Part 27

Wallace commaund the ost suld pass thair way To the Tor wod, in all the haist thai may; Hym selff and Graym, and Lawdir, turnyt in 305 Betwex battaillys, pryss [and] prowys for to wyn; And with thaim baid in that place hundrys thre Off westland men was oysyt in jeperté. Apon wycht horss that weselé coud ryd. A slop thai maid, quhar thai set on a syd; 310 Fol. 100 a Na speris thai had, bot suerdys off gud steyll; Thar with in stour thai leit thair enemyss feill, How thai full oft had prewyt beyn in press; Off Inglissmen thai maid feill to decess. Or Bruce tharoff mycht weill persawyng haiff, 315 Thre hundreth thar was graithit to thair graiff. The hardy Bruce ane ost abandownyt; Twenty thowsand he rewllyt be force and wit, Wpon the Scottis men for to reskew: Serwyt thai war with gud speris enew; 320 And byschop Beik a stuff till him to be. Quhen gud Wallace thair ordinans coud se; “Allace!” he said, “yon man has mekill mycht, “And our gud will till wndo his awn rycht.” He bad his men towart his ost in ryd, 325 Thaim for to sayff he wald behynd thaim byd. Mekill he trowys in God, and his awn weid; Till sayff his men he did full douchty deid. Wpon him selff mekill trawaill he tais; The gret battaill compleit apon him gais. 330 In the forbreyst he retornyt full oft: Quham euir he hyt, thair sawchnyng was wnsoft. That day in warld knawin was nocht his maik; A Sotheroun man he slew ay at a straik. Bot his a strenth mycht nocht agayn thaim be: 335 Towart his ost behwffyd for to fle. The Bruce him hurt at the returnyng thair, Wndyr the halss a deip wound and a sayr. Blude byrstyt owt braithly at speris lenth; Fra the gret ost he fled towart his strenth. 340 Sic a flear befor was neuir seyn; Nocht at Gadderis, off Gawdyfer the keyn, Quhen Alexander reskewed the foryouris, Mycht till him be comperd in tha houris, The fell turnyng on folowaris that he maid, 345 How bandounly befor the ost he raid: Nor how gud Graym wyth cruell hardement, Na how Lawder, amang thair fayis went: How thaim allayn in to that stour thai stud, Quhill Wallace was in stanchyng off his blud. 350 Be than he had stemmyt full weill his wound, With thre hundreth in to the feild can found, To reskew Graym and Lawder that was wicht. Bot byschop Beik com with sic force and slycht, The worthy Scottis weryt fer on bak. 355 Sewyn akyrbreid, in turnyng off thair bak. Fol. 100 b Yeit Wallace has thir twa delyueryt weill Be his awn strenth and his gud suerd off steill. The awfull Bruce amang thaim with gret mayn, At the reskew, thre Scottismen has he slayn: 360 Quham he hyt rycht, ay at a straik was ded. Wallace preyst in tharfor to set ramied. With a gud sper the Bruce was serwyt but baid: With gret inwy to Wallace fast he raid; And he till him assonyeit nocht for thi. 365 The Bruce him myssyt as Wallace passyt by, Awkwart he straik with his scharp groundyn glawe, Sper and horsscrag in till sondyr he drave; Bruce was at erd or Wallace turned about. The gret battaill off thousandis stern and stout, 370 Thai horssyt Bruce with men off gret walour. Wallace allayn was in that stalwart stour. Graym pressyt in, and straik ane Ingliss knycht, Befor the Bruce, apon the basnet brycht. That seruall stuff, and all his othir weid, 375 Bathe bayn and brayn, the nobill suerd throuch yeid. The knycht was dede; gud Graym retornet tyte. A suttell knycht tharat had gret despyt, Folowyt at wait, and has persawyt weill Gramys byrny was to narow sumdeill, 380 Be neth the waist, that closs it mycht nocht be. On the fyllat full sternly straik that sle, Persyt the bak, in the bowalys him bar, Wyth a scharp sper, that he mycht leiff no mar. Graym turnd tharwith, and smate that knycht in teyn, 385 Towart the wesar, a litill be neth the eyn. Dede off that dynt, to ground he duschyt doun. Schyr Jhon the Graym swonyt on his arsoun. Or he our com, till pass till his party, Feill Sotheroun men, that was on fute him by, 390 Stekit his horss, that he no forthir yeid; Graym yauld to God his gud speryt, and his deid. Quhen Wallace saw this knycht to dede was wrocht, The pytuouss payn so sor thryllyt his thocht, All out off kynd at alteryt his curage; 395 Hys wyt in wer was than bot a wod rage. Hys horss him bur in feild quhar so him lyst; For off him selff as