O heavy News, King James did say,_
    Scotland can Witness be,
  I have not any Captain more
    Of such Account as he.

  Like Tydings to King_ Henry came
    Within as short a Space,
  That Piercy of Northumberland
    Was slain in Chevy-Chase.

  Now God be with him, said our King,
    Sith ’twill no better be,
  I trust I have within my Realm
    Five hundred as good as he.

  Yet shall not_ Scot nor Scotland say
    But I will Vengeance take,
  And be revenged on them all
    For brave Lord Piercy’s Sake.

  This Vow full well the King performed
    After on_ Humble-down,
  In one Day fifty Knights were slain,
    With Lords of great Renown.

  And of the rest of small Account
    Did many Thousands dye,_ &c.

At the same time that our Poet shews a laudable Partiality to his Countrymen, he represents the Scots after a Manner not unbecoming so bold and brave a People.

  Earl Douglas on a milk-white Steed,
     Most like a Baron bold,
  Rode foremost of the Company
     Whose Armour shone like Gold.

His Sentiments and Actions are every Way suitable to an Hero.  One of us two, says he, must dye:  I am an Earl as well as your self, so that you can have no Pretence for refusing the Combat:  However, says he, ’tis Pity, and indeed would be a Sin, that so many innocent Men should perish for our sakes, rather let you and I end our Quarrel [in single Fight. [9]]

  Ere thus I will out-braved be,
     One of us two shall dye;
  I know thee well, an Earl thou art,
     Lord Piercy, so am I.

  But trust me_, Piercy, Pity it were,
     And great Offence, to kill
  Any of these our harmless Men,
     For they have done no Ill.

  Let thou and I the Battle try,
     And set our Men aside;
  Accurst be he, Lord_ Piercy said,
     By whom this is deny’d.

When these brave Men had distinguished themselves in the Battle and a single Combat with each other, in the Midst of a generous Parly, full of heroic Sentiments, the Scotch Earl falls; and with his dying Words encourages his Men to revenge his Death, representing to them, as the most bitter Circumstance of it, that his Rival saw him fall.

  With that there came an Arrow keen
     Out of an English Bow,
  Which struck Earl Douglas to the Heart
     A deep and deadly Blow.

  Who never spoke more Words than these,
     Fight on, my merry Men all,
  For why, my Life is at an End,
     Lord_ Piercy sees my Fall.

Merry Men, in the Language of those Times, is no more than a cheerful Word for Companions and Fellow-Soldiers.  A Passage in the Eleventh Book of Virgil’s AEneid is very much to be admired, where Camilla in her last Agonies instead of weeping over the Wound she had received, as one might have expected from a Warrior of her Sex, considers only (like the Hero of whom we are now speaking) how the Battle should be continued after her Death.