BOOK VIII

How James of Douglas discomfited then At Ederford Philip Mowbray with many men.

[Sidenote: 1307] _Bruce leaves the Mountains_]

The King, fra Schir Amer was gane, Gadert his menyhe evirilkane; And left bath woddis and montanis, And held his way straucht to the planys. 4 For he wald fayn that end war maid Of that at he begonnyn had, And he wist weill he mycht nocht bring It to gud end but travalyng. 8 To Kyle first went he, and that land He maid till him all obeysand: The men mast fors com till his pes. Syne eftirward, or he wald ces, 12 Of Cunyngame the mast party He gert helde till his senyhory.

In Bothwell than Schir Amer was, That in his hert gret angyr has; 16 For thai of Cunyngame and Kyle, That war obeysand till hym quhile, Left the Inglis menis fewte: Tharof fayn vengit wald he be; 20 And send Schir Philip the Mowbray, With a thousand, as I herd say, Of men that war in his leding, To Kyle to warray the nobill Kyng. 24

Bot James of Douglas, that all tyde, Had spyis out on ilka syde, Wist of thar cummyng, and that thai Wald hald doune Makyrnokis way. 28 He tuk with hym all prevely Thame that war of his cumpany, That war sexty withouten ma. Syne till a strate place can he ga, 32 That is in Makyrnokis way, The Edry-furd it hat perfay; It lyis betuix marras twa, Quhar that na hors on lif ma ga. 36 On the south half, quhar James was, Is ane upgang, ane narrow plas, And on the north half is the way Sa ill, as it apperis to day. 40

[28: C _Machyrn-noxis_.]

[31: E _fourty_. H _sixtie_.]

[34: E _Nether-foord_, and so in H, differing from his own rubric.]

[Sidenote: 1307] _Mowbray escapes with Difficulty_]

Douglas, with thame he with hym had, Enbuschit hym, and thame abaid. He mycht weill fer se thair cummyng, Bot thai mycht se of hym na thing. 44 Thai maid enbuschement all the nycht, And quhen the sone wes schynand brycht, Thai saw in battale cum arayit The vaward with baner displayit, 48 And syne soyn the remanand Thai saw weill neir behynd cumand. Than held thai thaim still and preve, Till the formast of thair menyhe 52 War enterit in the furde thame by; Than schot thai on thame wyth a cry; And with wapnys that scharply schare Sum in the furde thai bakward bare, 56 And sum, with arrowes barblyt braid, Sa gret martirdome on thame maid, That thai gan draw to voyd the place; Bot behinde thame so stoppit was 60 The way, that thai fast mycht nocht fle, And that gert of thaim mony de. For thai on na syde mycht away Bot as thai com, bot gif at thai 64 Wald throu thair fayis hald thar gat; Bot that way thoucht thame all to hat. Thair fayis met thame so sturdely, And continit the ficht so hardely, 68 That thai so dredand war at thai Quha first mycht fle, first fled away. And quhen the reirward saw thaim swa Discumfit, and thair wayis ga, 72 Thai fled on fer, and held thair way. Bot Schir Philip the Mowbray, That with the formast rydand was, That enterit war in-to the plas, 76 Quhen that he saw how he wes stad, Throu the gret worschip that he had, With spurys he strak the steid of pris, And, magre all his enymys, 80 Throu the thikkest of thame he raid, And but challans eschapit had, Ne war ane hynt hym by the brand; Bot the guid steid, that wald nocht stand, 84 He lansit furth deliverly; Bot the tothir sa stalwardly Held, that the belt brist of the brand, That swerd and belt left in his hand. 88 And he but swerd his wayis raid, Weill otow thame, and thair abaid, Behaldand how his menyhe fled, And how his fais clengit the sted 92 That war betuix him and his men; Tharfor the wayis tuk he then To Kylmernok and Killwynnyn, And till Ardrossan eftir syne. 96 Syne throu the Largys, him allane, Till Ennirkyp the way has tane, Richt till the castell that wes then Stuffit all with Inglis men, 100 That him resavit in gret dante. And fra thai wist how-gat that he Sa fer had ryddyn, hym allane, Throu thame that war his fais ilkane, 104 Thai prisit him so gretumly, And alsua lovit his chevelry.