than litill he wyst. Lik a wyld best that war fra reson rent, As wytlace wy in to the ost he went, 400 Dingand on hard; quhat Sotheroun he rycht hyt, Straucht apon horss agayn mycht neuir syt. In to that rage full feill folk he dang doun; All hym about was reddyt a gret rowm. Fol. 101 a Quhen Bruce persawyt with Wallace it stud sa, 405 He chargyt men lang sperys for to ta, And sla hys horss, sa he suld nocht eschaip. Feyll Sotheroun than to Wallace fast can schaip, Persyt hys hors with sperys on athir syd; Woundys thai maid that was bathe deip and wyd. 410 Off schafftis part Wallace in sondyr schayr, Bot fell hedys in till his horss left thair. Sum wytt agayn to Wallace can radoun, In hys awn mynd so rewllyt him resoun; Sa for to de him thocht it no waslage. 415 Than for to fle he tuk no taryage; Spuryt the horss, quhilk ran in a gud randoun Till his awn folk was bydand at Carroun. The sey was in, at thai stoppyt and stud; On loud he cryt and bad thaim tak the flud; 420 “To gyddyr byd, ye may nocht loss a man.” At his commaund the watter thai tuk than. Hym returned, the entré for to kepe, Quhill all his ost was passyt our the depe; Syn passyt our, and dred his horss suld faill, 425 Hym selff hewy cled in to plait off maill. Set he couth swom, he trowit he mycht nocht weill. The cler watter culyt the horss sumdeill; Atour the flud he bur him to the land, Syn fell doun dede, and mycht no langar stand. 430 Kerlé full son a cursour till him brocht; Than wp he lap, amang the ost he socht. Graym was away, and fyftene othir wicht; On Magdaleyn day thir folk to ded was dycht. Thretty thousand off Ingliss men, for trew, 435 The worthy Scottis vpon that day thai slew. Quhat be Stwart, and syn be wicht Wallace, For all his pryss, king Eduuard rewyt that race.

To the Torwod he bad the ost suld ryd; Kerlé and he past wpon Caroun syd, 440 Behaldand our wpon the south party. Bruce formast com, and can on Wallace cry. “Quhat art thow thar?” ‘A man,’ Wallace can say. The Bruce ansuerd, “That has thow prewyt to day. “Abyd,” he said, “thow nedis nocht now to fle.” 445 Wallace ansuerd; ‘I eschew nocht for the. ‘Bot that power has thi awn ner fordon; ‘Amendis off this, will God, we sall haiff son.’ “Langage off the,” the Bruce said, “I desyr.” ‘Say furth,’ quoth he; ‘thow may for litill hyr. 450 ‘Ryd fra that ost, and gar thaim bid with Beik. Fol. 101 b ‘I wald fayn her quhat thow likis to speik.’ The ost baid styll, the Bruce passyt thaim fra; He tuk wyth him bot a Scot that hecht Ra. Quhen that the Bruce out off thair heryng wer, 455 He turned in, and this question can sper: “Quhy wyrkis thow thus, and mycht in gud pess be?” Than Wallace said; ‘Bot in defawt off the. ‘Throuch thi falsheid thin awn wyt has myskend. ‘I cleym no rycht, bot wald this land defend, 460 ‘At thow wndoys throu thi fals cruell deid. ‘Thow has tynt twa had beyn worth fer mair meid, ‘On this ilk day, with a gud king to found, ‘Na fyve mylyon off fynest gold so round, ‘That euir was wrocht in werk or ymage brycht. 465 ‘I trow in warld was nocht a bettir knycht, ‘Than was the gud Graym off trewth and hardement.’ Teris tharwith fra Wallace eyn doun went. Bruce said; “Fer ma on this day we haiff losyt.” Wallace ansuerd; ‘Allace, thai war ewill cosyt, 470 ‘Throuch thi tresson, that suld be our rycht king, ‘That willfully dystroyis thin awne off spryng.’ The Bruce askyt; “Will thow do my dewyss?” Wallace said; ‘Nay; thow leyffis in sic wyss. ‘Thow wald me mak at Eduuardis will to be; 475 ‘Yeit had I leuir to morn be hyngyt hye.’ “Yeit sall I say, as I wald consaill geyff; “Than, as a lord, thow mycht at liking leiff, “At thin awn will in Scotland for to ryng, “To be in pece, and hald off Eduuard king.” 480 ‘Off that fals king I think neuir wage to tak, ‘Bot contrar him with my power to mak. ‘I cleym no thing as be titill off rycht; ‘Thocht I mycht reiff, sen God has lent me mycht, ‘Fra the thi crowne off this regioun to wer; 485 ‘Bot I will nocht sic a charge on me ber. ‘Gret God wait best, quhat wer I tak on hand ‘For till kep fre that thow art gaynstandand, ‘It mycht beyn said, off lang gone her off forn, ‘In cursyt tym thow was for Scotland born. 490 ‘Schamys thow nocht, that thow neuir yeit did gud, ‘Thou renygat deuorar off thi blud? ‘I wow to God, ma I thi maistyr be ‘In ony feild, thow sall fer werthar de ‘Than sall a Turk, for thi fals cruell wer. 495 ‘Pagans till ws dois nocht so mekill der.’ Than lewch the Bruce at Wallace ernystfulnas, And said; “Thow seis at thus standis the cass. Fol. 102 a “This day thow art with our power our set, “Agayn yon king warrand thow may nocht get.” 500 Than Wallace said; ‘We ar, be mekill thing, ‘Starkar this day in contrar off yon king, ‘Than at Beggar, quhar he left mony off his, ‘And als the feild; so sall he do with this, ‘Or de thar for, for all hys mekill mycht. 505 ‘We haiff nocht losyt in this feild bot a knycht: ‘And Scotland now in sic perell is stad, ‘To leyff it thus my selff mycht be full mad.’ “Wallace,” he said, “it prochys ner the nycht, “Wald thow to morn, quhen that the day is lycht, 510 “Or nyn off bell, meit me at this chapell, “Be Dunypass, I wald haiff your consell.” Wallace said; ‘Nay; or that ilk tyme be went ‘War all the men, hyn till [the] orient, ‘In till a will with Eduuard, quha had suorn, 515 ‘We sall bargane be nyne houris to morn; ‘And for hys wrang reyff othir he sall think schaym, ‘Or de tharfor, or fle in Ingland haym. ‘Bot and thow will, son be the hour off thre, ‘At that ilk tryst, will God, thow sall se me. 520 ‘Quhill I may lest, this realme sall nocht forfar.’ Bruce promest hym with twelf Scottis to be thar; And Wallace said; ‘Stud thow rychtwyss to me, ‘Cownter palyss I suld nocht be to the. ‘I sall bryng ten, and, for thi nowmer ma, 525 ‘I gyff no force thocht thow be freynd or fa.’ Thus thai depertyt; the Bruce past his way, Till Lithqwo raid, quhar that king Eduuard lay, The feild had left, and lugyt a south the toun, To souper set; as Bruce at the palyoun 530 So entryt in, and saw wacand his seit. No wattir he tuk, bot maid him to the meit. Fastand he was, and had beyn in gret dreid; Bludyt was all his wapynnys and his weid. Sotheroun lordys scornyt him in termys rud, 535 And said; “Behald, yon Scot ettis his awn blud.” The king thocht ill thai maid sic derisioun, He bad haiff watter to Bruce off Huntyntoun. Thai bad him wesche; he said, that wald he nocht: “This blud is myn, that hurtis most my thocht.” 540 Sadly the Bruce than in his mynd remordyt Thai wordis suth that Wallace had him recordyt. Than rewyt he sar, fra resoun had him knawin, At blud and land suld all lik beyn his awin. Fol. 102 b With thaim he was lang or he couth get away; 545 Bot contrar Scottis he faucht nocht fra that day. Lat I the Bruce sayr mowyt in his entent: Gud Wallace sone agane to the ost went, In the Torwod quhilk had thair lugyng maid. Fyris thai bett, that was bath brycht and braid; 550 Off nolt and scheip thai tuk at sufficiens, Tharoff full sone that get thaim sustinens. Wallace slepyt bot a schort quhill and raiss; To rewll the ost on a gud mak he gais Till erll Malcom, Ramsay, and Lundy wicht; 555 With fyve thousand in a battaill thaim dycht. Wallace, Lawder, and Crystell off Cetoun, Fyve thousand led, and Wallace off Ricardtoun, Full weyll arayit in till thair armour clen, Past to the feild quhar that the chass had ben; 560 Amang the ded men sekand the worthiast, The corss off Graym, for quham he murned mast. Quhen thai him fand, and gud Wallace him saw, He lychtyt doun, and hynt him fra thaim aw In armyss vp; behaldand his paill face, 565 He kyssyt him, and cryt full oft; “Allace! “My best brothir in warld that euir I had! “My afald freynd quhen I was hardest stad! “My hop, my heill, thow was in maist honour! “My faith, my help, my strenthiast in stour! 570 “In the was wyt, fredom, and hardines; “In the was treuth, manheid, and nobilnes; “In the was rewll, in the was gouernans; “In the was wertu with outyn warians; “In the lawté, in the was gret largnas; 575 “In the gentrice, in the was stedfastnas. “Thow was gret causs off wynnyng off Scotland; “Thocht I began, and tuk the wer on hand. “I wow to God, that has the warld in wauld, “Thi dede sall be to Sotheroun full der sauld. 580 “Martyr thow art for Scotlandis rycht and me; “I sall the wenge, or ellis tharfor de.” Was na man thar fra wepyng mycht hym rafreyn For loss off him, quhen thai hard Wallace pleyn. Thai caryit him with worschip and dolour; 585 In the Fawkyrk graithit him in sepultour.

