Then they ha’e saddled twa black horse,
Twa black horse and a gray;
And they are on to king Edward’s host,
Before the dawn of day.
When they arrived before the host,
They hover’d on the lay:
“Wilt thou lend me our king’s standard,
To bear a little way?”
“Where wast thou bred? where wast thou born?
Where, or in what countrie?”
“In north of England I was born;”
(It needed him to lee.)
“A knight me gat, a ladye bore,
I am a squire of high renown;
I well may bear’t to any king
That ever yet wore crown.”
“He ne’er came of an Englishman,
Had sic an e’e or bree;
But thou art the likest Auld Maitland,
That ever I did see.
“But sic a gloom on ae browhead,
Grant I ne’er see again!
For mony of our men he slew,
And mony put to pain.”
When Maitland heard his father’s name,
An angry man was he;
Then, lifting up a gilt dagger,
Hung low down by his knee,
He stabb’d the knight the standard bore,
He stabb’d him cruellie;
Then caught the standard by the neuk,
And fast away rode he.
“Now, is’t na time, brothers,” he cried,
“Now, is’t na time to flee?”
“Ay, by my sooth!” they baith replied,
“We’ll bear you companye.”
The youngest turn’d him in a path,
And drew a burnish’d brand,
And fifteen of the foremost slew,
Till back the lave did stand.