 | Ballads in Imitation of the Antient |  |
103
III. THIRD PART.
Declaring how the battail was fought between the King and the Earl nigh unto the walls of Shrewsbury, with fourteen thousand goodly yeomen, on the Eve of the Feast of Saint Mary Magdalen. When Earl Percy was defeated and slain.
Haughty Percy and the Douglas,
To the Nobles thus did say,
Yonder in the Western Welkin,
Slopes the burning eye of day;
Boling broke, that bold usurper,
Doth our wholesome terms defy,
Wherefore should we stay the morrow?
Fate to-day shall cast the die.
To the Nobles thus did say,
Yonder in the Western Welkin,
Slopes the burning eye of day;
Boling broke, that bold usurper,
Doth our wholesome terms defy,
Wherefore should we stay the morrow?
Fate to-day shall cast the die.
104
Vainly strove the aged nobles,
'Gainst the fiery Hotspur's will,
Naught avail'd their goodly counsell,
Douglas would the feat fulfill;
Now the sound of neighing horses,
Now the din of warriors brave,
Now the clank of rattling armour,
And the deadly dooming glave.
'Gainst the fiery Hotspur's will,
Naught avail'd their goodly counsell,
Douglas would the feat fulfill;
Now the sound of neighing horses,
Now the din of warriors brave,
Now the clank of rattling armour,
And the deadly dooming glave.
Now in ranks yrange the footmen,
With their arrows sharp and long,
Now each man his yew ybending,
To the horn doth bind the thong;
Some the axe bear, some the falchion,
Some the shining glave did wield,
Others rear the launce ypointed,
On their arms they brace the shield.
With their arrows sharp and long,
Now each man his yew ybending,
To the horn doth bind the thong;
Some the axe bear, some the falchion,
Some the shining glave did wield,
Others rear the launce ypointed,
On their arms they brace the shield.
105
Ev'ry chieftain to his captains
Thus his kindly speech address'd:
“Lo, ye fight for truth and justice,
“If ye die, ye shall be blest.”
Ev'ry captain to his hundred
Straight the cheiftain's words did say,
“Courage horsemen; courage footmen,
“For your King ye fight this day.
Thus his kindly speech address'd:
“Lo, ye fight for truth and justice,
“If ye die, ye shall be blest.”
Ev'ry captain to his hundred
Straight the cheiftain's words did say,
“Courage horsemen; courage footmen,
“For your King ye fight this day.
“If ye conquer; captive Richard
“By your arms enthron'd shall be,
“Rather die, my gallant yeomen,
“Never 'fore these traytors flee.
“If the glave of churlish rebels,
“Should be dank'd in blood of life,
“Ye that fall shall live in heav'n,
“Free'd from Traytors, free'd from strife.
“By your arms enthron'd shall be,
“Rather die, my gallant yeomen,
“Never 'fore these traytors flee.
“If the glave of churlish rebels,
“Should be dank'd in blood of life,
“Ye that fall shall live in heav'n,
“Free'd from Traytors, free'd from strife.
106
Thus did speak each goodly captain,
Ev'ry man was tough of heart,
From the camp the gallant Hotspur
And his yeomen did depart.
Lo, to meet them, crowned Henry,
With his vassals, a great rout,
With his sons and nobles many,
Lords that were right bold and stout.
Ev'ry man was tough of heart,
From the camp the gallant Hotspur
And his yeomen did depart.
Lo, to meet them, crowned Henry,
With his vassals, a great rout,
With his sons and nobles many,
Lords that were right bold and stout.
Straight began the furious onset,
Shrilly rung the trumpets blast,
Many brave and hardy warriors,
There I wis did breath their last.
Princes, Nobles, Captains, Yoemen,
Breast to breast their skill 'gan try;
Each alike his foe would conquer,
Each in his own cause would die.
Shrilly rung the trumpets blast,
Many brave and hardy warriors,
There I wis did breath their last.
Princes, Nobles, Captains, Yoemen,
Breast to breast their skill 'gan try;
Each alike his foe would conquer,
Each in his own cause would die.
107
Percy, like a raging Tiger,
Through the field his course he scour'd,
On his Anlace rode grim terror,
Death his ev'ry foe devour'd;
Mad the hardy Scottish Douglas,
Badg'd with blood, with eye so fierce,
To each Noble bad defiance;
Great and small his glave did pierce.
Through the field his course he scour'd,
On his Anlace rode grim terror,
Death his ev'ry foe devour'd;
Mad the hardy Scottish Douglas,
Badg'd with blood, with eye so fierce,
To each Noble bad defiance;
Great and small his glave did pierce.
Long did last this fray so bloody,
But brave Hotspur's lack of force
Did to Henry yield the conquest,
And the Percy's life divorce;
There did bleed full many nobles,
There stout gentlemen did die,
There fell yeomen without number,
Jesu take their Souls on high.
But brave Hotspur's lack of force
Did to Henry yield the conquest,
And the Percy's life divorce;
There did bleed full many nobles,
There stout gentlemen did die,
There fell yeomen without number,
Jesu take their Souls on high.
108
Foughten
was this bloody battle
Nigh the walls of Shrewsbury,
From the goodly Castle's turrrets
Townsmen did the feat descry;
There did meet of sturdy soldiers
Fourteen thousand good yeomen;
But one half ne'er saw the morrow,
'Twas the feast of Magdalen.
Nigh the walls of Shrewsbury,
From the goodly Castle's turrrets
Townsmen did the feat descry;
There did meet of sturdy soldiers
Fourteen thousand good yeomen;
But one half ne'er saw the morrow,
'Twas the feast of Magdalen.
When to Alnwick came these tidings,
Sorely wept the gentle Dame;
Naught she'd hear of goodly comfort,
Naught she'd sigh but Percy's name,
Frantick thro' each hall and chamber
Did the Lady Catherine cry
“Where's my Lord, my Love, my Husband!
“Give me back my brave Percy.”
Sorely wept the gentle Dame;
Naught she'd hear of goodly comfort,
Naught she'd sigh but Percy's name,
Frantick thro' each hall and chamber
Did the Lady Catherine cry
“Where's my Lord, my Love, my Husband!
“Give me back my brave Percy.”
109
Thus full many days did glide on,
Thus she made her plaint in vain;
All her cries then turn'd to sadness,
'Twas her bosom felt the pain.
Sometimes on her infant gazing,
Big would swell her woe-worn heart,
Then she'd sigh “He's dead, my baby:”
In her eye the tear would start.
Thus she made her plaint in vain;
All her cries then turn'd to sadness,
'Twas her bosom felt the pain.
Sometimes on her infant gazing,
Big would swell her woe-worn heart,
Then she'd sigh “He's dead, my baby:”
In her eye the tear would start.
Ne'er again may such rude tumults
Drench our land with human gore,
Never may a goodly Lady,
Thus her valiant Knight deplore;
But may Lords and yeomen bravely
Round the board right jovial sing,
Christ for aye in peace preserve us,
And God bless our Royal King.
Drench our land with human gore,
Never may a goodly Lady,
Thus her valiant Knight deplore;
But may Lords and yeomen bravely
Round the board right jovial sing,
Christ for aye in peace preserve us,
And God bless our Royal King.
| Ballads in Imitation of the Antient | |