Here Sir Aymer passes to England.

Here Sir Aymer passes to England.MAY, 1307The Rejoicing of the ScotsThefolk fled apon this manerFor-outen arest, and Schir Amer356Agane to Bothwell is he gane,Menand the scath that he had tane;Sa schamfull that he vencust wes,That till Inglande in hy he gais360Richt till the King, and schamfullyHe gaf up thar his wardanry.Na never syne, for na kyne thing,Bot gif he com richt with the King,364Com he to warra Scotland.Sa hevely he tuk on hand,That the King, in set battalyhe,With a quheyn lik poueralyhe,368Vencust him with a gret menyhe,That wes renownit of gret bounte.Sic anoy had Schir Amery:And King Robert, that wes hardy,372Abaid all still in-to the plas,Till that his men left all the chas;Syne with presoners that thai had tane,[†]Thai ar towart thair innys gane,376Fast lovand God of thair weillfair.Men mycht haf seyn, quha had beyn thair,A folk that mery war and gladFor thair victour; and als thai haid380A lord so swet and deboner,[†]So curtas, and of sa fair effer,So blith als, and so weill bowrdand,And in battale so stith to stand,384So wis, and richt sua avise,That thai had gret caus blith to be.So war thai blith forouten dout;For feill, that wonnyt thaim about,388Fra thai the King saw help him swa,Till him thar homage can thai ma.Than wox his powermair and mair,And he thoucht weill that he wald fair392Outour the Monthwith his menyhe,To luk quha that his frend wald be.In-toSchir Alexandir the FreserHe trastit, for thai cosyngis wer,396Andhis brothir Symon, thai twa.He had myster weill of ma,For he hade fais mony ane;Schir Johne CumyneErll of Bouchane,400AndSchir Johne the Mowbraysyne,And gudSchir David of Brechyne,With all the folk in thair leding,War fayis to the nobill King.404And, for he wist thai war his fayis,His viage northwardis he tais;For he wald se quhat-kyn endingThai walde mak of thair manasing.408How the Good King Robert the Bruce passed North beyond the Mounth.Theking buskit and maid him yhar,Northwardis with his men to fair.His brothir can he with hym ta,And Schir Gilbert de le Hay alsua;412The Erll of Lennaxals wes thar,That with the King was our all quhar;Schir Robert Boydand othir ma.The King can furth his wais ta,416And left James of Douglas,With all the folk that with him was,Behynd hym, for till luk gif heMicht recover his cuntre.420He left him in-to gret perill;Bot eftir, in ane litill quhill,Throu his gret worschip sa he wrocht,That to the Kingis pes he brocht424The forest of Selcrykall hale,And alsua did he Douglasdale,AndGedword forestalsua.[†]And quha sa weill on hand couth ta428To tell his worschippis ane and ane,He suld fynd of thaim mony ane.For in his tym, as men said me,Threttene tymes vencust wes he,432And victory wan sevin and fifty.He semyt nocht lang ydill to ly,Be his travale he had na will;Me think men suld him luf of skill.436Here Sir James wins Many Men, and makes First a Train on the Castle.1307The Activity of DouglasThis James, quhen the King wes gane,All prevely his men has tane,And went to Douglasdaill agane,And maid all prevely a trane440Till thaim that in the castell war.A buschement slely maid he thair;And of his men fourteyn and maHe gert, as thai war, sekkis ta444Fillit with gyrs, and syne thame layApon thair hors, and hald thair wayRicht as thai wald toLanrik fair,Otow quhar the enbuschement war.448And quhen thai of the castell sawSo feill ladisgang on raw,Of that sight war thai wondir fayn,And tald it to thair capitane,452That hichtSchir Johne off Webitoune.He wes bath yhoung, stout, and felloun,Richt joly als, and volageous;And for that he was amourous,456He wald ysche fer the blithlyer.He gert his men all tak thar ger,And yschit to get that vittale,For thar vittale all fast couth fale.460Thai yschit all abaundanly,And prikit furth sa wilfullyTo win the ladis at thai saw pas,Quhill that Douglas with his men was464All betuix thame and the castell.The layd-men that persavit weillThai kest thair ladis doun in hy,And thair gownys deliverly,468That helit thame, thai kest away,And in gret hy thair hors hint thai,And stert upon thame sturdely,And met thair fayis with a cry;472That had gret woundir, quhen thai sawThaim that war ere lurkand full law,Cum apon thame so hardely,Thai wox abasyd suddandly,476And at the castell wald haf beyn.Quhen thai, on the othir haf, has seynDouglas brek his enbuschement,That agane thame rycht stoutly went,480Thai wist nocht quhat till do no say.Thar fayis at thair hand saw thai,[†]That strak on thame forout sparing,And thai mycht help thaim-self no thing,484Bot fled to warrand quhar thai mocht;And thai so angirly on thame socht,That of thame all eschapit nane.Schir Jhone of Webitoun thar wes slaine;488And quhen he ded wes, as yhe her,Thai fand in-till his awmenerA letter, that him send ane lady[†]That he lufitper drowry;492The letter spak on this maner[†]*493That said, quhen he had yhemyt a yherIn wer, as ane gud bachiller,And governit weill, in all maner,*495The aventurus castell off Douglas,That to kepe so perelous was,496Than mycht he weill ask ane ladyHir amouris and hir drowry.1307Douglas destroys his CastleThe letter spak on this maner.And quhen thai slayn on this wis wer,500Douglas richt to the castell raid,And thair so gret debate he maid,That in the castell enterit he.I wat nocht all the certante,504Quhethir it wes throu strinth or slicht,Bot he wrocht swa, throu his gret mycht,[†]That the constabill and all the lafeThat war thar-in, bath man and knaf,508He tuk, and gaf thame dispending,And send thame hame, but mair greving,Till the Cliffurde in thair cuntre.Ande syne so besely wrocht he,512That he all tumlit doune the wall,And distroit the hous all:Syne till the Forest held his way,Quhar he had mony harde assay,516And mony fair poynt of wer befell;Quha couth thame all rehers and tell,He suld say that his name suld beLestande in full gret renoune.[†]520BOOK IXHow Good King Robert lay Sick in Inverury.Nowleif we in-to the ForestDouglas, that sall haf litil rest,Till the cuntre deliverit beOf Inglis men and thair pouste:4And turne we to the nobill Kyng;That, with the folk of his leding,Toward the Month has tane the wayRicht stoutly, in-to gud aray;8Quhar Alysandir Freser him met,And als his brothir, Symon het,With all the folk thai with thaim hade.The Kyng gud counternans thaim maid,12That wes richt blith of thair cummyng.Thai tald the King all the covyngOf Jhone Cumyne the Erll of Bouchane,That till help him had with him tane16Schir John Mowbra and othir ma,Schir David the Brechyne alsua,With all the folk of thair leding,“And yharnis mair than ony thing20“Vengeans on yhow, Schir Kyng, to tak,“For Schir John the Cumynis sak,“That quhilom in Drumfreis wes slayn.”The King said, ‘Sa our lord me sayn,24‘I had gret caus hym for to slay.‘And syn that thai on hand will ta,‘Becaus of hym, to warra me,‘I sall thoill all a quhile, and se28‘On quhat wis that thai preif thar mycht.‘And gif it fall at thai will ficht,‘Giff thai assalyhe we mon defend;‘Syne fall quhatevir that God will send.’32Eftir this spek the Kyng in hyHeld straucht the way tillEnverrowry:And thair him tuk sic ane seiknes,That put him till full hard distres,36That he forbare bath drink and met.His men no medicine couth getThat evir mycht to the King availyhe.His strinth so haly can him falyhe,40That he mycht nouthir ryde no ga.Than, wit yhe weill his, men wes wa!For nane wes in that cumpany,That wald haf beyn half so sary44For till half seyn his brothir dedLyand befor hym in that sted,As thai war all for his sekness;For all thair confort in him wes.48But gud Schir Edward the worthy,His brothir that wes so hardy,And wis and wicht, set mekill paynTo confort thame with all his mayn.52And quhen the lordis that war thairSaw that the evill ay mair and mairTravalit the King, thai thoucht in hyIt war nocht speidfull thair to ly:56For thair all playn wes the cuntre,And thai war bot ane few menyheTo ly, but strinth, in-to the playn.For-thi, till that thair capitane60War coverit of his mekill ill,Thai thoucht to wend sum strinth soyn til.1307The Importance of a CaptainFor folk for-outen capitane,Bot thai the bettir bea-pane,64Sall nocht be all so gud in deid,As thai ane lord had thame to leid,That dar put him in aventure,But abasing, to tak the ure68That God will send: for quhen that heIs of sic will and sic bounte,That he dar put him till assay,His folk sall tak ensampill ay72Of his gud deid and his bounte,That ane of thame sall be worth threOf thame that wikkid chiftane has;His wrechidnes so in thame gais,76That thai thair manlynes sall tyneThrou wrechidnes of his covyne.For quhen the lord at thame suld leid,May do nocht bot as he war ded,80Or fra his folk haldis his wayFleand, trow yhe nocht than that thaiSall vencust in thair hertis be?Yhus, sall thai, as I trow, per de,84Bot gif thair hertis be so hyeThai will nocht for thair worschip fle.And thouch sum be of sic bounte,Quhen thai the lord and his menyhe88Seis fle, yhit sall thai fle a-payn;For all men fleis the ded richt fayn.Se quhat he dois, that swa fowlyFleis thus for his cowardy!92Bath him and his, vencust is he,And gerris his fayis abovin be.Bot he that, throu his gret nobillay,To perellis him abawndonys ay96For to reconfort his menyhe,Gerris thame be of so gret bounte,That mony tym unlikly thingThai bring richt weill to gud ending.100So did this King that I of reid,And, for his outrageous manheid,Confortit his men on sic maneir,That nane had radnes quhar he wer.104*Thai wald nocht ficht quhill that he wesLiand in-till sic seiknes;Tharfor in littar thai him lay,And tillthe Slevachheld their way,And thoucht thair in that strinth to ly,108Till passit war his malady.Here the Earl of Buchan gathers against the King.NOV.-DEC.1307Skirmishing at SlevachBotfra the Erll of BouchaneWist that thai war thiddir gane,And wist that swa seik wes the King112That men doutit of his coveryng,He send eftir his men in hy,And assemblit gret cumpany.For all his awne men war thar,116And als frendiswith him war;That wesSchir Johne the Mowbray,And his brothir, as I herd say,And als Schir David of Brechyne,120With fele folk in thair leding.And quhan thai all assemblit war,In hy thai tuk thair way till fairTo the Slevach, with all thar men,124For till assaill the King, that thenWes liand in-till his seiknes.This was eftir theMartymes,Quhen snaw had helit all the land.128To the Slevach thai com neirhand,Arayit on thair best maneir.And than the Kingis men, that werWar of thair com, thame apparalit132Till defend, gif thai thame assalit.And nocht-for-thi thair fayis warAy twa for ane that thai war thair.The Erlis men neir cumande war,136Trumpand and makand mekill fair,And maid knychtis quhen thai war neir.And thai, that in the wodsyde weir,Stude in aray richt sarraly,140And thoucht to byde thair hardelyThe cummyng of thair enymys.Bot thai wald apon nakyn wisYsche till assale thame in fichting,144Till coverit war the nobill Kyng.Bot gif othir wald thame assalyhe,Thai wald defend, avalyhe que valyhe.[†]And quhen the Erlis cumpany148Saw that thai wroucht so besaly,That thai that strinth schup to defend,Thair archaris furth to thame thai sendTo bykkir thame, as men of mayn.152Andthai sendarcharis thame agayn,That bykkirrit thame so sturdely,Till thai of the Erlis partyIn-to thair battale withdrawin war.156Thre dayis on this wis lay thai thar,And bikkirrit thame evirilke day:Bot thar bowmen the wer had ay.And quhen the Kingis cumpany160Saw thair fayis befor thame ly,That ilka day wox ma and ma,And thai war quhoyn, and stad war swaThat thai had no-thing for to et,164Bot gif thai travalit it to get,Tharfor thai tuk consale in hyThat thai wald thar no langer ly,Bot hald thair way quhar thai mycht get,168Till thaim and thairis vittale and met.In a littar the Kyng thai lay,And redyit thame and held thar way,That all thair fayis mycht thame se;172Ilk man buskit in his degre,To ficht gif thai assalyheit war.In myddis thame the King thai bair,And yheid about hym sarraly,176And nocht full gretly can thame hy.The Erll, and thai that with him war,Saw that thai buskit thame to fair;And saw how with so litill affray180Thai held furth with the King thar way,Reddy to ficht quha walde assale,Thair hertis allbegouth to fale,And in pes let thame pas thar way,184And till thair hous hame went thai.How the King discomfited at InveruryThe Earl of Buchan shamefully.DEC.23, 1307Brechin attacks at InveruryTheErll his way tuk to Bouchane;And Schir Edward the Broys is ganeRicht toStrabogy, with the Kyng;188And swa lang thair maid sojornyng,Till he begouth tocover and ga,And syne thair wayis can thai taTill Enverrowry straucht agane;192For thai wald ly in-till the plane,The wyntir sesoune; for vittaleIn-to the playn mycht nocht thame fale.The Erll wist that thai war thar,196And gaderit his menyhe heir and thar,Brechyne, Mowbra, and thair men,All to the Erll assemblit then,And war a full gret cumpany200Of men arayit jolely.TillAld Meldromthai held the way,And thar with thair men lugit thai,Before Yhoill-evyn ane nychtbot mair;204And thousand, trow I weill, thai war.Thai lugit thame all thair that nycht;And on the morn, quhen day wes licht,The lord of Brechine, Schir Davy,208Is went towart Inverrowry,To luk gyff he on ony wys[†]Mycht do skaith till his ennemys.In-to the end of Enverrowry212He com ridand so suddandly,That of the Kingis men he slewA part, and othir-sum thaim withdrew,And fled thair way toward the King,216That, with the mast of his gaderyng,On yhond half doun wes than lyand.And quhen men tald him the tithand,How Schir David had slayn his men,220His hors in hy he askitthen,And bad his men all mak thame yhareIn-to gret hy, for he wald fareTo bargane with his enymys.224With that he buskit for to ris,That wes nocht all weill coverit then.Then said sum of his preve men;“Quhat think yhe, Schir, thusgat to fair228“To ficht, and yheit nocht coverit ar?”‘Yhis,’ said the Kyng, ‘forouten wer;‘Thair bost has maid me haill and fer.‘For suld no medicine so soyne232‘Haff coverit me, as thai haf done.‘Tharfor, sa God him-self me se!‘I sall outhir haf thaim, or thai me.’And quhen his men has herd the King236Set him so haill for the fechting,Of his covering all blith thai war,And maid thame for the battale yhar.Here the Earl of Buchan flies, and Sir David Brechin yields himself to the King.Thenobill King ande his menyhe,240That mycht weill neir sevin hundreth be,Toward Ald Meldrome tuk the way,Quhar the Erll and his menyhe lay.The discurrouris saw thame comande244With baneris to the wynd wafand;And tald it to thar lord in hy,That gert arm his men hastely,And thame arayit for battale.248Behynd thame set thai tharmerdale,And maid gude sembland for the ficht.The King com on with mekill mycht;And thai abaid, makand gret fair,252Till thai neir at assemble war.Bot quhen thai saw the nobill KingCum stoutly on without stinting,A litill on bridill thai thaim with-drew;256And the King, that rycht weill knew[†]That thai war all discumfit neir,Pressit on thame with his baneir;And thai with-drew thaim mair and mair.260And quhen the small folk thai had thar,Saw thair lordis with-draw thame swa,Thai turnit thar bak all, and to-ga;And fled all scalit heir and thair.264The lordis, that yheit to-giddir war,Saw that thair small folk war fleand,And saw the Kyng stoutly cumand,Thai war ilkane abasit swa,268That thai the bakkis gaf, and to-ga.A litill stound sammyn held thai,And syne ilk man has tane his way.DEC.23, 1307Buchan is DefeatedFell nevir men so foull myschans272Eftir so sturdy cuntyrnans.For quhen the Kyngis cumpanySaw at thai fled so fowlely,Thai chasyt thame with all thar mayn,276And sum thai tuk, and sum war slayn.The remanand war fleand ay;Quha had gud hors gat best away!Till Ingland fled the Erll of Bouchane,280Schir Johne Mowbray is with him gane,And war resettit with the King.Bot thai had bath bot schort lesting,For thai deit soyn eftir syne.284And Schir David of BrechyneFled to Brechine, his awn castele,And warnyst it bath fair and wele.Bot the Erll of Adell Davy,288His sone that wes in Kyldromy,Com syne, and him assegit thar.And he, that wald hald weyr no mair,Nor bargane with the nobill Kyng,292Com syne his manwith gud treting.Here the King burns all Buchan, and gets the Castle of Forfar and destroys it.Nowga we to the King agane,That of his victor wes richt fane,And gert his men burnall Bouchane296Fra end till end, and sparit nane;And heryit thame on sic maneir,That eftir that, weile fifty yheir,[†]Men menyt “the heirschip of Bouchane.”300The King than till his pes has taneThe north cuntre, that humyllyObeysit till his senyhory.Swa that be north the Month war nane304That thai ne war his men ilkane.His lordschip wox ay mair and mair.Toward Angusthan couth he fair,And thoucht soyn to mak all fre308Apon north halfthe Scottis Se.[†]The castell of Forfer wes thenStuffit all with Inglis men.BotPhilip the Forster of Platan312Has of his frendis with him tane,And with ledderis all prevelyTo the castell he can hym hy,And clam out-our the wall of stane,316And swagat has the castell tan,Throu falt of wach, with litill payn.And syn all that he fand has slayn:Syne yhald the castell to the King,320That maid hym richt gud rewarding,And syne gert brek doune the wall,And fordid well and castell all.How Good King Robert the Bruce besieged the Town of Perth.JAN.1313Perth is too Strong for AssaultQwhenthat the castell of Forfar,324And all the towris tumlit warDoun to the erd, as I haf tald,The wis king, that wes wicht and bauld,That thoucht that he wald mak all fre328Apon north half the Scottis Se,Till Perth is wentwith all his rout,And umbeset the toune about,And till it has ane sege soyn set.332Bot quhill it mycht haf men and met,It mycht nocht, but gret payn, be taneForthe wallis war all of stane,With thik towris and hye standand.336And that tym war thar-in duellandMoffat, and alsOlyfard;[†]Thai twa the toun had all in ward.Of Strathern als the Erllwes thar;340Bot his sone and of his men warWithout, in-to the Kingis rout.Thar wes oft bikkyrring stith and stout,And men slayn apon ilk party.344Bot the gud King, that all vittyWe in his dedis evirilkane,Saw the wall so stith of stane,And saw defens at thai can ma,348And how the toun wes hard to taWith oppyn assale, be strinth or mycht,Tharfor he thoucht to wirk with slicht.And all the tym that he thair lay352He spyit, and slely gert assayQuhar ofthe dikthe schawdest was;Till at the last he fand a placeThat men mycht to thair schulderis waid.356And quhen he that place fundyn had,He gert his menyhe busk ilkane,Quhen sex woukis of the sege wes gane.[†]Thai tursit thair harnas halely,360And left the sege all oppinly,And furth with all his folk can fair,As he wald do thar-to no mair.Here he gets it with Jeopardy.And thai that war within the toune,364Quhen thai to fair so saw him boune,Thai schowtit hym and scornyng maid;And he furth on his wayis raid,As he na will had agane to turne,368Na besyde thame to mak sojorne.Bot in aucht dais nocht-for-thi,He gertmak ledderisprevely,That mycht suffice till his entent,372And in a myrk nycht syne is went*Toward the toun with his menyhe.[†]*Bot hors and knafis all left heFer fra the toun, and syne has tane*376*Thair ledderis, and on fut are ganeToward the toune all prevely.Thai herd no wachis spek no cry:For thai that war within, ma fall,376As men that drede nocht,slepit all.Thai had no dreid than of the King,For thai of hym herd no tithingAll thai thre dais befor and mair;380Tharfor sekir and trast thai war.And quhen the King herd thame nocht steir,He wes blith apon gret maneir;And his leddir in hand can ta,384Ensampill till his men till ma,Arayit weill in all his geir,Schot in the dik, and with his speirTastit, quhill he weill our woude,388Bot till his throt the wattir stude.JAN.1313Perth is capturedThat tym wes in his cumpanyA knycht of France, wicht and hardy;And quhen he in the wattir swa392Saw the King pas, and with him taHis leddir unabasitly,Ha sanyt him for the ferly,And said; “A Lord! quhat sall we say396“Of our lordis of France, that ay“With gud morsellis farsis thair panch,“And will bot et and drynk and dance,“Quhen sic a knycht, sa richt worthy400“As this is throu his chevelry,“In-to sic perill has hym set,“To wyn ane wrechit hamlet?”With that word to the dik he ran,404And oureftir the Kynghe wan.And quhen the Kyngis menyhe sawThar lord pas our, in-till a thrawThai passit the dik, and, but mar let,408Thair ledderis to the wall thai set;And to clym up fast pressit thai;Bot the gud Kyng, as I herd say,Wasthe tothir man that tuk the wall,412And baid thair, till his menyhe allWar cummyn our in full gret hy;Yheit rais thar nouthir nois nor cry.Bot soyn eftir thai noyis maid,416That of thame first persaving had,So that the cry rais throu the toune;Bot he, that with his men wes bouneTill assale, to the toune is went,420And the mast of his menyhe sentAll scalit throu the toun, bot heHeld with him-self a gret menyhe,Swa that he mycht be appurvait,424To defend, gif he war assayit.Bot thai, that he send throu the toune,Put soyn to gret confusiouneThair fayis, that in beddis war,428Or scalit, fleand heir and thair;That, or the sone rais, thai had taneThair fayis, or discumfit ilkane.The wardanis bath tharin war tane:432AndMalis of Strathernis ganeTill his fader, the Erll Malis,And with strinth tuk him and all his;Syne, for his sake, the nobill King436Gaf hym his land in governyng.The laif, that ran out throu the toune,Sesit to thame in gret fusiouneMen, armyng and marchandis,440And othir gudis on syndri wis;Quhill thai, that war eir pouer and bare,Of that gude rych and mychty war.Bot thair wes few slayne; for the King,444Had gevin thame in commandyng,On gret payn, thai suld slay nane,That, but gret bargane, mycht be tane;Thatthai war kynde to the cuntre448He wist, and had of thame pite.Onthis maner the toun wes tane.And syne the towris everilkaneAndwallis gert he tummyll doune:452He levit nocht about that touneTour standand, stane no wall,That he na haly gert distroy all.And presoneris, that thair tuk he,456He send quhar thai mycht haldin be,And till his pes tuk all the land;Wes nane that durst him than withstand.Here All Scots obey the King except Lorn.Apon north half the Scottis Se460Obeysit alltill his majeste,Outane the Lord of Lorn, and thaiOf Argile that wald with him ga.He held evir agane the King,464And hatit hyme atour all thing.Bot yheit, or all the gammyn ga,I trow weill that the King sall taVengeans of his gret cruelte,468And that him sair repent sall he,That he the King contraryit ay,May fall, quhen he no mend it may.Here Sir Edward Bruce is much commended.JUNE1308Edward Bruce is in GallowayThe Kingis brothir, quhen the towne472Wes takyn thus and doungyn doune,Schir Edward, that wes so worthy,Tuk with him a gret cumpany,And tuk his gat toward Galloway.476For with his men he walde assayGif he recover mycht that land,And wyn fra Inglis mennys hande.This Schir Edward, forsuth, I hicht,480Wes of his handis a nobill knycht,And in blithnes swet and joly;Bot he wes outrageous hardy,And of so hye undirtaking,484That he had nevir none abasingOf multitude of men; for-thiHe discumfit commonlyMony with quheyn: tharfor had he488Outour his peris renowne.And quha rehers wald all his deid,Of his hye worschipe and manheidMen mycht mony romanys mak;492And, nocht-for-thi, I think till takOn hand off hym to say sum thing,Bot nocht the tend part his travaling.This gud knycht, that I spek of heir,496With all the folkthat with hym weir,Weill soyn to Galloway cummyn is,All that he fand he maid it his;Andryotit gretly the lande.500Bot than in Galloway war wonnandSchirIngerame Umphrevell, that wesRenownit of so hye prowes,That he of worschip passit the rout:504Tharfor he gert ay ber aboutApon a sper ane red bonat,In-to the takyn that he wes setIn-to the hicht of chevelry;508Of Sanct Johneals Schir Amery.Thai twa the land had in stering,And quhen thai herd of the cummyngOf Schir Edward, that so planly512Our-raid the land, than in gret hyThai assemblit all thair menyhe.I trow twelf hundreth thai mycht be.Here Sir Edward Bruce discomfits the Englishmen at