Part 14

The Sotheron drew to thar lugyng but mar; Four thousand haill that nycht was in till Ayr. In gret bernyss, biggyt with out the toun, 335 The justice lay, with mony bald barroun. Than he gert cry about thai waynys wide, Na Scottis born amang thaim thar suld bid. To the castell he wald nocht pass for eyss, Bot soiornd thar with thing that mycht him pleyss. 340 Gret purwians be se to thaim was bocht, With Irland ayle, the mychteast couth be wrocht. Na wach wes set, be caus thai had na dout Off Scottis men that leiffand was with out. Lawberand in mynd thai had beyne all that day, 345 Off ayle and wyne yneuch chosyne haiff thai: As bestly folk tuk off thaim selff no keip; In thair brawnys sone slaid the sleuthfull sleip; Throuch full gluttré in swarff swappyt lik swyn. Thar chyftayne than was gret Bachus off wyn. 350 Fol. 47 b This wyss woman besy amang thaim was; Feill men scho warnd and gart to Laglayne pass, Hyr selff formest, quhill thai with Wallace met. Sum comfort than in till his mynd was set; Quhen he thaim saw, he thankit God off micht. 355 Tithandis he ast; the woman tald him rycht; “Slepand as swyn ar all yone fals menyhe; “Na Scottis man is in that cumpané.” Than Wallace said; ‘Giff thai all droukyn be, ‘I call it best with fyr sor thaim to se.’ 360 Off gud men than thre hundreth till him socht; The woman had tald thre trew burges, at brocht Out off the toun, with nobill aile and breid, And othir stuff, als mekill as thai mycht leid. Thai eit and drank, the Scottis men at mocht. 365 The noblis than Jop has to Wallace brocht. Sadly he said; “Der freyndis, now you se, “Our kyn ar slayne, tharoff is gret peté; “Throuch feill murthyr, the gret dispite is mor; “Now sum rameid I wald we set tharfor. 370 “Supposs that I was maid wardane to be, “Part ar away sic chargis put to me; “And ye ar her, cummyn off als gud blud, “Als rychtwis born be awentur, and als gud, “Alss forthwart, fair, and als likly off persoun, 375 “As euir was I; tharfor till conclusioun, “Latt ws cheyss fyve off this gud cumpany; “Syne caflis cast quha sall our master be.” Wallace and Boyd, and Craufurd off renoun, And Adam als than lord off Ricardtoun; 380 His fadyr than wes wesyed with seknes, God had him tayne in till his lestand grace; The fyft Awchinlek, in wer a nobill man; Caflis to cast about thir fyve began. It wald on him, for ocht thai cuth dewyss, 385 Continualy, quhill thai had castyn thryss. Than Wallace raiss, and out a suerd can draw; He said, “I wow to the Makar off aw, “And till Mary, his modyr wirgyne cler, “My wnclis dede now sall be sauld full der, 390 “With mony ma off our der worthi kyn. “Fyrst, or I eit or drynk, we sall begyn; “For sleuth nor sleip sall nayne remayne in me, “Off this tempest till I a wengeance se.” Than all inclynd rycht humyll off accord, 395 And him resawit as chyftayne and thair lord. Wallace a lord he may be clepyt weyll, Thocht ruryk folk tharoff haff litill feill; Na deyme na lord, bot landis be thair part. Had he the warld, and be wrachit off hart, 400 Fol. 48 a He is no lord as to the worthines; It can nocht be, but fredome, lordlyknes. At the Roddis thai mak full mony ane, Quhilk worthy ar, thocht landis haiff thai nane. This discussyng I leiff herroldis till end; 405 On my mater now brieffly will I wend. Wallace commaunde a burgess for to get Fyne cawk eneuch, that his der nece mycht set On ilk yeit, quhar Sotheroun wer on raw. Than twenty men he gert fast wetheis thraw, 410 Ilk man a pair, and on thair arme thaim threw; Than to the toune full fast thai cuth persew. The woman past befor thaim suttelly; Cawkit ilk yett, that thai neid nocht gang by. Than festnyt thai with wetheis duris fast, 415 To stapill and hesp, with mony sekyr cast. Wallace gert Boid ner hand the castell ga, With fyfté men, a jeperté to ma. Gyff ony ischet, the fyr quhen that thai saw, Fast to [the] yett he ordand thaim to draw. 420 The laiff with him about the bernys yheid. This trew woman thaim seruit weill in deid, With lynt and fyr, that haistely kendill wald; In euir ilk nuk thai festnyt