127 The Battle of Otterburn
I
It fell about the Lammas tide
When husbands1036 win their hay,
The doughty Douglas bound him to ride
In England to take a prey.
II
He has chosen the Graemes, and the Lindsays light,
And the gallant Gordons gay;
And the Earl of Fyfe withouten strife,
He’s bound him over Solwày.
III
They come in over Ottercap Hill,
So down by Rodeley Cragge;
Upon Green Leyton they lighted down
Styrande1037 many a stagge.
IV
And they have brent1038 the dales of Tyne,
And harryed Bamborowe shire,
And the Otter Dale they have brent it hale1039
And left it a’ on fire.
V
Then spake a berne1040 upon the bent1041,
Of comfort that was not cold,
And said, ‘We have brent Northumberland,
We have all wealth in hold.
VI
‘Now we have harryed all Bamborowe shire,
All the wealth in the world have we:
I rede1042 we ryde to Newcastell
So still and stalworthlye.’
VII
Upon the morrow, when it was day,
The standards shone full bright;
To Newcastell they took the way,
And thither they came full right.
VIII
To Newcastell when that they came,
The Douglas cry’d on hyght:
‘Harry Percy, an thou bidest within,
Come to the field, and fight!—
IX
‘For we have brent Northumberland,
Thy herytage good and right;
And syne my lodging I have ta’en,
With my brand dubb’d many a knight.’
X
Sir Harry Percy came to the walls
The Scottish host for to see,
Sayd, ‘An thou hast brent Northumberland,
Full sore it rueth me.
XI
‘If thou hast haryed all Bamborowe shire,
Thou hast done me great envye;
For this trespasse thou hast me done
The tone1043 of us shall die.’
XII
‘Where shall I bide thee?’ sayd the Douglas,
‘Or where wilt thou come to me?’—
‘But gae ye up to Otterbourne,
And wait there dayès three.
XIII
‘The roe full rekeles1044 there she rins,
To make the game and glee;
The falcon and the phesant both,
To fend1045 thy men and thee.
XIV
‘There may’st thou have thy wealth at will,
Well lodg’d thou there may’st be:
It shall not be long ere I come thee till1046,’
Sayd Sir Harry Percy.
XV
‘There shall I bide thee,’ sayd the Douglas,
‘By the faith of my bodye.’—
‘There shall I come,’ said Sir Harry Percy,
‘My troth I plight to thee.’
XVI
A pipe of wine over the wall,
He gave them [to their pay1047],
There he made the Douglas drinke,
And all his host that day.
XVII
The Douglas turn’d him homeward again,
[And rode withouten stay];
He pyght1048 his standard at Otterbourne
Upon a Wedensday.
XVIII
And syne he warned his men to go
To choose their geldings grass;
[And he that had no man to send]
His own servant he was.
XIX
A Scottish knight hoved1049 on the bent1050
At watch, I dare well say,
So was he ware of the noble Percy
In the dawning of the day.
XX
He pryck’d to his pavilion1051 door
As fast as he might run:
‘Awaken, Douglas!’ cried the knight,
‘For his sake that sits in throne!
XXI
‘Awaken, Douglas!’ cried the knight,
‘For thou mayst wake with wynne1052!
Yonder have I spied the proud Percy,
And seven standards with him.’
XXII
‘Now by my troth,’ the Douglas sayd,
‘It is but a faynèd1053 tale!
He durst not look on my broad banner
[Were all England in] hail!
XXIII
‘Was I not yesterday at Newcastell
That stands so fair on Tyne?
For all the men the Percy had
He could not gar me to dine1054.’
XXIV
He stepp’d out at his pavilion-door
To look an it were lease1055:
‘Array you, lordings, one and all!
For here begins no peace.
XXV
‘The Earl of Menteith, thou art my eme1056,
The vaward1057 I give to thee:
The Earl of Huntley, cante1058 and keen,
Take him to go with thee.
XXVI
‘The Lord of Buchan, in armure bright,
On the other side he shall be;
Lord Johnstone and Lord Maxwell
They two shall go with me.
XXVII
‘Swynton, fair fall upon your pride!
To battle make you bowne1059.—
Sir Davy Scott, Sir Walter Steward,
Sir John of Agerstone!’
XXVIII
The Percy came before his host,
He was ever a gentil knight:
Upon the Douglas loud can he cry
‘I will hold that I have hyght1060.’