[59: From E (S). _Thoucht throu the wode to pass_ (C).]

[75: C _wes_ (S).]

Schir Philip thus eschapit was, And Douglas, that wes in the plas, 108 Quhar he sexty has slane and ma; The laiff fouly thar gat can ga, And fled to Bothwell hame agane; Quhen Schir Amer wes na thing fane, 112 Quhen he herd tell on quhat maner That his menyhe discumfit wer. Bot quhen to King Robert wes tald, How the gud Douglas, that wes bald, 116 Vencust sa feyll with few menyhe, Richt joyfull in his hert wes he. And all his men confortit war: For thame thoucht weill, bath les and mair 120 That thai suld les thar fayis drede, Sen thair purpos sa wyth thaim yheide.

Here Sir Aymer urges a Fight on the Plain.

[Sidenote: 1307] _Bruce accepts the Challenge_]

The Kyng lay in-to Gawlistoun, That is rycht evyn anent Lowdoun; 124 And till his pes tuk the cuntre. Quhen Schir Amer and his menyhe, Herd how he rewlit all the land, And how that nane durst him withstand, 128 He wes in-till his hert angry; And with ane of his cumpany He send him word ande said, gif he Durst hym in-to the planys se, 132 He suld the tend day of May Cum undir Lowdoun hill away: And gif that he wald met him thair, He said, his worschip sulde be mair, 136 And mair be turnit to nobillay, To wyn him in the playn away, With hard dyntis in evyn fichting, Than till do fer mair in scowking. 140 The King, that herd his messinger, Had despit apon gret maner, That Schir Amer spak sa hely, Tharfor he ansuerd irusly, 144 And till the messynger said he; “Sa to thi lord that, gif I be “In lif, he sall me se that day “Weill neir, gif he dar hald the way 148 “That he has said; for sekirly “By Lowdoun hill mete hym sall I.”

[144: C has _ernystfully_ (S). H _angerly_, agrees with E.]

Here King Robert provides for Advantage in the Place where they should Fight.

The messinger, but mair abade, Till his mastir his wais raide, 152 And his ansuer him tald alswith; Than wes na neid to mak him blithe. For he thoucht, throu his mekill mycht, Gif the King durst apeir to ficht, 156 That, throu the gret chevelry That suld be in his cumpany, He suld swa ourcum the Kyng, That thar suld be na recoveryng. 160 And the Kyng, on the tothir party, That wes ay wis and a-verty, Raid for to se and ches the plas, And saw the hye-gat lyand was 164 Apon a fair feild, evin and dry; Bot apon athir syde thar-by Wes a gret mos, mekill and braid, That fra the way wes, quhar men raid, 168 A bowdraucht neir on athir syde: And that place thocht hym all to wyde Till abyde men that horsit war. Tharfor thre dykis ourthwort he schar, 172 Fra bath the mosis to the way: That war sa fer fra othir, that thai War in-twyn a bow-draucht and mar. Sa holl and hye the dykis war, 176 That men mycht nocht, but mekill pane, Pas thaim, thouch nane war thaim agane. Bot sloppis in the way left he, So large, and of sic quantite, 180 That fyffe hundir mycht sammyn ryde In at the sloppis, syde for syde. Thar thoucht he battale for to beid, And bargane thaim; for he na drede 184 Had at thai suld on syde assale, Na yheit behynd gif him battale. And befor hym thocht weill that he Suld fra thar mycht defendit be. 188 Thre deip dykis he gert thar ma; For gif he mycht nocht weill our-ta To met thame at the first, that he Suld haf the tothir at his pouste; 192 Or than the thrid, gif it war swa At thai had passit the tothir twa. On this wis him ordanit he, And syne assemblit his menyhe, 196 That war sex hundreth fechtand men, But rangald, that wes with him then, That war als feill as thai, or ma. With all that menyhe can he ga, 200 The evyn befor the battale suld be, To litill Lowdoun, quhar that he Wald abide to se thair cummyng; Syne with the men of his leding 204 He thoucht to speid hym, swa that he Suld at the dik befor thaim be.

[154: E _Quharof he was bath glaid and blyth_. H agrees with C.]

