Here Sir Aymer passes to Carlisle.Onthis wis spak Schir Amery.And quhen thai of his cumpanySaw how thai travalit had in vane,376And how the Kyng thar men had slane,That at his larges wes all free,[†]Thame thoucht it wes a nysteFor to mak thair langer duellyng,380Sen thai mycht nocht anoy the Kyng;And said that to Schir Amery,That umbethoucht hym hastelyThat he to Carleill than wald ga,384And a quhill thar-in sojorn ma;And haf his spyis on the Kyng,To knaw alwais his contenyng.For quhen that he his poynt mycht se,388He thoucht that with a gret menyheHe suld schute on hym sodanly.Tharfor, with all his cumpany,Till Ingland he the way has tane,392And ilk man till his hous is gane.In hy till Carleill went is he.And thar-in thynkis for to beTill he his poynt saw of the Kyng,396That than with all his gaderyngWes in Carrik, quhar umbestountHe wald went with his men till hount.Here the King meets three Traitors.1307Bruce taunts the BowmenSwa hapnyt it that on a day400He went till hunt, for till assayQuhat gammyn wes in that cuntre.And swa hapynt that day that heBy a wode-syde to sett is gane,404With his twa hundis, hym allane;Bot he his swerd ay with hym bare.He had bot schort quhill syttyn thare,Quhen he saw fra the wode cumand408Thre men with bowis in thar hand,That toward hym com spedely;And he persavit that in hy,Be thair effeir and thair havyng,412That thai lufit hym na kyn thyng.He rais and his leysche till him drew he,And leit his houndis gang all fre.God help the Kyng now for his mycht!416For bot he now be wis and wicht,He sall be set in mekill pres.For thai thre men, withouten les,War his fayis all utrely:420And had wachit so besaly,To se quhen thai vengeans mycht takOf the Kyngfor Jhone Cumynys sak,That thai thoucht than thai laser had;424And, sen he hym allane wes stad,In hy thai thoucht thai suld him sla:And gif that thai mycht chevis swa,Fra that thai the Kyng had slayn,428That thai mycht wyn the wode agayn,His men, thai thoucht, thai suld nocht dreid.In hy towart the Kyng thai yheid,And bend thair bowis quhen thai war neir;432And he, that dred in gret maneirThar arowis, for he nakit was,In hy ane spekyng to thame mais,And said; “Yhe aucht to shame, perde,436“Syn I am ane and yhe ar thre,“For to schut at me on fer.“Bot haf yhe hardyment, cum ner“With yhour swerdis me till assay;440“Wyn me on sic wis gif yhe may;“Yhe sall weill mair all prisit be.”‘Perfay,’ quod ane than of the thre,‘Sall no man say we drede the swa,444‘That we with arrowis sall the sla.’With that thair bowis away thai kest,And com on fast, but langar frest.The Kyng thame met full hardely,448And smat the first so rigorusly,That he fell ded doun on the greyn.And quhen the Kyngis hounde has seynThai men assale his mastir swa,452He lap till ane and can hym taRicht be the nek full felonly,Tilltop our taillhe gert hym ly.And the Kyng, that his swerd up had,456Saw he so fair succour hym maid,Or he that fallyn wes mycht rys,He hym assalyheit on sic wis,[†]That he the bak strak evyn in twa.460The thrid, that saw his fallowis swaForouten recoveryng, be slayne,Tuk till the wod his way agane.Bot the Kyng followit spedely;464And als the hound that wes hym by,Quhen he the man saw gang hym fra,Schot till hym soyn, and can him taRicht be the nek, andtill hym dreuch;468And the Kyng, that wes neir eneuch,In his risyng sik rowt hym gaf,That stane-ded till the erd he draf.The Kyngis menyhe that war neir,472Quhen at thai saw on sic maneirThe Kyng assalit sa suddandly,Thai sped thame toward hym in hy,And askit how that cas befell?476And he all haly can thaim tell,How thai assalyheit hym all thre.“Perfay,” quod thai, “we may weill se“That it is hard till undirtak480“Sic mellyng with yhow for to mak,“That so smertly has slayn thir thre“Forouten hurt.” ‘Perfay,’ said he,‘I slew bot ane forouten ma,[†]484‘God and my hund has slane the twa;‘Thair tresoune cumrit thame, perfay,‘For richt wicht men all thre war thai.’Here Sir Aymer sets the King in Great Jeopardy.1307Bruce is in GlentroolQwhen that the Kyng, throu Goddis grace488On this maner eschapit was,He blew his home, and than in hyHis gud men till hym can rely;Than hamwardis buskit he to fair,492For that day wald he hunt no mair.InGlentruella quhile he lay,[†]And went weill oft to hunt and play,For to purchase thame venysoun,496For thanthe deir war in sesoun.In all that tyme Schir Amery,With nobill men in cumpany,In Carleill lay, his poynt to se;500And quhen he herd the certanteThat in Glentruell wes the King,And went to hunt and to playing,He thoucht than with his chevelry,504To cum apon hym suddanly;Fra Carleill all on nychtis ryde,And in covert on dayis byde.And swagat, with sic tranonting,508He thoucht he suld suppris the Kyng.Than he assemblit a gret menyheOf folk of full gret renowne.Bath of Scottis and Inglis men.512Thair way all sammyn held thai then,And raid on nychtis so prevaly,Till thai com to the wode neir byGlentruell, quhar lugit wes the Kyng,516That wist richt nocht of thair cummyng.In-to gret perell now is he,For, bot God throu his gret powste,Saif hym, he sall be tane or slane;520For thai war sex quhar he wes ane.How Sir Aymer Valence sent the Woman to spy King Robert in Glentrool.Qwhen Schir Amer, as I herd tald,With his men that wes stout and bald,Wes cum so neir the Kyng that thai524War bot a myle fra hym away,He tuk avisment with his men,On quhat maner thai suld do then.For he said thame, that the King wes528Lugit in-to so strate a place,That hors-men mycht hym nocht assale;And gif fut-men gaf hym battale,He suld be hard to wyn, gif he532Of thair cummyng ma warnit be:“Tharfor I rede, all prevaly“We send a woman hym to spy,“That pouerly arayit be.536“Scho may ask met per cherite,“And se thair covyne halely,“And on quhat maner at thai ly,“The quhilis we and our menyhe,540“Cumand throu-out the wod may be“On fut, all arayit as we ar.“May we do swa, that we cum thar“On thaim or thai wit our cummyng544“We sall fynd in thame no styntyng.”1307The Woman Discloses the PlotThis consall thoucht thaim wes the best,Than send thai furth, but langar frest,The woman that suld be thar spy,548And scho hir way can hald in hyRicht to the logis, quhar the King,That had no dreid of supprising,Yheid unarmyt, mery and blith.552The woman has he seyn alswith,He saw hir uncouth, and for-thiHe beheld hir mayr ynkirly,And by hir countenans hym thoucht[†]556That for gud cummyn wes scho nocht.Than gert he men in hy hir ta;And scho, that dred men suld hir sla,Tald thame how that Schir Amery,560Withthe Cliffurdin cumpany,And the flour of Northumbirland,War cummand on thame at thar hand.Quhen at the King herd that tithing,564He armyt hym but mair duelling;Sa did thai all that evir thar war,Syne in a sop assemblit ar:I trow they war thre hundreth ner.568And quhen thai all assemblit wer,The King his baner gert display,And set his men in gude aray.Thai had nocht standyn bot a thraw,572Richt at thair hand quhen at thai sawThair fayis throu the wod cumand,Armyt on fut, with sper in hand,That sped thame full enforsaly.576The noyis begouth soyne and the cry;For the gud King, that formast was,Stoutly towart his fayis gais,And hint out of a manis hand,580That neir besyde him wes gangand,A bow and a braid arrow als,And hyt the formast in the hals,Till throppill and wassand yheid in twa,584And he doune to the erd can ga.Here were Fifteen Hundred discomfited with Few Scots.The laiff with that maid a stopping;Than, but mair baid, the nobill KingHynt frahis baneourthe banar,588And said, “Apon thame! for thai ar“Discomfit all!” and with that wordHe swappit swiftly out his sword,And on thame ran so hardely,592That all thai of his cumpanyTuk hardyment of his gud dede.For sum, that first thar wayis yhede,Again com to the ficht in hy,596And met thair fayis so rigorusly,That all the formast ruschit war.And quhen thai that war hendirmarSaw that the formast left the stede,600Thai turnit soyn the bak and fled,And of the wod thai thaim with-drew.The King a few men