BOOK XIV.

How the Earl of Carrick passed into Ireland to win it, and with him Earl Thomas Randolph and Sir Philip the Mowbray, Sir John Stewart, Sir John Soulis, and Ramsay of Ochterhouse.

The Erll of Carrik, Schir Edward, That stowtar wes than ane libbard, And had no will till be in pes, Thoucht that Scotland to litill wes Till his brothir and him alsua; 5 Tharfor till purpos can he ta, That he of Irland wald be kyng. Tharfor he send and had treting With the Erischry of Irland, That in thar lawte tuk on hand 10 Of Irland for to mak hym king, With-thi that he with hard fechting Micht our-cum the Inglis men, That in the land war wonnand then; And thai suld help with all thair mycht. 15 And he, that hard thame mak sic hicht, In-till his hert had gret liking: And, with the consent of the King, Gaderit hym men of gret bounte, And at Air syne schippit he, 20 In-till the next moneth of Maii; Till Irland held he straucht his way. He had thair in his cumpany The Erll Thomas that wes worthy, And good Schir Philip the Mowbray, 25 That sekir wes in herd assay; Schir Johne the Sowlis, a gude knycht, And Schir Johne Steward that wes wicht; The Ramsay als of Ouchtirhous, That wes richt wicht and chevelrous; 30 And Schir Fergus de Ardrossane, And othir knychtis mony ane.

In Wokingis Fyrth arivit thai Saufly, but bargane or assay, And send thair schippis home ilkane. 35 A gret thing have thai undertane, That with sa quheyne as thai war thar, That wes sex thousand men but mar, Schupe for to warray all Irland, Quhar thai sall se mony thousand 40 Cum armyt on thame for to ficht. Bot thouch thai quheyne war, thai war wicht, And, for-outen dreid or effray, In twa battelis thai tuk the way Toward Cragfergus it to se. 45 Bot the lordis of that cuntre, Maundwell, Byset, and Logane, Thar men assemblit evirilkane; The Savagis wes alsua thair. And quhen thai all assemblit war, 50 Thai war weill neir tuenty thousand. Quhen thai wist that in-till thar land Sic a menyhe arivit war, With all the folk that thai had thar Thai went toward thame in gret hy. 55 And fra Schir Edward wist suthly That neir till him cumand war thai, His men he gert richt weill aray. The vaward had the Erll Thomas, And in the rerward Schir Edward was. 60

[33: C _Wavering Fyrth_ (S). _Wolyngs_ H.]

[49: C _De Savagis_ (S).]

The first battle that Sir Edward Won in Ireland, with fighting hard.

[Sidenote: 1315] _The Flower of Ulster defeated_]

Thar fais approchit to the fichting, And thai met thame but abaysing. Thar mycht men se a gret melle For Erll Thomas and his menyhe Dang on thair fais sa douchtely, 65 That in schort tym men mycht se ly Ane hundreth that all bludy war. For hobynis, that war stekit thar, Rerit, and flang, and gret rowme maid, And kest thame that apon thame raid. 70 And Schir Edwardis cumpany Assemblit syne so hardely That thai thar fais ruschit all. Quha hapnyt in that ficht to fall, It wes perell of his risyng. 75 The Scottis men in that fechting Swa apertly and weille thame bar, That thair fayis swa ruschit war, That thai haly the flicht has tane. In that battale wes tane or slane 80 All hale the flour of Ullister. The Erll of Murreff gret pris had ther; For his richt worthy chevelry Confortit all his cumpany. That wes a full fair begynnyng; 85 For, newlyngis at thair arivyng, In playne ficht thai discomfit thar Thar fais, that ay fowr for ane war. Syne to Cragfergus ar thai gane, And in the toune has innys tane. 90 The castell wele wes stuffit then Of-new with vittale and with men; Thar-till thai set ane sege in hy. Mony ysche full apertly Wes maid, quhill thar the sege lay, 95 Quhill trewis at the last tuk thai.

