BOOK XV.

The fourth battle in Ireland That Sir Edward won with strong hand.

Qwhen thai within has seyn swa slane Thair men, and chassit hame agane, Thai war all wa, and in gret hy “Till armys!” hely can thai cry. Than armyt thame all at thar war, 5 And for the battale maid thame yhar. Thai yschit out, all weill arayit, In battale with baneris displayit; Bowne on thar best wis till assale Thair fayis in-to fell battale. 10 And quhen Schir Philip the Mowbray Saw thame ysche in sa gud aray, Till Schir Edward the Brus went he And said, “Schir, it is gude that we “Schape for sum slicht that may availl 15 “Till help us in this gret battaill. “Our men ar quheyn, bot thai haf will “Till do mair than thai may fullfill. “Tharfor I rede, our caryage, “Forouten ony man or page, 20 “By thame-selvyne arayit be; “And thai sall seyme fer ma than we. “Set we before thame our baneris; “Yhon folk that cummys out of Coigneris, “Quhen thai our baneris thair may se, 25 “Sall trow trastly that thair ar we, “And thidder in gret hy sall ryde. “Cum we than on thame at a syde, “And we sall be at avantage; “For, fra thai in our caryage 30 “Be enterit, thai sall cummyrrit be; “And than with all our mycht may we “Lay on, and do all that we may.” All as he ordanit done haf thai. And thai that com out of Coigneris 35 Adressit thame to the baneris; And smat with spures the hors in hy, Ruschand emang thame sodanly. The barell-ferraris that war thar Cumrayd thame fast that rydand war. 40

[34: C _And_ (S).]

[Sidenote: SEPT. 1315] _Battle of Connor_]

And than the Erll, with his battale, Com on, and sadly can assale. And Schir Edward, a litill by, Assemblit swa richt hardely, That mony fey fell under feit; 45 The felde wox soyne of blud all weit. With so gret felony thar thai faucht, And sic rowtis till othir raucht, With stok, with stane, and with retrete, As athir part can othir bet, 50 That it wes hidwys for to se How thai mantemyt that gret melle So knychtlik apon athir syde, Giffand and takand woundis wyde, That pryme wes passit, or men mycht se 55 Quha mast at thair abovin mycht be. Bot soyne eftir that pryme wes past, The Scottis men dang on so fast, And schot on thame at abandoune, As ilk man war a campioun, 60 That all thar fayis tuk the flicht. Wes nane of thame that wes so wicht, That evir durst abyde his fere; Bot ilkane fled thair wayis sere. Till the toune fled the mast party. 65 And Erll Thomas sa ynkirly, And his rout, chassit with swerdis bar, That all emang thame mellit war, And all to-gidder come in the toune. Than wes the slauchter so felloune, 70 That all the rewis ran of blude. Thame that thai gat to dede all yhude, Swa that than thar weill neir wes ded Als feill as in the battell-sted.

[54: E _rowtis roid_; _cf._ Bk. VI., 288.]

The Fizwaryne wes taken thar; 75 Bot so rad wes Richard of Clar, That he held to the sowth cuntre. All that moneth I trow that he Sall haf no gret will for to ficht. Schir Johne Steward, ane nobill knycht, 80 Wes woundit throu the body thair With a sper that richt scharply schair. To the Mont-peleris went he syne, And lay thair lang in-to helyne, And at the last helit wes he. 85 Schir Edward than, with his menyhe, Tuk in the toune thair herbery. That nycht thai blith war and joly For the victory that thai had thar. And on the morn, forouten mar, 90 Schir Edward gert men gang and se All the vitalis of that cite. And thai fand sic fusioune thar-in Of corn and flour and wax and wyne, That thai had of it gret ferly; 95 And Schir Edward gert halely To Cragferguss it cartit be. Syne thidder went his men and he, And helde the sege full stalwardly, Quhill Palme Sonday wes passit by. 100 Than, quhill the Tysday in Pask-owk, On athir half thai trowis tuk; Swa that thai mycht that haly tyd In pennance and in prayer byd.

