Lo! yonder doth earl Douglas come, His men in armour bright; Full twenty hundred Scottish spears All marching in our sight; All men of pleasant Tividale, Fast by the river Tweed. Then cease your sport, earl Percy said, And take your bows with speed. And now with me, my countrymen, Your courage forth advance; For never was there champion yet, In Scotland or in France, That ever did on horseback come, But if mayhap it were, I durst adventure, man for man, With him to break a spear. Earl Douglas, on a milk-white steed, Most like a baron bold, Rode foremost of the company, Whose armour shone like gold. Show me, said he, whose men you be, That hunt so boldly here; That, without my consent, do chase, And kill my fallow deer. The man that first did answer make, Was noble Percy, he; Who said, We list not to declare, Nor show whose men we be: Yet we will spend our dearest blood, Thy chiefest hearts to slay. Then Douglas swore a solemn oath, And thus in rage did say: Ere thus I will outbraved be, One of us two shall die; I know thee well, an earl thou art, Lord Percy, so am I. But trust me, Percy, pity it were, And great offence to kill Any of these our harmless men, For they have done no ill. Let thou and I the battle try, And set our men aside. Accurs’d be he, lord Percy said, By whom this is deny’d. Then stepp’d a gallant ’squire forth, Witherington was his name, Who said, I would not have it told To Henry our king, for shame, That e’er my captain fought on foot, And I stood looking on: You be two earls, said Witherington, And I a squire alone: I’ll do the best that do I may, While I have strength to stand; While I have pow’r to wield my sword, I’ll fight with heart and hand. Our English archers bent their bows, Their hearts were good and true; At the first flight of arrows sent, Full three-score Scots they slew. To drive the deer with hound and horn Earl Douglas had the bent; A captain mov’d with mickle pride, The spears to shivers sent. They clos’d full fast on every side, No slackness there was found; And many a gallant gentleman Lay gasping on the ground. O Christ! it was a grief to see, And likewise for to hear The cries of men lying in their gore, And scatter’d here and there. At last these two stout earls did meet, Like captains of great might; Like lions mov’d, they laid on load, And made a cruel fight. They fought until they both did sweat, With swords of temper’d steel; Until the blood, like drops of rain, They trickling down did feel. Yield thee, lord Percy, Douglas said, In faith I will thee bring, Where thou shall high advanced be, By James our Scotish king: