stand.

That so weill in the ficht thame bar,
And sa fast on thair fais can dyng
That him thoucht nane had abaysing,
And how the archeris war scalit then;
He was all blith, and till his men
He said, "Lordingis, now luk that yhe
Worthy and of gud covyne be
At this assemble, and hardy;
And assemmyll so sturdely
That no thing may befor yow
Our men so freschly ar fechtand,
That thai thair fais has cumrait 2 swa
That, be thai presit, I undirta,3
A litill fastar, yhe sall se
That thai discumfit soyu 4 sall be.
Now ga we on them so hardely,
And ding on them sa doughtely,
That they may feele, at our comming,
That we them hate in meekle thing:
For great cause they have us made,
That occupied our landis brade,
And put all to subiectioun:
Your goodis made all theirs commoun:
Our kyn and friendis, for their awne,
Despitteously banged and drawne:
And wald destroy us gif they might.
Bot, I trow, God, through his foresight,
This day hes grented us his grace
To wrek us on them in this place."
Quhen this wes said, thai held thar way,
And on a syde assemblit thai
So stoutly, that at thar cummyng
Thair fais wer ruschit a gret thing.
Ther men mycht se men freschly ficht,
And men that worthy war and wycht
Do mony worthy vassalage;
Thai faucht as thai war in a rage.
For quhen the Scottis ynkirly 9
Saw thair fais sa sturdely
Stand in-to battale thame agane,10
With all thar mycht and all thar mayne
Thai layd on, as men out of wit;

5

8

300

310

320

330

For quhar thai with full strak mycht hit, 340
Thair mycht no armyng stynt thar strak; 11
Thai to-fruschit 12 thame thai mycht our-tak,
And with axis sic duschis gaff 18
That thai helmys and hedis claff 14

1 counsel. 2 harassed. 3 undertake.

4 soon.

5 if. 6 avenge. 7 driven far back. 8 prowess. 9 specially. 10 against. 11 check their stroke. 12 smashed to pieces. 13 blows gave. 14 cleft.

And cryit ensengheis 21 on everilk 22 syd,
Gifand and takand woundis wyd,
That it wes hydwiss for till her

80

350

360

370

All four the battelis, wicht 28 that wer,
Fechtand in-till a 24 front haly.
Almychty God! full douchtely
Schir Edward the Bryss and his men
Amang thair fais contenyt thame then,
Fechtand in-to sa gud covyne 25
So hardy, worthy, and so fyne,
That thar awaward 26 ruschit was,
And, magre thairis,27 left the plais,
And to thar gret rowt to warrand 28
Thai went, that than had apon hand,
So gret not,29 that thai war effrait,
For Scottis men thame hard assait,8
That than war in ane schiltrum 81 all.
Quha hapnit in that ficht to fall,
I trow agane he suld nocht riss.
Ther men mycht se on mony wiss
Hardyment eschewit 82 douchtely,
And mony that wicht war and hardy
Doune under feit lyand all dede,
Quhar all the feild of blud wes red.
Armoris and quyntis 88 that thai bare
With blud wes swa defowlit thar,
That thai mycht nocht discrivit 84 be.
A! mychty God! quha than mycht se
The Steward Walter and his rout
And the gud Dowglas that wes stout
Fechtand in-to the stalward stour,
He suld say that till all honour
Thai war worthy, that in that ficht
Sa fast presit thair fais mycht,
That thai thame ruschit 6 quhar thai
yeid.37

85

380

With that so hard thai can assaill,

And slew all that thai mycht our-ta,1
And the Scottis archeris alsua
Schot emang thame so sturdely,
Ingrevand thame so gretumly,"

That quhat for? thame that with thame faucht,

And swa gret rowtis to thame raucht,8
And presit thame full egirly,
And quhat for arrowes that felly
Mony gret woundis can thame ma,
And slew fast of thair horss alsua,
That thai vayndist a litell we 10;
Thai dred so gretly thane till de 11
That thair covyne was war than eir.12
For thai that with thame fechtand weir
Set hardyment, and strynth, and will,
With hart and corage als thar-till,18
And all thair mayne and all thar mycht,
To put thame fouly to the flycht.