of thame slew,For thai rycht soyn thair gat can ga;604It discomfortyt thame all swa,[†]That the King with his menyhe wasAll armyt to defend that plas,That thai wend throu thar tranonting608Till have wonnyn for-out fichting,That thai effrayit war suddanly.And he thame soucht so angyrly,That thai in full gret hy agane612Out of the woud ran to the plane.For thai falyheit of thair entent,Thai war that tym sa fowly schent,That fiften hundreth men and ma616Wyth fewar war rebutit swa,That thai with-drew thaim schamfully.Tharfor emang thame sudanlyThair rais debate and gret distans620Ilkane with othir of thar myschans;Clyffurd andVausmaid a melle,Quhar Cliffurdraucht him a cole;[†]And athir syne drew to partis.624Bot Schir Amer, that wes wis,Departit thame with mekill pane,And went till Ingland hame agane.He wist, fra stryff rais thame amang,628He suld thame nocht hald sammyn langFor-outen debat or melle;Tharfor till Ingland turnit heWith mar schaymthan he com of toune;632Quhen sa mony of sic renounSaw sa few men bid thaim battale,Quhar thai ne war hardy to assale.BOOK VIIIHow James of Douglas discomfited thenAt Ederford Philip Mowbray with many men.1307Bruce leaves the MountainsTheKing, fra Schir Amer was gane,Gadert his menyhe evirilkane;And left bath woddis and montanis,And held his way straucht to the planys.4For he wald fayn that end war maidOf that at he begonnyn had,And he wist weill he mycht nocht bringIt to gud end but travalyng.8ToKylefirst went he, and that landHe maid till him all obeysand:The men mast fors com till his pes.Syne eftirward, or he wald ces,12Of Cunyngame the mast partyHe gert heldetill his senyhory.InBothwellthan Schir Amer was,That in his hert gret angyr has;16For thai of Cunyngame and Kyle,That war obeysand till hym quhile,Left the Inglis menis fewte:Tharof fayn vengit wald he be;20And send SchirPhilip the Mowbray,With a thousand, as I herd say,Of men that war in his leding,To Kyle to warray the nobill Kyng.24Bot James of Douglas, that all tyde,Had spyis out on ilka syde,Wist of thar cummyng, and that thaiWald hald douneMakyrnokis way.[†]28He tuk with hym all prevelyThame that war of his cumpany,That war sexty withouten ma.[†]Syne till a strate place can he ga,32That is in Makyrnokis way,TheEdry-furdit hat perfay;[†]It lyis betuix marras twa,Quhar that na hors on lif ma ga.36On the south half, quhar James was,Is ane upgang, ane narrow plas,And on the north half is the waySa ill, as it apperis to day.401307Mowbray escapes with DifficultyDouglas, with thame he with hym had,Enbuschit hym, and thame abaid.He mycht weill fer se thair cummyng,Bot thai mycht se of hym na thing.44Thai maid enbuschement all the nycht,And quhen the sone wes schynand brycht,Thai saw in battale cum arayitThe vaward with baner displayit,48And syne soyn the remanandThai saw weill neir behynd cumand.Than held thai thaim still and preve,Till the formast of thair menyhe52War enterit in the furde thame by;Than schot thai on thame wyth a cry;And with wapnys that scharply schareSum in the furde thai bakward bare,56And sum, with arrowes barblyt braid,Sa gret martirdome on thame maid,That thai gan draw to voyd the place;[†]Bot behinde thame so stoppit was60The way, that thai fast mycht nocht fle,And that gert of thaim mony de.For thai on na syde mycht awayBot as thai com, bot gif at thai64Wald throu thair fayis hald thar gat;Bot that way thoucht thame all to hat.Thair fayis met thame so sturdely,And continit the ficht so hardely,68That thai so dredand war at thaiQuha first mycht fle, first fled away.And quhen the reirward saw thaim swaDiscumfit, and thair wayis ga,72Thai fled on fer, and held thair way.Bot Schir Philip the Mowbray,That with the formast rydand was,[†]That enterit war in-to the plas,76Quhen that he saw how he wes stad,Throu the gret worschip that he had,With spurys he strak the steid of pris,And, magre all his enymys,80Throu the thikkest of thame he raid,And but challans eschapit had,Ne war ane hynt hym by the brand;Bot the guid steid, that wald nocht stand,84He lansit furth deliverly;Bot the tothir sa stalwardlyHeld, that the belt brist of the brand,That swerd and belt left in his hand.88And he but swerd his wayis raid,Weill otow thame, and thair abaid,Behaldand how his menyhe fled,And how his fais clengit the sted92That war betuix him and his men;Tharfor the wayis tuk he thenTo Kylmernok andKillwynnyn,And till Ardrossan eftir syne.96Syne throu the Largys, him allane,Till Ennirkyp the way has tane,Richt till the castell that wes thenStuffit all with Inglis men,100That him resavit in gret dante.And fra thai wist how-gat that heSa fer had ryddyn, hym allane,Throu thame that war his fais ilkane,104Thai prisit him so gretumly,And alsua lovit his chevelry.SchirPhilip thus eschapit was,And Douglas, that wes in the plas,108Quhar he sexty has slane and ma;The laiff fouly thar gat can ga,And fled to Bothwell hame agane;Quhen Schir Amer wes na thing fane,112Quhen he herd tell on quhat manerThat his menyhe discumfit wer.Bot quhen to King Robert wes tald,How the gud Douglas, that wes bald,116Vencust sa feyll with few menyhe,Richt joyfull in his hert wes he.And all his men confortit war:For thame thoucht weill, bath les and mair120That thai suld les thar fayis drede,Sen thair purpos sa wyth thaim yheide.Here Sir Aymer urges a Fight on the Plain.1307Bruce accepts the ChallengeThe Kyng lay in-toGawlistoun,That is rycht evyn anent Lowdoun;124And till his pes tuk the cuntre.Quhen Schir Amer and his menyhe,Herd how he rewlit all the land,And how that nane durst him withstand,128He wes in-till his hert angry;And with ane of his cumpanyHe send him word ande said, gif heDurst hym in-to the planys se,132He suldthe tend day of MayCum undir Lowdoun hill away:And gif that he wald met him thair,He said, his worschip sulde be mair,136And mair be turnit to nobillay,To wyn him in the playn away,With hard dyntis in evyn fichting,Than till do fer mair in scowking.140The King, that herd his messinger,Had despit apon gret maner,That Schir Amer spak sa hely,Tharfor he ansuerd irusly,[†]144And till the messynger said he;“Sa to thi lord that, gif I be“In lif, he sall me se that day“Weill neir, gif he dar hald the way148“That he has said; for sekirly“By Lowdoun hill mete hym sall I.”Here King Robert provides for Advantage in the Place where they should Fight.The messinger, but mair abade,Till his mastir his wais raide,152And his ansuer him tald alswith;Than wes na neid to mak him blithe.[†]For he thoucht, throu his mekill mycht,Gif the King durst apeir to ficht,156That, throu the gret chevelryThat suld be in his cumpany,He suld swa ourcum the Kyng,That thar suld be na recoveryng.160And the Kyng, on the tothir party,That wes ay wis and a-verty,Raid for to se and ches the plas,And sawthe hye-gatlyand was164Apon a fair feild, evin and dry;Bot apon athir syde thar-byWes a gret mos, mekill and braid,That fra the way wes, quhar men raid,168A bowdraucht neir on athir syde:And that place thocht hym all to wydeTill abyde men that horsit war.Tharforthre dykisourthwort he schar,172Fra bath the mosis to the way:That war sa fer fra othir, that thaiWar in-twyn a bow-draucht and mar.Sa holl and hye the dykis war,176That men mycht nocht, but mekill pane,Pas thaim, thouch nane war thaim agane.Bot sloppis in the way left he,So large, and of sic quantite,180That fyffe hundir mycht sammyn rydeIn at the sloppis, syde for syde.Thar thoucht he battale for to beid,And bargane thaim; for he na drede184Had at thai suld on syde assale,Na yheit behynd gif him battale.And befor hym thocht weill that heSuld fra thar mycht defendit be.188Thre deip dykis he gert thar ma;For gif he mycht nocht weill our-taTo met thame at the first, that heSuld haf the tothir at his pouste;192Or than the thrid, gif it war swaAt thai had passit the tothir twa.On this wis him ordanit he,And syne assemblit his menyhe,196That war sex hundreth fechtand men,But rangald, that wes with him then,That war als feill as