[Sidenote: APRIL 10-11, 1316] _Attempt to surprise the Scots_]

Bot apon Paske evin all richt 105 To the castell, in-till the nycht, Fra Devilling come schippis fyftene, Chargit with armit men bedeyne; Four thousand, trow I weill, thai war: In the castell thai enterit thair. 110 The Mawndvell, ald Schir Thomas, Capitane of that menyhe he was. In the castell all prevaly Thai enterit, for that thai gert spy That mony of Schir Edwardis men 115 War scalit in the cuntre then. Tharfor thai thoucht in the mornyng Till ysche, but langer delaying, And till suppris thame suddanely; For thai thoucht thai suld traistly ly, 120 For the trewis that taken war. Bot I trow falsat evirmar Sall have unfair and evill ending. Schir Edward wist of this na thing, For of tresoune had he na thoucht. 125 Bot for the trewis he lefit noucht Wachis till set to the castele; Ilk nycht he gert men wach it wele. And Neyll Flemyng wachit that nycht With sexty men worthy and wicht. 130 And als soyne as the day wox cleir, Thai that within the castell weir Had armyt thame, and maid thame boune, And syne the bryg avaled doune, And yschit in-till gret plente. 135 And quhen Neyll Flemyng can thaim se, He send ane till the Kyng in hy; And said to thame that war hym by, “Now sall men se, I undirtak, “Quha dar de for his lordis sak! 140 “Now beir yhow weill, for sekirly “With all thir menyhe fecht will I. “In-till bargane thame hald sall we, “Quhill that our mastir armyt be.” And with that worde assemblit thai; 145 Thai war to few all out, perfay, With sic a gret rout for to ficht. Fot nocht-for-thi with al thar mycht Thai dang on thame so hardely, That all thair fayis had gret ferly, 150 That thai war all of sic manheid, That thai no dreid had of thar dede. Bot thar fell fayis sa can assaill, That thar mycht no worschip availl That thai ne war slayn evirilkane 155 So cleyn, that thar eschapit nane.

How the King of Ireland called Edward came upon the Scotsmen

And the man that went till the Kyng, For till warn hym of thair ysching, Warnit him in-till full gret hy. Schir Edward wes comonly 160 Callit the Kyng of Irland, Quhen that he herd sic hy on hand, In full gret hast he gat his ger. Tuelf wicht men in his chalmer wer That armyt thame in full gret hy. 165 Syne with his baneris hardely The myddis of the toune he tais. With that neir cummand war his fais, That had delt all thar men in thre. The Mawndvell, with a gret menyhe, 170 Richt throu the toune his way held doune; The layff on athir syde the toune Held to meit thame that fleand war; Thai thoucht that all that thai fand thar Suld de but ransoune evirilkane: 175 Bot othir wayis the gle is gane. For Schir Edward, with his baner, And his men that I tald of ere, On all that rout so hardely Assemblit, that it wes ferly. 180 For Gib Harpar befor him yheid, That wes the douchtyest of deid That than wes liffand of his stat, And with ane ax maid him sic gat That he the first fellit to the grounde; 185 And eftir, in a litill stounde, The Mawndvell be his armyng He knew, and roucht him sic a swyng That he till erd yheid hastely. Schir Edward, that wes neir hym by, 190 Reversit hym, and with a knyff Richt in that place him reft the liff.

[187: C _by his_ (S).]

