AUG.25, 1330The Death of DouglasBot at the last the lord Douglas,425And the gret rout that with hym was,Pressit fast the Sarasenys swaThat thai haly the bak can ta.And thai chassit with all thar mayn,And mony in the chas has slayn.430So fer chassitthe lord Dowglas,With few folk, that he passit wesAll the folk that wes chassand then.He had nocht with him atour tenOf all men that war with him thar.435Quhen he saw all reparit warToward his host than turnit he.And quhen the Saryzynys gan se[†]That the chasseris turnyt agane,Thai relyitwith mekill mayne.[†]440And as the gud lorde Dowglas,As I said air, reparand was,So saw he, richt besyd him ner,Quhar that Schir Willyhame de SanclerWith a gret rout enveremyt was.445He wes anoyit, and said; “Allas!“Yhone worthy knycht will soyn be ded,“Bot he haf help throu our manhed.“God biddis us help him in gret hy,“Sen that we ar so neir him by.450“And God wat weill our entent is“Till lif and de in his servis;“His will in all thing do sall we,“Sall na perell eschevit be“Quhill he be put out of yhone payne,455“Or than we all be with hym slayn.”With that with spurris spedelyThai strak the hors, and in gret hyAmang the Saracenys soyne thai raid,And rowme about thame haf thai maid.460Thai dang on fast with all thair mycht,And feill of thame to ded has dicht.Gretar defens maid nevir sa quhoyneAgane so feill, as thai have doyne.Quhill thai mycht lest to gif battale.465Bot mycht no worschip thar avaleThat tym, forilkan war slayn thar;For Sarasynys sa mony warThat thai war tuenty neir for ane.The gud lord Douglas thar wes slane,470And Wilyhame Sancler syne alsua;And other worthy knychtis twa,Schir Robert Logan hat the tane,And the tothir Walter Logane;Quhar our Lord, for his mekill mycht,475Thar saulys have to hevynnis hycht![†]Thegud lord Douglas thus wes ded;And the Sarasenys in that stedAbaid no mair, bot held thar way;Thai knychtis ded thar levit thai.480Sum of the lord Douglassis men,That thar lord ded had fundyn then,Yheid weill neir wood for dule and wa.Lang quhile our hym thai sorowit swa,And with gret dule syne hame him bar.485The Kyngis hert have thai fundyn thar,And that haym with thame have thai tane,And ar toward thair innys ganeWith greting and with evill cher;Thair sorow angyr wes to her.490And quhen of Keth gud Schir Wilyhame,That all that day had beyn at hame—For at sa gret myschef wes he,That he come nocht to the journee,For his arme wes brokyne in twa—495Quhen he that folk sic dule saw ma,[†]He askyt quhat it wes in hy.And thai him tauld all opynly,How that thair douchty lord wes slaynWith Sarazynys that releyt agayn.500And quhen he wyst that it was sua,Atour all other he wes mast wa,And maid so woundir evill cherThat all wounderit that by him wer.Bot till tell of thair sorowyng505Anoyis, and helpis litill thing.Men may weill wit, thouch nane thaim tell,How angry, sorowfull, and how fellIs till tyne sic ane lord as heTill thame that war of his menyhe.510For he wes swete, and debonar,And weill couth tret his frendis far,And his fais richt felonlyStonay, throu his gret chevelry.The-quhethir of litill effer wes he,515Bot our all thing he lufit lawte;At tresoune growyt he so gretly,That na tratour mycht be hym by,That he mycht wit, na he suld beWeill punyst of his cruelte.5201330How Fabricius punished a TraitorI trow,the leill Fabricius,That fra Rome to warray PirrusWes send with a gret menyhe,Hatit tresoune na les than he.The-quhethir quhen the Pirrus had525On him and on his menyhe, maydAne outrageous discumfitour,Quhar he eschapit throu aventour,And mony of his men war slane,And he gaderit ane host againe,530A gret mastir of medicyne,That Pirrus had in governyne,Profferit to this FabriciusIn tresoune for to slay Pirrus;For, in his first potacioune,535He suld him gif dedly poysoune.Fabricius than, that wondir hadThat he sic proffer till hym maidSaid; “Certis, Rome is wele of mycht“Throu strynth of armys in-to ficht,540“Till vencus weill thar fais, thouch thai“Consent to tresoune be na way.