Cree.Bot he with fewar folk thaim met516Besyde Cre, and so hard thame set,With hard battale in stalwarde ficht,That he thame all put to the flicht,And slew twa hundreth wele and ma,520And the chiftanis in hy can taThair way toButtill, for till beResavit in-to gude savite.And Schir Edward thame chasit fast;524Bot till the castell at the lastGat Schir Ingerame and Schir Amery;Both the best of thair cumpanyLeft ded behynd thame in the plas.528And quhen Schir Edward saw the chasWes falit, he gert seys the pray;A swa gret cattell had away,That it war woundir for till se.532Of Buttill tour thai saw how heGert his men drif with him thar pray,Bot no let set tharin mycht thai.JUNE1308Umfraville thinks to surprise EdwardThrou his chevelrous chevelry536Galloway wes stonayit gretumly,And doutit hym for his bounte.Sum of the men of the cuntreCom till his pes, and maid him ath.540Both Schir Amery, that had the scathOf the bargane I tald of er,Raid till Ingland, and purchast therOf armyt men gret cumpany,544To venge hym of the velanyThat Schir Edwarde, the nobill knycht,Him didby Crein-till the ficht.Of gude men he assemblit thair548Weill fyftene hundreth men and mar,That war of rycht gude renowne.His way with all that folk tuk he,And in the land, all prevely,552He enterit with that chevelry;Thinkand Schir Edward to suppris,Gif that he mycht on ony wis:For he thoucht he wald him assale,556Or that he left, in playn batale.Now may yhe heir of gret ferly,And of richt hye chevelry.For Schir Edward into the land560Wes with his menyhe neir at hand;And in the mornyng richt airlyHe herd the cuntre men mak cry,And had wittering of thair cummyng.564Than buskit he him but delaying.And lap on hors deliverly.He had than in his rowt fifty,Apon gude hors armyt richt weill.568His small folk gert he ilk deillWith-draw thame till a strate neir by:And he raid furth with his fifty.Here he discomfits far more manfully, that is to say, Fifteen Hundred with Fifty.A knycht, that than wes in his rout,572Worthy and wicht, stalward and stout,Curtas and fair, and of gude fame,Schir Alane of Catkertbe name,[†]Tald me this taill as I sall tell.576Gret myst in-to the mornyng fell,Swa that men mycht nocht se thaim by,For myst, ane bow-draucht fullely.Sa hapnyt that thai fand the trais,580Quhar at the rout furth passit wasOf thair fayis, that forouth raid.Schir Edward, that gret yharnyng hadAll tyme for till do chevelry,584With all his rout in full gret hy,Followit the tras quhar gane war thai:And, before myd-morne of the dayThe myst wox cleir all suddanly;588Than he and all his cumpanyWar nocht ane bow-draucht fra the rout.Than schot thai on thame with a schout;For gif thai fled, thai wist that thai592Suld nocht weill ferd part get away.Tharfor in aventure till deHe wald him put or he wald fle.And quhen the Inglis cumpany596Saw on thame cum so suddanlySic folk, forouten abasing,Thai war stonayit for affraying.And the tothir, but mair abaid,600So hardely emang thame raid,That fele of thame to erde thai bare.Richt gretly thus stonayit thai wareThrou the fors of that first assay,604That thai war in-to gret affray,And wend be fer thai had beyn ma,For that thai war assalyhit swa.And syne Schir Edwardis cumpany,608Quhen thai had thrillit thame hastely,Set stoutly in the hedis agane,And at that cours borne doun and slaneWar of thair fais a gret party,612That than affrait war so gretly,That thai war scalit gretly then.And quhen Schir Edward and his menSaw thame in-to so ill aray,616The thrid tyme on thame prikid thai.And thai that saw thame so stoutlyCum on thame, dred thame gretumly,That all thair rout, bath les and mair,620Fled, ilkane scalit, heir and thair.Wes nane emang thame so hardyTo byde, bot all comonlyFled to warand; and he can chas,624That wilfull till distroy thame was:For sum he tuk, and sum war slayn,Bot Schir Amery with mekill paynEschapit, and his gat is gane.628His men discumfit war ilkane;Sum tane, sum slayn, sum gat away.This wes a richt fair point, perfay!Sir Edward Bruce in a Year won Thirteen Castles.1308Edward Bruce subdues GallowayLo! how hardyment tane suddanly,632And drivin syne till end scharply,May ger oft-sis unlikly thyngisCum to richt fair and gud endingis!Richt as it fell in this case heir;636For hardyment, withouten weir,Wan fyftene hundreth with fifty,Quhar ay for ane thai war thretty:And twa men ar a manis her;640Bot ure thame led on sic maner,That thai discumfit war ilkane.Schir Amery hame his gate is gane,Richt blith that he so gat away.644I trow he sall nocht mony dayHave will to warra that cuntre,With-thi Schir Edward tharin be!Ande he duelt furth in-to the land,648Thame that rebelland war warrand,And in a yheir so warrait he,That he wan quytly that cuntreTill his brothiris pes, the king;652Bot that wes nocht but hard fichting.For in that time thair him befellMony fair poynt, as I herd tell,The quhilk that ar nocht writin heir.656Bot weill I wat that, in that yheir,Thretten castelliswith strynth he wan,And ourcom mony a mody man.Quha-sa the suth of hym wald reid;660Had he had mesur in his deid,I trow that worthyar than heMicht nocht in his tyme fundyn be,Outakyn his brothir anyrly,664To quhom, in-to gude chevelry,I dar peir nane wes in his day.[†]For he led hym with mesure ay,And with gret wit his chevelry668He governit ay sa worthely,That he oft full unlikly thingBrocht rycht weill to gud ending.[†]Here Sir James Douglas meets with Sir Alexander Stewart, Lord Bonkill.In all this tym James of Douglas672In the Forest travaland was,And it throu hardiment and slichtOccupyit, magre all the mychtOf his feill fayis, the-quhethir thai676Set him full oft in hard assay.Bot oft throu wit and throu bounteHis purpos to gud end brocht he.In-till that tym him fell, throu cas,680A nycht, as he travaland was,And thought for till have tan restyneIn a hous onthe wattir of Lyne;And as he com with his menyhe684Neirhand the hous, swa lisnyt he,And herd thair sawis ilke deill,[†]And be that he persavit weillAt thai war strange men at thair688That nycht thar-in herberyit wair.And as he thoucht it fell, per cas;For of Bonkill the lord thar was,Alysander Stewarthat he,692With othir ma of gret bounte,Thomas Randoleof gret renown,AndAdame alsua of Gordoun,That com thair with gret cumpany,696And thoucht in the Forest to ly,And occupy it throu thar gret mycht,Bath with travale and stallwart ficht,To chas Douglas of that cuntre;700Bot othir wayis than yheid the gle.1308Randolph is TakenFor quhen James had witteryngThat strange men had tane herbreyngIn the place quhar he schupe to ly,704He till the hous went hastely,And umbeset it all about.Quhen thai within herd sic a routAbout the hous, thai rais in hy,708And tuk thair geir rycht hastely,And schot furth, fra thai harnast war.Thair fayis thaim met with wapnys bar,And assalyheit richt hardely;712And thai defendit douchtelyWith all thair mycht, till at the lastThar fais pressit thame so fast,That thair folk falyheit thame ilkane.716Thomas Randoll thar wes tane;And Alexander Stewarde alsuaWes woundit in a place or twa.Adame of Gordoun fra the ficht,720Quhat throu slicht and quhat throu mycht,Eschapit, and feill of his men;Bot thai that war arestit then,War of thair taking woundir wa;724Bot nedlyngis thame behufit be swa.Here Sir James Douglas comes to the King with Sir Alexander Stewart and Thomas Randolph.That nycht the gud lord of DouglasMaid to Schir Alysander, that wasHis emys son, richt gladsum cheir:728Sa did he als, forouten weir,Till Thomas Randole, for that heWes till the King in neir degreOf blude, for his sister him bare.732And on the morn, forouten mare,Toward the nobill King he raid,And with him bath thai twa he had.The King of his cummyng wes blith,736And thankit him tharof feill sith.And till his nevo can he say,“Thou has a quhill renyit thi fay;“Bot thou reconsalit now mon be.”740Then to the King soyn anseurd he,And saide, ‘Yhe chasty me, bot yhe‘Aw bettir chastyit for till be.‘For sen that yhe warrait the King744‘Of Ingland in-to playn fichting‘Yhe suld pres till derenyhe yhour richt,‘And nocht with voidre na with slicht.’The King said; “Yheit may fall it may748“Cum, or oucht lang, to sic assay.“Bot sen thou spekis so ryaly,“It is gret skill at men chasty“Thi prowd wourdis till at thou knaw752“The richt, and bow it as thou aw.”The King, for-out mair delaying,Send hym to be in ferm keping,Quhar that he all a quhill suld be,756Nocht all apon his awn pouste.BOOK XHere the King passes against John of Lorn.1308John of Lorn occupies a PassQwhenThomas Randol, on this wisWes takyn, as I heir devis,And send to duell in gud keping,For the speke he spak to the King;4The gud King, that thoucht on the scath,The dispit and felony bath,That John of Lorne had till him done,His host assemblit he than soyn,8Andtoward Lornhe tuk the way,With his men in-to gude aray.Bot Johne of Lorn of his cummyng,Lang or he com, had witteryng;12And men on ilk syde gaderit he,I trowtwa thousandthai mycht be;And send thame for to stop the way,Quhar the King behufit to ga:16And that wes inane evill place,That so strat and so narrow was,That twa men sammyn mycht nocht rydeIn sum place of the hyllis syde.20The nethir half wes perelous;For a schoir crag, hye and hyduous,Raucht till the se, doun fra the pas.On the owthir half ane montane was24So cumrous and ek so stay,That it wes hard to pas that way.Crechanbenhecht that montane.I trow that nocht in all Bretane,28Aye hyer hill may fundyn be.Thar Johne of Lorne gert his menyheEnbuschit be abovyn the way;For, gif the gud King held that way,32He thoucht he suld soyn vencust be;And hym-self held hymon the se,Weill neir the pas with his galays.Bot the King, that in all assays36Wes fundyn wis and averte,Persavit thair subtilite,And that he neid that gat suld ga.His men departit he in twa;40And to the gud lorde of Douglas,Quham in all wit and worschip was,He taucht the archaris evirilkane.And this gud lord has with him tane44Schir Alysander Freser the wicht,AndWilliame Wisman, a gud knycht,And with thame gudSchir Androu Gray:Thir with thair menyhe held thar way,48And clam the hill delyverly.And, or thai of the tothir partyPersavit thame, thai had ilkaneThe hicht abovyn thair fayis tane.52Here the King meets with John of Lorn’s Company.1308The Fight for the BridgeThe King and his men held thar way,And quhen in-to the pas war thaiEnterit, the folk off Lorne in hyApon the King rasit ane cry,56And schot, and tumlit on hym stanys,Richt gret and hevy for the nanys.Bot thai scathit nocht gretly the King;For he had thar, in his leding,60Men that licht and delyver war,And licht arming had on thaim thar,Swa that thai stoutly clam the hill,And lettit thair fayis to fullfill64The mast part off thar felony.And als, apon the tothir party,Com James of Douglas and his rout,And schot apon thame with a schout,68And woundit thame with arrowis fast.Syne with thair swerdis, at the last,Thai ruschit emang thame hardely.For thai of Lorn, full manlely,[†]72Grete and apert defens can ma.Bet quhen thai saw at thai war swaAssalyheit apon twa parteis,And saw weill that thair enymyis76Had all the farer off the ficht,In full gret hy thai tuk the flicht.And thai a felloun chas can ma,And slew all at thai mycht ourta.80And thai that mycht eschap, perfay,[†]Richt tillane wattirheld thair way,That ran doun by the hillis syde,And wes rycht styth, bath deip and wyde,84That men in na place mycht it pasBot at ane brig beneth thaim was.To that brig held thai fast thair way,Andtill brek itcan fast assay.88Bot thai that chassit, quhen thai thaim saw,Mak thair arest, but dreid or awThai ruschit apon thame hardely,And discumfit thame utrely,92And held the brig haill, quhill the King,With all the folk of his leding,Passit the bryg all at thair ese.Till Johne of Lorne it suld displese,96I trow, quhen he his men mycht se,Out of his schippis fra the se,Be slayn and chassit fra the hill,And he mycht set no help thar-till.100For it angeris als gretumly,To gud hertis that ar worthy,Till se thair fais fulfill thair will,As to thame-self to thole the ill.104

