Tyne without any let a three leagues above
Newcastle not far from Brancepeth, and at last entered into the
bishopric of Durham, where they found a good country. Then they began
to make war, to slay people and to bren villages and to do many sore
displeasures.

[1] George, earl of March and Dunbar: the text gives Mare, but
there was at this time no earl of Mar.

As at that time the earl of Northumberland and the other lords and
knights of that country knew nothing of their coming. When tidings
came to Newcastle and to Durham that the Scots were abroad, and that
they might well see by the fires and smoke abroad in the country, the
earl sent to Newcastle his two sons and sent commandment to every man
to draw to Newcastle, saying to his sons: 'Ye shall go to Newcastle
and all the country shall assemble there, and I shall tarry at
Alnwick, which is a passage that they must pass by. If we may enclose
them, we shall speed well.' Sir Henry Percy and sir Ralph his brother
obeyed their father's commandment and came thither with them of the
country. The Scots rode burning and exiling the country, that the
smoke thereof came to Newcastle. The Scots came to the gates of Durham
and scrimmished there; but they tarried not long but returned, as they
had ordained before to do, and that they found by the way took and
destroyed it. Between Durham and Newcastle is but twelve leagues
English and a good country: there was no town, without it were closed,
but it was brent, and they repassed the river of Tyne where they had
passed before, and then came before Newcastle and there rested. All
the English knights and squires of the country of York and bishopric
of Durham were assembled at Newcastle, and thither came the seneschal
of York, sir Ralph Lumley, sir Matthew Redman, captain of Berwick, sir
Robert Ogle, sir Thomas Grey, sir Thomas Holton, sir John Felton, sir
John Lilleburn, sir Thomas Abingdon, the baron of Hilton, sir John
Coppledike and divers other, so that the town was so full of people
that they wist not where to lodge.

When these three Scottish earls who were chief captains had made their
enterprise in the bishopric of Durham and had sore overrun the
country, then they returned to Newcastle and there rested and tarried
two days, and every day they scrimmished. The earl of Northumberland's
two sons were two young lusty knights and were ever foremost at the
barriers to scrimmish. There were many proper feats of arms