Part 12

On the gret ost thir partice fast can draw, Fol. 39 b Cumand to thaim, out off the south, thai saw: 530 Thre hundreth men, in till thar armour cler, The gaynest way to thaim approchit ner. Wallace said sone, thai war na Inglissmen; For by this ost the gatis weyll thai ken. Thom Haliday thai men he gydyt rycht; 535 Off Anadderdaill he had thaim led that nycht. His twa gud sonnis, Wallas and Rudyrfurd, Wallace was blyth fra he had hard thair wourd; So was the laiff off his gud chewalry. Jarden thar come in till thar cumpany; 540 And Kyrkpatrik, befor in Esdaill was; A weyng thai war in Wallace ost to pass. The Ingliss wach, that nycht had beyne on steir, Drew to thair ost rycht as the day can per. Wallace knew weill, for he befor had seyne, 545 The kings palyon, quhar it was buskit beyne. Than with rych horss the Scottis vpon thaim raid: The fyrst cownter so gret abaysing maid, That all the ost was stunyst of that sicht; Full mony ane derffly to ded was dicht. 550 Feill off thaim was as than out off aray; The mair haisté and awfull was the fray. The noyis rouschit throuch straikis that thai dang. The rewmour raiss so rudly thaim amang, That all the ost was than in poynt to fle. 555 The wyss lordis, fra thai the perell se, The fellone fray, all rasyt wes about; And how thar king stud in so mekill dout; Till his palyone, how mony thousand socht, Him to reskew be ony way thai mocht! 560 The erle of Kent that nycht [had] walkand beyne, With fyve thousand off men in armour cleyne; About the king full sodandly thai gang, And traistis weyll, the sailye wes rycht strang. All Wallace folk in wyss off wer was gud, 565 In to the stour sone lychtyt quhar thai stud. Quham euir thai hyt, na harnes mycht thaim stynt, Fra thai on fute semblit with suerdis dynt; Off manheid thai in hartis cruell was, Thai thocht to wyn, or neuir thine to pass. 570 Feill Inglissmen before the king thai slew. Schir Jhon the Grayme come with his power new Amang the ost; with the mydwart he raid; Gret martyrdome on Sotheroun men thai maid. The rerward than set on sa hardely, 575 With Newbyggyn, and all the chewalry; Fol. 40 a Palyone rapys thai cuttyt in to sowndyr, Borne to the ground, and mony smoryt owndir. The fute men come, the quhilk I spak off ayr, On fräyt folk set strakis sad and sayr: 580 Thocht thai befor wantyt bath horss and ger, Anewch thai gat, quhat thai wald waill to wer. The Scottis power than all to gyddir war; The kingis palyon brymly doun thai bar. The erle off Kent, with a gud ax in hand, 585 Into the stour full stoutly couth he stand Befor the king, makand full gret debait: Quha best did than, he had the heast stait. The felloune stour so stalwart was and strang, Thar to contened marwalusly and lang. 590 Wallace him saw, full sadly couth persew, And at a straik the cheiff chyftayne he slew. The Sotheron folk fled fast, and durst nocht byd; Horssit thair king and off the feild couth ride Agaynis his will, for he was laith to fle; 595 In to that tyme he thocht nocht for to de. Off his best men four thousand thar was dede, Or he couth fynd to fle and leiff that stede. Twenty thousand with him fled in a staill. The Scottis gat horss, and folowit that battaill 600 Throuch Cultir hope; or tyme thai wan the hycht, Feill Sotheroun folk was marryt in thair mycht, Slayne be the gait as thair king fled away. Bathe fair, and brycht, and rycht cler was the day, The sone ryssyn, schynand our hill and daill. 