Here Sir Aymer passes to England.MAY, 1307The Rejoicing of the ScotsThefolk fled apon this manerFor-outen arest, and Schir Amer356Agane to Bothwell is he gane,Menand the scath that he had tane;Sa schamfull that he vencust wes,That till Inglande in hy he gais360Richt till the King, and schamfullyHe gaf up thar his wardanry.Na never syne, for na kyne thing,Bot gif he com richt with the King,364Com he to warra Scotland.Sa hevely he tuk on hand,That the King, in set battalyhe,With a quheyn lik poueralyhe,368Vencust him with a gret menyhe,That wes renownit of gret bounte.Sic anoy had Schir Amery:And King Robert, that wes hardy,372Abaid all still in-to the plas,Till that his men left all the chas;Syne with presoners that thai had tane,[†]Thai ar towart thair innys gane,376Fast lovand God of thair weillfair.Men mycht haf seyn, quha had beyn thair,A folk that mery war and gladFor thair victour; and als thai haid380A lord so swet and deboner,[†]So curtas, and of sa fair effer,So blith als, and so weill bowrdand,And in battale so stith to stand,384So wis, and richt sua avise,That thai had gret caus blith to be.So war thai blith forouten dout;For feill, that wonnyt thaim about,388Fra thai the King saw help him swa,Till him thar homage can thai ma.Than wox his powermair and mair,And he thoucht weill that he wald fair392Outour the Monthwith his menyhe,To luk quha that his frend wald be.In-toSchir Alexandir the FreserHe trastit, for thai cosyngis wer,396Andhis brothir Symon, thai twa.He had myster weill of ma,For he hade fais mony ane;Schir Johne CumyneErll of Bouchane,400AndSchir Johne the Mowbraysyne,And gudSchir David of Brechyne,With all the folk in thair leding,War fayis to the nobill King.404And, for he wist thai war his fayis,His viage northwardis he tais;For he wald se quhat-kyn endingThai walde mak of thair manasing.408How the Good King Robert the Bruce passed North beyond the Mounth.Theking buskit and maid him yhar,Northwardis with his men to fair.His brothir can he with hym ta,And Schir Gilbert de le Hay alsua;412The Erll of Lennaxals wes thar,That with the King was our all quhar;Schir Robert Boydand othir ma.The King can furth his wais ta,416And left James of Douglas,With all the folk that with him was,Behynd hym, for till luk gif heMicht recover his cuntre.420He left him in-to gret perill;Bot eftir, in ane litill quhill,Throu his gret worschip sa he wrocht,That to the Kingis pes he brocht424The forest of Selcrykall hale,And alsua did he Douglasdale,AndGedword forestalsua.[†]And quha sa weill on hand couth ta428To tell his worschippis ane and ane,He suld fynd of thaim mony ane.For in his tym, as men said me,Threttene tymes vencust wes he,432And victory wan sevin and fifty.He semyt nocht lang ydill to ly,Be his travale he had na will;Me think men suld him luf of skill.436Here Sir James wins Many Men, and makes First a Train on the Castle.1307The Activity of DouglasThis James, quhen the King wes gane,All prevely his men has tane,And went to Douglasdaill agane,And maid all prevely a trane440Till thaim that in the castell war.A buschement slely maid he thair;And of his men fourteyn and maHe gert, as thai war, sekkis ta444Fillit with gyrs, and syne thame layApon thair hors, and hald thair wayRicht as thai wald toLanrik fair,Otow quhar the enbuschement war.448And quhen thai of the castell sawSo feill ladisgang on raw,Of that sight war thai wondir fayn,And tald it to thair capitane,452That hichtSchir Johne off Webitoune.He wes bath yhoung, stout, and felloun,Richt joly als, and volageous;And for that he was amourous,456He wald ysche fer the blithlyer.He gert his men all tak thar ger,And yschit to get that vittale,For thar vittale all fast couth fale.460Thai yschit all abaundanly,And prikit furth sa wilfullyTo win the ladis at thai saw pas,Quhill that Douglas with his men was464All betuix thame and the castell.The layd-men that persavit weillThai kest thair ladis doun in hy,And thair gownys deliverly,468That helit thame, thai kest away,And in gret hy thair hors hint thai,And stert upon thame sturdely,And met thair fayis with a cry;472That had gret woundir, quhen thai sawThaim that war ere lurkand full law,Cum apon thame so hardely,Thai wox abasyd suddandly,476And at the castell wald haf beyn.Quhen thai, on the othir haf, has seynDouglas brek his enbuschement,That agane thame rycht stoutly went,480Thai wist nocht quhat till do no say.Thar fayis at thair hand saw thai,[†]That strak on thame forout sparing,And thai mycht help thaim-self no thing,484Bot fled to warrand quhar thai mocht;And thai so angirly on thame socht,That of thame all eschapit nane.Schir Jhone of Webitoun thar wes slaine;488And quhen he ded wes, as yhe her,Thai fand in-till his awmenerA letter, that him send ane lady[†]That he lufitper drowry;492The letter spak on this maner[†]*493That said, quhen he had yhemyt a yherIn wer, as ane gud bachiller,And governit weill, in all maner,*495The aventurus castell off Douglas,That to kepe so perelous was,496Than mycht he weill ask ane ladyHir amouris and hir drowry.1307Douglas destroys his CastleThe letter spak on this maner.And quhen thai slayn on this wis wer,500Douglas richt to the castell raid,And thair so gret debate he maid,That in the castell enterit he.I wat nocht all the certante,504Quhethir it wes throu strinth or slicht,Bot he wrocht swa, throu his gret mycht,[†]That the constabill and all the lafeThat war thar-in, bath man and knaf,508He tuk, and gaf thame dispending,And send thame hame, but mair greving,Till the Cliffurde in thair cuntre.Ande syne so besely wrocht he,512That he all tumlit doune the wall,And distroit the hous all:Syne till the Forest held his way,Quhar he had mony harde assay,516And mony fair poynt of wer befell;Quha couth thame all rehers and tell,He suld say that his name suld beLestande in full gret renoune.[†]520BOOK IXHow Good King Robert lay Sick in Inverury.Nowleif we in-to the ForestDouglas, that sall haf litil rest,Till the cuntre deliverit beOf Inglis men and thair pouste:4And turne we to the nobill Kyng;That, with the folk of his leding,Toward the Month has tane the wayRicht stoutly, in-to gud aray;8Quhar Alysandir Freser him met,And als his brothir, Symon het,With all the folk thai with thaim hade.The Kyng gud counternans thaim maid,12That wes richt blith of thair cummyng.Thai tald the King all the covyngOf Jhone Cumyne the Erll of Bouchane,That till help him had with him tane16Schir John Mowbra and othir ma,Schir David the Brechyne alsua,With all the folk of thair leding,“And yharnis mair than ony thing20“Vengeans on yhow, Schir Kyng, to tak,“For Schir John the Cumynis sak,“That quhilom in Drumfreis wes slayn.”The King said, ‘Sa our lord me sayn,24‘I had gret caus hym for to slay.‘And syn that thai on hand will ta,‘Becaus of hym, to warra me,‘I sall thoill all a quhile, and se28‘On quhat wis that thai preif thar mycht.‘And gif it fall at thai will ficht,‘Giff thai assalyhe we mon defend;‘Syne fall quhatevir that God will send.’32Eftir this spek the Kyng in hyHeld straucht the way tillEnverrowry:And thair him tuk sic ane seiknes,That put him till full hard distres,36That he forbare bath drink and met.His men no medicine couth getThat evir mycht to the King availyhe.His strinth so haly can him falyhe,40That he mycht nouthir ryde no ga.Than, wit yhe weill his, men wes wa!For nane wes in that cumpany,That wald haf beyn half so sary44For till half seyn his brothir dedLyand befor hym in that sted,As thai war all for his sekness;For all thair confort in him wes.48But gud Schir Edward the worthy,His brothir that wes so hardy,And wis and wicht, set mekill paynTo confort thame with all his mayn.52And quhen the lordis that war thairSaw that the evill ay mair and mairTravalit the King, thai thoucht in hyIt war nocht speidfull thair to ly:56For thair all playn wes the cuntre,And thai war bot ane few menyheTo ly, but strinth, in-to the playn.For-thi, till that thair capitane60War coverit of his mekill ill,Thai thoucht to wend sum strinth soyn til.1307The Importance of a CaptainFor folk for-outen capitane,Bot thai the bettir bea-pane,64Sall nocht be all so gud in deid,As thai ane lord had thame to leid,That dar put him in aventure,But abasing, to tak the ure68That God will send: for quhen that heIs of sic will and sic bounte,That he dar put him till assay,His folk sall tak ensampill ay72Of his gud deid and his bounte,That ane of thame sall be worth threOf thame that wikkid chiftane has;His wrechidnes so in thame gais,76That thai thair manlynes sall tyneThrou wrechidnes of his covyne.For quhen the lord at thame suld leid,May do nocht bot as he war ded,80Or fra his folk haldis his wayFleand, trow yhe nocht than that thaiSall vencust in thair hertis be?Yhus, sall thai, as I trow, per de,84Bot gif thair hertis be so hyeThai will nocht for thair worschip fle.And thouch sum be of sic bounte,Quhen thai the lord and his menyhe88Seis fle, yhit sall thai fle a-payn;For all men fleis the ded richt fayn.Se quhat he dois, that swa fowlyFleis thus for his cowardy!92Bath him and his, vencust is he,And gerris his fayis abovin be.Bot he that, throu his gret nobillay,To perellis him abawndonys ay96For to reconfort his menyhe,Gerris thame be of so gret bounte,That mony tym unlikly thingThai bring richt weill to gud ending.100So did this King that I of reid,And, for his outrageous manheid,Confortit his men on sic maneir,That nane had radnes quhar he wer.104*Thai wald nocht ficht quhill that he wesLiand in-till sic seiknes;Tharfor in littar thai him lay,And tillthe Slevachheld their way,And thoucht thair in that strinth to ly,108Till passit war his malady.Here the Earl of Buchan gathers against the King.NOV.-DEC.1307Skirmishing at SlevachBotfra the Erll of BouchaneWist that thai war thiddir gane,And wist that swa seik wes the King112That men doutit of his coveryng,He send eftir his men in hy,And assemblit gret cumpany.For all his awne men war thar,116And als frendiswith him war;That wesSchir Johne the Mowbray,And his brothir, as I herd say,And als Schir David of Brechyne,120With fele folk in thair leding.And quhan thai all assemblit war,In hy thai tuk thair way till fairTo the Slevach, with all thar men,124For till assaill the King, that thenWes liand in-till his seiknes.This was eftir theMartymes,Quhen snaw had helit all the land.128To the Slevach thai com neirhand,Arayit on thair best maneir.And than the Kingis men, that werWar of thair com, thame apparalit132Till defend, gif thai thame assalit.And nocht-for-thi thair fayis warAy twa for ane that thai war thair.The Erlis men neir cumande war,136Trumpand and makand mekill fair,And maid knychtis quhen thai war neir.And thai, that in the wodsyde weir,Stude in aray richt sarraly,140And thoucht to byde thair hardelyThe cummyng of thair enymys.Bot thai wald apon nakyn wisYsche till assale thame in fichting,144Till coverit war the nobill Kyng.Bot gif othir wald thame assalyhe,Thai wald defend, avalyhe que valyhe.[†]And quhen the Erlis cumpany148Saw that thai wroucht so besaly,That thai that strinth schup to defend,Thair archaris furth to thame thai sendTo bykkir thame, as men of mayn.152Andthai sendarcharis thame agayn,That bykkirrit thame so sturdely,Till thai of the Erlis partyIn-to thair battale withdrawin war.156Thre dayis on this wis lay thai thar,And bikkirrit thame evirilke day:Bot thar bowmen the wer had ay.And quhen the Kingis cumpany160Saw thair fayis befor thame ly,That ilka day wox ma and ma,And thai war quhoyn, and stad war swaThat thai had no-thing for to et,164Bot gif thai travalit it to get,Tharfor thai tuk consale in hyThat thai wald thar no langer ly,Bot hald thair way quhar thai mycht get,168Till thaim and thairis vittale and met.In a littar the Kyng thai lay,And redyit thame and held thar way,That all thair fayis mycht thame se;172Ilk man buskit in his degre,To ficht gif thai assalyheit war.In myddis thame the King thai bair,And yheid about hym sarraly,176And nocht full gretly can thame hy.The Erll, and thai that with him war,Saw that thai buskit thame to fair;And saw how with so litill affray180Thai held furth with the King thar way,Reddy to ficht quha walde assale,Thair hertis allbegouth to fale,And in pes let thame pas thar way,184And till thair hous hame went thai.How the King discomfited at InveruryThe Earl of Buchan shamefully.DEC.23, 1307Brechin attacks at InveruryTheErll his way tuk to Bouchane;And Schir Edward the Broys is ganeRicht toStrabogy, with the Kyng;188And swa lang thair maid sojornyng,Till he begouth tocover and ga,And syne thair wayis can thai taTill Enverrowry straucht agane;192For thai wald ly in-till the plane,The wyntir sesoune; for vittaleIn-to the playn mycht nocht thame fale.The Erll wist that thai war thar,196And gaderit his menyhe heir and thar,Brechyne, Mowbra, and thair men,All to the Erll assemblit then,And war a full gret cumpany200Of men arayit jolely.TillAld Meldromthai held the way,And thar with thair men lugit thai,Before Yhoill-evyn ane nychtbot mair;204And thousand, trow I weill, thai war.Thai lugit thame all thair that nycht;And on the morn, quhen day wes licht,The lord of Brechine, Schir Davy,208Is went towart Inverrowry,To luk gyff he on ony wys[†]Mycht do skaith till his ennemys.In-to the end of Enverrowry212He com ridand so suddandly,That of the Kingis men he slewA part, and othir-sum thaim withdrew,And fled thair way toward the King,216That, with the mast of his gaderyng,On yhond half doun wes than lyand.And quhen men tald him the tithand,How Schir David had slayn his men,220His hors in hy he askitthen,And bad his men all mak thame yhareIn-to gret hy, for he wald fareTo bargane with his enymys.224With that he buskit for to ris,That wes nocht all weill coverit then.Then said sum of his preve men;“Quhat think yhe, Schir, thusgat to fair228“To ficht, and yheit nocht coverit ar?”‘Yhis,’ said the Kyng, ‘forouten wer;‘Thair bost has maid me haill and fer.‘For suld no medicine so soyne232‘Haff coverit me, as thai haf done.‘Tharfor, sa God him-self me se!‘I sall outhir haf thaim, or thai me.’And quhen his men has herd the King236Set him so haill for the fechting,Of his covering all blith thai war,And maid thame for the battale yhar.Here the Earl of Buchan flies, and Sir David Brechin yields himself to the King.Thenobill King ande his menyhe,240That mycht weill neir sevin hundreth be,Toward Ald Meldrome tuk the way,Quhar the Erll and his menyhe lay.The discurrouris saw thame comande244With baneris to the wynd wafand;And tald it to thar lord in hy,That gert arm his men hastely,And thame arayit for battale.248Behynd thame set thai tharmerdale,And maid gude sembland for the ficht.The King com on with mekill mycht;And thai abaid, makand gret fair,252Till thai neir at assemble war.Bot quhen thai saw the nobill KingCum stoutly on without stinting,A litill on bridill thai thaim with-drew;256And the King, that rycht weill knew[†]That thai war all discumfit neir,Pressit on thame with his baneir;And thai with-drew thaim mair and mair.260And quhen the small folk thai had thar,Saw thair lordis with-draw thame swa,Thai turnit thar bak all, and to-ga;And fled all scalit heir and thair.264The lordis, that yheit to-giddir war,Saw that thair small folk war fleand,And saw the Kyng stoutly cumand,Thai war ilkane abasit swa,268That thai the bakkis gaf, and to-ga.A litill stound sammyn held thai,And syne ilk man has tane his way.DEC.23, 1307Buchan is DefeatedFell nevir men so foull myschans272Eftir so sturdy cuntyrnans.For quhen the Kyngis cumpanySaw at thai fled so fowlely,Thai chasyt thame with all thar mayn,276And sum thai tuk, and sum war slayn.The remanand war fleand ay;Quha had gud hors gat best away!Till Ingland fled the Erll of Bouchane,280Schir Johne Mowbray is with him gane,And war resettit with the King.Bot thai had bath bot schort lesting,For thai deit soyn eftir syne.284And Schir David of BrechyneFled to Brechine, his awn castele,And warnyst it bath fair and wele.Bot the Erll of Adell Davy,288His sone that wes in Kyldromy,Com syne, and him assegit thar.And he, that wald hald weyr no mair,Nor bargane with the nobill Kyng,292Com syne his manwith gud treting.Here the King burns all Buchan, and gets the Castle of Forfar and destroys it.Nowga we to the King agane,That of his victor wes richt fane,And gert his men burnall Bouchane296Fra end till end, and sparit nane;And heryit thame on sic maneir,That eftir that, weile fifty yheir,[†]Men menyt “the heirschip of Bouchane.”300The King than till his pes has taneThe north cuntre, that humyllyObeysit till his senyhory.Swa that be north the Month war nane304That thai ne war his men ilkane.His lordschip wox ay mair and mair.Toward Angusthan couth he fair,And thoucht soyn to mak all fre308Apon north halfthe Scottis Se.[†]The castell of Forfer wes thenStuffit all with Inglis men.BotPhilip the Forster of Platan312Has of his frendis with him tane,And with ledderis all prevelyTo the castell he can hym hy,And clam out-our the wall of stane,316And swagat has the castell tan,Throu falt of wach, with litill payn.And syn all that he fand has slayn:Syne yhald the castell to the King,320That maid hym richt gud rewarding,And syne gert brek doune the wall,And fordid well and castell all.How Good King Robert the Bruce besieged the Town of Perth.JAN.1313Perth is too Strong for AssaultQwhenthat the castell of Forfar,324And all the towris tumlit warDoun to the erd, as I haf tald,The wis king, that wes wicht and bauld,That thoucht that he wald mak all fre328Apon north half the Scottis Se,Till Perth is wentwith all his rout,And umbeset the toune about,And till it has ane sege soyn set.332Bot quhill it mycht haf men and met,It mycht nocht, but gret payn, be taneForthe wallis war all of stane,With thik towris and hye standand.336And that tym war thar-in duellandMoffat, and alsOlyfard;[†]Thai twa the toun had all in ward.Of Strathern als the Erllwes thar;340Bot his sone and of his men warWithout, in-to the Kingis rout.Thar wes oft bikkyrring stith and stout,And men slayn apon ilk party.344Bot the gud King, that all vittyWe in his dedis evirilkane,Saw the wall so stith of stane,And saw defens at thai can ma,348And how the toun wes hard to taWith oppyn assale, be strinth or mycht,Tharfor he thoucht to wirk with slicht.And all the tym that he thair lay352He spyit, and slely gert assayQuhar ofthe dikthe schawdest was;Till at the last he fand a placeThat men mycht to thair schulderis waid.356And quhen he that place fundyn had,He gert his menyhe busk ilkane,Quhen sex woukis of the sege wes gane.