[Sidenote: APRIL 11, 1316] _The Maundevilles are slain_]

With that of Ardrossane Fergus, That wes ane knycht rycht curageous, Assemblit with sexty and ma. 195 Thai pressit than thair fayis swa, That thai, that saw thair lord slayne, Tynt hert, and wald have beyn agane. And ay, as Scottis men mycht be Armyt, thai come to the melle; 200 And dang apon thai fayis swa, That thai all hale the bak can ta, And thai thame chassit to the yhat; Thar wes hard ficht and gret debat. Thar slew Schir Edward, with his hand 205 A knycht, that of all Irland Wes callit best, and of mast bounte, To surname Mawndvell hecht he, His propir nayme I can nocht say. Bot his folk till so hard assay 210 War set, that thai of the dungeoune Durst oppyn no yhat, na bryg let doune. And Schir Edward, I tak on hand, Soucht thame that fled thar to warrand, So felly, that of all, perfay, 215 That yschit apon hym that day, Eschapit of thaim nevir ane, That thai ne war outhir tane or slane. For to the ficht Maknakill then Come with twa hundreth of gude sper-men, 220 And slew all they mycht to wyn. This ilk Maknakill, with a gyn, Wan of thair schippes four or fiff, And halely reft the men thair liff. Quhen end wes maid of this fechting, 225 Yheit then wes liffand Neill Fleming. Schir Edward went him for to se; About him slayne lay his menyhe All in a lump, on athyr hand, And he, redy to dey, throwand. 230 Schir Edward had of him pite, And him full gretly menyt he, And regratit his gret manhede, And his worschyp with douchty dede. Sic mayn he maid, thai had ferly; 235 For he wes nocht custumabilly Wount for till meyne ony thing, Na wald nocht heir men mak menyng. He stude thar by quhill he wes ded, And syne had him till haly sted, 240 And him with worschip gert he be Erdit, with gret solempnite.

[221: C _slow_ (S).]

How King Robert Bruce passed through the Tarbats, and won the Isles.

[Sidenote: 1315] _King Robert is drawn Overland_]

On this wis yschit the Mawndvele; Bot sekirly falsat and gyle Sall evir have ane evill ending, 245 As weill wes seyn be this ysching. In tyme of trewis yschit thai, And in sic tyme as on Paske day, Quhen God rais for to sauf mankyne Fra wem of ald Adammis syne. 250 Tharfor sic gret myschans thame fell, That ilkane, as yhe herd me tell, War slane up, or than takyn thar. And thai that in the castell war War set in-till sic fray that hour, 255 For thai couth se quhar na succour Suld come to releif thame, that thai Shortly swa tretit, and on a day The castell till him yhald thai fre, Till sauf thame thair liffis; and he 260 Held thame full well all his cunnand. The castell tuk he in his hand, And vittalit it weill, and has set A gud wardane it for to get; And a quhile thair than restit he. 265 Of him no mair now spek will we, Bot till King Robert will we gang, That we haf left unspokyn of lang. Quhen he convoyit had to the se His brothir Edward, and his menyhe, 270 With his shippes he maid him yhar *271 *In-till the Ilis for till fare. *Walter Steward with hym tuk he, His mawch, and with him gret menyhe; *274 And othir men of gret nobillay. Till the Tarbard thai held thar way In galayis ordanit for thair fair. Bot thame worthit draw thar schippes thar: And a myle wes betuix the seis, 275 Bot that wes lownyt all with treis. The Kyng his schippis thar gert draw, And for the wynd can stoutly blaw Apon thair bak, as thai wald ga, He gert men rapis and mastis ta, 280 And set thame in the schippis hye, And salys to the toppis te, And gert men gang thar-by drawand. The wynd thame helpit, that wes blawand; Swa that, in-till a litill spas, 285 Thar flot all weill our-drawyn was.

[246: C _by_ (S).]

[*271-*274: From C H. Not in E.]

[276: E _lompnyt_.]

