The fire ouer all the Castell spred There might with force no man it red Then they within drew to the wall That at that time was battailde all Within right as it was without That battalling withoutten doubt Saued their liues for to brake Fire blasts that them would ouertake And when their foes that mischiefe saw To armes went they in a thraw And assailled the Castell fast Where they durst come for fires blast But they within that mister had So greit defence and worthie made That they full oft their foes rushed For no kin perill they refused Nor trauell for to saue their liues But Weird that to the end all driues The Worlds things them so trauelled That they on two sids were assailled Within with fire that them so broolyied Without with folke that them so tuilyied That they brint magre theirs the Èet But for the fire that was so het They durst not enter so soone in hy Therefore their folke they gart rely And went to rest for it was night Till on the morne that day was light AT sik mischiefe as yée may sée Were they within which was pitie They them defended doughtely Contemning them so manfully That they ere day throw mekill paine Had timmered vp the Èat againe But on the morne when day was light And sunne was shinning faire and bright Then they without in haill battaile Came puruayed ready to assaile But they within they were so stad That they not meate nor fewell had Where with they might the Castell hald Treated first and syne them yald To bee into the Kings will That aye to Scottish men was ill As soone after well was knawne For they were hanged all and drawne When this Cunnand thus treated was And affirmed with sikkernesse They tooke them off the Castle soone And in short time so haue they doone That all a quartter of Snawdoun Right to the eird they tumbled downe And toward England held their way But when that King Edward heard say How Neill the Bruce held Kildromy Against his sonne so stalwatrly Hee gathered greit Cheualry And toward Scotland went in hy And as hée in Northumberland Was with his greit rout rydand A sicknesse tooke him by the way And put him to so hard assay That hee might neither gang nor ryde Him behooued magre his abyde Into an Hamelet was thereby A little towne and vnworthy With greit paine they him hither brought Hée was so stad that he na moght His breath but with greit paines draw Or speake but if it were well law But then he bad they sould him say What place was that where he in lay Sir they said Burgh in the sand They call this place into this land Call they it Burgh alas said he My hope is now fordone to me For I weind neuer to thole the paine Of death while I through méekle maine The Burgh of Ierusalem had tane My life there weind I sould be gane In Burgh I wist well I sould die But I was neither wise nor slie To other Burghes help for to ta Now may I no wise further ga Thus plenyied he him of his folie As he had matter sikkerlie When he weind to wit certaintie Of it that none might certein be Yet some men said inclosde he had A Spreit that him an answere made Of things that he would inquyre But he was foole withoutten wéere That gaue traist to that Creature For Feynds are of sik nature That they to Mankinde haue enuie For they will on no wise truelie That they that well are liuing here Sall win the Siege where fra they were Tumbled through their méekle pride Wherethrough oft times will betide That when Feynds distrenyied are They will appeare and make answere Through force of coniuration But they so false are and so felloun That they make ay their answering Into double vnderstanding To deceiue them that will them trow Ensample will I set you now Of a Were as I heard tell Betwixt France and the Flemings fell The Erle of Flanders Mother was A Negromancer and Sathanas She raised and him asked syne What sould worth of the feghtyne Betwixt the French King and her Sonne And he as all time he was wone Into deceit made her answere And said to her thir verses here Versus Bellide BOSBEK Rex ruet in bello tumulÃque carebit honore FERRANDVS comitissa tuus mea chara Minerva Parisios veniet magna comitante caterva This was the spéech he made perfay And is in English thus to say The King sall fall in the feghting And sall failye honour of eirding And thy Ferrand thy Nephew my Deare Sall right to Paris wend but wéere Following him a great companie Of Noble men and of worthie This is the sentence of the Saw That he in Latine can her shaw He called her his deare Minerue For she was ay wont for to serue Him till she léesed at his deuise And for she made the samine seruice His Minerue and her called he And al 's through his subtilitie He cald her Deare her to deceiue That she the titter should conceiue Of his spéech the vnderstanding That most pleased to her liking His double spéech her so deceiued That through it her sonne the dead receiued For she was of his answere blyth And to her sonne she told it swyth And bade him to the battell spéed And he sould Uictor be but dread And he that heard her sermoning Sped him in hy to the fighting Where he discomfite was and shent And taken and to Paris sent But in the fighting not for thy The King through his Cheualry Was laid at eird and laimed baith But his men horsed him well raith And when Ferrandus Mother heard How her sonne in the battell farde And that he was so discomfite She raisde the ill Spirit tyte And asked him why he lyed had Of the answere he to her made And he said that he said sooth all I said hée that the King sould fall In the battell and so did he And failyéed eirding as men may sée And I said hée that thy sonne sould go To Paris and he did right so Following him sik a menyie That neuer in his lifetime he Had sik a Menye into leading Now sees thou I made no léesing The Wife conuicted was perfay And durst no more to him then say Thus gate through double vnderstanding That bargaine came to sik ending That the one part deceiued was Right so fell it vpon this cace At Ierusalem trowed he Grauen into the Burgh to be At the whilk Burgh into the sand He swelt right in his owne land And when he to the death was néere The folke that at Kildromy were Came with the prisoners they had tane And soone vnto the King are gane And for to comfort him they tauld How they the Castle to them yald And how they to his will were brought To doe with them what euer him thought Asked what they sould with them do Then looked he angerlie them to And said
and other moe That his partie were holdand Were tane and led into England Were put into felloun prisoun And how good Christall of Setoun Was slaine gréeting shée told the King That was sorrowfull of that tithhing And said when hée had thought a thraw The words that I shall to you shaw Alace hée said for loue of mee And for their méekle léele lawtie They Noble men and they worthie Are destroyed so villanouslie But if I liue in liege poustie Their death right soone shall venged bée Yea whether the King of England Thought that the Kinrike of Scotland Was all too litle for him and mée Therefore I will it mine all bee But of good Christall of Setoun That was so worthie of Renowne That hée should die were greit pitie Where ony worship might préeud bée THe King thus sighing made his mane And the Lady her leaue hes tane And syne went home to her winning And feill syes comfort shee the King Both with siluer and with meate Sik as shee in the land might get And hee oft ryoted the land And made all his that euer he fand And syne he drew him to the hight To stint better his foes might In that time was the Percie With a full simple companie In Turnâ—berise Castle yet lying For the King Robert sore dréeding That hee durst not ish foorth to fare Fra thyne to the Castle of Aire That was then full of Englishmen But lay lurking in a Den While the men of Northumberland Should come armed with strong hand And conduct him to his Countrie For to them send his Poist hath hée And they in hy assembled then Passing attour a thousand men And asked counsell them amang Whether that they should dwell or gang But they were stonisht wonder saire So far in Scotland for to fare For a Knight Sir Gawter de Lile Said it was too greit perill So néere these Souldiers to goe His spéech discomforted them so That they had left all the voyage Were not a Knight of greit courage That Sir Roger of Sainct Iohn hight That them comforted with his might And sic words can to them say That they together held their way To Turnebery where the Percy Lap on and went with them in hy In England his owne Castle till Without distroublance or more ill Now in England is Percy Where I trow he a while shall ly Or that hée shape him for to fare To weirray Carrik ony mare For hee wist that he had no right And al 's hee dred the Kings might That in Carrik was dwelland In the most strengths of that Land ¶ Where Iames of Dowglas on a day Came to the King and can him say Sir with your leaue I would goe sée How that they doe in my Countrie And how my men demained are For it annoyes mee wonder sare That the Cliffurde so peaceably Brookes and holds the Senyeory That should be mine with all kin right But while I liue if I haue might To lead a Yeaman or a swane Hée shall not brooke it but bargaine The King said Certes I cannot see How that yee yet may sikker bee Into that Countrie for to fare While Englishmen so mightie are And thou wat not who is thy friend Hee said Sir needlesse I will wend And take the auenture God will giue Whether it bee to die or liue The King said Sen that thou wilt so And sik a yarning hes to goe Thou shalt passe foorth with my blessing And if thee happens ony thing That annoyous or skaithfull bee I pray thee speed thee soone to mee Take wee together what euer may fall I grant hee said and therewithall He louted and his leaue hes tane And is toward the Countrie gane The first winning of the Castle of Dowglas NOw takes Iames his voyage Toward Dowglas his heritage With two men withoutten ma This was a simple store to ta Castle or land of wéere to win But fast he yarned to begin To bring his purpose to ending And good helpe lies in beginning For good beginning and hardie Gif it be followed wittilie May gar oft syes vnliklie thing Come to right good and fair ending So did he here for he was wise And saw he might not on no wise Wearie his foe with euen might Therefore he thought to worke with slight In Dowglasdaill his owne Countrie Upon an Euening entred he And then a man winned thereby That was of frends right mighty And rich of monie and of Cattell And had bene to his father léell And to himselfe in his Youthhead Had done mony a thankfull déed Thomas Diksoun was his name perfay To him he send and can him pray That he would come allanerlie For to speake with him priuilie And but danger to him he gaes But when he told him what he was He grat for ioy and for pitie And him right to his house had he Where in a chamber priuilie He held him and his companie That none of him had perceiuing And meat and drinke and other thing That might them ease they had plentie So wrought they with their subtiltie That all the leele men of the land That with his Father were dwelland This good man gart come one and one And make him manâ—ent euerilkone And he himselfe first homage made Dowglas in heart great gladnesse had That the good men of his Countrie Would this wise to him bounden be He spéered the conuéene of the land And who the Castle had in hand And they him told all haillelie And syne among them priuilie They ordainde that he still sould be In hiddles and in priuitie Till Palmesunday that was néere hand The third day after followand For then the folke of that Countrie Assembled at the Kirk would be And they that in the Castle were Wold al 's be there their Palmes to beare As folke that had no dréed of ill For they thought all was at their will Then sould he come with his two men Before that folke sould not him ken He sould a mantle haue old and bare And a flaile as he a Taâ—ker were Under the mantle not for thy He sould be armed priuilie And when the men of his Countrie That sould all boun before him be His Ensenyie might heare him crie Then sould they all right enforcedly Right in mids the Kirke assaill The Englishmen with hard battaill So that none might escape them fra For therethrough trowed they to ta The Castle that beside was néere And when this that I tell you here Was deuised and vndertane Ilkone home to his house is gane And held this speake in priuitie Untill the day of their assemblie How Dowglas in Sanct Brydes Kirke With the Englishmen can wirke THE folke vpon the Palmesunday Held to Saint Brydes Kirk their way And they that in the Castle were Ished out both lesse and maire And went their Palmes for to beare Except a Cooke and a Porter Iames of Dowglas of their comming And what they were had good witting And sped him to
of foot men and Hobillers Hée came riding out of his Land As I before haue borne on hand And in a night syne and a day Shee set him into so hard assay That hée with few men in a baite Faine was for to hold home his gaite But of this ilke whéele turning King Robert should make no mourning For his side of the whéele on hight Rose when the other downe can light For two contrares yée may wit well Set against other in a whéele When one is hie another is law And if it fall that Fortoun thraw The whéele about it that on hight Was eir on force it mon downe light And it that laigh was vnder aire Mon leape on hight in the contraire So foore it of thir Kings two For when King Robert stad was so That in his greit mischiefe was hée The other was in his Majestie And when the King Edwards might Woxt lesse then Roberts raise on hight And now sik Fortoun came him till That hée was hied and had his will AT Striuiling was hée yet lyand And the greit Lords that hée fand Dead in the field hée gart burie In holie places honourablie And the laue syne that dead were there Into greit Pittes buried were The Castell and the towres syne Euen to the ground downe gart hée myne And syne to Bothwell sent hée Sir Edward with a greit Menyie For they therein send to him word That the rich Erle of Herfurd And other mightie al 's were there So treated he with Sir Walter That Erle and Castell and all the laue Into Sir Edwards hand he gaue Then to the King the Erle sent he That gart him right well kéeped be While at the last they treated sa That he to England home sould ga Without paying of ransome frée And that for him sould changed be Bishop Robert that blinde was made And the Quéene that they taken had In prison as before said I And her Doughter Dame Mariory The Erle was changed for thir thrée And when they commen were home al frée The Kings doughter that was faire And was al 's his appearand aire With Walter Stewart can her wed And they well soone got of their bed A man-childe through Gods grace That efter his good old father was Called Robert and syne was King And had the land in gouerning Efter his worthie sonne Dauy That reigned nine yéeres and threttie And in the time of the compyling Of this booke this last Robert was King And of his Kinrik passed was Five yéeres and was the yéere of grace A thousand thrée hundreth and seuentie And fiue and of his eild sextie And that was efter the good King Robert was brought to his ending Sex and fourtie UUinter but maire GOD grant that they that commen are Of his ofspring maintaine the land And hold the folke well to warrand And maintaine right and eke lawtie Al 's well as in his time did he How King Robert rade in England And brunt vp all Northumberland KIng Robert now was well at hight And ilk day theÌ„ grew more his might His men wort rich and his Countrie Abounded well of corne and fée And of all kinde of other riches And mirth solace and all vlythnes UUas in the haill land commonlie For ilk man blyth was and ioly The King after this great iourney Through réede and counsell of his priuie In sundrie townes gart cry on hight That who so clamed to haue right To hold in Scotland land and fée That within twelue moneths sould he Come and claime it and then to do To the king as pertained thereto And gif they come not in that yéere Then sould they wit withoutten wéere That hard thereafter none sould be The King that was of great bountie Had busiâ—es when this was done One â—ast gact summond after soone And went then into England And ouer rade all Northumberland And brunt townes and tooke their pray And syne went home vpon their way I let it shortly passe far by For there was no great Cheualry Prooued that is to speake of here The King went oft in this manere In England for to rich his men That in riches abounded then How Sir Edward tooke on hand For to make weere into Ireland THe Erle of Carrik Sir Edward That stouter was than a Leopard And had no will to liue at peace Thought that Scotland too litle wes To his brother and him alswa Therefore to purpose can he ta That he of Ireland would be King Therefore he sent and had treating UUith the Irshry of Ireland That in their lawtie tooke on hand Of all Ireland to make him King UUith thy that he with hard feghting Might ouercome the Englishmen That in that land were winning then And they sould helpe with all their might And he that heard them make sik heght Into his heart he had great liking And with the consent of the King Gathered him men of great bountie And syne at Air shipped he Into the neist moneth of May To Ireland held he straight his way And had there in his companie The Erle Thomas that was worthie And good Sir Philip the Mowbray That sikker was in hard assay Sir Iohn Sowles that was wight And Sir Iohn Stewart a good Knight The Ramsay al 's of Oughterhous That was right wise and Cheualrous And Sir Fergus of Ardrossane And other Knights mony ane In Wolyngs Firth arriued they Saiflie but bargane or assay And sent their shippes home againe A great thing haue they vndertane That with so whéene as they were That was seuen thousand men but maire Shupe for to weirray all Ireland Where they fall sée mony thousand Come armed on them for to fight But though they whéene were they were wight And without dread or affray In two battells they tooke their way Toward Craigfergus it to sée But the Lords of that Countrie Maundewile Bisset and Logane Their men they sembled euerilkane The Sauages al 's was with them there And when they all assembled were They were well néere twentie thousand When that they wist that in their land Sik a Menyie arriued were With all the folke that they had there They went toward them in hy And when Sir Edward wist surely That to him néere comming were they His men right well hee gart array The Uangard had the Erle Thomas In the Réeregard Sir Edward was The first battell that Sir Edward Wan in Ireland with feghting hard THeir foes approached to the fighting And they met them but abasing There men might see a full greit melle The Erle Thomas and his Menyie Dang on their foes so doughtely That in short time men might sée ly An hundreth that all bloodie were For hobynes that were sticked there Reilled and flang and greit rowme made And kest them that vpon them rade Sir Edward and his companie Assembled then so hardelie That they their foes their rushed all Who happened in that feght to fall It was greit perill of his rising The