Here Sir Aymer comes with his Host in Sight.

[Sidenote: 1307] _The Splendid Array of the English_]

Schir Amer, on the tothir party, Gaderit so great chevelry, 208 That he mycht be thre thousand neir, Armyt and dicht in gud maner; And than, as man of gret noblay, He held toward the trist his way. 212 And quhen the set day cumin was, He sped him fast toward the place That he had nemmyt for to ficht. The sone wes rysyn schynand bricht, 216 That blenknyt on the scheldis braid. In twa eschelis ordanit he had The folk that he had in leding. The Kyng, weill soyn in the mornyng, 220 Saw first cumand thair first eschele, Arrait sarraly and weill, And at thair bak, sum-deill neirhand, He saw the tothir followand: 224 Thair basnetis burnyst war all brycht, Agane the sone glemand of licht; Thair speris, thair pennownys, and thar scheldis Of licht illumynit all the feldis. 228 Thair best and browdyn bricht baneris, And hors hewit on seir maneris, And cot-armouris off seir colour, And hawbrekis, that war quhit as flour, 232 Maid thame glitterand, as thai war lik Till angellis he of hevinis rik.

Here King Robert meets him with Few.

The King said; “Lordingis, now yhe se “How yhon men, throu thar gret pouste, 236 “Wald, and thai mycht fulfill thar will, “Slay us, and mak sembland thar-till. “And sen we knaw thair felony, “Ga we and meit thame hardely, 240 “That the stoutest of thair menyhe, “Of our metyng abaysit be. “For gif the formast egirly “Be met, yhe sall se suddanly 244 “The henmast sall abasit be; “And thouch that thai be ma than we, “That suld abais us litill thing; “For quhen we cum to the fichting, 248 “Thar may met us no ma than we. “Tharfor, lordingis, ilkane suld be “Of worschip and of gret valour, “For till maynteme heir our honour. 252 “Thinkis quhat gladschip us abydis, “Gif that we may, as us betydis, “Haf victour of our fayis heir! “For thar is nane her, fer no neir, 256 “In all this land that us thar dout.” Than said thai all that stude about, ‘Schir, gif God will, we sall sa do, ‘That no repruf sall ly thar-to.’ 260 “Than ga we furth now,” said the King, “And he, that maid of nocht all thing, “Leyd us, and sauf us for his mycht, “And help us for till hald our richt!” 264 With that thai held thar way in hy, Weill sex hundreth in cumpany, Stalward and stout, worthy and wicht: Bot thai war all to few, I hicht, 268 Agane so feill to stand in stour, Ne war thair outrageous valour.

[Sidenote: MAY 10, 1307] _The Battle of Loudoun Hill_]

Now gais the nobill Kyng his way, Richt stoutly and in gude aray, 272 And to the formast dyk is gane, And in the slop the feld has tane. The cariage-men and the pouerale, That wes nocht worth in the batale, 276 Behynd him levit he al still, Standand all sammyn on the hill. Schir Amery the King has seyn, With his men that war cant and keyn, 280 Cum to the playn doune fra the hill, As him thoucht in-to full gud will For to defend or till assaill, Gif ony wald hym byde battale. 284 Tharfor his men confortit he, And bad thame wicht and worthy be; For gif at thai mycht wyn the Kyng, And victor haf of the fechting, 288 Thai suld richt weill rewardit be, And gretly ek thair renownee. With that thai war weill neir the Kyng, And he left his amonystyng, 292 And gert trumpe to the assemble; And the formast of his menyhe Enbrasit with that thar scheldis braid, And rycht sarray to-gidder raid, 296 With hedis stowpand and speris straucht Richt to the Kyng thar way thai raucht; That met thame with sa gret vigour, That the best and of mast valour 300 War laid at erd at thair metyng; Quhar men mycht her sic a brekyng Of speris that to-fruschyt war, And the woundit so cry and rar, 304 That it anoyus wes till her. For thai, that first assemblit wer, Funyheit and fawcht full sturdely; The noyis begouth than and the cry. 308

Here King Robert wins in Plain Battle.