[†]Thai tursit thair harnas halely,360And left the sege all oppinly,And furth with all his folk can fair,As he wald do thar-to no mair.Here he gets it with Jeopardy.And thai that war within the toune,364Quhen thai to fair so saw him boune,Thai schowtit hym and scornyng maid;And he furth on his wayis raid,As he na will had agane to turne,368Na besyde thame to mak sojorne.Bot in aucht dais nocht-for-thi,He gertmak ledderisprevely,That mycht suffice till his entent,372And in a myrk nycht syne is went*Toward the toun with his menyhe.[†]*Bot hors and knafis all left heFer fra the toun, and syne has tane*376*Thair ledderis, and on fut are ganeToward the toune all prevely.Thai herd no wachis spek no cry:For thai that war within, ma fall,376As men that drede nocht,slepit all.Thai had no dreid than of the King,For thai of hym herd no tithingAll thai thre dais befor and mair;380Tharfor sekir and trast thai war.And quhen the King herd thame nocht steir,He wes blith apon gret maneir;And his leddir in hand can ta,384Ensampill till his men till ma,Arayit weill in all his geir,Schot in the dik, and with his speirTastit, quhill he weill our woude,388Bot till his throt the wattir stude.JAN.1313Perth is capturedThat tym wes in his cumpanyA knycht of France, wicht and hardy;And quhen he in the wattir swa392Saw the King pas, and with him taHis leddir unabasitly,Ha sanyt him for the ferly,And said; “A Lord! quhat sall we say396“Of our lordis of France, that ay“With gud morsellis farsis thair panch,“And will bot et and drynk and dance,“Quhen sic a knycht, sa richt worthy400“As this is throu his chevelry,“In-to sic perill has hym set,“To wyn ane wrechit hamlet?”With that word to the dik he ran,404And oureftir the Kynghe wan.And quhen the Kyngis menyhe sawThar lord pas our, in-till a thrawThai passit the dik, and, but mar let,408Thair ledderis to the wall thai set;And to clym up fast pressit thai;Bot the gud Kyng, as I herd say,Wasthe tothir man that tuk the wall,412And baid thair, till his menyhe allWar cummyn our in full gret hy;Yheit rais thar nouthir nois nor cry.Bot soyn eftir thai noyis maid,416That of thame first persaving had,So that the cry rais throu the toune;Bot he, that with his men wes bouneTill assale, to the toune is went,420And the mast of his menyhe sentAll scalit throu the toun, bot heHeld with him-self a gret menyhe,Swa that he mycht be appurvait,424To defend, gif he war assayit.Bot thai, that he send throu the toune,Put soyn to gret confusiouneThair fayis, that in beddis war,428Or scalit, fleand heir and thair;That, or the sone rais, thai had taneThair fayis, or discumfit ilkane.The wardanis bath tharin war tane:432AndMalis of Strathernis ganeTill his fader, the Erll Malis,And with strinth tuk him and all his;Syne, for his sake, the nobill King436Gaf hym his land in governyng.The laif, that ran out throu the toune,Sesit to thame in gret fusiouneMen, armyng and marchandis,440And othir gudis on syndri wis;Quhill thai, that war eir pouer and bare,Of that gude rych and mychty war.Bot thair wes few slayne; for the King,444Had gevin thame in commandyng,On gret payn, thai suld slay nane,That, but gret bargane, mycht be tane;Thatthai war kynde to the cuntre448He wist, and had of thame pite.Onthis maner the toun wes tane.And syne the towris everilkaneAndwallis gert he tummyll doune:452He levit nocht about that touneTour standand, stane no wall,That he na haly gert distroy all.And presoneris, that thair tuk he,456He send quhar thai mycht haldin be,And till his pes tuk all the land;Wes nane that durst him than withstand.Here All Scots obey the King except Lorn.Apon north half the Scottis Se460Obeysit alltill his majeste,Outane the Lord of Lorn, and thaiOf Argile that wald with him ga.He held evir agane the King,464And hatit hyme atour all thing.Bot yheit, or all the gammyn ga,I trow weill that the King sall taVengeans of his gret cruelte,468And that him sair repent sall he,That he the King contraryit ay,May fall, quhen he no mend it may.Here Sir Edward Bruce is much commended.JUNE1308Edward Bruce is in GallowayThe Kingis brothir, quhen the towne472Wes takyn thus and doungyn doune,Schir Edward, that wes so worthy,Tuk with him a gret cumpany,And tuk his gat toward Galloway.476For with his men he walde assayGif he recover mycht that land,And wyn fra Inglis mennys hande.This Schir Edward, forsuth, I hicht,480Wes of his handis a nobill knycht,And in blithnes swet and joly;Bot he wes outrageous hardy,And of so hye undirtaking,484That he had nevir none abasingOf multitude of men; for-thiHe discumfit commonlyMony with quheyn: tharfor had he488Outour his peris renowne.And quha rehers wald all his deid,Of his hye worschipe and manheidMen mycht mony romanys mak;492And, nocht-for-thi, I think till takOn hand off hym to say sum thing,Bot nocht the tend part his travaling.This gud knycht, that I spek of heir,496With all the folkthat with hym weir,Weill soyn to Galloway cummyn is,All that he fand he maid it his;Andryotit gretly the lande.500Bot than in Galloway war wonnandSchirIngerame Umphrevell, that wesRenownit of so hye prowes,That he of worschip passit the rout:504Tharfor he gert ay ber aboutApon a sper ane red bonat,In-to the takyn that he wes setIn-to the hicht of chevelry;508Of Sanct Johneals Schir Amery.Thai twa the land had in stering,And quhen thai herd of the cummyngOf Schir Edward, that so planly512Our-raid the land, than in gret hyThai assemblit all thair menyhe.I trow twelf hundreth thai mycht be.Here Sir Edward Bruce discomfits the Englishmen at Cree.Bot he with fewar folk thaim met516Besyde Cre, and so hard thame set,With hard battale in stalwarde ficht,That he thame all put to the flicht,And slew twa hundreth wele and ma,520And the chiftanis in hy can taThair way toButtill, for till beResavit in-to gude savite.And Schir Edward thame chasit fast;524Bot till the castell at the lastGat Schir Ingerame and Schir Amery;Both the best of thair cumpanyLeft ded behynd thame in the plas.528And quhen Schir Edward saw the chasWes falit, he gert seys the pray;A swa gret cattell had away,That it war woundir for till se.532Of Buttill tour thai saw how heGert his men drif with him thar pray,Bot no let set tharin mycht thai.JUNE1308Umfraville thinks to surprise EdwardThrou his chevelrous chevelry536Galloway wes stonayit gretumly,And doutit hym for his bounte.Sum of the men of the cuntreCom till his pes, and maid him ath.540Both Schir Amery, that had the scathOf the bargane I tald of er,Raid till Ingland, and purchast therOf armyt men gret cumpany,544To venge hym of the velanyThat Schir Edwarde, the nobill knycht,Him didby Crein-till the ficht.Of gude men he assemblit thair548Weill fyftene hundreth men and mar,That war of rycht gude renowne.His way with all that folk tuk he,And in the land, all prevely,552He enterit with that chevelry;Thinkand Schir Edward to suppris,Gif that he mycht on ony wis:For he thoucht he wald him assale,556Or that he left, in playn batale.Now may yhe heir of gret ferly,And of richt hye chevelry.For Schir Edward into the land560Wes with his menyhe neir at hand;And in the mornyng richt airlyHe herd the cuntre men mak cry,And had wittering of thair cummyng.564Than buskit he him but delaying.And lap on hors deliverly.He had than in his rowt fifty,Apon gude hors armyt richt weill.568His small folk gert he ilk deillWith-draw thame till a strate neir by:And he raid furth with his fifty.Here he discomfits far more manfully, that is to say, Fifteen Hundred with Fifty.A knycht, that than wes in his rout,572Worthy and wicht, stalward and stout,Curtas and fair, and of gude fame,Schir Alane of Catkertbe name,[†]Tald me this taill as I sall tell.576Gret myst in-to the mornyng fell,Swa that men mycht nocht se thaim by,For myst, ane bow-draucht fullely.Sa hapnyt that thai fand the trais,580Quhar at the rout furth passit wasOf thair fayis, that forouth raid.Schir Edward, that gret yharnyng hadAll tyme for till do chevelry,584With all his rout in full gret hy,Followit the tras quhar gane war thai:And, before myd-morne of the dayThe myst wox cleir all suddanly;588Than he and all his cumpanyWar nocht ane bow-draucht fra the rout.Than schot thai on thame with a schout;For gif thai fled, thai wist that thai592Suld nocht weill ferd part get away.Tharfor in aventure till deHe wald him put or he wald fle.And quhen the Inglis cumpany596Saw on thame cum so suddanlySic folk, forouten abasing,Thai war stonayit for affraying.And the tothir, but mair abaid,600So hardely emang thame raid,That fele of thame to erde thai bare.Richt gretly thus stonayit thai wareThrou the fors of that first assay,604That thai war in-to gret affray,And wend be fer thai had beyn ma,For that thai war assalyhit swa.And syne Schir Edwardis cumpany,608Quhen thai had thrillit thame hastely,Set stoutly in the hedis agane,And at that cours borne doun and slaneWar of thair fais a gret party,612That than affrait war so gretly,That thai war scalit gretly then.And quhen Schir Edward and his menSaw thame in-to so ill aray,616The thrid tyme on thame prikid thai.And thai that saw thame so stoutlyCum on thame, dred thame gretumly,That all thair rout, bath les and mair,620Fled, ilkane scalit, heir and thair.Wes nane emang thame so hardyTo byde, bot all comonlyFled to warand; and he can chas,624That wilfull till distroy thame was:For sum he tuk, and sum war slayn,Bot Schir Amery with mekill paynEschapit, and his gat is gane.628His men discumfit war ilkane;Sum tane, sum slayn, sum gat away.This wes a richt fair point, perfay!Sir Edward Bruce in a Year won Thirteen Castles.1308Edward Bruce subdues GallowayLo! how hardyment tane suddanly,632And drivin syne till end scharply,May ger oft-sis unlikly thyngisCum to richt fair and gud endingis!Richt as it fell in this case heir;636For hardyment, withouten weir,Wan fyftene hundreth with fifty,Quhar ay for ane thai war thretty:And twa men ar a manis her;640Bot ure thame led on sic maner,That thai discumfit war ilkane.Schir Amery hame his gate is gane,Richt blith that he so gat away.644I trow he sall nocht mony dayHave will to warra that cuntre,With-thi Schir Edward tharin be!Ande he duelt furth in-to the land,648Thame that rebelland war warrand,And in a yheir so warrait he,That he wan quytly that cuntreTill his brothiris pes, the king;652Bot that wes nocht but hard fichting.For in that time thair him befellMony fair poynt, as I herd tell,The quhilk that ar nocht writin heir.656Bot weill I wat that, in that yheir,Thretten castelliswith strynth he wan,And ourcom mony a mody man.Quha-sa the suth of hym wald reid;660Had he had mesur in his deid,I trow that worthyar than heMicht nocht in his tyme fundyn be,Outakyn his brothir anyrly,664To quhom, in-to gude chevelry,I dar peir nane wes in his day.[†]For he led hym with mesure ay,And with gret wit his chevelry668He governit ay sa worthely,That he oft full unlikly thingBrocht rycht weill to gud ending.[†]Here Sir James Douglas meets with Sir Alexander Stewart, Lord Bonkill.In all this tym James of Douglas672In the Forest travaland was,And it throu hardiment and slichtOccupyit, magre all the mychtOf his feill fayis, the-quhethir thai676Set him full oft in hard assay.Bot oft throu wit and throu bounteHis purpos to gud end brocht he.In-till that tym him fell, throu cas,680A nycht, as he travaland was,And thought for till have tan restyneIn a hous onthe wattir of Lyne;And as he com with his menyhe684Neirhand the hous, swa lisnyt he,And herd thair sawis ilke deill,[†]And be that he persavit weillAt thai war strange men at thair688That nycht thar-in herberyit wair.And as he thoucht it fell, per cas;For of Bonkill the lord thar was,Alysander Stewarthat he,692With othir ma of gret bounte,Thomas Randoleof gret renown,AndAdame alsua of Gordoun,That com thair with gret cumpany,696And thoucht in the Forest to ly,And occupy it throu thar gret mycht,Bath with travale and stallwart ficht,To chas Douglas of that cuntre;700Bot othir wayis than yheid the gle.1308Randolph is TakenFor quhen James had witteryngThat strange men had tane herbreyngIn the place quhar he schupe to ly,704He till the hous went hastely,And umbeset it all about.Quhen thai within herd sic a routAbout the hous, thai rais in hy,708And tuk thair geir rycht hastely,And schot furth, fra thai harnast war.Thair fayis thaim met with wapnys bar,And assalyheit richt hardely;712And thai defendit douchtelyWith all thair mycht, till at the lastThar fais pressit thame so fast,That thair folk falyheit thame ilkane.716Thomas Randoll thar wes tane;And Alexander Stewarde alsuaWes woundit in a place or twa.Adame of Gordoun fra the ficht,720Quhat throu slicht and quhat throu mycht,Eschapit, and feill of his men;Bot thai that war arestit then,War of thair taking woundir wa;724Bot nedlyngis thame behufit be swa.Here Sir James Douglas comes to the King with Sir Alexander Stewart and Thomas Randolph.That nycht the gud lord of DouglasMaid to Schir Alysander, that wasHis emys son, richt gladsum cheir:728Sa did he als, forouten weir,Till Thomas Randole, for that heWes till the King in neir degreOf blude, for his sister him bare.732And on the morn, forouten mare,Toward the nobill King he raid,And with him bath thai twa he had.The King of his cummyng wes blith,736And thankit him tharof feill sith.And till his nevo can he say,“Thou has a quhill renyit thi fay;“Bot thou reconsalit now mon be.”740Then to the King soyn anseurd he,And saide, ‘Yhe chasty me, bot yhe‘Aw bettir chastyit for till be.‘For sen that yhe warrait the King744‘Of Ingland in-to playn fichting‘Yhe suld pres till derenyhe yhour richt,‘And nocht with voidre na with slicht.’The King said; “Yheit may fall it may748“Cum, or oucht lang, to sic assay.“Bot sen thou spekis so ryaly,“It is gret skill at men chasty“Thi prowd wourdis till at thou knaw752“The richt, and bow it as thou aw.”The King, for-out mair delaying,Send hym to be in ferm keping,Quhar that he all a quhill suld be,756Nocht all apon his awn pouste.BOOK XHere the King passes against John of Lorn.1308John of Lorn occupies a PassQwhenThomas Randol, on this wisWes takyn, as I heir devis,And send to duell in gud keping,For the speke he spak to the King;4The gud King, that thoucht on the scath,The dispit and felony bath,That John of Lorne had till him done,His host assemblit he than soyn,8Andtoward Lornhe tuk the way,With his men in-to gude aray.Bot Johne of Lorn of his cummyng,Lang or he com, had witteryng;12And men on ilk syde gaderit he,I trowtwa thousandthai mycht be;And send thame for to stop the way,Quhar the King behufit to ga:16And that wes inane evill place,That so strat and so narrow was,That twa men sammyn mycht nocht rydeIn sum place of the hyllis syde.20The nethir half wes perelous;For a schoir crag, hye and hyduous,Raucht till the se, doun fra the pas.On the owthir half ane montane was24So cumrous and ek so stay,That it wes hard to pas that way.Crechanbenhecht that montane.I trow that nocht in all Bretane,28Aye hyer hill may fundyn be.Thar Johne of Lorne gert his menyheEnbuschit be abovyn the way;For, gif the gud King held that way,32He thoucht he suld soyn vencust be;And hym-self held hymon the se,Weill neir the pas with his galays.Bot the King, that in all assays36Wes fundyn wis and averte,Persavit thair subtilite,And that he neid that gat suld ga.His men departit he in twa;40And to the gud lorde of Douglas,Quham in all wit and worschip was,He taucht the archaris evirilkane.And this gud lord has with him tane44Schir Alysander Freser the wicht,AndWilliame Wisman, a gud knycht,And with thame gudSchir Androu Gray:Thir with thair menyhe held thar way,48And clam the hill delyverly.And, or thai of the tothir partyPersavit thame, thai had ilkaneThe hicht abovyn thair fayis tane.52Here the King meets with John of Lorn’s Company.1308The Fight for the BridgeThe King and his men held thar way,And quhen in-to the pas war thaiEnterit, the folk off Lorne in hyApon the King rasit ane cry,56And schot, and tumlit on hym stanys,Richt gret and hevy for the nanys.Bot thai scathit nocht gretly the King;For he had thar, in his leding,60Men that licht and delyver war,And licht arming had on thaim thar,Swa that thai stoutly clam the hill,And lettit thair fayis to fullfill64The mast part off thar felony.And als, apon the tothir party,Com James of Douglas and his rout,And schot apon thame with a schout,68And woundit thame with arrowis fast.Syne with thair swerdis, at the last,Thai ruschit emang thame hardely.For thai of Lorn, full manlely,[†]72Grete and apert defens can ma.Bet quhen thai saw at thai war swaAssalyheit apon twa parteis,And saw weill that thair enymyis76Had all the farer off the ficht,In full gret hy thai tuk the flicht.And thai a felloun chas can ma,And slew all at thai mycht ourta.80And thai that mycht eschap, perfay,[†]Richt tillane wattirheld thair way,That ran doun by the hillis syde,And wes rycht styth, bath deip and wyde,84That men in na place mycht it pasBot at ane brig beneth thaim was.To that brig held thai fast thair way,Andtill brek itcan fast assay.88Bot thai that chassit, quhen thai thaim saw,Mak thair arest, but dreid or awThai ruschit apon thame hardely,And discumfit thame utrely,92And held the brig haill, quhill the King,With all the folk of his leding,Passit the bryg all at thair ese.Till Johne of Lorne it suld displese,96I trow, quhen he his men mycht se,Out of his schippis fra the se,Be slayn and chassit fra the hill,And he mycht set no help thar-till.100For it angeris als gretumly,To gud hertis that ar worthy,Till se thair fais fulfill thair will,As to thame-self to thole the ill.104

