Classic Poem

E DUUARD the B RUYSS , as I said her,
Wes discumfyt on this maner.
And quhen the feld was clengit clene,
Swa that ne resistens wes sene,
The wardane than, Schyr Richard of Clar,
And all the folk that with him war,
Towart Dundalk has tane the way:
Swa that rycht na debat maid thai
At that tym with the Irschery;
Bot to the toun thai held in hy.
And syne had sent furth to the king,
That had Ingland in gouerning,
Gib Harperis heid in a kyt.
Jhone Mavpas till the king had it.
And he ressawyt it in daynte:
Rycht blyth off that present wes he.
For he was glaid that he was sua
Deliueryt off a felloun fa.
In hart tharoff he tuk sic prid,
That he tuk purpos for to rid
With a gret ost in Scotland;
For to weng him, with stalwart hand,
Off tray, of trawaill, and of tene,
That done tharin till him had bene.
And a rycht gret ost gaderit he;
And gert his schippis be the se
Cum with gret foysoun of wictaill.
For at that tyme he wald him taile
To dystroy wp sa clene the land,
That nane suld leve tharin lewand.
And with his folk, in gret aray,
Towart Scotland he tuk the way.
And quhen king Robert wist that he
Come on him with sic a mengne,
He gaderyt his men, bath fer and ner;
Quhill sa fele till him cummyn wer,
And war als for to cum him to,
That him thoucht he rycht weill suld do,
He gert withdraw all the catell
Off Lowthiane, euirilkdeill,
And till strenthis gert thaim be send;
And ordanyt men thaim to defend.
And with his ost als still he lay
At Culross; for he wald assay
To ger hys fayis throw fasting
Be feblyst, and throw lang walking;
And fra he feblist had thar mycht
Assembill than with thaim to fycht.

He thoucht to wyrk apon this wiss.
And Inglis men, with gret maistryss,
Come with thair ost in Lowthian;
And sone till Edynburgh ar gan:
And thar abaid thai dayis thre.
Thair schippys, that war on the se,
Had the wynd contrar to thaim ay;
Swa that apon na maner thai
Had power to the Fyrth to bring
Thair wictaillis, to releve the king.
And thai of the ost, that faillyt met,
Quhen thai saw that thai mycht nocht get
Thar wictaillis till thaim be the se,
Thai send furth rycht a gret menye
For to forray all Lowthiane.
Bot cataill haf thai fundyn nane,
Owtakyn a bule, that wes haltand,
That in Tranentis corne thai fand.
That broucht thai till thair ost agayne.
And quhen the erle of Warayne
Saw that bule anerly cum swa,
He askyt giff thai gat na ma?
And thai haff said all till him. Nay.
Than said he: " Certis, I dar say
" This is the derrest best that I
" Saw euir yeit; for sekyrly
" It cost a thousand pound and mar. "
And quhen the king, and thai that war
Off his consaill, saw thai mycht get
Na cattell till thair ost till ete,
That than of fasting had gret payn,
Till Ingland turnyt thai agayn.
At Melross schup thai for to ly;
And send befor a cumpany,
Thre hundre ner of armyt men.
Bot the lord Douglas, that wes then
Be syd in till the Forest ner,
Wyst of thair come; and quhat thai war.
And with thaim of his cumpany
In to Melross all priuely
He howyt in a buschement.
And a rycht sturdy frer he sent
With out the yate, thair come to se.
And bad him hald him all priue,
Quhill that he saw thaim cummand all
Rycht to the coynye thar of the wall;
And than cry hey, " Douglas! Douglas! "
The frer than furth his wayis tais,
That wes all stout, derff, and hardy.
Hys mekill hud helyt haly
The armur that he on him had.
Apon a stalwart horss he rad;
And in his hand he had a sper:
And abaid apon that maner
Quhill that he saw thaim cummand ner.
And quhen the formest passyt wer
The coynye, he criyt, " Douglas! Douglas! "
Than till thaim all a courss he mass;
And bar ane doun deliuerly.
And Douglas, and his cumpany,
Ischyt apon thaim with a schout.
And quhen thai saw sa gret a rout
Cum apon thaim sa suddanly,
Thai war abaysyt gretumly;
And [gaif] the bak but mar abaid.
The Scottis men amang thaim raid;
And slew all that thai mycht our ta:
A gret martyrdome thar gan thai ma.
And thai, that eschapyt wnslayne,
Ar till thair gret ost went agayne;
And tauld thaim quhatkyn welcummyng
Dowglas thaim maid at thair meting,
That conwoyit thaim agayn rudly,
And warnyt planly herbery.

