Adversi campo apparent, hastasque reductis Protendunt longe dextris; et spicula vibrant; Quique altum Preneste viri, quique arva Gabinae Junonis, gelidumque Anienem, et roscida rivis Hernica saxa colunt:  ... qui rosea rura Velini, Qui Terticae horrentes rupes, montemque Severum, Casperiamque colunt, Forulosque et flumen Himellae:  Qui Tiberim Fabarimque bibunt ...

But to proceed.

  Earl Dowglas on a milk-white Steed,
     Most like a Baron bold,
  Rode foremost of the Company,
     Whose Armour shone like Gold.

Turnus ut antevolans tardum precesserat agmen, &c.  Vidisti, quo Turnus equo, quibus ibat in armis Aureus ...

  Our English Archers bent their Bows
     Their Hearts were good and true;
  At the first Flight of Arrows sent,
     Full threescore Scots they slew.

  They clos’d full fast on ev’ry side,
     No Slackness there was found. 
  And many a gallant Gentleman
     Lay gasping on the Ground.

  With that there came an Arrow keen
     Out of an_ English Bow,
  Which struck Earl Dowglas to the Heart
     A deep and deadly Blow.

AEneas was wounded after the same Manner by an unknown Hand in the midst of a Parly.

  Has inter voces, media inter talia verba,
  Ecce viro stridens alis allapsa sagitta est,
  Incertum qua pulsa manu ...

But of all the descriptive Parts of this Song, there are none more beautiful than the four following Stanzas which have a great Force and Spirit in them, and are filled with very natural Circumstances.  The Thought in the third Stanza was never touched by any other Poet, and is such an one as would have shined in Homer or in Virgil.

  So thus did both those Nobles die,
    Whose Courage none could stain: 
  An English Archer then perceived
    The noble Earl was slain.

  He had a Bow bent in his Hand,
    Made of a trusty Tree,
  An Arrow of a Cloth-yard long
    Unto the Head drew he.

  Against Sir Hugh Montgomery
    So right his Shaft he set,
  The Gray-goose Wing that was thereon
    In his Heart-Blood was wet.

  This Fight did last from Break of Day
    Till setting of the Sun;
  For when they rung the Evening Bell
    The Battle scarce was done.

One may observe likewise, that in the Catalogue of the Slain the Author has followed the Example of the greatest ancient Poets, not only in giving a long List of the Dead, but by diversifying it with little Characters of particular Persons.

  And with Earl Dowglas there was slain
    Sir Hugh Montgomery,
  Sir Charles Carrel, that from the Field
    One Foot would never fly: 

  Sir Charles Murrel of Ratcliff too,
    His Sister’s Son was he;
  Sir David Lamb, so well esteem’d,
    Yet saved could not be.