MAY, 1307The Rejoicing of the Scots

Thefolk fled apon this manerFor-outen arest, and Schir Amer356Agane to Bothwell is he gane,Menand the scath that he had tane;Sa schamfull that he vencust wes,That till Inglande in hy he gais360Richt till the King, and schamfullyHe gaf up thar his wardanry.Na never syne, for na kyne thing,Bot gif he com richt with the King,364Com he to warra Scotland.Sa hevely he tuk on hand,That the King, in set battalyhe,With a quheyn lik poueralyhe,368Vencust him with a gret menyhe,That wes renownit of gret bounte.Sic anoy had Schir Amery:And King Robert, that wes hardy,372Abaid all still in-to the plas,Till that his men left all the chas;Syne with presoners that thai had tane,[†]Thai ar towart thair innys gane,376Fast lovand God of thair weillfair.Men mycht haf seyn, quha had beyn thair,A folk that mery war and gladFor thair victour; and als thai haid380A lord so swet and deboner,[†]So curtas, and of sa fair effer,So blith als, and so weill bowrdand,And in battale so stith to stand,384So wis, and richt sua avise,That thai had gret caus blith to be.So war thai blith forouten dout;For feill, that wonnyt thaim about,388Fra thai the King saw help him swa,Till him thar homage can thai ma.Than wox his powermair and mair,And he thoucht weill that he wald fair392Outour the Monthwith his menyhe,To luk quha that his frend wald be.In-toSchir Alexandir the FreserHe trastit, for thai cosyngis wer,396Andhis brothir Symon, thai twa.He had myster weill of ma,For he hade fais mony ane;Schir Johne CumyneErll of Bouchane,400AndSchir Johne the Mowbraysyne,And gudSchir David of Brechyne,With all the folk in thair leding,War fayis to the nobill King.404And, for he wist thai war his fayis,His viage northwardis he tais;For he wald se quhat-kyn endingThai walde mak of thair manasing.408

Theking buskit and maid him yhar,Northwardis with his men to fair.His brothir can he with hym ta,And Schir Gilbert de le Hay alsua;412The Erll of Lennaxals wes thar,That with the King was our all quhar;Schir Robert Boydand othir ma.The King can furth his wais ta,416And left James of Douglas,With all the folk that with him was,Behynd hym, for till luk gif heMicht recover his cuntre.420He left him in-to gret perill;Bot eftir, in ane litill quhill,Throu his gret worschip sa he wrocht,That to the Kingis pes he brocht424The forest of Selcrykall hale,And alsua did he Douglasdale,AndGedword forestalsua.[†]And quha sa weill on hand couth ta428To tell his worschippis ane and ane,He suld fynd of thaim mony ane.For in his tym, as men said me,Threttene tymes vencust wes he,432And victory wan sevin and fifty.He semyt nocht lang ydill to ly,Be his travale he had na will;Me think men suld him luf of skill.436

1307The Activity of Douglas

This James, quhen the King wes gane,All prevely his men has tane,And went to Douglasdaill agane,And maid all prevely a trane440Till thaim that in the castell war.A buschement slely maid he thair;And of his men fourteyn and maHe gert, as thai war, sekkis ta444Fillit with gyrs, and syne thame layApon thair hors, and hald thair wayRicht as thai wald toLanrik fair,Otow quhar the enbuschement war.448And quhen thai of the castell sawSo feill ladisgang on raw,Of that sight war thai wondir fayn,And tald it to thair capitane,452That hichtSchir Johne off Webitoune.He wes bath yhoung, stout, and felloun,Richt joly als, and volageous;And for that he was amourous,456He wald ysche fer the blithlyer.He gert his men all tak thar ger,And yschit to get that vittale,For thar vittale all fast couth fale.460Thai yschit all abaundanly,And prikit furth sa wilfullyTo win the ladis at thai saw pas,Quhill that Douglas with his men was464All betuix thame and the castell.The layd-men that persavit weillThai kest thair ladis doun in hy,And thair gownys deliverly,468That helit thame, thai kest away,And in gret hy thair hors hint thai,And stert upon thame sturdely,And met thair fayis with a cry;472That had gret woundir, quhen thai sawThaim that war ere lurkand full law,Cum apon thame so hardely,Thai wox abasyd suddandly,476And at the castell wald haf beyn.Quhen thai, on the othir haf, has seynDouglas brek his enbuschement,That agane thame rycht stoutly went,480Thai wist nocht quhat till do no say.Thar fayis at thair hand saw thai,[†]That strak on thame forout sparing,And thai mycht help thaim-self no thing,484Bot fled to warrand quhar thai mocht;And thai so angirly on thame socht,That of thame all eschapit nane.Schir Jhone of Webitoun thar wes slaine;488And quhen he ded wes, as yhe her,Thai fand in-till his awmenerA letter, that him send ane lady[†]That he lufitper drowry;492The letter spak on this maner[†]*493That said, quhen he had yhemyt a yherIn wer, as ane gud bachiller,And governit weill, in all maner,*495The aventurus castell off Douglas,That to kepe so perelous was,496Than mycht he weill ask ane ladyHir amouris and hir drowry.

1307Douglas destroys his Castle

The letter spak on this maner.And quhen thai slayn on this wis wer,500Douglas richt to the castell raid,And thair so gret debate he maid,That in the castell enterit he.I wat nocht all the certante,504Quhethir it wes throu strinth or slicht,Bot he wrocht swa, throu his gret mycht,[†]That the constabill and all the lafeThat war thar-in, bath man and knaf,508He tuk, and gaf thame dispending,And send thame hame, but mair greving,Till the Cliffurde in thair cuntre.Ande syne so besely wrocht he,512That he all tumlit doune the wall,And distroit the hous all:Syne till the Forest held his way,Quhar he had mony harde assay,516And mony fair poynt of wer befell;Quha couth thame all rehers and tell,He suld say that his name suld beLestande in full gret renoune.[†]520

Nowleif we in-to the ForestDouglas, that sall haf litil rest,Till the cuntre deliverit beOf Inglis men and thair pouste:4And turne we to the nobill Kyng;That, with the folk of his leding,Toward the Month has tane the wayRicht stoutly, in-to gud aray;8Quhar Alysandir Freser him met,And als his brothir, Symon het,With all the folk thai with thaim hade.The Kyng gud counternans thaim maid,12That wes richt blith of thair cummyng.Thai tald the King all the covyngOf Jhone Cumyne the Erll of Bouchane,That till help him had with him tane16Schir John Mowbra and othir ma,Schir David the Brechyne alsua,With all the folk of thair leding,“And yharnis mair than ony thing20“Vengeans on yhow, Schir Kyng, to tak,“For Schir John the Cumynis sak,“That quhilom in Drumfreis wes slayn.”The King said, ‘Sa our lord me sayn,24‘I had gret caus hym for to slay.‘And syn that thai on hand will ta,‘Becaus of hym, to warra me,‘I sall thoill all a quhile, and se28‘On quhat wis that thai preif thar mycht.‘And gif it fall at thai will ficht,‘Giff thai assalyhe we mon defend;‘Syne fall quhatevir that God will send.’32

Eftir this spek the Kyng in hyHeld straucht the way tillEnverrowry:And thair him tuk sic ane seiknes,That put him till full hard distres,36That he forbare bath drink and met.His men no medicine couth getThat evir mycht to the King availyhe.His strinth so haly can him falyhe,40That he mycht nouthir ryde no ga.Than, wit yhe weill his, men wes wa!For nane wes in that cumpany,That wald haf beyn half so sary44For till half seyn his brothir dedLyand befor hym in that sted,As thai war all for his sekness;For all thair confort in him wes.48

But gud Schir Edward the worthy,His brothir that wes so hardy,And wis and wicht, set mekill paynTo confort thame with all his mayn.52And quhen the lordis that war thairSaw that the evill ay mair and mairTravalit the King, thai thoucht in hyIt war nocht speidfull thair to ly:56For thair all playn wes the cuntre,And thai war bot ane few menyheTo ly, but strinth, in-to the playn.For-thi, till that thair capitane60War coverit of his mekill ill,Thai thoucht to wend sum strinth soyn til.