blesis bald. Wallace commaund till all his men about, 425 Na Sotheron man at thai suld lat brek out: Quhat euir he be, reskewis off that kyn Fra the rede fyr, him selff sall pass tharin. The lemand low sone lanssyt apon hycht. “Forsuth,” he said, “this is a plessand sycht; 430 “Till our hartis it suld be sum radress: “War thir away, thar power war the less.” On to the justice him selff loud can caw; “Lat ws to borch our men fra your fals law, “At leyffand ar, that chapyt fra your ayr. 435 “Deyll nocht thar land, the wnlaw is our sayr. “Thou had no rycht, that sall be on the seyne.” The rewmour raiss with cairfull cry and keyne. The bryme fyr brynt rycht braithly apon loft; Till slepand men that walkand was nocht soft. 440 The sycht with out was awfull for to se: In all the warld na grettar payne mycht be, Than thai with in, insufferit sor to duell, That euir was wrocht, bot purgatory or hell. A payne off hell weill ner it mycht be cauld, 445 Mad folk with fyr hampryt in mony hauld. Feill byggyns brynt, that worthi war and wicht; Gat nane away, knaiff, capitane, nor knycht. Quhen brundis fell off raftreis thaim amang, Sum rudly raiss in byttir paynys strang; 450 Fol. 48 b Sum nakyt brynt, bot beltless all away; Sum neuir raiss, bot smoryt quhar thai lay; Sum ruschyt fast, till Ayr gyff thai mycht wyn, Blyndyt in fyr, thar deidis war full dym. The reik mellyt with fylth off carioune, 455 Amang the fyr, rycht foull off offensioune. The peple beryt lyk wyld bestis in that tyd, Within the wallis, rampand on athir sid; Rewmyd in reuth, with mony grysly grayne; Sum grymly gret, quhill thar lyff dayis war gayne. 460 Sum durris socht the entré for to get; Bot Scottis men so wysly thaim beset, Gyff ony brak, be awntur, off that steid, With suerdis sone bertnyt thai war to dede; Or ellys agayne beforce drewyn in the fyr: 465 Thar chapyt nayne bot brynt wp bayne and lyr. The stynk scalyt off ded bodyis sa wyde, The Scottis abhord ner hand for to byd; Yeid to the wynd, and leit thaim ewyn allayne, Quhill the rede fyr had that fals blude ourgayne. 470 A frer Drumlay was priour than off Ayr; Sewyn scor with him that nycht tuk herbry thar, In his innys; for he mycht nocht thaim let. Till ner mydnycht a wach on thaim he set; Him selff wouk weyll quhill he the fyr saw ryss: 475 Sum mendis he thocht to tak off that suppryss. Hys brethir sewyn till harnes sone thai yeid, Hym selff chyftayne the ramanand to leid. The best thai waill off armour and gud ger; Syne wapynnys tak, rycht awfull in affer. 480 Thir aucht freris in four partis thai ga, With suerdis drawyn, till ilk houss yeid twa. Sone entrit thai quhar Sotheroune slepand war, Apon thaim sett with strakis sad and sar. Feill frekis thar thai freris dang to dede, 485 Sum nakit fled, and gat out off that sted, The wattir socht, abaissit out off slepe. In the furd weill, that was bath wan and depe, Feyll off thaim fell, that brak out off that place, Dowkit to grounde, and deit with outyn grace. 490 Drownyt and slayne war all that herbryt thar, Men callis it yeit, “The Freris blyssyng off Ayr.” Few folk off waill was lewyt apon cace In the castell; lord Persye fra that place, Befor the ayr, fra thine to Glaskow drew; 495 Off men and stuff it was to purwa new. Yeit thai within, saw the fyr byrnand stout, With schort awiss ischet, and had na dout. The buschement than, as weryouris wyss and wicht, Leit thaim allayne, and to the houss past rycht. 500 Boyd wan the port, entryt and all his men; Fol. 49 a Keparis in it was left bot nyne or ten. The formast sone hym selff sesyt in hand, Maid quyt off hym, syne slew all at thai fand. Off purwyaunce in that castell was nayne; 505 Schort tyme befor Persye was fra it gayne. The erll Arnulff had rasawit that hauld, Quhilk in the toune was brynt to powder cauld. Boyd gert ramayn off his men twenty still, Him selff past furth to witt off Wallace will, 510 Kepand the toune, quhill nocht was lewyt mar Bot the woode fyr, and beyldis brynt full bar. Off lykly men, that born was in Ingland, Be suerd and fyr, that nycht deit fyve thousand.

