But when he came to Giltnock-hall,

The lady spied him presently:

"What news, what news, thou little foot-page, What news from thy mafter, and his company ?"

My news is bad, lady, he faid,

Which I do bring as you may fee; My mafter Johny Armstrong is flain, And all his gallant company.

"Yet thou art welcome home, my bonny Grifsèl,
Full oft thou haft been fed with corn and hay,
But now thou fhalt be fed with bread and wine,
And thy fides fhall be fpurr'd no more, I fay."

O then befpake his little fon,

As he fat on his nurfes knee,

If ever I live to be a man,

My fathers death reveng'd fhall be.

To drive the deer with hound and horn,
Earl Percy took his way;

The child may rue that is unborn
The hunting of that day.

The ftout earl of Northumberland
A vow to God did make,
His pleasure in the Scotifh woods
Three fummers 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,

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 ran,

To chafe the fallow deer:

On Monday they began to hunt,

When day-light did appear;

Y 4

And,

And, long before high noon, they had

A hundred fat bucks slain ;

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 fpecial 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
An echo fhrill did make.

All men of pleasant Tividale,

Faft by the river Tweed.

Then cease your sport, earl Percy said,
And take your bows with speed:

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 fteed,

Moft like a baron bold,
Rode foremost of the company,
Whose armour fhone like gold:

Show me, faid he, whofe men you be,
That hunt fo boldly here;

That, without my confent, do chase,
And kill my fallow-deer!

The man that first did answer make,
Was noble Percy, he ;

Who faid, We lift not to declare,

Nor fhow whose men we be :

Yet

Yet we will spend our dearest blood,

Thy chiefeft harts to flay. Then Douglas fwore a folemn oath, And thus in rage did fay:

Ere thus I will out-braved be,
One of us two shall 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 aside.
Accurs'd be he, lord Percy faid,
By whom this is denied.

Then ftepp'd a gallant fquire forth,
Witherington was his name,

Who faid, I would not have it told
To Henry our king, for fhame,

That e'er my captain fought on foot, And I ftood looking on :

You be two earls, faid Witherington, And I a fquire alone: