4.  This began on a Monday at morn,
          in Cheviot the hillys so he;
        The chyld may rue that ys unborn,
          it was the more pitte.

     5.  The dryvars thorowe the woodes went,
          for to reas the deer;
        Bowmen byckarte uppone the bent[45]
          with their browd arrows cleare.

     6.  Then the wyld thorowe the woodes went,
          on every syde shear;
        Greahondes thorowe the grevis glent[46],
          for to kyll their deer.

     7.  This begane in Cheviot the hyls abone,
          yerly on a Monnyn-day;
        Be that it drewe to the hour of noon,
          a hondred fat hartes ded ther lay.

     8.  They blewe a mort[47] uppone the bent,
          they semblyde on sydis shear;
        To the quyrry then the Percy went,
          to see the bryttlynge[48] of the deere.

9.  He sayd, “It was the Douglas promys
this day to met me hear;
But I wyste he wolde faylle, verament;”
a great oth the Percy swear.

10.  At the laste a squyar of Northumberlande
lokyde at his hand full ny;
He was war a the doughtie Douglas commynge,
with him a myghte meany.

11.  Both with spear, bylle, and brande,
yt was a myghte sight to se;
Hardyar men, both of hart nor hande,
were not in Cristiante.

12.  They were twenty hondred spear-men good,
withoute any fail;
They were borne along be the water a Twyde,
yth bowndes of Tividale.

13.  “Leave of the brytlyng of the deer,” he said,
“and to your bows look ye tayk good hede;
For never sithe ye were on your mothers borne
had ye never so mickle nede.”

14.  The doughty Douglas on a stede,
he rode alle his men beforne;
His armor glytteyrde as dyd a glede[49];
a boldar barne was never born.

15.  “Tell me whose men ye are,” he says,
“or whose men that ye be: 
Who gave youe leave to hunte in this Cheviot chays,
in the spyt of myn and of me.”

16.  The first man that ever him an answer mayd,
yt was the good lord Percy: 
“We wyll not tell the whose men we are,” he says,
“nor whose men that we be;
But we wyll hounte here in this chays,
in spyt of thyne and of the.”

17.  “The fattiste hartes in all Cheviot
we have kyld, and cast to carry them away:” 
“Be my troth,” sayd the doughty Douglas agayn,
“therefor the tone of us shall die this day.”

18.  Then sayd the doughte Douglas
unto the lord Percy,
“To kyll alle thes giltles men,
alas, it wear great pitte!”

19.  “But, Percy, thowe art a lord of lande,
I am a yerle callyd within my contre;
Let all our men uppone a parti stande,
and do the battell of the and of me.”

20.  “Nowe Cristes curse on his crowne,” sayd the lord Percy,
“whosoever thereto says nay;
Be my troth, doughty Douglas,” he says,
“thow shalt never se that day.”