Hunting of CHEVY CHASE.
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GOD prosper long our noble King,
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Our lives and Safeties all;
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A woful Hunting once there did
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In Chevy-Chase befal.
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To drive the Dear with Hound and Horn,
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Earl Piercy took his way;
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The Child may rue, that is unborn,
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The hunting of that day.
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The stout Earl of Northumberland
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A vow to God did make,
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His pleasure in the Scottish woods
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Three Summer's days to take;
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The chiefest Harts in Chevy-Chase
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To kill and bear away.
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The tidings to Earl Douglas came,
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In Scotland where he lay:
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Who sent Earl Piercy present word,
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He would prevent his sport.
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The English Earl not fearing this,
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Did to the Woods resort.
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With fifteen hundred Bow[-]men bold,
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All chosen Men of might,
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Who knew full well, in time of need,
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To aim their Shaft aright.
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The gallant Greyhounds swiftly ran,
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To chase the fallow Deer:
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On Monday they began to hunt,
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When Day-light did appear;
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And long before High-Noon they had
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An hundred fat Bucks slain;
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Then having din'd, the Drovers
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To rouze them up again.
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The Bow-men muster'd on the Hills,
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Well able to endure;
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Their Backsides all, with special Care,
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That day were guarded sure.
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The hounds ran swiftly thro' the Woods,
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The nimble Deer to take;
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And with their cries the Hills and Dales
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An Echo shrill did make.
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Lord Piercy to the Quarry went,
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To view the tender Deer;
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Quoth he, Earl Douglas promised
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This day to meet me here:
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If that I thought he would not come,
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No longer would I stay.
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With that, a brave young Gentleman
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Thus to the Earl did say;
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Lo! yonder doth Earl Douglas come,
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His Men in Armour bright;
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Full twenty hundred Scottish Spears,
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All marching in our Sight;
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All Men of pleasant Teviotdale,
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Fast by the river Tweed.
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Then cease your Sport, Earl Piercy said,
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And take your Bows with speed:
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And now with me, my Countrymen,
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Your Courage forth advance:
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For never was there Champion yet,
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In Scotland or in France,
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That ever did on Horseback come,
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But, since my Hap it were,
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I durst encounter Man for Man,
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With him to break a Spear.
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Earl Douglas. on a milk-white steed,
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Most like a Baron bold,
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Rode foremost of the Company,
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Whose Armour shone like Gold:
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Shew me (he said) whose Men you be,
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That hunt so boldly here,
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That, without my consent, do chase,
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And take my Fallow-Deer?
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The Man that first did answer make,
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Was noble Piercy he;
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Who said, We list not to declare,
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Nor shew whose Men we be:
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Yet we will spend our dearest Blood,
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Thy chiefest Hart to slay.
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Then Douglas swore a solemn Oath,
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And thus in Rage did say,
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Ere thus I will out-braved be;
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One of us two shall die;
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I know thee well, an Earl thou art;
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Lord Piercy, so am I.
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But trust me, Piercy, Pity it were,
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And great Offence to kill
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Any of these our harmless Men;
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For they have done no Ill.
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Let thou and I the Battle try,
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And set our Men aside.
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Accurs'd be he, Lord Piercy said,
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By whom this is deny'd.
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Then stept a gallant 'Squire forth;
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With'rington was his Name,
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Who said, I would not have it told
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To Henry, our King, for shame,
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That e'er my Captain fought on Foot,
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And I stood looking on.
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You be two Earls, said With'rington,
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And I a 'Squire alone;
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I'll do the best that do I may,
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While I have Pow'r to stand:
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While I have Pow'r to wield my sword,
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I'll fight with Heart and Hand.
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Our English Archers bent their Bows,
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Their Hearts were good and true;
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At the first Flight of Arrows sent,
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Full Threescore Scots they slew.
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To drive the Deer with Hound and Horn,
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Earl Douglas had the Bent;
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A Captain mov'd with mickle Pride,
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Their Spears to Shivers sent.
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They clos'd full fast on ev'ry Side,
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No Slackness there was found;
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And many a gallant Gentleman
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Lay gasping on the ground.
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O Christ! it was a grief to see,
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And likewise for to hear
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The cries of Men lying in their Gore,
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And scatter'd here and there.
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At last these two stout Earls did meet,
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Like Captains of great Might;
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Like Lions mov'd, they laid on Load,
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And made a cruel fight;
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They fought untill they both did sweat,
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With Swords of temper'd Steel,
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Untill the Blood, like drops of rain,
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They trickling down did feel.
