D.-BALLADS. 32. The Ancient Ballad of Chevy Chase. (Manual, pp. 67-69.) Sir Philip Sydney, in his Discourse of Poetry, speaks of this Ballad in the following words:-"I never heard the old song of Piercy and Douglas, that I found not my heart more moved than with a tr'impet; and yet it is sung by some blind crowder with no rougher voice than rude stile; which being so evil apparelled in the dust and cobweb of that uncivil age, what would it work trimmed in the gorgeous eloquence of Pindar?" THE FIRST FIT.' The Persè owt of Northombarlande, The fattiste hartes in all Cheviat He sayd he wold kill, and cary them away: At the laste a squyar of Northombelonde Lokyde at his hand full ny, 9 He was war ath the doughetie Doglas comynge: Both with spear, byll,10 and brande: " Hardyar men both off hart nar hande The wear twenty hondrith spear-men good The wear borne a-long be the watter a Twyde, Leave off the brytlyng of the dear, he sayde, And to your bowys look ye tayk good heed; The first mane that ever him an answear mayd, We wyll not tell the 'what' men we ar, he says, But we wyll hount hear in this chays In the spyte of thyne, and of the. The fattiste hartes in all Chyviat We have kyld, and cast 14 to carry them a-way. Be my troth, sayd the doughtè Dogglas agayn, Then sayd the doughtè Doglas Unto the lord Persè: To kyll all thes giltless men, But, Persè, thowe art a lord of lande, I am a yerle1 callyd within my contre; Now Cristes cors on his crowne, sayd the lord Persè, Be my troth, doughtè Doglas, he says, Nethar in Ynglonde, Skottlonde, nar France, Nor for no man of a woman born, But and fortune be my chance, I dar met him on man for on. Then bespayke a squyar off Northombarlonde, It shall never be told in Sothe-Ynglonde, I wat" youe byn 18 great lordes twaw, I will never se my captayne fyght on a fylde, But whyll I may my weppone welde, I wyll not 'fayl' both harte and hande. That day, that day, that dredfull day; And youe wyll here any mor athe hountyng athe Chyviat, 14 Mean. 15 One. 18 Earl. 17 Know. 18 Are. 19 Slew. THE SECOND FIT. The Yngglishe men hade ther bowys yebent, The hartes were good yenoughe; The first of arros that the shote off, Seven skore spear-men the sloughe.19 Yet bydys the yerle Doglas uppon the bent A captayne good yenoughe, And that was sene verament, For he wrought hom both woo and wouche.30 The Dogglas pertyd his ost in thre, Thrughe our Yngglishe archery The Yngglishe men let thear bowys be, Bryght swordes on basnites 25 lyght. Thorowe ryche male, and myne-ye-ple At last the Duglas and the Persè met, Thes worthè freckys for to fyght Ther-to the wear full fayne, Tyll the bloode owte off their basnites sprente," 28 25 Helmets. 20 Fellow. 27 Sprung. 28 Hail. ❤Entreat. 32 That was, Fyghte ye, my merry men whyllys 3 ye may, For my lyff days ben 33 gan. To have sayvde thy lyffe I wold have pertyd 36 with My landes for years thre, For a better man of hart, nare of hande Was not in all the north countrè. Of all that se 37 a Skottishe knyght, Was callyd Sir Hewe the Mongonbyrry, He sawe the Duglas to the deth was dyght; 39 He rod uppon a corsiare Throughe a hondrith archery; He never styntyde 40 nar never blane,41 He set uppone the lord Persè A dynte that was full soare; With a suar spear of a myghtè tre Clean thorow the body he the Persè bore, 30 Ane, one, sc. man. |