In this tyme that I tell of her,
That the battall on this maner
Wes strikin,14 quhar ou athir party
Thai war fechtand richt manfully,
Yhemen, swange, and poveraill,15
That in the pare to yheyme 16 vittale
War left; quhen thai wist, but lesing,17
That thair lordis with fell fichtyng
On thair fais assemblit war,
Ane of them-selwyne that wes thar
Capitane of thame all thai maid;
An schetis that war sum-deill braid
Thai festnyt in steid of baneris
Apon lang treis and on speris,
And said that thai wald se the ficht,
And help thar lordis at thar mycht.
Quhen her-till all assentit war,
And in a rowt assemblit ar,
Fiften thousand thai war and ma.
And than in gret hy thai can ga

18

410

420

430

440

1 blows. 2 Enduring. yield ground. 4 overtake. • Injuring. 6 severely. 7 what with. 8 reached them so great blows. • did cause. 10 gave way a little. 11 to die. 12 their plight was worse than before. 13 also thereto. 14 stricken, fought. 15 Yeomen, rustics, and poor people. 16 guard. 17 without mistake. 18 did go.

With thair baneris all in a rout,

As thai had men beyn stith 19 and stout.
Thai com with all that assemble
Richt quhill 20 thài mycht the battale se.
Than all at anys 21 thai gaf ane cry

6

26

456

461

Apon thame! on thame hardely!' And thar-with-all cumand 22 ar thai. Bot thai war yeit weill fer away, And Yngliss men, that ruschit war Throu forss of ficht, as I said air,23 Quhen thai saw cum with sic a cry Toward thame sic ane cumpany, That thai thoucht weill als mony war As at 24 war fechtand with thame thar, And thai befor had thame nocht seyne, Than, wit yhe weill, withouten weyne,25 Thai war abasit so gretumly,2 That the best and the mast hardy That wes in-till the oost 27 that day Wald, with thar mensk,28 have beyn away. The king Robert be thair relyng 29 Saw thai war neir discomfyting, And his ensenghe can hely 80 cry. Than with thame of bis cumpany His fais presit so fast, that thai War than in-till sa gret effray,81 That thai left place ay mar and mar. For all the Scottis men that war thar, Quhen thai saw thame eschew 32 the ficht, Dang on thame swa with all thar mycht, That thai scalit in tropellis ser,33 And till discumfitur war ner; And sum of thame fled all planly. Bot thai that wicht war and hardy, That schame letit till ta 84 the flicht, At gret myschef mantemyt 35 the ficht, And stithly in the stour can stand. And quhen the king of Ingland Saw his men fle in syndry place, And saw his fais rout,36 that was Worthyn so wicht 87 and so hardy, That all his folk war halely 38 Swa stonayit, that thai had no mycht To stynt thair fais in the ficht, He was abasit so gretumly, That he and all his cumpany, Fif hundreth armyt weill at rycht, In-till a frusche 40 all tuk the flycht, And till the castell held ther way. And yeit, as I herd sum men say, 19 able. 20 till. 21 once. 22 coming. 24 that. 25 doubt. 26 so greatly dismayed. 28 honor. 29 reeling, wavering. 30 loudly. 31 in such a fright. 32 avoid. 33 scattered in several small bands. 34 hindered from taking. 35 maintained. 36 host. 37 Become so powerful. 38 completely. 39 dismayed.

39

34

40 In broken ranks.

471

480

490

23 before. 27 host.

