valiant men's heads taken down that they had set on the Thursday
before. These tidings anon spread abroad, so that the people of the
strange countries, which were coming towards London, returned back
again to their own houses and durst come no farther.




THE BATTLE OF OTTERBURN

HOW THE EARL DOUGLAS WON THE PENNON OF SIR HENRY PERCY AT THE BARRIERS
BEFORE NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, AND HOW THE SCOTS BRENT THE CASTLE OF
PONTLAND, AND HOW SIR HENRY PERCY AND SIR RALPH HIS BROTHER TOOK
ADVICE TO FOLLOW THE SCOTS TO CONQUER AGAIN THE PENNON THAT WAS LOST
AT THE SCRIMMISH


When the English lords saw that their squire returned not again at the
time appointed, and could know nothing what the Scots did, nor what
they were purposed to do, then they thought well that their squire was
taken. The lords sent each to other, to be ready whensoever they
should hear that the Scots were abroad: as for their messenger, they
thought him but lost.

Now let us speak of the earl Douglas and other, for they had more to
do than they that went by Carlisle. When the earls of Douglas, of
Moray, of March, and Dunbar[1] departed from the great host, they took
their way thinking to pass the water and to enter into the bishopric
of Durham, and to ride to the town and then to return, brenning and
exiling the country and so to come to Newcastle and to lodge there in