BULFINCH'S MYTHOLOGY: THE AGE OF CHIVALRY OR LEGENDS OF KING ARTHUR

by The Age of Chivalry or Legends of King Arthur [Lit]

  And after the dinner they all took their bows, and showed the king such archery that the king said he had never seen such men as they in any foreign land. And then said the king to Robin Hood, "If I could get thee a pardon from King Richard, wouldst thou serve the king well in everything?" "Yes, with all my heart," said Robin. And so said all his men.

  And with that the king declared himself to them, and said, "I am the king, your sovereign, that is now before you." And at this Robin and all his men fell down on their knees; but the king raised them up, saying to them that he pardoned each one of them, and that they should every one of them be in his service. So the king returned to Nottingham, and with him returned Robin Hood and his men, to the great joy of the townspeople, whom they had for a long time sorely vexed.

  "And they are gone to London court, Robin Hood and all his train; He once was there a noble peer, And now he's there again."

  THE DEATH OF ROBIN HOOD.

  But Robin Hood returned to Sherwood Forest, and there met his death. For one day, being wounded in a fight, he fled out of the battle with Little John. And being at some distance, Robin Hood said to his lieutenant, "Now truly I cannot shoot even one shot more, for the arrows will not fly. For I am sore wounded. So I will go to my cousin, the abbess, who dwelleth near here in Kirkley Hall, and she shall bleed me, that I may be well again." So Robin Hood left Little John, and he went his way to Kirkley; and reaching the Hall, his strength nearly left him, yet he knocked heavily at the door. And his cousin came down first to let him in. And when she saw him she knew that it was her cousin Robin Hood, and she received him with a joyful face. Then said Robin, "You see me, my cousin, how weak I am. Therefore I pray you to bleed me, that I may be whole again." And his cousin took him by the hand, and led him into an upper room, and laid him on a bed, and she bled him. But the treacherous woman tied not up the vein again, but left him so that his life began to flow from him. And he, finding his strength leaving him, thought to escape; but he could not, for the door was locked, and the casement window was so high that he might not leap down from it. Then, knowing that he must die, he reached forth his hand to his bugle horn, which lay by him on the bed. And setting the horn to his mouth, be blew weakly, though with all his strength, three blasts upon it. And Little John, as he sat under the tree in the greenwood, heard his blowing, and he said, "Now must Robin be near death, for his blast is very weak."

  And he got up and ran to Kirkley Hall as fast as he might. And coming to the door, he found it locked; but he broke it down, and so came to Robin Hood. And coming to the bed, he fell upon his knees, and said, "Master, I beg a boon of thee,- that thou lettest me burn down Kirkley Hall and all the nunnery." "Nay," quoth Robin Hood; "nay, I cannot grant you your boon; for never in my life did I hurt woman, or man in woman's company, nor shall it be done when I die. But for me, give me my long bow, and I will let fly an arrow, and where you shall find the arrow, there bury me. And make my grave long and broad, that I may rest easily; and place my head upon a green sod, and place my bow at my side." And these words Little John readily promised him, so that Robin Hood was pleased. And they buried him as he had asked, an arrow-shot from Kirkley Hall.

  CHAPTER XXXVI. CHEVY CHASE.

  "The Perse out of Northumberlande, And a vowe to God mayde he, That he wold hunte in the mountayns Off Chyviat within days thre, In the mauger of doughte Dogles, And all that ever with him be." PERCY: Reliques of Ancient Poetry.

  SCARCELY less famous than Robin Hood as a subject for ballad makers was the battle of Chevy Chase. This battle was one of the many struggles rising out of the never-ending border quarrels between Scotland and England, of which poets are never tired of singing. Sometimes the Earl of Douglas, the great Scotch border-lord, would make an incursion into Northumberland, and then to revenge the insult Lord Percy would come riding over the Tweed into Scotland.

  In the battle of Chevy Chase it would seem as if Earl Percy was the aggressor. As a matter of fact it mattered little which began the quarrel at any particular time. The feud was ever smouldering, and needed little to make it burst forth.

  THE BALLAD OF CHEVY CHASE.