the feght the way he taes Endlang the Caussey that there was Filled into so great fusioun Of men that went then to the toun And he that met them can them ma Sik payment where he can them ta That well an hundreth men gart he Leaue magre theirs the Caussey And Iohn Thomson said surelie That saw his déedes all haillelie That toward the battell euen he yéede Iohn Thomson thereto tooke good héed And cried to him in full great hy That they were vanquisht all plainely And said come here for there is nane On life for they are dead ilkane Then stood he still a whyle and saw That they were all done out of daw Syne went he toward him sikkerlie This Iohn wrought syne so wittelie That all that hidder fled they were Comde to Craigfergus haile and féere Although they left some of their geare And they that at the fighting were Sought Sir Edward to get his head Among the folke that there was dead And found Gib Harper in his geare And for so good his armings were They strake his head off and syne it They haue gart salt into a Kit And in a Present but hething In England sent it to the King They weind Sir Edward it had béene But for the arming that was shéene They of the head deceiued were Although Sir Edward died there On this wise were the Noble men Through wilfulnesse all lossed then And that was sin and great pitie For had their outragious bountie Bene led with wit and with measure But gif the more misauenture Befell them it sould bene hard thing Sould lead them to discomforting But greit outragious succudrie Gart them all deare their worship buy And they that fled from the Melle Sped them in hy toward the Sea And to Craigfergus commen are they And they that were into the way To Sir Edward sent from the King When they heard the discomfiting To Craigfergus they went againe And that was not withoutten paine For they were mony times that day Assailyied with Irishrie but they Held them togidder sikkerlie Defending them so worthelie That they escaped oft through might And mony times oft by slight For oft there to themselues gaue they To let them skaithlesse passe away And to Craigfergus came they sa Then baits and shipmen they ta And sailled to Scotland into hy And arriued all their safelie When they of Scotland had witting Of Sir Edwards discomfiting They méened him full tenderlie Ouer all the land full commonly And they that with him slaine were there Full tender al 's méened they were SIr Edward Bruce as is said aire Was discomfist on this maner And when the fielde was cleanged cleene So that no resistance there was séene The Wardane then Richard of Clare With all the folkes that hee had there Toward Dondalke hes tane the way So that no debate made they At that time with the Irishry But to the towne they held in hy And syne hes sent to the King That England had in gouerning Gib harpers head into a Kit Iohn Mowppas to the King had it Whilke hée receiued in greit daintie Right blith of that Present was hee For hée was glad that hée was so Deliuered of sike a felloun foe In heart thereof hée tooke sike pride That in all haste hee would ride With a greit Host into Scotland To reuenge him with stalward hand Of the tray trauell and the teene That done to him therein had béene Then a right greit Host gaddered hée And gart his shippes by the sea Come with greit fusioun of vittaile For at that time hee thought all haill For to destroy so cleane Scotland That none should bée therein liuand And with his Host in greit array Toward Scotland hee tooke the way And when King Robert wist that hée Came on him with sik a MenÈie Hee gaddered men both far and néere While so feill commen to him were And was al 's for to come him to That him thought hée should well doe Hee gart with draw all the Cattell Of Lowthiane euerilk deill And into strengths gart them bee led And ordainde men to defend that stead And with his Host all still hee lay At Coâ—ros for hee would assay To gar his foes through fasting Bee feeble and through long waking And fra hee feeblished had heir might Assemble with them hee would to fight Hee thought to worke vpon this wise And Englishmen through greit Maistries Came with their Host to â—outhiane And then to Edinburgh are they gane And there abade dayes thrée Their ships that were vpon the sea Tad the wind contrare to them ay So that vpon no maner of way Power they had to the Firth to bring Their vittaile to relieue their King And they of the Host that failyied meat When they saw that they might not get Their vittailes to them by the sea They sent then foorth a greit Menyie For to forray all Louthiane But Cattell haue they founden nane Except a Kow that was haltand That in Tranent towne they â—and And when the Erle of Warrane Saw their Forrayours come againe And a Kow anerly come sa Hee asked if they found no ma And they haue said all to him Nay Then Certes said hee I dare say This is the dearest beast that I Saw euer yet for sikkerly It cost a thousand pound and maire And when the King and they that were Of his counsell saw they might get No Cattell to their Host to eat Then they of fasting had greit paine To England turned they home againe At Melros shupe they for to ly And sent before a company Thrée hundreth néere of armed men But the Lord Dowglas that was then Beside into a Forrest neere Wist of their comming and what they were And with them of his companie Into Melros all haillelie Hée howered into a bushment And a right sturdie Fréere hes sent Without the Yate their comming to see And bade him hold him all priuie While that hée saw them commen all Right to the cunyie of the Wall And cried on hie Dowglas Dowglas The Fréere then foorth his wayes taes That was right darfe stout and hardy His méekle hoode couered haillely The arming that hée on him had Upon a stalwart Horse hée rade And in his hand hée had a Speare And abade vpon that manéere While that hée saw them commenner And when the formest passed were The cunyie he cried Dowglas Dowglas Then to them all a course hée maes And bare one downe deliueredlie Then Dowglas with his companie Ished vpon them with a shoute And when they saw so great a rout Come vpon them so suddenlie They were abased gretumlie And gaue the backe but more abade The Scottishmen among them rade And slew all them they might ouerta And great martyrdome there can ma And they that scaped were vnslaine And to their Oast went home againe And told them what good welcomming Dowglas then made at their comming Conuoying them againe rudelie And warned them the
before the King And hee made them faire welcomming And said I wate right well that yée For your greit worship and bountie Came for to sée this feghting héere For sen yee in the Countrie were Your strength your worship your might Would not thole you eschew the fight And sen that cause led you theretill And nouther wrath nor yet ill will As friends yée shall receiued bee And welcome bée all time to mée They kneeled and thanked him greitly And hee gart treat them courteously A long while with him them held hée And did them honour and bountie And when they yarned to their land Unto the King of France in Presand Hée sent them quite but ransome free And gifts greit to them gaue hee His friends thusgaite courteously Hee could receiue and right humbly And his foes stoutlie astoney At Byland all that night hee lay For their victorie all blyth they were And on the morne withoutten maire They haue Southwards tane their way So far at that time trauelde they Burning slaying and destroying Their foes with all their might noying While to the wall commen were they Syne North againe they tooke the way And syne homeward in their repare They destroyed haill the wall of Bewar And syne with prisoners and Cattell Riches and mony faire Iewell To Scotland tooke they home their way Blith and joyfull of their Prey And ilke man went to his repaire Thanking greâ—t God of their wellfare That they the King of England Through worship and through strength of hand And through their Kings greit bountie Discomfist had in his owne Countrie THus was the Land a while at peace But Couetise that cannot cease To set men vpon fellony To gar men come to Senyeorie Greit Lords of full greit Renowne Made a feill Conjuration Against Robert the doughtie King They thought to bring him to ending And for to brooke efter his dead The Kâ—nrike and Reigne in his stead Of the great Treasoun the ordaining To Robert the Bruce the noble King THe Lord Sowles Sir Williame Of this dead had most defame For principall thereof was hee Both of assent and crueltie And had gotten with him sundrie Gilbert Malyerd and Iohn of Logie They were Knights I tell of here And Richard Browne al 's a Squyer And good Sir Dauid the Brechyne UUas of this déed arested syne And I sall tell you furthermare But they ilkane discouered were Through a Ladie as I heard say Ere to their purpose come might they For she told hailly to the King Their purpose and their ordaining And when that he sould haue bene dead And Sowles King into his stead And told him very takinning That this purpose was soothfast thing And when the King wist that it was sa So subtle purpose can he ta That he gart take them euerilkane And where the Lord Sowles was tane Thrée hundreth and sextie had he Of Squyers cled in his Leuerie At that time in his companie Outtane Knights that were iolie Into Barwike taken was he Then might men all his Menyie sée Sorie and wo the sooth to say The King léet them all passe away And held them that he taken had The Lord Sowles then efter made â—laine granting of that haill purpose A Parliament therefore set was And hidder brought that Menyie were The Lord Sowles hes granted there The déede into plaine Parliament Therefore soone efter he was sent To his paines in Dumbartane And died in that toun of stane Sir Gilbert Malyerd and Logie And Richard Browne thir three plainelie Was with assise there ouertane Therefore they were drawne ilkane And hanged and headed al 's thereto As men them damned had to do And good Sir Dauid the Brechine They gart challenge thereafter syne And he granted that of that thing Was made to him discouering But thereto gaue he no consent But for he heilled their intent And discouered it not to the King Whome of he held all his holding And had made to him fewtie Iudged to hing and drawne be He was and as they drew him to hing The people farly fast can thring Him and his mischiefe for to sée That to behold was great pitie Sir Ingrame Vmfrauile that then Was with the King a Scottishman When he that great mischiefe did sée He said Lordings whereto preasse yée To sée the mischiefe of this Knight That was so worthie and so wight For I haue séene ma preasse to sée Him for his Soueraigne bountie Than now does for to sée him here And when thir words spoken were With sorie cheare he held him still While men had done on him their will And syne with lieue of the King He brought him menskfully to eirding And syne to the King said he One thing I pray you Sir grant to me That is that ye of all my land That is into Scotland lyand Would giue me leaue to doe my will The King soone hes said him till I will well grant that it so be But tell me what annoyes thée He said againe grant me mercy And I sall tell you it plainely Mine heart giues me no more to be With you dwelling in this Countrie Therefore that it not you grieue I pray you hartly of your lieue For where so Noble and worthy a Knight And so Cheualrous and so wighâ— And so renouned of worship syne As Sir Dauid the good Brechyne And so fulfilled of all manhéede UUas put to so villanous a dead Mine heart forsooth may not giue me To dwell for nothing that may be The King said sen that ye will sa When euer ye will ye may ga And you sall haue good leaue thereto Thy liking of thy land to do And he him thanked gretumly And of his land in full great hy As him thought best disponed he Syne at the King of great bountie Before them all that with him were His lieue he tooke for euermaire And went in England to the King And he him told all but leesing How that the Knights destroyed were And all as I told you aire And of the Kings Courtesie That leaued him debonerlie To doe with his land his liking In that time were sent fra the King Of Scotland Messingers to treat For peace gif that they might it get As there oftsyse before was send Suppose they could not bring it to end For the good King in his intent Sen GOD sik grace to him had sent That he had winnen all his land Through strength of armes to his hand That he peace in his land would ma And all the land establisht sa That his aire efter him sould be In peace gif men held their lawtie IN this time that the Vmfrauile As I bare on hand aire whyle Came to the King of England The Scots Messengers there he fand Of peace and rest to haue tretise The King wist Sir Ingrame was wise And asked his counsell thereto What he would réede him for to do For he said he was laith to ma Peace with King Robert Bruce his fa While
THE ACTES and life of the most Victorious Conquerour Robert Bruce King of SCOTLAND WHEREIN also are contained the Martiall deeds of the valiant Princes Edward Bruce Syr Iames Dowglas Erle Thomas Randel Walter Stewart and sundrie others Newly corrected and conferred with the best and most ancient Manuscripts EDINBVRGH Printed by Andro Hart. ANNO 1620. The Printers Preface to the Reader THere is nothing vnto which the minde of maÌ„ doth more aspire thaÌ„ to renown immortality therfore it is that no time hath bene so barbarous no countries so vnciuile but they haue had a care to preserue worthie actions from the iniurie of obliuion and laboured that the names of these that were vertuous while they liued should not perish with their breath And amongst all the strange and diuerse fashions of remembring the dead no record hath bene found to bee compared to that of bookes and amongst all bookes none so lasting as these in verse which how so euer rudely done yet seeme to haue striuen with dayes and euen to compasse time beeing the first remembrances that either Greece or Rome haue and apparantly shall be the last Howe curious our Antecessours in this Isle haue bene to extend their memorie to after ages many olde monuments yet to be seene can beare witnesse but more than any that fame of which many yeers since was amongst forrainers of their ancient Poets the Bardes who wrote in verse the deedes of their most valiant men and song them in the wilde Forrests and mountaines with which though long time after the manie records wee haue of the ancient defenders of our Countrie may bee brought forth and amongst all the rest this storie of the valiant BRVCE is not the least it speaketh the language of that time if it spake ours it would not bee it selfe yet as an antique it is venerable To speake somewhat of the occasion of those warres that the Historie may the better appeare Alexander the third of that name King of SCOTLAND departed this life suddenlie without succession to the crowne except Margaret his Neece daughter to the King of Norway who beeing left the vndoubted heire to the Kingdome King Edward of England desired her in mariage to his sonne Prince Edward whereunto our Scottish Nobilitie easilie condescended but shee beeing dead before the ambassadors arriued they returned with sorrowfull hearts wherevpon arose great tâ—oubles and contention amongst the Nobilitie who should succeed to the Crowne and albeit there were manie contendents yet at leÌ„gth came onely betwixt the Bruce Baliol. The Nobility to auoide further strife conueened themselues to decide who should haue the vndoubted right but because they could not agree both the parties being so great that their power could not make the parties stand to their arbitrement they with one voyce referred the deciding thereof to Edward of EnglaÌ„d supponing that he should deale most sincerely therein considering how willingly they had condescended to the marriage of his sonne with Margaret the Neece of King Alexander who accepting very gladly of the matter hoping to atchieue by craft that which hee and his predecessours could neuer obtaine by force left off his Iourney to the Holie LAND hoping to speede better at home for the enlarging of his Dominions beeing a man greatly inclined that way called the parties before him at Barwike protesting heere withall that hee called them not vpon any presumption that he pretended ouer them but as they had chosen him to be arbiter in the cause so hee called them to the deciding of the matter and to collour his purpose hee had conueened a number of learned Lawyers out of France and other Countries pretending that he would doe nothing without law and reason yet the moste parte of the Doctours there conueened as namely Mr. Siluius Mr. Rainerius Decius Mr. Severius de Florentia mentioned in the Pluscadin Chronicle and in Scotichronicon condescended that Robert Bruce had the best right quòd propinquior in gradu debet succedere and therefore Robert Bruce in respect hee was uno gradu stipiti propinquior and was also the first Male albeit begotten on the younger sister But King Edward had his owne decinct not regarding their arbitrement called first secretly the Bruce vnto him to whome he was well inclined promising to decide in his fauours if he would hold his Kingdome in homage of him But Bruce being a man of Heroik spirit refused absolutely to subject a free Realme to the seruitude of any forraine Prince whomsoeuer The King highly offended turned himselfe frowardly in great anger froÌ„ the Bruce called Iohn Ballioll also secretly promised him the same coÌ„ditions the man being blinded with ardent desire to reigne not regarding what hee did promise so hee might haue Soueraignitie condiscended easily to whatsumeuer Edward required and so by him was nominate King sent home to Scotland where hee was conueyed to Scone and there crowned and all except Bruce swore to him obedience Shortly after there fell out a slaughter of Makdulffe Erle of Fife by the Abirnethies men at that time in great authoritie and wealth and because Makdulffe his brother suspected the King to bee partiall in judging summond him to bee judged before King Edward The Ballioll being there present and sitting beside King Edward in the conuention of Estates and being called thoght to answere by a Procutour was compelled to arise and defend his cause at the Barre wherewith being sorely grieued albeit hee durst not peepe for the time yet returning home in a maruelous chaufe reuoluing in his minde how hee might cast off this yoke and bondage whereunto foolishly hee had subjected himselfe and as hee did meditate vpon this a profitable dissention for his purpose interueened betweene France and England which immediatly brast foorth in warre so that at a Conuention in Scotland both the Kings Ambassadours were present The French to renue their olde league with the new King the English by the recent surrender of the Realme desired assistance in that warre Both the Ambassadours were referred to the Parliament the Nobilitie prone to cast off the late yoke of England decerned the French petition just and the English vnjust for that league with France was made fiue hundreth yeeres agoe by the consent of the whole Realme inviolably obserued to that day but that surrender was but new throwen out of the King against his will which albeit hee had beene willing to doe yet neither was the King nor the Realme bound to bide at it seeing it was done without the consent of the Estates in Parliament without whose consent the King could doe nothing These Newes comming to King Edwards eares hauing taken some Moneths truce with France hee sent his Nauie that was bowne to France into Scotland thinking to ouerthrowe the Scots before they were prouided and to keep Barwike vnvittalled The Scots encountring this Nauie at the Riuer mouth of Tweed wanne eighteene shippes and chased the rest King Edwards wrath was by this
