Wyth that the Perssye was grevyd sore, For soth, as I yow saye: He lyghted dowyn upon hys foote, And schoote his horsse clene away.
Every man sawe that he dyd soo, That rall was ever in rowght; Every man schoote hys horsse hym froo, And lyght hym rowynde abowght.
This syr Harye Perssye toke the fylde, For soth, as I yow saye: Jesu Cryste in heven on hyght Dyd helpe hym well that daye.
But nyne thowsande, ther was no moo; The cronykle wyll not layne: Forty thowsande Skottes and fowre That day fowght them agayne.
But when the battell byganne to joyne, In hast ther cam a knyght, The letters fayr 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 battell fayne wolde they see.
For Jesus love, sayd syr Harye Perssye, That dyed for yow and me, Wende to my lorde my father agayne, And saye thow sawe me not wyth yee.
My trowth ys plyght to yonne Skottysh knyght, Yt nedes me not to layne, That I schulde byde hym upon thys bent, And I have hys trowth agayne:
And yf that I wynde off thys growende, For soth onfowghten awaye, He wolde me call but a kowarde knyght Yn hys londe another daye.
Yet had I lever to be rynde and rente, By Mary that mykell maye, Then ever my manhood schulde be reprovyd, Wyth a Skotte another daye.
Wherfore, schote, archars, for my sake, And let scharpe arowes flee: Mynstrells, playe up for your waryson, And well quyt yt schall be.
Every man thynke on hys trewe love, And marke hym to the Trenite: For to God I make myne avowe This daye wyll I not fle.
The blodye harte yn the Dowglas armes,[39] Hys standerde stode on hye; That every man myght full well knowe, By syde stode starres thre.
The whyte lyon on the Ynglyssh perte, Forsoth as I yow sayne; The lucettes and the ‘cressawntes’ both; The Skottes fowght them agayne.
Upon sent Andrewe lowde can they crye, And thrysse they schowte on ayght, And syne marked them one owr Ynglysshe men, As I have tolde yow ryght.
Sent George the bryght, owr ladyes knyght, To name they were full fayne; Owr Ynglisshe men they cryde on hyght, And thrysse the schowtte agayne.