Both with spear, bill, and brand, it was a mighty sight to see.
Hardier men both of heart nor hand were not in Christiant-e.
They were twenty hundred spearmen good without any fail;
They were borne along by the water of Tweed, i'th' bounds of Tividale.
"Leave off the brittling of the deer," he said, "and to your bows look
ye take good heed,
For never sith ye were of your mothers born had ye never so mickle
need."
The doughty Douglas on a steed he rode all his men beforn,
His armour glittered as did a glede, a bolder barn was never born.
"Tell me whose men ye are," he says, "or whose men that ye be;
Who gave you leave to hunt in this Cheviot Chase in the spite of mine
and of me?"
The first man that ever him an answer made, it was the good Lord Perc-
y,
"We will not tell thee whose men we are," he says, "nor whose men that
we be;
But we will hunt here in this Chase in the spite of thine and of thee.
The fattest harts in all Cheviot we have killed, and cast to carry
them away."
"By my troth," said the doughty Douglas again, "therefore the tone of
us shall die this day."
Then said the doughty Douglas unto the Lord Perc-y,
"To kill all these guiltless men, alas! it were great pit-y.
But, Percy, thou art a lord of land, I am an earl called within my
countr-y.
Let all our men upon a parti stand, and do the battle of thee and of
me."
"Now Christ's curse on his crown," said the Lord Percy, "whosoever
thereto says nay!