Part 16

Schir Amar Wallang haistit him full fast, In till Ingland with his haill houshald past; Bothwell he left, was Murrays heretage, 1095 And tuk him than bot till King Eduuardis wage: Thus his awne land forsuk for euirmar; Off Wallace deid gret tithandis tald he thar. Alss Englissmen sair murnyt in thar mude, Had lossyt her bathe lyff, landis, and gud. 1100 Eduuard as than couth nocht in Scotland fair; Bot Kertyingame, that was his tresorair, With him a lord, than erll was off Waran, He chargyt thaim, with nowmeris mony ane Rycht weill beseyn, in Scotland for to ryd. 1105 At Stirlyng still he ordand thaim to bid, Quhill he mycht cum with ordinance off Ingland: Scotland agayne he thocht to tak in hand. This ost past furth, and had bot litill dreid; The erle Patrik rasauit thaim at Tweid. 1110 Malice he had at gud Wallace befor Lang tyme by past, and than incressyt mor: Bot throuch a cass that hapnyt off his wyff, Dunbar scho held fra him in to thair striff, Throuch the supplé off Wallace in to playne: 1115 Bot he be meyne gat his castell agayne Lang tyme or than, and yeit he couth nocht cess; Agayne Wallace he prewit in mony press; With Inglissmen suppleit thaim at his mycht. Contrar Scotland thai wrocht full gret wnrycht. 1120 Fol. 55 b Thar mustir than was awfull for to se; Off fechtand men thousandis thai war sexté. To Stirlyng past, or thai likit to bid, To erll Malcome a sege thai laid that tid; And thocht to kep the commaund off thar king: 1125 Bot gud Wallace wrocht for ane othir thing. Dundé he left, and maid a gud chyftane, With twa thousand, to kepe that houss off stayne, Off Angwiss men, and duellaris off Dundé; The samyn nycht till Sanct Jhonstoun went he. 1130 Apon the morn till Schirreff mur he raid; And thar a quhill, in gud aray, thai baid. Schir Jhon the Grayme, and Ramsay that was wicht, He said to thaim; “This is my purpos rycht; “Our mekill it is to proffer thaim battaill 1135 “Apon a playne feild, bot we haiff sum awaill.” Schir Jhon the Grayme said; ‘We haiff wndirtayn, ‘With less power, sic thing that weill is gayn.’ Than Wallace said; “Quhar sic thing cummys off neid, “We suld thank God that makis ws for to speid. 1140 “Bot ner the bryg my purposs is to be, “And wyrk for thaim sum suttell jeperté.” Ramsay ansuerd: ‘The brig we may kepe weill; ‘Off way about Sotheroun has litill feill.’ Wallace sent Jop the battaill for to set, 1145 The Twysday next to fetch with outyn let. On Setterday on to the bryg thai raid, Off gud playne burd was weill and junctly maid; Gert wachis wait that nane suld fra thaim pass. A wricht he tuk, the suttellast at thar was, 1150 And ordand him to saw the burd in twa, Be the myd streit, that nane mycht our it ga; On charnaill bandis nald it full fast and sone, Syne fyld with clay as na thing had beyne done. The tothir end he ordand for to be, 1155 How it suld stand on thre rowaris off tre, Quhen ane war out, that the laiff doun suld fall; Him selff wndyr he ordand thar with all, Bownd on the trest in a creddill to sit, To louss the pyne quhen Wallace leit him witt. 1160 Bot with a horn, quhen it was tyme to be, In all the ost suld no man blaw bot he. The day approchit off the gret battaill; The Inglissmen for power wald nocht faill. Ay sex thai war agayne ane off Wallace; 1165 Fyfty thousand maid thaim to battaill place. The ramaynand baid at the castell still; Fol. 56 a Baithe feild and houss thai thocht to tak at will. The worthi Scottis, apon the tothir side, The playne feild tuk, on fute