maner Haue double pleasure in hearing The first is their pleasant carping The other is their soothsastnesse That shewes the thing right as it wee And soothfast things that are likand To mens hearing are pleasand Therefore I would faine set my will If my wit might suffice theretill To put in write a soothfast storie That it may last in memorie Sa that no length of time may let Nor gar it hailly be forÈet For ald Stories that men reides Represents to them their deides Of stalward folk that liued air Right as they then present wair And certes they sould weill haue prise That in thair time were wicht and wise And led thair life in great trauell And oft intill hard stoure of battell Wan richt greit praise of Cheualrie And was voyde of all Cowartrie As was King Robert of Scotland That hardy was of hart and hand And gude Schir Iames of Dowglas That in his time sa worthie was That of his praise and his bountie In sindrie lands honour wan he Of tham I thinke this buke to ma. Now God of grace that I may swa Treit it and bring it to gude ending That I say nocht but suithfast thing QUhen Alexander the King was deid That Scotland had to steir and leid The land sex Èeires and mair perfay Lay desolate efter his day Till all the Barouns at the last Assemblit them and that full fast To cheis a King the land to steir That of the ancestrée cummin weir Of Kings that had that Royaltie And had most richt their King to be But Inuy that is so felloun Maid among them dissensioun For some wold haue the Balliol King For he was cummin of the ofspring Of hir that eldest sister was Uther sum contrary it that cais And said that he there King sould be That was of al 's neir degre And cummin was of the first Male And of Branches Collaterale They said succession of Kinrike Was not till lower state alike For there micht not succeid a Female Quhill foundin micht be ony Male That were in lyne euen descendand They beir all vther wayes in hand For then the nixt cummin of their seid Man or woman sould succeid By this ressoun the Lords thocht haill That the Lord of Annandaill Robert the Bruce Earle of Carrik Aught to succeid to the Kinrik THe Barons thus were in discord And on no maner micht accord Till at the last they all accordit That all their speich sould be recordit To Schir Edward of England King And he sould sweir but fenÈeing He sould as arbiter declair Of the two that I tould of air Quho sould succeid to sit on hicht And let him Regne that had the richt This Ordinance they thocht the best For at that time was peace and rest Betwixt Scotland and England baith That they could not perceiue the skaith That toward them was appearand For why the King of England Held such friendship and companie With their King that was worthie They trow'd that he as good nighbour And as friendfull Compositour Wold haue iudged in leele Lawtie But otherwise yeed all the glie A Folke blinded full of great follie Had ye bethought once earnestlie What perill to you might appeare Ye had not wrought in that maneare Had ye tane keepe how that this King Alwayes withoutten fainyéeing Trauell'd for to win Senyeorie And through his might did occupie Lands that were to him marchand As Wales was and all Ireland That he put into such thirlage That they that were of hie Parage Should run on foot as Ribalds all When he would anie folke assaile Durst none of Wales in battell ride Nor yet fra Euen fell abide Castle nor walled towne within But he should lith and limmes tine Into sik thirlage them led he Whome he ou'rcame with his poustie Ye might sée he should occupie Through slight that he might not through mastrie Had ye tanâ— kéepe what was thirlage And had considred his vsage That gripped ay but gane giuing Ye should withoutten his denying Haue chosen you a King that might Haue holden well your Land at right Wales ensample might haue beene To you had ye it well foreséene And wise men say he is happie That will therein himselfe chastie For vnfaire things may fall perfay The morne as they did yesterday But ye trusted into lawtie As simple folke but subtiltie Anâ— wist not what might after tide For in the world that is so wide As none determinatly that shall Know ony thing that 's for to fall For GOD that is of most Poustis Reseru'd it to his Maiestie For to know in his Prescience Of things to come the contingence IN this maner assented were The Barons as I said you aire And through their owne haill consent Messengers to him they went Then to the holie land boun was he To Saracens to wéere surely And fra he wist what charge they had He busked him but more abade And to England againe is gane And left the purpose that he had tane And syne to Scotland word sent he That they should make an assemblie And he in hie should come to do In all thing as they write him to But he thotht weill throw their debait That he sould slely find sum gait How that he all the SenÈory Throw his greit micht sould occupy And to Robert the Bruce said he Gif thou will hald in cheif of me For euermore and thine ofspring I sall do so thou sall be King Schir he said so God me saif The Kinrik Èarne I nocht to haif But gif it fall of richt to me And gif God will that it so be I sall al 's frely in all thing Hold it as longes to a King Or as myne Elders before me Held it in freast Royaltie The vther wryit him and swair That he sould neuer haue it mair And turnit him in wraith away But Schir Iohn Ballioll perfay Assentit sone till all his will Quherethrow efter fell mekill ill He was King but a litill quhyle Quhen throw greit subtiltie and gyle For litill enchesoun or for nane He was arreistit and syne tane And degradit fine was he Of honour and of dignitie Quhether that it was wrong or richt God wait it that is most of micht QUhen Schir Edward the michty King Had on this wayes done his liking With Iohn the Ballioll that so sone Was all degrad and it vndone To Scotland went he then in hy And all the land can occupy So haill that both Castell and Toun Were all in his possessioun From Weik anent Orknay To Mulesnuke in Galloway And stuffit all with Englishmen Schireffs and Bailleis made he then And all kin vther Officers That to gouerne the land affeires He made of Inglis Natioun Then worthit they so feirs and felloun And so wickit and so greuous So heuy and so couetous That Scottismen micht do nothing That euer micht pleis to their likingâ— Their wyfes wold they oftly by And their doughters despiteously And gif ony thereat
might fulfill their will Sla vs and make sembland theretill And sen we know their fellonie Go we and meete them hardelie That the stoutest of their Menyie Of our méeting abased be For gif the formest egerlie Be met ye sall sée suddenlie The hindmest full abased be And though they be far mo than we That should abase vs litle thing For when wee come to the feghting There may méete vs no moe than wée Therefore Lordings ilkane should be Of worship and of greit valour For to maintaine héere our honour Thinke what worship vs abides If that wee may as well betides Haue victorie of our foes here For there is no man far nor néere In all this Land that wée them doubt Then said they all that stood about Sir if GOD will wee shall so doe That no reproofe shall ly vs to Now goe wée foorth then said the King And hee that made of nought all thing Leade vs and saue vs for his might And helpe vs for to hold our right With that they held their way in hy Well sex hundreth in company Stalward and stout worthy and wight But they were all too few I hight Against so feill to stand in stour Were not their outragious valour ¶ Now goes the Noble King his way Right stoutly into good array And to the formest dykes is gane And in the slop the field hes tane The Carage men and the pouerall That were no worth into battaile Behind him leaued hee all still Sitting together vpon an Hill Sir Aymer the King hes séene With his men that were cant and kéene Came to the Plaine downe from the Hill As him thought into full good will For to defend or then assailyie If ony man would come into battailÈie Therefore his men comforted hée And bade them wight and worthie bée For if that they might win the King And haue victorie of that feghting They should greitly rewarded bée And eke greitlie their Renounie With that they were right néere the King And heard well oft his manassing And gart trumpe vp to the assembly With the formest of his Menyie They embraced to them shields brade And right syne together rade With heads stouping and spears straught Right to the King their way they raught That met them with so greit vigour That of the best and most valour Were laid at eird at their méeting Where men might heare sicke a breaking Of speares that too frushed were And the wounded so cry and raire That it annoyous was to heare For they that first assembled were Fonyeed and faught full sturdely The noyse begouth then and the cry O mightie GOD who had there béene And had the Kings worship seene And his brother that was him by That them contained so manfully That their good deed and their bountie Gaue greit comfort to their Menyie And how the Dowglas so manfully Comforted them that was him by Hee should well say they had good will To win honour and come theretill The Kings men so worthie were That with their speares that sharply share They stiked men and Stéeds baith While red blood ran of wounds raith The Horse that stikked were can fling And rushed the folke in their flinging So that they that formost were Were stikked in sloppes here and there The King that saw them rushed so And saw them reilling to and fro Ran vpon them so egerly And dang on them so hardely Hee feill gart of his foes fall The field well neere was couered all Both with slaine Horse and with men For the good King that followed then With fiue hundreth with weapons bare That would nothing their foes spare They dang on them so hardely That in short time men might sée ly At eird an hundreth well and maire The remnant well the weaker were Then they begouth them to withdraw And when they of the Réeregard saw Their Uangard be so discomfite They fled withoutten more respite And when Sir Aymer hes seene His men flying all bedéene Wit yée well hee was full woe But hee could not admonish so That ony for him would turne againe And when hée saw hée tint his paine Hee turned his bridle and to goe For the good King them preassed so For some were dead and some were tane And all the laue thair gate were gane THe folke fled on this maner Withoutten rest and Sir Aymer Againe to Bothwell is hée gane Méenand the skaith that hee hes tane So Shamefullie that hee vanquisht was Then to England in hy hée gaes Right to the King and shamefullie Hée gaue vp all his Wardanerie Nor neuer syne for no kin thing But if hee come right with the King Come hée to wéere into Scotland So heauie tooke hee that in hand That the King into set battell With few folke like a Pouerall Uanquisht him with a greit Menyie That were renouned of greit bountis Sik anger had Sir Aymery And King Robert that was worthie Abade all still into the place While that his men had left the chace Syne with prisoners they had tane They are toward their Innes gane Fast louing GOD of their welfare Hee might haue séene that had béene there Folke that right merrie were and glad For their victorie and al 's they had A King so swéete and debonaire So wise and of so faire affeere So blyth and al 's so well bourdand And in battell so stout to stand So wise and also so worthie That they had great cause blyth to be So were they blyth withoutten doubt For feill that winned thereabout Fra they saw the King vse them sa To him their homage can they ma. Then waxt his power more and waire And he thought well that he would fare Out ouer the Mount with his Menyie To looke who there his friend would be Into Sir Alexander Fraser He traisted for they Cousings were And his brother Simon alswa He had great mister of mony ma For he had foes mony ane Sir Iohn Cumyng Erle of Buchane And Sir Iohn the Mowbray syne And Sir Dauid of Brechine With all the folke of their leading UUere foes to the Noble King And for he wist they were his faes His voyage hitherward he taes For he would sée what kin ending They would make of their menassing THe King busked and made him yare Northward with his men to fare His brother can he with him ta And Sir Gilbert de la Hay alswa The Erle of Lennox al 's was there That with the King was ouer all where Sir Robert Boyde and other mo The King can foorth his wayes go He left Iames of Dowglas UUith all the folke that with him was Behind him for to looke if he Might recouer his owne Countrie He put himselfe in full great perill But eiter in a litle while UUith his great Worship so he wrought That to the Kings peace he brought The Forrest of Eâ—tâ—ik all haill And euen so did he Dowglasdaill And Iedburgh Forrest alswa And who so well on hand would ta To
But hée through his greit Nobilay To perill him abandounes ay For to recomfort his Menyie Garres them bee of sik greit bountie That mony time a vnlikelie thing They bring right well to good ending So did this good King as I of read That through his couragious manhead Comforted his men on sik maner That none had radnesse where hée were They would not feght while that hée was Lying in sik greit sicknesse Therefore in Litter they him lay And to the Slenath held their way And thought into that Strength to ly While passed was his Malady How the Kings men with feghting Defended the King in his lying BOt fra the Erle of Buchane Wist that they were hidder gane And knew that so sick was the King That men doubted of this recouering Hee sent efter his men in hy And assembled a great company For all his owne men were there And al 's his friends with him were There was Sir Iohn the Mowbray And his brother as I heard say And al 's Sir Dauid of Breching With feill folke of his leading And when they all assembled were In hy they tooke their way to fare To the Slenath with all their men For to assailyie the King that then UUas lying into his sicknesse This was after the Martimesse UUhen snow ouerhailed all the land To the Slenath they came néere hand Arrayed on their best maner And then the Kings men that wer Ware of their comming them apparelled To defend gif they were assailyied And not for thy their foes were Ay two for one or els maire The Erles men neere comming were Trumping and making méekle fare And made Knights when they were néere And they that in the UUoodside were Stood in array right sturdelie And thought to bide there hardelie The comming of their enemies But they would vpon no kin wise Ishe to assailyie them in feghting While recouered were the Noble King And gif other would them assailyie They would defend vailyie quoth vailyie And when the Erles companie Saw that they wrought so wiselie That they their strength shupe to defend Their Archere foorth to them hes send To bikker them as men of mane And they sent Archers them againe That bikkered them so sturdelie That they of the Erles partie Right to their battell driuen were Foure daies on this wise laie they there Bikkering them euerilke day But the Bowmen the war had ay And when the Kings companie Saw their foes before them lie That ilk day waxt ma and ma And they were wheene and stad were sa That they had nothing for to eat But gif they trauelled it to get Therefore they tooke counsell in hie That there they would no longer lie But hold their way where they might get To them and theirs vittaile and meat In a Litter the King they lay And graithed them vpon their way That all their foes might it sée Ilke man busked in their degrée To fight if they assailyied were In mids of them the King they bare And yéed about him right worthelie And not full greatlie can them hie The Erle and they that with him were Saw that they busked them to fare And how with so litle affray They held foorth with the King their way Readie to fight who would assailyie Their hearts then begouth to failyie And in peace léete them passe away And to their houses home went they How the King discomfist at Enrowry The Erle of Buchane shamefully THe Erle his way tooke to Buchane And Sir Edward the Bruce is gane Right to Strabogie with the King And so long made their Soiourning UUhile he begouth to recouer and ga And syne their wayes can they ta To Enrowrie straught againe For they would lie into the Plaine The UUinter season for vittaile Into the Plaine they might not faile The Erle wist that they were there And gaddered Menyie here and there Brechine Mowbray and their men All to the Erle assembled then They were a full great companie Of men arrayed iolelie To old Meldrome they held their way And there with their men lodged they Before Yule-Euen one night but maire A thousand trow I well they were They lodged them there all the night While on the morne that day was light The Lord of Brechine Sir Dauy Is went toward Enrowry To looke gif he in any wise Might doe skaith to his enemies And to the end of Enrowry â—e came riding so suddenlie That of the Kings men he slew One part and other men withdrew That fled their way toward the King That with most part of his gaddering On yond halfe of the towne were lying And when men told him the tything How Sir Dauid had slaine his men His horse in hie he asked then And bade his men all make them yare In full great hie for he would fare To bargane with his enemies UUith that he busked him to rise That was not well recouered then Then said some of his priuie men What thinke ye Sir thus gate to fare To feght and ye not recouexed are Yes said the King withoutten wéere Their boast hes made me haill and féere There sould no Medicine so soone Haue cured me as they haue done Therefore so GOD himselfe me sée I sall haue them or then they me And when his men hes heard the King Set him so well for the feghting Of his recouering all blyth they were And made them for the battell yare THe Noble King and his Menyie That might wel néere seuen hunder be Toward old Meldrome held the way UUhere the Erle and his Menyie lay The discurreours saw them cummand UUith Baners to the wind waiuand And told it to their Lord in hie That gart arme his men hastelie And them arrayed for the battell Behind them set they their poueraill And made good semblance for to fight The King came on with méekle might And they abade making greit feare While that they néere assembled were But when they saw the Noble King Come stoutly on without stinting A litle on bridle them with drew And the King that right well knew That they were all discomfist néere Preassed on them with his Banéere And they withdrew them maire and maire And when the small folke they had there Saw their Lords withdraw them so They turnde their backe and haill to goe And fled and skailed héere and there The Lords that yet togidder were Saw that their small folke were fléeing And saw the King stoutly comming They were ilkeane abased so That they the backe gaue and to go A litle stound togidder held they And syne ilke man tooke â—undrie way Fell neuer man sik foule mischance Efter so sturdie countenance And when the Kings companie Saw that they fled so foullelie They chased them with all their mane And some they tooke and some hes slaine The remanand were fléeing ay Who had best Horse gote best away To England fled the Erle of Buchane Sir Iohn Mowbray is with him gane And were resset
reilling Saw them well néere discomfiting Then his Ensenyie he can fast cry And with them of his company His foes he preassed so fast that they Then were into so great affray That they left place ay maire and maire For all the Scottishmen that were there When they saw them eschew the fight Dang on them so with all their might That they skailled in trowples seire And till discomfiting drew neere And some of them fled all plainely But they that wight were and hardy That shame letted to take the flight With great mischief maintained the fight And stoutly in the stoure can stand And when the King of England Saw his men flee in sundrie place And saw his foes rout that was Worthen so wight and so worthie That all his folke were haillelie So astoneyed that they had no might To stint their foes in that fight Hée was abased so gretumlie That hee and in his companie Fifteene hundreth armed men at right Into that frush tooke all the flight And to the Castell tooke their way And I haue heard yet some men say That of Vallance Sir Aymery When hée the field saw vanquisht néere By the renyie led away the King Against his will from the feghting And when Sir Geiles de Argentie Saw the King with his MenÈie Shape then to flée so speedily Hee spéed then to the King in hy And said Sir sen that yée will so That yée thus gaite your way will goe Haue good day for againe will I Yet fled I neuer sikkerlie And I choose rather to bide and die Then for to liue and shamefullie flée His bridle then but more abade Hee turned and againe hée rade As dread of no kin thing had hée And pricked crying Argentie Right on Sir Edward Bruces rout That was so stalwart and so stout And they right sturdely him met And so feill Speares on him set That hée and Horse were charged so And both downe to the eird can goe And in that place there slaine was hée And of his death was greit pitie Hée was the third best Knight perfay That men wist liuing in this day And did full mony faire journey On Saracens three derenyies made hée And into ilke derenyie of tha Hée quickly vanquisht Saracens twa His greit worship tooke their ending And fra Sir Aymer with the King Was fled there durst not one abide But fléeing skailled on ilke side And their foes preased them right fast To say the sooth they were agast And fled so done affrayedlie That of them a greit companie Fled in the Water of Forth and there The most part of them drowned were And Banockburne within the braes Of Men and Horse so charged was That upon drowned Horse and Men Folke might passe dry out ouer it then And Laddes Swaynes they Rangall When they saw vanquisht the battell Ran among them and so can sla Tha folke that no defence might ma That it was pitie for to sée I neuer heard into no Countrie Folkes at so greit mischife were stad On ane side they their foes had That slew them downe without mercy And they had on the other party Banockburne that so cummersome was For slike and déepnesse for to passe That there might none out ouer it ride But there behooued them to abide So that some slaine some drowned were Might none eschape that euer came there But yet full mony gote away That elsewhere fled as I heare say The