Classic Poem

Q UHEN to the king of Ingland
Was tauld how that, with stalwart hand,
Berwik wes tayne, and stuffyt syn
With men, and wictaill of armyn,
He wes anoyit gretumly;
And gert assembill all halely
His consaill, and has tane to reid
That he hys ost will thiddyr leid;
And with all mycht that he mycht get
To the toune ane assege set;
And gert dyk thaim sa stalwartly,
That quhill thaim likyt thar to ly,
Thai suld fer owt the traister be.
And gif the men of the contre
With strenth of men wald thaim assaill,
At thair dykis in to bataill,
Thai suld a wantage hawe gretly,
Thoucht all Scottis, for gret foly,
War till assaill in to fechting
At hys dykis sa stark a thing.
Quhen this consaill on this maner
Wes tane, he gert bath fer and ner
Hys ost haly assemblyt be:
Ane gret folk than with him had he.
Off Longcastell the erle Thomas,
That syne was sanct, as men sayis,
In his cumpany wes thar;
And all the erllys that als war
In Ingland, worthi for to fycht,
And baronys als of mekill mycht,
With him to that assege had he:
And gert his schippis by the se
Bring schot, and othyr apparaill,
And gret warnysone of wictaill.
To Berwik with all his menye,
With his bataillis arayit, come he.
And till gret lordis, ilkane sindry,
Ordanyt a feld for thair herbry;
That men mycht sone se pailyownys
Be stentyt, of syndry fassownys,
That thai a toune all sone maid thar,
Mar than bath toun and castell war.
On othyr half syne, on the se,
The schippis come in sic plente,
With wittaill, armyng, and with men,
That all the havyn wes stoppyt then.

And quhen thai that war in the toun
Saw thair fayis, in sic foysoun,
Be land and se, cum sturdely;
Thai, as wycht men and rycht worthi,
Schup thaim to defend thair steid,
That thai in awentur of deid
Suld put thaim; or than rusch agayne
Thair fayis. For thar capitane
Tretyt thaim sa luflely;
And thair with all the maist party
Off thaim, that armyt with him wer,
War of his blud, and sib him ner,
Or ellis war [off] his elye.
Off sic comfort men mycht thaim se,
And of sa rycht fayr contenyng,
As nane of thaim had abaysing.
On dayis armyt weill war thai;
And on the nycht wele walkyt ay.
Weill sex dayis sua thai abaid,
That na full gret bargane haid.
Intill this tyme, that I tell her,
That thai with owtyn bargayne wer,
The Inglis men sa clossyt had
Thair ost, with dykis that thai maid,
That thai war strenthit gretumly.
Syne with all handis besely
Thai schup thaim, with thair apparaill,
Thaim of the toun for till assaill.
And of our Ladys ewyn, Mary
That bar the byrth that all gan by,
That men callis hyr Natruite,
Sone in the mornyng men mycht se
The Inglis ost arme thaim in hy;
And displayit baneris sturdely;
And assembill to thair baneris
With instrumentis of ser maneris,
As scaffaldis, leddris, and couering,
Pikkys, howis, and with staf slyng.
Till ilk lord, and his bataill,
Wes ordanyt quhar he suld assaill.
And thai within, quhen that thai saw
That mengne raung thaim sua on raw,
Till thair wardis thai went in hy,
That war stuffyt rycht stalwartly
With stanys, and schot, and othyr thing
That nedyt to thair defending:
And in to sic maner abaid
Thair fayis, that till assaill thaim maid.