maid thaim to bid. 1170 Hew Kertyngayme the wantgard ledis he, With twenty thousand off likly men to se. Thretty thousand the erll off Waran had; Bot he did than as the wyssman him bad; All the fyrst ost befor him our was send. 1175 Sum Scottis men, that weill the maner kend, Bade Wallace blaw, and said thai war enew. He haistyt nocht, bot sadly couth persew, Quhill Warans ost thik on the bryg he saw. Fra Jop the horn he hyntyt and couth blaw 1180 Sa asprely, and warned gud Jhon Wricht: The rowar out he straik with gret slycht; The laiff yeid doun, quhen the pynnys out gais. A hidwyss cry amang the peple raiss; Bathe horss and men in to the wattir fell. 1185 The hardy Scottis, that wald na langar duell, Set on the laiff with strakis sad and sar, Off thaim thar our as than souerit thai war. At the forbreist thai prewit hardely, Wallace and Grayme, Boid, Ramsay, and Lundy; 1190 All in the stour fast fechtand face to face. The Sotheron ost bak rerit off that place At thai fyrst tuk, fyve akyr breid and mar. Wallace on fute a gret scharp sper he bar; Amang the thikest off the press he gais. 1195 On Kertyngaym a straik chosyn he hais In the byrnes, that polyst was full brycht. The punyeand hed the plattis persyt rycht, Throuch the body stekit him but reskew; Derffly to dede that chyftane was adew. 1200 Baithe man and horss at that strak he bar doun. The Ingliss ost, quhilk war in battaill boun, Comfort thai lost quhen thair chyftayne was slayn; And mony ane to fle began in playne. Yeit worthi men baid still in to the sted, 1205 Quhill ten thousand was brocht on to thair dede. Than fled the laiff, and mycht no langar bid; Succour thai socht on mony diuerss sid, Sum est, sum west, and sum fled to the north. Sewyn thousand large at anys flottryt in Forth, 1210 Plungyt the depe, and drownd with out mercy; Fol. 56 b Nayne left on lyff off all that feill menyhe. Off Wallace ost na man was slayne off waill, Bot Androw Murray, in to that strang battaill. The south part than, saw at thar men was tynt, 1215 Als fersly fled as fyr dois off the flynt. The place thai left, castell, and Stirlyng toune; Towart Dunbar in gret haist maid thaim boune. Quhen Wallace ost had won that feild throuch mycht, Tuk wp the bryg, and loussit gud Jhone Wricht; 1220 On the flearis syne folowed wondyr fast. Erll Malcom als out off the castell past, With Lennox men, to stuff the chace gud speid. Ay be the way thai gert feill Sotheroun bleid; In the Torwod thai gert full mony de. 1225 The erll off Waran, that can full fersly fle, With Corspatrik, that graithly was his gyd, On changit horss throuch out the land thai rid, Strawcht to Dunbar, bot few with thaim thai led; Mony was slayne our sleuthfully at fled. 1230 The Scottis horss that had rown wondyr lang, Mony gaiff our, that mycht no forthyr gang. Wallace and Grayme euir to giddyr baid; At Hathyntoun full gret slauchtir thai maid Off Inglissmen, quhen thair horss tyryt had. 1235 Quhen Ramsay come, gud Wallace was full glad; With him was Boid, and Richard off Lundy, Thre thousand haill was off gud chewalry; And Adam als Wallace off Ricardtoune, With erll Malcome, thai fand at Hathyntoune. 1240 The Scottis men on slauchtir taryt was; Quhill to Dunbar the twa chyftanys couth pass, Full sitfully, for thar gret contrar cass. Wallace folowed till thai gat in that place. Off thair best men, and Kertyngaym off renoune, 1245 Twenty thousand was dede but redemptioune. Besyd Beltoun Wallace raturnd agayn, To folow mar as than was bot in wayn.

