Part 19

In Richmwnt schyr thai fand a gret boundans, Breid, ayll and wyn, with othir purweans; Brak parkis doun, slew bestis mony ane, 1005 Off wild and tayme, forsuth thai sparyt nane. Throuch owt the land thai past in gud aray; A sembly place so fand thai in thar way, Quhilk Ramswaith hecht, as Jop him selff thaim tald; Fehew was lord and captayne in that hald. 1010 A hundreth men was semblit in that place, To sawe thaim selff and thar gud fra Wallace; A ryoll sted, fast by a forest sid, With turrettis fayr, and garrettis off gret prid, Beildyt about, rycht lykly to be wicht, 1015 Awfull it was till ony mannis sicht; Feill men abown on the wallis buskyt beyn, In gud armour, that burnyst was full scheyn. The ost past by, and bot wesyt that place; Yeit thai within on lowd defyit Wallace, 1020 And trumpattis blew with mony werlik soun. Than Wallace said; “Had we yon gallandis doun, “On the playn ground, thai wald mor sobyr be.” Than Jop said; ‘Schyr, ye gart his brodyr de, ‘In harrold weid, ye wait, on Tynto hill.’ 1025 Wallace ansuerd; “So wald I with gud will, “Had I him selff; bot we may nocht thaim der; “Gud men mon thoill off harlottis scorn in wer.” Schir Jhon the Graym wald at a bykkyr beyn: Bot Wallace sone, that gret perell has seyn, 1030 Commaundit him to lat his seruice be. “We haiff no men to waist in sic degré. “Wald ye thaim harm, I knaw ane othir gait, “How we throuch fyr within sall mak thaim hait. “Fyr has beyn ay full felloun in to wer, 1035 “On sic a place it ma do mekill der. Fol. 68 b “Thar awld bulwerk I se off wydderyt ayk; “War it in fyr, thai mycht nocht stand a straik. “Houssis and wod is her enewch plenté; “Quha hewis best off this forest lat se. 1040 “Pow houssis doun, we sall nocht want adeill; “The auld temyr will ger the greyn byrn weill.” At his commaund full besyly thai wrocht, Gret wod in haist about the houss thai brocht. The bulwerk wan thir men off armys brycht, 1045 To the barmkyn had temyr apon hycht. Than bowmen schot to kep thaim fra the cast; The wall about had festnyt firis fast. Women and barnys on Wallace fast thai cry; On kneis thai fell, and askit him mercy. 1050 At a quartar, quhar fyr had nocht ourtayn, Thai tuk thaim out fra that castell off stayn; Syn bet the fyr with brwndys brym and bauld; The rude low raiss full heych abown that hauld. Barrellis off pyk for the defens was hungyn thar; 1055 All strak in fyr, the myscheiff was the mar. Quhen the brym fayr atour the place was past, Than thai with in mycht nothir schwt no cast. Als bestiall, as horss and nowt, within, Amang the fyr thai maid a hidwyss dyn. 1060 The armyt men in harnes was so hait, Sum doun to ground duschit but mar debait; Sum lap, sum fell in to the felloun fyr, Smoryt to dede, and brynt bathe bayn and lyr. The fyr brak in at all opynnys about; 1065 Nayn baid on loft, so felloun was the dout. Fehew him self lap rudly fra the hycht; Throuch all the fyr can on the barmkyn lycht. With a gud suerd Wallace strak off his hed, Jop hynt it wp, and turst [it] fra that sted. 1070 Fyve hundreth men, that war in to that place, Gat nayne away, bot dede with outyn grace. Wallace baid still with his power that nycht; Apon the morn the fyr had failyeit mycht. Beffor the yett, quhar it was brynt on breid, 1075 A red thai maid, and to the castell yeid, Strak doun the yett, and tuk that thai mycht wyn, Jowellys and gold, gret riches was tharin; Spulyeit the place, and left nocht ellis thar, Bot bestis, brynt bodyis, and wallis bar. 1080 Than tuk thai hyr, that wyff was to Fehew; Gaiff this commaund, as scho was women trew, To turss that hed to London to king Eduuard. Scho it rasawyt with gret sorow on hart. Fol. 69 a Wallace him selff thir chargis till hyr gaiff; 1085 “Say to your king, bot gyff I battaill haiff, “At London yettis we sall assailyie sayr; “In this moneth we think for to be thair. “Trastis, in treuth, will God, we sall nocht faill; “Bot I rasyst throw chargis off our consaill. 