The Battle of Chevy Chase- M. Davis (CA-VA) 1914 Davis
[Davis, Traditional Ballads of Virginia, 1929. His extensive notes follow. Davis's argument for inclusion is not convincing-- although I believe it should be included.
R. Matteson 2015]
TRADITIONAL BALLADS OF VIRGINIA
THE HUNTING OF THE CHEVIOT
(Child, No. 162)
This ballad has received much commendation from eminent literary men. Sir Philip Sidney's oft-quoted words found in An Apologie for Poetrie, published in 1595, may apply as well to "The Battle of Otterburn," but in all probability referred to "The Hunting of the Cheviot" or "Chevy Chase." "I have never heard the olde song of Percy and Duglas that I found not my heart mooved more than with a trumpet, and yet is it still sung but by some blinde crouder, with no rougher voyce then rude stile: which, being so evil apparrelled in the dust and cobweb's of that uncivill age, what would it worke trymmed in the gorgeous eloquence of Pindar!" Addison is authority for Ben Johnson's classic remark about "Chevy Chase," that "he had rather have been an author of it than of all his works." And Addison himself devotes two Spectator papers (Nos. 70 and 74, 1711). to a sympathetic critique of the ballad, which he declares to be "the favorite ballad of the common people of England." He quotes passages from the ballad and compares them to passages from Homer and Virgil, not altogether to the advantage of the latter. The service of Addison in turning public interest toward the ballad even in the early eighteenth century, is well known. The fragment recovered from tradition in Virginia belongs to the same broadside version which was so greatly admired by Addison, Child B. The sixty-four stanzas of the Child text are presented by only twelve in the Virginia variant, but the contributor has summarized what he remembers of the story of the omitted parts. The Virginia stanzas 1-12 correspond respectively, to Child 1, 3, 4 (lines 1 and 2) 2 (lines 3 and 4), 4 (lines 1 and 2) 2 (lines 1 an 2) and 4 (lines 3 and 4) 5, 9, 11, 12 (lines 1 and 2) plus ?, 17, 33, 35, 43. The story summarized by the Virginia contributor does not quite agree with the Child text as to the order and manner of the chieftains' deaths. According to Child B, Douglas, who has just bested Percy in fight, is struck and killed by an arrow from an English bow, much to Percy's sorrow, and Percy himself is thereafter killed by Sir Hugh Montgomery's spear. The last stanza (Virginia 12) applies in Child B to this spear thrust, not to the English arrow. The last twenty-one stanzas of general fighting are entirely missing in the Virginia copy.
This ballad was not reported in the Bulletin of the Virginia Folk-Lore Society though it has been in Virginia archives since January 8, 1914. Beside it Dr. Smith has written "Not counted," evidently because the particular version sent in by Miss, Davis came to her from an uncle who was then living in California. But as Miss Davis herself and other members of her family in
Virginia were familiar with the ballad, which she describes as "traditional with us," it seems hardly fair to discriminate against it either as non-Virginian or as non-traditional. Of the uncle who copied the verses down from memory for her, Miss Davis writes, "This uncle has been living in California many years, but Chevy Chase is mine by ordinary generation, and I hope the Folk-lore Society will accept it, at least until something better of its kind turns up." Her description of the ballad as "traditional with us" makes it almost impossible for the editor to exclude the ballad from the Virginia collection, as of course he might have done if other variants of strictly Virginia pedigree had presented themselves. The inclusion of this hitherto blacklisted ballad brings the Virginia total of Child ballads up to fifty-one. It is the present editor's belief that Dr. Smith would approve of this inclusion on the grounds stated above, now that no other version has come in. And aside from the quibble of whether or not the ballad is one hundred per cent Virginian, it would scarcely be published elsewhere, and balladry in general will surely be the richer by its inclusion here.
For American texts, see Barry, No. 16; Ford, Massachusetts Broadsides, Nos. 3011-3013 (cf. No. 833), and, The Isaiah Thomas collection, No. 41; Journal, XVIII, 294, (Barry, Massachusetts, melody only; two broadsides mentioned). For additional references, see Journal XXX, 323.
"The Battle of Chevy Chase." Contributed by Miss Martha M. Davis, of Harrisonburg Va-. Traditional in her family, written down by her uncle in California. Rockingham County. January 8, 1914.
An uncle writes to Miss Davis: "Of the Robin Hood songs you know more than I know. I never wrote them down so they have faded from my memory excepting three or four stanzas of Robin Hood's Death, but you no doubt have that. There was one song I often sang with Mother. It was called, 'The Battle of Chevy Chase.' It must have happened away back in olden times
before fire arms were in use when the weapons used were the cross bow and the sword and spear. It was all about the killing of some deer on Scottish ground. I know only a few verses, will write what I know of the song.
1 God prosper long our noble king,
Our lives and safeties all,
A woeful hunting once there did
In Chevy Chase befall.
2 Earl Percy of Northumberland
A vow to God did make
His pleasure in the Scottish woods
Two summer days to take,
3 The chiefest harts in Chevy Chase
To kill and bear away.
The child may rue that was unborn
The hunting of that day.
A forgotten verse which tells about the men who were his followers.
4 To chase the deer with hound and horn
Earl Percy took his way;
Like tidings to Earl Douglas came
In Scotland where he lay,
5 Who sent Earl Percy present word.
He would prevent his sport:
The English Earl not fearing this
Did to the woods resort.
6 And long before the noon they had
A hundred fat bucks slain,
And having dined the drovers went
To rouse them up again.
7 Earl Percy to the quarry went
To view the nimble deer.
He says, "Earl Douglas promis-ed
This day to meet me here.
8 "And if I thought he would not come,
No longer would I stall,
For we now have plenty killed
For us to bear away."
Just then Douglas and his clansmen come in view.
9 Earl Douglas on a milk-white steed,
Most like a baron bold,
Rode foremost of his company;
His armor shone like gold.
Another verse missing, hot words and a challenge from Douglas that they two fight it out, while the men looked on. They fought with swords. At last Douglas saw that Percy was weakening.
10 "Yield, yield, Earl Percy," Douglas said,
"For faith I will thee bring,
And thou shalt high renown-ed be
By James our Scottish King."
11 "Nay, nay, Earl Douglas," Percy said,
"Thy proffer I do scorn,
I would not yield to any Scot
That ever yet was born."
They fought on until Percy fell dead. Then an arrow from an English bow struck Douglas. lflte song sa'ls,
12 With such vehement force and might
It did his body gore,
The spear went through the other side
A good cloth yard or more.
"When the fighting became general - a hand to hand fight - neither side would yield until night came when there were only a few left. These deeds of valor of the men with their names were given in the song, but I cannot recall any more of the verse."