“And for thou wald do sic tresoune,“Thou sall, to get thi warisoune,“Ga to Pirrus, and lat hym do545“Quhat evir in hert hym lyis the to.”Than till Pirrus he sende in hyThis mastir, and gert him oppenlyFra end till end tell all this tale.Quhen Pirrus had it herd all hale,550He said; ‘Wes nevir man that swa‘For laute bar hym till his fa,‘As heir Fabricius dois till me;‘It is als ill to ger hym be‘Turnyt fra way of richtwisnes,555‘Or to consent till wikidnes,‘As at mydday to turne agane‘The sone that rynnis his cours all playn.’Thus said he of Fabricius,That syne vencust this ilk Pirrus560In playne battell throu hard fechting.His honest lawte gert me bryngIn this ensampell her, for heHad soverane pris of his lawte.And richt sua had the lord Douglas,565That honest, leill, and worthy was;That ded wes, as befor said we;All menyt hym, strange and preve.Quhen his men lang had maid murnyng,The debowellit hyme, and syne570Gert seth him, swa that mycht be taneThe flesche all haly fra the bane.The carioune thair in haly plasErdit with richt gret worschip was.The banys have thai with thame tane,575And syne ar till thair schippes gane.Quhen thai war levit of the Kyng,That dule had of thar sorowyng.Till se thai went, gud wynd thai had,Thair cours till Ingland haf thai maid,580And thair saufly arivit thai;Syne toward Scotland held thar way,And thar ar cummyne in full gret hy.And the banys richt honorabillyIn-tillthe kirk of Dowglaswar585Erdit, with dule and mekill car.Schir Archibald his sonegert syneOf alabast bath fair and fyneOrdane a towme full richly,As it behufit till swa worthy.590JULY20, 1332Death of the Earl of MurrayQwhenthat on this wis Schir WilyhameOf Keyth had broucht his banis hame,And the gud Kyngis hert alsua,And men had richly gert maWith fair affeir his sepulture,595The Erle of Murreff, that the cureThat tyme of Scotland had haly,With gret worschip has gert beryThe Kyngis hert at the abbayOfMelros, quhar men prayis ay600That he and his haffe paradis.Quhen this wes done that I devis,The gud Erll governit the land,And held the pure weill to warand.The law sa weill mantemyt he,605And held in pes swa the cuntre,That it wes nevir led or his daySo weill, as I herd ald men say.Bot syne, allas!poysonyt wes he;To se his ded wes gret pite.[†]610The lordis deit apon this wis.He, that hye Lord of all thing is,Up till his mekill blis thame bryng,And grant his grace, that thar ofspryngLeid weill the land, and ententif615Be to folow, in all thair liff,Thair nobill elderis gret bounte!The afald God in TriniteBring us hye up till hevynnis blis,Quhar all-wayis lestand liking is!—Amen.620
AUG.25, 1330The Death of DouglasBot at the last the lord Douglas,425And the gret rout that with hym was,Pressit fast the Sarasenys swaThat thai haly the bak can ta.And thai chassit with all thar mayn,And mony in the chas has slayn.430So fer chassitthe lord Dowglas,With few folk, that he passit wesAll the folk that wes chassand then.He had nocht with him atour tenOf all men that war with him thar.435Quhen he saw all reparit warToward his host than turnit he.And quhen the Saryzynys gan se[†]That the chasseris turnyt agane,Thai relyitwith mekill mayne.[†]440And as the gud lorde Dowglas,As I said air, reparand was,So saw he, richt besyd him ner,Quhar that Schir Willyhame de SanclerWith a gret rout enveremyt was.445He wes anoyit, and said; “Allas!“Yhone worthy knycht will soyn be ded,“Bot he haf help throu our manhed.