Like tidings to King Henry came

Within as short a space,

That Percy of Northumberland
Was slain in Chevy-Chase:

"Now God be with him," said our king,

"Since 'twill no better be;

I trust I have within my realm
Five hundred as good as he:

"Yet shall not Scots or Scotland say
But I will vengeance take:

I'll be revenged on them all,

For brave Earl Percy's sake."

This vow full well the king performed
After at Humbledown;

1

In one day fifty knights were slain,
With lords of high renown;

And of the best, of small account,

Did many hundreds die :

Thus endeth the hunting of Chevy-Chase,
Made by the Earl Percy.

God save the king, and bless this land,
With plenty, joy, and peace;

And grant, henceforth, that foul debate 2
'Twixt noblemen may cease!

ANONYMOUS.

1 Humbledown: Humbleton, Northumberland, England. Here the Eng

lish gained a great victory over the Scotch in 1402.

2 Debate: contest.

THE BALLAD OF AGINCOURT.1

FAIR stood the wind for France,
When we our sails advance,

Nor now to prove our chance

Longer will tarry ;

But putting to the main,2

At Kaux,3 the mouth of Seine,

With all his martial train,
Landed King Harry.

And taking many a fort,
Furnished in warlike sort,

Marched towards Agincourt
In happy hour

1 Agincourt (Ah-zhan-koor'): to divert the attention of his people from dangerous political questions at home, and also to gratify hopes of conquest, Henry V. of England began a war with France in 1415. The battle of Agincourt was fought that year. It gets its name from the little village of Agincourt, in the Department of Calais, about forty miles southwest of that port.

The French greatly outnumbered Henry's forces; but the English had the good fortune to be able to use their bowmen to the best possible advantage, as a hard rain had fallen the night before, and the heavily armed French troops could with difficulty get over the muddy ploughed land.

The English king gained a great victory, and went back to London in triumph. Later he renewed the war, and obtained the hand of the French princess Katherine in marriage, and the promise of the crown of France on the death of Charles VI., her father, who was then insane, and in feeble health.

2 To the main: to sea. 8 Kaux (Kō).

Skirmishing day by day

With those that stopped his way,
Where the French gen'ral lay
With all his power,

Which in his height of pride,
King Henry to deride,

His ransom 1 to provide

To the king sending;
Which he neglects the while,
As from a nation vile,

Yet, with an angry smile,
Their fall portending.

And turning to his men,
Quoth our brave Henry then:
Though they to one be ten,
Be not amazed;

Yet have we well begun -
Battles so bravely won

Have ever to the sun

By fame been raised.

And for myself, quoth he,
This my full rest shall be;
England ne'er mourn for me,
Nor more esteem me.

Victor I will remain,

Or on this earth lie slain ;

Never shall she sustain

Loss to redeem me.

1 Ransom: it was the custom then for the victors to extort heavy ransoms from all prisoners of rank taken in war. The French king demands Henry's ransom in advance of the battle by way of deriding his power.

Poitiers and Cressy 1 tell,

When most their pride did swell,
Under our swords they fell;
No less our skill is

Than when our grandsire 2 great,
Claiming the regal seat,

By many a warlike feat

Lopped the French lilies.3

The Duke of York so dread
The eager vaward 4 led;
With the main 5 Henry sped,

Amongst his henchmen.6

Excester had the rear

A braver man not there:

O Lord! how hot they were
On the false Frenchmen!

They now to fight are gone;
Armor on armor shone ;

Drum now to drum did groan

To hear was wonder;

1 Poitiers and Cressy: two famous battles fought by the English in France in 1356 and 1346, in both of which the English gained decisive victories. The French pronunciation of Poitiers is nearly Pwi'-te-a'.

2 Grandsire: Edward III. of England, who gained the victory of Cressy. He claimed the throne of France.

3 Lilies the lilies or fleur-de-lis on the arms of France.

4 Vaward: vanward, front.

5 Main: main body of troops. According to some early accounts Henry had only six or seven thousand soldiers to fifty thousand of the enemy. 6 Henchmen: followers.

7 Excester (Exe Cester or Exe Chester; meaning the fortified place on the river Exe, in Devonshire, in the southwest of England, the modern Exeter): Sir Thomas Beaufort, Duke of Exeter, one of Henry's chief men.

That with the cries they make
The very earth did shake;
Trumpet to trumpet spake,
Thunder to thunder.

Well it thine age became,
O noble Erpingham!1
Which did the signal aim
To our hid forces;

When, from a meadow by,
Like a storm suddenly,

The English archery

Struck the French horses,

With Spanish yew 2 so strong,
Arrows a cloth-yard long,
That like to serpents stung,
Piercing the weather; 3
None from his fellow starts,
But playing manly parts,
And like true English hearts,
Stuck close together.

When down their bows they threw,
And forth their bilbows 4 drew,

And on the French they flew,
Not one was tardy:

1 Erpingham: Sir Thomas Erpingham was the marshal of the army. He tossed up his baton, shouting, "Now strike!" and the battle began. 2 Yew the best bows were made of yew-tree wood.

3 Weather: the withers or shoulders of a horse.

4 Bilbow: a kind of sword, so called, it is said, because the best of these weapons were made in Bilboa, Spain.