Wallace commaundyt his ost tharfor to byd; Hys ten he tuk, for to meit Bruce thai ryd. Sowthwest he past, quhar at the tryst was set; The Bruce full son and gud Wallace is met. 590 Fol. 103 a For loss off Graym, and als for propyr teyn, He grewyt in ire, quhen he the Bruce had seyn. Thar salusyng was bot boustous and thrawin. “Rewis thow,” he said, “thow art contrar thin awin?” ‘Wallace,’ said Bruce, ‘rabut me now no mar; 595 ‘Myn awin dedis has bet me wondyr sayr.’ Quhen Wallace hard with Bruce that it stud sua, On kneis he fell, far contenans can him ma. In armes son the Bruce has Wallace tane; Out fra thair men in consalle ar thai gane. 600 I can nocht tell perfytly thair langage; Bot this was it thair men had off knawlage: Wallace him prayit; “Cum fra yon Sotheroun king.” The Bruce said; ‘Nay, thar lattis me a thing. ‘I am so boundyn with wytnes to be leill, 605 ‘For all Ingland I wald nocht fals my seill. ‘Bot off a thing, I hecht to God and the, ‘That contrar Scottis agayn I sall nocht be; ‘In till a feild, with wapynnys that I ber, ‘In thi purpos I sall the neuir der. 610 ‘Gyff God grantis off ws ourhand till haiff, ‘I will bot fle myn awin selff for to saiff; ‘And Eduuard chaip, I pass with him agayn, ‘Bot I throu force be othir tane or slayn. ‘Brek he on me; quhen that my terme is out, 615 ‘I cum to the, may I chaip fra that dout.’ Off thair consaill I can tell yow no mar. The Bruce tuk leyff, and can till Eduuard fayr, Rycht sad in mynd for Scottis men that war lost. Wallace in haist prouidyt son his ost. 620 He maid Crawfurd the erll Malcom to gid, The lauch way till Enrawyn thai ryd; For thar wachis [than] suld thaim nocht aspy. The tothir ost him selff led haistely Be south Manwell, quhilk that thai war betweyn; 625 Off the out watch thus chapyt thai wnseyn. The erll Malcom on Lithquow entris in; Our haistely a stryff thai can begyn. Wallace was nocht all to the battaill boun, Quhen that thai hard the scry raiss in the toun. 630 On Eduuardis ost thai set full sodandly: Wallace and his maid litill noyis or cry, Bot occupyd with wapynnys in that stour; Feill fallen war ded that was with out armour. All dysarayit the Inglis ost was than; 635 Fol. 103 b Amang palyounis the Scottis, quhar mony man Cuttyt cordys, gart mony tentis fall. Nayn sonyeid than; at anys fechtand was all, Bath Wallace ost, and erll Malcom, wyth mycht. King Eduuard than, with awfull fer on hycht, 640 Cryit till aray, on Bruce, so stern and stout, Twentye thousand in armys him about, In to harness had biddyn all that nycht. Bot frayit folk so dulfully was dycht, On ilk sid thai fled for ferdnes off thar deid; 645 Wallace and his so rudly throw thaim yeid, Towart the king, and fellyt feill to grounde: Quha baid thaim thair, rycht fell fechtyng has found. That awfull king rycht manfully abaid; Till all his folk [a] gret conford he maid. 650 The worthy Scottis, agayn him in that stour, Feill Sotheroun slew in to thair fyn armour; So forthwartlye thai pressyt in the thrang, Befor the king maid sloppis thaim amang. Ingliss commounis than fled on athir sid; 655 Bot noble men nane other durst abid. The Bruce as than to Scottis did no grewans; A juge he was with fenyeid contenans: Sa did he neuir in na battaill ayr, Nothyr yeit eftir, sic deid as he schew thar. 660 The erll Malcom be than in to the toun, The erle Herfurd to fle thai had maid boun. The Lennox men set thar lugyng in fyr; Then ferdly fled