"But I have seen a dreary dream;
Beyond the isle o Sky;

I saw a dead man won the fight,
And I think that man was I."

He belted on his good broad-sword
And to the field he ran,

Where he met wi the proud Piercy,
And a' his goodly train.

When Piercy wi the Douglas met,
I wat he was right keen;

12

They swakked their swords till sair they swat,

And the blood ran them between.

But Piercy wi his good broad-sword,
Was made o the metal free,
Has wounded Douglas on the brow
Till backward he did flee.

Then he calld on his little page,

And said, Run speedily,

And bring my ain dear sister's son,

Sir Hugh Montgomery.

[Who, when he saw the Douglas bleed, His heart was wonder wae:

"Now, by my sword, that haughty lord Shall rue before he gae."

"My nephew bauld," the Douglas said,

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What boots the death of ane?
Last night I dreamed a dreary dream,
And I ken the day's thy ain."

"I dreamd I saw a battle fought Beyond the isle o Sky,

When lo! a dead man wan the field,

And I thought that man was I.

"My wound is deep, I fain wad sleep, Nae mair I'll fighting see;

The moon was clear, the day drew near,
The spears in flinters flew,

But mony gallant Englishman
Ere day the Scotsman slew.

Sir Hugh Montgomery he rode
Thro all the field in sight,
And loud the name of Douglas still
He urgd wi a' his might.

The Gordons good, in English blood
They steeped their hose and shoon,
The Lindsays flew like fire about,
Till a' the fray was doon.]

When stout Sir Hugh wi Piercy met,
I wat he was right fain;

They swakked their swords till sair they swat
And the blood ran down like rain.

"O yield thee, Piercy," said Sir Hugh,

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O yield, or ye shall die!"

"Fain wad I yield," proud Piercy said,
"But neer to loun" like thee."

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Thou shalt not yield to knave nor loun,
Nor shalt thou yield to me;

But yield thee to the breaken bush
That grows on yonder lee."

"I will not yield to bush or brier,
Nor will I yield to thee;

But I will yield to Lord Douglas,
Or Sir Hugh Montgomery.'

[When Piercy knew it was Sir Hugh,

He fell low on his knee,

But soon he raisd him up again,
Wi mickle courtesy.]

To driue the deere with hound and horne

Erle Pearcy took the way:

The child may rue that is vnborne

the hunting of that day!

"Fellow. 1 Lives.

The stout Erle of Northumberland a vow to God did make

His pleasure in the Scottish woods three sommers days to take,

The cheefest harts in Cheuy C[h]ase to kill and beare away:

These tydings to Erle Douglas came in Scottland, where he lay.

Who sent Erle Pearcy present word
he would prevent his sport;
The English erle, not fearing that,
did to the woods resort,

With fifteen hundred bowmen bold,

All chosen men of might,

Who knew ffull well in time of neede to ayme their shafts arright.

The gallant greyhound[s] swiftly ran
to chase the fallow deere;
On Munday they began to hunt,
ere daylight did appeare.

And long before high noone the had a hundred fat buckes slaine;

Then hauing dined, the drouyers went to rouze the deare againe.

The bowmen mustered on the hills,

well able to endure;

Theire backsids all with special care

that day were guarded sure.

The hounds ran swiftly through the woods

the nimble deere to take,

That with their cryes the hills and dales an eccho shrill did make.

Lord Pearcy to the querry went to view the tender deere;

Quoth he, "Erle Douglas promised once this day to meete me heere;

“But if I thought he wold not come, noe longer wold I stay."

With that a braue younge gentlman thus to the erle did say:

"Loe, yonder doth Erle Douglas come,
hys men in armour bright;
Full twenty hundred Scottish speres
all marching in our sight.

"All men of pleasant Tiuydale, fast by the riuer Tweede:”

“O ceaze your sportts!" Erle Pearcy said, “and take your bowes with speede.

“And now with me, my countrymen,
your courage forth advance!
For there was neuer champion yett,
in Scottland nor in Ffrance,

“That euer did on horsbacke come,
[but], and if my hap it were,
I durst encounter man for man,
with him to break a spere.”

Erle Douglas on his milke-white steede,

most like a baron bold,

Rode formost of his company,

whose armor shone like gold.

“Shew me,” sayd hee, “whose men you bee

that hunt soe boldly heere,

That without my consent doe chase

and kill my fallow deere."

• Slaughtered game.