1090 “The southmaist part off Ingland we sall se; “Bot he sek pess, or ellis bargan with me. “Apon a tym he chargyt me on this wyss, “Rycht boustously to mak till him seruice: “Sic sall he haiff, as he ws causs has maid.” 1095 Than mowit thai with out langer abaid. Deliuerit scho was fra this gud chewalry, Towart London scho socht rycht ernystfully; On to the tour, but mar process, scho went, Quhar Eduuard lay sayr murnand in his entent. 1100 His newois hede, quhen he saw it was brocht, Sa gret sorow sadly apon him socht, With gret wness apon his feit he stud, Wepand for wo for his der tendyr blud. The consaill raiss, and prayit him for to cess; 1105 “We loss Ingland, bot gyff ye purches pess.” Than Wodstok said; ‘This is my best consaill; ‘Tak pees in tyme as for our awn awaill, ‘Or we tyne mar, yeit slaik off our curage; ‘Ereft ye may get help to your barnage.’ 1110 The king grantyt, and bad thaim message send; Na man was thar that durst to Wallace wend. The queyn apperyt, and saw this gret distance; Weill born scho was off the rycht blud off France; Scho trowit weill tharfor to speid the erar, 1115 Hyr selff purpost in that message to far. Alss scho forthocht that the king tuk on hand, Agayn the rycht, so oft to reyff Scotland; And feill said, the wengeance hapnyt thar, Off gret murthyr his men maid in till Ayr. 1120 Thus demyt thai the consaill thaim amang. To this effect the queyn bownyt to gang. Quhen scho has seyn ilk man forsak this thing, On kneis scho fell, and askyt at the king; “Souerane,” scho said, “gyff it your willis be, 1125 “At I desyr yon chyftayn for to se. “For he is knawin bath hardy, wyss, and trew; “Perchance he will erar on wemen rew, “Than on your men; yhe haiff don him sic der, Fol. 69 b “Quhen he thaim seis, it mowis him ay to wer. 1130 “To help this land I wald mak my trawaill; “It ma nocht scaith, supposs it do na waill.” The lordis all off hir desir was fayn; On to the king thai maid instans in playn, That scho mycht pass. The king, with aukwart will, 1135 Halff in to yr, has [giffyn] consent thar till. Sum off thaim said, the queyn luffyt Wallace, For the gret woice off his hie nobilnes. A hardy man, that is lykly with all, Gret fawour will off fortoun till him fall, 1140 Anent wemen is seyne in mony place. So hapnyt it in his tyme with Wallace. In his rysyng he was a luffar trew, And chesyt ane, bot Inglissmen hir slew, Yeit I say nocht, the queyn wald on hir tak, 1145 All for his luff, sic trawaill for to mak. Now luff or leiff, or for help off the land, I mak raherss as I in scriptour fand. Scho graithit hir apon a gudlye wiss, With gold, and ger, and folk at hir dewiss; 1150 Ladyis with hir, nane othir wald thai send, And ald preystis, that weill the cuntré kend. Lat I the queyn to message redy dycht, And spek furth mar off Wallace trawaill rycht. The worthy Scottis amang thar enemyss raid; 1155 Full gret destructioun amang the Sotheron thai maid; Waistit about the land on athir sid: Na wer men than durst in thar way abid. Thai ransoun nane, bot to the dede thaim dycht; In mony steid maid fyris braid and brycht. 