thai, or ma.With all that menyhe can he ga,200The evyn befor the battale suld be,To litill Lowdoun, quhar that heWald abide to se thair cummyng;Syne with the men of his leding204He thoucht to speid hym, swa that heSuld at the dik befor thaim be.Here Sir Aymer comes with his Host in Sight.1307The Splendid Array of the EnglishSchir Amer, on the tothir party,Gaderit so great chevelry,208That he mycht be thre thousand neir,Armyt and dicht in gud maner;And than, as man of gret noblay,He held toward the trist his way.212And quhen the set day cumin was,He sped him fast toward the placeThat he had nemmyt for to ficht.The sone wes rysyn schynand bricht,216That blenknyt on the scheldis braid.In twa eschelis ordanit he hadThe folk that he had in leding.The Kyng, weill soyn in the mornyng,220Saw first cumand thair first eschele,Arrait sarraly and weill,And at thair bak, sum-deill neirhand,He saw the tothir followand:224Thair basnetis burnyst war all brycht,Agane the sone glemand of licht;Thair speris, thair pennownys, and thar scheldisOf licht illumynit all the feldis.228Thair best and browdyn bricht baneris,And hors hewit on seir maneris,And cot-armouris off seir colour,And hawbrekis, that warquhit as flour,232Maid thame glitterand, as thai war likTill angellis he of hevinis rik.Here King Robert meets him with Few.The King said; “Lordingis, now yhe se“How yhon men, throu thar gret pouste,236“Wald, and thai mycht fulfill thar will,“Slay us, and mak sembland thar-till.“And sen we knaw thair felony,“Ga we and meit thame hardely,240“That the stoutest of thair menyhe,“Of our metyng abaysit be.“For gif the formast egirly“Be met, yhe sall se suddanly244“The henmast sall abasit be;“And thouch that thai be ma than we,“That suld abais us litill thing;“For quhen we cum to the fichting,248“Thar may met us no ma than we.“Tharfor, lordingis, ilkane suld be“Of worschip and of gret valour,“For till maynteme heir our honour.252“Thinkis quhat gladschip us abydis,“Gif that we may, as us betydis,“Haf victour of our fayis heir!“For thar is nane her, fer no neir,256“In all this landthat us thar dout.”Than said thai all that stude about,‘Schir, gif God will, we sall sa do,‘That no repruf sall ly thar-to.’260“Than ga we furth now,” said the King,“And he, that maid of nocht all thing,“Leyd us, and sauf us for his mycht,“And help us for till hald our richt!”264With that thai held thar way in hy,Weill sex hundreth in cumpany,Stalward and stout, worthy and wicht:Bot thai war all to few, I hicht,268Agane so feill to stand in stour,Ne war thair outrageous valour.MAY10, 1307The Battle of Loudoun HillNowgais the nobill Kyng his way,Richt stoutly and in gude aray,272And to the formast dyk is gane,And in the slop the feld has tane.The cariage-men and the pouerale,That wes nocht worth in the batale,276Behynd him levit he al still,Standand all sammyn on the hill.Schir Amery the King has seyn,With his men that warcant and keyn,280Cum to the playn doune fra the hill,As him thoucht in-to full gud willFor to defend or till assaill,Gif ony wald hym byde battale.284Tharfor his men confortit he,And bad thame wicht and worthy be;For gif at thai mycht wyn the Kyng,And victor haf of the fechting,288Thai suld richt weill rewardit be,And gretly ek thair renownee.With that thai war weill neir the Kyng,And he left his amonystyng,292And gert trumpe to the assemble;And the formast of his menyheEnbrasit with that thar scheldis braid,And rycht sarray to-gidder raid,296With hedis stowpand and speris strauchtRicht to the Kyng thar way thai raucht;That met thame with sa gret vigour,That the best and of mast valour300War laid at erd at thair metyng;Quhar men mycht her sic a brekyngOf speris that to-fruschyt war,And the woundit so cry and rar,304That it anoyus wes till her.For thai, that first assemblit wer,Funyheit and fawcht full sturdely;The noyis begouth than and the cry.308Here King Robert wins in Plain Battle.A! mychty God! quha thair had beyn,And had the Kyngis worschip seyn,And his brothir that wes hym by,That contenit thame so hardely,312That thair gud deid and thar bounte,Gaiff gret confort to thair menyhe;And how Dowglas so manfullyConfortit thame that war hym by;316He suld weill say that thai had willTo wyn honor and cum thair-till.The Kingis men, that worthy war,With thair speris that scharply schar,320Stekit men and stedis bath,Till red blud ran of woundis rath.The hors that woundyt war can fling,And ruschit the folk in thair flynging,324Swa that thai that than formast warWarskalyt in soppisheir and thar.[†]The King that saw thame ruschit swa,And saw thame reland to and fra,328Ran apon thaim so egirly,And dang on thame sa hardely,He gert feill of his fayis fall.The feld wes weill neir coverit all332Bath with slayn hors and with men;For the gud King thame followit then,With weill fif hundreth that wapnys bar,That wald thair fayis no thing spar.336Thai dang on thame so hardely,That in schort tyme men mycht se lyAt erd ane hundreth and wele mar;[†]The remanand the waykar war,340Than thai begouth thame to withdraw;And quhen thai of the reirward sawThair vawarde be sa discomfit,Thai flede withouten mair respit.344And quhen Schir Amer hes seynHis men fleand haly bedeyn,Wit yhe weill he wes full way;Bot he mycht nocht amonist swa348That ony for him wald turne agane.And quhen he saw he tynt his pane,He turnit his bridill, andto-ga:For the gud King thame presit swa352That sum war dede, and sum war tane;The remanand thar gat ar gane.
Here Sir Aymer passes to Carlisle.Onthis wis spak Schir Amery.And quhen thai of his cumpanySaw how thai travalit had in vane,376And how the Kyng thar men had slane,That at his larges wes all free,[†]Thame thoucht it wes a nysteFor to mak thair langer duellyng,380Sen thai mycht nocht anoy the Kyng;And said that to Schir Amery,That umbethoucht hym hastelyThat he to Carleill than wald ga,384And a quhill thar-in sojorn ma;And haf his spyis on the Kyng,To knaw alwais his contenyng.For quhen that he his poynt mycht se,388He thoucht that with a gret menyheHe suld schute on hym sodanly.Tharfor, with all his cumpany,Till Ingland he the way has tane,392And ilk man till his hous is gane.In hy till Carleill went is he.And thar-in thynkis for to beTill he his poynt saw of the Kyng,396That than with all his gaderyngWes in Carrik, quhar umbestountHe wald went with his men till hount.Here the King meets three Traitors.1307Bruce taunts the BowmenSwa hapnyt it that on a day400He went till hunt, for till assayQuhat gammyn wes in that cuntre.And swa hapynt that day that heBy a wode-syde to sett is gane,404With his twa hundis, hym allane;Bot he his swerd ay with hym bare.He had bot schort quhill syttyn thare,Quhen he saw fra the wode cumand408Thre men with bowis in thar hand,That toward hym com spedely;And he persavit that in hy,Be thair effeir and thair havyng,412That thai lufit hym na kyn thyng.He rais and his leysche till him drew he,And leit his houndis gang all fre.God help the Kyng now for his mycht!416For bot he now be wis and wicht,He sall be set in mekill pres.For thai thre men, withouten les,War his fayis all utrely:420And had wachit so besaly,To se quhen thai vengeans mycht takOf the Kyngfor Jhone Cumynys sak,That thai thoucht than thai laser had;424And, sen he hym allane wes stad,In hy thai thoucht thai suld him sla:And gif that thai mycht chevis swa,Fra that thai the Kyng had slayn,428That thai mycht wyn the wode agayn,His men, thai thoucht, thai suld nocht dreid.In hy towart the Kyng thai yheid,And bend thair bowis quhen thai war neir;432And he, that dred in gret maneirThar arowis, for he nakit was,In hy ane spekyng to thame mais,And said; “Yhe aucht to shame, perde,436“Syn I am ane and yhe ar thre,“For to schut at me on fer.“Bot haf yhe hardyment, cum ner“With yhour swerdis me till assay;440“Wyn me on sic wis gif yhe may;“Yhe sall weill mair all prisit be.”