Quhen thai with owt war all redy,
Thai trumpyt till a salt in hy;
And ilk man with his apparaill,
Quhar he suld be, went till assaill.
Till ilk kyrnell that war thar
Archeris to schut assignyt war.
And quhen on this wyss thai war boun,
Thai went in hy towart the toun;
And fillyt dykis hastily,
Syne to the wall rycht hardely
Thai went, with leddris that thai haid.
Bot thai sa gret defend that maid,
That war abowyne apon the wall,
That oft leddris, and men with all,
Thai gert fall flatlingis to the ground.
Than men mycht se in a litill stound
Men assailand hardely,
Dressand wp leddris douchtely;
And sum on leddris pressand war;
Bot thai that on the wall war thar,
Till all perellis gan abandoun
Thaim, till thair fayis war dongyn doun.
At gret myscheff defendyt thai
Thar toun, for giff we suth sall say,
The wallis of the toun than wer
Sa law, that a man with a sper
Mycht stryk ane othyr wp in the face.
And the schot als sa thik thar was,
That it war wondre for to se.
Waltre Stewart, with a menye,
Raid ay about, for to se quhar
That for to help mast myster war:
And, quhar men pressit mast, he maid
Succour till his that myster haid.
The mekill folk, that wes with out,
Haid enweronyt the toun about,
Swa that na part of it wes fre.
Thar mycht men the assailiaris se
Abandoun thaim rycht hardely;
And the defendouris douchtely,
With all thair mychtis, gan thaim payn,
To put thair fayis with force agayn.

On this wiss thaim contenyt thai,
Quhill none wes passit off the day.
Than thai that in the schippis wer
Ordanyt a schip, with full gret fer,
To cum with all hyr apparaill
Rycht to the wall, for till assaill.
Till myd mast wp thair bat thai drew,
With armyt men tharin inew:
A brig thai had for to lat fall,
Rycht fra the bat apon the wall.
With bargis by hyr gan thai row,
And pressyt thaim rycht fast to tow
Hyr by the brighouss to the wall:
On that entent thai set thaim all.
Thai broucht hyr quhill scho come well ner.
Than mycht men se on sic maner
Sum men defend, and sum assaill,
Full besyly with gret trawaill.
With in sa stoutly thai thaim bar,
That the schipmen sa handlyt war,
That thai the schip on na maner
Mycht ger to cum the wall sa ner,
That thar fallbrig mycht neych thartill,
For oucht thai mycht, gud or ill,
Quhill that scho ebbyt on the grund.
Than mycht men, in a litill stound.
Se thaim be fer of wer cowyn,
Than thai war er, that war hyr in.
And quhen the se wes ebbyt sua,
That men all dry mycht till hyr ga,
Owt off the toun ischit in hy
Till hyr a weill gret cumpany,
And fyr till hyr has keyndlyt sone:
In to schort tyme swa haif thai done,
That thai in fyr hes gert hyr bryn.
And sum war slayn that war hyr in,
And sum fled, and away ar gane.
Ane engynour thar haif thai tane,
That wes sleast of that myster,
That men wyst ony fer or ner:
In till the toun syne entryt thai.
It fell thaim happily perfay,
That thai gat in sa hastily:
For thar come a gret cumpany,
In full gret hy wp by the se,
Quhen thai the schip saw brynnand be.
Bot or thai come, the tothyr war past
The yat, and barryt it rycht fast.
That folk assaylyt fast that day;
And thai within defendyt ay
On sic awiss, that thai that war
With gret enforce assailland thar,
Mycht do thair will on na maner.
And quhen that ewyn-sang tym wes ner,
The folk with owt, that wer wery,
And sum woundyt full cruelly,
Saw thaim within defend thaim swa;
And saw it wes nocht eyth to ta
The toun, quhill sik defens wes mad;
And thai, that in till faring had
The ost, saw that thair schip war brynt,
And of thaim that tharin wes tynt,
And thair folk woundyt and wery;
Thai gert blaw the retreit in hy.
Fra the schipmen rebotyt war,
Thai let the tothyr assaill no mar;
For, throw the schip, thai wend ilkan
That thai the toun wele suld haf tane.
Men sayis, that ma schippis than sua
Pressyt that tym the toun to ta;
Bot for that thar wes brynt bot ane,
And the engynour tharin wes tane,
Her befor mentioun maid I
Bot off a schip all anerly.

Quhen that thai blawyn had the retret,
Thair folk, that tholyt had paynys gret,
Withdrew thaim haly fra the wall;
The assalt have thai left all.
And thai within that wery war,
And mony of thaim woundyt war sar,
War blyth and glaid, quhen that thai saw
Thair fayis on that wiss thaim withdraw.
And fra thai wyst suthly that thai
Held to thair pailyownys thair way,
Set gud wachys to thair wall;
Syne till thair innys went thai all,
And essyt thaim that wery war.
And othyr that had woundis sar
Had gud lechys forsuth, Ik hycht,
That helpyt thaim as thai best mycht.
On athir sid wery war thai;
That nycht thai did ne mar perfay.
Fyve dayis eftyr thai war still,
That nane till othyr did mekill ill.