The king of Ingland, and his men,
That saw thair herbriouris then
Cum rebutyt on that maner
Anoyit in thair hart thai wer:
And thoucht that it war gret foly
In till the wod to tak herbery.
Tharfor by Dryburgh, in the playn,
Thai herbryit thaim; and syne again
Ar went till Ingland thar way.
And quhen the king Robert hard say,
That thai war turnyt hame agayn;
And how thair herbriouris war slayn;
In hy his ost assemblit he,
And went south our the Scottis Se;
And till Ingland his ways taiss,
Quhen his ost assemblyt wayss,
Auchty thowsand he wes, and ma.
And aucht batallis he maid of tha:
In ilk bataill war ten thousand.
Syne went he furth till Ingland;
And in till hale rowt folowit sa fast
The Inglis king, quhill at the last
He come approchand to Biland,
Quhar at that tyme thar wes lyand
The king of Ingland, with his men.
King Robert, that had witteryng then
That he lay thar with mekill mycht,
Tranountyt swa on him a nycht,
That be the morn that it wes day,
Cummyn in a plane feld war thai,
Fra Biland bot a litill space.
Bot betuix thaim and it thar wass
A craggy bra, strekyt weill lang,
And a gret peth wp for to gang.
Othyr wayis mycht thai nocht away
To pass to Bilandis abbay,
Bot gif thai passyt fer about.
But quhen the mekill Inglis rout
Hard that king Robert wes sa ner,
The mast part of thaim that thar wer
Went to the peth, and tuk the bra.
Thar thoucht [thai] thair defens to ma.
The baneris thar thai gert display;
And thair bataillis on braid aray:
And thoucht weill to defend the pass.
Quhen the king Robert persawit has
That thai thoucht thar thaim to defend,
Eftyr his consaill has he send,
And askyt quhat wes best to do.
The lord Douglas ansueryt tharto,
And said; " Schyr, I will wndreta
" That in schort tyme I sall do sa,
" That I sall wyn yon pass planly;
" Or than ger all yon cumpany
" Cum doun to yow her to this playne. "
The king said than till him agayn;
" Do than, quhar mychty God the speid!"
Than he furth on his wayis yeid:
And of the ost the mast hardy
Put thaim in till his cumpany;
And held thair way towart the pass.

The gud erle of Murreff, Thomas,
Left his bataill, and in gret hy
Bot with four men of his cumpany,
Come till the lordis rout of Douglas;
And, or he entryt in the pass,
Befor thaim all the pass tuk he;
For he wald that men suld him se.
And quhen Schyr James off Douglas
Saw that he swagat cummyn was,
He prysyt him tharoff gretly,
And welcummyt him hamlyly:
And syne the pass thai samyn ta.
Quhen Inglis men saw thaim do swa,
Thai lychtyt, and agayn thaim yeid.
Twa knychtis, rycht douchty of deid,
Thomas Ouchtre ane had to name,
The tothyr Schyr Rawf of Cobhame,
Come doun befor all thair menye.
Thai war bath full of gret bounte
And met thair fayis manlely.
Bot thai war pressyt rycht gretumly.
Thar mycht men se rycht weill assaile,
And men defend with stout bataill;
And harnys fley in gret foysoun;
And thai, that owe war, tumbill doun
Stanys apon thaim fra the hycht.
Bot thai, that set bath will and mycht
To wyn the peth, thaim pressyt swa,
That Schyr Rauff of Cobhame gan ta
The way wp till hys horss in hy;
And left Schyr Thomas manlily
Defendand with gret mycht the pass,
Quhill that he swa supprisit was,
That he wes tane throw hard fechting.
And tharfore syne, in his ending,
He wes renownyt for best of hand
Off a knycht off all Ingland.
For this ilk Schyr Rawf of Cobhame,
In till all Ingland, he had name
For the best knyeht of all that land.
And for Schyr Thomas duelt fechtand
Quhar Schyr Rauff, as befor said I,
Withdrew him; pryssyt our him was hely.