605 Than Wallace kest quhat was his grettest waill, The fleand folk, that off the feild fyrst past, In to thair king agayne releiffit fast. Fra athir sid so mony semblit thar, That Wallace wald lat folow thaim no mar; 610 Befor he raid, gart his folk turn agayne. Off Inglissmen sewyn thousand thar was slayne. Than Wallace ost agayne to Beggar raid, Quhar Inglissmen gret purwians had maid. The jowalré, as it was thiddir led, 615 Palyonis and all thai leiffit quhen thai fled. The Scottis gat gold, gud, ger, and othir wage; Relewyt thai war, at partit that pilage. To meit thai went, with myrthis and plesance; Thai sparyt nocht king Eduuardis purweance. 620 Fol. 40 b With solace syne a litill sleyp thai ta; A prewa wach he gart amang thaim ga. Twa kukis fell, thair lyffis for to saiff, With dede corssys that lay wnputt in graiff; Quhen thai saw weyll the Scottis war at rest, 625 Out off the feild to steill thaim thocht it best. Full law thai crap, quhill thai war out off sicht; Eftir the ost syne ran in all thair mycht. Quhen that the Scottis had slepyt bot a quhill, Than raiss thai wp, for Wallace dredyt gyll. 630 He said to thaim; “The Sotherone may persewe “Agayne to ws, for thai ar folk enew. “Quhar Ingliss men prowisioune makis in wer, “It is full hard to do thaim mekill der. “On this playne feild we will thaim nocht abid; 635 “To sum gud strenth my purpos is to ryd.” The purweance, that left was in that stede, To Ropis Bog he gert serwandis it lede, With ordinance at Sothroun broucht in thar. He with the ost to Dawis schaw can far; 640 And thar ramaynede a gret space off the day. Off Ingliss men yeit sum thing will I say.

As king Eduuart throuch Cultir hoppis socht, Quhen he persawit the Scottis folowed nocht, In Jhonnys greyne he gert the ost ly still; 645 Feill fleand folk assemblit sone him till. Quhen thai war met, the king ner worthis mad, For his der kyn that he thar lossyt had; His twa emys in to the feild was slayne, His secund sone that mekill was off mayne. 650 His brothir Hew was kelyt thar full cald; The erle off Kent, that cruell berne and bald. With gret worschip tuk ded befor the king; For him he murnyt, als lang as he mycht ryng. At this semlay as thai in sorow stand, 655 The twa kukis come sone in at his hand, And tald till him how thai enchapyt war: “The Scottis all as swyne lyis droukyn thar, “Off our wycht wyne ye gert ws thidder led; “Full Weill we may be wengit off thar ded. 660 “A payne our lywis, it is suth that we tell: “Raturne agayne, ye sall fynd thaim your sell.” He blamyt thaim; and said, na witt it was, That he agayne for sic a taill sud pass. ‘Thar chyftayne is rycht marwalus in wer; 665 ‘Fra sic perell he can full weill thaim ber. Fol. 41 a ‘To sek him mar as now I will nocht ryd; ‘Our meit is lost, tharfor we may nocht byd.’ The hardy duk off Longcastell and lord, “Souerane,” he said, “till our consaill concord. 670 “Gyff this be trew, ye haiff the mar awaill; “We may thaim wyne, and mak bot lycht trawaill. “War yon folk ded, quha may agayne ws stand? “Than neid we nocht for meit to leiff the land.” The king ansuerd; ‘I will nocht rid agayne, 675 ‘As at this tyme, my purpos is in playne.’ The duk said; “Schir, gyff ye contermyt be, “To mowff yow mor it afferis nocht for me. “Commaund power agayne with me to wend; “And I off this sall se a finaill end.” 680 Ten thousand haill he chargyt for to ryd; ‘Her in this strenth all nycht I sall yow bid. ‘We may get meit off bestiall in this land; ‘Gud drynk as now we can nocht bryng to hand.’ Off Westmorland the lord had mett him thar, 685 On with the duk he graithit him to fair. At the fyrst straik with thaim he had nocht beyne; With him he led a thousand weill beseyne. A Pykart lord was with a thousand bowne; Off king Edward he kepyt Calyss toun. 690 This twelf thousand on to the feild can fair. The twa captans sone mett thaim at Beggair, With the haill stuff off Roxburch and Berweike. Schir Rawff Gray saw at thai war Sotheron leik, Out off the south approchit to thair sicht; 695 He knew full weill with thaim it was nocht rycht. Amer Wallange with his power come als, King Eduuardis man, a tyrand knycht and fals. Quhen thai war mett thai fand nocht ellis thar, Bot dede corssis, and thai war spulyeit bar. 700 Than marueld thai quhar at the Scottis suld be; Off thaim about perance thai couth nocht se: Bot spyis thaim tald, that come with Schyr Amar, In Dawis schaw thai saw thaim mak repair. The fers Sotheroun sone passit to that place; 705 The wach wes war, and tald [it] to Wallace. He warnd the ost out off that wood to ryd, In Roppis bog he purpost for to byd. A litill schaw wpon the ta syd was, That men on fute mycht off the bog out pass. 710 Thar horss thai left in to that litill hauld. Fol. 41 b On fute thai thocht the moss that thai suld hauld. The Ingliss ost had weill thar passage seyne, And folowed fast with cruell men and keyne. Thai trowit that bog mycht mak thaim litill waill, 715 Growyn our with reyss, and all the sward was haill. On thaim to ryd thai ordand in gret ire; Off the formest a thousand, in the myre, Off horss with men, was plungyt in the deipe. The Scottis men tuk off thair cummyng kepe; 720 Upon thaim set with strakis sad and sar, Yeid nane away off all that entrit thar. Lycht men on fute apon thaim derffly dang; Feill wndyr horss was smoryt in that thrang, Stampyt in moss, and with rud horss ourgayne. 725 The worthy Scottis the dry land than has tayne. Apon the laiff fechtand full wondyr fast, And mony groyme thai maid full sar agast. Than Inglissmen, that besy was in wer, Assailyeit sar thaim fra the moss to ber, 730 On athir syd; bot than it was no but. The strenth thai held rycht awfully on fut, Till men and horss gaiff mony grewous wound; Feyll to the dede thai stekit in that stound. The Pykart lord assailyeit scharply thar, 735 Vpon the Grayme, with strakis sad and sar. Schir Jhone the Grayme, with a staff suerd off steill, His brycht byrneis he persyt euirilkdeill, Throuch all the stuff, and stekit him in that sted: Thus off his dynt the bauld Pykart is ded. 740 The Ingliss ost tuk playne purposs to fle; In thar turnyng the Scottis gert mony de. Wallace wald fayne at the Wallang haiff beyne; Off Westmorland the lord was thaim betweyne: Wallace on him he set ane awfull dynt, 745 Throuch basnet stuff, that na steill mycht it stynt; Derffly to dede he left him in that place. The fals knycht thus eschapit throuch this cace. And Robert Boid has with a captayne mett Off Berweik, than a sad straik on him set 750 Awkwart the crag, and kerwyt the pissane, Throuch all his weid in sondyr straik the bane. Feill horssyt men fled fast, and durst nocht byd; Raboytit ewill, on to thar king thai rid. The duk him tald off all thair jornay haill: 755 His hart for ire bolnyt for byttir baill; Haill he hecht he suld neuyr London se, On Wallace deid quhill he rawengit be, Fol. 42 a Or loss his men agayne as he did ayr. Thus socht he south with gret sorou and cair; 760 At the Byrkhill a litill tary maid; Syne throuch the land but rest our Sulway raid. The Scottis ost a nycht ramanyt still; Apon the morn thai spulyete, with gud will, The dede corssis; syne couth to Braid wood fayr, 765 At a consaill thre dayis soiornyt thar. At Forest kyrk a metyng ordand he; Thai chesd Wallace Scottis wardand to be, Traistand he suld thair paynfull sorow cess. He rasawyt all that wald cum till his pess. 770 Schir Wilyham come that lord off Douglas was, Forsuk Eduuard, at Wallace pess can ass; In