The Withletting of the Pass of Endnellan

Quhen that the folk of Ullister Till his pes haly cummyn wer, For Schir Edward wald tak on hand Till ryde forthirmar in the land, 100 Thair come till hym and maide fewte Sum of the kyngis of that cuntre, Weill ten or tuelf, as I herd say: Bot thai held hym schort quhile thar fay. For twa of thame, ane Makfulchiane, 105 And ane othir hat Makartane, With-set ane place in-till his way, Quhar him behufit neyd away, With twa thousand of men with speris, And als mony of thair archeris; 110 And all the cattale of the land War drawin thidder to warrand. Men callis that place Endwillane: In all Irland strater is nane. For Schir Edward that kepit thai; 115 Thai thoucht he suld nocht thar away. Bot he his viage soyne has tane, And straucht toward the plas is gane. The Erll of Murreff, Schir Thomas, That put hym ay first till assayis, 120 Lichtit on fut, with his menyhe, And apertly the plas tuk he. Thir Erische kyngis I spak of ar, With al the folk that with thame war, Met him richt sturdely; bot he 125 Assalyheit swa with his menyhe, That, magre thairis, thai wan the plas: Slayne of thair fayis fele thar was. Throu-out the wod thame chasit thai, And sesit in sic fusione thar pray, 130 That all the folk of thar host war Refreschit weill ane owk or mair.

[Sidenote: 1315] _Edward Bruce marches to Dundalk_]

At Kilsaggart Schir Edward lay; And thar weill soyne he has herd say, That at Dundawk wes ane assemble 135 Maid of the lordis of that cuntre; In host thai war assemblit thar. Thar wes first Schir Richard of Clare, That in all Irland luf-tenand Was off the King of Ingland. 140 The Erll of Desmownt als wes thar, And the Erll alsua of Kyldare; The Bremayne with the Wardoune; Thir war lordis of gret renoune. The Butler alsua thair was, 145 And Schir Moris le Fyss-Thomas. Thir with thair men ar cummyn thar, A rycht gret hoost forsuth thai war. And quhen Schir Edward wist suthly That thar wes sic ane chevelry, 150 His host in hy he gert aray, And thiddirwardis he tuk the way; And neir the toune he tuk herbery. Bot for he wyst all utirly That in the toune wes mony men, 155 His battalis he arrayit then, And stude arayit in battale To kep thame, gif thai wald assale.

[148: C _thair wes_ (S).]

And quhen that Schir Richard of Clare, And othir lordis that war thare, 160 Wist at the Scottis men so neir With thar battellis than cummyne weir, Thai tuk to consell at that nycht, For it wes layt, thai wald nocht ficht: Bot on the morne in the mornyng, 165 Weill soyn eftir the sone-rysing, Thai suld ysch furth all that war thair; Therfor that nycht thai did no mair: Bot herbreyt thame on athir party. That nycht the Scottis cumpany 170 War wachit rycht weill, all at richt; And on the morn, quhen day wes licht, In twa battellis thai thame arayit; Thai stude with baneris all displayit, For the battell all reddy boune. 175 And thai that war within the toune, Quhen sone wes rysyn schynand clere, Send furth of thame that within were Fifty, till se the contenyng Of Scottis men and thar cummyng. 180 And thai raid furth and saw thaim soyne, Syne come agane forouten hoyne. And quhen thai sammyn lichtit war, Thai tald thair lordis that wes thar, That Scottis men semyt to be 185 Worthye and of full gret bounte, “Bot thai ar nocht, withouten wer, “Half-deill ane dyner till us here!” The lordis had of this tithyng Gret joy and gret reconforting; 190 And gert men throu the cité cry That all suld arme thame hastely.

[178: C _that with him_ (S).]

[Sidenote: JUNE 29, 1315] _The Scots enter Dundalk_]

Quhen thai war armyt and purvayit, And for to ficht all haill arayit, Than went thai furth in gude aray; 195 Soyn with thair fayis assemblit thai, That kepit thame richt hardely. The stour begouth thair cruelly; For athir part set all thair mycht Till rusche thair fayis in the ficht; 200 And with all mycht on other dang. The stalward stour lestit weill lang, That men mycht nocht persave, no se, Quha mast at thar abovin mycht be. For fra soyn eftir the sone-rysyng, 205 Quhill eftir mydmorne, the fichting Lestit in-till sic ane dout; Bot than Schir Edward, that wes stout, With all thame of his cumpany, Schot apon thame so sturdely, 210 That thai mycht thole no mar the ficht. All in a frusche thai tuk the flicht, And thai followit full egirly: In-to the toune all comonly Thai enterit bath intermelle. 215 Thair mycht men felloune slauchtir se; For the richt nobil Erll Thomas, That with his rout followit the chas, Maid sic a slauchtir in the toune, And swa felloune occisioune, 220 That the rewis all bludy war Of slayne men that war liand thar. The lords war gottin all away. And quhen the toune, as I yhow say, Wes throu gret fors of fechting tane, 225 And all thair fayis fled or slane, Thai herbryit thame all in the toune, Quhar of vittale was sic fusione, And swa gret aboundans of wyne, That the gud Erll had gret dowtyne 230 That of thair men suld dronken be, And mak in drunkynnes sum melle. Tharfor he maid of wyne lufre Till ilk man, that he payit suld be; And thai had all yneuch, perfay. 235 That nycht rycht weill at eis war thai, And richt blith of the gret honour That thame befell for thair valour.

