140 For towe such captayns, as slayne wear thear, To Jamy the Skottishe kyng, That dougheti Duglas, lyff-tenant of the Merches, His handdes dyd he weal and wryng, He sayd, Alas, and woe ys me! 145 [Such 16] Such anothar captayn Scotland within, 150 He sayd, y-feth shuld never be. Worde ys commyn to lovly Londone That lord Persè, leyff-tenante of the Merchis, God have merci on his soll, sayd kyng Harry, I have a hondrith captayns in Ynglonde, he sayd, 155 But Persè, and I brook my lyffe, 160 As our noble kyng made his a-vowe, He dyde the battel of Hombyll-down: Glendale glytteryde on ther armor bryght, 165 This was the hontynge off the Cheviat; 170 [Old 17] Old men that knowen the grownde well yenoughe, Call it the Battell of Otterburn. At Otterburn began this spurne Uppon a monnyn day: 5 10 Ther was the dougghtè Doglas slean, The Persè never went away. Ther was never a tym on the march partes Sen the Doglas, and the Persè met, But yt was marvele, and the rede blude ronne not, 175 Jhesue Crist our balys bete, And to the blys us brynge! Thus was the hountynge of the Chevyat: God send us all good endyng! 180 *** The stile of this and the following ballad is uncommonly rugged and uncouth, owing to their being writ in the very coarsest and broadest northern Dialect. Most of the sur-names in these two poems, as well as in the 15 modern song of Chevy Chase, will be found either in the lists belonging to the northern counties in Fuller's Worthies, or subscribed to treaties preserved in Nicholson's Laws of the Borders. See alse (l. also) Crawfurd's Peerage. The battle of Hombyll-down, or Homeldon, was fought 20 Sep. 14. 1402 (anno 3. Hen IV.) wherein the English, under the command of the E. of Northumberland, and his son Hotspur, gained a compleat victory over the Scots. THE BATTLE OF OTTERBOURNE. 25 The only battle, wherein an Earl of Douglas was slain fighting with a Percy, was that of Otterbourn, which is the subject of this ballad. It is here related with the allowable partiality of an English poet, and much in the same manner as it is recorded in the English Chronicles. The Scottish 30 writers have, with a partiality at least as excuseable, related it no less in their own favour. Luckily we have a very circumstantial narrative of the whole affair from Froissart a French historian, who appears to be unbiassed. Froissart's relation is prolix; I shall therefore give it as abridged by 35 Carte, who has however had recourse to other authorities, and differs from Froissart in some things, which I shall note in the margin. Vol III. O In the twelfth year of Richard II. 1388, "The Scots "taking advantage of the confusions of this nation, and falling "with a party into the west-marches, ravaged the country "about Carlisle and carried off 300 prisoners. It was with a "much greater force, headed by some of the principal nobility, 5 "that in the beginning of August*, they invaded Northumber"land: and having wasted part of the county of Durham†, ad"vanced to the gates of Newcastle; where [“in 19] in a skirmish, "they took a 'penon' or colours* belonging to Henry lord "Percy, surnamed Hotspur, son to the Earl of Northumber- 10 "land. In their retreat home, they attacked the castle of "Otterbourn: and in the evening of Aug. 9. (as the English “writers say, or rather, according to Froissart, Aug. 15.) "after an unsuccessful assault were surprized in their camp, “which was very strong, by Henry, who at the first onset put 15 "them into a good deal of confusion. But James carl of "Douglas, rallying his men, there ensued one of the best"fought actions that happened in that age; both armies shew"ing the utmost bravery: the earl Douglas himself being "slain on the spot; the earl of Murrey mortally wounded; 20 “and Hotspur||, with his brother Ralph Percy, taken prisoners. These disasters on both sides bave given occasion to the * Froissart speaks of both parties (consisting in all of more than 40,000 men) as entering England at the same time: but the greater part by way of Carlisle. † And, according to the ballad, that part of Northumberland called Bamborough-ward (or shire): a large tract of land so named from the town and castle of Bamburgh. * This circumstance is omitted in the ballad. Lord Percy and E. Douglas were two young warriors much of the same age. † Froissart says the English exceeded the Scots in number three to one, but that these had the advantage of the ground, and were also fresh from sleep, while the English were greatly fatigued with their previous march. 