In Hathyntoun lugyng thai maid that nycht; Apon the morn to Stirling passit rycht. 1250 Assumptioun day off Marye fell this cass; Ay lowyt be our lady off hir grace! Conuoyar offt scho was to gud Wallace, And helpyt him in mony syndry place. Wallace in haist, sone efftir this battaill, 1255 A gret aith tuk off all the barrons haill, That with gud will wald cum till his presens; He hecht thaim als to bid at thar defens. Schir Jhon Menteth, was than off Aran lord, Fol. 57 a Till Wallace come, and maid a playne record; 1260 With witnes thar be his ayth he him band, Lauta to kep to Wallace and Scotland. Quha with fre will till rycht wald nocht apply, Wallace with force pwnyst [thaim] rygorusly; Part put to dede, part set in prysone strang; 1265 Gret word off him throuch bathe thir regiouns rang. Dundé thai gat sone be a schort treté, Bot for thar lywes, and fled away be se. Ingliss capdans, that houss had in to hand, Left castellis fre, and fled out off the land. 1270 Within ten dayis efftir this tyme was gayne, Ingliss captanys in Scotland left was nayne, Except Berweik, and Roxburch castell wicht; Yeit Wallace thocht to bryng thai to the rycht. That tyme thar was a worthi trew barroun, 1275 To nayme he hecht gud Cristall off Cetoun. In Jedwort wod for saiffgard he had beyne, Agayne Sotheroun full weill he couth opteyn. In wtlaw oyss he lewit thar but let; Eduuard couth nocht fra Scottis faith him get. 1280 Herbottell fled fra Jedwort castell wicht, Towart Ingland; thar Cetoun met him rycht. With fourty men Cristall in bargane baid Agayne aucht scor, and mekill mastir maid; Slew that captane, and mony cruell man; 1285 Full gret ryches in that jornay he wan, Houshald and gold, as thai suld pass away, The quhilk befor thai kepit mony day. Jedwort thai tuk; and Ruwan lewit he, At Wallace will captane off it to be. 1290 Bauld Cetoun syne to Lothiane made repair: In this storye ye ma her off him mair, And in to Bruce quha likis for to rede; He was with him in mony cruell deid. Gud Wallace than full sadly can dewyss 1295 To rewill the land with worthi men and wyss; Captans he maid, and schirreffis that was gud, Part off his kyn, and off trew othir blud. His der cusyng in Edynburgh ordand he, The trew Crawfurd, that ay was full worthé, 1300 Kepar off it, with noble men at wage; In Mannuell than he had gud heretage. Scotland was fre, that lang in baill had beyne, Throw Wallace won fra our fals enemys keyn. Gret gouernour in Scotland he couth ryng, 1305 Wayttand a tyme to get his rychtwiss king Fol. 57 b Fra Ingliss men, that held him in bandoune, Lang wrangwysly fra his awn rychtwis croun.

EXPLICIT LIBER SEPTIMUS, ET INCIPIT OCTAVUS.

BUKE AUCHT.

Fywe monethis thus Scotland stud in gud rest; A consell cryit, thaim thocht it wes the best In Sanct Jhonstoun at it suld haldyn be; Assemblit thar clerk, barown, and bowrugie. Bot Corspatrik wald nocht cum at thair call, 5 Baid in Dunbar, and maid scorn at thaim all. Thai spak off him feill wordis in that parlyment. Than Wallace said; “Will ye her to consent, “Forgyff him fre all thing that is bypast; “Sa he will cum and grant he has trespast, 10 “Fra this tyme furth kepe lawta till our croune?” Thai grant tharto, clerk, burgess, and barroune: With haill consent thar writyng till him send; Rycht lawly thus till him thai thaim commend; Besocht him fair, as a peyr off the land, 15 To cum and tak sum gouernaill on hand. Lychtly he lowch, in scorn as it had beyn, And said; “He had sic message seyldyn seyne, “That Wallace now as gouernowr sall ryng: “Her is gret faute off a gud prince or kyng. 20 “That king off Kyll I can nocht wndirstand; “Off him I held neuir a fur off land. “That bachiller trowis, for fortoun schawis hyr quhell, “Thar with to lest; it sall nocht lang be weill. “Bot to yow, lordis, and ye will wndirstand, 25 “I mak yow wyss, I aw to mak na band. “Als fre I am in this regioun to ryng, “Lord off myn awne, as euyr was prince or king. “In Ingland als gret part off land I haiff; “Manrent tharoff thar will no man me craiff. 