“God biddis us help him in gret hy,“Sen that we ar so neir him by.450“And God wat weill our entent is“Till lif and de in his servis;“His will in all thing do sall we,“Sall na perell eschevit be“Quhill he be put out of yhone payne,455“Or than we all be with hym slayn.”With that with spurris spedelyThai strak the hors, and in gret hyAmang the Saracenys soyne thai raid,And rowme about thame haf thai maid.460Thai dang on fast with all thair mycht,And feill of thame to ded has dicht.Gretar defens maid nevir sa quhoyneAgane so feill, as thai have doyne.Quhill thai mycht lest to gif battale.465Bot mycht no worschip thar avaleThat tym, forilkan war slayn thar;For Sarasynys sa mony warThat thai war tuenty neir for ane.The gud lord Douglas thar wes slane,470And Wilyhame Sancler syne alsua;And other worthy knychtis twa,Schir Robert Logan hat the tane,And the tothir Walter Logane;Quhar our Lord, for his mekill mycht,475Thar saulys have to hevynnis hycht![†]Thegud lord Douglas thus wes ded;And the Sarasenys in that stedAbaid no mair, bot held thar way;Thai knychtis ded thar levit thai.480Sum of the lord Douglassis men,That thar lord ded had fundyn then,Yheid weill neir wood for dule and wa.Lang quhile our hym thai sorowit swa,And with gret dule syne hame him bar.485The Kyngis hert have thai fundyn thar,And that haym with thame have thai tane,And ar toward thair innys ganeWith greting and with evill cher;Thair sorow angyr wes to her.490And quhen of Keth gud Schir Wilyhame,That all that day had beyn at hame—For at sa gret myschef wes he,That he come nocht to the journee,For his arme wes brokyne in twa—495Quhen he that folk sic dule saw ma,[†]He askyt quhat it wes in hy.And thai him tauld all opynly,How that thair douchty lord wes slaynWith Sarazynys that releyt agayn.500And quhen he wyst that it was sua,Atour all other he wes mast wa,And maid so woundir evill cherThat all wounderit that by him wer.Bot till tell of thair sorowyng505Anoyis, and helpis litill thing.Men may weill wit, thouch nane thaim tell,How angry, sorowfull, and how fellIs till tyne sic ane lord as heTill thame that war of his menyhe.510For he wes swete, and debonar,And weill couth tret his frendis far,And his fais richt felonlyStonay, throu his gret chevelry.The-quhethir of litill effer wes he,515Bot our all thing he lufit lawte;At tresoune growyt he so gretly,That na tratour mycht be hym by,That he mycht wit, na he suld beWeill punyst of his cruelte.5201330How Fabricius punished a TraitorI trow,the leill Fabricius,That fra Rome to warray PirrusWes send with a gret menyhe,Hatit tresoune na les than he.The-quhethir quhen the Pirrus had525On him and on his menyhe, maydAne outrageous discumfitour,Quhar he eschapit throu aventour,And mony of his men war slane,And he gaderit ane host againe,530A gret mastir of medicyne,That Pirrus had in governyne,Profferit to this FabriciusIn tresoune for to slay Pirrus;For, in his first potacioune,535He suld him gif dedly poysoune.Fabricius than, that wondir hadThat he sic proffer till hym maidSaid; “Certis, Rome is wele of mycht“Throu strynth of armys in-to ficht,540“Till vencus weill thar fais, thouch thai“Consent to tresoune be na way.“And for thou wald do sic tresoune,“Thou sall, to get thi warisoune,“Ga to Pirrus, and lat hym do545“Quhat evir in hert hym lyis the to.”Than till Pirrus he sende in hyThis mastir, and gert him oppenlyFra end till end tell all this tale.Quhen Pirrus had it herd all hale,550He said; ‘Wes nevir man that swa‘For laute bar hym till his fa,‘As heir Fabricius dois till me;‘It is als ill to ger hym be‘Turnyt fra way of richtwisnes,555‘Or to consent till wikidnes,‘As at mydday to turne agane‘The sone that rynnis his cours all playn.’Thus said he of Fabricius,That syne vencust this ilk Pirrus560In playne battell throu hard fechting.His honest lawte gert me bryngIn this ensampell her, for heHad soverane pris of his lawte.And richt sua had the lord Douglas,565That honest, leill, and worthy was;That ded wes, as befor said we;All menyt hym, strange and preve.Quhen his men lang had maid murnyng,The debowellit hyme, and syne570Gert seth him, swa that mycht be taneThe flesche all haly fra the bane.The carioune thair in haly plasErdit with richt gret worschip was.The banys have thai with thame tane,575And syne ar till thair schippes gane.Quhen thai war levit of the Kyng,That dule had of thar sorowyng.Till se thai went, gud wynd thai had,Thair cours till Ingland haf thai maid,580And thair saufly