Now leve we thir folk her lyand,
And still, as Ik have born on hand;
And turne the courss of our carping
To Schyr Robert, the douchty king,
That assemblyt, bath fer and ner,
Ane ost, quhen that he wist but wer,
That the king sua of Ingland
Had assegyt with stalwart hand
Berwik, quhar Waltre Stewart wes.
To purpos with his men he tais,
That he wald nocht swa sone assaile
The king of Ingland with bataill;
And at his dykis specially;
For that moucht weill turne to foly.
Tharfor he ordanyt lordis twa;
The erle of Murreff wes ane of tha,
The tothyr wes the lord of Dowglas;
With fyftene thowsand men to pass
In Ingland, for to bryn and sla;
And swa gret ryote thar to ma,
That thai that lay segeand the toun,
Quhen thai hard the destructioun
That thai suld in till Ingland ma,
Suld be sua dredand, and swa wa,
For thair childer, and for thair wiffis,
That thai suld drede to lese the lyvis;
And thair gudis alsua, that thai
Suld dreid than suld be had away;
Thai suld leve thair sege in hy,
And wend to reskew hastily
Thair gud, thair frendis, and thair land.
Tharfor, as Ik haf born on hand,
Thir lordis send he furth in hy.
And thai thar way tuk hastily:
And in Ingland gert bryn and sla;
And wroucht tharin sa mekill wa,
As thai forrayit the countre,
That it wes pite for to se
Till thaim that wald it ony gud;
For thai destroyit all as thai yhud.
Swa lang thai raid destroyand sua,
As thai trawersyt to and fra,
That thai ar cummyn to Repoun,
And destroyit haly that toun.
At Borowbrig syne thair herbry
Thai tuk, and at Mytoun tharby.

And quhen the men of that countre
Saw thair land swa destroyit be,
Thai gaderyt in to full gret hy
Archeris, burges, and yhumanry,
Preystis, clerkys, monkis, and freris,
Husbandis, and men of all maneris,
Quhill that thai samyn assemblit war
Wele twenty thowsand men, and mar.
Rycht gud armys inew thai had.
The archebyschop of York thai mad
Thair capitane; and to consaill
Has tane, that thai in plane bataill
Wald assaill the Scottis men,
That fer fewar than thai war then.
Than he displayit his baner;
And othyr byschappys, that thar wer,
Gert display thair baneris alsua.
All in a rout furth gan thai ga
Towart Mytoun the redy way.
And quhen the Scottismen hard say
Thai war to thaim cummand ner,
Thai buskyt thaim on thair best maner;
And delyt thaim in bataillis twa.
Dowglas the awaward gan ma:
The rerward maid erle Thomas;
For chyftane of the ost he was.
And swa, ordanyt in gud aray;
Towart thair fayis thai held thair way.
Quhen athyr had on othyr sycht,
Thai pressyt on bath half to the fycht.
The Inglis men come rycht sadly
With gud contenance, and hardy,
Rycht in a frusch with thair baner;
Quhill thair fayis come sa ner,
That thai thair wisag mycht se.
Thre sper lenth, I trow weill, mycht be
Betuix thaim, quhen sic abasing
Tuk thaim, that, but mar, in a swyng
Thai gaff the bak all, and to ga.
Quhen Scottis men had sene thaim swa
Effrayitly fle all thair way,
In gret hy apon thaim schot thai;
And slew and tuk a gret party.
The laiff fled full effrayitly,
As thai best moucht, to sek warand.
Thai chassyt sa ner at hand,
That ner a thowsand deyt thar
Off thaim yet thre hundyr war
Preystis, that deyt in that chass,
That for that bargane callit wass
" The Chaptur of Mytone; " for thar
Slayn sa mony prestis war.

