THE HUNTING IN CHEVY-CHASE. A BALLAD. OD profper long our noble king, GOD Our lives and fafeties all; A woeful hunting once there did To drive the deer with hound and horm Earl Percy took his way; The child may rue that is unborn The hunting of that day. The flout earl of Northumberland Vol. V. 20. A With With fifteen hundred bowmen bold; All chofen men of might, Who knew full well, in time of need, The gallant greyhounds fwiftly rangor fo On Monday they began to hunt, And, long before high noon, they had A hundred fat bucks flain ;" Then, having din'd, the drovers went To roufe them up again. The bowmen mufter'd on the hills, Well able to endure: Their backfides all, with fpeciál care, That day were guarded fure. The hounds ran fwiftly through the woods, The nimble deer to take; And with their cries the hills and dales If that I thought he would not come With that a brave young gentleman Lo! yonder doth earl Douglas come, Full twenty hundred Scottish fpears Are marching in our fight; All men of pleafant Tividale, Then ceafe your fport, earl Percy faid, And now with me, my countrymen, That ever did on horfeback come, I durft encounter, man for man, Earl Douglas on a milk-white fleed,. Moft like a baron bold, Rode foremost of the company, Whofe armour fhone like gold; A.2; Shew. Shew me, faid he, whose men ye bensďī That, without my confent, do chafe And kill my fallow deer Plaf The man that firft did anfwer makė, 19`ɔ mani Who faid, we lift not to declare, sof Yet will we spend our dearest blood, Then Douglas fwore a folemn oath, And thus in rage did say: Ere thus I will out-braved be. One of us two fhall die : I know thee well; an earl thou art, But trust me, Percy, pity it were, Any of these our harmless men, Let thou and I the battle try, And fet our men afide. Accurs'd he he, lord Percy faid, By whom this is denied. Then र |