After a long time, very many years, people who enjoyed these ballads, as soon as they knew how to write, began to write them down. Apparently, {112} no one thought much about the songs for a while. Then scholars who were fond of ancient songs looked for and treasured the old ballads. One of the first and most famous collectors of ballads was Bishop Percy who published his _Reliques of Ancient English Poetry_ in 1765. Sir Walter Scott's _Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border_ was published in 1802. Bishop Percy reproduced, as part of his collection, an old manuscript of ballads which he had rescued from being used by a maid to light a fire. Ballads belong to many countries, and oddly enough, the same stories are sometimes sung in different words in many of these countries. In English poetry, a number of the finest ballads come from the borders between England and Scotland before these two countries were joined. "Chevy Chase" and "The Battle of Otterbourne" were sung of raids and wars between the English and the Scots. Other countries famous for their ballads are Greece, France, Provence, Portugal, Denmark and Italy. The ballads called "Chevy Chase" and "The Battle of Otterbourne" perhaps have become confused one with the other. Part of "Chevy Chase" seems to have found its way into "The Battle of Otterbourne". There are many different versions of these ballads. The versions written by English balladists tell how the English defeated the Scots; on the other hand, the Scots versions say that the Scots were victors. Here is part of "The Battle of Otterbourne", taken from Scott's _Minstrelsy_. {113} It fell upon the Lammas tide, When the muir-men win their hay, The doughty Douglas bound him to ride Into England, to drive a prey. And he marched up to Newcastle, And rode it round about; "O wha's the lord of this castle, Or wha's the lady o't?" But up spoke proud Lord Percy then, And O but he spake hie! "I am the Lord of this castle, My wife's the lady gay." Lord Percy and the Douglas agreed to fight with their men at Otterbourne in three days. Percy wounded the Douglas to his death and the Douglas sent for his nephew Sir Hugh Montgomery. "My wound is deep; I fain would sleep; Take thou the vanguard of the three, And hide me by the braken bush, That grows on yonder lily lea. "O bury me by the braken bush, Beneath the blooming brier, Let never living mortal ken That a kindly Scot lies here." Later in the battle, Sir Hugh Montgomery and Lord Percy fought, and Sir Hugh was the victor. He said to Lord Percy to yield, who answered to whom must he yield! "Thou shalt not yield to lord or loun, Nor yet shalt thou yield to me; But yield thee to the braken bush, That grows upon yon lily lea!" {114} "I will not yield to a braken bush, Nor yet will I yield to a brier; But I would yield to Earl Douglas, Or Sir Hugh Montgomery, if he were here."