Quhen Wallace men was weill to gydder met, 515 “Gud freyndis,” he sayd, “ye knaw that thar wes set “Sic law as this now in to Glaskow toune, “Be byschope Beik, and Persye off renoun. “Tharfor I will in haist we thidder fair; “Off our gud kyn [sum] part ar lossyt thair.” 520 He gert full sone the burges till him caw, And gaiff commaund in generall to thaim aw. In kepyng thai suld tak the houss off Ayr, And “hald it haill quhill tyme that we her mayr; “To byd our king castellys I wald we had; 525 “Cast we doun all, we mycht be demyt our rad.” Thai gart meit cum, for thai had fastyt lang; Litill he tuk, syne bownyt thaim to gang. Horsis thai cheyss, that Sotheroun had brocht thar, Anew at will; and off the toune can fair. 530 Thre hundreth haill was in his cumpany. Rycht wondir fast raid this gud chewalry To Glaskow bryg, that byggyt was off tre; Weyll passit our or Sotheroun mycht thaim se. Lorde Persye wycht, that besy wes in wer, 535 Semblyt his men fell awfull in affer. Than demyt thai that it was wicht Wallace, He had befor chapyt throw mony cace. The byschope Beik, and Persye that was wicht, A thousand led off men in armyss brycht. 540 Wallace saw weill quhat nowmyr semblit thar, He maid his men in twa partis to fair; Graithit thaim weill without the townys end. He callit Awchinlek, for he the passage kend. “Wncle,” he said, “be besy in to wer. 545 “Quhethir will yhe the byschoppys taill wpber, “Or pass befor, and tak his benysone?” He ansuerd hym, with rycht schort provision, ‘Wnbyschoppyt yeit, for suth I trow ye be; ‘Your selff sall fyrst his blyssyng tak for me: 550 ‘For sekyrly ye seruit it best the nycht. Fol. 49 b ‘To ber his taill we sall in all our mycht.’ Wallace ansuerd; “Sen we mon sindry gang, “Perell thar is and ye bid fra ws lang; “For yone ar men will nocht sone be agast. 555 “Fra tyme we meit, for Goddis [saik] haist yow fast. “Our disseueryng I wald na Sotheroune saw; “Behynd thaim cum, in [throw] the Northeast raw. “Gud men off wer ar all Northummyrland.” Thai partand thus tuk othir be the hand. 560 Awchinlek said; ‘We sall do at we may; ‘We wald ilk ill to byd oucht lang away. ‘A boustous staill betwix ws sone mon be; ‘Bot to the rycht all mychty God haiff E!’ Adam Wallace and Awchinlek was boune, 565 Sewyn scor with thaim, on the baksid the toune. Rycht fast thai yeid, quhill thai war out off sycht: The tothir part arrayit thaim full rycht. Wallace and Boid the playne streyt wp can ga. Sotheroun marweld be causs thai saw na ma; 570 Thar senyhe cryit vpon the Persys syde, With byschop Beik that bauldly durst abide. A sayr semlay was at that metyng seyne, As fyr on flynt it ferryt thaim betweyne. The hardy Scottis rycht awfully thaim abaid; 575 Brocht feill to grounde throuch weid that weill was maid; Perssyt plattis with poyntis stiff off steill; Befors off hand gert mony cruell kneill. The strang stour raiss, as reik, vpon thaim fast, Or myst, throuch sone, vp to the clowdis past. 580 To help thaim selff ilkayne had mekill neid. The worthy Scottis stud in fellone dreid; Yeit forthwart ay thai pressit for to be, And thai on thaim, gret wondyr was to se. The Perseis men, in wer was oysit weill, 585 Rycht fersly faucht, and sonyeit nocht adeill. Adam Wallace and Awchinlek com in, And partyt Sotheron rycht sodeynly in twyn; Raturnd to thaim as noble men in wer. The Scottis gat rowme, and mony doun thai ber; 590 The new cowntir assailyeit thaim sa fast, Throuch Inglissmen maid sloppys at the last. Than Wallace selff, in to that felloune thrang, With his gud swerd, that hewy was and lang, At Perseis face with a gud will he bar; 595 Bath bayne and brayne the forgyt steill throw schair. Four hundreth men, quhen lord Persie was dede, Out off the gait the byschope Beik thai lede, For than thaim thocht it was no tyme to bid, By the Frer kyrk, till a wode fast besyd. 600 In that forest forsuth thai taryit nocht; On fresche horss to Bothwell sone thai socht. Fol. 50 a Wallace folowed with worthi men and wicht; Forfouchtyn thai war and trawald all the nycht. Yeit feill thai slew in to the chace that day; 605 The byschope selff and gud men gat away. Amar Wallang reskewit him in that place; That knycht full oft did gret harme to Wallace. Wallace began off nycht ten houris in Ayr; On day be nyne in Glaskow semlyt thair; 610 Be ane our nowne at Bothwell yeit he was, Repreiffit Wallang or he wald forthir pass; Syne turnd agayne, as weyll witnes the buk; Till Dundaff raid, and thar restyng he tuk; Tald gud Schyr Jhon off thir tithandis in Ayr: 615 Gret mayne he maid he was nocht with him thar. Wallace soiornd in Dundaff at his will, Fyve dayis out, quhill tithandis come him till, Out off the hycht, quhar gud men was forlorn; For Bouchane raiss, Adell, Menteth, and Lorn, 620 Apon Argyll a fellone wer thai mak; For Eduuardis saik thus can thai wndirtak.

The knycht Cambell in Argyll than wes still, With his gud men, agayne king Eduuardis will; And kepyt fre Lowchow his heretage: 625 Bot Makfadyan than did him gret owtrage. This Makfadyan till Inglissmen was suorn; Eduuard gaiff him bath Argill and Lorn. Falss Jhon off Lorn to that gyft can concord; In Ingland than he was new maid [ane] lord. 630 Thus falssly he gaiff our his heretage, And tuk at London off Eduuard grettar wage. Dunkan off Lorn yeit for the landis straiff, Quhill Makfadyan ourset him with the laiff; Put him off force to gud Cambell the knycht, 635 Quhilk in to wer was wyss, worthi, and wicht. Thus Makfadyan was entrit in to Scotland, And marwalusly that tyrand tuk on hand, With his power, the quhilk I spak off ayr. Thai four lordschippis all semlyt till him thair. 640 Fyftene thousand off curssyt folk in deid, Off all gaddryn, in ost he had to leid: And mony off thaim was out off Irland brocht, Barnyss nor wyff thai peple sparyt nocht; Waistyt the land als fer as thai mycht ga; 645 Thai bestly folk couth nocht bot byrn and sla. In to Louchow he entryt sodeynly. The knycht Cambell maid gud defens for thi; Till Crage Vuyn with thre hundir he yeid; That strenth he held, for all his cruell deid; 650 Syne brak the bryg, quhar thai mycht nocht out pass, Fol. 50 b Bot throuch a furd, quhar narow passage was. Abandounly Cambell agayne thaim baid, Fast vpon Aviss that was bathe depe and braid. Makfadyane was apon the tothir syd, 655 And thar on force behuffit him for to byd; For at the furde he durst nocht entir out, For gud Cambell mycht set him than in dout. Makfadyane socht, and a small passage fand; Had he lasar, thai mycht pass off that land, 660 Betuix a roch and the gret wattir sid, Bot four in front; na ma mycht gang nor rid. In till Louchow wes bestis gret plenté; A quhill he thocht thar with his ost to be, And othir stuff that thai had with thaim brocht. 