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6 THE BATTLE OF OTTEEBOTJENE. |
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The yerlle of Fyffe, withowghten stryffe, »
He bowynd hym over Sulway: The grete wolde ever together ryde ;
That race they may rue for aye.
Over Ottercap hyll they came in,
And so dowyn by Bodelyffe cragge, 10
Upon Grene Leyton they lyghted dowyn,
Styrande many a stagge ;
And boldely brent Northomberlonde,
And haryed many a towyn; They dyd owr Ynglyssh men grete wrange, w
To battell that were not bowyn.
6. i. e. over Solway frith. This evidently refers to the other division of the Scottish army, which came in by way of Carlisle.—Percy.
9-11. sc. the Earl of Douglas and his party.—The several stations here mentioned are well-known places in Northumberland. Ottercap-hill is in the parish of Kirk-Whelpington, in Tynedale-ward. Eodeliffe- (or, as it is more usually pronounced, Eodeley-) Cragge is a noted cliff near Eodeley, a small village in the parish of Hartbura, in Morpeth-ward. Green Leyton is another small village in the same parish of Hartburn, and is southeast of Eodeley. Both the original MSS. read here, corruptly, Hoppertop and Lynton.—P.
12. Many a styrande stage, in both MSS. Motherwell would retain this reading, because stagge signifies in Scotland a young stallion, and by supplying " off" the line would make sense. It was one of the Border laws, he remarks, that the Scottish array of battle should be on foot (see v. 16 of the Second Part). Horses were used but for a retreat or pursuit. |
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