And quhen thai that in the Ilis war, Herd tell how the gud Kyng had thar Gert schippis with the salys ga Out-our betuix the Tarbartis twa, 290 Thai war abasit all utrely. For thai wist throu ald prophesy That he that suld ger schippis swa Betuix the seis with salis ga, Suld wyn the Ilis swa till hand, 295 That nane with strynth suld him withstand. Tharfor thai come all to the Kyng; Wes nane that withstude his biddyng, Outaken Johne of Lorne alane. Bot Weill soyne eftir he wes tane, 300 And presentit wes to the Kyng. And thai that war of his leding, That to the King had brokyn fay, War all ded, and distroyit away. The Kyng this Johne of Lorne has tane, 305 And send soyne him till Dumbertane, A quhile in presone thair till be, And to Louchlevin syne send wes he, Quhar he wes lang tyme in festnyng: Thair-in, I trow, he maid endyng. 310 The King, quhen all the Iles war Brocht till his liking, les and mar, Still all that sesoune thar duelt he At huntyng, and gammyne, and gle.

The Battle betwixt the Lord Douglas and the Lord Nevill of England.

[Sidenote: FEB. 14, 1316] _Douglas attacks the Forayers_]

Qwhen the King on this maner 315 Dantit the Iles, as I tell her, The gud Schir James of Dowglas In-till the Forest duelland was, Defendand worthely the land. That tyme in Berwik wes wonnand 320 Edmound de Cailow, a Gascoune, That wes a knycht of gret renoune; And in-till Gascone, his cuntre, Lord of gret senyheroy wes he. He had than Berwik in keping, 325 And maid ane preve gaddering, And gat him a gret cumpany Of wicht men armit jolely. And the nethir end of Tevydaill He prayit doune till him all haill, 330 And of the Mers ane gret party; Syne toward Berwik went in hy. Schir Adam of Gordoune, that than Wes becummyne a Scottis man, Saw thame swa drif away thar fe, 335 And wend thai had beyn quheyn, for he Saw bot the fleand scaill, perfay, *337 *And thame that sesyt on the pray. *Than till Schir James of Douglas In-to gret hye the way he tais; *340 *And tald how Inglis men thair pray *Had tane; and syne went thar way *Toward Berwik with all thar fee, *And said they quheyn war; and gif he Wald speid him, he suld weill lichtly Wyn thame, and reskew all the ky. Schir James richt soyne gaf his assent *345 *Till follow thame, and furth is went, *Bot with the men that he had thair, *And met hym by the gat but mair. *Thai followit thame in full gret hy, And com weill neir thame hastely; *350 *For, or thay mycht thame fully se, *Thai come weill neir with thair menyhe. *And than bath the forreouris and the scaill *In-till a childrome knyt all haill, *And wes a richt fair cumpany. Befor thame gert thai driff the ky *356 With knavis and swanys, that na mycht Had for till stand in feild to ficht. 340 The laiff behynd thame maid a staill. The Dowglass saw thair purpos haill, And saw thame of sa gud covyne, And at thai war sa mony syne, That thai for ane of his war twa. 345 “Lordingis,” he said, “sen it is swa “That we haff chassit on sic maner, “That we now cummyn ar so ner “That we may nocht eschewe the ficht “Bot gif we fowly tak the flicht, 350 “Lat ilk man on his luf than meyne, “And how he mony tyme has beyne “In grat thrang, and come weill away. “Think we till do richt swa this day; “And tak we of this furde heir-by 355 “Our avantage, for in gret hy “Thai sall come on us for to ficht. “Set we than will, and strynth, and mycht “For till meyt thame richt hardely.” And, with that word, full hastely, 360 He hes displayit his baner; For his fayis war cumand neir, That, quhen thai saw he wes so quhoyne, Thai thoucht with thame soyne till haf done, And assemblit full hardely. 365 Thar men mycht se men fecht felly, And richt ane cruell melle mak, And mony strakis giff and tak.

[321: C _Ewmound_ (S). H _Edmound_. C _Calion_ (S). H _Calhow_. (See note.)]

[*337-*344 and *345-*356: From C H; not in E.]

[Linenote: *347-*348 in C only.]