King with them hée with him had In a rout to the Castell rade And would haue béene therein for they Wist not what gate to get away Sir Philip Mowbray said him till The Castell Sir is at your will But come yée in it yée shall sée That yée shall soone assieged bée And there is none in all England To make rescourse dare take in hand And but rescourse may no Castell Bée holden long this wate yée well Therefore comfort you and relie Your men about you right straitlie And hold about the Parke your way Al 's sadlie knit as euer yee may For I trow that none shall haue might That chooses with so feill to fight And as hée counseld so haue they done And beneth the Castell went they soone Right by the round table their way And the new Parke enuironde they And toward Linlithgow held in hy But I trow they shall hastelie Sée conuoyed with sik folke that they â— trow might suffer well away For Sir Iames Lord of Dowglas Came to the King and asked the cace And gaue to him lieue but abade But all too few of Horse hée had Hée had not in his rout sextie But yet hée sped him hastelie The way efter the King to ta Now let him on his wayes ga And efter this wée shall well tell What to him in the chase befell How the Erle of Hartfurd in Bothwell was Tane ouer the walles fled from the chase WHen the greit battell on this wise Was discomfist as I deuise Where threttie thousand well were dead And drowned and slaine into that stead And some were into hands tane And other some their gaite are gane The Erle of Herfurde for that melle Departed with a greit menyie And straight to Bothwell held their way That then was in Englishmens fay Was holden as a place of wéere Sir Walter Gilbertson was there Capitane and it had in ward The Erle of Herfurd hidder rade And was tane in ouer the wall And fiftie of his men withall And set in Houses sinderlie So that they had there no mastrie The laue went toward England But of that roâ—t I take on hand The thrid part were slaine or tane The laue with great paine hame are gane Sir Morise also the Barclay Fra the great Oast held his way With a great â—out of Wales men Where euer they rade men might them ken For they well néere all naked were Or linnen claithes had but maire They held their way in full great hy But mony of their company Ere they in England came were tane And mony of them al 's were slaine They fled al 's other wayes seite But to the Castell that was néere Of Striuiling fled sik a Menyie That it was wonder for to sée For all the Craigges so heilled were About the Castell here and there Of them that for strength of that sted Hidderward to warrand fled And for they were so feill that there Fled vnder the Castell were The King Robert that was wittie Held ay his good men néere him by For dread that rise againe sould they This was the cause forsooth to say Wherethrough the King of England Escaped home into his land WHen that the field so cleane was made Of Englishmen that none abade The Scottishmen tooke soone in hand So great riches there they fand Siluer and gold clothes and arming And vessell and all other thing That euer they might lay on their hand So great a riches there they fand That mony men were rich made Of the riches that they there had
When this was done that here say I The King sent a great companie Up to the Craigges them to assaile That were fled from the great battaile And they them yald without debate And them in hand they tooke full haite Syne to the King all brought were they And they dispended hailly that day In riches and in spraith taking Fra end was made of the feghting And when they naked spoyled were That were slaine in the battell there It was forsooth a great ferly To sée so mony there dead to ly Two hundreth paire of spurres red Were tane of Knights that were dead The Erle of Glocester dead was there That men called Sir Gilbert of Clare And Geiles de Argentie alswa And Payn Typont and other ma That there names not tell can I. And vpon Scottishmens partie There was slaine worthie Knights twa William Wepont was one of tha And Sir Walter of Rosse another That Sir Edward the Kings brother Loued and held in sik daintie That as himselfe him loued he And when he wist that he was dead He was so wa and will of read That he said making full euill cheare That him had rather the iourney were Undone ere he so dead had bene Outtaken him men hes not séene UUhen he for ony man made méening And the cause was of his louing That he his sister in Paramours Loued and held at great retoures His owne wife Dame Issabell And therefore so great distance fell Betwixt him and the Erle Dauy Of Atholl brother to this Lady That the Erle on Sanct Iohns night When both the Kings were boun to fight In Cambuskynneth the Kings vittaile Tooke and hardlie can assaile Sir William of Airth and him slew And with him men mo than enew Therefore syne into England He was banisht and all his land Was seazed as forfeite to the King That did thereof all his liking ANd when the field as I told aire Was dispoyled and made all bare The King and all his companie Glade and ioyfull was and merie Of the grace that them fallen was Toward their Innes the wayes taes To rest them for they wearie were But for the Erle Gilbert of Clare That slaine was in the battell place The King somedeill annoyed was For to him néere sibbe was he Then to a Kirk he gart him be Brought and walked all that night And on the morne when day was light The King raise as his vse was And to an English Knight through cace Hapned that he yéede wauerand So that no man laid on him hand And in a buske he hid his arming And waited while he saw the King In the morning come foorth earlie Then is he went to him in hie Sir Marmaduk the Twemane he hight He raiked to the King full right And hailsed him vpon his knée Welcome Sir Marmaduk said hée To what man art thou prisoner To none he said but to you here I yéelde me at your will to be And I receiue thée Sir said he Then gart he treat him courteouslie He dwelt long in his companie And syne in England him sent he Arrayed well but ransome frée And gaue him great gifts thereto A worthie man that so could do Might make him greatly for to prise When Marmaduk vpon this wise UUas yolden as I to you say Then came Sir Philip the Mowbray And to the King yald the Castell His cunnand hes he holden well Then with him treated so the King That he beleft of his dwelling And held him léelely his fay To the last end of his life day How Iames of Dowglas conuoyed the King Of England home but Sojourning NOw speake we of the Lord Dowglas And tell how hée followed the chase And had whéene in his companie But hee sped him in full greit hy And as hée through the Torwood foore Hée saw come riding ouer the Moore Sir Lawrence of Abernethie That with sextie in companie Came for to helpe the Englishmen For hée was Englishman yet then And when hée heard how that it was Hée left the Englishmens peace And to the Lord Dowglas there For to bée léele and trew hée sware And then they both followed the chase And ere the King of England was Passed Linlithgow they came so néere With all the folke that with them were That well among them shoot they might But they thought them too few to fight For five hundreth armed they were In the greit rout that they had there Togidder full surelie rade they And held them vpon bridle aye They were gouerned full wittelie For it séemed they were aye ready For to defend them at their might If they assailÈied were in fight And the Lord Dowglas and his men Thought it was not good purpose then To feght with them all openlie Hee conuoyed them so narrowlie That of the hindmest aye tooke hee Might none behind his Fellowes bée A pennie-stone-cast but hee in hy Was tane or slaine deliueredlie They no rescourse would to him ma Although hée followed neuer sa IN this maneâ— conuoyed them hée While that the King and his Menyie To Wincheburgh all commen are Then lighted they all that there were To baite their Horse that were wearie And Dowglas and his companie Bated also beside them néere They were so feill withoutten wéere And in armes so cleanelie dight And so arayed for to fight And hâ—e so wéene and but gaddering That hee would not in plaine feghting Assaillyie them but rade them by Waiting his time so eithandly A litle while they baited there And syne lap on and foorth can fare And hee was alwayes by them néere And leete them not haue sik leiser As anes waâ—er for to ma. And if that ony stad were sa And behind left was 〈◊〉 space Seezed in hand al 's soone hee was They conuoyed them vpon this wiseâ— While that the King and rout is Comde to the Castell of Dumbar Where hée and of his men so were Receiued right well for yet than The Erle Patricke was Englishman That gart with meat and drinke alswa Refresh them well and syne can ta A baite and send the King by sey To Bamburgh in his owne Countrie Their Horse there left they all on stray But léesed al 's soone in hand were they The laue that liued were without Addressed them into a rout And held to Berwicke straight their way In a rout and the sooth shall say They leaued of there men partly Ere they came there but not for thy They came to Barwicke soone and there Into the towne receiued were Else at greit mischiefe had they béene And when the Lord Dowglas hes seene That hee had léesed there his paine Toward the King hée went againe THe King escaped on this wise Loe what falding to Fortune lyes That whiles vpon a man will smile And pricke him syne another while In no time stable can shee stand This mightie King of England Shee had set on her whéele at hight When with so ferlifull a might Of men of armes and archers And
néere there escaped nane They serued them in full great wane With shéering swords and with kniues That well néere all léesed their liues They had a felloun Intermais For that subcharge too charging was They that escaped there through cace To their great Oast the waies taes And told how that their men were slaine So cléene that there escaped nane And when they of the Oast had heard How that Dowglas with them farde That had their herbryours all slaine And themselues rushed all againe And slew their Lord in mids their rouf There was none of them all so stout That more will had them to assaile Therefore they haue tane to counsaile That time and to purpose hes tane To wend homeward and home are gane And sped them so vpon their way That to England soone commen are they The Forrest left they standing still To hew it then they had no will And specially while the Dowglas So neere hand by their neighbour was And he that saw them turne againe Perceiued well their Lord was slaine And by the hat that he had tane He wist right well also for ane That taken was said him surely That Richemound ay commonly UUas wont that furred Hat to wéere Then Dowglas blyth that was than eir For he wist well that Richemound His felloun so was brought to ground SIr Iames Dowglas on this wise Through his worship and his emprise Defended worthely the land This point of wéere I take on hand UUes vndertane right apertly And enchéeued right hardely For he astoneyed withoutten wéere Tha folke that well ten thousand were With fiftie armed men but ma. I can al 's tell you other twa Points that well encheeued were With fiftie men and but all wéere They were all done so hardelie That they were praised Souerainely Attour all other points of weere That in their time enchéeued were This was the first that with fiftie UUas brought to end and so stoutly In Galloway the other fell When as yee heard mée before tell How Sir Edward the Bruce with fiftie Uanquisht of Sainct Iohn Sir Aymery And fifteene hundreth men by taile The third fell into Eskdaile UUhen that Sir Iohn of Sowles was The gouernour of all that place And to Sir Andro Hardeclay With fiftie men beset the way That had néere in his companie Thrée hundreth Horsed jolelie This Sir Iohn into plaine Melle Through Soueraigne hardement and bountie Uanquisht them sturdelie ilkeane And Sir Andro in hands hes tane I will not rehearse now the maner For who so liketh they may heare Young Women when they will play Sing it among them euerilke day Thir were the worthie points thrée That I trow euermore shall bée Praised while men may on them mene It is well worth withoutten wene That their names for euermaire That in their time so worthie were That men to heare hes yet daintie That their worship and their bountie Bée alway lasting into louing Where hée that is Almightie King Bring them hie vp to Heauens blisse Where alwayes lasting louing is How the Bishop of Dunkelden syne Scomfist the shipmen beside Dumfermling IN this time that the Richemound Was on this maner brought to the ground Men of the coastes of England That dwelt in Homber or neere hand Gaddered them a greit Menyie And went in shippes to the sea And toward Scotland went in hy And to the Firth came hastely They went to haue had all their lyking For they wist well that the King Was then far out of the Countrie And with him mony of greit bountie Therefore into the Firth came they And endland it held vp their way While they beside Innerkething On the West halfe toward Dumfermling Tooke Land and fast begouth to reif The Erle of Fyth and the Shireffe Saw to the Coast shippes approachand They gaddered to defend the Land And they forgane the shippes ay As they sailled they tooke their way And thought to let them land to take And when the shipmen saw them make Sik countenance and sik array They said among them that they Would not for them let land to ta Then to the land they sped them sa That they came there in full greit hy And arriued full hardelie The Scottishmen saw their comming And had thereof sike abasing That they all haill did ride them fro And the land but stop leet them to They durst not feght with them for thy They with drew them all haillely And yet they were fiue hundreth néere When they away thus riding were And no defence begouth to shape Of Dunkeldin the good Bishop That William was called the Sincler Came with a rout on good maner I trow on Horse they were sixtie Himselfe was armed jolelie Hée rade vpon a stalward Stéed A Chimmer for to heill his wéed Abone his armour had hee then And armed also were his men The Erle and the Shireffe met hée Riding away with their MenÈie Hée asked them well soone what hy Made them to turne so hastely They said their foes with stalward hand Into sik fusion had taken land That they thought them all out too feill And they were few with them to deill When the Bishop heard it was sa Hée said the King ought well to ma Of you that takes so well on hand In his absence to wéere his land Certes if hee gart serue you well The gilt spurres right by the heill Hée should in hy gar hew you fro Right would with Cowards men did so Who loues their Lord and his Countrie Turne smertlie now againe with mée With that hée kest off his Chimmeere And hint in hand a stalwart Speare And rade toward his foes in hy All turned with him haillelie For hee had them reprooued so That of them all none went them fro Hee rade before them sturdelie And they followed full manfullie While that they were néere approachand Untto their foes that had tane land And soone were knit in good array Then some were went to the Ferray The good Bishop when hée them saw Hee said Lordings but dréed or aw Pricke wée vpon them hardelie And wée shall haue them well hastelie If they sée vs come but abasing So that wee heaâ—e make no more stinting They shall right soone discomfist bee Now doe yee well for men shall sée Who loues the Kings Menske this dayr Then all togidder in good array They preiked vpon them sturdely The Bishop that was right hardelie And méekle and starke rade forward ay Then in a frush assembled they And they that at their first méeting Felt of their speares so saire sowing Uanisht and would haue béene away Toward their shippes in hy held they And they them chased fellonlis And slew them full despiteouslie That all the fields ouerstrowed were Of Englishmen that slaine were there And they that yet held vnslaine Preassed them to the sea againe And Scottishmen that chased sa Slew all that euer they might ouerta But they that fled yet not for thy So to their shippes can them
that he venged of him were Sir Ingramâ— made to him answere And said he dealt so courteously With me that on no wise sould I Gaue counsell to his hurting Thou behooues néedwise said the King To this thing say thine auise Sir said hee sen your will it is That I say wit yée sikkerlie For all your greit Cheualrie To deale with them yee haue no might His men so worthie are and wight For long vsage of feghting That haue beene nourished in sik thing That ilke Yeman is so wight Of his that hée is worth a Knight But if yée thinke your wéere to bring To good purpose at your liking Long trewes with him take yee Then shall the most part of his MenÈie That are but simple Yemanrie Bee strenyied all commonlie To win their meat with their trauill And some of them of néed mon call With pleugh and Borrow for to get And other féere Craftes their daylie meat So that their arming shall worth old And bee rousted destroyed and sold And feill that now of wéere are slée Into these long trewes shall die And others in their stead shall rise That shall ken litle of sik maistries And when they thus diffused are Then may yée mooue on them were To this assented they ilkane And efter soone were trewes tane Betwixt the two Kings that were Taken to last for threttéene yéere And on the Marches gart them cry The Scottishmen keeped them leelely But Englishmen vpon the sea Destroyed through greit crueltie Marchant shippes that sailling were From Scotland to Flanders with waire And destroyed the men ilkane And to their vse the goods hes tane The King sent oft to haue redresse But nought thereof redresse there was And hee abade all time askand The trewes on his halfe gart hée stand Upon the Marches stabilly And gart men keepe them léelely Walter Stewart here died hee At Paslay eirded syne was hee IN this time that the trewes were Lesting on Marches as I said aire Walter Stewart that worthie was At Bathcat a greit sicknesse taes His euill woxt ay more and more While men perceiued by his sore That hée of néed must pay the det That no man for to pay may let Shriuen and al 's repenting well When all was done to him ilke deill That Christen men ought for to haue As good Christen the Gaist hée gaue Then might men heare folk wéepe and cry And mony a Knight and faire Lady Murning and making full euill chere So did they all that euer were there All men him méened commonlie For of his eild hée was worthie When long tim they their dule had made The Corps to Paslay haue they had And there with greit solemnitie And with greit dule eirded was hée GOD for his might his soule mot bring Where Ioy aye lasteth but ending The Erle of Murray and Dowglas With their Host commen to Wardel was AFter his death as I said aire The trewes that so taken were For to haue lasted threttéene yéere When two of them were passed néere And an hailfe I trow alswa King Robert saw men would not ma Redresse of shippes that were tane And of the men al 's that were slaine But ay continued their prauitie Where euer they met vpon the sea Hee sent and quit him all plainely And gaue the trewes vp openly And in vengeance of this trespasse The Erle of Murray Sir Thomas And Donald Erle of Mar alswa And Iames of Dowglas with them twa And Iames Stewart that leader was Efter his good brothers decease Of all his brethers men in wéere Hée gart vpon their best maneere With mony men boun them to ga In England for to to burne and sla And they held foorth soone to England They were of good men ten thousand And brunt and slew into their way Their foes fast destroyed they And thusegaite fordward can they fare To Wardall Parke while they commen are That time Edward of Carnauerane The King was dead and laide in Lame And Edward his sonne that was ying In England crowned then was King And surname had of Windsore Hee had in France béene before With his mother Dame Issobell And was wedded as I heard tell To a young Ladie faire of face That the Erles Doughter was Of Henault and of that Countrie Brought with him men of greit bountie That was right wise and wight in wéere Sir Iohn de Henault was leader And in that time the Scots men were At Wardall Parke as I said aire Into Yorke was hée new made King And heard tell of the destroying That Scottishmen made in his Countrie A greit Host to him gaddered hée Hée was well neere fiftie thousand Then held hée Northward in the land In haill battell with that MenÈie Eighteene yéere old that time was hée The Scots men they had all Cokdaill From end to end they haryed haill And Wardall againe they rade Their Discurreours that sight hes hed Of comming of the Englishmen To their Lords they told it then Then the Lord Dowglas in a ling Ride foorth for to sée their comming And saw that seuen battels were they That came riding in good array When he the folke beholden had Toward his Oast againe he rade The Erle spéered gif he had séene The Oast yea Sir he said but wéene What folke are they Sir mony men The Erle his aith hes made euen then We sall fight with them yea though they were Full mo by far then they now are Sir loued be GOD he said againe That we haue sik a Capitane That so great thing dar vnderta Bot by Sanct Bryde it bées not sa Gif my counsell may trowed be For fight on no maner sall we But it be at our auantage For me thinke it were no outrage To fewer folkes against ma A vantage when they may to ta As they were on this wise speaking On an high rig they saw streiking Toward them euen in battel brade Baners anew displayed they had And another comming efter néere And right vpon the same manéere They came while seuen battels brade Out ouer that high Rig passed had The Scottishmen were then lyand On North halfe néere toward Scotland The daile was streiked well I hight On ather side there was an hight And to the water downe somedeill stay The Scottishmen in good array On their best wise busked ilkane Stood in their strength that they had tane And that was far fra the Water of Wéere A quarter of a mile well néere Their stood they battell to abide The Englishmen there on ather side Came ryding downward while they were To Wéeres Water comming néere And on the other halfe their foes were Then haue they made a rest right there And sent out Archers a thousand With Hounds and Bowes in their hand And gart them well drinke of the wyne And bade them gang to bycker syne The Scottish Oast in a randoun And looke gif they might ding them doun For might they gar them breake array To haue them at
