Who sent Earl Piercy present word, He would prevent his sport; The English earl not fearing this, Did to the woods resort, 20 With fifteen hundred bow-men bold All chosen men of might, Who knew full well in time of need To aim their shafts aright. The gallant greyhounds swiftly ran, 25 To chase the fallow deer; On Monday they began to hunt, When day-light did appear. And long before high noon they had An hundred fat bucks slain; 30 Then having din'd, the drovers went To rouze them up again. The bow-men muster'd on the hills, Well able to endure; Their backsides all, with special care, 35 That day were guarded sure. The hounds ran swiftly thro' the woods, The nimble deer to take, And with their cries the hills and dales An eccho shrill did make. 40 Lord Piercy to the quarry went, To view the tender deere; Quoth he, "Earl Douglas promised This day to meet me heer. "If that I thought he would not come, 45 No longer would I stay." With that, a brave young gentleman Thus to the Earl did say: "Lo, yonder doth Earl Douglas come, His men in armour bright; 50 Full twenty hundred Scottish spears, All marching in our sight. "All men of pleasant Tividale, Fast by the river Tweed:" "Then cease your sport," Erle Piercy said, 55 "And take your bows with speed. "And now with me, my countrymen, Your courage forth advance; For there was never champion yet In Scotland or in France, 60 "That ever did on horseback come, But, if my hap it were,[L62] I durst encounter man for man, With him to break a spear." Earl Douglas on his milk-white steed, 65 Most like a baron bold, Rode foremost of the company, Whose armour shone like gold. "Show me," he said, "whose men you be, That hunt so boldly here, 70 That, without my consent, do chase And kill my fallow-deer." The man that first did answer make Was noble Piercy he; Who said, "We list not to declare, 75 Nor show whose men we be. "Yet we will spend our dearest blood, Thy chiefest hart to slay;" Then Douglas swore a solemn oath, And thus in rage did say; 80 "Ere thus I will out-braved be, One of us two shall dye: I know thee well, an earl thou art; Lord Piercy, so am I.