[338: C _in the_ (S); but Skeat suggests that ‘perhaps it should be _on_.’]

[341: C _scaill_ (S); but S in note seems to prefer _staill_.]

[351: E _his lemman_ (love).]

[366: C _Thair mycht men se ficht fellely_ (S).]

[Sidenote: 1316] _Neville is jealous of Douglas_]

The Douglass thair weill hard wes stad, Bot the gret hardyment that he had 370 Comfort his men apon sic wis, That no man thoucht on cowardis; Bot faucht so fast with all thar mayne, That thai feill of thair fayis has slayne. And thouch thai wer be fer full ma 375 Than thai, yheit ure demanyt thaim swa, That Edmound de Cailow wes ded Richt in that ilk fechting-sted. And all the lave, fra he wes done, War planly thair discumfit sone; 380 And thai that chassit sum has slayne, And turnyt the prayis haill agane. The hardest fechting forsuth this wes That evir the gud lord of Dowglas Wes in, as of sa few menyhe. 385 For, had nocht beyne his gret bounte That slew thair chiftane in the ficht, His men till ded had all beyne dicht. He had in-till custum all-way, Quhen evir he com till hard assay, 390 To press hym the chiftane to sla; And hap him fell that he did swa, That gert him victor have feill sis. Quhen Schir Edmound apon this wis Wes ded, the gud lord of Douglas 395 Till the Forest his way he tais. His fayis gretly can hym dreid; The word weill fer sprang of this deid, Swa that in Ingland neir thar-by Men spak of it weill comonly. 400 Schir Robert de Nevell in that tyde Wonnyt at Berwyk, neir besyde The marchis, quhar the lord Dowglas In the Forest reparande was, And had at him full gret invy, 405 For he him saw so manfully Mak his boundis ay mar and mar. He herd the folk that with him war Spek of the lorde Dowglasis mycht, And how forsy he wes in fycht, 410 And how hym oft fell fayr fortoune. He wrethit him thar-at all soyne, And said, “Quhat weyn yhe, is thar nane “That evir is worth bot hym alane? “Yhe set hym as he war but peir: 415 “But I avow, befor yhow heir, “Gif evir he cum in-till this land, “He sall fynd me neir at his hand. “And giff I evir his baneir “May see displayit apon wer, 420 “I sall assembill on hym but dout, “All thouch yhe hald him nevir sa stout.”

[371: C _confortit_ (S).]

[377: C _Ewmound de Caleone_ (S).]

Of this avow soyne bodword was Brocht till Schir James of Douglas, That said, “Giff he will hald his hicht, 425 “I sall do swa he sall haf sicht “Of me and of my cumpany, “Yheit or oucht lang, weill neir hym by.” His reten new than gaderit he, That war gud men of gret bounte, 430 And to the marchis in gud aray Apon ane nycht he tuk the way; Swa that, in the mornyng airly, He wes, with all his cumpany, Before Berwyk; and thair he maid 435 Men to display his baner braid. And of his menyhe sum send he For till burne townys twa or thre, And bad thame soyn agane thame speid; Swa that on hand, gif thar com neyd, 440 Thai mycht be for the ficht redy. The Nevell that wist verraly. That Dowglas cummyn wes so neir, And saw all braid stand his baneir, Than with the folk that with hym wer, 445 (And he had a gret menyhe thar; For all the gud of that cuntre In-till that tyme with hym had he; Swa that he with hym thar had then Weill may then wes the Scottis men) 450 He held his way up till ane hill, And said; “Lordyngis, it war my will “Till mak end of the gret deray “That Dowglass makis us ilk day. “Bot me think it speidful that we 455 “Abyde, quhill his men scalit be “Throu the cuntre to tak the pray: “Than fersly schute on hym we may, “And we sall have thame at our will.” Thus all thai gaiff consent thar-till, 460 And on the hill abaid huvande. The men fast gadderit of the land, And drew till hym in full gret hy. The Douglas than, that wes worthy, Thoucht it wes foly mair till byde. 465 Toward the hill than can he ryde; And quhen the Nevell saw at thai Wald nocht pass furth to the forray, Bot pressit till thame with thar mycht, He wist weill than that thai wald ficht, 470 And till his menyhe can he say; “Lordingis, now hald we furth our way. “Heir is the flour of this cuntre, “And ma than thai alsua ar we. “Assemmyll we than hardely: 475 “For Douglas with yhon yhemanry, “Sall haf no mycht till us, perfay.” Than in a frusche assemblit thai. Than mycht men heir the speris brast, And men dyng apon othir fast, 480 And blude brist out at woundis wyde. Thai faucht fast apon athir syde; For athir party can thame payne Till put thair fais on-bak agane.