‘Perfay,’ quod ane than of the thre,‘Sall no man say we drede the swa,444‘That we with arrowis sall the sla.’With that thair bowis away thai kest,And com on fast, but langar frest.The Kyng thame met full hardely,448And smat the first so rigorusly,That he fell ded doun on the greyn.And quhen the Kyngis hounde has seynThai men assale his mastir swa,452He lap till ane and can hym taRicht be the nek full felonly,Tilltop our taillhe gert hym ly.And the Kyng, that his swerd up had,456Saw he so fair succour hym maid,Or he that fallyn wes mycht rys,He hym assalyheit on sic wis,[†]That he the bak strak evyn in twa.460The thrid, that saw his fallowis swaForouten recoveryng, be slayne,Tuk till the wod his way agane.Bot the Kyng followit spedely;464And als the hound that wes hym by,Quhen he the man saw gang hym fra,Schot till hym soyn, and can him taRicht be the nek, andtill hym dreuch;468And the Kyng, that wes neir eneuch,In his risyng sik rowt hym gaf,That stane-ded till the erd he draf.The Kyngis menyhe that war neir,472Quhen at thai saw on sic maneirThe Kyng assalit sa suddandly,Thai sped thame toward hym in hy,And askit how that cas befell?476And he all haly can thaim tell,How thai assalyheit hym all thre.“Perfay,” quod thai, “we may weill se“That it is hard till undirtak480“Sic mellyng with yhow for to mak,“That so smertly has slayn thir thre“Forouten hurt.” ‘Perfay,’ said he,‘I slew bot ane forouten ma,[†]484‘God and my hund has slane the twa;‘Thair tresoune cumrit thame, perfay,‘For richt wicht men all thre war thai.’Here Sir Aymer sets the King in Great Jeopardy.1307Bruce is in GlentroolQwhen that the Kyng, throu Goddis grace488On this maner eschapit was,He blew his home, and than in hyHis gud men till hym can rely;Than hamwardis buskit he to fair,492For that day wald he hunt no mair.InGlentruella quhile he lay,[†]And went weill oft to hunt and play,For to purchase thame venysoun,496For thanthe deir war in sesoun.In all that tyme Schir Amery,With nobill men in cumpany,In Carleill lay, his poynt to se;500And quhen he herd the certanteThat in Glentruell wes the King,And went to hunt and to playing,He thoucht than with his chevelry,504To cum apon hym suddanly;Fra Carleill all on nychtis ryde,And in covert on dayis byde.And swagat, with sic tranonting,508He thoucht he suld suppris the Kyng.Than he assemblit a gret menyheOf folk of full gret renowne.Bath of Scottis and Inglis men.512Thair way all sammyn held thai then,And raid on nychtis so prevaly,Till thai com to the wode neir byGlentruell, quhar lugit wes the Kyng,516That wist richt nocht of thair cummyng.In-to gret perell now is he,For, bot God throu his gret powste,Saif hym, he sall be tane or slane;520For thai war sex quhar he wes ane.How Sir Aymer Valence sent the Woman to spy King Robert in Glentrool.Qwhen Schir Amer, as I herd tald,With his men that wes stout and bald,Wes cum so neir the Kyng that thai524War bot a myle fra hym away,He tuk avisment with his men,On quhat maner thai suld do then.For he said thame, that the King wes528Lugit in-to so strate a place,That hors-men mycht hym nocht assale;And gif fut-men gaf hym battale,He suld be hard to wyn, gif he532Of thair cummyng ma warnit be:“Tharfor I rede, all prevaly“We send a woman hym to spy,“That pouerly arayit be.536“Scho may ask met per cherite,“And se thair covyne halely,“And on quhat maner at thai ly,“The quhilis we and our menyhe,540“Cumand throu-out the wod may be“On fut, all arayit as we ar.“May we do swa, that we cum thar“On thaim or thai wit our cummyng544“We sall fynd in thame no styntyng.”1307The Woman Discloses the PlotThis consall thoucht thaim wes the best,Than send thai furth, but langar frest,The woman that suld be thar spy,548And scho hir way can hald in hyRicht to the logis, quhar the King,That had no dreid of supprising,Yheid unarmyt, mery and blith.552The woman has he seyn alswith,He saw hir uncouth, and for-thiHe beheld hir mayr ynkirly,And by hir countenans hym thoucht[†]556That for gud cummyn wes scho nocht.Than gert he men in hy hir ta;And scho, that dred men suld hir sla,Tald thame how that Schir Amery,560Withthe Cliffurdin cumpany,And the flour of Northumbirland,War cummand on thame at thar hand.Quhen at the King herd that tithing,564He armyt hym but mair duelling;Sa did thai all that evir thar war,Syne in a sop assemblit ar:I trow they war thre hundreth ner.568And quhen thai all assemblit wer,The King his baner gert display,And set his men in gude aray.Thai had nocht standyn bot a thraw,572Richt at thair hand quhen at thai sawThair fayis throu the wod cumand,Armyt on fut, with sper in hand,That sped thame full enforsaly.576The noyis begouth soyne and the cry;For the gud King, that formast was,Stoutly towart his fayis gais,And hint out of a manis hand,580That neir besyde him wes gangand,A bow and a braid arrow als,And hyt the formast in the hals,Till throppill and wassand yheid in twa,584And he doune to the erd can ga.Here were Fifteen Hundred discomfited with Few Scots.The laiff with that maid a stopping;Than, but mair baid, the nobill KingHynt frahis baneourthe banar,588And said, “Apon thame! for thai ar“Discomfit all!” and with that wordHe swappit swiftly out his sword,And on thame ran so hardely,592That all thai of his cumpanyTuk hardyment of his gud dede.For sum, that first thar wayis yhede,Again com to the ficht in hy,596And met thair fayis so rigorusly,That all the formast ruschit war.And quhen thai that war hendirmarSaw that the formast left the stede,600Thai turnit soyn the bak and fled,And of the wod thai thaim with-drew.The King a few men of thame slew,For thai rycht soyn thair gat can ga;604It discomfortyt thame all swa,[†]That the King with his menyhe wasAll armyt to defend that plas,That thai wend throu thar tranonting608Till have wonnyn for-out fichting,That thai effrayit war suddanly.And he thame soucht so angyrly,That thai in full gret hy agane612Out of the woud ran to the plane.For thai falyheit of thair entent,Thai war that tym sa fowly schent,That fiften hundreth men and ma616Wyth fewar war rebutit swa,That thai with-drew thaim schamfully.Tharfor emang thame sudanlyThair rais debate and gret distans620Ilkane with othir of thar myschans;Clyffurd andVausmaid a melle,Quhar Cliffurdraucht him a cole;[†]And athir syne drew to partis.624Bot Schir Amer, that wes wis,Departit thame with mekill pane,And went till Ingland hame agane.He wist, fra stryff rais thame amang,628He suld thame nocht hald sammyn langFor-outen debat or melle;Tharfor till Ingland turnit heWith mar schaymthan he com of toune;632Quhen sa mony of sic renounSaw sa few men bid thaim battale,Quhar thai ne war hardy to assale.BOOK VIIIHow James of Douglas discomfited thenAt Ederford Philip Mowbray with many men.1307Bruce leaves the MountainsTheKing, fra Schir Amer was gane,Gadert his menyhe evirilkane;And left bath woddis and montanis,And held his way straucht to the planys.4For he wald fayn that end war maidOf that at he begonnyn had,And he wist weill he mycht nocht bringIt to gud end but travalyng.8ToKylefirst went he, and that landHe maid till him all obeysand:The men mast fors com till his pes.Syne eftirward, or he wald ces,12Of Cunyngame the mast partyHe gert heldetill his senyhory.InBothwellthan Schir Amer was,That in his hert gret angyr has;16For thai of Cunyngame and Kyle,That war obeysand till hym quhile,Left the Inglis menis fewte:Tharof fayn vengit wald he be;20And send SchirPhilip the Mowbray,With a thousand, as I herd say,Of men that war in his leding,To Kyle to warray the nobill Kyng.24Bot James of Douglas, that all tyde,Had spyis out on ilka syde,Wist of thar cummyng, and that thaiWald hald douneMakyrnokis way.[†]28He tuk with hym all prevelyThame that war of his cumpany,That war sexty withouten ma.