58 Tivydale may carp of care,

Northumberland may make great moan,
For two such captains as slain were there
On the March-party shall never be none.

59 Word is comen to Edinboro,

To Jamy the Scottish king,

That doughty Douglas, lieftenant of the Marches,
He lay slain Cheviot within.

60 His handès did he weal and wring,
He said, “Alas, and woe is me!
Such another captain Scotland within,"
He said, "i' faith shold never be."

61 Word is comen to lovely London,
Till the fourth Harry our King,

That lord Percy, lieftenant of the Marches,
He lay slain Cheviot within.

62 "God have mercy on his soul," said King Harry, "Good Lord, if thy will it be!

I have a hundrith captains in England," he said, "As good as ever was he:

But, Percy, and I brook my life,
Thy death well quit shall be."

63 As our noble king made his avow, Like a noble prince of renown,

For the death of the lord Percy

He did the battle of Hombildown;

64 Where six and thritty Scottish knights
On a day were beaten down;

Glendale glittered on their armor bright,
Over castle, tower, and town.

65 This was the hunting of the Cheviot,
That tear began this spurn;

Old men that knowen the ground well enough
Call it the battle of Otterburn.

66 At Otterburn began this spurn,
Upon a Monen-day;

There was the doughty Douglas slain,
The Percy never went away.

67 There was never a time on the March-partès
Sen the Douglas and the Percy met,
But it is mervel and the red blude run not,
As the rain does in the street.

68 Jesu Christ our balès beet,
And to the bliss us bring!

Thus was the hunting of the Cheviot:
God send us all good ending.

JOHNIE ARMSTRONG

I THERE dwelt a man in fair Westmoreland,
Johnie Armstrong men did him call,
He had neither lands nor rents coming in,
Yet he kept eight score men in his hall.

2 He had horse and harness for them all,
Goodly steeds were all milk-white;
O the golden bands an' about their necks,
And their weapons, they were all alike.

3 News then was brought unto the king That there was sic a one as he,

That lived like a bold out-law,

And robbed all the north countrie.

4

The king he writ an' a letter then,

A letter which was large and long; He signed with his own hand,

And he promised to do him no wrong.

5 When this letter came Johnie until,

His heart it was blithe as birds on the tree: "Never was I sent for before any king,

My father, my grandfather, nor none but me.

6 "And if we go the king before,

I would we went most orderly;

Every man of you shall have his scarlet cloak,
Laced with silver laces three.

7 "Every one of you shall have his velvet coat,
Laced with silver lace so white;

O the golden bands an' about your necks,
Black hats, white feathers, all alike.”

8 By the morrow morning at ten of the clock,
Towards Edinboro gone was he,

And with him all his eight score men;
Good Lord, it was a goodly sight for to see!

9 When Johnie came before the king, He fell down on his knee:

"O pardon, my sovereign liege," he said, "O pardon my eight score men and me!

10 "Thou shalt have no pardon, thou traitor strong, For thy eight score men nor thee;

For to-morrow morning by ten of the clock,

Both thou and them shall hang on the gallow-tree."

II But Johnie looked over his left shoulder,
Good Lord, what a grievious look looked he!
Saying, "Asking grace of a graceless face
Why there is none for you nor me."

12 But Johnie had a bright sword by his side,
And it was made of the metal so free,
That had not the king stept his foot aside,
He had smitten his head from his fair bodie.

13 Saying, "Fight on, my merry men all,
And see that none of you be tane;

For rather then men shall say we were hanged,
Let them report how we were slain."

14 Then, God wot, fair Edinboro rose,
And so beset poor Johnie round,

That fourscore and ten of Johnie's best men
Lay gasping all upon the ground.

15 Then like a mad man Johnie laid about,
And like a mad man then fought he,
Until a false Scot came Johnie behind,
And run him through the fair bodie.

16 Saying, "Fight on, my merry men all,
And see that none of you be tane;
For I will stand by and bleed but awhile,
And then will I come and fight again."

17 News then was brought to young Johnie Armstrong, As he stood by his nurse's knee,

Who vowed if e'er he lived for to be a man,

O' the treacherous Scots revenged he'd be.

CAPTAIN CAR, OR EDOM O' GORDON

I IT befell at Martinmas

When weather waxed cold,
Captain Car said to his men,
"We must go take a hold."

Sick, sick, and too-too sick,
And sick and like to die;
The sickest night that ever I abode,
God Lord have mercy on me.

2 "Hail, master, and whither you will,
And whither ye like it best."
"To the castle of Craickernbrough;
And there we will take our rest.

3

"I know where is a gay castle,

Is builded of lime and stone,
Within there is a gay lady,

Her lord is ridden and gone."

4 The lady she leaned on her castle-wall,
She looked up and down;

There was she ware of an host of men,
Come riding to the town.

"See you, my merry men all,
And see you what I see;
Yonder I see an host of men,
I muse who they be."