30 “Quhat will ye mar? I warne yow, I am fre; “For your somoundis ye get no mar off me.” Till Sanct Jhonstone this wryt he send agayne, Befor the lordis was manifest in playne. Quhen Wallace herd the erll sic ansuer mais, 35 A gret hate ire throu curage than he tais; For weyll he wyst thar suld be bot a king Off this regioun, at anys for to ryng; “A king off Kyll!” for that he callyt Wallace. “Lordis,” he said, “this is ane wncouth cace. 40 “Be he sufferyt, we haiff war than it was.” Thus raiss he wp, and maid him for to pass. “God has ws tholyt to do so for the laiff: “In lyff or dede, in faith, him sall we haiff, Fol. 58 a “Or ger him grant quhom he haldis for his lord; 45 “Or ellis war schaym in story to racord. “I wow to God, with eyss he sall nocht be “In to this realme, bot ane off ws sall de; “Less than he cum, and knaw his rychtwiss king. “In this regioun weill bathe we sall nocht ryng. 50 “His lychtly scorn he sall rapent full sor, “Bot power faill, or I sall end tharfor. “Sen in this erd is ordand me no rest, “Now God be juge, the rycht he kennys best.” At that consaill langar he tary nocht, 55 With twa hundreth fra Sanct Jhonston he socht; To the consaill maid instans or he yeid, Thai suld conteyn, and off him haiff na dreid. “I am bot ane, and for gud causs I ga.” Towart Kyngorn the gaynest way thai ta; 60 Apon the morn atour Forth south thai past; On this wyage thai haistit wondyr fast. Robert Lauder at Mussilburgh met Wallace, Fra Inglissmen he kepyt weill his place; Couth nayne him trete, knycht, squier, nor lord, 65 With king Eduuard to be at ane accord. On erll Patrik to pass he was full glaid; Sum said befor the Bass he wald haiff haid. Gud men come als with Crystell off Cetoun; Than Wallace was four hundreth off renoun. 70 A squier Lyll, that weill that cuntré knew, With twenty men to Wallace couth persew, Besyd Lyntoun; and to thaim tald he than. The erll Patrik, with mony likly man, At Coburns peth he had his gaderyng maid, 75 And to Dunbar wald cum with outyn baid. Than Lawder said, “It war the best, think me, “Faster to pass, in Dunbar or he be.” Wallace ansuerd; ‘We may at laysar ryd; ‘With yon power he thinkis bargane to bid. 80 ‘And off a thing ye sall weill wndrestand, ‘A hardyar lord is nocht in to Scotland: ‘Mycht he be maid trew stedfast till a king, ‘Be wit and force he can do mekill thing: ‘Bot willfully he likis to tyne him sell.’ 85 Thus raid thai furth, and wald na langar duell, Be est Dunbar, quhar men him tald on cass, How erll Patrik was warnyt off Wallace: Ner Ennerweik chesyt a feild at waill, With nyne hundreth off likly men to waill. 90 Four hundreth was with Wallace in the rycht, And sone onon approchit to thair sicht. Gret fawte thar was of gud trety betweyn, To mak concord, and that full sone was seyne. Fol. 58 b With out raherss off actioun in that tid, 95 On athir part to gydder fast thai rid. The stour was Strang, and wondyr peralous, Contenyt lang with dedis chewalrous; Mony thar deit off cruell Scottis blud. Off this trety the mater is nocht gud; 100 Tharfor I cess to tell the destructioune; Peté it was, and all off a natioune. Bot erll Patrik the feild left at the last, Rycht few with him; to Coburns peth thai past; Agrewit sar that his men thus were tynt. 105