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Yield thee, Lord Piercy, Douglas said;
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In faith I will thee bring,
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Where thou shalt high advanced be
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By James our Scottish King:
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Thy Ransom I will freely give,
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And thus report of thee,
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Thou art the most courageous Knight
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That ever I did see.
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To Douglas, quoth Earl Piercy then,
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Thy Proffer I do scorn;
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I will not yeild to any Scot
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That ever yet was born.
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With that, there came an arrow keen
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Out of an English Bow,
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Which struck Earl Douglas to the Heart
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A deep and deadly Blow:
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Who never spoke more Words than these,
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Fight on, my merry Men all;
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For why, my Life is at an End:
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Lord Piercy sees me fall.
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Then leaving Life, Earl piercy took
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The dead Man by the Hand;
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And said, Earl Douglas, for thy Life
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Would I had lost my Land
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O Christ! my very Heart doth bleed
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With Sorrow for thy sake;
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For sure, a more renowned Knight
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Mischance did never take.
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A Knight amongst the Scots there was,
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Which saw Earl Douglas die,
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Who strait in Wrath did vow Revenge
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Upon the Earl Piercy:
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Sir Hugh Montgomery was he call'd,
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Who, with a Spear most bright,
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Well mounted on a gallant Steed,
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Ran fiercely thro' the Fight;
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And pass'd the English Archers all,
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Without all Dread or Fear;
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And thro' Earl Piercy's Body then
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He thrust his hateful Spear:
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With such a veh'ment Force and Might,
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He did his Body gore,
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The Spear went through the other Side
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A large Cloth-yard or more.
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So thus did both these Nobles die.
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Whose Courage none could stain.
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An English Archer then perceiv'd
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The Noble Earl was slain;
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He had a Bow bent in his hand,
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Made of a trusty Tree;
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An Arrow of a Cloth-yard long
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Up to the Head drew he:
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Against Sir Hugh Montgomery
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So right his Shaft he set,
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The grey Goose-wing that was thereon
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In his Heart's Blood was wet.
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This Fight did last from break of Day
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Till setting of the Sun,
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For when they rung the Ev'ning Bell,
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The Battle scarce was done.
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With the Earl Piercy there was slain
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Sir John of Ogerton,
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Sir Robert Ratcliff, and Sir John,
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Sir James that bold Baron:
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And with Sir George and good Sir James,
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Both Knights of good Account,
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Good Sir Ralph Raby there was slain.
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Whose Prowess did surmount.
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For With'rington needs must I wail,
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As one in doleful Damps;
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For when his Legs were smitten off,
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He fought upon his Stumps.
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And with Earl Douglas there was slain
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Sir Hugh Montgomery;
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Sir Charles Currell, that from the Field
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One foot would never fly.
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Sir Charles Murrel, of Ratcliff, too,
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His Sister's Son was he;
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Sir David Lamb, so well esteem'd:
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They saved could not be.
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And the Lord Maxwell in likewise
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Did with Earl Douglas die:
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Of Twenty Hundred Scottish Spears
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Scarce Fifty-five did fly.
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Of Fifteen hundred English Men
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Went home but Fifty three;
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The rest were slain in Chevy-Chase
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Under the Green-wood Tree.
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Next Day did many Widows come,
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Their Husbands to bewail;
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They wash'd their wounds in brinish Tears
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But all would not prevail.
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Their bodies, bath'd in purple blood,
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They bore with them away;
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They kiss'd them dead a thousand times,
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When they were clad in Clay.
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This News was brought to Edinburgh,
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Where Scotland's King did reign,
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That brave Earl Douglas suddenly
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Was with an Arrow slain.
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Oh heavy News! King James did say,
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Scotland can witness be,
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I have not any Captain more
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Of such Account as he.
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Like tidings to King Henry came,
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Within as short a Space,
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That Piercy, of Northumberland,
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Was slain in Chevy-Chase.
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Now God be with him, said our King,
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Sith 'twill no better be;
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I trust I have within my Realm
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Five hundred as good as he.
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Yet shall not Scot, or Scotland say,
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But I will Vengeance take,
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And be revenged on them all,
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For brave Earl Piercy's sake.
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This Vow full well the King perform'd
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After, on Humbledown;
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In one Day, Fifty Knights were slain,
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With Lords of great Kenown:
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And of the rest, of small Account,
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Did many Thousands die:
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Thus ended the hunting of Chevy-Cha[s]e,
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Made by the Earl Piercy.
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God save the King, and bless the Land,
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In Plenty, Joy, and Peace;
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And grant henceforth, that foul Debate
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Noblemen may cease.
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