Quhen this folk thus discomfyt was;
And Scottis men had left the chas,
Thai went thaim forthward in the land,
Slayand swa, and destroyand.
And thai that at the sege lay,
Or it wes passyt the fyfte day,
Had maid thaim syndry apparal,
To gang eft sonys till assaill.
Off gret gestis a sow thai maid,
That stalwart heildyne abowyn it had;
With armyt men mew tharin,
And instrumentis for to myne.
Syndry scaffaldis thai maid with all,
That war weill heyar than the wall:
And ordanyt als that, be the se,
The toun suld weill assaillyt be.
Thai within, that saw thaim swa
Swa gret apparaill schap to ma,
Throw Crabys consaill, that wes sley,
A crane thai haiff gert dress wp hey,
Rynnand on quheillis, that thai mycht bring
It quhar that nede war of helping.
And pyk, and ter, als haiff thai tane;
And lynt, and herdis, and bryntstane;
And dry treyis that weill wald brin;
And mellyt athir othir in:
And gret fagaldis tharoff thai maid,
Gyrdyt with irne bandis braid.
The fagaldis weill mycht mesuryt be
Till a gret townys quantite.
Thai fagaldis brynnand in a ball,
With thair cran thoucht [thai] till awaill
And gyff the sow come to the wall,
To lat it brynnand on hyr fall;
And with stark chenyeis hald it thar.
Quhill all war brynt wp that thar war.
Engynys alswa for to cast
Thai ordanyt, and maid redy fast,
And set ilk man syne till his ward.
And Schyr Waltre, the gud Steward,
With armyt men suld rid about,
And se quhar that thar war mast dout;
And succour thar with his menye.
And quhen thai in sic degre
Had maid thaim for defending,
On the Rud ewyn, in the dawing,
The Inglis ost blew till assaill.
Than mycht men, with ser apparaill,
Se that gret ost cum sturdely.
The toun enweround thai in hy;
And assaillyt with sua gret will,
For all thair mycht thai set thartill,
That thaim pressyt fast on the toun.
Bot thai that gan thaim abandoun
To dede, or than to woundis sar,
Sa weill has thaim defendit thar,
That leddrys to the ground thai flang;
And with stanys sa fast thai dang
Thair fayis, that fele thar left liand;
Sum dede, sum hurt, and sum swonand.

Bot thai that held on feyt in hy
Drew thaim away deliuerly;
And scounryt nocht for that thing,
Bot went stoutly till assailling.
And thai aboun defendyt ay,
And set thaim to sa hard assay,
Quhill that fele of thaim woundyt war:
And thai sa gret defens maid thar,
That thai styntyt thair fayis mycht.
Apon sic maner gan thai fycht,
Quhill it wes ner none of the day.
Than thai with out, on gret aray,
Pressyt thair sowe towart the wall;
And thai with in sone gert call
The engynour, that takyn was,
And gret mannance till him mais;
And swour that he suld dey, bot he
Prowyt on the sow sic sutelte,
That he to fruschyt [hyr] ilk dele.
And he, that has persawyt wele,
That the dede wes weill ner him till,
Bot giff he mycht fullfill thar will,
Thoucht that he at his mycht wald do.
Bendyt in gret hy than ves scho,
That till the sow wes ewyn set.
In hy he gert draw the cleket,
And smertly swappyt out a stane.
Ewyn our the sow the stane is gane;
And behind it a litill wey
It fell: and than thai criyt, " Hey! "
That war in hyr, " furth to the wall.
" For dredles it is ouris all! "
The gynour than deliuerly
Gert bend the gyn in full gret hy;
And the stane smertly swappyt owt:
It flaw owt quhethirand with a rout,
And fell rycht ewyn befor the sow.
Thair hartis than begouth to grow.
Bot yeyt than, with thair mychtis all,
Thai pressyt the sow towart the wall;
And has hyr set thar to gentilly.
The gynour than gert bend in hy
The gyne, and wappyt out the stane,
That ewyn towart the lyft is gane,
And with gret wecht syne duschit doun
Rycht be the wall, in a randoun;
And hyt the sow in sic maner,
That it that wes the mast sower,
And starkast for to stynt a strak,
In sundre with that dusche it brak.
The men ran owt in full gret hy,
And on the wallis thai gan cry,
That thair sow wes feryt thar.
Jhone Crab, that had his ger all yar,
In his fagaldis has set the fyr;
And our the wall syne gan thaim wyr,
And brynt the sow till brundis bar.
With all thys, fast assailyeand war
The folk with out, with felloun fycht;
And thai with in with mekill mycht
Defendyt manlily thair steid,
In to gret awentur off deid.

