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 trumpet; 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 2 of Northombarlande, The fattiste hartes in all Cheviat He sayd he wold kill, and cary them away: may. 7 Hour. Grea-hondes thorowe the greves glent The begane in Chyviat the hyls above Be that it drewe to the oware' off none The blewe a mort uppone the bent, He sayd, It was the Duglas promys But I wyste he wold faylle verament: At the laste a squyar of Northombelonde Lokyde at his hand full ny, He was war ath the doughetie Doglas comynge: Both with spear, byll, 10 and brande: "1 Yt was a myghti sight to se, Hardyar men both off hart nar hande Were not in Christiantè. 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, 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. Then sayd the doughtè Doglas Unto the lord Persè: To kyll all thes giltless men, But, Persè, thowe art a lord of lande, 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 17 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. 16 Earl. 17 Know. 18 Are. 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 And that was sene verament, For he wrought hom both woo and wouche.20 The Dogglas pertyd his ost in thre, Like a cheffe cheften "1 off pryde, 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 Thoroue lyvar and longs bathe 31 The sharp arrowe ys gane, That never after in all his lyffe days, He spayke mo wordes but ane, That was, Fyghte ye, my merry men whyllys 32 ye may, 33 He tooke the dede man be the hande, And sayd, Wo ys me for the! To have sayvde thy lyffe I wold have pertyd 36 with For a better man of hart, nare of hande Was not in all the north countrè. 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, 38 |