"[Holde] the, Persè," sayde the Doglas,
"And i' feth I shall the brynge
Wher thowe shalte have a yerls wagis35
Of Jamy our [Scottish] kynge.
"Thoue shalte have thy ransom fre,
I hight the hear this thinge,
For the manfullyste man yet art thowe,
That ever I conqueryd in filde fightyng."40
"Nay," sayd the lord Persè,
"I tolde it the beforne,
That I wolde never yeldyde be
To no man of a woman born."
With that ther cam [an arrowe] hastely,45
Forthe off a myghttè wane;
Hit hathe strekene the yerle Duglas
In at the brest bane.
Throroue lyvar and longs, bathe
The sharp arrowe ys gane,50
That never after in all his lyffe-days,
He spayke mo wordes but ane:
That was, "Fyghte ye, my myrry men, whyllys ye may,
For my lyff-days ben gan."
The Persè leanyde on his brande,55
And sawe the Duglas de;
He tooke the dede mane be the hande,
And sayd, "Wo ys me for the!
"To have savyde thy lyffe, I wolde have pertyde with
My landes for years thre,60
For a better man, of hart nare of hande,
Was not in all the north contrè."
Off all that se a Skottishe knyght,
Was callyd Sir Hewe the Monggonbyrry;
He sawe the Duglas to the deth was dyght,65
He spendyd a spear, a trusti tre:—
He rod uppon a corsiare
Throughe a hondrith archery:
He never stynttyde, nar never blane,
Tyll he cam to the good lord Persè.70