thereof came to Newcastle.  The Scots came to the gates of Durham and scrimmished there; but they tarried not long but returned, as they had ordained before to do, and that they found by the way took and destroyed it.  Between Durham and Newcastle is but twelve leagues English and a good country:  there was no town, without it were closed, but it was brent, and they repassed the river of Tyne where they had passed before, and then came before Newcastle and there rested.  All the English knights and squires of the country of York and bishopric of Durham were assembled at Newcastle, and thither came the seneschal of York, sir Ralph Lumley, sir Matthew Redman, captain of Berwick, sir Robert Ogle, sir Thomas Grey, sir Thomas Holton, sir John Felton, sir John Lilleburn, sir Thomas Abingdon, the baron of Hilton, sir John Coppledike and divers other, so that the town was so full of people that they wist not where to lodge.

When these three Scottish earls who were chief captains had made their enterprise in the bishopric of Durham and had sore overrun the country, then they returned to Newcastle and there rested and tarried two days, and every day they scrimmished.  The earl of Northumberland’s two sons were two young lusty knights and were ever foremost at the barriers to scrimmish.  There were many proper feats of arms done and achieved:  there was fighting hand to hand:  among other there fought hand to hand the earl Douglas and sir Henry Percy, and by force of arms the earl Douglas won the pennon of sir Henry Percy’s, wherewith he was sore displeased and so were all the Englishmen.  And the earl Douglas said to sir Henry Percy:  ’Sir, I shall bear this token of your prowess into Scotland and shall set it on high on my castle of Dalkeith, that it may be seen far off,’ ‘Sir,’ quoth sir Henry, ’ye may be sure ye shall not pass the bounds of this country till ye be met withal in such wise that ye shall make none avaunt thereof,’ ‘Well, sir,’ quoth the earl Douglas, ’come this night to my lodging and seek for your pennon:  I shall set it before my lodging and see if ye will come to take it away.’  So then it was late, and the Scots withdrew to their lodgings and refreshed them with such as they had.  They had flesh enough:  they made that night good watch, for they thought surely to be awaked for the words they had spoken, but they were not, for sir Henry Percy was counselled not so to do.

The next day the Scots dislodged and returned towards their own country, and so came to a castle and a town called Pontland, whereof sir Edmund of Alphel was lord, who was a right good knight.  There the Scots rested, for they came thither betimes, and understood that the knight was in his castle.  Then they ordained to assail the castle, and gave a great assault, so that by force of arms they won it and the knight within it.  Then the town and castle was brent; and from thence the Scots went to the town and castle of Otterburn, an eight English mile from Newcastle[2]