The third battle in Ireland That good Sir Edward took on hand.

Eftir this ficht thai sojornyt thair, In-to Dundawk, thre dayis and mar; 240 Syne tuk thai southwardis thar way. The Erll Thomas wes forrouth ay. And, as thai raid throu the cuntre, Thai mycht apon the hillis se Sa mony men, it wes ferly. 245 And quhen the Erll wald sturdely Dress him to thame with his baner, Thai wald fle all that evir thai wer, Swa that in ficht nocht ane abaid. And thai southwardis thair wais raid, 250 Quhill till a gret forest come thai; Kilros it hat, as I herd say: And thai tuk all thar herbiry thair. In all this tyme Richard of Clare, That wes the Kyngis luf-tenand, 255 Of all of the barnage of Irland A gret hoost he assemblit had. Thai war fyve bataillis, gret and braid, That soucht Schir Edward and his men; Weill neir him war thai cummyn then. 260 He gat soyne wittyng that thai weir Cumand on him, and war so neir. His men addressit he thame agane, And gert thame stoutly tak the plane; And syne the Erll thar come to se, 265 And Schir Philip the Mowbra send he, And Schir Johne Steward went alsua, Furth till discovir thair way thai ta. Thai saw the host cum soyne at hand; Thai war, to ges, fiffty thousand. 270 Haym to Schir Edward raid thai then, And said weill thai war mony men. He said agane, “The ma thai be, “The mair honour allout have we, “Gif that we beir us manfully. 275 “We are set heir in juperdy “Till wyn honour, or for till de. “We ar fra hayme to fer to fley, “Tharfor let ilk man worthy be. “Yhone ar gadering of the cuntre; 280 “And thai sall fle, I trow, lichtly, “And men assail thaim manfully.” All said thai than, thai weill suld do. With that approchand neir thame to, The battellis come, reddy to ficht; 285 And thai met thame with mekill mycht, That war ten thousand worthy men. The Scottis all on fut war then, And thai on stedis trappit weill, Sum helyt all in irne and steill. 290

[Sidenote: 1315] _The Scots make merry in the Forest_]

Bot Scottis men, at thair metyng, With speris perssit thar armyng, And stekit hors, and men doune bar. Ane felloune fechting wes than thair. I can nocht tell thair strakis all, 395 Na quha in ficht gert othir fall; Bot in schort tyme, I undirta, Thai of Irland war cummyrrit swa That thai durst nane abyde no mar, Bot fled scalit, all that thai war, 300 And levit in the battell-stede Weill mony of thar gud men ded. Of wapnys, armyng, and ded men The feld wes haly strewit then. That gret hoost roydly ruschit wes; 305 Bot Schir Edward leit no man chas; Bot with presoners, that thai had tane, Thai till the wod agane ar gane, Quhar that thair harnes levit wer. That nycht thai maid thame mery cher, 310 And lovit God fast of his grace. This gud knycht, that so worthy was, Till Judas, Machabeus that hicht, Micht liknyt weill be in that ficht; Na multitud he forsuk of men, 315 Quhill he hade ane aganis ten.

Thus, as I said, Richard of Clare And his gret hoost rebutit war. Bot he about him nocht-for-thi Wes gaderand men ay ythandly: 320 For he thoucht yheit to covir his cast. It angerit him richt ferly fast, That twis in-to battell wes he Discumfit with ane few menyhe. And Scottis men, that in the forest 325 War ryddin, for till tak thair rest, All thai twa nychtis thair thai lay, And maid thame myrth, solace, and play. Toward Odymsy syne thai rayde, Ane Erische kyng, that ayth had mayd 330 Till Schir Edwarde of fewte. For forrouth that him prayit he To se his land, and na vittale, Na nocht that mycht him help, suld fale. Schir Edward trowit in his hicht, 335 And with his rout raid thiddir richt. A gret revar he gert hym pas; And in a richt fair place, that was Lawch by a brym, he gert thame ta Thair herbry, and said he wald ga 340 To ger men vittale to thame bring. He held his way but mair duelling: For till betrais thame wes his thoucht. In sic ane place he has thame broucht, Quhar of journeis weill twa and mair 345 All the cattell withdrawin war. Swa that thai in that land mycht get No thing that worth war for to et. With hungyr he thoucht thaim to feblis, Syne bring on thame thair enymys. 350

[339: E _bourne_. H _burne_.]