  God prosper Long our noble king, Our lives and safetyes all; A woefull hunting once there did In Chevy Chase befall. To drive the deer with hound and horne, Erle Percy took his way, The child may rue that is unborne The hunting of that day. The stout Erle of Northumberland A vow to God did make, His pleasure in the Scottish woods Three summer days to take; The cheefest harts in Chevy Chase To kill and bear away. These tidings to Erle Douglas came, In Scotland where he lay, Who sent Erle Percy present word He would prevent his sport. The English Erle not fearing that, Did to the woods resort, With fifteen hundred bowmen bold; All chosen men of might, Who knew full well in time of neede To ayme their shafts aright. The gallant greyhounds swiftly ran To chase the fallow deere: On Monday they began to hunt Ere daylight did appear; And long before high noon they had An hundred fat buckes slaine; Then having dined the drovyers went To rouse the deer again. The bowmen mustered on the hill, Well able to endure; Their backsides all, with special care, That day were guarded sure. The hounds ran swiftly through the woods, The nimble deere to take, That with their cryes the hills and dales An eccho shrill did make. Lord Percy to the quarry went, To view the slaughtered deer; Quoth he, Erle Douglas promised This day to meet me heere; But if I thought he would not come, Noe longer would I stay. With that a brave young gentleman Thus to the Erle did say:- Loe, yonder doth Erle Douglas come, His men in armour bright; Full twenty hundred Scottish speres All marching in our sight; All men of pleasant Tivydale, Fast by the river Tweede: O cease your sports, Erle Percy said, And take your bowes with speede. And now with me, my countrymen, Your courage forth advance; For there was never champion yett In Scotland or in France, That ever did on horseback come, But if my hap it were, I durst encounter man for man, With him to break a spere. Erle Douglas on his milk-white steede, Most like a baron bold, Rode foremost of his company, Whose armour shone like gold. Show me, sayd he, whose men you be, That hunt so boldly heere, That without my consent doe chase And kill my fallow deere. The first man that did answer make Was noble Percy he; Who sayd, We list not to declare, Nor show whose men we be. Yet we will spend our deerest blood, Thy cheefest harts to slay. The Douglas swore a solempne oathe, And thus in rage did say, Ere thus I will outbraved be, One of us two shall dye: I know thee well an erle thou art; Lord Percy, soe am I. But trust me, Percy, pittye it were And great offence to kill Any of these our guiltless men, For they have done no ill. Let thou and I the battell trye, And set our men aside. Accurst be he, Erle Percy sayd, By whom this is denyed. Then stept a gallant squier forth, Witherington was his name, Who said, I wold not have it told To Henry our king for shame, That ere my captaine fought on foot And I stood looking on. You be two erles, sayd Witherington, And I a squier alone: Ile doe the best that doe I may, While I have power to stand: While I have power to wield my sword, Ile fight with hart and hand. Our English archers bent their bowes Their harts were good and trew; At the first flight of arrowes sent, Full fourscore Scots they slew. Yet bides Erle Douglas on the bent, As cheeftain stout and good, As valiant captain, all unmoved, The shock he firmly stood. His host he parted had in three, As leader ware and tryd, And soon his spearmen on his foes Bare down on every side. To drive the deere with hound and horne, Douglas bade on the bent: Two captaines moved with mickle might Their speares to shivers went. Throughout the English archery They dealt full many a wound; But still our valiant Englishmen All firmly kept their ground: And throwing straight their bowes away, They grasped their swords so bright: And now sharp blows, a heavy shower, On shields and helmets light. They closed full fast on every side, No slackness there was found; And many a gallant gentleman Lay gasping on the ground. O Christ! it was a griefe to see, And likewise for to heare, The cries of men lying in their gore, And scattered here and there. At last these two stout erles did meet, Like captaines of great might; Like lyons wood, they layd on lode And made a cruell fight: They fou
ght until they both did sweat, With swords of tempered steele; Until the blood, like drops of rain, They trickling down did feele. Yield thee, Lord Percy, Douglas sayd; In faith I will thee bringe, Where thou shalt high advanced be By James our Scottish king: Thy ransome I will freely give, And this report of thee: Thou art the most courageous knight That ever I did see. Noe, Douglas, quoth Erle Percy then, Thy proffer I do scorne; I will not yield to any Scott, That ever yet was borne. With that there came an arrow keene, Out of an English bow, Which struck Erle Douglas to the heart, A deepe 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 liffe, Erle Percy tooke The dead man by the hand; And said, Erle Douglas, for thy life Wold I have lost my land. O Christ, my very hart doth bleed With sorrow for thy sake; For sure a more redoubted knight Mischance cold never take. A knight among the Scotts there was Who saw Erle Douglas dye, Who streight in wrath did vow revenge Upon the Lord Percy. Sir Hugh Montgomery was he called, Who, with a spear most bright, Well mounted on a gallant steed, Ran fiercely through the fight; And past the English archers all, Without all dread and feare; And through Earl Percy's body then He thrust his hatefull speare; With such a vehement force and might He did his body gore, The staff ran through the other side A large cloth-yard or 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: Against Sir Hugh Montgomery, So right the shaft he sett, The grey goose-wing that was thereon, In his hart's blood was wett. This fight did last from break of day Till setting of the sun; For when they rang the evening-bell The battle scarce was done. With stoute Erle Percy there was slaine Sir John of Egerton, Sir Robert Ratcliff, and Sir John, Sir James that bold barron: And with Sir George and stoute Sir James Both knights of good account, Good Sir Ralph Raby there was slaine, Whose prowese did surmount. For Witherington my hart is woe, That ever he slain should be; For when his legs were hewn in two He knelt and fought on his knee. And with Erle Douglas there was slaine Sir Hugh Montgomery, Sir Charles Murray, that from the field One foot wold never flee. Sir Charles Murray, of Ratcliff too, His sister's sonne was he; Sir David Lamb, so well esteem'd, Yet saved cold not be, And the Lord Maxwell in like case Did with Erle Douglas dye: Of twenty hundred Scottish speres Scarce fifty-five did flye. Of fifteen hundred Englishmen, Went home but fifty-three; The rest were slaine in Chevy Chase, Under the greene woode tree. Next day did many widowes come, Their husbands to bewayle; They washed their wounds in brinish teares, But all wold not prevayle. Theyr bodyes, bathed in purple gore, They bore with them away; They kist them dead a thousand times, Ere they were cladd in clay. The newes was brought to Eddenborrow, Where Scotland's king did raigne, That brave Erle Douglas suddenlye Was with an arrow slaine. O heavy newes, King James did say, Scotland may 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 Percy of Northumberland Was slaine in Chevy Chase: Now God be with him, said the king, Sith it will noe better be; I trust I have within my realme, Five hundred as good as he. Yet shall not Scotts nor Scotland say, But I will vengeance take; Ile be revenged on them all For brave Erle Percy's sake. This vow full well the king performed After at Humbledowne; In one day fifty knights were slaine, With lords of great renowne; And of the rest of small account, Did many thousands dye: Thus ended the hunting of Chevy Chase Made by the Erle Percy. God save our king, and bless this land With plentye, joy, and peace; And grant henceforth that foule debate 'Twixt noblemen may cease.

