Put on, put on, my wighty men, Sa fast as ze can drie; For he that is hindmost of the thrang Sall neir get guid o' me. Than sum they rade, and sum they rin, Fou fast out-owr the bent; But eir the foremost could get up, Baith lady and babes were brent. He wrang his hands, he rent his hair, And wept in teenefu' muid: O traitors, for this cruel deid Ze sall weep tiers o' bluid. And after the Gordon he is gane, Sa fast as he might drie. And soon i' the Gordon's foul hartis bluid He's wroken his dear ladie. [Illustration: Edom O' Gordon tailpiece] CHEVY CHACE [Illustration: Chevy Chace headpiece] God prosper long our noble king, Our lives and safetyes all; A woefull hunting once there did In Chevy-Chace befall; To drive the deere with hound and horne, Erle Percy took his way, The child may rue that is unborne, The hunting of that day. The stout Erle of Northumberland A vow to God did make, His pleasure in the Scottish woods Three summers days to take; The cheefest harts in Chevy-chace To kill and beare away. These tydings to Erle Douglas came, In Scotland where he lay: Who sent Erle Percy present word, He wold prevent his sport. The English erle, not fearing that, Did to the woods resort With fifteen hundred bow-men bold; All chosen men of might, Who knew full well in time of neede To ayme their shafts arright. The galland greyhounds swiftly ran, To chase the fallow deere: On munday they began to hunt, Ere day-light did appeare; And long before high noone they had An hundred fat buckes slaine; Then having dined, the drovyers went To rouze the deare againe. The bow-men mustered on the hills, Well able to endure; Theire backsides all, with speciall 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 Percy to the quarry went, To view the slaughter'd deere; Quoth he, Erle Douglas promised This day to meet me heere: But if I thought he wold not come, Noe longer wold I stay. With that, a brave younge gentleman Thus to the Erle did say: Loe, yonder doth Erle Douglas come, His men in armour bright; Full twenty hundred Scottish speres All marching in our sight; All men of pleasant Tivydale, Fast by the river Tweede: O cease your sports, Erle Percy said, And take your bowes with speede: And now with me, my countrymen, Your courage forth advance; For there was never champion yett, In Scotland nor in France, That ever did on horsebacke come, But 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 bolde, Rode foremost of his company, Whose armour shone like gold.