1307The Importance of a Captain

For folk for-outen capitane,Bot thai the bettir bea-pane,64Sall nocht be all so gud in deid,As thai ane lord had thame to leid,That dar put him in aventure,But abasing, to tak the ure68That God will send: for quhen that heIs of sic will and sic bounte,That he dar put him till assay,His folk sall tak ensampill ay72Of his gud deid and his bounte,That ane of thame sall be worth threOf thame that wikkid chiftane has;His wrechidnes so in thame gais,76That thai thair manlynes sall tyneThrou wrechidnes of his covyne.For quhen the lord at thame suld leid,May do nocht bot as he war ded,80Or fra his folk haldis his wayFleand, trow yhe nocht than that thaiSall vencust in thair hertis be?Yhus, sall thai, as I trow, per de,84Bot gif thair hertis be so hyeThai will nocht for thair worschip fle.And thouch sum be of sic bounte,Quhen thai the lord and his menyhe88Seis fle, yhit sall thai fle a-payn;For all men fleis the ded richt fayn.Se quhat he dois, that swa fowlyFleis thus for his cowardy!92Bath him and his, vencust is he,And gerris his fayis abovin be.Bot he that, throu his gret nobillay,To perellis him abawndonys ay96For to reconfort his menyhe,Gerris thame be of so gret bounte,That mony tym unlikly thingThai bring richt weill to gud ending.100

So did this King that I of reid,And, for his outrageous manheid,Confortit his men on sic maneir,That nane had radnes quhar he wer.104*Thai wald nocht ficht quhill that he wesLiand in-till sic seiknes;Tharfor in littar thai him lay,And tillthe Slevachheld their way,And thoucht thair in that strinth to ly,108Till passit war his malady.

NOV.-DEC.1307Skirmishing at Slevach

Botfra the Erll of BouchaneWist that thai war thiddir gane,And wist that swa seik wes the King112That men doutit of his coveryng,He send eftir his men in hy,And assemblit gret cumpany.For all his awne men war thar,116And als frendiswith him war;That wesSchir Johne the Mowbray,And his brothir, as I herd say,And als Schir David of Brechyne,120With fele folk in thair leding.And quhan thai all assemblit war,In hy thai tuk thair way till fairTo the Slevach, with all thar men,124For till assaill the King, that thenWes liand in-till his seiknes.This was eftir theMartymes,Quhen snaw had helit all the land.128To the Slevach thai com neirhand,Arayit on thair best maneir.And than the Kingis men, that werWar of thair com, thame apparalit132Till defend, gif thai thame assalit.And nocht-for-thi thair fayis warAy twa for ane that thai war thair.The Erlis men neir cumande war,136Trumpand and makand mekill fair,And maid knychtis quhen thai war neir.And thai, that in the wodsyde weir,Stude in aray richt sarraly,140And thoucht to byde thair hardelyThe cummyng of thair enymys.Bot thai wald apon nakyn wisYsche till assale thame in fichting,144Till coverit war the nobill Kyng.Bot gif othir wald thame assalyhe,Thai wald defend, avalyhe que valyhe.[†]

And quhen the Erlis cumpany148Saw that thai wroucht so besaly,That thai that strinth schup to defend,Thair archaris furth to thame thai sendTo bykkir thame, as men of mayn.152Andthai sendarcharis thame agayn,That bykkirrit thame so sturdely,Till thai of the Erlis partyIn-to thair battale withdrawin war.156Thre dayis on this wis lay thai thar,And bikkirrit thame evirilke day:Bot thar bowmen the wer had ay.And quhen the Kingis cumpany160Saw thair fayis befor thame ly,That ilka day wox ma and ma,And thai war quhoyn, and stad war swaThat thai had no-thing for to et,164Bot gif thai travalit it to get,Tharfor thai tuk consale in hyThat thai wald thar no langer ly,Bot hald thair way quhar thai mycht get,168Till thaim and thairis vittale and met.

In a littar the Kyng thai lay,And redyit thame and held thar way,That all thair fayis mycht thame se;172Ilk man buskit in his degre,To ficht gif thai assalyheit war.In myddis thame the King thai bair,And yheid about hym sarraly,176And nocht full gretly can thame hy.The Erll, and thai that with him war,Saw that thai buskit thame to fair;And saw how with so litill affray180Thai held furth with the King thar way,Reddy to ficht quha walde assale,Thair hertis allbegouth to fale,And in pes let thame pas thar way,184And till thair hous hame went thai.

How the King discomfited at InveruryThe Earl of Buchan shamefully.

DEC.23, 1307Brechin attacks at Inverury

TheErll his way tuk to Bouchane;And Schir Edward the Broys is ganeRicht toStrabogy, with the Kyng;188And swa lang thair maid sojornyng,Till he begouth tocover and ga,And syne thair wayis can thai taTill Enverrowry straucht agane;192For thai wald ly in-till the plane,The wyntir sesoune; for vittaleIn-to the playn mycht nocht thame fale.The Erll wist that thai war thar,196And gaderit his menyhe heir and thar,Brechyne, Mowbra, and thair men,All to the Erll assemblit then,And war a full gret cumpany200Of men arayit jolely.TillAld Meldromthai held the way,And thar with thair men lugit thai,Before Yhoill-evyn ane nychtbot mair;204And thousand, trow I weill, thai war.Thai lugit thame all thair that nycht;And on the morn, quhen day wes licht,The lord of Brechine, Schir Davy,208Is went towart Inverrowry,To luk gyff he on ony wys[†]Mycht do skaith till his ennemys.In-to the end of Enverrowry212He com ridand so suddandly,That of the Kingis men he slewA part, and othir-sum thaim withdrew,And fled thair way toward the King,216That, with the mast of his gaderyng,On yhond half doun wes than lyand.And quhen men tald him the tithand,How Schir David had slayn his men,220His hors in hy he askitthen,And bad his men all mak thame yhareIn-to gret hy, for he wald fareTo bargane with his enymys.224With that he buskit for to ris,That wes nocht all weill coverit then.Then said sum of his preve men;“Quhat think yhe, Schir, thusgat to fair228“To ficht, and yheit nocht coverit ar?”‘Yhis,’ said the Kyng, ‘forouten wer;‘Thair bost has maid me haill and fer.‘For suld no medicine so soyne232‘Haff coverit me, as thai haf done.‘Tharfor, sa God him-self me se!‘I sall outhir haf thaim, or thai me.’And quhen his men has herd the King236Set him so haill for the fechting,Of his covering all blith thai war,And maid thame for the battale yhar.

Thenobill King ande his menyhe,240That mycht weill neir sevin hundreth be,Toward Ald Meldrome tuk the way,Quhar the Erll and his menyhe lay.The discurrouris saw thame comande244With baneris to the wynd wafand;And tald it to thar lord in hy,That gert arm his men hastely,And thame arayit for battale.248Behynd thame set thai tharmerdale,And maid gude sembland for the ficht.The King com on with mekill mycht;And thai abaid, makand gret fair,252Till thai neir at assemble war.Bot quhen thai saw the nobill KingCum stoutly on without stinting,A litill on bridill thai thaim with-drew;256And the King, that rycht weill knew[†]That thai war all discumfit neir,Pressit on thame with his baneir;And thai with-drew thaim mair and mair.260And quhen the small folk thai had thar,Saw thair lordis with-draw thame swa,Thai turnit thar bak all, and to-ga;And fled all scalit heir and thair.264The lordis, that yheit to-giddir war,Saw that thair small folk war fleand,And saw the Kyng stoutly cumand,Thai war ilkane abasit swa,268That thai the bakkis gaf, and to-ga.A litill stound sammyn held thai,And syne ilk man has tane his way.

DEC.23, 1307Buchan is Defeated

Fell nevir men so foull myschans272Eftir so sturdy cuntyrnans.For quhen the Kyngis cumpanySaw at thai fled so fowlely,Thai chasyt thame with all thar mayn,276And sum thai tuk, and sum war slayn.The remanand war fleand ay;Quha had gud hors gat best away!Till Ingland fled the Erll of Bouchane,280Schir Johne Mowbray is with him gane,And war resettit with the King.Bot thai had bath bot schort lesting,For thai deit soyn eftir syne.284And Schir David of BrechyneFled to Brechine, his awn castele,And warnyst it bath fair and wele.Bot the Erll of Adell Davy,288His sone that wes in Kyldromy,Com syne, and him assegit thar.And he, that wald hald weyr no mair,Nor bargane with the nobill Kyng,292Com syne his manwith gud treting.

Nowga we to the King agane,That of his victor wes richt fane,And gert his men burnall Bouchane296Fra end till end, and sparit nane;And heryit thame on sic maneir,That eftir that, weile fifty yheir,[†]Men menyt “the heirschip of Bouchane.”300The King than till his pes has taneThe north cuntre, that humyllyObeysit till his senyhory.Swa that be north the Month war nane304That thai ne war his men ilkane.His lordschip wox ay mair and mair.Toward Angusthan couth he fair,And thoucht soyn to mak all fre308Apon north halfthe Scottis Se.[†]The castell of Forfer wes thenStuffit all with Inglis men.BotPhilip the Forster of Platan312Has of his frendis with him tane,And with ledderis all prevelyTo the castell he can hym hy,And clam out-our the wall of stane,316And swagat has the castell tan,Throu falt of wach, with litill payn.And syn all that he fand has slayn:Syne yhald the castell to the King,320That maid hym richt gud rewarding,And syne gert brek doune the wall,And fordid well and castell all.

JAN.1313Perth is too Strong for Assault

Qwhenthat the castell of Forfar,324And all the towris tumlit warDoun to the erd, as I haf tald,The wis king, that wes wicht and bauld,That thoucht that he wald mak all fre328Apon north half the Scottis Se,Till Perth is wentwith all his rout,And umbeset the toune about,And till it has ane sege soyn set.332Bot quhill it mycht haf men and met,It mycht nocht, but gret payn, be taneForthe wallis war all of stane,With thik towris and hye standand.336And that tym war thar-in duellandMoffat, and alsOlyfard;[†]Thai twa the toun had all in ward.Of Strathern als the Erllwes thar;340Bot his sone and of his men warWithout, in-to the Kingis rout.Thar wes oft bikkyrring stith and stout,And men slayn apon ilk party.344Bot the gud King, that all vittyWe in his dedis evirilkane,Saw the wall so stith of stane,And saw defens at thai can ma,348And how the toun wes hard to taWith oppyn assale, be strinth or mycht,Tharfor he thoucht to wirk with slicht.And all the tym that he thair lay352He spyit, and slely gert assayQuhar ofthe dikthe schawdest was;Till at the last he fand a placeThat men mycht to thair schulderis waid.356And quhen he that place fundyn had,He gert his menyhe busk ilkane,Quhen sex woukis of the sege wes gane.[†]Thai tursit thair harnas halely,360And left the sege all oppinly,And furth with all his folk can fair,As he wald do thar-to no mair.

And thai that war within the toune,364Quhen thai to fair so saw him boune,Thai schowtit hym and scornyng maid;And he furth on his wayis raid,As he na will had agane to turne,368Na besyde thame to mak sojorne.Bot in aucht dais nocht-for-thi,He gertmak ledderisprevely,That mycht suffice till his entent,372And in a myrk nycht syne is went*Toward the toun with his menyhe.[†]*Bot hors and knafis all left heFer fra the toun, and syne has tane*376*Thair ledderis, and on fut are ganeToward the toune all prevely.Thai herd no wachis spek no cry:For thai that war within, ma fall,376As men that drede nocht,slepit all.Thai had no dreid than of the King,For thai of hym herd no tithingAll thai thre dais befor and mair;380Tharfor sekir and trast thai war.And quhen the King herd thame nocht steir,He wes blith apon gret maneir;And his leddir in hand can ta,384Ensampill till his men till ma,Arayit weill in all his geir,Schot in the dik, and with his speirTastit, quhill he weill our woude,388Bot till his throt the wattir stude.

JAN.1313Perth is captured

That tym wes in his cumpanyA knycht of France, wicht and hardy;And quhen he in the wattir swa392Saw the King pas, and with him taHis leddir unabasitly,Ha sanyt him for the ferly,And said; “A Lord! quhat sall we say396“Of our lordis of France, that ay“With gud morsellis farsis thair panch,“And will bot et and drynk and dance,“Quhen sic a knycht, sa richt worthy400“As this is throu his chevelry,“In-to sic perill has hym set,“To wyn ane wrechit hamlet?”With that word to the dik he ran,404And oureftir the Kynghe wan.And quhen the Kyngis menyhe sawThar lord pas our, in-till a thrawThai passit the dik, and, but mar let,408Thair ledderis to the wall thai set;And to clym up fast pressit thai;Bot the gud Kyng, as I herd say,Wasthe tothir man that tuk the wall,412And baid thair, till his menyhe allWar cummyn our in full gret hy;Yheit rais thar nouthir nois nor cry.Bot soyn eftir thai noyis maid,416That of thame first persaving had,So that the cry rais throu the toune;Bot he, that with his men wes bouneTill assale, to the toune is went,420And the mast of his menyhe sentAll scalit throu the toun, bot heHeld with him-self a gret menyhe,Swa that he mycht be appurvait,424To defend, gif he war assayit.

Bot thai, that he send throu the toune,Put soyn to gret confusiouneThair fayis, that in beddis war,428Or scalit, fleand heir and thair;That, or the sone rais, thai had taneThair fayis, or discumfit ilkane.The wardanis bath tharin war tane:432AndMalis of Strathernis ganeTill his fader, the Erll Malis,And with strinth tuk him and all his;Syne, for his sake, the nobill King436Gaf hym his land in governyng.The laif, that ran out throu the toune,Sesit to thame in gret fusiouneMen, armyng and marchandis,440And othir gudis on syndri wis;Quhill thai, that war eir pouer and bare,Of that gude rych and mychty war.Bot thair wes few slayne; for the King,444Had gevin thame in commandyng,On gret payn, thai suld slay nane,That, but gret bargane, mycht be tane;Thatthai war kynde to the cuntre448He wist, and had of thame pite.

Onthis maner the toun wes tane.And syne the towris everilkaneAndwallis gert he tummyll doune:452He levit nocht about that touneTour standand, stane no wall,That he na haly gert distroy all.And presoneris, that thair tuk he,456He send quhar thai mycht haldin be,And till his pes tuk all the land;Wes nane that durst him than withstand.