A! mychty God! quha thair had beyn, And had the Kyngis worschip seyn, And his brothir that wes hym by, That contenit thame so hardely, 312 That thair gud deid and thar bounte, Gaiff gret confort to thair menyhe; And how Dowglas so manfully Confortit thame that war hym by; 316 He suld weill say that thai had will To wyn honor and cum thair-till. The Kingis men, that worthy war, With thair speris that scharply schar, 320 Stekit men and stedis bath, Till red blud ran of woundis rath. The hors that woundyt war can fling, And ruschit the folk in thair flynging, 324 Swa that thai that than formast war War skalyt in soppis heir and thar. The King that saw thame ruschit swa, And saw thame reland to and fra, 328 Ran apon thaim so egirly, And dang on thame sa hardely, He gert feill of his fayis fall. The feld wes weill neir coverit all 332 Bath with slayn hors and with men; For the gud King thame followit then, With weill fif hundreth that wapnys bar, That wald thair fayis no thing spar. 336 Thai dang on thame so hardely, That in schort tyme men mycht se ly At erd ane hundreth and wele mar; The remanand the waykar war, 340 Than thai begouth thame to withdraw; And quhen thai of the reirward saw Thair vawarde be sa discomfit, Thai flede withouten mair respit. 344 And quhen Schir Amer hes seyn His men fleand haly bedeyn, Wit yhe weill he wes full way; Bot he mycht nocht amonist swa 348 That ony for him wald turne agane. And quhen he saw he tynt his pane, He turnit his bridill, and to-ga: For the gud King thame presit swa 352 That sum war dede, and sum war tane; The remanand thar gat ar gane.

[326: C _stekit_ (S) for _skalyt_.]

[339: C _weill and_ (S).]

Here Sir Aymer passes to England.

[Sidenote: MAY, 1307] _The Rejoicing of the Scots_]

The folk fled apon this maner For-outen arest, and Schir Amer 356 Agane to Bothwell is he gane, Menand the scath that he had tane; Sa schamfull that he vencust wes, That till Inglande in hy he gais 360 Richt till the King, and schamfully He gaf up thar his wardanry. Na never syne, for na kyne thing, Bot gif he com richt with the King, 364 Com he to warra Scotland. Sa hevely he tuk on hand, That the King, in set battalyhe, With a quheyn lik poueralyhe, 368 Vencust him with a gret menyhe, That wes renownit of gret bounte. Sic anoy had Schir Amery: And King Robert, that wes hardy, 372 Abaid all still in-to the plas, Till that his men left all the chas; Syne with presoners that thai had tane, Thai ar towart thair innys gane, 376 Fast lovand God of thair weillfair. Men mycht haf seyn, quha had beyn thair, A folk that mery war and glad For thair victour; and als thai haid 380 A lord so swet and deboner, So curtas, and of sa fair effer, So blith als, and so weill bowrdand, And in battale so stith to stand, 384 So wis, and richt sua avise, That thai had gret caus blith to be. So war thai blith forouten dout; For feill, that wonnyt thaim about, 388 Fra thai the King saw help him swa, Till him thar homage can thai ma. Than wox his power mair and mair, And he thoucht weill that he wald fair 392 Outour the Month with his menyhe, To luk quha that his frend wald be. In-to Schir Alexandir the Freser He trastit, for thai cosyngis wer, 396 And his brothir Symon, thai twa. He had myster weill of ma, For he hade fais mony ane; Schir Johne Cumyne Erll of Bouchane, 400 And Schir Johne the Mowbray syne, And gud Schir David of Brechyne, With all the folk in thair leding, War fayis to the nobill King. 404 And, for he wist thai war his fayis, His viage northwardis he tais; For he wald se quhat-kyn ending Thai walde mak of thair manasing. 408

[375: C _he had_ (S).]

[381: C _debonar_ (S).]

How the Good King Robert the Bruce passed North beyond the Mounth.