Thus war thai fechtand in the pass.
And quhen the king Robert, that was
Wyss in his deid and auerty,
Saw his men sa rycht douchtely
The peth apon thair fayis ta;
And saw his fayis defend thaim sa;
Than gert he all the Irschery
That war in till his cumpany,
Off Arghile, and the Ilis alsua,
Speid thaim in gret hy to the bra:
And bad thaim leif the peth haly,
And clym wp in the craggis hy;
And speid thaim fast the hycht to ta.
Than mycht men se thaim stoutly ga,
And clymb allgait wp to the hycht;
And leve nocht for thair fayis mycht.
Magre thair fayis, thai bar thaim swa,
That thai ar gottyn aboun the bra.
Than mycht men se thaim fecht felly;
And rusch thair fayis sturdely.
And thai that till the pass war gane,
Magre thair fayis, the hycht has tane.
Than laid thai on with all thair mycht:
Thar mycht men se tham felly fycht.
Thar wes a peralouss bargane:
For a knycht, Schyr Jhone the Bretane,
That lychtyt wes aboune the bra,
And his men, gret defens gan ma.
And Scottis men, sua gan assaill,
And gave thaim sa felloun bataill,
That thai war set in sic affray,
That thai that mycht fley fled away.
Schyr Jhone the Bretane thar wes tane;
And rycht fele off his folk war slane.
Off Fraunce thar tane wes knychtis twa;
The lord the Sule wes ane of tha;
The tothyr wes the merschell Bretayn,
That wes a wele gret lord at hame.
The lave, sum ded war, and sum tane;
And the remanand fled ilkane.

And quhen the king of Ingland,
That yeyt at Biland wes liand,
Saw his men discumfyt planely,
He tuk his way in full gret hy;
And furthwart fled with all his mycht.
The Scottis men chassyt fast, Ic hycht;
And in the chass has mony tane.
The king quicly away is gane;
And the mast part of his menye.
Stewart Waltre, that gret bounte
Set ay on hey chewalry,
With fyve hundre in cumpany,
Till Yorkis yettis the chass gan ma;
And thar sum of thair men gan sla:
And abade thar quhill ner the nycht,
To se giff ony wald ische to fycht.
And quhen he saw nane wald cum out,
He turnyt agane with all his rout;
And till his ost he went in hy,
That tane had than thair herbery
In till the abbay off Biland
And Ryfuowis that was by ner hand.
Thai delt amang thaim, that war ther,
The king off Inglandis ger,
That he had levyt in Biland;
All gert thai lep out our thair hand,
And maid thaim all glaid and mery.
And quhen the king had tane herbery,
Thai broucht till him the presoneris,
All wnarmyt, as it afferis.
And quhen he saw Jhone of Bretangne
He had at him rycht gret engaigne;
For he wes wont to spek hychtly
At hame, and our dispitusly;
And bad have him away in hy,
And luk he kepyt war straitly:
And said; " War it nocht that he war
" Sic a catyve, he suld by sar
" Hys wordys that war swa angry. "
And he humbly criyt him mercy.
Thai led him furth for owtyn mar;
And kepyt him wele quhill thai war
Cummyn hame till their awne countre.
Lang eftre syne ransonyt wes he
For twenty thowsand pund to pay,
As Ik haff hard syndry men say.

Quhen that the king this spek had maid,
The Frankys knychtis, men takyn had,
War broucht rycht thar befor the king;
And he maid thaim fayr welcummyng:
And said; " I wate rycht weill that ye,
" For your gret worschyp and bounte,
" Come for to se the fechting her.
" For sen ye in the countre wer,
" Your strenth, your worschyp, and your mycht.
" Wald nocht lat yow eschew the fycht.
" And sen that causs yow led thar till;
" And nothyr wreyth, na iwill will;
" As frendis ye sall resawyt be,
" Quhar all tyme welcum her be ye. "
Thai knelyt, and thankyt him gretly.
And he gart tret thaim curtasly.
And lang quhill with him thaim had he;
And did thaim honour and bounte.
And quhen thai yarnyt to thair land,
To the king of Fraunce in presand
He send thaim quit, but ransoun fre,
And gret gyftis to thaim gaff he.
His frendis thusgat curtasly
He couth ressawe, and hamely;
And hys fayis stoutly stonay.
At Biland all that nycht he lay.
For thair wictour all blyth thai war.
And on the morn, for owtyn mar,
Thai haff forthwart tane thair way.
Sa fer at that tyme trawaillyt thai,
Brynnand, slayand, and destroyand,
Thair fayis with all thair mycht noyand,
Quhill till the Wald cummyn war thai.
Syne northwart tuk thai hame thair way;
And destroyit, in thair repayr,
The wale all planly of Beauewar.
And syne with presoneris, and catell,
Riches, and mony fayr jowell,
To Scotland tuk thai hame thair way;
Bath blyth and glaid, joyfull and gay.
And ilkman went to thair repayr;
And lowyt God, thaim fell sa fayr,
That thai the king off Ingland,
Throw worschip, and throw strenth of hand,
And throw thair lordis gret bounte,
Discumfyt in his awne countre.

