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The only battle wherein an Earl of Douglas was slain fighting with a Percy was that of Otterbourne, which is the subject of this ballad. It is here related with the allowable partiality of an English poet, and much in the same manner as it is recorded in the English Chronicles. The Scottish writers have, with a partiality at least as excusable, related it no less in their own favour. Luckily we have a very circumstantial narrative of the whole affair from Froissart, a French historian, who appears to be unbiassed. Froissart's relation is prolix; I shall therefore give it, with a few corrections, as abridged by Carte, who has, however, had recourse to other authorities, and differs from Froissart in some things, which I shall note in the margin.

In the twelfth year of Richard II., 1388, "The Scots taking advantage of the confusions of this nation, and falling with a party into the West-marches, ravaged the country about Carlisle, and carried off 300 prisoners. It was with a much greater force, headed by some of the principal nobility, that, in the beginning of August,212 they invaded Northumberland; and, having wasted part of the county of Durham,213 advanced to the gates of Newcastle; where, in a skirmish, they took a 'penon' or colours214 belonging to Henry lord Percy, surnamed Hotspur, son to the Earl of Northumberland. In their retreat home, they attacked a castle near Otterbourn: and, in the evening of Aug. 9 (as the English writers say, or rather, according to Froissart, Aug. 15), after an unsuccessful assault were surprised in their camp, which was very strong, by Henry, who at the first onset put them into a good deal of confusion. But James Earl of Douglas rallying his men, there ensued one of the best-fought actions that happened in that age; both armies showing the utmost bravery:215 the earl Douglas himself being slain on the spot;216 the Earl of Murrey mortally wounded; and Hotspur,217 with his brother Ralph Percy, taken prisoners. These disasters on both sides have given occasion to the event of the engagement's being disputed. Froissart (who derives his relation from a Scotch knight, two gentlemen of the same country, and as many of Foix)218 affirming that the Scots remained masters of the field; and the English writers insinuating the contrary. These last maintain that the English had the better of the day: but night coming on, some of the northern lords, coming with the Bishop of Durham to their assistance, killed many of them by mistake, supposing them to be Scots; and the Earl of Dunbar, at the same time falling on another side upon Hotspur, took him and his brother prisoners, and carried them off while both parties were fighting. It is at least certain, that immediately after this battle the Scots engaged in it made the best of their way home: and the same party was taken by the other corps about Carlisle."

Such is the account collected by Carte, in which he seems not to be free from partiality: for prejudice must own that Froissart's circumstantial account carries a great appearance of truth, and he gives the victory to the Scots. He, however, does justice to the courage of both parties; and represents their mutual generosity in such a light, that the present age might edify by the example. "The Englyshmen on the one partye, and Scottes on the other party, are good men of warre, for whan they mete, there is a hard fighte without sparynge. There is no hoo219 betwene them as long as speares, swordes, axes, or dagers wyll endure; but lay on eche upon other: and whan they be well beaten, and that the one party hath obtayned the victory, they than glorifye so in their dedes of armes, and are so joyfull, that suche as be taken, they shall be ransomed or they go out of the felde;220 so that shortely eche of them is so contente with other, that at their departynge curtoysly they will saye, God thanke you. But in fyghtynge one with another there is no playe, nor sparynge." Froissart's Chronicle (as translated by Sir Johan Bourchier Lord Berners), cap. cxlii.

The following Ballad is (in this present edition) printed from an old MS. in the Cotton Library221 (Cleopatra, c. iv.), and contains many stanzas more than were in the former copy, which was transcribed from a MS. in the Harleian Collection [No. 293, fol. 52.] In the Cotton MS. this poem has no title, but in the Harleian copy it is thus inscribed, A songe made in R. 2. his tyme of the battele of Otterburne, betweene Lord Henry Percye earle of Northomberlande and the earle Douglas of Scotlande, Anno 1388.

But this title is erroneous, and added by some ignorant transcriber of after-times: for, 1. The battle was not fought by the Earl of Northumberland, who was absent, but by his son, Sir Henry Percy, Knt., surnamed Hotspur (in those times they did not usually give the title of Lord to an Earl's eldest son). 2. Altho' the battle was fought in Richard II.'s time, the song is evidently of later date, as appears from the poet's quoting the chronicles in Pt. II., ver. 26; and speaking of Percy in the last stanza as dead. It was, however, written in all likelihood as early as the foregoing song, if not earlier. This, perhaps, may be inferred from the minute circumstances with which the story is related, many of which are recorded in no chronicle, and were probably preserved in the memory of old people. It will be observed that the authors of these two poems have some lines in common; but which of them was the original proprietor must depend upon their priority; and this the sagacity of the reader must determine.