[Sidenote: 1315] _Thomas of Dun rescues the Scots_]

This fals tratour his men had maid, A litell owth quhar he herbryit hade Schir Edward and the Scottis men, The ysche of a louch to den; And leit it out in-to the nycht. 355 The wattir than, with sic a mycht, On Schir Edwardis men come doune, That thai in perell war till droune; For, or thai wist, on flot war thai; With mekill payne thai gat away, 360 And held thar livis, as God gaf gras, Bot of thair harnes tynt ther was. He maid thame na gud fest, perfay, And nocht-for-thi yneuch had thai. For thouch thame failit of the met, 365 I warne yhow weill thai war weill wet. In gret distres thair war thai stad, For gret defalt of mete thai had; For thai betuix thai riveris tway War set, and mycht pas nane of thai. 370 The Bane, that is ane arme of se, That with hors may nocht passit be, Wes betuix thame and Ullister. Thai had beyn in grett perell ther, Ne war ane scummar of the se, 375 Thomas of Dun hattyn wes he, Herd that the host so stratly than Wes stad, and salyt up the Ban, Quhill he com weill neir quhar thai lay. Thai knew him weill, and blith war thai. 380 Than, with four schippes that he had tane, He set thame our the Ban ilkane. And quhen thai come in biggit land, Vittale and mete yneuch thai fand: And in a wode thame herbryit thai. 385 Nane of the land wist quhar thai lay; Thai esyt thame and maid gud cher.

[354: H _to dem_.]

[376: E _Downe_. H _Dun_.]

In-till that tyme, besyde thame ner, With a gret host, Richarde of Clar, And othir gret of Irlande, war 390 Herbryit in-till a forest syde. And ilke day thai gert men ryde To bring vittalis, on ser maneris, Till thame fra the toune of Coigneris, That weill ten gret myle wes thaim fra. 395 Ilk day, as thai wald cum and ga, Thai come the Scottis host so ner, That bot twa myle betuix thaim wer.

How Sir Thomas of Randell Won from the Irish their Vittell.

And quhen Erll Thomas had persaving Of thair come and thair gaderyng, 400 He gat him a gud cumpany, Thre hundreth on hors, wycht and hardy. Thar wes Schir Philip the Mowbray, And Sir Johne Stewart als, perfay, With Schir Alane Stewart alsua, 405 Schir Robert Boyde, and other ma. Thai raid till meit the vittelleris, That with ther vittale fra Coigneris Com, haldand to the host the way. So suddanly on thame schot thai, 410 That thai war sa abaysit all, That thai leit all thair wapnys fall, And mercy pitwysly can cry. And thai tuk thame in thair mercy, And has thame up so clenly tane, 415 That of thame all eschapit nane.

[406: E H _Robert_. C _Gilbert_.]

The Erll of thame gat wittering That of thair host, in the evynnyng, Wald cum out at the woddis syde And aganis thair vittale ryde. 420 He thoucht than on a juperdy, And gert his menyhe halely Dicht thame in the presoners aray; Thair pennownys als with thame tuk thai. And quhill the nycht wes neir thai baid, 425 And syne toward the host thai raid. Sum of thair mekill host has seyne Thair come, and wende weill thai had beyne Thair vittelouris; tharfor thai raid Agane thame scalit, for thai hade 430 Na dreid that thai thair fayis wer; And thame hungerit alsua weill sair; Tharfor thai come abandonly. And quhen thai neir war, in gret hy The Erll, and all that with him war, 435 Ruschit on thame with wapnys bar, And thair ensenyheis hye can cry; Than thai, that saw so sudandly Thair fayis dyng on thame, wes rad, That thai no hert till help thame had; 440 Bot to thar host the way can ta; And thai chasit, and feill can sla, That all the feldis strowit war; Ma than ane thowsand ded wes thar. Rycht to thar hoost thai can thame chass, 445 And syne agane thair wayis tais.

