Читать книгу Story-Telling Ballads. Selected and Arranged for Story-Telling and Reading Aloud and for the Boys' and Girls' Own Reading онлайн

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“Ere thus I will outbraved bee,

One of us tow shall dye!

I know thee well! an Erle thou art,

Lord Percy! Soe am I;

“But trust me, Percye, pittye it were,

And great offence, to kill

Then any of these our guiltlesse men,

For they have done none ill;

“Let thou and I the battell trye,

And set our men aside.”

“Accurst bee he!” Erle Percy sayd,

“By whome it is denyed.”

Then stept a gallant Squire forth,—

Witherington was his name,—

Who said, “I wold not have it told

To Henery our King, for shame,

“That ere my captaine fought on foote,

And I stand looking on:

You bee two Erles,” quoth Witherington,

“And I a Squier alone,

“Ile doe the best that doe I may,

While I have power to stand!

While I have power to weeld my sword,

Ile fight with hart and hand!”

Our English archers bend their bowes—

Their harts were good and trew,—

Att the first flight of arrowes sent,

Full foure score Scotts they slew.

To drive the deere with hound and horne,

Douglas bade on the bent;

Two captaines moved with mickle might