[We have here a ballad founded upon a true historical event, in which the writer attempts to be as truthful as his national bias will allow him. In Chevy Chase, Percy is the aggressor, but in the "Battle of Otterburn," Douglas commences the encounter by his action. At the period under notice the king of England (Richard II.) was occupied in dissension with his uncle, the Duke of Gloucester, and the Parliament, while Robert II., King of Scotland, was very old, and his eldest son lame and inactive, so that the Border chieftains were pretty much left to their own devices. The Earl of Fife, a younger son of King Robert, and certain of the great nobles, arranged among themselves that an inroad should be made into England as a reprisal for the injuries the Scotch had at various times sustained from the English, and the expedition was placed under the command of James, Earl of Douglas.

Besides the ballad we are now considering there are metrical accounts of the battle in John Hardyng's Chronicle, Joannes de Fordun's Scoti-Chronicon, and Wyntoun's Orygynal Cronykil of Scotland. In 1857, Robert White published an interesting History of the Battle of Otterburn, fought in 1388, with Memoirs of the Warriors who engaged in that memorable conflict. This book is written in an enthusiastic spirit by one who was born and bred on the Borders, and who kept alive in his soul the true old Border spirit. He listened on his mother's knee to the stanzas of the modern ballad of Chevy Chase, which she chanted to him, and he grew up with a feeling which he retained through life, that Percy and Douglas were far greater men than Napoleon and Wellington.

The exact date of the battle is an open question, for the authorities disagree as to this particular; thus Buchanan fixes it on July 21st, and other writers name, respectively, August 5th, 9th, 10th, 15th, and 19th. White thinks that the battle was fought on the evening of Wednesday and morning of Thursday, 19th and 20th of August, immediately before the full moon. In the year 1388 the new moon fell on the 6th of August, and Douglas is not likely to have chosen a period of dark evenings for his expedition. Another disputed point is the number of men in the Scottish army, under Douglas. Froissart gives the numbers at three or four hundred men-at-arms, and two thousand infantry; Wyntoun, at near seven thousand men; Buchanan, at three hundred horse and two thousand foot, besides servants and attendants; Godscroft, at four thousand horsemen; Ridpath, at three thousand men; and Scott, at three hundred men-at-arms, who, with their followers, made up from a thousand to fifteen hundred men, with two thousand chosen infantry. White makes the following statement as the result of his sifting of the conflicting accounts:—

Men-at-arms	400
Attendants on ditto, footmen, lackeys, and grooms	1,200
Infantry mounted	2,000
Attendants on ditto, boys to take care of horses, sutlers, &c.	3,000
	6,600

It has been supposed that the first part of this ballad down to verse 112 was originally of Scottish manufacture, for two reasons: 1st, because Hume, of Godscroft, refers to "a Scots song," which begins as this does; and 2nd, because haymaking has been over at least a month in England at Lammas, when Scotch husbandmen are still busy "winning their hay." This last reason, however, cannot be considered a very conclusive one, as the seasons must be much alike on the two sides of the Border. The second part is written from a thoroughly English stand-point. The two Scottish versions, viz. the one given by Scott in his Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, and the one in Herd's Collection, are very different from the English ballad.]

Yt felle abowght the Lamasse tyde,

Whan husbonds wynn ther haye,222 The dowghtye Dowglasse bowynd223 hym to ryde, In Ynglond to take a praye:

The yerlle224 of Fyffe,225 withowghten stryffe,5 He bowynd hym over Sulway:226 The grete wolde ever together ryde; That race they may rue for aye.

Over 'Ottercap' hyll they227 came in, And so dowyn by Rodelyffe cragge,10 Upon Grene 'Leyton' they lyghted dowyn, Styrande228 many a stagge:229

And boldely brente230 Northomberlonde, And haryed231 many a towyn; They dyd owr Ynglyssh men grete wrange,23215 To battell that were not bowyn.233

Than spake a berne234 upon the bent,235 Of comforte that was not colde, And sayd, We have brent Northomberlond, We have all welth in holde.20

Now we have haryed all Bamboroweshyre,

All the welth in the worlde have wee;

I rede236 we ryde to Newe Castell, So styll and stalwurthlye.237

Uppon the morowe, when it was daye,25

The standards schone fulle bryght;

To the Newe Castelle the toke the waye,

And thether they cam fulle ryght.

Sir Henry Percy laye at the Newe Castelle,

I telle yow withowtten drede;30

He had byn a march-man238 all hys dayes, And kepte Barwyke upon Twede.