1160 The ost was blith, and in a gud estate, Na power was at wald mak thaim debate; Gret ryches wan off gold and gud thaim till, Leyffyng enewch to tak at thar awn will. In awfull fer thai trawaill throuch the land, 1165 Maid byggynis bar that thai befor thaim fand; Gret barmkynnys brak off stedis stark and strang; Thir wicht wermen off trawaill thocht nocht lang. South in the land rycht ernystfully thai socht, To Sanct Awbawnys; bot harm thar did thai nocht. 1170 The pryour send thaim wyn and wenesoun, Refreschyt the ost with gud in gret fusioun. The nycht apperyt quhen thai war at the place; Than herbreyt thaim fra thine a litill space; Chesyt a sted quhar thai suld bid all nycht, 1175 Tentis on ground, and palyonis proudly pycht; In till a waill, be a small rywer fayr, On athir sid quhar wyld der maid repayr; Set wachis owt, that wysly couth thaim kepe, To souppar went, and tymysly thai slepe. 1180 Fol. 70 a

Off meit and sleip thai cess with suffisiance. The nycht was myrk, our drayff the dyrkfull chance. The mery day sprang fra the oryent, With bemys brycht enlumynyt the occident. Eftir Titan, Phebus wp rysyt fayr; 1185 Heich in the sper, the signes maid declayr. Zepherus began his morow courss, The swete wapour thus fra the ground resourss; The humyll breyth doun fra the hewyn awaill, In euery meide, bathe fyrth, forrest, and daill; 1190 The cler rede amang the rochis rang, Throuch greyn branchis quhar byrdis blythly sang, With joyus woice in hewynly armony. Than Wallace thocht it was no tyme to ly; He croyssit him, syne sodeynli wp raiss; 1195 To tak the ayr out off his palyon gais. Maister Jhon Blar was redy to rawess; In gud entent syne bownyt to the mess. Quhen it was done, Wallace can him aray, In his armour, quhilk gudly was and gay. 1200 His schenand schoys, that burnyst was full beyn, His leg harnes he clappyt on so clene; Pullane greis he braissit on full fast; A closs byrny, with mony sekyr clasp; Breyst plait, brasaris, that worthy was in wer; 1205 Besid him furth Jop couth his basnet ber; His glytterand glowis grawin on athir sid. He semyt weill in battaill till abid; His gud gyrdyll, and syne his burly brand; A staff off steyll he gryppyt in his hand. 1210 The ost him blyst, and prayit God, off his grace, Him to conwoy fra all mystymyt cace. Adam Wallace and Boid furth with him yeid, By a reuir, throu out a floryst meid. And as thai walk atour the feyldis greyn, 1215 Out off the south thai saw quhar at the queyn, Towart the ost, come ridand sobyrly; And fyfty ladyis was in hyr cumpany, Wallyt off wit, and demyt off renoun, Sum wedowis war, and sum off religioun; 1220 And sewyn preistis that entrit war in age. Wallace to sic did neuir gret owtrage, Bot gyff till him thai maid a gret offens. Thus prochyt thai on towart thar presens. At the palyoun, quhar thai the lyoun saw; 1225 To ground thai lycht, and syne on kneis can faw; Prayand for pece thai cry with petous cher. Erll Malcom said; “Our chyftayn is nocht her.” He bad hyr ryss, and said it was nocht rycht, Fol. 70 b A queyn on kneis till ony lavar wycht. 1230 Wp by the hand the gud erll has hyr tayn; Atour the bent to Wallace ar thai gayn. Quhen scho him saw, scho wald haiff knelyt doune; In armys sone he caucht this queyn with croun, And kyssyt hyr with outyn wordis mor; 1235 Sa dyd he neuir to na Sotheron befor. “Madem,” he said, “rycht welcum mot ye be; “How plessis yow our ostyng for to se?” ‘Rycht weyll,’ scho said, ‘off frendschip haiff we neid; ‘God grant ye wald off our nessis to speid. 