thair thrillage he wald no langar be: Trewbut befor till Ingland payit he. In contrar Scottis with thaim he neuir raid; 775 Fer bettir cher Wallace tharfor him maid. Thus tretyt he, and cheryst wondyr fair Trew Scottis men that fewté maid him thar; And gaiff gretly feill gudis at he wan; He warndit nocht till na gud Scottis man. 780 Quha wald rebell, and gang contrar the rycht, He punyst sar, war he squier or knycht. Thus marwalusly gud Wallas tuk on hand; Lykly he was, rycht fair and weill farrand, Mandly and stout, and tharto rycht liberall, 785 Plesand and wiss in all gud gouernall. To sla, forsuth, Sotheroun he sparyt nocht; To Scottis men full gret profyt he wrocht. In to the south sone efftir passit he; As him best thocht he rewllyt that contré. 790 Schirrais he maid that cruell was to ken, And captans als, off wiss trew Scottis men. Fra Gamlis peth the land obeyt him haill, Till Ur wattir, bath strenth, forest, and daill. Agaynis him in Galloway hous was nayne, 795 Except Wigtoun, byggyt off lyme and stayne. That captayne hard the reullis off Wallace; Away be sey, he staw out off that place, Lewyt all waist, and couth in Ingland wend. Bot Wallace sone a kepar till it send, 800 A gud squier; and to nayme he was cald Adam Gordone, as the storie me tald.

A strenth thar was on the wattir off Cre, With in a roch, rycht stalwart wrocht off tre; A gait befor mycht no man to it wyn, 805 Fol. 42 b But the consent off thaim that duelt within. On the bak sid a roch and wattir was; A strait entré forsuth it was to pass. To wesy it Wallace him selff sone went; Fra he it saw, he kest in his entent 810 To wyn that hauld; he has chosyne a gait, That thai with in suld mak litill debait. His power haill he gerd bid out off sycht, Bot thre with him qwhill tyme that it was nycht. Than tuk he twa, quhen that the nycht was dym, 815 Stewyn off Irland, and Kerlé, that couth clyme The wattir wnder; and clame the roch so strang: Thus entrit thai the Sothrone men amang. The wach befor tuk na tent to that syd: Thir thre in feyr sone to the port thai glid. 820 Gud Wallace than straik the portar him sell; Dede our the roch in to the dik he fell; Leit doun the brig, and blew his horne on hycht. The buschement brak, and come in all thar mycht; At thair awne will sone entrit in that place; 825 Till Inglissmen thai did full litill grace. Sexty thai slew; in that hald was no ma, Bot ane auld preist, and sympill wemen twa. Gret purweance was in that roch to spend; Wallace baid still quhill it was at ane end: 830 Brak doune the strenth, bath bryg, and bulwark all; Out our the roch thai gert the temyr fall; Wndid the gait, and wald no langar bid. In Carrik syne thai bownyt thaim to rid; Haistit thaim nocht, bot sobyrly couth fair 835 Till Towrnbery; thar captane was at Ayr With lord Persie, to tak his consaill haill: Syne fyrd the yett, na succour mycht awaill. A prest thar was, and gentill wemen with in, Quhilk for the fyr maid hiddewis noyis and dyn. 840 “Mercy,” thai cryit, “for him that deit on tre!” Wallace gert slaik the fyr, and leit thaim be. To mak defens na ma was lewyt thar: He thaim commaund out off the land to far; Spulyeit the place, and spilt all at thai mocht. 845 Apon the morn in Cumno sone thai socht; To Laynrik syne, and set a tyme off ayr, Mysdoaris feill he gert be punyst thar. To gud trew men he gaiff full mekill wage; His brothir sone put to his heretage; 850 To the blak crag in Cumno past agayne; Fol. 43 a His houshauld set with men off mekill mayne. Thre monethis thar he duellyt in gud rest; Suttell Sotheroune fand weill it was the best Trewis to tak; for till enchew a chans 855 To furthir this, thai send for knycht Wallans. Bothwell yeit that tratour kepyt still; And Ayr all haill was at the Perseis will; The byschope Beik in Glaskow duellyt thar, Throucht gret supple off the captayne off Ayr. 860 Erll off Stamffurd, was chanslar off Ingland, With Schyr Amar this trawaill tuk on hand, To procur pess be ony maner off cace. A saiff condyt thai purchest off Wallace. In Ruglen kyrk the tryst than haiff thai set, 865 A promes maid to meit Wallace but let. The day off this approchit wondyr fast; The gret chanslar and Amar thidder past: Syne Wallace come, and his men weill beseyn, With him fyfty arayit all in greyne. 870 Ilkane off thaim a bow and arrowis bar, And lang suerdis, the quhilk full scharply schar. In to the kyrk he gert a preyst rewess; With humyll mynd rycht mekly hard a mess: Syne wp he raiss and till ane alter went, 875 And his gud men full cruell off entent. In ir he grew, that traitour quhen he sawe; The Inglissmen off his face stud gret aw. Witt reullyt him, that he did no owtrage. The erlle beheld fast till his hye curage; 880 Forthocht sum part that he come to that place, Gretlye abaysit for the vult off his face. Schir Amer said; “This spech ye mon begyne; “He will nocht bow to na part off your kyn. “Sufferyt ye ar, I trow yhe may spek weill. 885 “For all Ingland he will nocht brek adeyll “His saiff cwndyt, or quhar he makis a band.” The chanslar than approfferit him his hand. Wallace stud still, and couth na handis ta; Frendschipe to thaim na liknes wald he ma. 890 Schir Amar said; ‘Wallace, yhe wndyrstand, ‘This is a lord, and chanslar off Ingland; ‘To salus him ye may be propyr skill.’ With schort awyss he maid ansuer him till; “Sic salusyng I oyss till Ingliss men 895 “Sa sall he haiff, quhar euir I may him ken “At my power; that God I mak awow, “Out off souerance gyff that I had him now. “Bot for thi lyff, and all his land so braid, “I will nocht brek this promess that is maid. 900 “I had leuir at myn awn will haiff the, Fol. 43 b “With out condyt, that I mycht wrokyne be “Off thi fals deid, thou dois in this regioune, “Than off pur gold a kingis gret ransoune. “Bot, for my band, as now I will lat be. 905 “Chanslar, schaw furth quhat ye desyr of me.” The chanslar said; ‘The most causs of this thing, ‘To procur peess I am send fra our king, ‘With the gret seill, and woice off hys parliament; ‘Quhat I bynd her oure barnage sall consent.’ 910 Wallace ansuerd; “Our litill mendis we haiff, “Syne off oure rycht ye occupy the laiff. “Quytcleyme our land, and we sall nocht deny.” The chanslar said; ‘Off na sic chargis haiff I; ‘We will gyff gold, or oure purposs suld faill.’ 915 Than Wallace said; “In waist is that trawaill. “Be fauour gold we ask nayne off your kyn; “In wer off you we tak that we may wyn.” Abaissid he was to mak ansuer agayne. Wallace said; “Schyr, we jangill bot in wayne. 920 “My consell gyffis, I will na fabill mak, “As for a yer a finaill pess to tak. “Nocht for my self, that I bynd to your seill, “I can nocht trow that euir ye will be leill; “Bot for pur folk gretlye has beyne supprisyt, 925 “I will tak peess, quhill forthir we be awisit.” Than band thai thus; thar suld be no debait, Castell and towne suld stand in that ilk stait, Fra that day furth, quhill a yer war at end: Sellyt this pess, and tuk thar leyff to wend. 930 Wallace fra thine passit in to the west, Maid playne repair quhar so him likit best; Yeit sar he dred or thai suld him dissaiff. This endentour to Schyr Ranald he gaiff, His der wncle, quhar it mycht kepit be; 935 In Cumno syne till his duellyng went he.

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BUKE SEWYND.