665 Bot all his crafft awailyeit him rycht nocht. Dunkane off Lorn has seyne the sodeyne cace; Fra gud Cambell he went to seik Wallace, Sum help to get off thar turment and teyne. To gydder before in Dundé thai had beyne, 670 Lerand at scule in to thair tendyr age. He thocht to slaik Makfadyanys hie curage. Gylmychell than with Dunkan furth him dycht; Agyd he was, and fute man wondyr wicht. Sone can thai witt quhar Wallace lugyt was; 675 With thair complaynt till his presence thai pass. Erll Malcom als the Lennox held at ess; With his gud men to Wallace can he press. Till him thar come gud Rychard off Lundy; In till Dundaff he wald no langar ly. 680 Schir Jhon the Graym als bownyt him to ryd. Makfadyanis wer so grewit thaim that tid, At Wallace thocht his gret power to se, In quhat aray he reullyt that cuntré. The Rukbé than he kepit with gret wrang 685 Stirlyng castell, that stalwart wes and strang. Quhen Wallace come be sowth it in a waill, Till erll Malcome he said he wald assaill. In diuerss partis he gert seuer thar men, Off thair power that Sotheroun suld nocht ken. 690 Erll Malcome baid in buschement out off sicht. Wallace with him tuk gud Schyr Jhone the knycht, And a hundreth off wyss wer men but dout; Throuch Stirlyng raid, gyff ony wald ysche out. Towart ye bryg the gaynest way thai pass. 695 Quhen Rukbé saw quhat at thair power was, He tuk sewyn scor off gud archaris was thar, Wpon Wallace thai folowed wondyr sayr; At fell bykkyr thai did thaim mekill der. Wallace in hand gryppyt a nobill sper; 700 Fol. 51 a Agayne raturnd and has the formast slayne. Schir Jhon the Grayme, that mekill was off mayne, Amang thaim raid with a gud sper in hand. The fyrst he slew that he befor him fand; Apon a nothir his sper in sowndyr yeid; 705 A suerd he drew quhilk helpyt him in neid. Yngliss archaris apon thaim can ranew, That his gud horss with arrowis sone thai slew; On fute he was. Quhen Wallace has it seyne, He lychtyt sone, with men off armys keyne, 710 Amang the rout fechtand full wondyr fast. The Inglissmen raturnyt at the last. At the castell thai wald haiff [beyne] full fayne; Bot erll Malcome, with men off mekill mayne, Betuix the Sotheroun and the yettis yeid; 715 Mony thai slew that douchty wes in deid. In the gret press Wallace and Rukbé met; With his gud suerd a straik apon him set; Derffly to dede the ald Rukbé he draiff His twa sonnys chapyt amang the laiff. 720 In the castell be awentur thai yeid, With twenty men; na ma chapyt that dreid. The Lennox men, with thair gud lord at was, Fra the castell thai said thai wald nocht pass: For weill thai wyst it mycht nocht haldyn be, 725 On na lang tyme; forthi thus ordand he. Erll Malcom tuk the houss, and kepyt that tyd. Wallace wald nocht fra his fyrst purpos bid; Instance he maid to this gud lord and wyss, Fra thine to pass he suld on nakyn wyss, 730 Quhill he had tane Stirlyng the castell strang; Trew men him tald he mycht nocht hald it lang. Than Wallace thocht was maist on Makfadyane; Off Scottis men he had slayne mony ane. Wallace awowide, that he suld wrokyn be 735 On that rebald, or ellis tharfor to de. Off tyrandry king Eduuard thocht him gud; Law born he was, and off law simpill blud. Thus Wallace was sar grewyt in his entent; To this jornay rycht ernystfully he went. 740 At Stirlyng bryg assemlyt till hym rycht Twa thowsand men, that worthi war and wycht. Towart Argyll he bownyt him to ryd; Dunkan off Lorn was thair trew sekyr gid. Off ald Rukbé, the quhilk we spak off ayr, 745 Twa sonnys on lyff in Stirlyng lewit thair: Quhen thai brethir consawit weill the rycht, This houss to hald that thai na langar mycht, Fol. 51 b For causs quhi thai wantyt men and meit, With erll Malcome thai kest thaim for to treit. 750 Grace off thair lyff, and thai that with thaim [was]; Gaiff our the houss, syne couth in Ingland pass, On the thrid day that Wallace fra thaim raid. With king Eduuard full mony yer thai baid; In Brucis wer agayne come in Scotland; 755 Stirlyng to kepe the toune off thaim tuk on hand. Mencione off Bruce is oft in Wallace buk; To fend his rycht full mekill payne he tuk. Quhar to suld I her off tary ma? To Wallace furth now schortlye will I ga. 760