The Hosts both all that day were In peace till that the night was néere The Scots Host that lying were Into the Parke made Feast and Fare And blew Hornes and fires made And gart them burne both bright brade So that their fires that night was maire Than ony time before there were And when the night was fallen well With all their Harnesse euerilke deille All priuilie they rade their way Syne in a Mosse soone entred they That was well two mile of bread Out ouer the Mosse on foote they yéede And in their hand their Horse led they It was a full greit noysome way But Flaikes in the Wood they made Of wands and them with them had And sykes therewith brigged they And so had well their horse away On sik wise that all that there were Come through the Mosse both haill féere And tint but litle of their geare But if it were any olde Sowméere That in the Mosse was left lyand When all as I haue borne on hand Out ouer the Mosse that was so brade Were commen greit gladnesse they had And rade foorth homeward on their way And on the morne when it was day Ahe Englishmen saw the Harbrie Where Scottishmen before can ly All voide and wondred greitlie then And sent foorth sundrie of their men While at the last their trace fand they And syne when they were goneaway That to a méekle Mosse them had That was so hiddeous for to waid That auenture of them durst none But to their Host againe is gone And told how that they passed were Where neuer man had passed aire When Englishmen heard it was sa In hy to counsell can they ta That they would follow them no maire Their Host right then they skailed there And ilke man to his owne they rade King Robert then that witting had That his men so in the Parke lay And what mischiefe then at were they An Host assembled hee in hâ—â— Ten thousand men wight and hardy And sent them foorth with Erles two Of Stratherne and Angus were they The Host in Wardaile to relieue And if they might so well enchéeue That samine night that meete might they They thought their foes to assay So fell it on that samine day That the Mosse as yee heard mee say Was past the Discurreours that there Ryding before the Hosts were On ather Host hes gotten a sight And they that worthie were and wight At their méeting justeâ— of wéere EnsenÈies hie they cried their And by their cry perceiued they That they were friends and no fay Then might men sée them glad and blyth And told it to their Lords swyth The Hosts met both togidder syne There was right homelie welcomming Made among greit Lords there Of their méeting joyfull they were The Erle Patricke and his MenÈie Had vittaile with greit plentie And gaue it to them with glad cheare Thus went they hameward all in feare Destroying the Countrie in their way In Scotland well commen are they The Lords went then all to the King That made them right faire welcoming For of their comming right glad was hée And that they â—ith sik propertie Withoutten tinsall escaped had They were blith merie and glad How King Robert assembled there Three Hosts in England for to fare SOone efter that the Erle Thomas From Wardall thus repaired was The King assembled all his might And left none that was worthie to fight A greit Host there assembled hee And dealt his Host in parts thrée Ane part of Norame went but let And there a stalward Siege they set And held them right in at their dyke Another part vnto Anuike Is went and there a Siege set they And while that there the Siege lay At the Castell as I said aire Part of assaults made they there And mony fairè Cheualrie Enchéeued was full doughtely The King at the Castell lyand Left his folke as I boore on hand And with the third Oast held his way Fra Parke to Parke him for to play Hoouing as all his owne it were And to them that were with him there The lands of Northumberland That next to Scotland was lyand In fée and heritage gaue hée And they payed for the Seales fée On this wise rade he destroyand While that the King of England Through counsell of the Mortymer And his Mother that at that time were Leaders to him that then young was To King Robert to treat of peace Sent Messengers and so sped they That he assented on this way Then a perpetuall peace to take And they a marriage sould make With King Roberts sonne Dauy That fiue yéeres old was then surely And of Dame Iane al 's of the towre That syne was of great valour Sister she was to the young King That England had in gouerning That had in eild then seuen yéere And King Robert for skaithes feare That he did to them of England Had done in weere through stalward hand Twentie thousand pound sall pay Of siluer and gold and good money When men thir things spoken had And with Seales and othes made Séesing of friendship and of peace For ony cause it sould neuer cease The Marriage then gart ordaine they To be in Barwike and the day They haue set when that it sould be Syne went ilk man to his Countrie Thus made was peace where wéere was aire And syne the Sieges raised were The King ordained for to pay The Siluer and against the day He gart well for the Maugery Ordaine when his sonne Dauy Sould wedded be and the Erle Thomas And al 's the good Lord of Dowglas Into his stead syne ordainde he Deuisers of the Feast to be For his sicknesse tooke him so saire That on no wise might he be there His sicknesse came of a fundying He had tane through his cold lying When in his great mischiefe was he He felt that hard perplexitie At Cardrosse all that time he lay And when néere commen was the day That ordainde for the wedding was The Erle and the Lord Dowglas To Barwikâ— came with méekle fare And brought young Dauid with them there The Quéene and with her the Mortimer On the other partie commen were With great efféere and Royaltie The young Ladie of great beautie Hidder came with rich afféere The wedding haue they made right there With great feast and solemnitie There might men myrth and gladnesse sée For full great Feast made they there And Scottishmen and English were Togidder in ioy and solace No felloun speech betwixt them was The Feast a well long time held they And when they busked to fare away The Queene hes her Doughter left there With great riches and Royall fare I trow that long time no Lady To house was giuen so richly The Erle and the Lord Dowglas Her in great daintie receiued hes As it was worthy sickerly For she was syne the best Ladie And the fairest that men might sée Efter this great solemnitie When on both sides the lieue was tane The
in the Mountaines 35 How King Robert was discomfist by Iohn of Lorne 38 Howe King Robert slew the three men that swore his death Fol. 41 How the Queene and the Erle of Athole departed fra the King to Kildromy 48 How the King past to Lochlowmound 50 Of the meeting of the Erle of Lennox with the King 52 How the King past to the sea 55 How the Erle of Lennox was chaist on the sea 56 How the King was receiued of Angus of the Iles and was gentâ—y entreated of him 58 How the Queene and her other Ladies were tane and prisoned and her men slaine 61 Of the siege of Kildromie and how it was betraised to the Englishmen 62 Of the death of King Edward of England 66 The illusion of the Deuill made to the mother of Ferrand Erle of Flanders and of the successe of the battell that followed thereafter 68 How Iames of Dowglas past in Arrane and gart vittall and armour there 71 How the King sent a spy in Carrik to spy wha were his friends there 76 Of the fire the King saw burning 79 Of the Kings hanselling at his first arriuing in Carrik 83 How Iames of Dowglas wan his Castell of Dowglas 97 How a man of Carrik with twa sonnes tooke in hand to slay the King Robert 97 How King Robert slew the three Traitours 101 How King Robert discomfist twa hundreth Galloway-men and slew fifteene of them 105 Howe Tydeus slewe fourtie nine men and their Captaine 108 How Iames of Dowglas slew Thriswall the Captaine of Dowglas 114 Howe sir Aymer and Iohn of Lorne searched the King with a sleuthhound 118 How King Robert slew yeâ— men that followed him 121 Howe the King was sairlie sought by the sleuthhound and how the sleuthhound was slaine 123 How the three Thieues came to the King and fainyied that they would bee his men 126 How the Kings Foster-brother was slaine and himselfe in great danger and how hee slew the three Thieues 128 How the King after his great troubles effrayed the English companie 133 How the King his hounds slew the 3 men in the wood 136 How the King discomfist sir Aymer in Glentroll 140 How sir Iames Dowglas discomfist sir Philip Mowbray with his companie at Ederfurd 143 How the King discomfist sir Aymer and his men vnder Lowdoun hill 147 How sir Iames Dowglas slew sir Iohn Webtoun and wâ— the Castell of Dowglas and syne cast it downe 156 How the King past ouer the Month and fell sick by the way 159 Howe the Kings men defended him during the time of his sicknesse 162 How the King discoÌ„fist the Erle of Buchane at Enrowry 165 Of the heirship of Buchane and howe the Castle of Forfare was tane 168 How the King wan sainct Iohnstoun and cast downe all the Tower thereof 169 Of the French Knight that was with King Robert at the winning of sainct Iohnstoun 171 How sir Edward Bruce discomfist sir Aymer and sir Ingrame Vmfrauile at the Water of Cree 174 How sir Edward Bruce with fiftie in company discomfist sir Aymer with fifteene hundreth 176 Howe sir Iames Dowglas tooke Thomas Randell and Alexander Stewart 180 How the King discomfist Iohn of Lornes meÌ„ at Creâ—labeÌ„ 182 Howe William Binny wanne the Peill of Linlithgowe through the bringing in of hay to it 182 How Thomas Randell was recounselled with the King and was made Erle of Murray 190 How Thomas Randel sieged the Castel of Edinburgh 191 How Sir Iames Dowglas by the conuoy of Sym of Lydhouse wan the Castell of Roxburgh 193 Howe Erle Thomas Randell wanne the Castell of Edinburgh by the conuoying of William Frances 198 Howe sir Edward Bruce wanne the Peill of Ruglyn and syne wanne Dundie 206 Howe sir Edward Bruce sieged Sttiuiling and of the â—rewes tane thereat 207 How King Edward gaddered a puissant armie to relieue Stâ—iuiling 208 Howe King Edward diuided his battels and tooke harbry in Edinburgh 213 How King Robert gaddered his folkes and ordered his battels to resist king Edward 216 Howe king Robert gart make deepe pots in the field ouercouered them with eâ—rd 218 How king Robert disseuered his vitaillers and carriage men fra his campe and set Erle Thomas Randell to keep the gaite beside the Kirke 220 How the Erle of Murray with an hundreth in company discomfist eight hundreth Englishmen 224 How king Robert slew sir Henrie Bowme in the face of â—aith the Oasts 228 Of the comfort giuen by king Robert to his folks 233 Of the battell of Bannocburne 242 How the Scottish vittallers and carriage men made them baners of sâ—eetes and presented theÌ„selues to the field 253 The valiantnes and death of sir Geiles de Argentie 255 How the Erle of Herfurd after the battell was receiued in Bothwell 258 Howe the king gart honourably bury the Erle of Glocester and the Castell of Striuiling was randered and sir Philip Mowbray became the kings man 262 Howe sir Iames Dowglas chased king Edward to Dumâ—ar and his company to Barwike 263 How the Castell of Bothwell the Erle of Herfurd were randred to sir Edward Bruce the Erle interchanged for the Queene and her Daughter that were prisoners 267 How king Robert rade in England and brunt Northumberland 268 Howe sir Edward Bruce with a great companie past in 〈◊〉 269 Of the first three battels sir Edward wan in Ireland 271 How the Irishmen treasonably leet our a Loâ—h on sir Edward and his company 279 Howe Erle Thomas Randell conqueissed the Irishmens vittailes 287 How Erle Thomas chased the Scurreours that came fra Cogneres 284 Of the fourth battell sir Edward wan in Ireland 286 Howe king Robert danted the Iles and tooke Iohn of Lorne 296 Howe sir Iames Dowglas reskewed the Pray tane by Englishmen and slewe sir Edmund Calhow Capitane of Barwike 296 How sir Iames Dowglas slew the Lord Newell 299 Howe king Robert past in Ireland to support his brother 303 How king Robert faught in Ireland against a great number of men and discomfist them 305 How sir Iames Dowglas in absenee of king Robert with a few company slew the Erle of Richmond 313 How sir Iames Dowglas slew Clerke Eleis and his company 317 How sir Iames Dowglas in absence of King Robert defended valiantly the Countrie 318 Howe the Bishop of Dunkeld and the Erle of Fife discomfist the Englishmen beside Dumfermeling 320 Of the returning of king Robert from Ireland 323 How Barwik was win by the moyen of Sim of Spaldin 327 Howe the King receiued the Castell of Barwike and made Walter Stewart Capitane thereof 330 How the King of England assembled his power to siege Barwike 333 Of the siege of Barwike 345 How Erle Thomas Randell and sir Iames Dowglas past and burnt in England to raise the siege from Barwike 340 Of the second assault of Barwike 343 How the siege of Barwike was skailled and the towne relieued 350 Of the death of sir Edward in Ireland and mony noble men with him 356 How King Edward againe inuaded Scotland and how sundrie of his men were slaine by sir Iames Dowglas 363 How Englishmen were discomfist at Byland 366 Of the conspiracie deuised against King Robert 370 Of the Trewes tane betwixt Scotland and England and of the death of walter Stewart 376 How the Erle of Murray and sir Iames Dowglas brunt in England till they came to Wardall Parke and of the death of King Edward of Carnauer and of his sonne Edward of Windesore 377 How Sir Iames Dowglas entred in the English Host and slew mony in their Tents 386 Howe the Scottish Host by the conuoy of Sir Iames Dowglas returned in Scotland without battell 391 How King Robert to relieue his â—olkes assembled his Host and entred into England in three parts 394 Of the peace tane and of the Mariage of Edwards sister with Dauid King Roberts sonne 395 How King Robert tooke sicknesse in Cardrosse sent for his Lords 398 How the Lord Dowglas was chosen to passe to the haly Land with the Bruces Heart and of the death of King Robert and how hee was buried in Dumfermling 401 How the Lord Dowglas past to the haly Land with the Kings heart 403 Of the great prowesse and valliantnesse done by the Lord Dowglas in Spaine 406 How the Lord Dowglas in relieuing Sir William Sinclar were both slaine by â—uge multitude of Saracenes 408 Of the noble vertues of the Lord Dowglas and a comparison betwixt him and the Romane Fabricius 410 Howe Sir William Keith brought the Lord Dowglas banes in Scotland and buried them in the Kirke of Dowglas 412 Of the death of sir Thomas Randell Gouernour of Scotland by poyson Fol eodem FINIS TABVLAE
losse more vehemently prouoked to reuenge summond the Ballioll thrise to compeare before him at Newcastle and because he compeared not at all hee sent for Bruce and promised him the Kingdome if hee would write to his friendes either to leaue their King or to flee in battell The King with all diligence past toward Barwike where finding the towne strongly garnished with men and comming small speed in his pursute hee fained a retreat and caused some of the Bruces faction sparse brutes that the Ballioll with a great Oast was euen there at hand whereupon the most notable men of the towne supponing themselues to bee free of the common enemie ran foorth for to receiue their King honourably and so both horse and foote went out of the towne confusedlie But Edward had appointed a number of horsemen to wait vpoÌ„ that turne who cutted them off easilie from their companies beeing vshed so confusedly and out of order and comming to the next Port entred in the towne the King with his foot-hoste following made miserable slaughter vpon all sorts of people increasing in multitude sent a part of his armie to besiege Dumbar himselfe within few dayes receiued the Castell of Barwike which the keepers randred despairing of reliefe then joyning all his forces together at Dumbar encountred with the Scots hoste which came hither with a great battell to raise the siege the victorie enclined to the English side The chiefe men of the Nobilitie fledde to the Castell but the Captaine not hauing Viuers sufficient to sustaine such a multitude randered and all kinde of crueltie execute vppon the captiues But when the Bruce desired the Kingdome in recompense of his trauell and according to promise Edward answered him in French haue we nothing ado but to purchase Kingdomes for you Dumbar and some other Castles vppon the Border beeing randred Edinburgh and Striuiling were deliuered also from Striuiling Edward passed Forth and marched towards Forfare where the Ballioll was when without impediment hee came to Monrosse The Ballioll by perswasion of Iohn Cummine of Strabogie randred himselfe the Kingdome into King Edwards hands whom he shipped sent into England Edward returned to Barwike by sharpe edict summond all the Scottish Nobilitie to come thither such as came were compelled to sweare obedience vnto him William Dowglas a man of Noble blood and valiant refusing to sweare was cast in prison where within few yeeres he died Thus all things succeeding to his wish hee appointed Iohn Warreâ— Erle of Surrey Viceroy Hew Cressingham Thesaurer and leauing them behind him hee returned to London where hee warded Iohn Ballioll when hee had reigned 4. yeeres But hee within a short space at the request of the Bishop of Rome was sent to France leauing his sonne Edward in pledge for him Afterward Edward with a great army tooke shipping to passe in France The Scots in esperance of liberty hee being absent chused twelue Regents and by all their aduises Iohn Cummine Erle of Buchan with a sufficient armie was sent in England The English Garrisons left in Scotland dispersed heere and there durst not stirre so hee without impediment spoyled Cumberland and Northumberland Albeit this voyage somewhat incouraged the Scots yet did it but small help to the whole warre for all strong holds were fortified by the enemies garrisons But while as Noblemen lacked both strength and sufficient courage to enterprise greater matters VVilliam VVallace a man of Noble and ancient Family who did Actes in those Warres not only aboue all mens exspectatioÌ„ but also incredible being a man of great bodily strenght high courage He hardened his body against injuries of Fortune and confirmed his courage by perillous attempts to enterprise higher and greater euen with danger he gathered vnto him some companie of Men and herewith not only slew any Englishmen he met with but often times aâ—so with few foght with great numbers in sundrie places where he met with them slew them In short space his fam filled both the Realms so they that had lik causes as he had not vnlike loue to their Countrey gathering together swarmed to him from all parts and within few moneths he amassed an indifferent Army Noblemen for feare or lashnes lying still Wallace was proclaimed Gouernour and as Lieutenant for Ballioll commanded as lawfull Magistrate Hee tooke not this name of pride or of desire to Empire but only like another Sampson vpon compassion and loue of his Countrey-people After this he essayed with open force tooke many Castells either not sufficiently furnished or not weill guarded or negligently kept and razed them His Men of Warres minds were so confirmed that vnder his conduct they feared no perrill for that his hardiment lacked neuer wisdom nor his wisdome the wished euent So in short space he wan all the Forts that Englishmen possessed beyond Forth King Edward hearing these rumours and hauing all his Army with him in France he wrote to Henrie Pearsie Lord of Northumberland to William Latimer to raise quickly Forces out of the next adjacent Countrey and joyne themselues with Cressinghame to suppres the Scots Wallace in this time besieged the Castle of Cowper in Fyfe to the end his men of warre should not be idle attending the coming of the English army his enimies now cuming neare marched directly to Striuiling The Riuer of Forth hath no foords at Striuiling Yet there was a vvoodden bridge ouer the vvhich Cressinghame past vvith the great part of his aâ—mâ— the rest following so thick the bridge being ouerburthened vvith so hudge a weght brak in pieces The Scots charged these that vvere past before they could be Arayed slew their leader droue backe the rest in the water with so huge a slaughter that almost the whole were either slain by the Scots or drownd in the riuer Wallace after this so followed his fortune that he left not an Englishman in Scotland except prisoners This victory was obtained vpoÌ„ the Ides of Septemb. 