arivit thai;Syne toward Scotland held thar way,And thar ar cummyne in full gret hy.And the banys richt honorabillyIn-tillthe kirk of Dowglaswar585Erdit, with dule and mekill car.Schir Archibald his sonegert syneOf alabast bath fair and fyneOrdane a towme full richly,As it behufit till swa worthy.590JULY20, 1332Death of the Earl of MurrayQwhenthat on this wis Schir WilyhameOf Keyth had broucht his banis hame,And the gud Kyngis hert alsua,And men had richly gert maWith fair affeir his sepulture,595The Erle of Murreff, that the cureThat tyme of Scotland had haly,With gret worschip has gert beryThe Kyngis hert at the abbayOfMelros, quhar men prayis ay600That he and his haffe paradis.Quhen this wes done that I devis,The gud Erll governit the land,And held the pure weill to warand.The law sa weill mantemyt he,605And held in pes swa the cuntre,That it wes nevir led or his daySo weill, as I herd ald men say.Bot syne, allas!poysonyt wes he;To se his ded wes gret pite.[†]610The lordis deit apon this wis.He, that hye Lord of all thing is,Up till his mekill blis thame bryng,And grant his grace, that thar ofspryngLeid weill the land, and ententif615Be to folow, in all thair liff,Thair nobill elderis gret bounte!The afald God in TriniteBring us hye up till hevynnis blis,Quhar all-wayis lestand liking is!—Amen.620
AUG.25, 1330The Death of Douglas
Bot at the last the lord Douglas,425And the gret rout that with hym was,Pressit fast the Sarasenys swaThat thai haly the bak can ta.And thai chassit with all thar mayn,And mony in the chas has slayn.430So fer chassitthe lord Dowglas,With few folk, that he passit wesAll the folk that wes chassand then.He had nocht with him atour tenOf all men that war with him thar.435Quhen he saw all reparit warToward his host than turnit he.And quhen the Saryzynys gan se[†]That the chasseris turnyt agane,Thai relyitwith mekill mayne.[†]440And as the gud lorde Dowglas,As I said air, reparand was,So saw he, richt besyd him ner,Quhar that Schir Willyhame de SanclerWith a gret rout enveremyt was.445He wes anoyit, and said; “Allas!“Yhone worthy knycht will soyn be ded,“Bot he haf help throu our manhed.“God biddis us help him in gret hy,“Sen that we ar so neir him by.450“And God wat weill our entent is“Till lif and de in his servis;“His will in all thing do sall we,“Sall na perell eschevit be“Quhill he be put out of yhone payne,455“Or than we all be with hym slayn.”With that with spurris spedelyThai strak the hors, and in gret hyAmang the Saracenys soyne thai raid,And rowme about thame haf thai maid.460Thai dang on fast with all thair mycht,And feill of thame to ded has dicht.Gretar defens maid nevir sa quhoyneAgane so feill, as thai have doyne.Quhill thai mycht lest to gif battale.465Bot mycht no worschip thar avaleThat tym, forilkan war slayn thar;For Sarasynys sa mony warThat thai war tuenty neir for ane.The gud lord Douglas thar wes slane,470And Wilyhame Sancler syne alsua;And other worthy knychtis twa,Schir Robert Logan hat the tane,And the tothir Walter Logane;Quhar our Lord, for his mekill mycht,475Thar saulys have to hevynnis hycht![†]
Thegud lord Douglas thus wes ded;And the Sarasenys in that stedAbaid no mair, bot held thar way;Thai knychtis ded thar levit thai.480Sum of the lord Douglassis men,That thar lord ded had fundyn then,Yheid weill neir wood for dule and wa.Lang quhile our hym thai sorowit swa,And with gret dule syne hame him bar.485The Kyngis hert have thai fundyn thar,And that haym with thame have thai tane,And ar toward thair innys ganeWith greting and with evill cher;Thair sorow angyr wes to her.490And quhen of Keth gud Schir Wilyhame,That all that day had beyn at hame—For at sa gret myschef wes he,That he come nocht to the journee,For his arme wes brokyne in twa—495Quhen he that folk sic dule saw ma,[†]He askyt quhat it wes in hy.And thai him tauld all opynly,How that thair douchty lord wes slaynWith Sarazynys that releyt agayn.500And quhen he wyst that it was sua,Atour all