about the same period (1550) it was the Percy and the Douglas who met,
in the English version. Manifestly there pre-existed, by 1550, an old
ballad, which either a Scot then perverted from the English text, or an
Englishman from the Scots. Thus the inversions in the Ettrick and
English version need not be due (they are not due) to a MODERN "faker."

In the Hogg MS. (xxiii.), Percy wounds Douglas "till backwards he did
flee." Hogg was too good a Scot to interpolate the flight of Douglas;
and Scott was so good a Scot that--what do you suppose he did?--he
excised "till backwards he did flee" from Hogg's text, and inserted
"that he fell to the ground" FROM THE ENGLISH TEXT!

In the Hogg MS. (xviii., xix.), in Scott xvii., xviii., Douglas, at
Otterburn, is roused from sleep by his page with news of Percy's
approach. Douglas says that the page lies (compare Herd, where Douglas
doubts the page) -


For Percy hadna' men yestreen
To dight my men and me.


There is nothing in this to surprise any one who knows the innumerable
variants in traditional ballads. But now comes in a very curious
variation (Hogg MS. xx., Scott, xix.). Douglas says (Hogg MS. xx.) -


But I have seen a dreary dream
Beyond the Isle o' Skye,
I saw a dead man won the fight,