full mony Sotheroun syr. The king Eduuard, that yeit was fechtand still, 665 Has seyn thaim fle; that likit him full ill. The worthi Scottis fast towart him thai press; Hys brydyll ner assayit or thai wald cess. His banerman Wallace slew in that place; And sone to ground the baner doun he race. 670 The erll off York consaillyt the king to fle; Than he ratornd, sen na succour thai se. The Ingliss men has seyn thair banner fall; Without confort, to fle thai purpost all. Elewyn thousand in toun and feild was ded 675 Off Eduuardis folk, or his selff left the sted. Twentye thousand away to giddyr raid; King and chyftans na langar tary maid. The Scottis in haist than to thair horss thai yeid, To stuff the chass with worthi men in weid. 680 The Lennox folk, that wantyt horss and ger, Fol. 104 a Tuk thaim at will, to help thaim in that wer; At stragyll raid quhat Scot mycht formest pas, Off Sotheroun men quhar off gret slauchtyr was. Wallace has seyn the Scottis wnordourly 685 Folow the chass, he maid chyftanis in hy Thaim for to rewll, and all to gyddyr ryd; Comaundyt thaim ilk ane suld othir bid. “In to fleyng the Sotheroun suttaill ar, “Se thai the tym thai wyll syt on ws sar; 690 “Feill scalyt folk to thaim will son ranew, “For ye se weyll that thai ar men enew.” The folowaris was rewllyt weill with skill; In gud aray thai raid all at his will, And slew doun fast; quhat Sotheroun thai ourtak, 695 Contrar the Scottis com neuir maistrice to mak. In to the chaiss thai haistyt thaim so ner, Na Inglissman out fra the ost durst ster. The frayit folk, at stragill that was fleand, Drew to the king weill ma than ten thousand. 700 Thretty thousand in nowmyr than war thai; In till aray to gyddyr passyt away. Feill Scottis horss was drewyn in to trawaill, Forrown that day so irkyt can defaill. The Sotheroun was with horss serwyt full weill; 705 Off Wallace chaiss the lordis had gret feill: Off horss thai war purwaide in gret wayn; The king changyt on syndry horss off Spayn. Than Wallace said; “Lordis, ye may weill se, “Yon folk ar now all that yon king may be. 710 “For falt off stuff we loiss our mekill thing, “War we wyth horss to pass befor this king, “We suld mak end off all this lang debait. “Yeit sum off thaim sall handelyt be full hayt. “Part off our horss ar haldyn fresche and wicht; 715 “Set on thaim sar quhill we ar in this mycht.” Tharwith the Scottis so hard amang thaim drew, Off the outward thre thousand thair thai slew. In Crawfurd mur mony man was slayn, Eduuard gart call the Bruce mekill off mayn, 720 Than said he thus; ‘Gud erll off Huntyntoun, ‘Ye se the Scottis puttis feill to confusioun, ‘Wald ye wyth men agayn on thaim raleiff, ‘And mer thaim anys, I sall, quhill I may leiff, ‘Low yow fer mar than ony othir knycht; 725 Fol. 104 b ‘And for all this sall put yow to your rycht.’ Than said the Bruce; “Schyr, loss me off my band; “Than I sall turn, I hecht yow be my hand.” The king full son consideryt in his mynd, Quhen he hard Bruce ansuer him in sic kynd, 730 Fra Inglissmen the Brucis hart set is. Than kest he thus, how he suld mend that myss; And so he dyd, in Ingland at his will Na Scottis man he leit with Bruce bid still; Bot quhar he past held him in subiectioun 735 Off Inglissmen, held him in gret bandoun. He turned nocht, na na mar langage maid; In raid battaill the king to Sulway raid, With mekill payn, fast vpon Ingland cost, Fyfty thousand in that trawaill he lost. 740