The schipmen, with gret apparaill,
Come with thair schippis till assaill;
With top castell warnyst weill,
Off wicht men armyt in to steill.
Thair batis wp apon thair mast
Drawyn weill hey, and festnyt fast,
And pressyt with that gret atour,
Towart the wall: bot the gynour
Hyt in the aspyne with a stayne;
And the men, that tharin war gane,
Sum ded, sum dosnyt, come doun wynland.
Fra thine furth durst nane tak on hand
With schippis to preyss thaim to the wall.
Bot the lave war assailyeand all
On ilk syd sa egrely,
That certis it wes gret ferly,
That that folk sic defens has maid,
With the gret myscheiff that thai had.
For thair wallis sa law than wer,
That a man rycht weill with a sper
Mycht stryk ane othyr wp in the face;
As her befor said to yow was.
And fele of thaim war woundit sar;
And the laiff sa fast trawaillyt war,
That nane had tyme rest for to ma,
Thair aduersouris assaillyt sua.

Thai war within sa straitly stad,
That thair wardane, that with him had
Ane hundyr men in cumpany,
Armyt, that wicht war and hardy,
And raid about for to se quhar
That his folk hardest pressyt war,
To releve thaim that had myster,
Come syndry tymys in placis ser,
Quhar sum of the defendouris war
All dede, and othyr woundyt sar.
Swa that he of his cumpany
Behuffyt for to leve thar party:
Swa that, be he a courss had maid
About, of all the men he haid
Thar wes lewyt with him bot ane,
That he ne had left thaim euirilkan,
To releve quhar he saw myster.
And the folk, that assailland wer
At Mary yat, to hewyn haid
The barraiss, and a fyr had maid
At the drawbrig, and brynt it doun;
And war thringand in gret foysoun
Rycht to the yat a fyr to ma.
Than thai with in gert smertly ga
Ane to the wardane, for to say
How thai war set in hard assay.
And quhen Schyr Waltre Stewart herd
How [his] men sa straitly thaim ferd,
He gert cum of the castell then
All that thar war off armyt men,
For [thar] that day assaillyt nane;
And with that rowt in hy is gane
To Mary yate; and to the wall
He send, and saw the myscheff all:
And wmbethoucht him suddanly
Bot giff gret help war set in hy
Thar to, thai suld bryn up the yet,
That fra the wall thai suld nocht let.
Tharfor apon gret hardyment
He suddanly set his entent;
And gert all wyd set wp the yat,
And the fyr that he fand thar at
With strenth off men he put away.
He set him to full hard assay;
For thai that war assailyeand thar,
Pressyt on him with wapnys bar;
And he defendyt with his mycht.
Thar mycht men se a felloun sycht
Off stabing, stoking, and striking.
Thar maid thai sturdy defending:
For with gret strenth of men the yat
Thai defendyt, and stud thar at,
Mawgre thair fayis; quhill the nycht
Gert thaim on bath half leve the fycht.

Thai off the ost, quhen nycht gan fall,
Fra the assalt withdrew thaim all,
Woundyt, and wery, and forbeft,
With mad cher the assalt thai left:
And till thair mnys went in hy,
And set thair wachis hastily.
The lave thaim esyt, as thai mycht best,
For thai had gret myster of rest.
That nycht thai spak commonaly
Off thaim within, and had ferly
That thai swa stout defens had maid,
Agayne the gret assalt thai haid.
And thai within, on othyr party,
Quhen thai thair fayis sa hastily
Saw withdraw thaim, thai war all blyth,
And has ordanyt thair wachis swith;
And syne ar till thair innys gane.
Thar wes bot full few of thaim slayne;
Bot fele war woundyt wttrely.
The lave our mesur war wery.
It was ane hard assawlt perfay;
And certis, I herd neuir say
Quhar quheyn mar defence had maid,
That swa rycht hard assailling haid.
And off a thing, that thar befell,
Ik haff ferly, that I sall tell;
That is, that, in till all that day,
Quhen all thair mast assailyeit thai,
And the schot thikkest wes with all,
Women with child, and childer small,
In armfullis gaderyt wp, and bar
Till thaim that on the wallis war
Arowys and stanys, nane slane war,
Na yeit woundyt; and that wes mar
The myrakill of God Almychty:
And to noucht ellys it set can I.

