Classic Poem

( THE LATER VERSION )

God prosper long our noble king,
Our lives and safeties all!
A woeful hunting once there did
In Chevy Chase befall.

To drive the deer with hound and horn
Earl Piercy took the way;
The child may rue that is unborn
The hunting of that day!

The stout Earl of Northumberland,
A vow to God did make,
His pleasure in the Scottish woods
Three summers' days to take,

The chiefest harts in Chevy Chase
To kill and bear away;
These tidings to Earl Douglas came
In Scotland where he lay,

Who sent Earl Piercy present word
He would prevent his sport.
The English Earl, not fearing that,
Did to the woods resort,

With fifteen hundred bowmen bold,
All chosen men of might,
Who knew full well in time of need
To aim their shafts aright.

The gallant greyhounds swiftly ran
To chase the fallow deer;
On Monday they began to hunt
Ere daylight did appear;

And long before high noon they had
A hundred fat bucks slain.
Then having dined, the drivers went
To rouse the deer again.

The bowmen mustered on the hills,
Well able to endure;
Their backsides all with special care
That day were guarded sure.

The hounds ran swiftly through the woods
The nimble deer to take,
That with their cries the hills and dales
An echo shrill did make.

Lord Piercy to the quarry went
To view the tender deer;
Quoth he, " Earl Douglas promised once
This day to meet me here;

" But if I thought he would not come,
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,
Full twenty hundred Scottish spears
All marching in our sight,

" All men of pleasant Tividale
Fast by the river Tweed. "
" O cease your sports! " Earl Piercy said,
" And take your bows with speed,

" And now with me, my countrymen,
Your courage forth advance!
For there was never champion yet
In Scotland nor in France

" That ever did on horseback come,
But if my hap it were,
I durst encounter man for man,
With him to break a spear. "

Earl Douglas on his milk-white steed,
Most like a baron bold,
Rode foremost of his 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 first man that did answer make
Was noble Piercy, he,
Who said, " We list not to declare,
Nor show whose men we be;

" Yet we will spend our dearest blood
Thy chiefest harts 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 Piercy! so am I.

" But trust me, Piercy, pity it were,
And great offence, to kill
Any of these our guiltless men
For they have done no ill:

" Let thou and I the battle try,
And set our men aside. "
" Accurst be he, " Earl Piercy said,
" By whom it is denied. "

Then stepped 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 stand looking on:
You be two Earls, " quoth Witherington,
" And I a Squire alone.

" I'll do the best that do I may,
While I have power to stand!
While I have power 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 fourscore Scots they slew.

To drive the deer with hound and horn,
Douglas bade on the bent;
Two captains moved with mickle might,
Their spears to shivers went.

They closed full fast on every side,
No slackness there was found,
But many a gallant gentleman
Lay gasping on the ground.

O Christ! it was great grief to see
How each man chose his spear,
And how the blood out of their breasts
Did gush like water clear!

At last these two stout Earls did meet
Like captains of great might;
Like lions wood they laid on load,
They made a cruel fight.

They fought, until they both did sweat,
With swords of tempered steel,
Till blood adown their cheeks like rain
They trickling down did feel.

" O yield thee, Piercy! " Douglas said,
" And in faith I will thee bring
Where thou shalt high advanced be
By James our Scottish king;

" Thy ransom I will freely give,
And this report of thee,
Thou art the most courageous knight
That ever I did see. "

" No, Douglas! " quoth Earl Percy then,
" Thy proffer I do scorn;
I will not yield to any Scot
That ever yet was born! "

With that there came an arrow keen
Out of an English bow,
Which struck Earl Douglas to the heart
A deep and deadly blow;

Who never said more words than these,
" Fight on, my merry men all!
For why? my life is at an end,
Lord Piercy sees my fall. "

Then leaving life, Earl Piercy took
The dead man by the hand;
Who said, " Earl Douglas! for thy life
Would I had lost my land!

" O Christ! my very heart doth bleed
For sorrow for thy sake!
For sure, a more redoubted knight
Mischance could never take! "

A knight amongst the Scots there was,
Which saw Earl Douglas die,
Who straight in heart did vow revenge
Upon the Lord Piercy;

Sir Hugh Montgomery he was called,
Who, with a spear full bright,
Well mounted on a gallant steed,
Ran fiercely through the fight,

And past the English archers all
Without all dread or fear,
And through Earl Piercy's body then
He thrust his hateful spear.

With such a vehement force and might
His body he did gore,
The staff ran through the other side
A large cloth yard and more.

So thus did both those nobles die,
Whose courage none could stain.
An English archer then perceived
The noble Earl was slain;

He had a good bow in his hand
Made of a trusty tree;
An arrow of a cloth yard long
To the hard head haled he,

Against Sir Hugh Montgomery
His shaft full right he set;
The grey goose-wing that was thereon,
In his heart's blood was wet.

This fight from break of day did last.
Till setting of the sun;
For when they rung the evening bell
The battle scarce was done.

With stout Earl Piercy there was slain
Sir John of Egerton,
Sir Robert Harcliffe and Sir William,
Sir James that bold baron;

And with Sir George and Sir James,
Both knights of good account,
Good Sir Ralph Raby there was slain,
Whose prowess did surmount.

For Witherington needs must I wail
As one in doleful dumps,
For when his legs were smitten off,
He fought upon his stumps.

And with Earl Douglas there was slain
Sir Hugh Montgomery,
And Sir Charles Morrel that from the field
One foot would never fly;

Sir Roger Hever of Harcliffe too, —
His sister's son was he, —
Sir David Lambwell, well esteemed,
But saved he could not be;

And the Lord Maxwell in like case
With Douglas he did die;
Of twenty hundred Scottish spears,
Scarce fifty-five did fly;

Of fifteen hundred Englishmen
Went home but fifty-three;
The rest in Chevy Chase were slain,
Under the greenwood tree.

Next day did many widows come
Their husbands to bewail;
They washed their wounds in brinish tears,
But all would not prevail.

Their bodies, bathed in purple blood,
They bore with them away;
They kissed them dead a thousand times
Ere they were clad in clay.

This news was brought to Edinburgh,
Where Scotland's king did reign,
That brave Earl Douglas suddenly
Was with an arrow slain.

" O heavy news! " King James did say,
" Scotland may witness be
I have not any captain more
Of such account as he! "

Like tidings to King Henry came
Within as short a space,
That Piercy of Northumberland
Was slain in Chevy Chase.

" Now God be with him! " said our king,
" Sith 'twill no better be,
I trust I have within my realm
Five hundred as good as he!

" Yet shall not Scots nor Scotland say
But I will vengeance take,
And be revenged on them all
For brave Earl Piercy's sake. "

This vow the king did well perform
After on Humble Down;
In one day fifty knights were slain,
With lords of great renown,

And of the rest of small account,
Did many hundreds die:
Thus ended the hunting in Chevy Chase
Made by the Earl Piercy.

God save our king, and bless this land
With plenty, joy, and peace,
And grant henceforth that foul debate
Twixt noble men may cease!