Ballads, English -- England -- Texts; Ballads, Scots -- Scotland -- Texts
Thear was slayne withe the lord Persè,
Sir John of Agerstone,
Sir Rogar, the hinde Hartly,
Sir Wyllyam, the bolde Hearone.
Sir Jorg, the worthè Lovele,[L115] 115
A knyght of great renowen,
Sir Raff, the ryche Rugbè,
With dyntes wear beaten dowene.
For Wetharryngton my harte was wo,
That ever he slayne shulde be; 120
For when both his leggis wear hewyne in to,
Yet he knyled and fought on hys kny.
Ther was slayne with the dougheti Duglas,
Sir Hewe the Monggonbyrry,
Sir Davy Lwdale, that worthè was,[L125] 125
His sistars son was he:
His Charls a Murrè in that place,
That never a foot wolde fle;
Sir Hewe Maxwell, a lorde he was,
With the Doglas dyd he dey. 130
So on the morrowe the mayde them byears
Off birch and hasell so gray;[L132]
Many wedous with wepyng tears
Cam to fach ther makys away.
Tivydale may carpe off care, 135
Northombarlond may mayk grat mon,
For towe such captayns as slayne wear thear,
On the March-perti shall never be non.
Word ys commen to Eddenburrowe,
To Jamy the Skottishe kyng, 140
That dougheti Duglas, lyff-tenant of the Merches,
He lay slean Chyviot with-in.
His handdes dyd he weal and wryng,
He sayd, "Alas, and woe ys me!"
Such an othar captayn Skotland within, 145
He sayd, ye-feth shuld never be.
Worde ys commyn to lovly Londone,
Till the fourth Harry our kyng,
That lord Persè, leyff-tenante of the Merchis,[L149]
He lay slayne Chyviat within. 150
"God have merci on his soll," sayd kyng Harry,
"Good lord, yf thy will it be!
I have a hondrith captayns in Ynglonde," he sayd,
"As good as ever was he:
But Persè, and I brook my lyffe, 155
Thy deth well quyte shall be."
As our noble kyng mayd his a-vowe,
Lyke a noble prince of renowen,
For the deth of the lord Persè
He dyde the battell of Hombyll-down: 160
Wher syx and thritté Skottishe knyghtes
On a day wear beaten down:
Glendale glytteryde on ther armor bryght,[L163]
Over castill, towar, and town.
This was the Hontynge off the Cheviat; 165
That tear begane this spurn:
Old men that knowen the grownde well yenoughe,
Call it the Battell of Otterburn.
At Otterburn began this spurne
Uppon a Monnyn day:[L170] 170
Ther was the dougghtè Doglas slean,
The Persè never went away.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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