Bliss Carman, et al., eds. The World’s Best Poetry. 1904.
III. WarChevy-Chace
Anonymous
G
Our lives and safeties all;
A woful hunting once there did
In Chevy-Chace befall.
Earl Piercy took his way;
The child may rue that is unborn
The hunting of that day.
A vow to God did make,
His pleasure in the Scottish woods
Three summer days to take,—
To kill and bear away.
These tidings to Earl Douglas came,
In Scotland where he lay;
He would prevent his sport.
The English earl, not fearing that,
Did to the woods resort,
All chosen men of might,
Who knew full well in time of need
To aim their shafts aright.
To chase the fallow deer;
On Monday they began to hunt,
When daylight did appear;
A hundred fat bucks slain;
Then, having dined, the drovers went
To rouse the deer again.
Well able to endure;
And all their rear, with special care,
That day was guarded sure.
The nimble deer to take,
That with their cries the hills and dales
An echo shrill did make.
To view the slaughtered deer;
Quoth he, “Earl Douglas promised
This day to meet me here;
No longer would I stay;”
With that a brave young gentleman
Thus to the earl did say:—
His men in armor bright;
Full twenty hundred Scottish spears
All marching in our sight;
Fast by the river Tweed;”
“Then cease your sports,” Earl Piercy said,
“And take your bows with speed;
Your courage forth advance;
For never was there champion yet,
In Scotland or in France,
But if my hap it were,
I durst encounter man for man,
With him to break a spear.”
Most like a baron bold,
Rode foremost of his company,
Whose armor shone like gold.
That hunt so boldly here,
That, without my consent, do chase
And kill my fallow-deer.”
Was noble Piercy, he—
Who said, “We list not to declare,
Nor show whose men we be:
Thy chiefest harts to slay.”
Then Douglas swore a solemn oath,
And thus in rage did say:—
One of us two shall die;
I know thee well, an earl thou art,—
Lord Piercy, so am I.
And great offence, to kill
Any of these our guiltless men,
For they have done no ill.
And set our men aside.”
“Accursed be he,” Earl Piercy said,
“By whom this is denied.”
Witherington was his name,
Who said, “I would not have it told
To Henry, our king, for shame,
And I stood looking on.
You two be earls,” said Witherington,
“And I a squire alone;
While I have power to stand;
While I have power to wield my sword
I ’ll fight with heart and hand.”
Their hearts were good and true;
At the first flight of arrows sent,
Full fourscore Scots they slew.
As chieftain stout and good;
As valiant captain, all unmoved,
The shock he firmly stood.
As leader ware and tried;
And soon his spearmen on their foes
Bore down on every side.
They dealt full many a wound;
But still our valiant Englishmen
All firmly kept their ground.
They grasped their swords so bright;
And now sharp blows, a heavy shower,
On shields and helmets light.
No slackness there was found;
And many a gallant gentleman
Lay gasping on the ground.
How each one chose his spear,
And how the blood out of their breasts
Did gush like water clear.
Like captains of great might,
Like lions wode, they laid on lode,
And made a cruel fight.
With swords of tempered steel,
Until the blood, like drops of rain,
They trickling down did feel.
“In faith I will thee bring
Where thou shalt high advancèd be
By James, our Scottish king.
And this report of thee,—
Thou art the most courageous knight
That ever I did see.”
“Thy proffer I do scorn;
I will not yield to any Scot
That ever yet was born.”
Out of an English bow,
Which struck Earl Douglas to the heart,—
A deep and deadly blow;
“Fight on, my merry men all;
For why, my life is at an end;
Lord Piercy sees my fall.”
The dead man by the hand;
And said, “Earl Douglas, for thy life
Would I had lost my land.
With sorrow for thy sake;
For sure a more redoubted knight
Mischance did never take.”
Who saw Earl Douglas die,
Who straight in wrath did vow avenge
Upon the Earl Piercy.
Who, with a spear full bright,
Well mounted on a gallant steed,
Ran fiercely through the fight;
Without a dread or fear;
And through Earl Piercy’s body then
He thrust his hateful spear.
He did his body gore,
The staff ran through the other side
A large cloth-yard and more.
Whose courage none could stain.
An English archer then perceived
The noble earl was slain.
Made of a trusty tree;
An arrow of a cloth-yard long
To the hard head haled he.
So right the shaft he set,
The gray goose wing that was thereon
In his heart’s blood was wet.
Till setting of the sun;
For when they rung the evening-bell
The battle scarce was done.
Sir John of Egerton,
Sir Robert Ratcliff, and Sir John,
Sir James, that bold baron.
Both knights of good account,
Good Sir Ralph Raby there was slain,
Whose prowess did surmount.
That ever he slain should be,
For when his legs were hewn in two,
He knelt and fought on his knee.
Sir Hugh Mountgomery,
Sir Charles Murray, that from the field
One foot would never flee;
His sister’s son was he;
Sir David Lamb, so well esteemed,
But saved he could not be.
Did with Earl Douglas die:
Of twenty hundred Scottish spears,
Scarce fifty-five did fly.
Went home but fifty-three;
The rest in Chevy-Chace were slain,
Under the greenwood tree.
Their husbands to bewail;
They washed their wounds in brinish tears,
But all would not prevail.
They bore with them away;
They kissed them dead a thousand times,
Ere they were clad in clay.
Where Scotland’s king did reign,
That brave Earl Douglas suddenly
Was with an arrow slain:
“Scotland can witness be
I have not any captain more
Of such account as he.”
Within as short a space,
That Piercy of Northumberland
Was slain in Chevy-Chace:
“Since ’t will no better be;
I trust I have within my realm
Five hundred as good as he:
But I will vengeance take;
I ’ll be revengèd on them all
For brave Earl Piercy’s sake.”
After at Humbledown;
In one day fifty knights were slain
With lords of high renown;
Did many hundreds die:
Thus endeth the hunting of Chevy-Chace,
Made by the Earl Piercy.
With plenty, joy, and peace;
And grant, henceforth, that foul debate
’Twixt noblemen may cease.