  CHAPTER XXXVII. THE BATTLE OF OTTERBOURNE.

  It fell about a Lamass-tide, When husbands wynn their hay, The doughty Douglas bound him to ride In England to take a pray.

  ANOTHER famous battle in the border-warfare between England and Scotland was fought at Otterbourne. This is a town in Northumberland, and here, as in Chevy Chase, the Douglas and the Percy matched their strength. Earl Douglas was killed in the fight, and Sir Henry Percy, called Hotspur, was taken prisoner. The story as it is told here is from the works of that most entertaining and long-winded historian of chivalry, Sir John Froissart.

  We begin in medias res with a Scotch foray, in which the Douglas, with the earl of March and Dunbar and the earl of Moray, has penetrated as far into England as the city of Durham and is now returning to Scotland.

  The three Scots lords, having completed the object of their expedition into Durham, lay before Newcastle three days, where there was an almost continual skirmish. The sons of the earl of Northumberland, from their great courage, were always the first at the barriers, where many valiant deeds were done with lances hand to hand. The earl of Douglas had a long conflict with Sir Henry Percy, and in it, by gallantry of arms, won his pennon, to the great vexation of Sir Henry and the other English. The earl of Douglas said, "I will carry this token of your prowess with me to Scotland, and place it on the tower of my castle at Dalkeith, that it may be seen from afar." "By Heaven, Earl of Douglas," replied Sir Henry, "you shall not even bear it out of Northumberland: be assured you shall never have this pennon to brag of." "You must come then," answered Earl Douglas, "this night and seek for it. I will fix your pennon before my tent, and shall see if you will venture to take it away."

