General Notes

Name Suffix:<NSFX> 2nd Earl of Douglas
Alias:<ALIA> The Black /Douglas/
It fell about the Lammas tide / Battle Of OtterbourneBattle Of Otterbourne
Melody -
Ballad from: Child, vol. vi
It fellabout the Lammas tide,
When the muir-men win their hay,
The doughty Douglasbound him to ride
Into England, to drive a prey.
2. He chose the Gordons andthe Graemes,
With them the Lindesays, light and gay;
But the Jardines wald nor with him ride,
And they rue it to this day.
3. And he has burn'd the dales of Tyne,
And part of Bambrough shire:
And three good towers on Reidswire fells,
He left them all on fire.
4. And he march'd up to Newcastle,
And rodeit round about:
"O wha's the lord of this castle?
Or wha's the lady o't ?"
5. But up spake proud Lord Percy then,
And O but he spake hie!
"I am the lordof this castle,
My wife's the lady gaye."
6. "If thou'rt the lord of this castle,
Sae weel it pleases me!
For, ere I cross the Border fells,
The tane of us sall die."
7. He took a lang spear in his hand,
Shod with the metal free,
And for to meet the Douglas there,
He rode right furiouslie.
8. But O how pale his lady look'd,
Frae aff the castle wa',
When down, before the Scottish spear,
She saw proud Percy fa'.
9. "Had we twa been upon the green,
Andnever an eye to see,
I wad hae had you, flesh and fell;
But your sword sall gae wi' mee."
10. "But gae ye up to Otterbourne,
And wait there dayis three;
And, if I come not ere three day is end,
A fause knight ca' ye me."
11. "The Otterbourne's a bonnie burn;
'Tis pleasant there to be;
But there is noughtat Otterbourne,
To feed my men and me.
12. "The deer rins wild on hill anddale,
The birds fly wild from tree to tree;
But there is neither bread nor kale,
To feed my men and me.
13. "Yet I will stay it Otterbourne,
Where you shall welcome be;
And, if ye come not at three day is end,
A fause lord I'll ca' thee."
14. "Thither will I come," proud Percy said,
"By the might of OurLadye!" -
"There will I bide thee," said the Douglas,
"My troth I plight to thee."
15. They lighted high on Otterbourne,
Upon the bent sae brown;
They lighted high on Otterbourne,
And threw their pallions down.
16. And he that had a bonnie boy,
Sent out his horse to grass,
And he that had not a bonnie boy,
His ain servant he was.
17. But up then spake a little page,
Before thepeep of dawn:
"O waken ye, waken ye, my good lord,
For Percy's hard at hand."18. "Ye lie, ye lie, ye liar loud!
Sae loud I hear ye lie;
For Percy had notmen yestreen,
To fight my men and me.
19. "But I have dream'd a dreary dream,
Beyond the Isle of Skye;
I saw a dead man win a fight,
And I think that man was I."
20. He belted on his guid braid sword,
And to the field he ran;
But he forgot the helmet good,
That should have kept his brain.
21. When Percy wi the Douglas met,
I wat he was fu fain!
They swakked their swords, tillsair they swat,
And the blood ran down like rain.
22. But Percy with his good broad sword,
That could so sharply wound,
Has wounded Douglas on the brow,
Till he fell to the ground.
23. Then he calld on his little foot-page,
Andsaid - "Run speedilie,
And fetch my ain dear sister's son,
Sir Hugh Montgomery.
24. "My nephew good," the Douglas said,
"What recks the death of ane!
Last night I dreamd a dreary dream,
And I ken the day's thy ain.
25. "My woundis deep; I fain would sleep;
Take thou the vanguard of the three,
And hide me by the braken bush,
That grows on yonder lilye lee.
26. "O bury me by thebraken-bush,
Beneath the blooming brier;
Let never living mortal ken
That ere a kindly Scot lies here."
27. He lifted up that noble lord,
Wi the saut tear in his e'e;
He hid him in the braken bush,
That his merrie men might not see.
28. The moon was clear, the day drew near,
The spears in flinders flew,
But mony a gallant Englishman
Ere day the Scotsmen slew.
29. The Gordons good, in English blood,
They steepd their hose and