1297. Hereafter followed great Famine for not manuring of the ground and Pest followed Hunger wherof greater destruction was feared than of the Warre Wallace to remedy this aswell as he might charged al sensible men to come vnto him at a certain day caried them with him into England vvhere liuing in vvinter in their enemies lands they spared Viuers at home vvhere he remained from the kalends of Nouember vnto the kal. of Febr. and no man durst match him And then hauing inriched theÌ„selfs vvith their enemies spoyls returned with great glory As this journey augmented Wallaces fame and authority among the people so it increased the Noble mens enuy against him vvhereof Edw. being priuy setting things in France in order as time would permit leauing his old souldiers beyond sea amassing a very great army vpon the sudden of nouices he marched toward Scotland but wheÌ„ in the plain of Stanemure both armies stood in order of battel about half a mile from other Edw. viewing Wall hoste
had rashly run forth froÌ„ the host Edw. preast by great promises to mak him his own but in vain his answer was ay to all men that hee had auowed his life to his Countrey Thus things atchieued Edw. adjoyned himself to his son Edward whom he had left at Perth took in sundry Strengths Forts Striuiling after 3 moneths siege the rest rendred for fear Edward held a ParliameÌ„t in Sainct-Andrews vvher he made most part of the Nobility for fear to swear to be his true subjects Wall always excepted who for fear to be betrayed of the nobility withdrue himself to his old lurking places Edw. appointed LieutenaÌ„ts and Magistrats throughout Scotland past home to England and left no Monuments Histories Books Lawes nor learned men vndestroyed or transported with him thinking therby to exterminate the name of that NatioÌ„ He left Odomare Valentine Vice-Roy to extinguish all innouations if any begin to peepe But now Wars arose where he least meaned Among the rest of Scottish Nation with Edward was Robert Bruces son who conteÌ„ded with Ballioll for the Kingdome and Iohn Cummine cousen german to Iohn Ballioll late King of Scots Edw. had spoken often times seuerally long time holden them in the hals vpoÌ„ vain hope of the Kingdom and so used their means in the conquest of the same being both meÌ„ of great power and friendship but the deceitfull mockage at length manifested there was nothing more desired of either of them than occasion to be reueÌ„ged vpon Edw. falset against promise trust to both but emulation whereby the one suspected the other was the stay that neither durst coÌ„municat his counsell to the other Now Cum. perceiued these doings miscoÌ„teÌ„ted Bruce vehemently deplored vnto him the misery of their Countrey beginning from the ground thereof and inueighing greatly against the King of Englands persidie accused first himself then Bruce by whose assistance and trauels their people were brought to this misery proceeding further from this beginning of speach euery of them promising secrecy to other vpon their Faith and honesty They agreed betwixt themselues thus That Bruce should bee King and Cummine should resigne his Right in his fauours Cummine should haue all Lands that Bruce possessed in Scotland he had many faire and fruitfull Lands and Cummine should be second in honour next vnto the King These things sworn writteÌ„ sealed Bruce vvaiting opportunity of change past to the Court of England leauing behind him in Scotland his wife and brethren After his departure Cummine either repenting his former aduise or els he thought by craft to cut away Bruce that therby he might more easily come by the kingdome He bevvrayed these secrets to Edward and to purchase credite herein he sent him the Contract signed by both Bruce was summoÌ„d to a day for treason charged not to depart from Court quiet keepers appointed vnto him commanded to spy both his vvords and deeds The cause why the King protracted time in this so manifest a turne was that his brethren might be apprehended before the brute of his execution should arise Bruce in the meane time was informed of the suddeÌ„ danger by his old freind the Earle of Gomera vvho durst not counsell him by letter to flee but warning by example sent a pair of guilt spurs with som pieces of gold as if he had borrowed them the day preceeding Robert as men in danger are most tenty not ignoraÌ„t what was meant by the propine called for a Smith in the night caused shoo three Horses backward lest the print of the Horse feet in the snow might bewray their flight that same night might be espied accompanied with other two took journey vpon the 7 day thereafter themselues and their horses weary came to a Castle of his own standing beside Lochmabene there finding his brother Dauid Robert Fleming and taking them with him scarcely opening vnto them the cause of his flight chanced vpon a Messenger carying letters from Cummine to Edward bearing That Robert should be executed with diligence for delay brought danger lest a Noble man â—auoured of the people and therewith also wise stout should raise new troubles c. The Cummines treason also by this testimony tried Robert inflamed with rage of ire past directly to Drumfreise wher he vnderstood his enemy was finding Iohn Cummine in the Gray-Friers Kirke produced his letters reproued him bitterly while as he impudently stood to the deniall therof but he impatient in wrath strak him in the belly with his Dagger and left him for dead When he was horsing again Iames Lindesay his cousen and Roger Kirk-Patricke his friend perceiuing his countenaâ—ce chaÌ„ged inquired the cause He told them in a word He belieued Cummine was dead What said LINDESAY Hast thou left so dangerous a deed in doubt therwith he entred into the Kirk not only slew him but also Robert Cummine his kinsman preassing to support him This murther was committed the 4 of the Ides of February 1305. about this time William Wallace was taken and betrayed by Iohn Menteith his familiar companion corrupted by Edwards Mony in the bounds of Glasgow where he lurked for the time sent to London where by Edwards command he was vnhonestly beheaded and quartered his members tâ— terrifie others hung vp in most publicke places in England Scotland This was the end of this most worthy mans life who for high spirit in interprising dangers for fortitude in execution comparable in deed to the most famous Chiftains amongst the Ancients for loue to his natiue Countrey second to noâ—e he onely free the rest slaues could neither bee bâ—ught with benefites nor compelled by force to leaue the publicke cause which he had once profest whose death appeared more to be lamented that being inuincible to his enemie he was betrayed by his Familiar that in no cace should haue done so The Bruce staying only till he had obtained pardon of the Bishop of Rome for the murther committed in holy Church In the next month of Aprile 1306. passing to Scone hee was crowned King First knowing well the great puissance of his enemie hee amasseth all the forces he could from all parts although the whole clan of Cummines the greatest in Scotland that euer was before them or since in puissance withstoode him and his assisting of Edward offended many and the greater part of the Realme beside lay quiet for feare of English force hee notwithstanding of his few number hazarded against Odomar at Meibwen with the losse of a few was put to the worst The like bad successe hee had in passing from Atholl to Argyle where the Cummines beset him and forced him to fight at Dalry his men fleeing to saue themselues in places of greatest suretie From this time with one or two in companie thinking himselfe in that state more sure with few than many Hee wandred in the wildernes like a wilde man and albeit hee would haue assayed Fortoun hee saw
and there The ships ouer the waues slade For wind at will blowing they had But not for thy who there had bene A great stertling he might haue séene Of ships For while some would be Right on the waues summitie And some slade fra the hight so law Right as they downe to hell would draw Syne on the waues stert suddenly And other ships that were by Delyuerly drew to the Déepe It was great Cunning for to kéepe Their Takle into sik a thrang And waite sik waues ay amang That reft them oft sight of the land When that they to it were marchand And when ships were sayling néere The sea would rise on sik maner That of the waues the waltering hight Would reaue them oft off their sight Yet into Raughring sikkerly They arriued ilkone safely Right blyth and glade that they were sa Escaped the hiddeous waues fra IN Raughring they arriued are And to the land they went but mare Armed vpon their best maner When the folke that there winning were Saw men of armes in their Countrie Arriue into sik quantitie They fled in hy with their Cattell Right toward a stalward Castell That in the land was néere them by Men might heare women highly cry And flée with Cattell here and there Bot the Kings folke that were Delyuer of foot them can ouer-hy And them arréested haillely And brought them to the King againe So that none of them all was slaine Then with them treated so the King That they to fulfill his yarning Became his men euerilkane And hes him truely vndertane That they and theirs loude and still Sould be in all things at his will And while him liked there to leind Euerilk day they sould him send Uittaile for thrée hunder men And ay for Lord they sould him ken So that their Fortresses might be For all his men their owne frée The Cunnand on this wise was made And on the morne but longer bade Of all Raughring both man and page Kneeled and made the King homage And therewith swore to him fewtie To serue him into léele lawtie And held him therewith léele Cunnand For while he dwelt into that land They gaue meat to his companie And serued him right faithfullie How the Queene and other Ladies were tane and prisoned and her men slaine AT Raughring leaue we now the King In rest withoutten barganing And of his foes a whyle speake we That throgh their might and their poustie Made sik a persecutioun So hard so straite and so felloun On them that to him louing were Or kyn or friend in ony maner That it to heare was great pitie For they spared none of no degrée That they trowed his friends were Nouther of the Kirke nor Seculare For of Glasgow Bishop Robert And Marcus of Maine they stythly spared Both in fetters and in prisoun And al 's good Cristall of Setoun Into Lochdon betrayed was Through a Disciple of Iudas Maknaght a false Traitour that ay Was with him dwelling night and day Whome to he made good company It was far war than traitoury For to betray sik a persoun So Noble and of so good Renoun Bot thereof had he no pitie In Hell condemned mot he be For when he him betrayed had The Englishmen right with him rade In hy in England to the King And gart draw him and head and hing Withoutten pitie or mercie It was great sorrow sikkerlie That so worthie a person as he Sould in sik maner hanged be Thus gate ended the worthines Of Craufurd al 's Sir Reynald we◠And Sir Bryse al 's of the Blaire Were hanged in a barne at Aire The Quéene and Dame Mariory Her Doughter that syne worthely Was coupled into Gods band With Walter Stewart of Scotland That would in no wise longerly In the Castle of Kildromy To bide a Siege Bot ridyng raith With Knights and with Squyars baith To Rosse right to the gyrth of Thane Bot that trauell they made in vaine For they of Rosse they would not beare For them no blame nor no danger Out of the gyrth them al 's hes tane And syne hes send them euerilkane Right into England to the King That gart draw all the men and hing And put the Ladies into prison Some in Castle and some in Dungeoun It was great pitie for to heare Folke troubled on sik maner How Englishmen sieged the Castell of Kildromy THat time was into Kildromy Good men that were wight worthy Sir Neill the Bruce this wate ye well And the Erle also of Atholl The Castle right well vittailde thay And meat and Fuell they can puruay And enforced the Castell so That them thoght no strength might ta it And when it to the King was told Of England how they shoope to hold The Castell hee was all angry And calde his Sonne to him in hy The Eldest and appearand aire A young Batchler starke and faire Sir Edward of Carnauerane That was the starkest man of ane That might bee found in a Countrie Prince of Wales that time was hee And hee gart call Erles two Glochester and Harfoorde were tho And bade them wend into Scotland And set a Siege with stalwart hand To the Castell of Kildromy And the holders 〈◊〉 haillily Hee bade destroy them but ransoun Or bring them to him in prisoun WHē this mandament they had tane They assembled an Host on ane And to the Castell went in hy And it assieged vigorously And mony a time it hard assailyied And yet to take it oft they failyied For they within were right worthie And them defended doughtely And repugned their foes oft againe Some baissed some wounded some slain And mony a time ishe they would And bargaine at the Barras hold And wound their foes oft and sla Surely they them contemned sa That they thereout despaired were And through England againe to fare For so starke saw they the Castell And thought that it was weaponde well And saw the men defend them sa That they none hope had it to ta None had they done all that sessoun Gif it not war right false treasoun For there within was a Traitour A false Lurdane a Losyngeour Osbarne to name made the tressoun I wate not for what enchesoun Nor whome with hee made the conuine But as they said that were within Hee tooke a Coulter hoat glowing That red was in a fire burning And went into the meekle Hall That then with corne was filled all And high vp in the mow it did But it full long was not there hid For men sayes oft that fire nor pride But disconering may no man hide For the pompe of the pride foorthshawes Or else the greit boast as it blawes Nor there may no man fire so couer But it shall low or reeke discouer So it fell heere for fire so cleare Soone through the thicke boord can appeare First as a Sterne syne as a Moone And well braider thereafter soone The fire out soon in bleases brast And the reeke raise so wonder fast
oft times to hunt and play For to purchase them vennisoun For then the Deire were in season In all that time Sir Aimery With Noble men in companie Lay in Carlile his time to sée And when he heard the certainetie That in Glentrolle was the King And went to hunt and to playing He thought then with his Cheualrie To come vpon him suddenlie And from Carlile on nights ride And in Couert on daies bide And thus gate with his tranoynting He thought for to supprise the King He assembled a great Menyie Of folke of full great Renounie Both of Scots and Englishmen Their way togidder held they then And rade on nights priuilie While they came to a Wood néere by Glentrolle where lodged was the King That wist right noght of their comming Into great perill now is he For but GOD through his great bountie Saue him he sall be slaine or tane For they were sex where he was ane How the King with a few Menyie Discomfite Sir Aymer in Glentrolle WHen Sir Aymer as I haue told With his men that were stout and bold Were comming so néere the King that they Were but a myle fra him off way He tooke auisement with his men On what maner they sould doe then For he said them that the King was Ludged into so strait a place That horsemen might him not assailyie And if foot-men gaue him battailyie He sould be hard to win gif he Might of their comming witted be Therefore I red all priuilie UUe send a woman him to spie That poorelie sall arrayed be She may aske meat for Charitie And sée their conuéene haillelie Upon what maner that they lie And in that while we and our Menyie Comming out through the Wood may be On foot all armed as we are May we doe so that we come there On them or they wit our comming UUe sall finde in them no stynting This counsell thought they was the best Then send they foorth but longer frist The woman that sould be their spy And she her way held foorth in hy Right to the Ludging wher was the King That had no dread of supprising For in Glentrolle was the King That was néere brought to supprising Yéed vnarmed merrie and blyth The woman hes he séene all swyth He saw her vncouth and for thy He beheld her more tentiuely And by her countenance him thought That for good commen was she nought Then gart he men in hy her ta And she that dred men sould her sla Told them now that Sir Aimery With the Clyffurde in company And the flowre of Northumberland UUere comming on them at their hand WHen that the King heard that tything He armed him but more dwelling So did they all that with him were Syne in a sop assembled there I trow they were thrée hundreth néere And when they all assembled were The King his banner gart display And set his men in good array But they standen had but a thraw Right at their hand when that they saw Their foes through the Wood câ—mmand Armed on foot with speare in hand They sped them full enforcedlie The noise begeuth then and the crie For the good King that formest was Stoutlie toward his foes gaes And hynt out of a mans hand That néere beside him was gangand A bow and a brade arrow al 's And hit the formest in the hals While throppell and wessand yéed in two And he downe to the eird can go The laue with that made a stinting And then but more the Noble King Hint from His Banerman his Baner And said vpon them for they are Discomfist all and with that word Hée swapped smertlie out his Sword And on them ran so hardelie That all they of his companie Tooke hardement of his good déed And some that first their wayes yéed Againe came to the feght in hy And met their foes vigorouslie That all the formest rushed were And when they that were backer mair Saw that the formest left their stéede They turned all their backe and fled Out of the Wood they them with drew The King but few men of them slew For they right soone their gait can goe For it discomforted them so That the King and his men was All armed to defend the place When they weind through their tranoynting To haue winning without feghting That they effrayed were suddenly And hee them sought so angerly That they in full greit by againe Out of the Wood can to the Plane For they failÈied of their intent They were that time so foully shent That fifteene hundreth men and ma. With a few were rebuted sa That they withdrew them shamfullie Therefore among them suddenlie Raise greit debate and greit distance Ilkane with other of their mischance The Cliffurde and Vanis made a mellie Where Cliffurde raught him routes thrée And either side drew to parties But Syr Aymer that was ay wise Departed them with méekle paine And went to England home againe Hée wist fra strife raise them among They should not hold togider long Without debate or more melle For thy to England turned hee With more shame than hée went off touâ— When so mony of sik Renoun Saw so few men byde them battaile Where they right hardy were to assaile How Iames of Dowglas discomfite than At Ederfoord Philip Mowbray with mony man THe King fra Sir Aymer was gane Gathered his MenÈie euerilkane And left both Woods and Mountaines And held the straight way of the Plaines For hée would fane that end were made Of that that he begunnen had And hée wist well hee could not bring It to good end but trauelling To Kyle first went hée and that land Hée made to him all obeysand And of Cuninghame the most party Hée gart yéeld to his Senourie In Bothwell then Sir Aymer was That in his heart greit anger taâ—s For them of Cuninghame and Kyll That were obeysand to his will And had left Englishmens fewtie Thereof fane venged would hée bée And sent there Philip the Mowbray With a thousand as I heard say That armed were in his leading In Kyll for to weirray the King But Iames of Dowglas that all tide Had Spyes out vpon ilk side Wist of their comming and that they Would hold downe Makyrnoks way Hée tooke with him all priuilie Them that were of his companie That were sixtie withoutten ma Syne in a strait place can they ga That is into Makyrnoks way The Nether Foord that heght perfay And lyeth betwixt Marraises two Where that none Horse on life may goe On the South halfe where Iames was Is an vpgang and a narrow place And on the North halfe is the way So ill as it appeares this day Dowglas with them hée with him had Embushed him and there abade Hée might well farre sée their comming But they of him might sée nothing They bade in bushment all that night And when the Sun was shinning bright They saw the battell come arrayed The Uangard with Banner displayed And soone efter
