THE BATTLE OF OTTERBURN

How the earl Douglas won the pennon of sir Henry Percy at the barriers
before Newcastle-upon-tyne, and how the Scots brent the castle of
Pontland, and how sir Henry Percy and sir Ralph his brother took
advice to follow the Scots to conquer again the pennon that was lost
at the scrimmish

When the English lords saw that their squire returned not again at the time appointed, and could know nothing what the Scots did, nor what they were purposed to do, then they thought well that their squire was taken.  The lords sent each to other, to be ready whensoever they should hear that the Scots were abroad:  as for their messenger, they thought him but lost.

Now let us speak of the earl Douglas and other, for they had more to do than they that went by Carlisle.  When the earls of Douglas, of Moray, of March, and Dunbar[1] departed from the great host, they took their way thinking to pass the water and to enter into the bishopric of Durham, and to ride to the town and then to return, brenning and exiling the country and so to come to Newcastle and to lodge there in the town in the despite of all the Englishmen.  And as they determined, so they did assay to put it in use, for they rode a great pace under covert without doing of any pillage by the way or assaulting of any castle, tower or house, but so came into the lord Percy’s land and passed the river of Tyne without any let a three leagues above Newcastle not far from Brancepeth, and at last entered into the bishopric of Durham, where they found a good country.  Then they began to make war, to slay people and to bren villages and to do many sore displeasures.

      [1] George, earl of March and Dunbar:  the text gives Mare, but
      there was at this time no earl of Mar.

As at that time the earl of Northumberland and the other lords and knights of that country knew nothing of their coming.  When tidings came to Newcastle and to Durham that the Scots were abroad, and that they might well see by the fires and smoke abroad in the country, the earl sent to Newcastle his two sons and sent commandment to every man to draw to Newcastle, saying to his sons:  ’Ye shall go to Newcastle and all the country shall assemble there, and I shall tarry at Alnwick, which is a passage that they must pass by.  If we may enclose them, we shall speed well.’  Sir Henry Percy and sir Ralph his brother obeyed their father’s commandment and came thither with them of the country.  The Scots rode burning and exiling the country, that the smoke