This fight did last from break of day
Till setting of the sun;

For when they rung the evening-bell
The battle scarce was done.

With stout Earl Percy there were slain
Sir John of Egerton,

Sir Robert Ratcliff, and Sir John,
Sir James, that bold baròn.

And with Sir George and stout Sir James,
Both Knights of good account,
Good Sir Ralph Raby there was slain,
Whose prowess did surmount.

For Witherington my heart is woe
That ever he slain should be,
For when his legs were hewn in two,
He knelt and fought on his knee.

And with Earl Douglas there were slain Sir Hugh Mountgomery,

Sir Charles Murray, that from the field One foot would never flee;

Sir Charles Murray of Ratcliff, too,—
His sister's son was he;

Sir David Lamb, so well esteemed,

But saved he could not be.

And the Lord Maxwell in like case
Did with Earl Douglas die:
Of twenty hundred Scottish spears,
Scarce fifty-five did fly.

Of fifteen hundred Englishmen,
Went home but fifty-three;

The rest in Chevy-Chase were slain,

Under the greenwood tree.

Next day did many widows come,

Their husbands to bewail;

They washed their wounds in brinish tears, But all would not prevail.

Their bodies, bathed in purple blood,

They bore with them away;

They kissed them dead a thousand times,
Ere they were clad in clay.

The news was brought to Edinburgh,
Where Scotland's king did reign,
That brave Earl Douglas suddenly
Was with an arrow slain:

"O heavy news," King James did say;
"Scotland can witness be

I have not any captain more
Of such account as he."

Like tidings to King Henry came

Within as short a space,

That Percy of Northumberland

Was slain in Chevy-Chase:

"Now God be with him," said our King,

"Since 'twill no better be;

I trust I have within my realm

Five hundred as good as he.

"Yet shall not Scots or Scotland say

But I will vengeance take;

I'll be revenged on them all

For brave Earl Percy's sake."

This vow full well the king performed

After at Humbledown;

In one day fifty knights were slain

With lords of high renown;

And of the rest, of small account,

Did many hundreds die:

Thus endeth the hunting of Chevy-Chase,
Made by the Earl Percy.

God save the king, and bless this land,
With plenty, joy, and peace;

And grant, henceforth, that foul debate

"Twixt noblemen may cease.

THE BONNIE HOUSE OF AIRLIE

Ir fell on a day, and a bonnie simmer day,

When green grew aits and barley,
That there fell out a great dispute
Between Argyll and Airlie.

Argyll has raised an hunder men,
An hunder harnessed rarely,
And he's awa' by the back of Dunkell,
To plunder the castle of Airlie.

Lady Ogilvie looks o'er her bower-window,
And O but she looks warely!

And there she spied the great Argyll,

Unknown

Come to plunder the bonnie house of Airlie.

"Come down, come down, my Lady Ogilvie, Come down and kiss me fairly:"

"OI winna kiss the fause Argyll,

If he shouldna leave a standing stane in Airlie."

He hath taken her by the left shoulder,

Says, "Dame, where lies thy dowry?" "O it's east and west yon wan water side, And it's down by the banks of the Airlie."

They hae sought it up, they hae sought it down,
They hae sought it maist severely,

Till they fand it in the fair plum-tree

That shines on the bowling-green of Airlie.

He hath taken her by the middle sae small,
And O but she grat sairly!

And laid her down by the bonnie burn-side,
Till they plundered the castle of Airlie.

"Gif my gude lord war here this night, As he is with King Charlie,

Neither you, nor ony ither Scottish lord,

Durst avow to the plundering of Airlie.

"Gif my gude lord war now at hame,
As he is with his king,

There durst nae a Campbell in a' Argyll
Set fit on Airlie green.

"Ten bonnie sons I have borne unto him,
The eleventh ne'er saw his daddy;

But though I had an hunder mair,
I'd gie them a' to King Charlie!"

Unknown

KINMONT WILLIE

O HAVE ye na heard o' the fause Sakelde?

O have ye na heard o' the keen Lord Scroope? How they hae ta'en bauld Kinmont Willie,

On Haribee to hang him up?

Had Willie had but twenty men,

But twenty men as stout as he,

Fause Sakelde had never the Kinmont ta'en,
Wi' eightscore in his companie.

They band his legs beneath the steed,
They tied his hands behind his back;

They guarded him, fivesome on each side,
And they brought him owre the Liddel-rack.

They led him through the Liddel-rack,

And also through the Carlisle sands;

They brought him to Carlisle castell,

To be at my Lord Scroope's commands.

"My hands are tied, but my tongue is free,

And whae will dare this deed avow? Or answer by the Border law?

Or answer to the bauld Buccleuch?"

"Now haud thy tongue, thou rank reiver! There's never a Scot shall set thee free: Before ye cross my castle yate,

I trow ye shall take farewell o' me.”

"Fear na ye that, my lord," quo' Willie.

"By the faith o' my body, Lord Scroope," he said, "I never yet lodged in a hostelrie,

But I paid my lawing before I gaed."

Now word is gane to the bauld Keeper,
In Branksome Ha', where that he lay,
That Lord Scroope has ta'en the Kinmont Willie,
Between the hours of night and day.

He has ta'en the table wi' his hand,
He garred the red wine spring on hie,—
"Now Christ's curse on my head," he said,
"But avenged of Lord Scroope, I'll be!

"O is my basnet a widow's curch?

Or my lance a wand of the willow-tree? Or my arm a ladye's lilye hand,

That an English lord sets light by me!

"And have they ta'en him, Kinmont Willie,
Against the truce of Border tide?

And forgotten that the bauld Buccleuch
Is keeper here on the Scottish side?

"And have they e'en ta'en him, Kinmont Willie, Withouten either dread or fear?

And forgotten that the bauld Buccleuch

Can back a steed, or shake a spear?