[†]Syne till a strate place can he ga,32That is in Makyrnokis way,TheEdry-furdit hat perfay;[†]It lyis betuix marras twa,Quhar that na hors on lif ma ga.36On the south half, quhar James was,Is ane upgang, ane narrow plas,And on the north half is the waySa ill, as it apperis to day.401307Mowbray escapes with DifficultyDouglas, with thame he with hym had,Enbuschit hym, and thame abaid.He mycht weill fer se thair cummyng,Bot thai mycht se of hym na thing.44Thai maid enbuschement all the nycht,And quhen the sone wes schynand brycht,Thai saw in battale cum arayitThe vaward with baner displayit,48And syne soyn the remanandThai saw weill neir behynd cumand.Than held thai thaim still and preve,Till the formast of thair menyhe52War enterit in the furde thame by;Than schot thai on thame wyth a cry;And with wapnys that scharply schareSum in the furde thai bakward bare,56And sum, with arrowes barblyt braid,Sa gret martirdome on thame maid,That thai gan draw to voyd the place;[†]Bot behinde thame so stoppit was60The way, that thai fast mycht nocht fle,And that gert of thaim mony de.For thai on na syde mycht awayBot as thai com, bot gif at thai64Wald throu thair fayis hald thar gat;Bot that way thoucht thame all to hat.Thair fayis met thame so sturdely,And continit the ficht so hardely,68That thai so dredand war at thaiQuha first mycht fle, first fled away.And quhen the reirward saw thaim swaDiscumfit, and thair wayis ga,72Thai fled on fer, and held thair way.Bot Schir Philip the Mowbray,That with the formast rydand was,[†]That enterit war in-to the plas,76Quhen that he saw how he wes stad,Throu the gret worschip that he had,With spurys he strak the steid of pris,And, magre all his enymys,80Throu the thikkest of thame he raid,And but challans eschapit had,Ne war ane hynt hym by the brand;Bot the guid steid, that wald nocht stand,84He lansit furth deliverly;Bot the tothir sa stalwardlyHeld, that the belt brist of the brand,That swerd and belt left in his hand.88And he but swerd his wayis raid,Weill otow thame, and thair abaid,Behaldand how his menyhe fled,And how his fais clengit the sted92That war betuix him and his men;Tharfor the wayis tuk he thenTo Kylmernok andKillwynnyn,And till Ardrossan eftir syne.96Syne throu the Largys, him allane,Till Ennirkyp the way has tane,Richt till the castell that wes thenStuffit all with Inglis men,100That him resavit in gret dante.And fra thai wist how-gat that heSa fer had ryddyn, hym allane,Throu thame that war his fais ilkane,104Thai prisit him so gretumly,And alsua lovit his chevelry.SchirPhilip thus eschapit was,And Douglas, that wes in the plas,108Quhar he sexty has slane and ma;The laiff fouly thar gat can ga,And fled to Bothwell hame agane;Quhen Schir Amer wes na thing fane,112Quhen he herd tell on quhat manerThat his menyhe discumfit wer.Bot quhen to King Robert wes tald,How the gud Douglas, that wes bald,116Vencust sa feyll with few menyhe,Richt joyfull in his hert wes he.And all his men confortit war:For thame thoucht weill, bath les and mair120That thai suld les thar fayis drede,Sen thair purpos sa wyth thaim yheide.Here Sir Aymer urges a Fight on the Plain.1307Bruce accepts the ChallengeThe Kyng lay in-toGawlistoun,That is rycht evyn anent Lowdoun;124And till his pes tuk the cuntre.Quhen Schir Amer and his menyhe,Herd how he rewlit all the land,And how that nane durst him withstand,128He wes in-till his hert angry;And with ane of his cumpanyHe send him word ande said, gif heDurst hym in-to the planys se,132He suldthe tend day of MayCum undir Lowdoun hill away:And gif that he wald met him thair,He said, his worschip sulde be mair,136And mair be turnit to nobillay,To wyn him in the playn away,With hard dyntis in evyn fichting,Than till do fer mair in scowking.140The King, that herd his messinger,Had despit apon gret maner,That Schir Amer spak sa hely,Tharfor he ansuerd irusly,[†]144And till the messynger said he;“Sa to thi lord that, gif I be“In lif, he sall me se that day“Weill neir, gif he dar hald the way148“That he has said; for sekirly“By Lowdoun hill mete hym sall I.”Here King Robert provides for Advantage in the Place where they should Fight.The messinger, but mair abade,Till his mastir his wais raide,152And his ansuer him tald alswith;Than wes na neid to mak him blithe.[†]For he thoucht, throu his mekill mycht,Gif the King durst apeir to ficht,156That, throu the gret chevelryThat suld be in his cumpany,He suld swa ourcum the Kyng,That thar suld be na recoveryng.160And the Kyng, on the tothir party,That wes ay wis and a-verty,Raid for to se and ches the plas,And sawthe hye-gatlyand was164Apon a fair feild, evin and dry;Bot apon athir syde thar-byWes a gret mos, mekill and braid,That fra the way wes, quhar men raid,168A bowdraucht neir on athir syde:And that place thocht hym all to wydeTill abyde men that horsit war.Tharforthre dykisourthwort he schar,172Fra bath the mosis to the way:That war sa fer fra othir, that thaiWar in-twyn a bow-draucht and mar.Sa holl and hye the dykis war,176That men mycht nocht, but mekill pane,Pas thaim, thouch nane war thaim agane.Bot sloppis in the way left he,So large, and of sic quantite,180That fyffe hundir mycht sammyn rydeIn at the sloppis, syde for syde.Thar thoucht he battale for to beid,And bargane thaim; for he na drede184Had at thai suld on syde assale,Na yheit behynd gif him battale.And befor hym thocht weill that heSuld fra thar mycht defendit be.188Thre deip dykis he gert thar ma;For gif he mycht nocht weill our-taTo met thame at the first, that heSuld haf the tothir at his pouste;192Or than the thrid, gif it war swaAt thai had passit the tothir twa.On this wis him ordanit he,And syne assemblit his menyhe,196That war sex hundreth fechtand men,But rangald, that wes with him then,That war als feill as thai, or ma.With all that menyhe can he ga,200The evyn befor the battale suld be,To litill Lowdoun, quhar that heWald abide to se thair cummyng;Syne with the men of his leding204He thoucht to speid hym, swa that heSuld at the dik befor thaim be.Here Sir Aymer comes with his Host in Sight.1307The Splendid Array of the EnglishSchir Amer, on the tothir party,Gaderit so great chevelry,208That he mycht be thre thousand neir,Armyt and dicht in gud maner;And than, as man of gret noblay,He held toward the trist his way.212And quhen the set day cumin was,He sped him fast toward the placeThat he had nemmyt for to ficht.The sone wes rysyn schynand bricht,216That blenknyt on the scheldis braid.In twa eschelis ordanit he hadThe folk that he had in leding.The Kyng, weill soyn in the mornyng,220Saw first cumand thair first eschele,Arrait sarraly and weill,And at thair bak, sum-deill neirhand,He saw the tothir followand:224Thair basnetis burnyst war all brycht,Agane the sone glemand of licht;Thair speris, thair pennownys, and thar scheldisOf licht illumynit all the feldis.228Thair best and browdyn bricht baneris,And hors hewit on seir maneris,And cot-armouris off seir colour,And hawbrekis, that warquhit as flour,232Maid thame glitterand, as thai war likTill angellis he of hevinis rik.Here King Robert meets him with Few.The King said; “Lordingis, now yhe se“How yhon men, throu thar gret pouste,236“Wald, and thai mycht fulfill thar will,“Slay us, and mak sembland thar-till.“And sen we knaw thair felony,“Ga we and meit thame hardely,240“That the stoutest of thair menyhe,“Of our metyng abaysit be.“For gif the formast egirly“Be met, yhe sall se suddanly244“The henmast sall abasit be;“And thouch that thai be ma than we,“That suld abais us litill thing;“For quhen we cum to the fichting,248“Thar may met us no ma than we.“Tharfor, lordingis, ilkane suld be“Of worschip and of gret valour,“For till maynteme heir our honour.252“Thinkis quhat gladschip us abydis,“Gif that we may, as us betydis,“Haf victour of our fayis heir!