J. F. Campbell Collection > Minstrelsy of the Scottish border > Volume 1

58 MINSTllELSY OF
shook the pennon aloft, and swore he would carry it
as his spoil into Scotland, and plant it upon his castle
of Dalkeith. " That," answered Percy, " shalt thou
" never !" — Accordingly, having collected the forces of
the Marches, to a number equal, or (according to the
Scottish historians) much superior, to the army of Dou-
glas, Hotspur made a night attack upon the Scottish
camp, at Otterbourne, about thirty two miles from New-
castle, An action took place, fought by moonlight, with
uncommon gallantry and desperation. At length, Dou-
glas, armed with an iron mace, which few but he could
wield, rushed into the thickest of the English batta-
lions, followed only by his chaplain, and two squires of
his body.* Before his followers could come up, their
brave leader was stretched on the ground, with three
mortal wounds ; his squires lay dead by his side ; the
priest alone, armed with a lance, was protecting his
master from farther injury. " I die like my forefa-
" thers," said the expiring hero, " in a field of battle,
" and not on a bed of sickness. Conceal my death, de-
" fend my standard,t and avenge my fall ! it is an old
" Their names were Robert Hart and Simon Glendinning. The
chaplain was Richard Lundie, afterwards Archdean of Aberdeen —
GoDSCROFT. Hart, according to Wintoun, was a knight. That
historian says, no one knew how Douglas felL
-j- The banner of Douglas, upon this memorable occasion, was borne
by his natural son, Archibald Douglas, ancestor of the family of Ca-
vers, hereditary Sheriffs of Teviotdale, amongst whose archives this
glorious relique is still preserved. The Earl, at his onset, is said to
have charged his son to defend it to the last drop of his blood.