[Sidenote: 1315] _Irish Spies are captured_]

On this wiss wes the vittal tane, And of the Erysche men mony slane. The Erll syne, with his cumpany, Presoners and vittalis halely 450 Has brocht till Schir Edward als swith; And he wes of thair cummyng blith. That nycht thai maid thame merye cher; Richt all than at thair eis thai wer. Thai war all wachit sekyrly, 455 And thair fais, on the tothir party, Quhen thai herd how thar men was slane, And how thar vittal all wes tane, Thai tuk to consell at thai wald Thair wayis towart Coigneris hald, 460 And herbry in the cite ta. And in gret hye thai have done swa; And raid on nycht to the cite. Thai fand thair vittale of gret plente, And maid thame merely gud cher; 465 For all trast in the toune thai wer. Apon the morn thai send to spy Quhar Scottis men had tane herbery. Bot thai war met with all, and tane, And brocht richt till the hoost agane. 470 The Erll of Murreff richt mekly Sperit at ane of thar cumpany, Quhar thar host wes, and quhat thai thoucht Till do; and said him, gif he moucht Fynd that till hym the suth said he, 475 He suld gang hame but ransoune fre. “Forsuth,” he said, “I sall yhow say, “Thai thynk, the morn, quhen it is day, “To seik yhow with all thair menyhe, “Giff thai may get wit quhar yhe be. 480 “Thai haf gert throu the cuntre cry, “On payne of liff, full felounly, “That all the men of this cuntre “This nycht in-to the cite be. “And trewly thai sall be so feill, 485 “That yhe sall no wis with thame deill.” ‘De pardew,’ said he, ‘weill may be!’ To Schir Edward with that yheid he, And tald hym utrely this taill. Than haf thai tane for consell haill, 490 That thai wald ryde to the cite That ilk nycht, swa that thai mycht be Betuix the toune, with all thar rout, And thame that war the toune without.

[478: E _to-morn_.]

[Sidenote: 1315] _A Great Gathering against the Scots_]

As thai devisit swa have thai done; 495 Befor the toune thai come alsoyne: And bot half deill a myle of way Fra the cite, thar rest tuk thai. And quhen the day wes dawin licht, Fifty on hobynis, that war wicht, 500 Com till a litill hill, that was Bot fra the toune a litill spas, And saw Schir Edwardis herbery, And of the sicht had gret ferly, That sa quheyn durst on ony wis 505 Undertak sa hye empris, As for till cum sa hardely Apon all the gret chevelry Of Irland, for till byde battale. And swa it wes, forouten fale; 510 For agane thame war gaderit thair, With the wardane Richard of Clar, The Butler, with the Erllis twa, Of Desmund and Kildar war tha, Bruman, Wardun, and Fiz-Waryn; 515 And Schir Pascalle a Florentyn, That wes ane knycht of Lumbardy, And wes full of gret chevelry. The Maundvilis war thar alsua, Besatis, Loganys, and othir ma; 520 Savagis als; and yheit wes ane, Hat Schir Nycholl of Kylkenane. And with thir lordis so feill wes then, That, for ane of the Scottis men, I trow that thai war fiff or ma. 525 Quhen thair discurrowris seyne has swa The Scottis host, thai went in hy And tald thair lordis all opynly, How thai till thaim wer cummand ner; To seik thame fer wes na myster. 530 And quhen the Erll Thomas had seyne That thai men at the hill had beyne, He tuk with him a gude menyhe, On hors ane hundreth thai mycht be, And till the hill thai tuk the way. 535 In a slak thame enbuschit thai: And, in schort tyme, fra the cite Thai saw cum rydand a menyhe, For till discovir, to the hill. Than war thai blith, and held thame still 540 Quhill thai war cummyn to thame ner; Than in a frusche, all that thar wer, Thai schot apon thame hardely. And thai that saw so suddandly That folk cum on, abaysit war. 545 And nocht-for-thi sum of thame thar Abaid stoutly to mak debat; And othir sum ar fled thar gat. And in-to weill schort tyme war thai, That maid arest, cumrayit swa, 550 That thai fled halely thair gat; And thai thame chassit richt to the yhate, And a gret part of thame has slane, And syne went till thar host agane.

[501: C _that wes_ (S).]

[515: C _Syr Waryn_; but _cf._ xv., 75.]

[522: C _Kyllvanane_ (S); but see note.]