These were led by James, Earl of Douglas, March, and Murray. In a
fight at Newcastle, Douglas took Harry Percy's pennon, which
Hotspur vowed to recover. The retreat began, but the Scots waited
at Otterburn, partly to besiege the castle, partly to abide
Hotspur's challenge. He made his attack at moonlight, with
overwhelming odds, but was hampered by a marsh, and incommoded by a
flank attach of the Scots. Then it came to who would pound
longest, with axe and sword. Douglas cut his way through the
English, axe in hand, and was overthrown, but his men protected his
body. The Sinclairs and Lindsay raised his banner, with his cry;
March and Dunbar came up; Hotspur was taken by Montgomery, and the
English were routed with heavy loss. Douglas was buried in Melrose
Abbey; very many years later the English defiled his grave, but
were punished at Ancram Moor. There is an English poem on the
fight of "about 1550"; it has many analogies with our Scottish
version, and, doubtless, ours descends from a ballad almost
contemporary. The ballad was a great favourite of Scott's. In a
severe illness, thinking of Lockhart, not yet his son-in-law, he
quoted--
"My wound is deep, I fain would sleep,
Take thou the vanguard of the three."
Mr. Child thinks the command to
"yield to the bracken-bush"
unmartial. This does not seem a strong objection, in Froissart's
time. It is explained in an oral fragment--
"For there lies aneth yon bracken-bush
Wha aft has conquered mair than thee.
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