  As it was now late the skirmish ended, and each party retired to their quarters to disarm and comfort themselves. They had plenty of everything, particularly flesh meat. The Scots kept up a very strict watch, concluding from the words of Sir Henry Percy they should have their quarters beaten up this night; they were disappointed, for Sir Henry Percy was advised to defer it.

  On the morrow the Scots dislodged from before Newcastle; and, taking the road to their own country, they came to a town and castle called Ponclau, of which Sir Raymond de Laval, a very valiant knight of Northumberland, was the lord. They halted there about four o'clock in the morning, as they learned the knight to be within it, and made preparations for the assault. This was done with such courage that the place was won, and the knight made prisoner. After they had burnt the town and castle, they marched away for Otterbourne, which was eight English leagues from Newcastle, and there encamped themselves, This day they made no attack; but very early on the morrow their trumpets sounded, and they made ready for the assault, advancing towards the castle, which was tolerably strong, and situated among the marshes. They attacked it so long and so unsuccessfully that they were fatigued, and therefore sounded a retreat. When they had retired to their quarters, the chiefs held a council how to act; and the greater part were for decamping on the morrow, without attempting more against the castle, to join their countrymen in the neighborhood of Carlisle. But the earl of Douglas overruled this by saying, "In despite of Sir Henry Percy, who the day before yesterday declared he would take from me his pennon, that I conquered by fair deeds of arms before Newcastle, I will not return home for two or three days; and we will renew our attack on the castle, for it is to be taken: we shall thus gain double honor, and see if within that time he will come for his pennon; if he do it shall be well defended." Every one agreed to what Earl Douglas had said; for it was not only honorable, but he was the principal commander; and from affection to him they quietly returned to their quarters. They made huts of trees and branches, and strongly fortified themselves. They placed their baggage and servants at the entrance of the marsh on the road to Newcastle, and the cattle they drove into the marsh lands.

  I will return to Sir Henry and Sir Ralph Percy, who were greatly mortified that the earl of Douglas should have conquered their pennon in the skirmish before Newcastle. They felt the more for this disgrace because Sir Henry had not kept his word; for he had told the earl that he should never carry his pennon out of England, and this he explained to the knights who were with him in Newcastle. The English imagined the army under the earl of Douglas to be only the van of the Scots, and that the main body was behind; for which reason
those knights who had the most experience in arms, and were best acquainted with war-like affairs, strongly opposed the proposal of Sir Henry Percy to pursue them. They said, "Sir, many losses happen in war: if the earl of Douglas has won your pennon he has bought it dear enough; for he has come to the gates to seek it, and has been well fought with. Another time you will gain from him as much if not more. We say so, because you know as well as we do that the whole power of Scotland has taken the field. We are not sufficiently strong to offer them battle; and perhaps this skirmish may have been only a trick to draw us out of the town; and if they be, as reported, forty thousand strong, they will surround us, and have us at their mercy. It is much better to lose a pennon than two or three hundred knights and squires, and leave our country in a defenceless state." This speech checked the eagerness of the two brothers Percy, for they would not act contrary to the opinion of the council, when other news was brought them by some knights and squires who had followed and observed the Scots, their numbers, disposition, and where they had halted. This was all fully related by knights who had traversed the whole extent of country the Scots had passed through, that they might carry to their lords the most exact information. They thus spoke: "Sir Henry and Sir Ralph Percy, we come to tell you that we have followed the Scottish army, and observed all the country where they now are. They first halted at Ponclau, and took Sir Raymond de Laval in his castle; thence they went to Otterbourne, and took up their quarters for the night. We are ignorant of what they did on the morrow, but they seem to have taken measures for a long stay. We know for certain that their army does not consist of more than three thousand men, including all sorts." Sir Henry Percy on hearing this was greatly rejoiced, and cried out, "To horse! to horse! for by the faith I owe my God, and to my lord and father, I will seek to recover my pennon and to beat up their quarters this night." Such knights and squires in Newcastle as learned this were willing to be of the party, and made themselves ready.