THE Perssy came byfore hys oste,
Wych was ever a gentyll knyght,
Upon the Dowglas lowde can he crye,
I wyll holde that I have hyght:[22]
"For thow haste brente Northumberlonde,
And done me grete envye;
For thys trespasse thou hast me done,
The tone of us schall dye."
The Dowglas answerde hym agayne
With grete wurds up on hee,
And sayd, "I have twenty agaynst thy one,"[23]
Byholde and thow maiste see."
Wyth that the Percye was greved sore,
For sothe as I yow saye:
[24] [He lyghted dowyn upon his fote,
And schoote his horsse clene away.
Every man sawe that he dyd soo,
That ryall was ever in rowght;
Every man schoote hys horsse him froo,
And lyght hym rowynde abowght.
Thus Syr Hary Percye toke the fylde,
For soth, as I yow saye
Jesu Cryste in hevyn on hyght
Dyd helpe hym well that daye.
But nyne thowzand, ther was no moo;
The cronykle wyll not layne
Forty thowsande Skottes and fowre
That day fowght them agayne.
But when the batell byganne to joyne,
In hast ther came a knyght,
Then letters fayre furth hath he tayne,
And thus he sayd full ryght
"My Lorde, your father he gretes yaw well,
Wyth many a noble knight
He desyres yow to byde
That he may see thys fyght.
"The Baron of Grastoke ys com owt of the west,
Wyth hym a noble companye;
All they loge at your fathers thys nyght,
And the Battel fayne wold they see."
"For Jesu's love," sayd Syr Harye Percy,
"That dyed for yow and me,
Wende to my lorde my Father agayne,
And saye thow saw me not with yee:"