rtly he them bade,
That never a man should go to the field to fight
Till he had served his God.

43.
Five hundred priests said mass that day
In Durham in the field,
And afterwards, as I heard say,
They bare both spear and shield.

44.
The Bishop of Durham orders himself to fight
With his battle-axe in his hand;
He said 'This day now I will fight
As long as I can stand!'

45.
'And so will I,' said my lord of Carlisle,
'In this fair morning gay.'
'And so will I,' said my lord Fluwilliams,
'For Mary, that mild may.'

46.
Our English archers bent their bows
Shortly and anon;
They shot over the Scottish host
And scantly touched a man.

47.
'Hold down your hands,' said the Bishop of Durham,
'My archers good and true.'
The second shoot that they shot,
Full sore the Scots it rue.

48.
The Bishop of Durham spoke on high
That both parties might hear,
'Be of good cheer, my merrymen all,
The Scots flien and changen their cheer.'

49.
But as they saiden, so they diden,
They fell on heapes high;
Our Englishmen laid on with their bows
As fast as they might dree.

50.
The King of Scots in a study stood
Amongst his company;
An arrow struck him thorough the nose,
And thorough his armoury.

51.
The King went to a marsh-side
And light beside his steed;
He leaned him down on his sword-hilts
To let his nose bleed.

52.
There followed him a yeoman of merry England,
His name was John of Copland;
'Yield thee, traitor!' says Copland then,
'Thy life lies in my hand.'

53.
'How should I yield me,' says the King,
'And thou art no gentleman?'
'No, by my troth,' says Copland there,
'I am but a poor yeoman.

54.
'What art thou better than I, sir King?
Tell me, if that thou can!
What art thou better than I, sir King,
Now we be but man to man?'

55.
The King smote angrily at Copland then,
Angrily in that stound;
And then Copland was a bold yeoman,
And bore the King to the ground.

56.
He set the King upon a palfrey,
Himself upon a steed;
He took him by the bridle-rein,
Towards London he gan him lead.

57.
And when to London that he came,
The King from France was new come home,
And there unto the King of Scots
He said these words anon.

58.
'How like you my shepherds and my millers