Ballads of Scottish Tradition and Romance. Various

the groves darted.

      Then the wyld thorowe the woodës went,

      on every sydë shear;

      Greahondës thorowe the grevis glent,

      for to kyll thear dear.

      7.

      7.³ ‘oware,’ hour.

      This begane in Chyviat the hyls abone,

      yerly on a Monnyn-day;

      Be that it drewe to the oware off none,

      a hondrith fat hartës ded ther lay.

      8.

      8.¹ ‘mort,’ note of the bugle.

      8.⁴ ‘bryttlynge,’ cutting up.

      The blewe a mort vppone the bent,

      the semblyde on sydis shear;

      To the quyrry then the Persë went,

      to se the bryttlynge off the deare.

      9.

      He sayd, ‘It was the Duglas promys

      this day to met me hear;

      But I wyste he wolde faylle, verament;’

      a great oth the Persë swear.

      10.

      10.² shaded his eyes with his hand.

      At the laste a squyar off Northomberlonde

      lokyde at his hand full ny;

      He was war a the doughetie Doglas commynge,

      with him a myghttë meany.

      11.

      Both with spear, bylle, and brande,

      yt was a myghtti sight to se;

      Hardyar men, both off hart nor hande,

      wear not in Cristiantë.

      12.

      12.² ‘feale,’ fail.

      12.⁴ ‘yth,’ in the.

      The wear twenti hondrith spear-men good,

      withoute any feale;

      The wear borne along be the watter a Twyde,

      yth bowndës of Tividale.

      13.

      13.² ‘boÿs,’ bows.

      ‘Leave of the brytlyng of the dear,’ he sayd,

      ‘and to your boÿs lock ye tayk good hede;

      For never sithe ye wear on your mothars borne

      had ye never so mickle nede.’

      14.

      14.³ ‘glede,’ glowing coal.

      The dougheti Dogglas on a stede,

      he rode alle his men beforne;

      His armor glytteryde as dyd a glede;

      a boldar barne was never born.

      15.

      ‘Tell me whos men ye ar,’ he says,

      ‘or whos men that ye be:

      Who gave youe leave to hunte in this Chyviat chays,

      in the spyt of myn and of me.’

      16.

      The first mane that ever him an answear mayd,

      yt was the good lord Persë:

      ‘We wyll not tell the whoys men we ar,’ he says,

      ‘nor whos men that we be;

      But we wyll hounte hear in this chays,

      in the spyt of thyne and of the.

      17.

      17.⁴ ‘the ton,’ one or other.

      ‘The fattiste hartës in all Chyviat

      we have kyld, and cast to carry them away:’

      ‘Be my troth,’ sayd the doughetë Dogglas agayn,

      ‘therfor the ton of us shall de this day.’

      18.

      Then sayd the doughtë Doglas

      unto the lord Persë:

      ‘To kyll alle thes giltles men,

      alas, it wear great pittë!

      19.

      ‘But, Persë, thowe art a lord of lande,

      I am a yerle callyd within my contrë;

      Let all our men vppone a parti stande,

      and do the battell off the and of me.’

      20.

      20.¹ ‘cors,’ curse.

      ‘Nowe Cristes cors on his crowne,’ sayd the lord Persë,

      ‘who-so-ever ther-to says nay!

      Be my troth, doughttë Doglas,’ he says,

      ‘thow shalt never se that day.

      21.

      21.⁴ ‘on,’ one.

      ‘Nethar in Ynglonde, Skottlonde, nar France,

      nor for no man of a woman born,

      But, and fortune be my chance,

      I dar met him, on man for on.’

      22.

      Then bespayke a squyar off Northombarlonde,

      Richard Wytharyngton was his nam:

      ‘It shall never be told in Sothe-Ynglonde,’ he says,

      ‘to Kyng Herry the Fourth for sham.

      23.

      ‘I wat youe byn great lordës twaw,

      I am a poor squyar of lande:

      I wylle never se my captayne fyght on a fylde,

      and stande my selffe and loocke on,

      But whylle I may my weppone welde,

      I wylle not fayle both hart and hande.’

      24.

      24.³ ‘And,’ If.

      That day, that day, that dredfull day!

      the first fit here I fynde;

      And youe wyll here any mor a the hountyng a the Chyviat,

      yet ys ther mor behynde.

      . … .

      25.

      25.⁴ ‘sloughe,’ slew.

      The Yngglyshe men hade ther bowys yebent,

      ther hartes wer good yenoughe;

      The first off arros that the shote off,

      seven skore spear-men the sloughe.

      26.

      26.⁴ ‘wouche,’ evil.

      Yet byddys the yerle Doglas vppon the bent,

      a captayne good yenoughe,

      And