On athyr syd that nycht thai war
All still: and on the morn but mar
Thar come tithandis out off Ingland,
To thaim of the ost, that bar on hand
How that by Borowbrig at Mytoun
Thair men war slayn, and dongyn doun;
And at the Scottis men throu the land
Raid yeit brynnand and destroyand.
And quhen the king had hard this tale,
His consaile he assemblyt haile,
To se quhethir fayr war him till
To ly about the toun all still,
And assailye quhill it wonnyn war;
Or than in Ingland for to fayr,
And reskew his land, and his men.
His consaill fast discordyt then.
For sotheroun men wald that he mad
Arest thar, quhill he wonnyn haid
The toun, and the castell alsua.
Bot northyn men wald na thing sua,
That dred thair frendis for to tyn,
And mast part of thair gudis syne,
Throw Scottis mennys cruelte,
Thai wald he lete the sege be,
And raid for till reskew his land.
Off Longcastell, I tak on hand,
The erle Thomas, wes ane of tha
That consaillyt the king hame to ga.
And for that mar inclynyt he
To the folk off the south countre,
Than to the northyn mennys will,
He tuk it to sa mekill ill,
That he gert turss his ger in hy:
And with his bataill halily,
That off the ost ner thrid part was,
Till Ingland hame his way he tais.
But leve he hame has tane his gat:
Tharfor fell eftyr sic debat
Betuix him and the king, that ay
Lastyt quhill Androw Hardclay
That throw the king wes on him set,
Tuk him rycht in [till] Pomfret;
And on ane hill besid the toun,
Strak off his hede but ransoun.
Thar for syne hyngyt and drawyn wes he;
And with him a weill gret menye.
Men said syne eftyr, this Thomas,
That on this wiss maid martyr was,
Was saynct, and myrakillis did;
Bot enwy syne gert thaim be hid.
Bot quhethir he haly wes or nane,
At Pomfret thus [gat] was he slane.
And syne the king of Ingland,
Quhen that he saw him tak on hand
To pass his way sa opynly,
Him thoucht it wes perell to ly
Thar with the lave of his menye.
Hys harnays tharfor tursit he,
And in till Ingland hame gan he far.
The Scottis men, that destroyand war
In Ingland, sone hard tell tithing
Of this gret sege departing;
Tharfor thai tuk westwart the way,
And till Carlele hame went ar thai,
With prayis, and with presoneris,
And othyr gudis on ser maneris.

The lordis to the king ar gain;
And the lave has thair wayis tain,
Ilk man till his repair agayne.
The king, I wyss, was wondre fayne
That thai war cummyn hale and fer;
And that thai sped on sic maner,
That thai thair fayis discomfyt hade,
And, but tynsaill of men, has made
Rescours to thaim, that in Berwik
War assegyt rycht till thair dyk.
And quhen the king had speryt tithand
How thai had farne in Ingland;
And thai had tauld him all hale the far,
How Ingliss men discumfyt war,
Rycht blyth in till his hart wes he:
And maid thaim fest with gamyn and gle.
Berwik wes on this maner
Reskewyt, and thai that tharin wer,
Throw manheid, and throw sutelte.
He wes worthi a prynce to be,
That couth with wit sa hey a thing,
But gret tynsaill, bring till ending.
Till Berwik syne the way he tayss:
And quhen he hard thar how it wayss
Defendyt rycht swa apertly,
He lowyt thaim that war thar gretly.
Waltre Stewart his gret bounte
Out our the laiff commendyt he,
For the rycht gret defens he maid
At the yat, quhar men brynt had
The brig, as ye herd me dywiss.
And certis he wes weill to priss,
That sa stoutly, with plane fechting
At opyn yate, maid defending.
Mycht he haff levyt quhill he had bene
Off perfyt eild, with owtyn wene,
Hys renoun suld have strekyt fer.
Bot dede, that walkis ay to mer
With all hyr mycht, and forthi
Had at his worschip sic inwi,
That in the flour of his youtheid
Sa endyt all his douchti deid;
As I sall tell yow forthirmar.
Quhen the king had a quhill bene thar
He send for maysonys fer and ner,
That sleast war off that myster,
And gert weill ten fute hey the wall
About Berwykis toune our all.
And syne towart Lothyane,
With his menye, his gat is gane.
And syne he gert ordane in hy
Bath armyt men, and yhumanry,
In till Irland in hy to fayr,
To help his brodyr that wes thar.

