Classic Poem

Then the sun full soone shott under the clouds,
And it darkened full dimlie and drew towards night.
Every ryncke to his rest full radlye him dressed;
Beeten fires full fast, and feteled them to sowpe
Besides Barwicke on a banke, within a broad woode.
Then dauned the day, soe deere God ordayned;
Clowdes cast up full cleerlye, like castles full hie.
Then Phebus full faire flourished out his beames
With leames full light all the land over.
All was damped with dew the daysies about;
Flowers flourished in the field, fair to behold;
Birrds bradden to the boughes, and boldlye the songen--
It was solace to heare for any seege living!
Then full boldlye on the broad hills we busked our standards,
And on a soughe us beside there seene we our enemies
Were moving over the mountaines--to macch us they thoughten--
As boldly as any bearnes that borne was of mothers.
And we egerlie with ire attilld them to meete.
Then trunmpetts full truly they tryden together,
Many shames in that shawe with theire shrill pipes--
Heavenly was theire melody, their mirth to heare,
How the songen with a showte all the shawes over!
There was gurding forth of gunns with many great stones,
Archers uttered out their arrowes, and egerlie they shotten;
They proched us with speares, and put many over
That the blood out brast at there broken harnes.
There was swinging out of swords, and swapping of headds;
We blanked them with bills through all their bright armor,
That all the dale dunned of theire derfe strokes. . . .

. . . Then the Scottish king carped these words,
"I will fight with yonder frekes that are soe feirce holden--
And I beate those bearnes the battle is ours!'
Then the moved towards the mountaines, and manly came downwards.
Wee mett him in the midway, and mached him full even--
Then there was dealing of dints, that all the dales rangen;
Many helmes with heads were hewd all to peeces!
This layke lasted on the land the length of .iiii. houres.
Yorkshire like yearne men eagerlye they foughten;
Soe did Darbyshire that day--deered many Scotts;
Lancashire like lyons laid them about.
All had beene lost, by Our Lord, had not those leeds beene!
But the care of the Scotts increased full sore,
For their king was downe knocked, and killed in there sight,
Under the banner of a bishoppe, that was the bold Standlye.
Then they fettled them to flye as fast as they might,
But it serveth not, for sooth, whosoe truth telleth--
Our Englishmen full egerlye after them followed,
And killed them like caitives, in clowes all about.
There were killed of the Scotts, that told were by tale,
That were found in the field .xv. thousand.
Loe, what it is to be false, and the feende serve!
They have broken a book-othe to our blithe kinge,
And the truce that was taken the space of .ii. yeeres.
All the Scotts that were scaped were scattered all assunder,
They removed over the more upon the other morning,
And their stode like stakes, and stirr durst no further,
For all the lords of their lande were left them behind.
Besids Brinston in a brynke breathelesse the lyen,
Gaping against the moone--theire ghostes were away!