ENGLISH POETRY. PART THE FIRST. CHEVY-CHACE.* HEAVEN prosper long our noble king, A woeful hunting once there did To drive the deere 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 The cheefest harts in Chevy-Chace * The old spelling has been preserved in this and the following ballads, because when once explained it will not be any difficulty; and the differences between the ancient and modern form will afford a useful exercise in orthography. B Who sent Erle Percy present word, The English Erle, not fearing that, With fifteen hundred bow-men bold; Who knew full well in time of neede To ayme their shafts aright. The gallant greyhounds swiftly ran, And long before high noone they had The bow-men mustered on the hills, And all their reare, with speciall care, That day was guarded sure. The hounds ran swiftly through the woods, The nimble deere to take, That with their cryes the hills and dales Lord Percy to the quarry went, To view the slaughter'd deere; Quoth he, "Erle Douglas promised This day to meet me heere : "But if I thought he would not come, With that, a brave younge gentleman |