“For thar is nane her, fer no neir,256“In all this landthat us thar dout.”Than said thai all that stude about,‘Schir, gif God will, we sall sa do,‘That no repruf sall ly thar-to.’260“Than ga we furth now,” said the King,“And he, that maid of nocht all thing,“Leyd us, and sauf us for his mycht,“And help us for till hald our richt!”264With that thai held thar way in hy,Weill sex hundreth in cumpany,Stalward and stout, worthy and wicht:Bot thai war all to few, I hicht,268Agane so feill to stand in stour,Ne war thair outrageous valour.MAY10, 1307The Battle of Loudoun HillNowgais the nobill Kyng his way,Richt stoutly and in gude aray,272And to the formast dyk is gane,And in the slop the feld has tane.The cariage-men and the pouerale,That wes nocht worth in the batale,276Behynd him levit he al still,Standand all sammyn on the hill.Schir Amery the King has seyn,With his men that warcant and keyn,280Cum to the playn doune fra the hill,As him thoucht in-to full gud willFor to defend or till assaill,Gif ony wald hym byde battale.284Tharfor his men confortit he,And bad thame wicht and worthy be;For gif at thai mycht wyn the Kyng,And victor haf of the fechting,288Thai suld richt weill rewardit be,And gretly ek thair renownee.With that thai war weill neir the Kyng,And he left his amonystyng,292And gert trumpe to the assemble;And the formast of his menyheEnbrasit with that thar scheldis braid,And rycht sarray to-gidder raid,296With hedis stowpand and speris strauchtRicht to the Kyng thar way thai raucht;That met thame with sa gret vigour,That the best and of mast valour300War laid at erd at thair metyng;Quhar men mycht her sic a brekyngOf speris that to-fruschyt war,And the woundit so cry and rar,304That it anoyus wes till her.For thai, that first assemblit wer,Funyheit and fawcht full sturdely;The noyis begouth than and the cry.308Here King Robert wins in Plain Battle.A! mychty God! quha thair had beyn,And had the Kyngis worschip seyn,And his brothir that wes hym by,That contenit thame so hardely,312That thair gud deid and thar bounte,Gaiff gret confort to thair menyhe;And how Dowglas so manfullyConfortit thame that war hym by;316He suld weill say that thai had willTo wyn honor and cum thair-till.The Kingis men, that worthy war,With thair speris that scharply schar,320Stekit men and stedis bath,Till red blud ran of woundis rath.The hors that woundyt war can fling,And ruschit the folk in thair flynging,324Swa that thai that than formast warWarskalyt in soppisheir and thar.[†]The King that saw thame ruschit swa,And saw thame reland to and fra,328Ran apon thaim so egirly,And dang on thame sa hardely,He gert feill of his fayis fall.The feld wes weill neir coverit all332Bath with slayn hors and with men;For the gud King thame followit then,With weill fif hundreth that wapnys bar,That wald thair fayis no thing spar.336Thai dang on thame so hardely,That in schort tyme men mycht se lyAt erd ane hundreth and wele mar;[†]The remanand the waykar war,340Than thai begouth thame to withdraw;And quhen thai of the reirward sawThair vawarde be sa discomfit,Thai flede withouten mair respit.344And quhen Schir Amer hes seynHis men fleand haly bedeyn,Wit yhe weill he wes full way;Bot he mycht nocht amonist swa348That ony for him wald turne agane.And quhen he saw he tynt his pane,He turnit his bridill, andto-ga:For the gud King thame presit swa352That sum war dede, and sum war tane;The remanand thar gat ar gane.
Onthis wis spak Schir Amery.And quhen thai of his cumpanySaw how thai travalit had in vane,376And how the Kyng thar men had slane,That at his larges wes all free,[†]Thame thoucht it wes a nysteFor to mak thair langer duellyng,380Sen thai mycht nocht anoy the Kyng;And said that to Schir Amery,That umbethoucht hym hastelyThat he to Carleill than wald ga,384And a quhill thar-in sojorn ma;And haf his spyis on the Kyng,To knaw alwais his contenyng.For quhen that he his poynt mycht se,388He thoucht that with a gret menyheHe suld schute on hym sodanly.Tharfor, with all his cumpany,Till Ingland he the way has tane,392And ilk man till his hous is gane.In hy till Carleill went is he.And thar-in thynkis for to beTill he his poynt saw of the Kyng,396That than with all his gaderyngWes in Carrik, quhar umbestountHe wald went with his men till hount.
1307Bruce taunts the Bowmen
Swa hapnyt it that on a day400He went till hunt, for till assayQuhat gammyn wes in that cuntre.And swa hapynt that day that heBy a wode-syde to sett is gane,404With his twa hundis, hym allane;Bot he his swerd ay with hym bare.He had bot schort quhill syttyn thare,Quhen he saw fra the wode cumand408Thre men with bowis in thar hand,That toward hym com spedely;And he persavit that in hy,Be thair effeir and thair havyng,412That thai lufit hym na kyn thyng.He rais and his leysche till him drew he,And leit his houndis gang all fre.God help the Kyng now for his mycht!416For bot he now be wis and wicht,He sall be set in mekill pres.For thai thre men, withouten les,War his fayis all utrely:420And had wachit so besaly,To se quhen thai vengeans mycht takOf the Kyngfor Jhone Cumynys sak,That thai thoucht than thai laser had;424And, sen he hym allane wes stad,In hy thai thoucht thai suld him sla:And gif that thai mycht chevis swa,Fra that thai the Kyng had slayn,428That thai mycht wyn the wode agayn,His men, thai thoucht, thai suld nocht dreid.In hy towart the Kyng thai yheid,And bend thair bowis quhen thai war neir;432And he, that dred in gret maneirThar arowis, for he nakit was,In hy ane spekyng to thame mais,And said; “Yhe aucht to shame, perde,436“Syn I am ane and yhe ar thre,“For to schut at me on fer.“Bot haf yhe hardyment, cum ner“With yhour swerdis me till assay;440“Wyn me on sic wis gif yhe may;“Yhe sall weill mair all prisit be.”‘Perfay,’ quod ane than of the thre,‘Sall no man say we drede the swa,444‘That we with arrowis sall the sla.’
With that thair bowis away thai kest,And com on fast, but langar frest.The Kyng thame met full hardely,448And smat the first so rigorusly,That he fell ded doun on the greyn.And quhen the Kyngis hounde has seynThai men assale his mastir swa,452He lap till ane and can hym taRicht be the nek full felonly,Tilltop our taillhe gert hym ly.And the Kyng, that his swerd up had,456Saw he so fair succour hym maid,Or he that fallyn wes mycht rys,He hym assalyheit on sic wis,[†]That he the bak strak evyn in twa.460The thrid, that saw his fallowis swaForouten recoveryng, be slayne,Tuk till the wod his way agane.Bot the Kyng followit spedely;464And als the hound that wes hym by,Quhen he the man saw gang hym fra,Schot till hym soyn, and can him taRicht be the nek, andtill hym dreuch;468And the Kyng, that wes neir eneuch,In his risyng sik rowt hym gaf,That stane-ded till the erd he draf.
The Kyngis menyhe that war neir,472Quhen at thai saw on sic maneirThe Kyng assalit sa suddandly,Thai sped thame toward hym in hy,And askit how that cas befell?476And he all haly can thaim tell,How thai assalyheit hym all thre.“Perfay,” quod thai, “we may weill se“That it is hard till undirtak480“Sic mellyng with yhow for to mak,“That so smertly has slayn thir thre“Forouten hurt.” ‘Perfay,’ said he,‘I slew bot ane forouten ma,[†]484‘God and my hund has slane the twa;‘Thair tresoune cumrit thame, perfay,‘For richt wicht men all thre war thai.’
1307Bruce is in Glentrool
Qwhen that the Kyng, throu Goddis grace488On this maner eschapit was,He blew his home, and than in hyHis gud men till hym can rely;Than hamwardis buskit he to fair,492For that day wald he hunt no mair.InGlentruella quhile he lay,[†]And went weill oft to hunt and play,For to purchase thame venysoun,496For thanthe deir war in sesoun.In all that tyme Schir Amery,With nobill men in cumpany,In Carleill lay, his poynt to se;500And quhen he herd the certanteThat in Glentruell wes the King,And went to hunt and to playing,He thoucht than with his chevelry,504To cum apon hym suddanly;Fra Carleill all on nychtis ryde,And in covert on dayis byde.And swagat, with sic tranonting,508He thoucht he suld suppris the Kyng.Than he assemblit a gret menyheOf folk of full gret renowne.Bath of Scottis and Inglis men.512Thair way all sammyn held thai then,And raid on nychtis so prevaly,Till thai com to the wode neir byGlentruell, quhar lugit wes the Kyng,516That wist richt nocht of thair cummyng.In-to gret perell now is he,For, bot God throu his gret powste,Saif hym, he sall be tane or slane;520For thai war sex quhar he wes ane.