men were ganging to and fra Throughout the Castell all that night While on the morne that day was light THe Wardan that was in the Towre That was a man of great valour Gilmyn de Firmes when he saw The Castell tynt both hie and law He set his might for to defend The Towre but they without him send Arrowes in so great quantitie That sore annoyed thereof was he Yet while the other day not for thy He held the Towre full sturdely And then at an assault he was Wounded so felly in the face That he was dréeding of his life Therefore he treated them but strife And yald the Towre on sik maner That he and all that with him wer Sould safely passe into England Dowglas held them full good cunnand And conuoyde him to his Countrie But there full short whyle liued he For through the wound into the face He died soone and buried was Dowglas the Castell séesed all That then was closed with stalward wall And sent this Ledhouse to the King That made him right good rewarding And his brother in full great hy Sir Edward that was so doughty He sent hidder to tumble downe Both Towre Castell and al 's Dungeoun And he came with great companie And gart trauell so busilie That Towre Wall right to the ground He gart cast downe in litle stound And dwelt there while that Teuydaill Came to the Kings peace all haill Except Iedburgh and other that néere To the Englishmens bounds were How William Frances led Thomas Randell Vp to the Craig of Edinburgh Castell WHen Roxburgh was win on this wise The Erle Thomas that hie emprise Set ay on Souerane hie bountie At Edinburgh with his Menyie Was lying at the Siege as I Told you before all openly But fra he heard how Roxburgh was Tane with a traine all his purchase And wit and businesse I hight He set to purchase him some slight How he might help him through victorie Melled with hie Cheualrie To win the wall of the Castell Through some kin slight for he wist well That no strength might it plainelie get While there within were men and meat Therefore priuily spéered he Gif ony man might there founden be That could find ony ieopardy To climbe the wall right priuily And he sould haue his warisoun For it was his intentioun To put himselfe in auenture Or at that Siege on him misfure Then was there one William Frances Wise and expert wise and courtes And he in his youthhead had bene In the Castell when he had séene The Erle so ernestly him set Some subtiltie or wyle to get Where through the Castell haue might hée Hee came to him in priuitie And said Mee thinke yée would blithlie That men found you some jeopardie How yee might ouer the walles win And certes if yée will begin For to assay on sik a wise I vndertake for my seruice For to ken you to climbe the wall And I shall formest bée of all Wherewith a short Ladder may wee I hope of twelue foote it may bee Climbe the Wall vp all quietlie And if that yée will wit how I Wate this I shall you blythlie say When I was young this hinder day My father was kéeper of yone house And I was somedeill lecherous And loued a Wench héere in the towne And that I but suspitioun Might repaire to her priuilie Of rapes to mee a ladder made I And therewith ouer the wall I slade A strait rod there I spyed had Into the Craige syne downe I went And oft syes come to mine intent And when that it drew néere the day I held againe the samine way And aye came in but perceiuing I vsed so long that trauelling So that I can that rod goe right Though men sée neuer so mirke a night And if yée thinke yée would assay To passe vp after mee that way Up to the Wall I shall you bring If GOD vs saue from perceiuing Of them that Watches are on the wall And if it vs so faire may fall That wee our ladders may vp set While a man on the Wall may get Hee shall defend if there bée néede While the remnand vp them spéed The Erle was blyth of that carping And heght to him faire rewarding And vndertooke that gate to ga And bade him soone his ladder ma. And hold him priuie while they might Set for their purpose on a night Soone efter was the Ladder made And then the Erle but more abade Puruayed him a night priuily With threttie men wight and hardy And in a myrke night held their way They put them in full hard assay And to greit perill sikkerly I trow might they haue séene clearely That gate had not béene vndertane Although to stoppe them had not beene ane For the Craig was high and hiddeous And the climming right perrillous If ony hapned to slide or fall Hee should bee soone too frushed all The night was mirke as I heard say And to the foot soone commen were they Of the Craige that was high and shore Then William Frances them before Clambe in the Crookes before them ay And at the backe him followed they With méekle paine while to while fro They clambe in the Crookes so While halfe the Craig they climmen had And there a place they found so brade That they might sit on allanerly And they were ayndlesse and weary And there abode their aind to ta And right as they were sitting sa Right abone them vpon the Wall The Chak-watches assembled all Now helpe them God that all thing may For in full greit perill are they For might they see them there should nane Escape out of that place vnslaine To dead with stons they sould them ding For they might helpe themselues nothing But wonder mirke there was the night So that they had of them no sight And not for thy yet was there one Of them that swakked downe a stone And said away treatoure I see thée well Nowbeit hee saw of him no deill Out ouer their heads flew the stane And they sate still lurking ilkane The Watches when they heard no stéere From that place passed all in feare And carâ—ing held they foorth their way The Erle Thomas as soone as they That on the Craige sat then him by Toward the Craige clambe hastely And hidder came with méekle maine And not but greit perrill and paine For fra thyne vp was greiâ—ousar To climbe vp nor beneath by far But what kin paine so euer they had Right to the Wall they came but bade That was well neere twelue foot on hight And withoutten perceiuing or sight They set the Ladder to the Wall And syne Frances before them all Clambe vp and syne Sir Andro Gray And syne the Erle himselfe perfay Was the third man the Wall can ta When they there downe their Lord swa Saw climbe vp vpon the Wall As wood men they clambe efter all But ere vp commen all were they They that were watches to assay Heard steering and
They judged it all to greit foly And thought to haue them at their lyking If men abade them in feghting But oft failÈies that fooles thought And yet wise men comes nought To that end that they weine alwayes A litle stone oft as men sayes May gar walter a méekle Wane Na mans might may stand againe The grace of God that all things stéeres Hée wates whereto all thinges afféeres And dispones at his liking Efter his ordinance all thing WHen Sir Edward as I you say Had giuen so outragious a day To yéelde or to rescue Striuiling Right to the King then went hee syne And told what treaty hée had made And what day hée them giuen had The King said when hee heard the day That was vnwisely done perfay I neuer yet heard so long warning Was giuen to so mighty a King As is the King of England For hée hes now into his hand England Ireland and Wales alswa And Aquitayne yet with all tha Dwells vnder his Senyeory And of Scotland a greit party And of treasure so stuffed is hée That hee may wageours haue plentie And wee are few against so feill GOD may right well our weirdes deill But wée are set in jeopardie To tyne or win then hastelie Sir Edward said So God mée réede Though hée and all that hee may â—éede Come wée shall feght all though they were moe When the King heard his brother so Speake to the Battell so hardelie Hée praised him in his heart greatly And said Brother sen so is gane That this thing thus is vndertane Shape wée vs therefore manly And all that loues vs tenderly And the fréedome of this Countrie Puruay them at that time to bée Boun on their best wise that they may So if our foes will assay To rescue Striuiling with battaile That wée of purpose gar them faile The sembling of the English Host That with great power cam and boast ON this wise all assented were And bade their men all make them yare For to bee boun against that day Weapons and armours puruayed they And all that afféered to feghting And of England the mightie King Puruayed him in so greit array That Certes I heard neuer say That Englishmen more apparell Made than they did for that battell For when the time was commen néere The King assembled his powéere And beside his owne Cheualrie That was so greit it was ferlie Hée had of mony a farre Countrie With him good men of greit bountie Of France and other Cheualry Hée had into his companie The Erle of Henault al 's was there And with him met that worthie were Of Gasconyie and of Almanyie And of the worthiest of Brittainyie Hée had wight men and well farrand Armed cleanelie both head and hand Of England al 's the Cheualrie Hée had there gaddered so cleanelie That none were left might weapons wéeld Or worthie were to feght in field Of Wales al 's with him had hée And of Ireland a greit Menyie Of Poytow Aquitayne and Bayoun Hee had mony of greit renowne Of Scotland hée had yet then A greit Menyie of worthie men When altogedder assembled were Hee had of feghters with him there An hundreth thousand men and ma And fourtie thousand were of tha Armed on Horse both head and hand And of tha yet were three thousand With barded Horse in plait and mailyie To make the front of the battailyie And fiftie thousand of Archers Hée had withoutten Hobillers And men on foot and small rangall That kéeped Harnesse and Uittaill Hee had so feil it were ferly Of Cartes al 's that yéed him by So feill that by them that charged were With Pauilliouns and that vessell bare And apparell for Chamber and Hall Fourescore were charged with Fewall They were so feill where that they rade And their battells were so brad And so greit rout held they there That men that méekle Host might sée there Ouertooke the Lands largelie Men might sée there who had béene by Mony a worthie man and wight And mony an armour gaylie dight And mony a sturdie stéering Stéede Arrayed aye into rich wéede Mony Helmes and Haberiones Shields Speares and eke Pennouns And so mony a comelie Knight That it séemed into that sight They should vanquish the world all haill Why should I make too long my tale To Baruike are they come ilkane And some therein hes Innes tane And some lodged without the towne In tents and in Pauillioun How Englishmen manassed at will The Scots and delt their lands till ANd when the King his Oast hes séene So great so good men and so cleane He was right ioyfull in his thought And well supposed that there were nought A King in World might him withstand Him thought all winnen to his hand And largely among his men The lands of Scotland dealt he then Of other mens lands large was he And they that were of his Menyie Manassed the Scottishmen haillely With great words and not for thy Or that they come to their intent Hollâ—s in haill claith sall be rent In ton battels the Englishmen Were delt taught to Chiftanes then THe King through counsell of his men His folke delt into battels ten In ilk battell were ten thousand That thought they stalwardly sould stand In battell and sould hold their right And let not for their foes might He set Leaders to ilk battall That knowen were of good gouernall And to renouned Erles twa Of Glocester and Herfurd were tha He gaue the Uangard in leading With mony men at their bidding Ordained with full great array They were so Cheualrous that thay Trowed gif they came to the fight There sould no strength withstand their might And the King when his Menyie were Diuided into battells sear His owne battell ordained he And who sould at his brydle be Sir Geiles the Argentine he set Upon the one side his renyie to get And of Wallance Sir Aymery On other halfe that was worthy For into their soueraine bountie Ouer all the laue affyed he How all the Noble Cheualry At Edinburgh tooke harbery WHen the King vpon this wise Had ordained as I here deuise His battels and his renowning He raise earely in the morning And fra Barwicke they tooke their way Both hilles and valleyes couered thay And the battels there was so brade Departed ouer the hilles rade The Sunne was bright and shined cleare And armours that bright byrneist were So blenked with the Sunnes beame That all the land séemed in a leame Banners right freshly flambisighand And Pensalls to the wind waiuand So feill they were of seir Countreyes That it was wonder to deuise And I sould tell all their afféere Their countenance and their manéere Though I couth I sould cumbred be The King with all his great Menyie To Edinburgh are they commen right They were all out too feill to fight With few folke of a simple land But where God helpes who may withstand How in this time assembled then To King Robert hes certaine
other that fled were to them there That were a right greit companie When they the Baners so simpillie Saw stand and stuffed with so whéene Their yaits haue they opened soone And ished on them hardelie The Erle Thomas that was worthie And the good Lord al 's of Dowglas With all the folke that with them was Met them stoutlie with weapons seir Then men might see who had beene néere Men abandoun them hardely And Englishmen faught cruelly And with all mights can them paine To rush the Scottishmen againe I trow they had done so perfay For they were fewer far then they Had it not béene a new made Knight That to his name Sir William hight Of Keith and of the Gallistoun Hée heght through difference of Surnoun That bare him right well that day And put him to so hard assay That hée sik dints about him dang That where hee saw the thickest thrang Hee preassed with so meekle might And so enforcedlie can fight That hée made to their Menyie way And they that néere were to him ay Dang on their foes so hardely That they haue tane the backe in hy And to the Castell held their way With greit mischiefe there entred they For they were pressed there so fast That they left mony of the last But they that entred not for thy Closed the yates right hastelie And in hy to the walles ran For they were not all sikker then Here sent they word to the King That come to the Castell yeelding THe towne was tane vpon this wise Through greit worship and greit emprise And all the good that they there fand Was seesed haillie in their hand Uittaile they fand in greit fusioun And all that serued to stuffe a towne That kéeped they from destroying And syne hes sent word to the King And hée was of that tything blyth And sped him hidderward full swyth And as hee through the Countrie rade Men gaddered to him while hée had A meekle rout of worthie men And the folke that were winning then In the Mers and Teuidaile And in the Forrest al 's all haill And the East end of Lowthiane Before that the King came are gane To Barwike with a stalwart hand That nane that was that time winnand On yond side Tweede durst well appeare And they that in the Castell were When that their foes in sike plentie Saw before them assembled bée And had none hope of reskewing They were abased in greit thing But they the Castell not for thy Held fius daies right sturdely And yaild it on the sext day Syne to their Countrie home went they Here Walter Stewart took of the King Baith Towne and Castell in keeping THus was the Castell and the Toun To Scottishmens possessioun Brought and soone efter the King Came ryding with all his gaddering To Barwike and in the Castell He was harbred both fair and well And his great Lords all him by The remnand all commonly To harbrie in the toun are gane The King hes then to counsell tane That he would not breake down the wall But Castell and the toun withall Stuffed well with men and with vittaile And all kin other apparaile That might auaile or yet mister To hold Castel or toun of weere And Walter Stewart of Scotland That then was young and vailyeand And sonne in law to the good King Had ay sik will and sik yarning Néere hand the Marches for to be That Barwike in kéeping then tooke he And receiued of the King the toun And the Castell and Dungeoun The King gart men of great Nobilley Ride in England for to take Pray And brought out great plentie of fée And with some Countries trewes tooke he For vittaile that in great fusioun He gart bring smertly to the toun So that both Toun and Castell were Stuffed well for one yéere or maire ¶ The good Stewart of Scotland then Sent for his freinds and his men Till he had with him but Archers And but Burgesses and Aulisters Fiue hundreth men wight and hardy That bare armes of Ancestry Iohn Crab a Fleming al 's had he That was of so great subteltie To ordaine and to make apparaile For to defend and to assaile Castell of wéere or then Citie That no sleear might founden be He gart Ingines and Traines ma And puruayed great fires alswa Fire-galdes and shot on seir maners That to defend Castell efféeres He puruayed into full great wane Bot gunnes for crackes had they nane For yet in Scotland then but wéene The vse of them had not bene seene And when the towne vpon this wise UUas stuffed as I here deuise The Noble King his way hes tane And ridden toward Louthiane And Walter Stewart that was stout He left in Barwike with a rout And ordained fast for apparaile To defend gif men would assaile The King of England his power Gaddered to siege Barwike but weere WHen to the King of England Was told how that with stalwart hand Barwike was tane and stuffed syne With men and armour and vittaile fyne He was annoyed gretumly And gart be summond hastely His counsell and hes tane to réed That he his Oast would hidder lead And with all might that he might get Unto the toun a Siege set And gart dyke them so stalwartly That while they liked there to ly They sould far out the surer be And gif the men of the Countrie With strength of folke would them assaile At their dykes in plaine battaile They sould auantage haue greatly Although forsooth it great foly UUere for to assailyie into feghting At their dykes so starke a King UUhen his counsell on this maner Was tane he gart men far and ner His men hailly assembled be A great Oast with him then had he Of Longcastell the Erle Thomas That syne was Sanct as some men sayes Into his companie was there And all the Erles al 's that were In England worthy for to fight And Barouns al 's of méekle might With him to that assiege had he And gart the shippes by the sea Bring shot and other apparell And great Garnisoun al 's of vittell To Barwik◠then with his Menyie And with his battels arriued came he And to the Lords ilkane sundry Ordainde a field for their harbry Then men might see their Pauilliouns Be stented on sindrie fassiouns So feill that they a Toun made there More then both Toun and Castell were On ather halse syne on the sea Their shippes came in sik plentie With vittaile arming and with men That all the hauen was stopped then And when they that were in the toun Saw their foes in sik fusioun By sea and land come sturdely Then they as wight men and hardy Shupe them soone to defend their Stéed That they in auentour of their dead Sould put them or then rush againe Their foes for their Capitaine Treated them so louingly And therewith al 's the maist party Of them that armed with him were Were of his blood or Sib-men néere Or els they
