Memorable Song on the unhappie Hunting in
Chevie-Chaſe, between Earle
Piercie of
England, and Earle
Dowglas of
Scotland.
To the Tune of, Flying Fame.
God proſper long our Noble King,
our lives and ſafeties all,
A waful Hunting once there did
in Chevie-Chaſe befall:
To dr
•
ve the Deer with hound and horn,
Earle Piercy tooke his way,
The child may rue that is unborn
the hunting on that day.
The ſtout Earle of Northumberland,
〈◊〉
vow t
•
•
od did make,
His pleaſure in the Scottiſh woods,
three Summers dayes to take:
The chiefeſt Harts in Chevie-Chaſe,
to kill and beare away,
Theſe tydings to Earl Dowglas came
in Scotland where he lay.
Who ſent Earle Piercy perſent word,
he would prevent his ſport,
The Engliſh Earle not fearing this,
did to the woods reſort,
With fifteene hundred Bow-men bold,
•
ll choſen men of might,
Who knew full well in time of war,
to aime their Shafts aright.
T
•
e gallant Grey-hound ſwiftly ran,
〈◊〉
chaſe the Fallow Deere,
〈◊〉
Monday they began to hunt
〈◊〉
d
•
y l
•
g
••
•
id appear.
••
d long before high-noone they had
•
n h
••
dred f
•
t Bucks ſlaine▪
〈◊〉
having din'd▪ the Drovers went
•
owze them up againe.
〈◊〉
•
ow-men muſtred on the Hills,
••
ll able to endure,
•••
ir back ſides all with ſpeciall care
〈◊〉
day were guarded ſure:
〈◊〉
Hounds ran ſwiftly through the woods
••
e nimble Deere to take
with their cryes the hils and dales
〈◊〉
•
cho ſhrill did make.
〈◊〉
••
erc
•
to the Quarry went,
〈◊〉
•
iew the tender Dare,
••
oth he, Earle Dow
•
l
•
s promiſed
〈◊〉
•
ay to meet me here
〈◊〉
if I thought he would not come,
〈◊〉
•
o
•
ger would I ſtay
〈◊〉
••
at a brave young Gentleman
〈◊〉
•
o the Earl did ſay:
〈◊〉
•••
der doth Earl Dowglas come,
〈◊〉
•
en in Armour bright,
〈◊〉
•••
nty hundred Scotiſh Spears
〈◊〉
〈7 letters〉
g in our ſight;
〈◊〉
••
n of Tevidale▪
〈◊◊◊〉
•
iuer Tweed,
Then ceaſe your ſport Earl Piercy ſaid,
and take your Bowes with ſpeed.
And now with me my Countrey-men
your courage forth advance
For never was there, Champion yet
in Scotland or in France
That ever did on horſe-back come,
but if my hap it were,
I durſt incounter man for man,
with him to breake a Speare.
Earl Dowglas on a Milk white Stèed,
moſt like a Baron bold,
Rode foremoſt of the company,
whoſe Armour ſhone like gold:
Shew me (ſaid he) whoſe me ye be,
that hunt ſo boldly here,
That without my conſent doe chaſe,
and kill my Fallow Deere;
The man that firſt did anſwer make,
was Noble Piercy he,
Who ſaid, we liſt not to declare,
nor ſhew whoſe men we be:
Yet we will ſp
•
nd our deareſt blood,
thy chefeſt Harts to ſlay,
Then Dowglas ſwore a ſolemn oath,
and thus in rage did ſay:
Ere thus I will out-braved be,
one of us
•
wo
•••
l dye,
I know thee well,
〈◊◊〉
th
••
art,
Lord Piercy, ſo am I;
But truſt me Piercy pittie it were,
and great offence to kill
Any of theſe our harmleſs men,
for they have done no ill.
Let thou and I the
•
attell try,
and let our men abide:
Accurſt be he Lord Piercy ſaid,
by whom it is deny'd:
Then ſtept a gallant Squire forth,
Wi
•
heringon was his name,
Who ſaid I would not have it told
to Henry our King for ſhame,
That ere my Captains fought on foot,
and I ſtood looking on,
You two be Earls quoth Witherington
and I a Squire alone:
Ile doe the beſt that doe I may,
while I have power to ſtand,
While I have power to weild my ſword
Ile fight with heart and hand.
Our Engliſh Archer
•
bent their bows,
their hearts wars good and true,
At the firſt flight of Arrowes ſent,
full four ſcore
•
cots they ſlew,
To drive the Deer with hound and horn,
Dowgals bad on the bent,
A Captaine mov'd with mickle pride,
the Speares to ſhivers went.
They clo
••
d full faſt on every ſide,
no ſlackneſſe there was found,
And many a gallant Gentleman
lay gaſping on the ground:
O Chriſt, it was a griefe to ſee,
and likewiſe for to heare
The cryes of men lying in their gore,
and ſcattered here and there.