Bot he, that rest anoyit ay,
And wald in trawaill be alway,
A day forouth thair arywing
That war send till him fra the king,
He tuk his way south wart to far;
Magre thaim all that with him war.
For he had nocht than in that land
Off all men, I trow, twa thousand,
Owtane the kingis off Irchery,
That in gret rowtis raid him by.
Towart Dundalk he tuk the way.
And quhen Richard of Clar hard say
That he come with sa few menye,
All that he mycht assemblit he,
Off all Irland, off armyt men:
Swa that he had thar with him then
Off trappit horss tuenty thowsand,
But thai[m] that war on fute gangand;
And held furth northward on his way.
And quhen Schyr Eduuard has hard say
That cummyn ner till him wes he,
He send discourrouris him to se:
The Sowllis, and the Stewart war thai,
And Schir Philip the Mowbray.
And quhen thai sene had thair cummyng,
Thai went agayne to tell tithing:
And said weill thai war mony men.
In hie Schir Eduuard ansuerd then,
And said that he suld fecht that day,
Thoucht tribill and quatribill war thai.
Schyr Johne Stewart said; " Sekyrly,
" I reid nocht ye fecht on sic hy.
" Men sayis my brodyr is cummand
" With fyftene thowsand men ner hand;
" And war thai knyt with yow, ye mycht
" The traystlyer abid to fycht. "
Schyr Eduuard lukyt all angrely;
And till the Soullis said in hy;
" Quhat sayis thou?" " Schyr, " he said, " perfay
" As my falow has said I say. "
And to Schyr Philip [than] said he.
" Schyr, " said he, " sa our Lord me se!
" Me think na foly for to bid
" Your men, that spedis thaim to rid.
" For we ar few, our fayis ar fele.
" God may rycht weill our werdis dele;
" Bot it war wondre that our mycht
" Suld our cum sa fele in fycht. "
Than, with gret ire, Allace, said he,
" I wend neuir till her that of the!
" Now help quha will: for sekyrly
" This day, but mar baid, fecht will I.
" Sall na man say, quhill I may drey,
" That strenth of men sall ger me fley.
" God scheld that ony suld ws blam,
" Gif we defend our noble nam.
" Now be it swagat than, " quoth thai,
" We sall tak that God will purwai. "

And quhen the kingis of Irchery
Herd say, and wyst sekyrly,
That thair king, with sa quhone, wald fycht
Agane folk of sa mekill mycht;
Thai come till him in full gret hy,
And consaillyt him full tendrely
For till abid his men: and thai
Suld hald thair fayis all that day
Doand; and on the morn alsua,
With thair rounnyngis that thai suld ma.
Bot thar mycht na consaill awaile.
He wald algat hav bataile.
And quhen thai saw he wes sa thra
To fycht, thai said; " Ye ma well ga
" To fycht with yone gret cumpany:
" Bot we acquyt ws wtrely,
" That nane of ws will stand to fycht.
" Assuris nocht tharfor in our mycht.
" For our maner is of this land
" To folow and fecht, and fecht fleand;
" And nocht to stand in plane melle,
" Quhill the ta part discomfyt be. "
He said; " Sen that your custum is,
" Ik ask at yow no mar bot this;
" That is, that ye and your menye
" Wald all to gidder arayit be;
" And stand on fer, but departing,
" And se our fycht, and the ending.
Thai said weill that thai suld do swa.
And syne towart thair men gan thai ga,
That war wele twenty thowsand ner.
Eduuard, with thaim that with him wer,
That war nocht fully twa thousand,
Arayit thaim stalwartly to stand
Agayne fourty thowsand, and ma.
Schir Eduuard that day wald nocht ta
His cot armour: bot Gib Harper,
That men held als with owtyn per
Off his estate, had on that day
All hale Schyr Edwardis aray.
The fycht abad thai on this wiss.
And in gret hy thair ennymyss
Come, till assemble all redy.
And thai met thaim rycht hardely.
Bot thai sa few war, south to say,
That ruschyt with thair fayis war thai.
And thai that pressyt mast to stand
War slane doun; and the remanand
Fled till the Irche to succour.
Schyr Eduuard, that had sic valour,
Wes dede; and Jhone Stewart alsua;
And Jhone the Sowllis als with tha;
And othyr als off thair cumpany.
Thai war wencussyt sa suddanly,
That few in till the place war slane;
For the lave has thair wayis tayne
Till the Irsche kingis that war thar,
And in hale bataill howand war.