That of Vallanch schir Amer

6

4

1

8

Quhen he the feld saw vencust 1 ner,
By the renye 2 led away the king,
Agane his will, fra the fichting.
And quhen schir Gelis de Argente
Saw the king thus and his menghe
Schape thame to fle so spedely,
He com richt to the kyng in hy,
And said, 'Schir, sen that is swa,
That ye thusgat your gat will ga,
Haffis gud day! for agane will I;
Yheit fled I nevir sekirly,"
And I cheiss heir to byde and de
Than till lif heir and schamfully fle.'
His brydill than but mair abaid
He turnyt, and agane he raid,
And on schir Eduard the Brysis rout
That wes so sturdy and so stout,
As dreid of nakyn 10 thing had he,
He prikit, cryand'Argente!'
And thai with speris swa him met,
And swa feill 11 speris on hym set,
That he and horss war chargit swa
That bath doune to the erd can ga;
And in that place than slayne wes he.
Of his ded wes rycht gret pite;
He wes the thrid best knycht, perfay,
That men wist liffand in his day;
He did mony a fair iourne.12

On Sarisenis thre derenyeis 18 did he;
And in-till ilk derenye of thai
He vencust Sarisenis twa;

15

His gret worschip tuk thar ending.
And fra 14 schir Amer with the king
Wes fled, wes nane that durst abyde,
Bot fled, scalit on ilka syde.
And thair fais thame presit fast,
Thai war, to say suth, all agast,
And fled swa richt effrayitly
That of thame a full gret party
Fled to the wattir of Forth; and thar
The mast part of them drownit war.
And Bannokburn, betuix the braiss,16
Of horss and men so chargit wass,
That apon drownit horss and men
Men mycht pass dry atour 17 it then.
And laddis, swanys, and rangall, 18
Quhen thai saw vencust the battall,
Ran emang thame and swa can sla
Thai folk, that no defens mycht ma,

500

510

520

530

540

4 in this

1 vanquished. fashion. 5 will go your way. 6 Have. 7 certainly. 8 to live here. 9 without more delay. 10 no kind of. 11 many. 12 feat of arms. 13 conflicts. 14 after. 15 in a panic. 16 banks. 17 across. 18 peasants and rabble.

That it war pite for to se.

21

was

560

I herd nevir quhar, in na cuntre, Folk at swa gret myschef war stad 19; On a 20 syde thai thair fais had, That slew thane doune without mercy, And thai had on the tothir party Bannokburne, that sa cummyrsum Of slyk,22 and depnes for till pas, That thair mycht nane atour it ryde. Thame worthit,28 magre thairis,24 abyde; 550 Swa that sum slayne, sum drownit war; Micht nane eschap that evir com thar. The quhethir 25 mony gat away, That ellis-whar fled, as I herd say. The kyng, with thame he with him had, In a rout till the castell raid, And wald have beyn tharin, for thai Wist nocht quhat gat 26 to get away. Bot Philip the Mowbray said him till 'The castell, schir, is at yhour will; Bot, cum yhe in it, yhe sall se That yhe sall soyne assegit be. And thar sall nane of all Yngland To mak yow rescourss 27 tak on hand. And but rescours may no castele Be haldin lang: yhe wat this wele; Tharfor confort yow, and relye 28 Your men about yow richt straitlye, And haldis about the Park the way. Knyt yow als sadly as yhe may, For I trow that nane sall haf mycht That chassis, with so feill to ficht.' And as he consalit, thai have done; Beneth the castell went thai soyne,80 Richt by the Rownde Tabill thair way, And syne the Park enveronyt 81 thai, And toward Lithkew held in hy. Bot, I trow, thai sall hastely Be convoyit with folk, that thai, I trow, mycht suffer weill away! 32 For schir lames, lord of Douglass, Com till his kyng and askit the chass And he gaf him lef but abaid.83 Bot all to few of horss he hade; He had nocht in his rowt sexty, The quhethir he sped him hastely The way eftir the kyng to ta. Now let him on his wayis ga, And eftir this we sall weill tell Quhat till hym in his chass byfell.

29

570

580

590

21 difficult to cross. 22 mud.

way.

29 close your ranks as closely. 32 would gladly have absent.

24 in spite of themselves. 27 rescue. 28 rally. 30 soon. 31 went round. 33 without delay.