At laſt theſe two ſtout Earles did méet,
like Captaines of great might,
Like Lyns mov'd they laid on load,
and made a cruell fight;
T
•
ey fought untill they both did ſweat
with ſwords of tempered ſteele,
Vntll the blood like drops of rain,
they trickling downe did fèele.
Yeeld thee Lord Piercy, Dowglas ſaid,
in faith I will thee bring,
Where thou ſhalt high advanced be
by James our Scottiſh King;
Thy ramſon will I freely give,
and thus report of thee,
Thou art the moſt couragious Knight
as ever I did ſee.
No Dow
•••
s
•••
th Earle Piercy then
thy proffers I doe
〈◊〉
I will not yeeld to any Scot
that ever yet was borne:
With tha
•
there came an Arrow keen,
ou
•
of an England Bow,
And ſt
•
uck Earl Dowglas to the heart,
a deep end deadly blow.
Who never ſpak more words then theſe
fight on my merry man all,
For why my life is at an end,
Earle
•
Piercy ſées my fall:
Then leaving life, Earle Piercy took,
the dead man by the hand,
And ſaid Earle Dowglas for thy life
would I had loſt my Land.
O Chriſt my very heart doth bleed,
with ſorrow for thy ſake,
For ſure a more redoubted Knight
miſchance did never take.
A Knight among the Scots there was
which ſaid Earle Dowglas dye,
Who ſtrait in wrath did vow reveng
upon the Earle Piercy.
The Second Part,
to the ſame Tune.
SIr Hugh Montgomery was he cal'd,
who with a Speare full bright,
Well mounted on a gallant Stèed,
ran fiercely through the fight.
And paſt the Engliſh Archers all,
wi
•••
ut all dread or feare
And through Earle Pierc
••
body then
he thruſt his hatefull Speare,
With ſuch a vehement force and might
his body he did gore,
The ſtaffe came through the other ſide
a large cloth-yard and more:
Thus did both theſe ſtout Nobles dye,
whoeſ courage none could ſtaine,
An Engliſh Archer then perceiv'd
the Noble Earle was ſlaine:
He had
•
ood Bow in his hand,
made of a truſtie Tree,
An Arrow of a cloth-yard long
unto the head drew he:
Againſt Sir Hugh Montgomery,
ſo right his ſhaft he ſet
The Grey-gooſe wing that was thereon
in his heart blood was wet.
The 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 Piercy there was ſlain
Sir John of Ogerton,
Sir Robert Ratcliffe and Sir John,
Sir James that bold Baron.
And with Sir George & good ſir James,
both Knights of good account,
Good Sir Ralph Rabby there was ſlain,
W
•
oſe proweſſe did ſurmount:
For Witherington needs muſt I wa
•
le,
as one in dolefull dumps,
For when his legs were ſmitten off,
he fought upon his ſtumps.
And with Earl Dowglas there was ſlain
Sir Hugh Montgomery,
Sir Charles Morrell, that from the field
one foot would never flye:
Sir Charles Morrell of Harcliffe too,
his Siſters ſon was he
Sir David Lamb, ſo well eſteem'd,
but ſav'd he could not be,
And the Lord Markwell in like caſe,
did with Earle Dowglas dye
Of twenty hundred Scottiſh Speares,
ſcarce fiftie five did flye:
Of fifteene hundred Engliſhmen,
went home but fiftie three,
The reſt were ſlain in Chevie-Chaſe,
under the green-wood Trée.
Next day did many widowes come,
their huſband to bewaile,
They waſht their wounds with briniſh tears,
but all cou
•
d not prevaile:
Their bodies bath'd in purple blood,
they b
•
re with them away,
They kiſt them dead a thouſand times,
ere they were clad in clay.
This news was brought to Edenburg,
where
•
cotlands King did raigne
that brave Earle Dowglas ſuddenly
was with an Arrow ſlaine:
O heavie news King James did ſay,
Scotland can witneſſe be,
I have not any Captaine more,
of ſuch account as be.
Like tydings to King Henry came,
within as ſ
•
ort a ſpace,
That Piercy of Northumberland
was ſlaine in Chevie-Chaſe:
Now God be with him, ſaid our King,
ſince 'twill no better be
I truſt I have within my Realme
ſide hundred as good as he.
Yet ſhall not Scots nor Scotland ſay,
but I will vengeance take,
And be
•
ev
•
nged on them all
for brave E
•
rl
•
Piercie'
•
ſake:
This vow theKing did well performe,
after on H
•
mb
•
e Downe
In one day fiftie Knights were ſlaine,
with Lords of high renowne.
And of the reſt of ſmall account,
did many hundred dye,
Thus ended the Hun
•
ing in Chevie-Chaſe
made by the Lord Piercy.
God ſave the King and bleſſe this Land
with Pleaſure Ioy and Peace,
and grant henceforth that
•
ll debate
'twixt Noblemen may ceaſe.