Than wes the land a quhile in pess.
Bot cowatyss, that can nocht cess
To set men apon felony,
To ger thaim cum to senyowry,
Gert lordis off full gret renoune
Mak a fell comuracioun
Agayn Robert, the douchty king.
Thai thoucht till bring him till ending;
And to bruk, eftre his dede,
The kynrik, and to ryng in hys steid.
The lord the Soullis, Schyr Wilyam,
Off that purchess had mast defame;
For principale thar off was he.
Off assent of that cruelte
He had gottyn with him sindry:
Gilbert Maleherbe, Jhone of Logy,
Thir war knychtis that I tell her;
And Richard Broun als, a squyer.
And gud Schyr Dawy off Breichyn
Wes off this deid arettyt syne;
As I sall tell yow forthirmar.
Bot thai ilk ane discoweryt war
Throw a lady, as I hard say,
Or till thair purpos cum mycht thai.
For scho tauld all to the king
Thair purpos, and thair ordanyng;
And how that he suld haf bene ded,
And Soullis ryng in till his steid:
And tauld him werray taknyng
This purches wes suthfast thing.
And quhen the king wist it wes sua,
Sa sutell purches gan he ma,
That he gert tak thaim euirilkan.
And quhar the lord Sowllis was tane,
Thre hundre and sexty had he
Off squyeris, cled in his lyuere,
At that tyme in his cumpany;
Owtane knychtys that war joly.
In to Berwik takyn wes he;
That mycht all his mengne se
Sary, and wa; bot suth to say,
The king lete thaim all pass thair way;
And held thaim at he takyn had.
The lord Sowllis sone eftre maid
Plane granting of all that purchas.
A parlement set tharfor thar was;
And broucht thiddir this mengne war.
The lord the Sowllis has grantyt thar
The deid in to plane parleament.
Tharfor sone eftre he wes sent
Till his pennance to Dunbertane;
And deit thar in a tour off stane.

Schir Gilbert Maleherbe, and Logy,
And Richard Broune, thir thre planly
War with a syss than ourtane.
Tharfor thai drawyn war ilkane,
And hangyt, and hedyt thar to:
As men had dempt thaim for to do.
And gud Schyr Dawy off Breichyn
Thai gert chalance rycht straitly syne.
And he grauntyt that off that thing
Wes wele maid till him discowering;
Bot he thar till gaf na consent.
And for he helyt thair entent,
And discoweryt it nocht to the king,
That he held of all his halding,
And maid till him his fewte.
Jugyt till hang and draw wes he.
And as thai drew him for to hing,
The pepill ferly fast gan thring,
Him and his myscheyff for to se,
That to behald wes gret pite.
Schir Ingrahame the Umfraweill, that than
Wes with the king as Scottis man,
Quhen he that gret myscheiff gan se,
He said; " Lordingis, quhar to press ye?
" To se at myscheiff sic a knycht,
" That wes sa worthi, and sa wicht,
" That Ik haff sene ma press to se
" Him for his rycht souerane bounte,
" Than now doyss for to se him her. "
And quhen thir wordis spokyn wer,
With sary cher he held him still,
Quhill men had done of him thair will.
And syne, with the leve of the king,
He broucht him menskly till erding.
And syne to the king said he;
" A thing I pray yow graunt me,
" That is, that ye off all my land,
" That is in till Scotland liand,
" Wald giff me leve to do my will. "
The king than sone had said him till;
" I will wele graunt that it sua be.
" Bot tell me quhat amowis the?"
He said agayn; " Schyr, graunt mercy,
" And I sall tell yow it planely.
" Myne hart giffis me na mar to be
" With yow duelland in this countre.
" Tharfor, bot that it nocht yow grewe,
" I pray yow hartly of your leve.
" For quhar swa rycht worthi a knycht,
" And sua chewalrouss, and sa wicht,
" And sa renownyt off worschip syne,
" As gud Schyr Dauid off Brechyn,
" And sa fullfillyt of all manheid,
" Wes put to sa welanys a ded;
" Myn hart forsuth may nocht gif me
" To duell, for na thing that may be. "
The king said; " Sen that thow will sua,
" Quhen euir the likys thow may ga.
" And thow sall haiff gud leve thar to
" Thi liking off thi land to do.
And he him thankyt gretumly.
And off his land, in full gret hy,
As hym thoucht best, disponyt he.
Syne at the king of gret bounte,
Befor all thaim that with him war,
He tuk his leve for euirmar;
And went in Ingland to the king,
That maid him rycht fayr welcummyng;
And askyt him of the north tithing.
And he him tauld all but lesing;
How thai knychtis destroyit war,
And [all] as I tauld till yow ar;
And off the kingis curtassy,
That lewyt him debonerly
To do off his land his liking.
In that tyme wes send, fra the king
Off Scotland, messyngeris to trete
Off pess, giff that thai mycht it get;
As thai befor oft syss war send;
How that thai coutht nocht bring till end.
For the gud king had in entent,
Sen God se fayr grace had him lent,
That he had wonnyn all his land,
Throw strenth of armys, till his hand,
That he pess in his tyme wald ma;
And all [his] landis stabill swa,
That his ayr eftre him suld be
In pess, gif men held lawte.

