Part 2 / Book 6 — 126. Durham Field

I Lordings, listen, and hold you still; Hearken to me a spell; I shall you tell of the fairest battell That ever in England befell. II It befell in Edward the Third’s dayes, When in England he ware the crowne, That all the chief chivalry of England They buskèd[1023] and made them bowne[1024]. III They have chosen all the best archers That in England might be found, And all was to fight with the King of France, Within a litle stounde[1025]. IV And when our King was over the water, And on the salt sea gone, Then tydings into Scotland came That all England was gone. V Bowes and arrowes they all were forth; At home was not left a man But shepards and millers both, And preists with shaven crownes. VI Then the King of Scotts in a study stood, As he was a man of great might; He sware he would hold his parlament in leeve[1026] London, If he cold ryde there right. VII Then bespake a Squire, of Scottland borne, And sayd, ‘My leege, ha’ peace, Before you come to leeve London, Full sore you’le rue that race. VIII ‘Ther beene bold yeomen in merry England, Husbandmen stiffe and strong; Sharpè swords they done weare, Bearen bowes and arrowes longe.’ IX The King was angrye at that word; A long sword out he drew, And there before his royall companye His ownè Squire hee slew. X Hard hansell[1027] had the Scottes that day, That wrought them woe enoughe, For a Scott then durst not speake a word Ffor hanging att a boughe. XI ‘The Earle of Anguish[1028], where art thou? In my coate-armour thou shalt bee, And thou shalt lead the forward Thorow the English countrye. XII ‘Take thee Yorke,’ then sayd the King, ‘In stead wheras it doth stand; I’le make thy eldest sonne after thee Heyre of all Northumberland. XIII ‘The Earle of Buchan, where be yee? In my coate-armour thou shalt bee; The high Peak and all Darbyshire I give it thee to thy fee.’ XIV The famous Douglas then came in, Saies, ‘What shall my meede bee? And I will lead the vanward, lord, Thorow the English countrye.’ XV ‘Take thee Worster,’ sayd the King, ‘Tuxburye, Killingworth, Burton on Trent; Doe thou not say another day But I gave thee lands and rent. XVI ‘Sir Richard of Edenborrow, where are yee? A wise man in this warr! I’le give thee Bristow and the shire The time that wee come there. XVII ‘Thou, my lord Nevill, where art thou? Thou must in this warres bee; I’le give thee Shrewsburye,’ saies the King, ‘And Coventrye faire and free. XVIII ‘My lord of Hambleton[1029], where art thou? Thou art of my kin full nye; I’le give thee Lincolne and Lincolneshire, And that’s enoughe for thee.’ XIX By then came in William Douglas, As breeme[1030] as any bore; He kneelèd him downe upon his knees, In his heart he sighèd sore. XX ‘I have servèd you, my lovelye liege, This thirty winters and four, And in the Scottish Marches Have beene wounded and beaten sore. XXI ‘For all the good service that I have done, What now shall my meed bee? And I will lead the vanward Thorow the English countrye.’ XXII ‘Now aske on, Douglas,’ said the King, ‘And granted it shall bee.’— ‘Why then, I aske litle London,’ saies Douglas, ‘Gotten gif that it bee.’ XXIII The King was wroth, and rose away, Saies, ‘Nay, that cannot bee! For that I will keepe for my cheefe chamber, Gotten gif that it bee. XXIV ‘But take thee North Wales and Weschester, The countrye all round about, And rewarded thou shalt bee, Of that take thou noe doubt.’ XXV Five score knights he made on a day, And dubb’d them with his hands; Rewarded them right worthilye With the townes in merry England. XXVI And when the fresh knights they were made, To battell they buske[1031] them bowne[1032]; Jamès Douglas he went before, And he thought to have wonnen him shoone. XXVII But they were mett in a morning of May With the comminaltye of litle England; But there scapèd never a man away, Through the might of Christès hand. XXVIII But all onely Jamès Douglas; In Durham in the ffeild An arrow stroke him in the thye; Fast flinges he towards the King. XXIX The King looked toward litle Durham, Saies, ‘All things is not weel! For James Douglas beares an arrow in his thye, The head of it is of steele. XXX ‘How now, James?’ then said the King, ‘How now, how may this bee? And where beene all thy merrymen That thou tooke hence with thee?’ XXXI ‘But cease, my King,’ saies James Douglas, ‘Alive is not left a man!’ ‘Now by my faith,’ saies the King of Scotts, ‘That gate was evil gone. XXXII ‘But I’le revenge thy quarrell well, And of that thou may be fain; For one Scott will beate five Englishmen, If they meeten them on the plaine.’ XXXIII ‘Now hold your tongue,’ saies James Douglas, ‘For in faith that is not soe; For one English man is worth five Scotts, When they meeten together thoe[1033]. XXXIV ‘For they are as eager men to fight As a faulcon upon a prey; Alas! if ever they winne the vanward, There scapes noe man away.’ XXXV ‘O peace thy talking,’ said the King, ‘They bee but English knaves, But shepards and millers both, And priestès with their staves.’ XXXVI The King sent forth one of his heralds of armes To vew the Englishmen: ‘Be of good cheere,’ the herald said, ‘For against one we be ten.’ XXXVII ‘Who leads those lads?’ said the King of Scotts, ‘Thou herald, tell thou mee’: The herald said, ‘The Bishop of Durham Is captaine of that companye. XXXVIII ‘For the Bishop hath spred the King’s banner, And to battell he buskes him bowne’; ‘I sweare by St Andrewes bones,’ saies the King, ‘I’le rapp that priest on the crowne!’ XXXIX The King look’d towards litle Durham, And that hee well beheld, That the Earle Percy was well arm’d, With his battell-axe entred the feild. XL The King look’d again towards litle Durham, Four ancyents[1034] there saw he; There were two standards, six in a valley, He cold not see them with his eye. XLI My Lord of Yorke was one of them, My Lord of Carlile was the other, And my Lord Fitzwilliams, The Bishop came with the other. XLII The Bishop of Durham commanded his men, And shortlye he them bade, That never a man shold goe to fight Till he had served his God. XLIII Five hundred priests said mass that day In Durham in the field, And afterwards, as I hard say, They bare both spear and shield. XLIV The Bishop orders himselfe to fight, With his battell-axe in his hand; He said, ‘This day now I will fight As long as I can stand!’ XLV ‘And soe will I,’ sayd my Lord of Carlile, ‘In this faire morning gay’; ‘And soe will I,’ said my Lord Fitzwilliams, ‘For Mary, that mild may[1035].’ XLVI Our English archers bent their bowes Shortly and anon; They shot over the Scottish oast And scantly toucht a man. XLVII ‘Hold downe your hands,’ sayd the Bishop of Durham, ‘My archers good and true’! The second shootè that they shott, Full sore the Scots it rue. XLVIII The Bishop of Durham spoke on hie, That both partyes might heare: ‘Be of good cheere, my merrymen all, They flyen and changen their cheere!’ XLIX But as they saidden, see they didden, They fell on heapès hie; Our Englishmen laid on with their bowes, As fast as they might drie. L The King of Scotts in a study stood Amongst his companye; An arrow stoke him thoro’ the nose, And thoro’ his armorye. LI The King went to a marsh-side And light beside his steede; He leanèd him downe on his swordhilts, To let his nosè bleede. LII There follow’d him a yeaman of merry England, His name was John of Coplande: ‘Yeeld thee, traytor!’ saies Coplande then, ‘Thy life lies in my hand.’ LIII ‘How shold I yeeld me,’ sayes the King, ‘And thou art noe gentleman?’— ‘Noe, by my troth,’ sayes Copland there, ‘I am but a poore yeaman. LIV ‘What art thou better then I, Sir King? Tell me if that thou can! What art thou better then I, Sir King, Now we be but man to man?’ LV The King smote angerly at Copland, Angerly in that stonde; Then Copland was a bold yeaman, And bore the King to the ground. LVI He sett the King on a palfrey, Himselfe upon a steede; He tooke him by the bridle-rayne, Towards London he can him lead. LVII And when to London that he came, The King from Ffrance was come home, And there unto the King of Scotts He sayd these words anon.— LVIII ‘How like you my shepards and my millers? My priests with shaven crownes?’— ‘By my fayth, they are the sorest fighters That ever I mett on the ground. LIX ‘There was never a yeaman in merry England But was worth a Scottish knight.’— ‘Ay, by my troth,’ said King Edward, and laughe, ‘For you fought all against the right.’ LX But now the prince of merry England, Worthilye under his sheelde, Hath taken captive the King of France, At Poytiers in the field. LXI The prince did present his father With the lovely King of France, And forward of his journey he is gone: God send us all good chance! LXII Sayd the King of Scots to the King of France, ‘Well met, brother, too soone! Christ leeve that I had taken my way Unto the court of Roome!’ LXIII ‘And soe wold I,’ said the King of France, ‘When I came over the streame, That I had taken my journey Unto Jerusalem!’ LXIV Thus ends the battell of fair Durham, In one morning of May; The battells of Cressey and of Poytiers, All within one monthes day. LXV Then was wealthe and welfare in merry England, Solaces, game, and glee, And every man loved other well, And the King loved good yeomanrye. LXVI But God that made the grasse to growe, And leaves on greenwoode tree, Now save and keepe our noble King, And maintaine good yeomanrye!