Chapter 36 - Page 2

cease your sports, Erle Percy said,
And take your bowes with speede. And now with me, my countrymen,
Your courage forth advance;
For there was never champion yett
In Scotland or in France, That ever did on horseback come,
But if my hap it were,
I durst encounter man for man,
With him to break a spere. Erle Douglas on his milk-white steede,
Most like a baron bold,
Rode foremost of his company,
Whose armour shone like gold. Show me, sayd he, whose men you be,
That hunt so boldly heere,
That without my consent doe chase
And kill my fallow deere. The first man that did answer make
Was noble Percy he;
Who sayd, We list not to declare,
Nor show whose men we be. Yet we will spend our deerest blood,
Thy cheefest harts to slay.
The Douglas swore a solempne oathe,
And thus in rage did say, Ere thus I will outbraved be,
One of us two shall dye:
I know thee well an erle thou art;
Lord Percy, soe am I. But trust me, Percy, pittye it were
And great offence to kill
Any of these our guiltless men,
For they have done no ill. Let thou and I the battell trye,
And set our men aside.
Accurst be he, Erle Percy sayd,
By whom this is denyed. Then stept a gallant squier forth,
Witherington was his name,
Who said, I wold not have it told
To Henry our king for shame, That ere my captaine fought on foot
And I stood looking on.
You be two erles, sayd Witherington,
And I a squier alone: Ile doe the best that doe I may,
While I have power to stand:
While I have power to wield my sword,
Ile fight with hart and hand. Our English archers bent their bowes
Their harts were good and trew;
At the first flight of arrowes sent,
Full fourscore Scots they slew. Yet bides Erle Douglas on the bent,
As cheeftain stout and good,
As valiant captain, all unmoved,
The shock he firmly stood. His host he parted had in three,
As leader ware and tryd,
And soon his spearmen on his foes
Bare down on every side. To drive the deere with hound and horne,
Douglas bade on the bent:
Two captaines moved with mickle might
Their speares to shivers went. Throughout the English archery
They dealt full many a wound;
But still our valiant Englishmen
All firmly kept their ground: And throwing straight their bowes away,
They grasped their swords so bright:
And now sharp blows, a heavy shower,
On shields and helmets light. They closed full fast on every side,
No slackness there was found;
And many a gallant gentleman
Lay gasping on the ground. O Christ! it was a griefe to see,
And likewise for to heare,
The cries of men lying in their gore,
And scattered here and there. At last these two stout erles did meet,
Like captaines of