INSCRIBED TO WILLIAM BELL, ESQ., ASSOCIATE FOR THE NORTHERN CIRCUIT, AND THE HONOURABLE REPRESENTATIVE OF A FAMILY WITH WHICH MINE HAS ENJOYED A KINDLY INTERCOURSE FOR THREE GENERATIONS. ADVERTISEMENT. THE Battle of Otterburn, so famous in Border history, was fought in 1388. I extract Hodgson's account of it from his History of Northumberland. He says While Richard the Second was engaged in civil dissensions with his uncle and his parliament, the Scotch suddenly assembled an army of upwards of thirty thousand men, at 'Jedworth,' and dividing them into two bodies, marched the stronger into Cumberland; and the other, consisting of 3,000 or 4,000 spears, and 2,000 stout infantry and archers, all well mounted, and under the earls of Douglas, March, and Murray, passed through Northumberland by bye ways, without attacking castle, town, or house, crossed the Tyne and advanced as far as Brancepath. This they effected with such expedition and silence, that the first notice which the country, not lying immediately in their route, had of the forray, was from the smoke of the towns and villages in the bishopric of Durham, which they were plundering and burning. As they returned home, they sat down for three days, before Newcastle, where all the forces of the neighbouring counties were collecting under sir Henry and sir Ralph Percy, sons of the earl of Northumberland. During their stay there, they had several sharp encounters at the barriers; and Henry Percy,the celebrated Hotspur, having challenged Douglas to single combat, was unhorsed by his adversary, and lost his spear, which Douglas said, he would carry with him into Scotland. Percy threatened he should never take it out of Northumberland. Froissart says that it was his pennon which Percy lost in an affray at the barriers; and that Douglas said—"I will carry this token of your prowess with me into Scotland, and fix it on the tower of my castle of Dalkeith, that it may be seen from far." Early the next morning, the Scotch struck their camp, and in their way homeward passed the first night at Otterburn; and the following day in an unsuccessful attack upon the castle there; but while some of them were concerting how they should best assault this little fortress in the ensuing morning, others were at supper, and many were gone to sleep, the English, on the evening of the 19th of August, 1388, forced their way into their camp, shouting "Percy! Percy!" but mistaking the huts of the servants for the tents of their masters, they gave time for the enemy's regular troops, under their three leaders, to wheel about the side of a hill, and fall unexpectedly upon their flank. Nothing now was heard but the cry of "Percy!" and "Douglas!" The battle raged; but though the weather was temperate and serene, the moon was sometimes overcast, so that it was difficult to distinguish friend from foe. Douglas, with a battle axe, rushed into the English ranks; and while he was dealing out death on all sides, he was borne down by the spears, wounded in three parts of his body, and fell fighting desperately. When his friends came up with him, they found him stretched on the ground, faint, and dying. Sir Robert Hart, a valiant knight, who had fought all night by his side, was lying near him, covered with fifteen wounds; and his valiant chaplain, who had never forsaken him, stood over him, shielding him with a battle axe. "How fare you, cousin," said sir John Sinclair. "I fare well," was the reply. "I thank God that I die, as most of my ancestors have, in a field of battle, and not in my bed. Revenge my death-raise up my banner-and continue to shout 'Douglas!' but tell neither friend nor foe that I am dead." Buchannan says, they covered his body with a cloak, lest it should be known; and Froissart, that as soon as he fell, his head was cleft with |