[Sidenote: 1316] _The Fight between Douglas and Neville_]

The lordis of Nevell and Douglas, 485 Quhen that the fichting fellest was, Met to-giddir richt in the pres. Betuix thame than gret bargane wes; Thai faucht felly with all thair maucht, Gret rowtis athir till othir raucht. 490 Bot Douglas sterkar wes, I hicht, And mair usit alsua to ficht, And he set hert, and will alsua, For till delyver him of his fa; Quhill at the last, with mekill mayne, 495 Throu fors the Nevell has he slayne. Than his ensenyhe he can hye cry, And on the laiff so hardely He ruschit, with all his menyhe, That in-till schort tym men mycht se 500 Thair fayis tak on thame the flicht. And thai thame chassit with all thar mycht. Schir Ralf the Nevell, in the chas, And the Baroun of Hiltoun was Takin, and othyr of mekill mycht. 505 Thar wes fele slayne in-to that fycht, That worthy in thar tyme had beyn. And quhen the feld wes clengit cleyn, Swa that thair fayis evirilkane War slayn, or chassit away or tane, 510 Than gert he forray all the land, And sessit all that evir he fand, And brynt the townys in thar way; Syne haill and feir haym cummyn ar thai. The pray soyne emang his menyhe, 515 Eftir thar meritis, delit he, And held no thing till his behuf. Sic dedis aucht till ger men luf Thair lorde, and swa thai did, perfay. He tretit thame so wisly ay, 520 And with so mekill luf alsua, And sic a countenans wald ma Of thair deid, that the mast coward Stoutar he maid than a libard; With cherising thusgat maid he 525 His men wicht, and of gret bounte.

[506: C _That wes slayn thair in-to the ficht_ (S), which does not seem to explain the context.]

[Sidenote: 1316] _The English dread of Douglas_]

Qwhen Nevell thus wes broucht to ground, And of Cailow Schir Edmound, The dreid of the lorde Dowglas, And his renoun, swa scalit was 530 Throu-out the marchis of Ingland, That all that war thar-in duelland Thai dred him as the devill of hell. And yheit haf I herd oftsis tell, That he so gretly dred wes than 535 That quhen wiffis wald thar childir ban, Thai wald with rycht ane angry face, Beteche thaim “to the blak Dowglas.” *For, with thair taill, he wes mair fell *Than wes ony devill in hell. Throu his gret worschip and bounte, Swa with his fayis dred wes he 540 That thaim growyt till heir his name. He may at eis now duell at hame A quhile, for I trow he sall nocht With fais all a quhile be socht. Now let him in the Forest be: 545 Of him no mair spek will we. Bot of Schir Edward the worthy, That with all his gude chevelry, Wes at Cragfergus yheit liand, To spek mair will we tak on hand. 550

[528: C _Calyheoun_ (S). H _Calhow_. C _Ewmond_. H _Edmound_. Names in text from E.]

[*539, *540: In C only. These lines seem to be a repeat of 533, 534.]

[541: C _grevit_ (S). H _groowed_. E H give the more effective term--_shuddered_.]