But it is essentially ancient.
These two modern stanzas, in Hogg's copy, are rather too bad for Hogg's
making; and I do not know whether they are his (he practically says
they are not, we shall see), or whether they are remembered by reciters
from a stall-copy of the period of Lady Wardlaw's Hardyknute.
After that, Hogg's copy becomes more natural. Douglas says to the
discomfited Percy (x.) -
Had we twa been upon the green,
And never an eye to see,
I should hae had ye flesh and fell,
But your sword shall gae wi' me.
That rings true! Moreover, had either Hogg or Scott tampered here
(Scott excised), either would have made Douglas carry off--not Percy's
SWORD, but the historic captured PENNON of Percy. Scott really could
not have resisted the temptation had he been interpolating a son devis.
But your PENNON shall gae wi' me!
It was easy to write in that!
Percy had challenged Douglas thus -
But gae ye up to Otterburn,
And there wait days three (xi.),
as in the English (xiii.
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