With that, there came an arrow keene Out of an English bow, Which struck Erle Douglas to the heart, A deep and deadly blow:
Who never spake more words than these, ‘Fight on, my merry men all; For why, my life is at an end; Lord Percy sees my fall.’
Then leaving life, Erle Percy tooke The dead man by the hand; And said, ‘Erle Douglas, for thy life Wold I had lost my land!
O Christ! my very heart doth bleed With sorrow for thy sake, For sure, a more redoubted knight Mischance could never take.’
A knight amongst the Scots there was, Which saw Erle Douglas dye, Who straight in wrath did vow revenge Upon the Lord Percye.
Sir Hugh Mountgomery was he called Who, with a speare most bright, Well-mounted on a gallant steed, Ran fiercely through the fight,
And past the English archers all, Without or dread or feare, And through Erle Percy's body then He thrust his hateful speare.
With such a vehement force and might He did his body gore, The staff ran through the other side A large cloth-yard, and more.
So thus did both these nobles dye, Whose courage none could staine! An English archer then perceived The noble Erle was slaine:
He had a bow bent in his hand, Made of a trusty tree; An arrow of a cloth-yard long Up to the head drew he;