and â—â—a And so great ryote there to ma That they that lay sieging the toun UUhen they heare the destructioun That they sould into England ma Sould be so dréeding and so wa For their Children and for their UUiues That they sould dréed to losse their liues And their goods also that they Sould dreede they sould be had away And they sould leaue the Siege in hy And wend to reskew hastely Their goods their freinds and their land Therefore as I haue borne on hand Thir Lords sent he foorth in hy And they their wayes held hastely In England gart they burne and sla And wrought therein so méekle wa Ay as they fure through the Countrie That it was pitie for to sée To them that would it ony good For they destroyed all as they yoode So long they rade destroying sa That they trauersed off to and fra So that they commen are to Repoun And destroyed haillely that Toun At Borrow brig their harbery They tooke and at Midtoun there by And when the men of that Countrie Their men saw so destroyed be They gaddered into full great hy Archers Burgesses and Yemanry Priests Clarkes Abbots Fréeres Husbands and men of all misters While they togidder assembled were Well twentie thousand men and maire Right good armour aneugh they had The Archbishop of Yorke they made Their Capitaine and to counsaile Hes tane that they in plaine battaile Would assaile the Scottishmen That far fewer than they were then Then he displayed his Baner And other Bishops that were there Gart display their Baner alswa And in a rout foorth can they ga Toward Midâ—oun the readie way And when the Scottishmen heard say That they were to them comming néere They busked them on their best maneere And delt them into battels twa Dowgâ—as the Uangard can ma And the Reeregard made Erle Thomas For Capitaine of the Oast he was And so ordained in good array Toward their foes they held the way When that they had of other sight They preassed on both the halfes to fight The Englishmen came right sadly With good countenance and hardy Right in a frount with their Baner While that their foes came so ner That they their visage well might sée Thrée speare length trow I it might be Betwixt them then sik abaissing Tooke them that but assonyeing They tooke the backe and all to ga When Scottishmen hes séene them sa Affrayedly flee all their way In great hy vpon them set they And â—lew and tooke a great party That the laue fled full effrayedly As they best mought to séeke warrand They were chased to neere at hand That well a thousand died there And of tha yet thrée hundreth were Priests that died in that place Therefore that bargaine called was The Chapter of Midtoun for there Slaine so monie Priests were The other assault of Barwicke That was right shape to the Scots kinrike WHen that thir folke discomfist was And Scottishmen had left the chase They went then forward in the land Slaying destroying and burnand Then they that at the Siege lay Ere it was past the fift day Had made them sundrie apparaile To gang eft soones to assaile Of greit Geistes a Sow they made That stalward heilling outwith had With armed men anew therein And Instruments for to myne Sundrie Scaffolds then made withall That were far hier then the Wall And ordainde al 's that by the sea The towne should right well sailÈied bée And they within that them sa So greit apparell to them ma Through Crabbes counsell that was â—lée A Crane they haue gart dresse vp hie Rinning on wheeles that they might bring It where that need were of helping And picke and far all haue they tane And Lynt and Hardes and Brintstane And drye treee that would well birne And melled ather other in And greit Faggots therefore they made Girthed with Irne bands brade The Faggots well might measured bée To a greit tunnes quantitie The Fagots burning in a baill With their Cran thought they should auaile And if the Sow come to the wall To let it burning on her fall And with a staâ—ke Chenyie hold it there While all were burnt vp that there were Ingins also for to cast They ordained and made readie fast And set ilke man to his ward And Sir Walter the good Stewart With armed men should ride about And sée where that ther was most dout And succour there with his MenÈie And when they into sike degree Had made them for their assailyeing On the Rood Euen in the dawing The English Hoste blew to assaile There might men see with seir apparaile The greit Host come full sturdelie The towne enuironed they in hy And assailyied with full greit will For all their might they set theretill Fast they them preassed to the towne But they that can them abandoun To dead or then to wounds sair So well hes them defended there That Ladders to the ground they slang And with stones so fast they dang Their foes that feill they left lying Some dead some hurt some swoouning But they that held on foote in hy Drew them away deliuerly And sojournde there for no â—in thing But went stoutlie to assailyeing And they aboâ—e defended ay And set them to so hard assay While that feile of them wounded were And they so greit defence made there That they stinted their foes might Upon sike maner can they fight While it was neere Noone of the day Then they without in greit array Preassed their Sow toward the wall And they within right soone gart call The Inginer that taken was And greit mannance to him maes And swore that hee should die but hée Préeued on the Sow sik subteltie That hée should frush her ilke daill And hee that hes perceiued well That the dead was néere him till But if hée might fulfill their will Thought that he all his might would doe Bended in greit hy then was sho And to the Sow was then euen set In hy hee gart draw the Cleiket And smertly swapped out a stone That euen ouer the Sow is gone And behind her a litle wie It fell and then they cried hie That were in her foorth to the wall For dréedlesse it is ours all The Ingynour then deliuerlie Gart bind the gyne full hastelie That kest the stone right smertly out It flew ouer whiddering in a rout And fell right euen before the Sow Their heartes then begouth to grow But if they with their mights all Preassed the sow toward the wall And hes her set thereto cunningly The Ingynour then gart bend in hy The gyn and swakked out a stone That euen towarâ— the Lift is gone And with greit weight dushed downe Râ—ght by the wall in a randoun And hit the Sow in sik a maner That it that was the most sower And starkest for to stint straike In sunder with that dâ—sh hee brake The men ran foorth in full greit hy And on the walles they can cry That
Sir Robert Logane heght the ane And the other Walter Logane Wherefore our Lord with méekle might Their soules haue to the Heauens hight THe good Lord Dowglas thus was dead And the Saracenes on that stead Abade no more but held their way Their Knights dead there soone liue they Some of the good Lord Dowglas men That their Lord dead had founden then Yéed néere all wood for dule and woe Long for him they sorrowed so And syne with greit dule home him bare And the Kings Heart haue they found there And that home with them haue they tane And are toward their Innes gane With gréeting and with euill cheare That sorrow and griefe it was to heare And of Keith good Sir Williame That all that day had beene at hame For at so greit disease was hée That hee came not to that Iournie For his arme was broken in twa When hée tha folkes sik dule saw ma Hee asked what it was in hy And they told him all openly How that their doughtie Lord was slaine With Saracenes that had turned againe And when hée wist that it was so Attour all other hée was most woe And made a wonder euill cheare That all wondred that by him were But to tell of their sorrowing Annoyes and helpes but litle thing Men might well wit thogh none them told What dule and sorrow men make wold For to tine sike a Lord as hée Was vnto them of his MenÈie For hée was swéete and debonaire And well could treat his friendes faire And his foes right fellounlie Astonish through his greit Cheualrie For of full litle feare was hée But ouer all thing hee loued Lawtie At treasoun groowed so greitly That no traitour might bee him by But hée should wit that hée should bee Well punisht for his traitourie I trow the Lord Fabricius That from Rome to wéerray Pirrhus Was sent with a greit Menyie Hated treasoun no lesse than hée The whilke when that Pirrhus had On him and on his MenÈie made An outragious discomfiture When hée escaped through auenture And mony of his men were slaine And hée had gaddered his Host againe A greit master of Medicine That Pirrhus had in gouerning Profered vnto Fabritius In treasoun for to slay Pirrhus For in his first potatioun Hée should giue him deadly poysoun Fabricius that wonder had That hée sik proffer to him made Said Certes Rome is méekle of might Through strength of armes for to fight To vanquish well their foes though they Consent to Treasoun by no way And for thou would doe that Treasoun Thou salt go fetch the warisoun Euen at Pirrhus and let him do UUhat euer him lies in heart thereto Then to Pirrhus he sent in hy This Maister and gart him openly From end to end tell all his tale UUhen Pirrhus had it heard all haill He said was neuer man that sa For Lawtie bure him to his fa As here Fabricius beares to me It is al 's ill to gar him be Turned fra way of righteousnesse Or to consent to wickednesse As at midday to turne againe The sunne that rinnes his course all plaine Thus said he of Fabricius That syne vanquisht this same Pirrhus In plaine battell through hard fighting His honest lawtie gart me bring In this Example now for he Had Soueraigne praise of true Lawtie And right so had the Lord Dowglas That honest léele and worthy was That was dead as before said we Men méened him in ilk Countrie When his men had made mourning They bowelled him but delaying And gart séeth him that might be tane The flesh all quite euen fra the bane The Corps there in a holy place Eirded with great worship was The bones haue they with them tane And syne are to their shipps gane When they were leaued of the King That dule had of their seuering To Sea they went good wind they had Their course to England haue they made And there safely arriued they Syne toward Scotland held their way And there they are commen in great hy And the bones right honourably Into the Kirk of Dowglas there Eirded with dule and méekle care Sir Archibald his sonne gart syne Of Allabast both faire and fine Ordaine a Tombe full richly As it efféered to so worthy The Erle of Murray died here Through Poysoun giuen by a false Frere WHen that on this wise Sir Williame Of Keith had brought the bones hame And the good Kings Heart alswa And had gart men richly ma With saire afféere a Sepulture The Erle of Murray that the cure That time of Scotland had haâ—lly With great worship hes gart bury The Kings Heart in the Abbay Of Melros where men do pray ay That he and his haue Paradise UUhen this was done as I deuise The good Erle gouerned all the land And held the poore well to warrand The Lawes so well maintained he And held in peace so the Countrie That it was neuer led ere his day So well as I heard old men say Bot syne alas poysoned was ho By a false Monk full traiterously Thir Lords died vpon this wise He that Lord of all thing is Up to his ioyfull blisse them bring And grant vs grace that their ofspring Lead well the land and intentife Be for to follow in all their life Their Noble Elders great bountie The onefald GOD in Trinitie May bring vs vp to Heauens blisse Where alway ioy and resting is AMEN Here endes the Booke of the Noble King That euer in Scotland yet did ring Called King Robert the Bruce That was maist worthie of all ruce And of the Noble and good Lord Dowglas And mony ma that with him was A TABLE OF the Contention that araise after the death of King Alexander who should succede to the Crowne Fol. 2 How by the consent of all the Estates King Edward of England was elected as a friendly Compositour of this contention 3 How King Edward after the attempting the mindes of the Bruce the Ballioll declared the Ballioll King 6 Of the pleasures and commodities of Libertie and the heauinesse and hurtes of seruitude of strangers 8 How sir William Dowglas was put in prison and his lands giuen to the Clifford and of his sonne Iames Dowglas 9 How the said Iames past in France and returning againe in Scotland after his fathers death dwelt with the Bishop of Sainctandros 12 Of the commoning and band made betwixt the Bruce and Cumming and how the cumming shew the Indentour to King Edward 16 How Bruce was examined before the Parliament and howe hee escaped and slewe the cumming in the Kirke of Dumfreis 18 Of the meeting of sir Iames Dowglas with Robert Bruce and of his coronation 23 How King Robert came to Pearth and sought battell of sir Aymer Wallance 26 The Iudging of King Robert in the Parke of Methwen 29 Of the battell of Methwen and discomfiture of King Robert where mony Noble men were tane 31 Of the distresse that King Robert and his folks tholled
there with the King But they both short while had resting For they died both soone after syne For good Sir Dauid of Breching Fled to Brechin his owne Castell And garnist it both faire and well But the Erle of Atholl Sir Dauy His sonne that was in Kildromy Came syne and him assieged there And hee that would hold wéere na mair Nor bargane with the Noble King Came syne his man with good liking Of the heirship of Buchane And how the Castle of Forfare was tane NOw goe wée to the King againe That of his victorie was fane And gart his men burne all Buchane From end to end and spared nane And heryed them on sik manéere That efter that well fiftie yéere Men méened the heirship of Buchane The King then to his peace hes tane The North Countrie all hailelie Obeyed they to his Senyeorie So that by North the Month was nane But they his men were commen ilkane The Lordship aye woxt maire and maire Toward Angous syne can hee fare And thought soone to make his all frée That were on Northside the Scots Sea The Castell of Forfare was then Stuffed all with Englishmen But Philip the Frasar of Platane Hes of his friends with him tane And with Ladder all priuilie Hee to the Castell can him by And clambe vp ouer the walles of stane And syne all that hée fand hes slaine Syne yald the Castell to the King That made him right faire rewarding And syne hee gart breake downe the wall And forded well and Castell all How the King wan Sainct Iohnstown And tumbled all the Towres down WHen that the Castell of Forfare And all the towres downe tumbled were Right to the eird as I haue I told The King that stout was stark and bold Thought that hée would make all frée Upon North halfe the Scots sea To Perth hee went with all his rout And vnbeset the towne about But vnto it hes a Siege set But while they might haue men meat It might not but greit paine be tane For all the wall were then of stane And thicke towres and high standing And that time were there in winning The Methwenes and the Olyphands They two the towne had in their hands Of Stratherne al 's the Erle was there But his Sonne and his men were Without into the Kings rout There was ilke day bikkering stout And men flaine on either partie But the good King that was wittie In all his déedes euerilkane Saw the walles so stight of stane And saw the fence that they can make And that the towne was hard to take With open assault of strength and might Therefore he thought to worke with slight And in all time that hée there lay Hée spied and slely gart assay Where at the dykes it shaldest was While at the last hée found a place That they might to their shoulders waid And when hee that place had founden had Hée gart his Menyie buske ilkane When sex Oulkes of the siege was gan◠And tursed their Harnesse haillelie And left the siege all openlie And foorth with all his folke can fare As hée would doe thereat no mare And they that were into the towne When they to fare saw him all bowne They shouted him and scorning made And hée foorth on his wayes rade As hée no will had againe to turne Nor beside them to make sojourne And in aught dayes nought for thy Hee gart make Ladders priuily That might suffice to this intent And in a myrke night syne hée went Toward the towne with his Menyie And Horse and knaues leaued hée Far from the towne and syne hes tane His Ladders and on foote are gane Toward the towne all priuily They heard no Watches speake nor cry For they that were therein may fall As men that dred noght but slept all They had no dread then of the King For they of him heard no tyding All the thrée daies before or maire Therefore sikker and traist they were And when the King heard them not stéere He was right blyth in great manéere And his ladder in hand can ta Example to his men to ma. Arrayed well in all his geare Shot in the dyke and with his speare Cast till that he it ouer wade But to his throt the water stood THat time was in his companie A Knight of France wight and hardie And when he in the UUater sa Saw the King passe and with him ta His ladder vnabasedlie He saned him for the ferlie And said O Lord what shall we say Of our Lords of France that ay With good morcells fairses their panche And will but eat and drinke and dance UUhen sik a King and so worthie As this is through his Chenalrie Into sik perill hes him set To win a wretched Hamelet UUith that word to the dyke he ran And ouer after the King he wan And when the Kings Menyie saw Their Lord the King into a thraw Past to the dyke and but more let Their ladders to the wall they set And to climbe vp fast preassed they But the good King as I heard say UUas the second yéed ouer the wall And bade there while his Menyie all UUere comming vp in full great hy Yet then raise neither noise nor crie But soone efter they noyse made That of them first perceiuing had So that the cry raise through the towne But he that with his men was boune To assailyie to the towne is went And the most part of his men sent And skailled through the towne but he Held with himselfe a great Menyie So that he might be ay puruayde To defend gif he were assayde But they that he sent through the toun Put to so great confusioun Their foes that in beds were Or skailled fleeing here and there That ere the sunne raise they had tane Their foes and discomfist ilkane The Wardanes both therein were tane And Malise of Stratherne was gane To his father the Erle Malis And with strength tooke him and all his Syne for his sake the Noble King Gaue him his land in gouerning The laue that ran out through the toun Seazed to them in great fusioun Men arming and Merchandise And other good of sundrie wise While they that were both poore and bare Of their goods rich and mightie were But there was few slaine for the King Had giuen them in commanding Upon great paine they should sla nane That but great bargane might be tane For they were kinde to the Countrie He wist and had of them pietie IN this maner the towne was tane And syne the Towres euerilkane And walles great were tumbled downe He left nothing about the towne Towre standing nor stone wall But he gart haillelie destroy them all And prisoners that there tooke he He sent where they might kéeped be And to his peace tooke all the land Was none that then durst thē withstand On North halfe the Scots sea All obeyed to his Maiestie Except the Lord of Lorne and tha Of Argyle that would