36. He that had neither beene a kithe nor kin To see how together these yeomen went, 37. To have seene how these yeomen together fought Two howers of a summer's day; 38. Robin was reacheles2 on a roote, And stumbled at that tyde, And Guy was quicke and nimble with-all, 39. "Ah, deere Lady!" sayd Robin Hoode, 40. Robin thought on Our Lady deere, And soone leapt up againe, 150 160 THE BATTLE OF OTTERBURN 58. But he cold neither soe fast goe, But Litle John, with an arrow broade, 11. Syr Harry Perssy cam to the walles, The Skottyssch oste for to se, 69 And sayd, "And thow hast brente Northomberlond, Full sore it rewyth me. 12. "Yf thou hast haryed all Bamborowe schyre, Thow hast done me grete envye; 1 For the trespasse thow hast me done, 50 13. "Where schall I byde the?" sayd the Dowglas, "Or where wylte thow com to me?" "At Otterborne, in the hygh way, Ther mast thow well logeed be. 14. "The roo3 full rekeles ther sche rinnes, The fawken and the fesaunt both, 15. "Ther mast thow have thy welth at wyll, Yt schall not be long or I com the tyll," 60 2 the one 1 hostility 6 tarried 7 field 1 dry 2 got ready morning 7 doubt 8 since 22. "Awaken, Dowglas," cryed the knyght, "For thow maste waken wyth wynne;' Yender have I spyed the prowde Perssye, And seven stondardes wyth hym." 23. "Nay by my trowth," the Dowglas sayed, "It ys but a fayned taylle; He durst not loke on my brede2 banner 24. "Was I not yesterdaye at the Newe Castell, That stondes so fayre on Tyne? For all the men the Perssy had, He coude not garre3 me ones to dyne." 25. He stepped owt at his pavelyon dore, To loke and it were lesse:* "Araye yow, lordynges, one and all, For here bygynnes no peysse. 90 100 33. Every man sawe that he dyd soo, 34. Thus Syr Hary Perssye toke the fylde, Jhesu Cryste in hevyn on hyght Dyd helpe hym well that daye. 35. But nyne thowzand, ther was no moo, 36. But when the batell byganne to joyne, 37. "My lorde your father he gretes yow well, Wyth many a noble knyght; He desyres yow to byde That he may see thys fyght. 130 140 39. "For Jhesus love," sayd Syr Harye Perssy, "That dyed for yow and me, Wende to my lorde my father agayne, And saye thow sawe me not with yee.* 40. "My trowth ys plyght to yonne Skottysh knyght, It nedes me not to layne, That I schulde byde hym upon thys bent, 41. "And if that I weynde of thys growende, He wolde me call but a kowarde knyght 160 9 did THE BATTLE OF OTTERBURN 71 44. "Every man thynke on hys trewe-love, 45. The blodye harte in the Dowglas armes, Hys standerde stood on hye, That every man myght full well knowe; 46. The whyte lyon on the Ynglyssh perte,' 47. Upon Sent Androwe lowde can they crye, And thrysse they schowte on hyght,3 180 58. Ther was no freke' that ther wolde flye, But styffely in stowre can stond, 230 Ychone hewyng on other whyll they myght 59. Ther was slayne upon the Skottës syde, Syr James a Dowglas ther was slayne, 60. The yerlle of Mentaye he was slayne, 61. Syr Charllës Morrey in that place, 62. Ther was slayne upon the Skottes syde, For soth as I yow saye, Of fowre and forty thowsande Scottes 63. Ther was slayne upon the Ynglysshe syde, For soth and sertenlye, A gentell knyght, Syr Jhon Fechewe, 64. Syr James Hardbotell ther was slayne, For hym ther hartes were sore; The gentyll Lovell ther was slayne, 65. Ther was slayne upon the Ynglyssh perte, For soth as I yow saye, Of nyne thowsand Ynglyssh men 240 250 260 |