Wallace raturnd, and wald no langar stynt, Towart Dunbar, quhar suthfast men him tald, Na purweance was left in to that hald. Nor men off fens; all had beyne with thair lord. Quhen Wallace hard the sekyr trew record, 110 Dunbar he tuk all haill at his bandown; Gaiff it to kepe to Crystell off Cetoun, Quhilk stuffit it weill with men and gud wictall. Apon the morn, Wallace that wald nocht faill, With thre hundreth, to Coburns peth he socht: 115 Erll Patrik wschyt, for bid him wald he nocht. Sone to the park Wallace a range has set; Till Bonkill wood Corspatrik fled but let, And out off it till Noram passit he. Quhen Wallace saw it mycht na bettir be. 120 Till Caudstreym went and lugit him on Tweid. Erll Patrik than, in all haist can him speid, And passit by, or Wallace power raiss; With out restyng, in Atrik forrest gais. Wallace folowed, bot he wald nocht assaill; 125 A rang to mak as than it mycht nocht waill: Our few he had, the strenth was thik and strang, Sewyn myill on breid, and tharto twyss so lang. In till Gorkhelm erll Patrik leiffit at rest. For mar power Wallace past in the west. 130 Erll Patrik than him graithit hastelye, In Ingland past to get him thar supplye: Out throuch the land rycht ernystfully couth pass; Tald Anton Beik that Wallace cummand was. Wallace him put out off Glaskow befor, 135 And slew Persye; thair malice was the mor. The byschope Beik gert sone gret power ryss, Northummyrland apon ane awfull wyss. Than ordand Bruce in Scotland for to pass, To wyn his awne; bot ill dissauit he was: 140 Thai gart him trow that Wallace was rabell, And thocht to tak the kynryk to hym sel. Full fals thai war, and euir yeit has beyn; Fol. 59 a Lawta and trouth was ay in Wallace seyn; To fend the rycht all that he tuk on hand, 145 And thocht to bryng the Bruce fre till his land. Off this mater as now I tary nocht. With Strang power Sotheroun to gidder socht; Fra Owys watter assemblit haill to Tweid. Thar land ost was thretty thousand in deid. 150 Off Tynnys mouth send schippis be the se, To kep Dunbar, at nayne suld thaim supplé. Erll Patrik, with twenty thousand but lett, Befor Dunbar a stalwart sege he sett. The bischope Beik and Robert Bruce baid still, 155 With ten thousand, at Noram at thair will. Wallace be this, that fast was lauborand, In Lothyane com witht gud men fyve thowsand, Rycht Weill beseyn, all in to armyss brycht; Thocht to reskew the Cetoun bauld and wycht. 160 Undyr Yhester that fyrst nycht lugit he. Hay com till him with a gud chewalré; In Duns forest all that tyme he had beyne; The cummyng thar off Sotheroun he had seyne. Fyfty he had off besy men in wer; 165 Thai tald Wallace off Patrikis gret affer. Hay said; “Forsuth, and ye mycht him our set, “Power agayne rycht sone he mycht nocht get, “My consaill is, that we giff him battaill.” He thankit him off comfort and consaill, 170 And said; ‘Freynd Hay, in this causs that I wend, ‘Sa that we wyn, I rek nocht for till end. ‘Rycht suth it is that anys we mon de: ‘In to the rycht quha suld in terrour be?’ Erll Patrik than a messynger gert pass, 175 Tald Anton Beik that Wallace cummand was. Off this tithingis the byschope was full glaid, Amendis off him full fayne he wald haiff haid. But mar prolong throuch Lammermur thai raid, Ner the Spot mur in buschement still he baid; 180 As erll Patrik thaim ordand for to be. Wallace off Beik wnwarnyt than was he. Yeit he befor was nocht haisty in deid; Bot than he put bathe him and his in dreid. Apon swyft hors scurrouris past betweyn. 185 The cummyng than off erll Patrik was seyn: The houss he left, and to the mur is gayn, A playne feild thar with hiss ost he has tayn. Gud Cetoun syne wschet with few menyhe; Fol. 59 b Part off his men in till Dunbar left he; 190 To Wallace raid, was on the rychtwyss sid; In gud aray to the Spot mur thai ryd. Sum Scottis dred, the erll sa mony wass, Twenty thousand agayn sa few, to pass. Quhen Jop persauit, he bad Wallace suld bid: 195 “Tyne nocht thir men, bot to sum strenth ye ryd, “And I sall pass to get yow power mar; “Thir ar our gud thus lychtly for to war.” Than Wallace said; ‘In trewth I will nocht fle ‘For four off his, ay ane quhill I may be. 200 ‘We ar our ner, sic purpos for to tak; ‘A danger chace thai mycht vpon ws mak. ‘Her is twenty, with this power, to day, ‘Wald him assay, supposs I war away. ‘Mony thai ar, for Goddis luff be we strang; 205 ‘Yon Sotheron folk in stour will nocht bid lang.’