Ther was slayne upon the Skottes syde,
For soth as I yow saye,
Of fowre and forty thowsande Scotts
Went but eyghtene awaye.
Ther was slayne upon the Englysshe syde,
For soth and sertentye,
A gentell knyght, Sir John Fitz-hughe,
Yt was the more petye.
Syr James Harbotell ther was slayne,
For hym ther hartes were sore,
The gentyll Lovelle ther was slayne,
That the Percyes standerd bore.
Ther was slayne uppon the Ynglyssh perte,
For soth as I yow saye;
Of nyne thowsand Ynglyssh men
Fyve hondert cam awaye:
The other were slayne in the felde,
Cryste kepe their sowles from wo,
Seyng ther was so fewe fryndes
Agaynst so many a foo.
Then one[32] the morne they mayd them beeres
Of byrch, and haysell graye;
Many a wydowe with wepyng teyres
Ther makes they fette awaye.
Thys fraye bygan at Otterborne,
Bytwene the nyghte and the day:
Ther the Dowglas lost hys lyfe,
And the Percy was lede awaye.[33]
Then was ther a Scottyshe prisoner tayne,
Syr Hughe Mongomery was hys name,
For soth as I yow saye,
He borowd the Percy home agayne.[34]
Now let us all for the Percy praye
To Jesu most of myght,
To bryng hys sowle to the blysse of heven,
For he was a gentyll knyght.
NOTES
- Froissart speaks of both parties (consisting in all of more than 40,000 men) as
entering England at the same time; but the greater part by way of Carlisle. - And, according to the ballad, that part of Northumberland called Bamboroughshire;
a large tract of land so named from the town and castle of Bamborough, formerly the
residence of the Northumbrian kings.