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 Percy to the quarry went,
To view the slaughtered deer;
Quoth he, "Earl Douglas promised
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 armor bright;

Full twenty hundred Scottish spears

All marching in our sight;

"All men of pleasant Teviotdale,

Fast by the river Tweed;"

"Then cease your sports," 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 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 armor 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 Percy, he—

Who said, "We list not to declare,
Nor show whose men we be:

"Yet will we 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 out-bravèd 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 offense, to kill
Any of these our guiltless men,
For they have done no ill.

"Let you and I the battle try,
And set our men aside."
"Accursed be he," Earl Percy said,
"By whom this 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 stood looking on.

You two be earls," said 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.

Yet stays Earl Douglas on the bent,
As chieftain stout and good;
As valiant captain, all unmoved,
The shock he firmly stood.

His host he parted had in three,
As leader ware and tried;
And soon his spearmen on their foes
Bore down on every side.

Throughout the English archery
They dealt full many a wound;
But still our valiant Englishmen
All firmly kept their ground.

And throwing straight their bows away, They grasped their swords so bright; And now sharp blows, a heavy shower, On shields and helmets light.

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

In truth, it was a grief to see
How each one 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 wode, they laid on lode,
And made a cruel fight.

They fought until they both did sweat,
With swords of tempered 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 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," saith 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 spake more words than these:

"Fight on, my merry men all;

For why, my life is at an end;
Lord Percy sees my fall."

Then leaving life, Earl Percy took

The dead man by the hand;
And said, "Earl Douglas, for thy life
Would I had lost my hand.

"In truth, my very heart doth bleed
With sorrow for thy sake;

For sure a more redoubted knight
Mischance did never take."

A knight amongst the Scots there was Who saw Earl Douglas die,

Who straight in wrath did vow revenge Upon the Earl Percy.

Sir Hugh Mountgomery was he 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 a dread or fear;

And through Earl Percy's body then
He thrust his hateful spear.

With such vehement force and might
He did his body gore,

The staff ran through the other side
A large cloth-yard and more.

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

He had a bow bent in his hand,
Made of a trusty tree;

An arrow of a cloth-yard long
To the hard head drew he.

Against Sir Hugh Mountgomery
So right the shaft he set,

The gray goose-wing that was thereon
In his heart's blood was wet.