25 30 By Henry L. Percy according to this ballad, and our old 35 English historians, as Stow, Speed, &c. but borne down by numbers, if we mag belive (l. believe) Froissart. Henry Lord Percy (after a very sharp conflict) was taken prisoner by John lord Montgomery, whose eldest son Sir Hugh was slain in the same action with an arrow, according to Crawfurd's 40 Peerage (and seems also to be alluded to in the foregoing ballad, p. 13) but taken prisoner and exchanged for Lord Percy according to this ballad. "event of the engagement's being disputed; Froissart (who "derives his relation from a Scotch knight, two gentlemen of "the same country, and as many of Foix 4) affirming that the "Scots remained masters of the field; and the English writers 5 "insinuating the contrary. These last maintain that the "English had the better of the ["day: 20] day: but night coming "on, some of the northern lords, coming with the bishop of "Durham to their assistance, killed many of them by mistake, "supposing them to be Scots; and the earl of Dunbar at the 10 "same time falling on another side upon Hotspur, took him "and his brother prisoners, and carried them off while both "parties were fighiing (l. fighting). It is at least cer"tain, that immediately after this battle, the Scots engaged "in it made the best of their way home: and the same party 15 "was taken by the other corps about Carlisle. Such is the account collected by Carte, in which he seems not to be free from partiality; for prejudice must own that Froissart's circumstantial account carries a great appearance of truth, and he gives the victory to the Scots. He however 20 does justice to the courage of both parties; and represents their mutual generosity in such a light, that the present age might edify by the example. "The Englyshmen on the one "partye, and Scottes on the other party, are good men of "warre, for whan they mete there is a hard fighte without 25 "sparynge. There is no hoo* bytwene them as long as spea"res, swordes, axes, or dagers wyll endure, but lay on eche "upon other and whan they be well beaten, and that the "one party hath obtayned the victory, they than glorifye so "in their dedes of armes, and are so joyfull, that suche as 30 "be taken, they shall be raunsomed or they go out of the "feldet; so that shortely ECHE OF THEM IS SO CONTENTE แ "WITH OTHER, THAT AT THE IR THEY WILL SAYE, GOD THANKE DEPARTYNGE, CURTOYSLY YOU. But in fyghtynge Froissart (according to the Eng. Translation) says he had 35 his account from two squires of England, and from a knight and squire of Scotland, soon after the battle. 40 * So in Langham's letter concerning Q. Elizabeth's entertainment at Killingworth Castle, 1575, 12o. p. 61. "Heer was no ho in devout drinkyng." ti. e. They scorn to take the advantage, or to keep them lingering in long captivity. Vol "one with another there is no playe, nor sparynge". Frois"sart's Cronycle (as translated by Sir Johan Bourchier Lord "Berners) Cap. cxlij. The following ballad is printed from a manuscript copy in the Harleian Collection [No. 293. fol. 52] where it is 5 intitled, "A songe made in R. 2. his tyme of the battele of "["Otter- 21] Otterburne, betweene Lord Henry Percye carle of "Northomberlande and the earle Douglas of Scotlande, Anno, "1388." But this title is erroneous and added by some ignorant transcriber of after-times: for, 1. The battle was not 10 fought by the earl of Northumberland, who was absent, nor is once mentioned in the ballad; but by his son LORD (or as he is every where called by Froissart, as well as in this poem, SIR) HENRY PERCY. 2. Altho' the battle was fought in Richard IId's time, the song is evidently of later date, as 15 appears from the poet's quoting the chronicles, sec ver. 130: which he would not have done had it been a very recent event. It was however written in all likelihood as early as the foregoing song, if not earlier, which perhaps may be inferred from the minute circumstances with which the story is 20 related, many of which are recorded in no chronicle, and were probably preserved in the memory of old people. It will be observed that the authors of these two poems have some lines in common; but which of them was the original proprietor, must depend upon their priority; and this the 25 sagacity of the reader must determine. 13 5 T felle about the Lamas tyde, YT When hosbandes 'inn' their haye, The dughtie Douglas bowned him to ride, The earle of Fyffe, withouten striffe, The grete wold ever together ride; [Over 22] Over Hoppertop hill they came in, 10 And so doune by Rodelyffe crage, Ver. 2. Winu their waye. MS. Winn their hay. Crawfurd's Peerage. p. 97. * Solway frith. bounde, Vid. Gloss. 30 35 |