THE FISHING ADVENTURE

(1, 367-433)

So on a tym he desyrit to play.

In Aperill the three and twentieth day, Till Erevyn wattir fysche to tak he went; Sic fantasye fell in his entent.1

To leide 2 his net, a child furth with him yeid; &

4

But he, or nowne, was in a fellowne 5 dreid. His suerd he left, so did he nevir agayne; It dide him gud, suppos 6 he sufferyt payne. Off that labour as than he was nocht sle: 7 Happy he was, tuk fysche habouudanle. 10 Or of the day ten hours our couth pas, Ridand thar come, ner by quhar Wallace was, The lorde Persye, was captane than off Ayr; Fra thine 10 he turnde and couth to Glaskow fair. 11

Part of the court had Wallace labour seyne, Till him raid five cled into ganand greyne, 12 And said sone; 'Scot, Martyns fysche 18

wald have.'

we

Eftir thar lord; bot he was out off sicht, Takand the mure,86 or he and thai couth twyne.87

38

Till him thai raid onon, or thai wald blyne, And cryit; Lord, abide; your men ar martyrit doun 39

Rycht cruelly, her in this fals regioun.

20 these. 21 Sayest 'thou' to. MS. dowis. 22 deserves. 23 did. 24 woeful. 25 pole (with a net on the end). 26 which. 27 till. 28 a furrow's length away. 29 seized. 30 with a backward stroke. 31 neck. 32 By that time the rest. 33 struck. 34 cutting. 35 glided. 36 Crossing the moor. 37 separate. 38 cease. 39 cut down.

ADAM WALLACE and Boid furth with him yeid,8

By a revir, throu out a floryst meid.
And as thai walk atour 10 the feyldis greyn,
Out off the south thai saw quhar at11 the
queyn,

Towart the ost,12 come ridand sobyrly;
And fyfty ladyis was in hyr cumpany,
Wallyt off 18 wit, and demyt 14 off renoun;
Sum wedowis war, and sum off religioun;
And seven preistis that entrit 15 war in age.
Wallace to sic did nevir gret owtrage,
Bot gyff 16 till him thai maid a gret offens.
Thus prochyt 17 thai on towart thar presens.
At the palyoun,18 quhar thai the lyoun saw,
To ground thai lycht, and syne on kneis
can faw; 20

19

ΙΟ

And kyssyt hyr withoutyn wordis mor; Sa dyd he nevir to na Sotheron befor. 'Madem,' he said, 'rycht welcum mot ye be; How plessis yow our ostyng 28 for to se?' Rycht weyll,' scho said, off frendschip haiff we neid;

6

God grant ye wald off our nessis 24 to speid.
Suffyr we mon,25 suppos it lik 26 us ill;
Bot trastis weyll,27 it is contrar our will.' 30
'Ye sall remayn, with this lord I mon gang;
Fra your presens we sall nocht tary lang.'
The erll and he on to the palyon yeid,
With gud avys to deym mar 28 off this deid.
Till consell son Wallace gart 29 call thaim to:
Lordys,' he said, 'ye wait 30 quhat is ado.
Off thar cummyng my selff has na ples-

Apayn 41 off lyff thai wyrk nocht on sie wys, Nane spek with thaim, bot wysmen off gret waill, 42

At 48 lordis ar, and sworn to this consaill.' Thir chargis thai did als wysly as thai

mocht;

This ordynance throw all the ost was wrocht.

He and the erll bathe to the queyn thai

went,

Rasavyt hyr fayr, and brocht hyr till a tent;

23 array. 24 Perhaps corruption of needs. 25 must. 26 please. 27 believe well. 28 With good advice to judge more. 29 caused.

30 know.

31 order. MS. be con

32 Women may become tempting in war. tempnyng. 33 fools. 34 concerning these. ple. 36 Roncesvalles. 37 Turkish wine. 39 deadly. 40 privately. 41 On pain. weight.

43 That.