1240 ‘Suffyr we mon, supposs it lik ws ill; ‘Bot trastis weyll, it is contrar our will.’ “Ye sall remayn, with this lord I mon gang; “Fra your presens we sall nocht tary lang.” The erll and he on to the palzyon yeid, 1245 With gud awyss to deym mar off this deid. Till consell son Wallace gart call thaim to: “Lordys,” he said, “ye wait quhat is ado. “Off thar cummyng my selff has na plesance; “Herfor mon we wyrk with ordinance. 1250 “Wemen may be contempnyng in to wer, “Amang fullis that can thaim nocht forber. “I say nocht this be thir, nor yeit the queyn; “I trow it be bot gud that scho will meyn. “Bot sampyll tak off lang tym passit by; 1255 “At Rownsywaill the tresoun was playnly “Be wemen maid, that Ganyelon with him brocht, “And Turké wyn; forber thaim couth thai nocht. “Lang wss in wer gert thaim desyr thair will, “Quhilk brocht Charlis to fellon loss and ill. 1260 “The flour off France, withoutyn redempcioun, “Throuch that foull deid, was brocht to confusioun. “Commaund your men tharfor in priway wyss, “Apayn off lyff thai wyrk nocht on sic wyss; “Nane spek with thaim, bot wysmen off gret waill, 1265 “At lordis ar, and sworn to this consaill.” Thir chargis thai did als wysly as thai mocht; This ordynance throw all the ost was wrocht.

He and the erll bathe to the queyn thai went, Rasawyt hyr fayr, and brocht hyr till a tent; 1270 To dyner bownyt als gudly as thai can; And serwit was with mony likly man. Gud purwyance the queyn had with hyr wrocht; A say scho tuk off all thyng at thai brocht. Fol. 71 a Wallace persawyt, and said; “We haiff no dreid: 1275 “I can nocht trow ladyis wald do sic deid, “To poysoun men, for all Ingland to wyn.” The queyn ansuerd; ‘Gyff poysoun be tharin, ‘Off ony thyng quhilk is brocht her with me, ‘Apon my selff fyrst sorow sall ye se.’ 1280 Sone aftir meit, a marchell gart [all] absent, Bot lordis, and thai at suld to consaill went. Ladyis apperyt in presens with the queyn. Wallace askyt, quhat hyr cummyng mycht meyn. ‘For pess,’ scho said, ‘at we haiff to yow socht; 1285 ‘This byrnand wer in baill has mony brocht. ‘Ye grant ws pees, for him that deit on tre.’ Wallace ansuerd; “Madeym, that may nocht be. “Ingland has doyne sa gret harmys till ws, “We may nocht pass, and lychtly leiff it thus.” 1290 ‘Yeiss,’ said the queyne, ‘for crystyn folk we ar. ‘For Goddis saik, sen we desyr no mar, ‘We awcht pess.’ “Madeym, that I deny. “The perfyt causs I sall yow schaw for quhy; “Ye seke na pess bot for your awn awaill. 1295 “Quhen your fals king had Scotland grippyt haill, “For nakyn thing that he befor him fand, “He wald nocht thoill the rycht blud in our land; “Bot reft thar rent, syn put thaim selff to ded: “Ransoun off gold mycht mak [us] na ramed. 1300 “His fell fals wer sall on him selff be seyn.” Than sobyrly till him ansuerd the queyn; ‘Off thir wrangis amendis war most fair.’ “Madeym,” he said, “off him we ask no mar, “Bot at he wald byd ws in to battaill; 1305 “And God be juge, he kennys the mater haill.” ‘Sic mendis,’ scho said, ‘war nocht rycht gud, think me: ‘Pess now war best, and it mycht purchest be. ‘Wald yhe grant pess, and trwys with ws tak, ‘Throuch all Ingland we suld gar prayeris mak 1310 ‘For yow, and thaim at in the wer war lost.’ Than Wallace said; “Quhar sic thing cummys throuch bost, “Prayer off fors, quhar so at it be wrocht, “Till ws helpis [othyr] litill, or ellis nocht.” Warly scho said; ‘Thus wyssmen has ws kend, 1315 ‘Ay efftir wer pees is the finall end. ‘Quharfor ye suld off your gret malice cess; ‘The end off wer is cheryté and pess. ‘Pees is in hewyn, with blyss and lestandnas. ‘We sall beseke the Pape, off his hie grace, 1320 ‘Till commaund pess, sen we may do na mar.’ Fol. 71 b “Madeym,” he said, “or your purches cum thar, “Mendys we think off Ingland for to haiff.” ‘Quhat set yow thus,’ scho said, ‘so God yow saiff, ‘Fra violent wer at ye lik nocht to duell?’ 1325 “Madem,” he said, “the suth I sall yow tell. “Eftir the dayt off Alexandris ryng, “Our land stud thre yer desolate but king, “Kepyt full weyll at concord in gud stait. “Throuch twa clemyt, thar hapnyt gret debait, 1330 “So ernystfully, accord thaim nocht thai can. “Your king thai ast for to be thair ourman. “Slely he slayd throuch strenthis off Scotland; “The kynryk syne he tuk in his awn hand. “He maid a kyng agayn our rychtwyss law; 1335 “For he off him suld hald the regioun aw. “Contrar this band was all the haill barnage, “For Scotland was yeit neuir in to thrillage. “Gret Julius, that tribut gat off aw, “His wynnyng was in Scotland bot full smaw. 1340 “Than your fals king, wndyr colour but mar, “Throuch band he maid till Bruce that is our ayr, “Throuch all Scotland with gret power thai raid, “Wndyr that king quhilk he befor had maid. “To Bruce sen syne he kepit na connand: 1345 “He said, he wald nocht ga and conquess land “Till othir men; and thus the cass befell. “Than Scotland throuch he demayned him sell; “Slew our elderis, gret peté was to se. “In presoune syne lang tyme thai pynit me, 1350 “Quhill I fra thaim was castyn out for ded. “Thankit be God he send me sum remed! “Wengyt to be I prewyt all my mycht; “Feyll off thair kyn to dede syn I haiff dycht. “The rage off youth gert me desyr a wyff; 1355 “That rewit I sayr, and will do all my liff. “A tratour knycht but mercy gert hyr de, “Ane Hessilryg bot for dispit off me. “Than rang I furth in cruell wer and payn, “Quhill we redemyt part off our land agayn. 1360 “Than your curst king desyryt off ws a trew; “Quhilk maid Scotland full rathly for to rew. “In to that pess thai set a suttell ayr, “Than auchtene scor to dede thai hangit thar, “At noblis war, and worthi off renoun; 1365 “Off cot armys eldest in that regioun. “Thar dede we think to weng in all our mycht. “The woman als, that dulfully was dycht, “Out off my mynd that dede will neuir bid, Fol. 72 a “Quhill God me tak fra this fals warld so wid. 1370 “Off Sotheroun syn I can no peté haiff; “Your men in wer I think neuir mor to saiff.” The breith teris, was gret payn to behald, Bryst fra his eyn, be he his taill had tald. The queyn wepyt for peté off Wallace. 1375 ‘Allace,’ scho said, ‘wa worth the curssyt cace.’ ‘In waryit tym that Hesilryg was born! ‘Mony worthi throuch his deid ar forlorn. ‘He suld haiff payn, that saikles sic ane sleuch; ‘Ingland sen syn has boucht it der enewch, 1380 ‘Thocht scho had beyn a queyn or a prynsace.’ “Madem,” he said, “as God giff me gud grace, “Prynsace or queyn, in quhat stait so thai be, “In till hir tym scho was als der to me.” ‘Wallace,’ scho said, ‘off this talk we will cess; 1385 ‘The mendis heroff is gud prayer and pess.’ “I grant,” he said, “off me as now na mayr; “This is rycht nocht bot ekyng off our cayr.”