The king buskit and maid him yhar, Northwardis with his men to fair. His brothir can he with hym ta, And Schir Gilbert de le Hay alsua; 412 The Erll of Lennax als wes thar, That with the King was our all quhar; Schir Robert Boyd and othir ma. The King can furth his wais ta, 416 And left James of Douglas, With all the folk that with him was, Behynd hym, for till luk gif he Micht recover his cuntre. 420 He left him in-to gret perill; Bot eftir, in ane litill quhill, Throu his gret worschip sa he wrocht, That to the Kingis pes he brocht 424 The forest of Selcryk all hale, And alsua did he Douglasdale, And Gedword forest alsua. And quha sa weill on hand couth ta 428 To tell his worschippis ane and ane, He suld fynd of thaim mony ane. For in his tym, as men said me, Threttene tymes vencust wes he, 432 And victory wan sevin and fifty. He semyt nocht lang ydill to ly, Be his travale he had na will; Me think men suld him luf of skill. 436

[427: E _Jedworthis_.]

Here Sir James wins Many Men, and makes First a Train on the Castle.

[Sidenote: 1307] _The Activity of Douglas_]

This James, quhen the King wes gane, All prevely his men has tane, And went to Douglasdaill agane, And maid all prevely a trane 440 Till thaim that in the castell war. A buschement slely maid he thair; And of his men fourteyn and ma He gert, as thai war, sekkis ta 444 Fillit with gyrs, and syne thame lay Apon thair hors, and hald thair way Richt as thai wald to Lanrik fair, Otow quhar the enbuschement war. 448 And quhen thai of the castell saw So feill ladis gang on raw, Of that sight war thai wondir fayn, And tald it to thair capitane, 452 That hicht Schir Johne off Webitoune. He wes bath yhoung, stout, and felloun, Richt joly als, and volageous; And for that he was amourous, 456 He wald ysche fer the blithlyer. He gert his men all tak thar ger, And yschit to get that vittale, For thar vittale all fast couth fale. 460 Thai yschit all abaundanly, And prikit furth sa wilfully To win the ladis at thai saw pas, Quhill that Douglas with his men was 464 All betuix thame and the castell. The layd-men that persavit weill Thai kest thair ladis doun in hy, And thair gownys deliverly, 468 That helit thame, thai kest away, And in gret hy thair hors hint thai, And stert upon thame sturdely, And met thair fayis with a cry; 472 That had gret woundir, quhen thai saw Thaim that war ere lurkand full law, Cum apon thame so hardely, Thai wox abasyd suddandly, 476 And at the castell wald haf beyn. Quhen thai, on the othir haf, has seyn Douglas brek his enbuschement, That agane thame rycht stoutly went, 480 Thai wist nocht quhat till do no say. Thar fayis at thair hand saw thai, That strak on thame forout sparing, And thai mycht help thaim-self no thing, 484 Bot fled to warrand quhar thai mocht; And thai so angirly on thame socht, That of thame all eschapit nane. Schir Jhone of Webitoun thar wes slaine; 488 And quhen he ded wes, as yhe her, Thai fand in-till his awmener A letter, that him send ane lady That he lufit per drowry; 492 The letter spak on this maner *493 That said, quhen he had yhemyt a yher In wer, as ane gud bachiller, And governit weill, in all maner, *495 The aventurus castell off Douglas, That to kepe so perelous was, 496 Than mycht he weill ask ane lady Hir amouris and hir drowry.

[482: E has _on othir sid_.]

[491: E _his coffer_.]

[*493, *495: From C (S); not in E or H. The first is probably misplaced to begin with, and the second inserted to complete the couplet (see note).]

[Sidenote: 1307] _Douglas destroys his Castle_]

The letter spak on this maner. And quhen thai slayn on this wis wer, 500 Douglas richt to the castell raid, And thair so gret debate he maid, That in the castell enterit he. I wat nocht all the certante, 504 Quhethir it wes throu strinth or slicht, Bot he wrocht swa, throu his gret mycht, That the constabill and all the lafe That war thar-in, bath man and knaf, 508 He tuk, and gaf thame dispending, And send thame hame, but mair greving, Till the Cliffurde in thair cuntre. Ande syne so besely wrocht he, 512 That he all tumlit doune the wall, And distroit the hous all: Syne till the Forest held his way, Quhar he had mony harde assay, 516 And mony fair poynt of wer befell; Quha couth thame all rehers and tell, He suld say that his name suld be Lestande in full gret renoune. 520

[506: E _with mekill mycht_.]

[520: C _ranowne_ (S). H _renounie_.]