4
And, without my conſent, do chace,
and kill my fallow deer?
The firſt that him did answer make,
was noble Percy, he
Did ſay, we lift not to declare,
or ſhew whoſe men we be;
For we will ſpend our deareſt blood,
the chiefeſt harts to ſlay,
Then Douglas ſwore a ſolemn oath,
and thus in rage did ſay:
Ere thus I will out braved be,
one of us two ſhall die;
I know thee well, an earl thou art,
Lord Percy: ſo am I.
But truſt me, Percy, pity 'twere,
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 for our men aſide.
Accurſt be he, Lord Percy ſaid,
by whom this is denied.
Then ſtept a gallant ſquire forth,
Witherington was his name,
Who ſaid, I would not have it told
to Henry, our king, for ſhame.
That e'er my captain fought on foot,
and I ſtood looking on;
You are two earls, ſaid Witherington,
and I a ſquire alone:
I'll do the beſt that I can do,
while I have ſtrength to ſtand,
Or I have power to wield my ſword,
I'll fight with heart and hand,