Johne Thomas sone, that wes ieder
Off thaim of Carrik that thar wer,
Quhen he saw the discumfiting,
Withdrew him till ane Irsch king
That off his aqwentance had he;
And he resawit him in leawte.
And quhen Jhone cummyn wes to that king,
He saw be fed fra the fechting
Schir Philip the Mowbray, the wicht,
That had bene dosnyt in to the fycht.
And with armys led wes he
Wyth twa men, apon a cause,
That wes betuix thaim and the toun,
And strekyt lang in a randown.
Towart the toun thai held thair way:
And quhen in myd cause war thai,
Schir Philip of his desynes
Ourcome; and persawit he wes
Tane, and led suagat with twa:
The tane he swappyt sone him fra;
And syne the tothyr in gret hy;
And drew the suerd deliuerly.
And till the fycht his wayis tays
Endlang the cause, that than wais
Fillyt in till gret foysoun
Off men, that than went till the toun.
And he, that met thaim, agayn gan ma
Sic payment, quhar he gan ga,
That weile a hundre men gert he
Leve, maugre tharis, the cause:
As Jhone Thomas sone said suthly,
That saw his deid all halily.
Towart the bataill ewyn he yeid.
Jhone Thomassone, that tuk gud heid
That thai wer wencussyt all planly,
Cryit on him in full gret hy,
And said; " Cum her; for thar is nane
" On lyve, for thai ar dede ilkane. "
Than stud he still a quhill, and saw
That thai war all doune of daw;
Syne went towart him saraly.
This Jhone wroucht syne sa wittely
That all that thiddyr fled than wer,
Thoucht that thai lossyt of thair ger,
Come to Cragfergus hale and fer.
And thai that at the fechting wer
Soucht Schyr Eduuard, to get his heid,
Amang the folk that thar wes dede;
And fand Gib Harper in his ger:
And for sa gud hys armys wer,
Thai strak hys hed of; and syn it
Thai have gert salt in till a kyt;
And send it in till Ingland,
Till the king Eduuard in presand.
Thai wend Schyr Eduuardis it had bene.
Bot for the armyng, that wes schene,
Thai of the heid dissawyt wer;
All thoucht Schyr Eduuard deyt thar.

On this wiss war thai noble men
For wilfulnes all lesyt then.
And that wes syne, and gret pite.
For had thair owtrageouss bounte
Bene led with wyt, and with mesur,
Bot giff the mar mysawentur
Bene fallyn thaim, it suld rycht hard thing
Be to lede thaim till owtreyng.
Bot gret owtrageouss surquedry
Gert thaim all her thair worschip by.
And thai, that fled fra the melle,
Sped thaim in hy towart the se;
And to Cragfergus cummyn ar thai.
And thai that war in to the way
To Schyr Eduuard, send fra the king,
Quhen thai hard the discumfiting,
To Cragfergus thai went agayne:
And that wes nocht for owtyn payn.
For thai war mony tyme that day
Assailyeit with Irschery: bot thai
Ay held to gidder sarraly;
And defendyt sa wittely,
That thai eschapyt oft throu mycht;
And mony time alsua throw slycht.
For oft of tharis to thaim gaff thai,
To lat thaim skaithles pass thair way.
And till Cragfergus come thai swa,
That batis and schippis gan thai ta,
And saylyt till Scotland in hy;
And thar arywyt all saufly,
Quhen thai of Scotland had wittering
Off Schir Eduuardis wencussing,
Thai menyt him full tendrely
Our all the land commonnaly;
And thai that with him slayn war thar
Full tendrely als menyt war.