Qwhen Schir Amer, as I herd tald,With his men that wes stout and bald,Wes cum so neir the Kyng that thai524War bot a myle fra hym away,He tuk avisment with his men,On quhat maner thai suld do then.For he said thame, that the King wes528Lugit in-to so strate a place,That hors-men mycht hym nocht assale;And gif fut-men gaf hym battale,He suld be hard to wyn, gif he532Of thair cummyng ma warnit be:“Tharfor I rede, all prevaly“We send a woman hym to spy,“That pouerly arayit be.536“Scho may ask met per cherite,“And se thair covyne halely,“And on quhat maner at thai ly,“The quhilis we and our menyhe,540“Cumand throu-out the wod may be“On fut, all arayit as we ar.“May we do swa, that we cum thar“On thaim or thai wit our cummyng544“We sall fynd in thame no styntyng.”
1307The Woman Discloses the Plot
This consall thoucht thaim wes the best,Than send thai furth, but langar frest,The woman that suld be thar spy,548And scho hir way can hald in hyRicht to the logis, quhar the King,That had no dreid of supprising,Yheid unarmyt, mery and blith.552The woman has he seyn alswith,He saw hir uncouth, and for-thiHe beheld hir mayr ynkirly,And by hir countenans hym thoucht[†]556That for gud cummyn wes scho nocht.Than gert he men in hy hir ta;And scho, that dred men suld hir sla,Tald thame how that Schir Amery,560Withthe Cliffurdin cumpany,And the flour of Northumbirland,War cummand on thame at thar hand.
Quhen at the King herd that tithing,564He armyt hym but mair duelling;Sa did thai all that evir thar war,Syne in a sop assemblit ar:I trow they war thre hundreth ner.568And quhen thai all assemblit wer,The King his baner gert display,And set his men in gude aray.Thai had nocht standyn bot a thraw,572Richt at thair hand quhen at thai sawThair fayis throu the wod cumand,Armyt on fut, with sper in hand,That sped thame full enforsaly.576The noyis begouth soyne and the cry;For the gud King, that formast was,Stoutly towart his fayis gais,And hint out of a manis hand,580That neir besyde him wes gangand,A bow and a braid arrow als,And hyt the formast in the hals,Till throppill and wassand yheid in twa,584And he doune to the erd can ga.
The laiff with that maid a stopping;Than, but mair baid, the nobill KingHynt frahis baneourthe banar,588And said, “Apon thame! for thai ar“Discomfit all!” and with that wordHe swappit swiftly out his sword,And on thame ran so hardely,592That all thai of his cumpanyTuk hardyment of his gud dede.For sum, that first thar wayis yhede,Again com to the ficht in hy,596And met thair fayis so rigorusly,That all the formast ruschit war.And quhen thai that war hendirmarSaw that the formast left the stede,600Thai turnit soyn the bak and fled,And of the wod thai thaim with-drew.The King a few men of thame slew,For thai rycht soyn thair gat can ga;604It discomfortyt thame all swa,[†]That the King with his menyhe wasAll armyt to defend that plas,That thai wend throu thar tranonting608Till have wonnyn for-out fichting,That thai effrayit war suddanly.And he thame soucht so angyrly,That thai in full gret hy agane612Out of the woud ran to the plane.For thai falyheit of thair entent,Thai war that tym sa fowly schent,That fiften hundreth men and ma616Wyth fewar war rebutit swa,That thai with-drew thaim schamfully.Tharfor emang thame sudanlyThair rais debate and gret distans620Ilkane with othir of thar myschans;Clyffurd andVausmaid a melle,Quhar Cliffurdraucht him a cole;[†]And athir syne drew to partis.624Bot Schir Amer, that wes wis,Departit thame with mekill pane,And went till Ingland hame agane.He wist, fra stryff rais thame amang,628He suld thame nocht hald sammyn langFor-outen debat or melle;Tharfor till Ingland turnit heWith mar schaymthan he com of toune;632Quhen sa mony of sic renounSaw sa few men bid thaim battale,Quhar thai ne war hardy to assale.
How James of Douglas discomfited thenAt Ederford Philip Mowbray with many men.
1307Bruce leaves the Mountains
TheKing, fra Schir Amer was gane,Gadert his menyhe evirilkane;And left bath woddis and montanis,And held his way straucht to the planys.4For he wald fayn that end war maidOf that at he begonnyn had,And he wist weill he mycht nocht bringIt to gud end but travalyng.8ToKylefirst went he, and that landHe maid till him all obeysand:The men mast fors com till his pes.Syne eftirward, or he wald ces,12Of Cunyngame the mast partyHe gert heldetill his senyhory.
InBothwellthan Schir Amer was,That in his hert gret angyr has;16For thai of Cunyngame and Kyle,That war obeysand till hym quhile,Left the Inglis menis fewte:Tharof fayn vengit wald he be;20And send SchirPhilip the Mowbray,With a thousand, as I herd say,Of men that war in his leding,To Kyle to warray the nobill Kyng.24
Bot James of Douglas, that all tyde,Had spyis out on ilka syde,Wist of thar cummyng, and that thaiWald hald douneMakyrnokis way.[†]28He tuk with hym all prevelyThame that war of his cumpany,That war sexty withouten ma.[†]Syne till a strate place can he ga,32That is in Makyrnokis way,TheEdry-furdit hat perfay;[†]It lyis betuix marras twa,Quhar that na hors on lif ma ga.36On the south half, quhar James was,Is ane upgang, ane narrow plas,And on the north half is the waySa ill, as it apperis to day.40
1307Mowbray escapes with Difficulty
Douglas, with thame he with hym had,Enbuschit hym, and thame abaid.He mycht weill fer se thair cummyng,Bot thai mycht se of hym na thing.44Thai maid enbuschement all the nycht,And quhen the sone wes schynand brycht,Thai saw in battale cum arayitThe vaward with baner displayit,48And syne soyn the remanandThai saw weill neir behynd cumand.Than held thai thaim still and preve,Till the formast of thair menyhe52War enterit in the furde thame by;Than schot thai on thame wyth a cry;And with wapnys that scharply schareSum in the furde thai bakward bare,56And sum, with arrowes barblyt braid,Sa gret martirdome on thame maid,That thai gan draw to voyd the place;[†]Bot behinde thame so stoppit was60The way, that thai fast mycht nocht fle,And that gert of thaim mony de.For thai on na syde mycht awayBot as thai com, bot gif at thai64Wald throu thair fayis hald thar gat;Bot that way thoucht thame all to hat.Thair fayis met thame so sturdely,And continit the ficht so hardely,68That thai so dredand war at thaiQuha first mycht fle, first fled away.And quhen the reirward saw thaim swaDiscumfit, and thair wayis ga,72Thai fled on fer, and held thair way.Bot Schir Philip the Mowbray,That with the formast rydand was,[†]That enterit war in-to the plas,76Quhen that he saw how he wes stad,Throu the gret worschip that he had,With spurys he strak the steid of pris,And, magre all his enymys,80Throu the thikkest of thame he raid,And but challans eschapit had,Ne war ane hynt hym by the brand;Bot the guid steid, that wald nocht stand,84He lansit furth deliverly;Bot the tothir sa stalwardlyHeld, that the belt brist of the brand,That swerd and belt left in his hand.88And he but swerd his wayis raid,Weill otow thame, and thair abaid,Behaldand how his menyhe fled,And how his fais clengit the sted92That war betuix him and his men;Tharfor the wayis tuk he thenTo Kylmernok andKillwynnyn,And till Ardrossan eftir syne.96Syne throu the Largys, him allane,Till Ennirkyp the way has tane,Richt till the castell that wes thenStuffit all with Inglis men,100That him resavit in gret dante.And fra thai wist how-gat that heSa fer had ryddyn, hym allane,Throu thame that war his fais ilkane,104Thai prisit him so gretumly,And alsua lovit his chevelry.
SchirPhilip thus eschapit was,And Douglas, that wes in the plas,108Quhar he sexty has slane and ma;The laiff fouly thar gat can ga,And fled to Bothwell hame agane;Quhen Schir Amer wes na thing fane,112Quhen he herd tell on quhat manerThat his menyhe discumfit wer.Bot quhen to King Robert wes tald,How the gud Douglas, that wes bald,116Vencust sa feyll with few menyhe,Richt joyfull in his hert wes he.And all his men confortit war:For thame thoucht weill, bath les and mair120That thai suld les thar fayis drede,Sen thair purpos sa wyth thaim yheide.
