The Perssy came byfore hys oste,
Wych was ever a gentyll knyght;
Upon the Dowglas lowde can he crye,
"I wyll holde that I have hyght.
"For thow haste brente Northumberlonde,5
And done me grete envye;
For thys trespasse thou hast me done,
The tone of us schall dye."
The Dowglas answerde hym agayne
With grete wurds up on hye,10
And sayd, "I have twenty agaynst the one,
Byholde, and thow maiste see."
Wyth that the Percye was grevyd sore,
For sothe as I yow saye;
[He lyghted dowyn upon his fote,]15
And schoote his horsse clene away.
Every man sawe that he dyd soo,
That ryall was ever in rowght;
Every man schoote hys horsse him froo,
And lyght hym rowynde abowght.20
Thus Syr Hary Percye toke the fylde,
For soth, as I yow saye;
Jesu Cryste in hevyn on hyght
Dyd helpe hym well that daye.
But nyne thowzand, ther was no moo,25
The cronykle wyll not layne;
Forty thowsande Skottes and fowre
That day fowght them agayne.
But when the batell byganne to joyne,
In hast ther came a knyght;30
'Then' letters fayre 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 byde35
That he may see thys fyght.