To the Newe Castell when they cam,

The Skottes they cryde on hyght,239 Syr Harye Percy, and thow byste240 within,35 Com to the fylde, and fyght:

For we have brente Northomberlonde,

Thy eritage good and ryght;

And syne my logeyng I have take,241 With my brande dubbyd many a knyght.40

Sir Harry Percy cam to the walles,

The Skottyssh oste for to se;

"And thow hast brente Northomberlond,

Full sore it rewyth242 me.

Yf thou hast haryed all Bambarowe shyre,45

Thow hast done me grete envye;243 For the trespasse thow hast me done, The tone244 of us schall dye."

Where schall I byde the, sayd the Dowglas?

Or where wylte thow come to me?50

"At Otterborne in the hygh way,245 Ther maist thow well logeed be.

The roo246 full rekeles ther sche rinnes,247 To make the game and glee: The fawkon and the fesaunt248 both,55 Amonge the holtes on 'hee.'249250

Ther maist thow have thy welth at wyll,

Well looged ther maist be.

Yt schall not be long, or I com the tyll,"251 Sayd Syr Harry Percye.60

Ther schall I byde the, sayd the Dowglas,

By the fayth of my bodye.

Thether schall I com, sayd Syr Harry Percy;

My trowth I plyght to the.

A pype of wyne he gave them over the walles,65

For soth, as I yow saye:

Ther he mayd the Douglas drynke,

And all hys oste that daye.

The Dowglas turnyd him homewarde agayne,

For soth252 withowghten naye,70 He tooke his logeyng at Oterborne Uppon a Wedyns-day:

And ther he pyght253 hys standerd dowyn, Hys gettyng254 more and lesse, And syne255 he warned hys men to goo75 To chose ther geldyngs gresse.

A Skottysshe knyght hoved256 upon the bent,257 A wache258 I dare well saye: So was he ware259 on the noble Percy In the dawnynge of the daye.80

He prycked260 to his pavyleon dore, As faste as he myght ronne, Awaken, Dowglas, cryed the knyght, For hys love, that syttes yn trone.261

Awaken, Dowglas, cryed the knyght,85

For thow maiste waken wyth wynne:262 Yender have I spyed the prowde Percy, And seven standardes wyth hym.

Nay by my trowth, the Douglas sayed,

It ys but a fayned taylle:90

He durste not loke on my bred263 banner, For all Ynglonde so haylle.264

Was I not yesterdaye at the Newe Castell,

That stonds so fayre on Tyne?

For all the men the Percy hade,95

He cowde not garre265 me ones to dyne.

He stepped owt at hys pavelyon dore,

To loke and it were lesse;

Arraye yow, lordyngs, one and all,

For here bygynnes no peysse.266100

The yerle of Mentaye,267 thow arte my eme,268 The forwarde269 I gyve to the: The yerlle of Huntlay cawte270 and kene, He schall wyth the be.

The lorde of Bowghan271 in armure bryght105 On the other hand he schall be: Lorde Jhonstone, and lorde Maxwell, They to schall be with me.

Swynton fayre fylde upon your pryde

To batell make yow bowen:272110 Syr Davy Scotte, Syr Walter Stewarde, Syr Jhon of Agurstone.

A FYTTE.

The Perssy came byfore hys oste,273 Wych was ever a gentyll knyght, Upon the Dowglas lowde can he crye, I wyll holde that I have hyght:274275

For thow haste brente Northumberlonde.5

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,'27610 And sayd, I have twenty agaynst 'thy' one,277278 Byholde and thow maiste see.

Wyth that the Percye was grevyd sore,

For sothe as I yow saye:

279He lyghted dowyn upon his fote,15 And schoote280 his horsse clene away.

Every man sawe that he dyd soo,

That ryall281 was ever in rowght;282 Every man schoote hys horsse him froo, And lyght hym rowynde abowght.20

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;25

The cronykle wyll not layne:283 Forty thowsande Skottes and fowre That day fowght them agayne.

But when the batell byganne to joyne,

In hast ther came a knyght,30

'Then' letters fayre furth hath he tayne

And thus he sayd full ryght:

My lorde, your father he gretes yow well,

Wyth many a noble knyght;

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.40

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:284

My trowth ys plyght to yonne Skottysh knyght,45

It nedes me not to layne,285 That I schulde byde hym upon thys bent, And I have hys trowth agayne:

And if that I wende off thys grownde

For soth unfoughten awaye,50

He wolde me call but a kowarde knyght

In hys londe another daye.

Yet had I lever286 to be rynde287 and rente, By Mary that mykel maye;288 Then ever my manhod schulde be reprovyd55 Wyth a Skotte another daye.

