ut of
the town, and the number that they be of, as it is said, above forty
thousand men, they may soon enclose us and do with us what they will.
Yet it were better to lose a pennon than two or three hundred knights
and squires and put all our country in adventure,' These words
refrained sir Henry and his brother, for they would do nothing against
counsel. Then tidings came to them by such as had seen the Scots and
seen all their demeanour and what way they took and where they rested.

[4] i.e. 'well fought with.'

HOW SIR HENRY PERCY AND HIS BROTHER WITH A GOOD NUMBER OF MEN OF ARMS
AND ARCHERS WENT AFTER THE SCOTS, TO WIN AGAIN HIS PENNON THAT THE
EARL DOUGLAS HAD WON BEFORE NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, AND HOW THEY ASSAILED
THE SCOTS BEFORE OTTERBURN IN THEIR LODGINGS

It was shewed to sir Henry Percy and to his brother and to the other
knights and squires that were there, by such as had followed the Scots
from Newcastle and had well advised their doing, who said to sir Henry
and to sir Ralph: 'Sirs, we have followed the Scots privily and have
discovered all the country. The Scots be at Pontland and have taken
sir Edmund Alphel in his own castle, and from thence they be gone to
Otterburn and there they lay this night. What they will do to-morrow
we know not: they are ordained to abide there: and, sirs, surely their
great host is not with them, for in all they pass not there a three
thousand men,' When sir Henry heard that, he was joyful and said:
'Sirs, let us leap on our horses, for by the faith I owe to God and to
my lord my father I will go seek for my pennon and dislodge them this
same night.' Knights and squires that heard him agreed thereto and
were joyous, and every man made him ready.

The same evening the bishop of Durham came thither with a good
company, for he heard at Durham how the Scots were before Newcastle
and how that the lord Percy's sons with other lords and knights should
fight with the Scots: therefore the bishop of Durham to come to the
rescue had assembled up all the country and so was coming to
Newcastle. But sir Henry Percy would not abide his coming, for he had
with him six hundred spears, knights and squires, and an eight
thousand footmen. They thought that sufficient number to fight with
the Scots, if they were not but three hundred spears and three
thousand of other. Thus they departed from Newcastle after dinner and
set forth in good order, and took the same way as the Scots had