1307Bruce accepts the Challenge
The Kyng lay in-toGawlistoun,That is rycht evyn anent Lowdoun;124And till his pes tuk the cuntre.Quhen Schir Amer and his menyhe,Herd how he rewlit all the land,And how that nane durst him withstand,128He wes in-till his hert angry;And with ane of his cumpanyHe send him word ande said, gif heDurst hym in-to the planys se,132He suldthe tend day of MayCum undir Lowdoun hill away:And gif that he wald met him thair,He said, his worschip sulde be mair,136And mair be turnit to nobillay,To wyn him in the playn away,With hard dyntis in evyn fichting,Than till do fer mair in scowking.140The King, that herd his messinger,Had despit apon gret maner,That Schir Amer spak sa hely,Tharfor he ansuerd irusly,[†]144And till the messynger said he;“Sa to thi lord that, gif I be“In lif, he sall me se that day“Weill neir, gif he dar hald the way148“That he has said; for sekirly“By Lowdoun hill mete hym sall I.”
The messinger, but mair abade,Till his mastir his wais raide,152And his ansuer him tald alswith;Than wes na neid to mak him blithe.[†]For he thoucht, throu his mekill mycht,Gif the King durst apeir to ficht,156That, throu the gret chevelryThat suld be in his cumpany,He suld swa ourcum the Kyng,That thar suld be na recoveryng.160And the Kyng, on the tothir party,That wes ay wis and a-verty,Raid for to se and ches the plas,And sawthe hye-gatlyand was164Apon a fair feild, evin and dry;Bot apon athir syde thar-byWes a gret mos, mekill and braid,That fra the way wes, quhar men raid,168A bowdraucht neir on athir syde:And that place thocht hym all to wydeTill abyde men that horsit war.Tharforthre dykisourthwort he schar,172Fra bath the mosis to the way:That war sa fer fra othir, that thaiWar in-twyn a bow-draucht and mar.Sa holl and hye the dykis war,176That men mycht nocht, but mekill pane,Pas thaim, thouch nane war thaim agane.Bot sloppis in the way left he,So large, and of sic quantite,180That fyffe hundir mycht sammyn rydeIn at the sloppis, syde for syde.Thar thoucht he battale for to beid,And bargane thaim; for he na drede184Had at thai suld on syde assale,Na yheit behynd gif him battale.And befor hym thocht weill that heSuld fra thar mycht defendit be.188Thre deip dykis he gert thar ma;For gif he mycht nocht weill our-taTo met thame at the first, that heSuld haf the tothir at his pouste;192Or than the thrid, gif it war swaAt thai had passit the tothir twa.On this wis him ordanit he,And syne assemblit his menyhe,196That war sex hundreth fechtand men,But rangald, that wes with him then,That war als feill as thai, or ma.With all that menyhe can he ga,200The evyn befor the battale suld be,To litill Lowdoun, quhar that heWald abide to se thair cummyng;Syne with the men of his leding204He thoucht to speid hym, swa that heSuld at the dik befor thaim be.
1307The Splendid Array of the English
Schir Amer, on the tothir party,Gaderit so great chevelry,208That he mycht be thre thousand neir,Armyt and dicht in gud maner;And than, as man of gret noblay,He held toward the trist his way.212And quhen the set day cumin was,He sped him fast toward the placeThat he had nemmyt for to ficht.The sone wes rysyn schynand bricht,216That blenknyt on the scheldis braid.In twa eschelis ordanit he hadThe folk that he had in leding.The Kyng, weill soyn in the mornyng,220Saw first cumand thair first eschele,Arrait sarraly and weill,And at thair bak, sum-deill neirhand,He saw the tothir followand:224Thair basnetis burnyst war all brycht,Agane the sone glemand of licht;Thair speris, thair pennownys, and thar scheldisOf licht illumynit all the feldis.228Thair best and browdyn bricht baneris,And hors hewit on seir maneris,And cot-armouris off seir colour,And hawbrekis, that warquhit as flour,232Maid thame glitterand, as thai war likTill angellis he of hevinis rik.
The King said; “Lordingis, now yhe se“How yhon men, throu thar gret pouste,236“Wald, and thai mycht fulfill thar will,“Slay us, and mak sembland thar-till.“And sen we knaw thair felony,“Ga we and meit thame hardely,240“That the stoutest of thair menyhe,“Of our metyng abaysit be.“For gif the formast egirly“Be met, yhe sall se suddanly244“The henmast sall abasit be;“And thouch that thai be ma than we,“That suld abais us litill thing;“For quhen we cum to the fichting,248“Thar may met us no ma than we.“Tharfor, lordingis, ilkane suld be“Of worschip and of gret valour,“For till maynteme heir our honour.252“Thinkis quhat gladschip us abydis,“Gif that we may, as us betydis,“Haf victour of our fayis heir!“For thar is nane her, fer no neir,256“In all this landthat us thar dout.”Than said thai all that stude about,‘Schir, gif God will, we sall sa do,‘That no repruf sall ly thar-to.’260“Than ga we furth now,” said the King,“And he, that maid of nocht all thing,“Leyd us, and sauf us for his mycht,“And help us for till hald our richt!”264With that thai held thar way in hy,Weill sex hundreth in cumpany,Stalward and stout, worthy and wicht:Bot thai war all to few, I hicht,268Agane so feill to stand in stour,Ne war thair outrageous valour.
MAY10, 1307The Battle of Loudoun Hill
Nowgais the nobill Kyng his way,Richt stoutly and in gude aray,272And to the formast dyk is gane,And in the slop the feld has tane.The cariage-men and the pouerale,That wes nocht worth in the batale,276Behynd him levit he al still,Standand all sammyn on the hill.Schir Amery the King has seyn,With his men that warcant and keyn,280Cum to the playn doune fra the hill,As him thoucht in-to full gud willFor to defend or till assaill,Gif ony wald hym byde battale.284Tharfor his men confortit he,And bad thame wicht and worthy be;For gif at thai mycht wyn the Kyng,And victor haf of the fechting,288Thai suld richt weill rewardit be,And gretly ek thair renownee.With that thai war weill neir the Kyng,And he left his amonystyng,292And gert trumpe to the assemble;And the formast of his menyheEnbrasit with that thar scheldis braid,And rycht sarray to-gidder raid,296With hedis stowpand and speris strauchtRicht to the Kyng thar way thai raucht;That met thame with sa gret vigour,That the best and of mast valour300War laid at erd at thair metyng;Quhar men mycht her sic a brekyngOf speris that to-fruschyt war,And the woundit so cry and rar,304That it anoyus wes till her.For thai, that first assemblit wer,Funyheit and fawcht full sturdely;The noyis begouth than and the cry.308
A! mychty God! quha thair had beyn,And had the Kyngis worschip seyn,And his brothir that wes hym by,That contenit thame so hardely,312That thair gud deid and thar bounte,Gaiff gret confort to thair menyhe;And how Dowglas so manfullyConfortit thame that war hym by;316He suld weill say that thai had willTo wyn honor and cum thair-till.The Kingis men, that worthy war,With thair speris that scharply schar,320Stekit men and stedis bath,Till red blud ran of woundis rath.The hors that woundyt war can fling,And ruschit the folk in thair flynging,324Swa that thai that than formast warWarskalyt in soppisheir and thar.[†]The King that saw thame ruschit swa,And saw thame reland to and fra,328Ran apon thaim so egirly,And dang on thame sa hardely,He gert feill of his fayis fall.The feld wes weill neir coverit all332Bath with slayn hors and with men;For the gud King thame followit then,With weill fif hundreth that wapnys bar,That wald thair fayis no thing spar.336Thai dang on thame so hardely,That in schort tyme men mycht se lyAt erd ane hundreth and wele mar;[†]The remanand the waykar war,340Than thai begouth thame to withdraw;And quhen thai of the reirward sawThair vawarde be sa discomfit,Thai flede withouten mair respit.344And quhen Schir Amer hes seynHis men fleand haly bedeyn,Wit yhe weill he wes full way;Bot he mycht nocht amonist swa348That ony for him wald turne agane.And quhen he saw he tynt his pane,He turnit his bridill, andto-ga:For the gud King thame presit swa352That sum war dede, and sum war tane;The remanand thar gat ar gane.