XXIX
‘For thou hast brent Northumberland,
And done me great envye,
For this trespasse thou hast me done
The tone of us shall die.’
XXX
The Douglas answer’d him again
With great words upon hie,
And sayd, ‘I have twenty against thy one:
Behold, and thou mayst see!’
XXXI
With that the Percy was grievèd sore,
Forsooth as I you say:
He lighted down upon his foot
And schoote1061 his horse away.
XXXII
Every man saw that he did so,
That ryal was ever in rowghte1062:
Every man schoote his horse him fro
And lighted him round about.
XXXIII
Sir Harry Percy took the field
Even thus, as I you say;
Jesus Christe in hevyn on height
Did help him well that day.
XXXIV
But nine thousand, there was no more—
The chronicle will not layne1063—
Forty thousand of Scots and four
That day fought them again1064.
XXXV
But when the battel began to join,
In haste there came a knight;
And letters fair forth hath he ta’en,
And thus he sayd full right:
XXXVI
‘My lord your father greets you well,
With many a noble knight;
He doth desire you now to bide,
That he may see this fight.
XXXVII
‘The Baron of Graystoke is out of the west
With a noble companye:
All they lodge at your father’s this night,
And the battel fayn would they see.’
XXXVIII
‘For Jesus’ love,’ sayd Sir Harry Percy,
‘That died for you and me,
Wend to my lord my father agayn,
Say thou saw me not with thee.
XXXIX
‘My troth is plight to yon Scottish knight,
—It nede’s me not to layne—
That I should bide him upon this bent,
And I have his troth agayn.
XL
’And if that I wend off this growende1065,
Forsooth, unfoughten away,
He would call me but a coward knight
In his land another day.
XLI
‘Yet had I liefer be rynde1066 and rent,
—By Mary, that mickle may1067!—
Than ever my manhood be reproved
With a Scot another day.
XLII
‘Wherefore shoot, archers, for my sake!
And let sharp arrows flee.
Minstrels, play up for your waryson1068!
And well quit it shall be.
XLIII
‘Every man thynke on his true-love,
And mark him to the Trinitye:
For unto God I make mine avowe
This day will I not flee.’
XLIV
The blodye herte in the Douglas arms
His standard stood on hie,
That every man might full wel knowe;
Bysyde stood starrès three.
XLV
The white lion on the English part,
Forsooth as I you sayn,
The lucettes1069 and the cressants both
The Scot fought them again.
XLVI
Upon Seynt Andrewe loud can they crye,
And thrice they showt on hyght,
Syne mark’d them on our English men,
As I have told you right.
XLVII
Seynt George the bryght, Our Ladye’s knyght,
To name they were full fayne;
Our English men they cry’d on hyght,
And thrice they shot agayne.
XLVIII
With that sharp arrows began to flee,
I tell you in certayne:
Men of arms began to joyne,
Many a doughty man was slayne.
XLIX
The Percy and the Douglas met
That either of other was fayne;
They swapp’d1070 together while they swet1071
With swords of fyne Collayne1072:
L
Until the blood from their bassonets1073 ran
As the roke1074 doth in the rayne;
‘Yield thou to me,’ sayd the Douglas,
‘Or elles thou shall be slayne.
LI
‘For I see by thy bryght bassonet
Thou art some man of myght:
And so I do by thy burnysh’d brand,
Thou’rt an earl or elles a knyght.’
LII
‘By my good faith,’ said the noble Percye,
‘Now hast thou rede full ryght;
Yet will I never yield me to thee,
While I may stand and fyght.’
LIII
They swapp’d together, while that they swet,
With swordès sharp and long;
Each on other so fast they bette1075,
Their helms came in pieces down.
LIV
The Percy was a man of strength,
I tell you in this stounde1076:
He smote the Douglas at the sword’s length
That he fell to the grounde.
LV
The Douglas call’d to his little foot-page,
And sayd, ‘Run speedilye,
And fetch my ain dear sister’s son,
Sir Hugh Montgomery.
LVI
‘My nephew good,’ the Douglas sayd,
‘What recks the death of ane?
Last night I dream’d a dreary dream,
And I ken the day’s thy ain.
LVII
‘My wound is deep: I am fayn to sleep,
Take thou the vaward of me,
And hide me by the bracken bush
Grows on yon lilye-lee.’