In till this tyme that Umfrawill,
As I bar yow on hand er quhill,
Come till the king of Ingland,
The Scottis messingeris thar he fand,
Off pess and rest to haiff tretis.
The king wist Schir Ingrahame wes wiss;
And askyt [his] consaile tharto,
Quhat he wald rede him for to do.
For he said, him thoucht hard to ma
Pess with the king Robert his fa,
Quhill that he off him wengit war.
Schir Ingrahame maid till him ansuar,
And said; " He delt sa curtasly
" With me, that on nawiss suld I
" Giff consaill till his nethring. "
" The behowis nedwayis, said the king,
" To this thing her say thine awiss.
" Schir, " said he, " sen your willis is
" That I say; wyt ye sekyrly,
" For all your gret chewalry,
" To dele with him yhe haf na mycht.
" His men all worthyn ar sa wicht.
" For lang wsage of fechting,
" That has bene nuryst in swilk thing,
" That ilk yowman is sa wicht
" Off his, that he is worth a knycht.
" Bot and ye think yowr wer to bring
" To your purposs and your liking,
" Lang trewyss with him tak ye.
" Than sall the mast off his menye.
" That ar bot symple yumanry,
" Be dystrenyeit commonaly
" To wyn thair mete with thair trawaill;
" And sum of thaim nedis, but faill,
" With pluch and harow for to get,
" And othyr ser crafftis, thair mete;
" Swa that thair armyng sall worth auld,
" And sall be rottyn, stroyit, and sauld.
" And fele, that now of wer ar sley,
" In till the lang trew[is] sall dey:
" And othir in thair sted sall ryss,
" That sall conn litill of that mastryss.
" And quhen thai diswsyt er,
" Than may ye move on thaim your wer:
" And sall rycht well, as I supposs,
" Bring your intent to gud purpos. "
Till this assentyt thai ilkane.
And eftre sone war trewis tayne,
But wer, betuix [the] twa kingis, that wer
Tailyeit to lest for aucht yer:
And on the marchis gert thaim cry.
The Scottis men kepyt thaim lelely.

Bot the Ingliss men apon the se
Distroyit, throw gret inyquyte,
Marchand schippis, that sailand war
Fra Scotland till Flaundris with war:
And destroyit euirilkane,
And to thair oyss the gud has tane.
The king send oft till ask redress:
Bot nocht off it redressyt wes.
And he abaid all tyme askand.
The trew on his half gert he stand
Apon the marchis stabilly,
And gert men kep thaim lelely.
In this tyme that [the] trewis war
Lestand on marchis, as I sade ar,
Schyr Waltre Stewart, that worthi was,
At Bathgat a gret seknes tas.
His iwill ay woux mar and mar,
Quhill men persawit be his far,
That him worthit nede pay the det
That na man to pay may let.
Schrywyn, and als repentit weill,
Quhen all wes doyn him ilkdeill
That crystynman nedyt till have,
As gud crystyn the gast he gave.
Than men mycht her men gret and cry;
And mony a knycht, and mony a lady,
Mak in apert rycht ewill cher,
Sai did thai all that euir thai war;
All men him menyt commonaly,
For of his eild he wes worthy.
Quhen thai lang quhill thair dule had maid.
The corss to Paslay haiff thai haid;
And thar with gret solempnyte,
And with gret dule, erdyt wes he.
God, for his mycht, hys saule bring
Quhar joy ay lestis but ending!