Wherfore schote, archars, for my sake,

And let scharpe arowes flee:

Mynstrells, playe up for your waryson,289 And well quyt it schall be.60

Every man thynke on hys trewe love,

And marke hym to the Trenite:290 For to God I make myne avowe Thys day wyll I not fle.

The blodye Harte in the Dowglas armes,65

Hys standerde stode on hye;

That every man myght full well knowe:

By syde stode Starres thre.

The whyte Lyon on the Ynglysh parte,

Forsoth as I yow sayne;29170 The Lucetts and the Cressawnts both: The Skotts faught them agayne.292]

Uppon sent Andrewe lowde cane they crye,

And thrysse they schowte on hyght,

And syne marked them one owr Ynglysshe men,75

As I have tolde yow ryght.

Sent George the bryght owr ladyes knyght,

To name they293 were full fayne, Owr Ynglysshe men they cryde on hyght, And thrysse the schowtte agayne.80

Wyth that scharpe arowes bygan to flee,

I tell yow in sertayne;

Men of armes byganne to joyne;

Many a dowghty man was ther slayne.

The Percy and the Dowglas mette,85

That ether of other was fayne;

They schapped294 together, whyll that the swette, With swords of fyne Collayne;295

Tyll the bloode from ther bassonetts296 ranne, As the roke297 doth in the rayne.90 Yelde the to me, sayd the Dowglàs, Or ells thow schalt be slayne:

For I see, by thy bryght bassonet,

Thow arte sum man of myght;

And so I do by thy burnysshed brande,29895 Thow art an yerle, or ells a knyght.299

By my good faythe, sayd the noble Percy,

Now haste thou rede300 full ryght, Yet wyll I never yelde me to the, Whyll I may stonde and fyght.100

They swapped together, whyll that they swette,

Wyth swordes scharpe and long;

Ych on other so faste they beette,

Tyll ther helmes cam in peyses dowyn.

The Percy was a man of strenghth,105

I tell yow in thys stounde,301 He smote the Dowglas at the swordes length, That he felle to the growynde.

The sworde was scharpe and sore can byte,

I tell yow in sertayne;110

To the harte, he cowde hym smyte,

Thus was the Dowglas slayne.

The stonderds stode styll on eke syde,

With many a grevous grone;

Ther the fowght the day, and all the nyght,115

And many a dowghty man was 'slone.'302

Ther was no freke,303 that ther wolde flye, But styffly in stowre304 can stond, Ychone305 hewyng on other whyll they myght drye,306 Wyth many a bayllefull bronde.120

Ther was slayne upon the Skottes syde,

For soth and sertenly,

Syr James a Dowglas ther was slayne,

That daye that he cowde dye.307

The yerlle Mentaye of he was slayne,125

Grysely308 groned uppon the growynd; Syr Davy Scotte, Syr Walter Steward, Syr 'John' of Agurstonne.309

Syr Charlles Morrey in that place,

That never a fote wold flye;130

Sir Hughe Maxwell, a lorde he was,

With the Dowglas dyd he dye.

Ther was slayne upon the Skottes syde,

For soth310 as I yow saye, Of fowre and forty thowsande Scotts135 Went but eyghtene awaye.

Ther was slayne upon the Ynglysshe syde,

For soth and sertenlye,

A gentell knyght, Sir John Fitz-hughe,

Yt was the more petye.140

Syr James Harebotell ther was slayne,

For hym ther hartes were sore,

The gentyll 'Lovelle' ther was slayne,311 That the Percyes standerd bore.

Ther was slayne uppon the Ynglyssh perte,145

For soth as I yow saye;

Of nyne thowsand Ynglyssh men

Fyve hondert cam awaye:

The other were slayne in the fylde,

Cryste kepe ther sowles from wo,150

Seyng ther was so fewe fryndes

Agaynst so many a foo.

Then one the morne they mayd them beeres312 Of byrch, and haysell graye; Many a wydowe with wepyng teyres155 Ther makes313 they fette314 awaye.

Thys fraye bygan at Otterborne,

Bytwene the nyghte and the day:

Ther the Dowglas lost hys lyfe,

And the Percy was lede awaye.315160

Then was ther a Scottyshe prisoner tayne,

Syr Hughe Mongomery was hys name,

For soth as I yow saye,

He borowed the Percy home agayne.316

Now let us all for the Percy praye317165 To Jesu most of myght, To bryng hys sowle to the blysse of heven, For he was a gentyll knyght.

⁂ Most of the names in the two preceding ballads are found to have belonged to families of distinction in the North, as may be made appear from authentic records. Thus in