LVIII
He has lifted up that noble lord
With the saut tears in his e’e;
He has hidden him in the bracken bush
That his merry men might not see.
LIX
The standards stood still on eke side;
With many a grievous groan
They fought that day, and all the night;
Many a doughtye man was slone.
LX
The morn was clear, the day drew nie,
—Yet stiffly in stowre1077 they stood;
Echone hewing another while they might drie,
Till aye ran down the blood.
LXI
The Percy and Montgomery met
That either of other was fayn:
They swappèd swords, and they two met
Till the blood ran down between.
LXII
‘Now yield thee, yield thee, Percy,’ he said,
‘Or I vow I’le lay thee low!’
‘To whom shall I yield?’ said Earl Percy,
‘Now I see it maun be so.’—
LXIII
‘Thou shalt not yield to lord nor loun,
Nor yet shalt thou to me;
But yield thee to the bracken bush
Grows on yon lilye-lee.’—
LXIV
‘I winna yield to a bracken bush,
Nor yet I will to a brere1078;
But I would yield to Earl Douglas,
Or Montgomery if he was here.’
LXV
As soon as he knew Montgomery,
He stuck his sword’s point in ground;
The Montgomery was a courteous knight,
And quickly took him by the hand.
LXVI
There was slayne upon the Scottès’ side,
For sooth and certaynlye,
Sir James a Douglas there was slayne,
That day that he cou’d dye.
LXVII
The Earl of Menteith he was slayne,
And gryselye1079 groan’d on the groun’;
Sir Davy Scott, Sir Walter Steward,
Sir John of Agerstone.
LXVIII
Sir Charlès Murray in that place
That never a foot would flee;
Sir Hew Maxwell, a lord he was,
With the Douglas did he dee.
LXIX
There was slayne upon the Scottès’ side
For sooth as I you say,
Of four and fifty thousand Scottes
Went but eighteen away.
LXX
There was slayne upon the English side
For sooth and certaynlye,
A gentle Knight, Sir John Fitzhughe,
It was the more pitye.
LXXI
Sir James Hardbotell there was slayne,
For him their heartes were sore;
The gentle Lovell there was slayne,
That the Percy’s standard bore.
LXXII
There was slayne upon the English part
For sooth as I you say,
Of ninè thousand English men
Five hundred came away.
LXXIII
The others slayne were in the field;
Christ keep their souls from woe!
Seeing there was so fewè friends
Against so many a foe.
LXXIV
Then on the morn they made them bieres
Of birch and hazell gray:
Many a widow with weeping teares
Their makes1080 they fette1081 away.
LXXV
This fray was fought at Otterbourne,
Between the night and the day;
Earl Douglas was buried at the bracken bush,
And the Percy led captive away.
LXXVI
Now let us all for the Percy pray
To Jesu most of might,
To bring his soul to the bliss of heaven,
For he was a gentle knight.
Footnotes
1036 husbands = husbandmen.
1037 Styrande = stirring, rousing.
1038 brent = burned.
1039 hale = whole.
1040 berne = fighting-man.
1041 bent = coarse grass.
1042 rede = counsel.
1043 tone = one of two.
1044 rekeles = reckless, wild.
1045 fend = provide for.
1046 till = to.
1047 pay = satisfaction.
1048 pyght = pitched.
1049 hoved = abode.
1050 bent = grass.
1051 pavilion = tent.
1052 wynne = joy.
1053 faynèd = feigned.
1054 gar me to dine = give me my fill, entertain me (at fighting).
1055 lease = leasing, falsehood.
1056 eme = uncle.
1057 vaward = vanguard.
1058 cante = spirited.
1059 bowne = ready.
1060 that I have hyght = what I have promised.
1061 schoote = thrust, sent quickly.
1062 ryal in rowghte = royal in rout, a king amongst men.
1063 layne = conceal.
1064 them again = against them.
1065 growende = ground.
1066 rynde = riven, or flayed.
1067 mickle may = mighty maid.
1068 waryson = reward.
1069 lucettes = luces, pikes (heraldic).
1070 swapp’d = smote.
1071 swet = sweated.
1072 Collayne = Cologne steel.
1073 bassonets = steel skull-caps.
1074 roke = reek, mist.
1075 bette = beat.
1076 stounde = time.
1077 stowre = press of battle.
1078 brere = briar.
1079 gryselye = in a grisly manner, terribly.
1080 makes = mates.
1081 fette = fetched.