Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
Scotland: Vols. VI–VIII. 1876–79.
Chevy-Chace
By AnonymousG
Our lives and safeties all;
A woful hunting once there did
In Chevy-Chace befall.
Erle Piercy took his way;
The child may rue, that is unborn,
The hunting of that day.
A vow to God did make,
His pleasure in the Scottish woods
Three summer’s days to take;
To kill and bear away:
The tidings to Earl Douglas came,
In Scotland where he lay.
He would prevent his sport;
The English earl, not fearing this,
Did to the woods resort,
All chosen men of might,
Who knew full well in time of need
To aim their shafts aright.
To chase the fallow deer;
On Monday they began to hunt,
When day-light did appear.
An hundred fat bucks slain;
Then having din’d, the drovers went
To rouze them up again.
Well able to endure;
Their backsides all, with special care,
That day were guarded sure.
The nimble deer to take,
And with their cries the hills and dales
An echo shrill did make.
To view the tender deere;
Quoth he, “Earl Douglas promised
This day to meet me heer.
No longer would I stay.”
With that, a brave young gentleman
Thus to the Earl did say:
His men in armour bright;
Full twenty hundred Scottish spears,
All marching in our sight.
Fast by the river Tweed.”
“Then cease your sport,” Erle Piercy said,
“And take your bows with speed.
Your courage forth advance;
For there was never champion yet
In Scotland or in France,
But, if my hap it were,
I durst encounter man for man,
With him to break a spear.”
Most like a baron bold,
Rode foremost of the company,
Whose armour shone like gold.
That hunt so boldly here,
That, without my consent, do chase
And kill my fallow-deer.”
Was noble Piercy he;
Who said, “We list not to declare,
Nor show whose men we be.
Thy chiefest hart to slay.”
Then Douglas swore a solemn oath,
And thus in rage did say:
One of us two shall dye:
I know thee well, an earl thou art;
Lord Piercy, so am I.
And great offence, to kill
Any of these our harmless men,
For they have done no ill.
And set our men aside:
“Accurs’d be he,” Lord Piercy said,
“By whom this is deny’d.”
(Witherington was his name),
Who said, “I would not have it told
To Henry our king for shame,
And I stood looking on:
“You be two earls,” said Witherington,
“And I a squire alone.
While I have power to stand;
While I have power to wield my sword,
I ’ll fight with heart and hand.”
Their hearts were good and true;
At the first flight of arrows sent,
Full threescore Scots they slew.
Earl Douglas had the bent;
A captain mov’d with mickle pride
The spears to shivers sent.
No slacknes there was found;
And many a gallant gentleman
Lay gasping on the ground.
And likewise for to hear,
The cries of men lying in their gore,
And scatter’d here and there.
Like captains of great might;
Like lions wood they laid on load,
And made a cruel fight.
With swords of temper’d steel;
Until the blood, like drops of ruin,
They trickling down did feel.
“In faith I will thee bring,
Where thou shalt high advanced be
By James, our Scottish king.
And thus report of thee,
Thou art the most couragious knight
That ever I did see.”
“Thy proffer I do scorn;
I will not yield to any Scot
That ever yet was born.”
Out of an English bow,
Which struck Earl Douglas to the heart,
A deep and deadly blow:
“Fight on, my merry men all;
For why, my life is at an end,
Lord Piercy sees my fall.”
The dead man by the hand;
And said, “Earl Douglas, for thy life
Would I had lost my land!
With sorrow for thy sake;
For sure, a more renowned knight
Mischance did never take.”
Which saw Earl Douglas dye,
Who straight in wrath did vow revenge
Upon the Earl Piercy.
Who, with a spear most bright,
Well-mounted on a gallant steed,
Ran fiercely thro’ the fight;
Without all dread or fear,
And through Earl Piercy’s body then
He thrust his hateful spear.
He did his body gore,
The spear ran through the other side
A large cloth-yard, and more.
Whose courage none could stain;
An English archer then perceiv’d
The noble earl was slain.
Made of a trusty tree;
An arrow of a cloth-yard long
Up to the head drew he.
So right his shaft he set,
The gray goose-wing that was thereon
In his heart’s blood was wet.
Till setting of the sun;
For when they rung the evening-bell,
The battel scarce was done.
Sir John of Ogerton,
Sir Robert Ratcliff, and Sir John,
Sir James, that bold baron.
Both knights of good account,
Good Sir Ralph Rabby there was slain,
Whose prowess did surmount.
As one in doleful dumps;
For when his legs were smitten off,
He fought upon his stumps.
Sir Hugh Montgomery,
Sir Charles Currel, that from the field
One foot would never fly.
His sister’s son was he;
Sir David Lamb, so well esteem’d,
Yet saved could not bee.
Did with Earl Douglas dye;
Of twenty hundred Scottish spears
Scarce fifty-five did fly.
Went home but fifty-three;
The rest were slain in Chevy-Chace,
Under the green-wood tree.
Their husbands to bewail;
They wash’d their wounds in brinish tears,
But all would not prevail.
They bore with them away:
They kiss’d them dead a thousand times,
When they were clad in clay.
Where Scotland’s king did reign,
That brave Earl Douglas suddenly
Was with an arrow slain.
“Scotland can witness be,
I have not any captain more
Of such account as he.”
Within as short a space,
That Piercy of Northumberland
Was slaine in Chevy-Chace.
“Sith ’t will no better be;
I trust I have within my realm
Five hundred as good as he.
But I will vengeance take,
And be revenged on them all,
For brave Earl Piercy’s sake.”
After, on Humbledown;
In one day, fifty knights were slain,
With lords of great renown.
Did many thousands dye:
Thus endeth the hunting of Chevy-Chace,
Made by the Earl Piercy.
In plenty, joy, and peace;
And grant henceforth, that foul debate
’Twixt noblemen may cease!