl Percy took his way;

The child may rue that is unborn

The hunting of that day.

The flout earl of Northumberland
A vow to God did make,
His pleasure in the Scottish woods
Three fummer's days to take;
The chiefeft harts in Chevy-Chafe
To kill and bear away,
These tidings to earl Douglas came
In Scotland, where he lay;
Who fent earl Percy prefent word,
He would prevent his sport:
The English earl, not fearing this,
Did to the woods refort.

Vol. V. 20.

A

With

With fifteen hundred bowmen bold;

All chofen men of might,

Who knew full well, in time of need,
To aim their shafts aright.

The gallant greyhounds fwiftly rangor fo
To chafe the fallow deerim

On Monday they began to hunt,
When day-light did appear;

And, long before high noon, they had

A hundred fat bucks flain ;"

Then, having din'd, the drovers went

To roufe them up again.

The bowmen mufter'd on the hills,

Well able to endure:

Their backfides all, with fpeciál care,

That day were guarded fure.

The hounds ran fwiftly through the woods,

The nimble deer to take;

And with their cries the hills and dales

If that 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 fpears

Are marching in our fight;

All men of pleafant Tividale,
Faft by the river Tweed,

Then ceafe your fport, earl Percy faid,
And take your bows with fpeed:

And now with me, my countrymen,
Your courage forth advance :
For never was there champion yet,
In Scotland or in France.

That ever did on horfeback come,
But if my hap it were,

I durft encounter, man for man,
With him to break a spear.

Earl Douglas on a milk-white fleed,.

Moft like a baron bold,

Rode foremost of the company,

Whofe armour fhone like gold;

A.2;

Shew.

Shew me, faid he, whose men ye bensďī
That hunt fo boldly here;

That, without my confent, do chafe

And kill my fallow deer Plaf

The man that firft did anfwer makė, 19`ɔ mani
Was noble Percy, he;

Who faid, we lift not to declare, sof
Nor fhew whofe men we be :

Yet will we spend our dearest blood,
The chiefeft harts to flay,

Then Douglas fwore a folemn oath,

And thus in rage did say:

Ere thus I will out-braved be.

One of us two fhall die :

I know thee well; an earl thou art,
Lord Percy; fo am I.'

But trust me, Percy, pity it were,
And great offence, to kill

Any of these our harmless men,
For they have done no ill.

Let thou and I the battle try,

And fet our men afide.

Accurs'd he he, lord Percy faid,

By whom this is denied.

Then

र