other he wes mast wa,And maid so woundir evill cherThat all wounderit that by him wer.Bot till tell of thair sorowyng505Anoyis, and helpis litill thing.Men may weill wit, thouch nane thaim tell,How angry, sorowfull, and how fellIs till tyne sic ane lord as heTill thame that war of his menyhe.510For he wes swete, and debonar,And weill couth tret his frendis far,And his fais richt felonlyStonay, throu his gret chevelry.The-quhethir of litill effer wes he,515Bot our all thing he lufit lawte;At tresoune growyt he so gretly,That na tratour mycht be hym by,That he mycht wit, na he suld beWeill punyst of his cruelte.520
1330How Fabricius punished a Traitor
I trow,the leill Fabricius,That fra Rome to warray PirrusWes send with a gret menyhe,Hatit tresoune na les than he.The-quhethir quhen the Pirrus had525On him and on his menyhe, maydAne outrageous discumfitour,Quhar he eschapit throu aventour,And mony of his men war slane,And he gaderit ane host againe,530A gret mastir of medicyne,That Pirrus had in governyne,Profferit to this FabriciusIn tresoune for to slay Pirrus;For, in his first potacioune,535He suld him gif dedly poysoune.Fabricius than, that wondir hadThat he sic proffer till hym maidSaid; “Certis, Rome is wele of mycht“Throu strynth of armys in-to ficht,540“Till vencus weill thar fais, thouch thai“Consent to tresoune be na way.“And for thou wald do sic tresoune,“Thou sall, to get thi warisoune,“Ga to Pirrus, and lat hym do545“Quhat evir in hert hym lyis the to.”Than till Pirrus he sende in hyThis mastir, and gert him oppenlyFra end till end tell all this tale.Quhen Pirrus had it herd all hale,550He said; ‘Wes nevir man that swa‘For laute bar hym till his fa,‘As heir Fabricius dois till me;‘It is als ill to ger hym be‘Turnyt fra way of richtwisnes,555‘Or to consent till wikidnes,‘As at mydday to turne agane‘The sone that rynnis his cours all playn.’Thus said he of Fabricius,That syne vencust this ilk Pirrus560In playne battell throu hard fechting.His honest lawte gert me bryngIn this ensampell her, for heHad soverane pris of his lawte.And richt sua had the lord Douglas,565That honest, leill, and worthy was;That ded wes, as befor said we;All menyt hym, strange and preve.
Quhen his men lang had maid murnyng,The debowellit hyme, and syne570Gert seth him, swa that mycht be taneThe flesche all haly fra the bane.The carioune thair in haly plasErdit with richt gret worschip was.The banys have thai with thame tane,575And syne ar till thair schippes gane.Quhen thai war levit of the Kyng,That dule had of thar sorowyng.Till se thai went, gud wynd thai had,Thair cours till Ingland haf thai maid,580And thair saufly arivit thai;Syne toward Scotland held thar way,And thar ar cummyne in full gret hy.And the banys richt honorabillyIn-tillthe kirk of Dowglaswar585Erdit, with dule and mekill car.Schir Archibald his sonegert syneOf alabast bath fair and fyneOrdane a towme full richly,As it behufit till swa worthy.590
JULY20, 1332Death of the Earl of Murray
Qwhenthat on this wis Schir WilyhameOf Keyth had broucht his banis hame,And the gud Kyngis hert alsua,And men had richly gert maWith fair affeir his sepulture,595The Erle of Murreff, that the cureThat tyme of Scotland had haly,With gret worschip has gert beryThe Kyngis hert at the abbayOfMelros, quhar men prayis ay600That he and his haffe paradis.Quhen this wes done that I devis,The gud Erll governit the land,And held the pure weill to warand.The law sa weill mantemyt he,605And held in pes swa the cuntre,That it wes nevir led or his daySo weill, as I herd ald men say.Bot syne, allas!poysonyt wes he;To se his ded wes gret pite.[†]610
The lordis deit apon this wis.He, that hye Lord of all thing is,Up till his mekill blis thame bryng,And grant his grace, that thar ofspryngLeid weill the land, and ententif615Be to folow, in all thair liff,Thair nobill elderis gret bounte!The afald God in TriniteBring us hye up till hevynnis blis,Quhar all-wayis lestand liking is!—Amen.620