Apon north half the Scottis Se460Obeysit alltill his majeste,Outane the Lord of Lorn, and thaiOf Argile that wald with him ga.He held evir agane the King,464And hatit hyme atour all thing.Bot yheit, or all the gammyn ga,I trow weill that the King sall taVengeans of his gret cruelte,468And that him sair repent sall he,That he the King contraryit ay,May fall, quhen he no mend it may.

JUNE1308Edward Bruce is in Galloway

The Kingis brothir, quhen the towne472Wes takyn thus and doungyn doune,Schir Edward, that wes so worthy,Tuk with him a gret cumpany,And tuk his gat toward Galloway.476For with his men he walde assayGif he recover mycht that land,And wyn fra Inglis mennys hande.This Schir Edward, forsuth, I hicht,480Wes of his handis a nobill knycht,And in blithnes swet and joly;Bot he wes outrageous hardy,And of so hye undirtaking,484That he had nevir none abasingOf multitude of men; for-thiHe discumfit commonlyMony with quheyn: tharfor had he488Outour his peris renowne.And quha rehers wald all his deid,Of his hye worschipe and manheidMen mycht mony romanys mak;492And, nocht-for-thi, I think till takOn hand off hym to say sum thing,Bot nocht the tend part his travaling.

This gud knycht, that I spek of heir,496With all the folkthat with hym weir,Weill soyn to Galloway cummyn is,All that he fand he maid it his;Andryotit gretly the lande.500Bot than in Galloway war wonnandSchirIngerame Umphrevell, that wesRenownit of so hye prowes,That he of worschip passit the rout:504Tharfor he gert ay ber aboutApon a sper ane red bonat,In-to the takyn that he wes setIn-to the hicht of chevelry;508Of Sanct Johneals Schir Amery.Thai twa the land had in stering,And quhen thai herd of the cummyngOf Schir Edward, that so planly512Our-raid the land, than in gret hyThai assemblit all thair menyhe.I trow twelf hundreth thai mycht be.

Bot he with fewar folk thaim met516Besyde Cre, and so hard thame set,With hard battale in stalwarde ficht,That he thame all put to the flicht,And slew twa hundreth wele and ma,520And the chiftanis in hy can taThair way toButtill, for till beResavit in-to gude savite.And Schir Edward thame chasit fast;524Bot till the castell at the lastGat Schir Ingerame and Schir Amery;Both the best of thair cumpanyLeft ded behynd thame in the plas.528And quhen Schir Edward saw the chasWes falit, he gert seys the pray;A swa gret cattell had away,That it war woundir for till se.532Of Buttill tour thai saw how heGert his men drif with him thar pray,Bot no let set tharin mycht thai.

JUNE1308Umfraville thinks to surprise Edward

Throu his chevelrous chevelry536Galloway wes stonayit gretumly,And doutit hym for his bounte.Sum of the men of the cuntreCom till his pes, and maid him ath.540Both Schir Amery, that had the scathOf the bargane I tald of er,Raid till Ingland, and purchast therOf armyt men gret cumpany,544To venge hym of the velanyThat Schir Edwarde, the nobill knycht,Him didby Crein-till the ficht.Of gude men he assemblit thair548Weill fyftene hundreth men and mar,That war of rycht gude renowne.His way with all that folk tuk he,And in the land, all prevely,552He enterit with that chevelry;Thinkand Schir Edward to suppris,Gif that he mycht on ony wis:For he thoucht he wald him assale,556Or that he left, in playn batale.Now may yhe heir of gret ferly,And of richt hye chevelry.For Schir Edward into the land560Wes with his menyhe neir at hand;And in the mornyng richt airlyHe herd the cuntre men mak cry,And had wittering of thair cummyng.564Than buskit he him but delaying.And lap on hors deliverly.He had than in his rowt fifty,Apon gude hors armyt richt weill.568His small folk gert he ilk deillWith-draw thame till a strate neir by:And he raid furth with his fifty.

A knycht, that than wes in his rout,572Worthy and wicht, stalward and stout,Curtas and fair, and of gude fame,Schir Alane of Catkertbe name,[†]Tald me this taill as I sall tell.576Gret myst in-to the mornyng fell,Swa that men mycht nocht se thaim by,For myst, ane bow-draucht fullely.Sa hapnyt that thai fand the trais,580Quhar at the rout furth passit wasOf thair fayis, that forouth raid.Schir Edward, that gret yharnyng hadAll tyme for till do chevelry,584With all his rout in full gret hy,Followit the tras quhar gane war thai:And, before myd-morne of the dayThe myst wox cleir all suddanly;588Than he and all his cumpanyWar nocht ane bow-draucht fra the rout.Than schot thai on thame with a schout;For gif thai fled, thai wist that thai592Suld nocht weill ferd part get away.Tharfor in aventure till deHe wald him put or he wald fle.And quhen the Inglis cumpany596Saw on thame cum so suddanlySic folk, forouten abasing,Thai war stonayit for affraying.And the tothir, but mair abaid,600So hardely emang thame raid,That fele of thame to erde thai bare.Richt gretly thus stonayit thai wareThrou the fors of that first assay,604That thai war in-to gret affray,And wend be fer thai had beyn ma,For that thai war assalyhit swa.And syne Schir Edwardis cumpany,608Quhen thai had thrillit thame hastely,Set stoutly in the hedis agane,And at that cours borne doun and slaneWar of thair fais a gret party,612That than affrait war so gretly,That thai war scalit gretly then.And quhen Schir Edward and his menSaw thame in-to so ill aray,616The thrid tyme on thame prikid thai.And thai that saw thame so stoutlyCum on thame, dred thame gretumly,That all thair rout, bath les and mair,620Fled, ilkane scalit, heir and thair.Wes nane emang thame so hardyTo byde, bot all comonlyFled to warand; and he can chas,624That wilfull till distroy thame was:For sum he tuk, and sum war slayn,Bot Schir Amery with mekill paynEschapit, and his gat is gane.628His men discumfit war ilkane;Sum tane, sum slayn, sum gat away.This wes a richt fair point, perfay!

1308Edward Bruce subdues Galloway

Lo! how hardyment tane suddanly,632And drivin syne till end scharply,May ger oft-sis unlikly thyngisCum to richt fair and gud endingis!Richt as it fell in this case heir;636For hardyment, withouten weir,Wan fyftene hundreth with fifty,Quhar ay for ane thai war thretty:And twa men ar a manis her;640Bot ure thame led on sic maner,That thai discumfit war ilkane.Schir Amery hame his gate is gane,Richt blith that he so gat away.644I trow he sall nocht mony dayHave will to warra that cuntre,With-thi Schir Edward tharin be!Ande he duelt furth in-to the land,648Thame that rebelland war warrand,And in a yheir so warrait he,That he wan quytly that cuntreTill his brothiris pes, the king;652Bot that wes nocht but hard fichting.For in that time thair him befellMony fair poynt, as I herd tell,The quhilk that ar nocht writin heir.656Bot weill I wat that, in that yheir,Thretten castelliswith strynth he wan,And ourcom mony a mody man.Quha-sa the suth of hym wald reid;660Had he had mesur in his deid,I trow that worthyar than heMicht nocht in his tyme fundyn be,Outakyn his brothir anyrly,664To quhom, in-to gude chevelry,I dar peir nane wes in his day.[†]For he led hym with mesure ay,And with gret wit his chevelry668He governit ay sa worthely,That he oft full unlikly thingBrocht rycht weill to gud ending.[†]

In all this tym James of Douglas672In the Forest travaland was,And it throu hardiment and slichtOccupyit, magre all the mychtOf his feill fayis, the-quhethir thai676Set him full oft in hard assay.Bot oft throu wit and throu bounteHis purpos to gud end brocht he.In-till that tym him fell, throu cas,680A nycht, as he travaland was,And thought for till have tan restyneIn a hous onthe wattir of Lyne;And as he com with his menyhe684Neirhand the hous, swa lisnyt he,And herd thair sawis ilke deill,[†]And be that he persavit weillAt thai war strange men at thair688That nycht thar-in herberyit wair.And as he thoucht it fell, per cas;For of Bonkill the lord thar was,Alysander Stewarthat he,692With othir ma of gret bounte,Thomas Randoleof gret renown,AndAdame alsua of Gordoun,That com thair with gret cumpany,696And thoucht in the Forest to ly,And occupy it throu thar gret mycht,Bath with travale and stallwart ficht,To chas Douglas of that cuntre;700Bot othir wayis than yheid the gle.

1308Randolph is Taken

For quhen James had witteryngThat strange men had tane herbreyngIn the place quhar he schupe to ly,704He till the hous went hastely,And umbeset it all about.Quhen thai within herd sic a routAbout the hous, thai rais in hy,708And tuk thair geir rycht hastely,And schot furth, fra thai harnast war.Thair fayis thaim met with wapnys bar,And assalyheit richt hardely;712And thai defendit douchtelyWith all thair mycht, till at the lastThar fais pressit thame so fast,That thair folk falyheit thame ilkane.716Thomas Randoll thar wes tane;And Alexander Stewarde alsuaWes woundit in a place or twa.Adame of Gordoun fra the ficht,720Quhat throu slicht and quhat throu mycht,Eschapit, and feill of his men;Bot thai that war arestit then,War of thair taking woundir wa;724Bot nedlyngis thame behufit be swa.

That nycht the gud lord of DouglasMaid to Schir Alysander, that wasHis emys son, richt gladsum cheir:728Sa did he als, forouten weir,Till Thomas Randole, for that heWes till the King in neir degreOf blude, for his sister him bare.732And on the morn, forouten mare,Toward the nobill King he raid,And with him bath thai twa he had.The King of his cummyng wes blith,736And thankit him tharof feill sith.And till his nevo can he say,“Thou has a quhill renyit thi fay;“Bot thou reconsalit now mon be.”740Then to the King soyn anseurd he,And saide, ‘Yhe chasty me, bot yhe‘Aw bettir chastyit for till be.‘For sen that yhe warrait the King744‘Of Ingland in-to playn fichting‘Yhe suld pres till derenyhe yhour richt,‘And nocht with voidre na with slicht.’The King said; “Yheit may fall it may748“Cum, or oucht lang, to sic assay.“Bot sen thou spekis so ryaly,“It is gret skill at men chasty“Thi prowd wourdis till at thou knaw752“The richt, and bow it as thou aw.”The King, for-out mair delaying,Send hym to be in ferm keping,Quhar that he all a quhill suld be,756Nocht all apon his awn pouste.

1308John of Lorn occupies a Pass

QwhenThomas Randol, on this wisWes takyn, as I heir devis,And send to duell in gud keping,For the speke he spak to the King;4The gud King, that thoucht on the scath,The dispit and felony bath,That John of Lorne had till him done,His host assemblit he than soyn,8Andtoward Lornhe tuk the way,With his men in-to gude aray.Bot Johne of Lorn of his cummyng,Lang or he com, had witteryng;12And men on ilk syde gaderit he,I trowtwa thousandthai mycht be;And send thame for to stop the way,Quhar the King behufit to ga:16And that wes inane evill place,That so strat and so narrow was,That twa men sammyn mycht nocht rydeIn sum place of the hyllis syde.20The nethir half wes perelous;For a schoir crag, hye and hyduous,Raucht till the se, doun fra the pas.On the owthir half ane montane was24So cumrous and ek so stay,That it wes hard to pas that way.Crechanbenhecht that montane.I trow that nocht in all Bretane,28Aye hyer hill may fundyn be.Thar Johne of Lorne gert his menyheEnbuschit be abovyn the way;For, gif the gud King held that way,32He thoucht he suld soyn vencust be;And hym-self held hymon the se,Weill neir the pas with his galays.Bot the King, that in all assays36Wes fundyn wis and averte,Persavit thair subtilite,And that he neid that gat suld ga.His men departit he in twa;40And to the gud lorde of Douglas,Quham in all wit and worschip was,He taucht the archaris evirilkane.And this gud lord has with him tane44Schir Alysander Freser the wicht,AndWilliame Wisman, a gud knycht,And with thame gudSchir Androu Gray:Thir with thair menyhe held thar way,48And clam the hill delyverly.And, or thai of the tothir partyPersavit thame, thai had ilkaneThe hicht abovyn thair fayis tane.52

1308The Fight for the Bridge

The King and his men held thar way,And quhen in-to the pas war thaiEnterit, the folk off Lorne in hyApon the King rasit ane cry,56And schot, and tumlit on hym stanys,Richt gret and hevy for the nanys.Bot thai scathit nocht gretly the King;For he had thar, in his leding,60Men that licht and delyver war,And licht arming had on thaim thar,Swa that thai stoutly clam the hill,And lettit thair fayis to fullfill64The mast part off thar felony.And als, apon the tothir party,Com James of Douglas and his rout,And schot apon thame with a schout,68And woundit thame with arrowis fast.Syne with thair swerdis, at the last,Thai ruschit emang thame hardely.For thai of Lorn, full manlely,[†]72Grete and apert defens can ma.Bet quhen thai saw at thai war swaAssalyheit apon twa parteis,And saw weill that thair enymyis76Had all the farer off the ficht,In full gret hy thai tuk the flicht.And thai a felloun chas can ma,And slew all at thai mycht ourta.80And thai that mycht eschap, perfay,[†]Richt tillane wattirheld thair way,That ran doun by the hillis syde,And wes rycht styth, bath deip and wyde,84That men in na place mycht it pasBot at ane brig beneth thaim was.To that brig held thai fast thair way,Andtill brek itcan fast assay.88Bot thai that chassit, quhen thai thaim saw,Mak thair arest, but dreid or awThai ruschit apon thame hardely,And discumfit thame utrely,92And held the brig haill, quhill the King,With all the folk of his leding,Passit the bryg all at thair ese.Till Johne of Lorne it suld displese,96I trow, quhen he his men mycht se,Out of his schippis fra the se,Be slayn and chassit fra the hill,And he mycht set no help thar-till.100For it angeris als gretumly,To gud hertis that ar worthy,Till se thair fais fulfill thair will,As to thame-self to thole the ill.104

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