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1290 Discord over the Succession

Quhen Alexander the King was deid,

That Scotland haid to steyr and leid,

The land sex yher, and mayr perfay,

Lay desolat eftyr hys day; 40

Till that the barnage at the last

Assemblyt thaim, and fayndyt fast

To cheys a king thar land to ster,

That, off awncestry, cummyn wer

Off kingis that aucht that reawte, 45

And mayst had rycht thair king to be.

Bot envy, that is sa feloune,

Maid amang thaim discencioun.[†] For sum wald haiff the Balleoll king; For he wes cummyn off the offspryng 50 Off hyr that eldest systir was. And othir sum nyt all that cas; And said, that he thair king suld be That wes in als nere degre,[†] And cummyn wes of the neist male, 55 And in branch collaterale. Thai said, successioun of kyngrik Was nocht to lawer feys lik; For thar mycht succed na female, Quhill foundyn mycht be ony male 60 That were in lyne evyn descendand;[†] Thai bar all othir wayis on hand, For than the neyst cummyn off the seid, Man or woman, suld succeid. Be this resoun that part thocht hale, 65 That the lord off Anandyrdale, Robert the Bruys Erle off Carryk, Aucht to succeid to the kynryk. The barownys thus war at discord, That on na maner mycht accord; 70

1291 The Dispute is referred to Edward I

Till at the last thai all concordyt,

That all thar spek suld be recordyt

Till Schyr Edward off Ingland King;

And he suld swer that, but fenyheyng,

He suld that arbytre disclar, 75

Off thir twa that I tauld off ar,

Quhilk sulde succeid to sic a hycht;[†] And lat him ryng that had the rycht. This ordynance thaim thocht the best, For at that tyme wes pes and rest 80 Betwyx Scotland and Ingland bath; And thai couth nocht persave the skaith That towart thaim wes apperand; For that at the King off Ingland Held swylk freyndschip and cumpany 85 To thar King, that wes swa worthy, Thai trowyt that he, as gud nychtbur, And as freyndsome compositur, Wald have jugyt in lawte: Bot othir wayis all yheid the gle. 90 A! blynd folk full off all foly! Haid yhe umbethoucht yhow enkrely, Quhat perell to yhow mycht apper, Yhe had nocht wrocht on that maner: Haid yhe tane keip how at that King 95 Alwayis, for-owtyn sojournyng, Travayllyt for to wyn senyhory, And, throw his mycht, till occupy Landis that war till him marcheand, As Walis was, and als Ireland; 100 That he put to swylk thrillage, That thai that war off hey parage Suld ryn on fute, as rebaldaill, Quhen he wald ony folk assaill. Durst nane of Walis in bataill ride; 105 Na yhet, fra evyn fell, abyd Castell or wallyt toune with-in, That he ne suld lyff and lymmys tyne. In-to swilk thrillage thaim held he, That he ourcome throw his powste. 110 Yhe mycht se he suld occupy Throw slycht, that he ne mycht throw maistri. Had yhe tane kep quhat was thrillag, And had consideryt his usage, That gryppyt ay, but gayne-gevyng, 115 Yhe suld, for-owtyn his demyng, Haiff chosyn yhow a king, that mycht Have haldyn weyle the land in rycht. Walys ensample mycht have bene To yhow, had yhe it forow sene. 120 And wys men sayis he is happy That be othir will him chasty. For unfayr thingis may fall, perfay, Als weill to-morn as yhisterday. Bot yhe traistyt in lawte, 125 As sympile folk, but mavyte; And wyst nocht quhat suld eftir tyd. For in this warld, that is sa wyde, Is nane determynat that sall[†] Knaw thingis that ar for to fall:[†] 130 But God, that is off maist poweste, Reservyt till his majeste For to knaw, in his prescience, Off alkyn tyme the mowence.

On this maner assentyt war 135

The barownis, as I said yhow ar:

And throuch thar aller hale assent,

Messingeris till hym thai sent,

That was than in the haly land,

On Saracenys warryand. 140

And fra he wyst quhat charge thai had,

He buskyt hym, but mar abad,

And left purpos that he had tane;

And till Ingland agayne is gayne.

And syne till Scotland word send he, 145

That thai suld mak ane assemble;

And he in hy suld cum to do

In all thing, as thai wrayt him to.

But he thoucht weile, throuch thar debate,

That he suld slely fynd the gate 150

How that he all the senyhowry,

Throw his gret mycht, suld occupy.

And to Robert the Bruys said he;

“Gyff thow will hald in cheyff off me

“For evirmar, and thine ofspryng, 155

“I sall do swa thou sall be king.”

‘Schyr,’ said he, ‘sa God me save,

‘The kynryk yharn I nocht to have,

‘Bot gyff it fall off rycht to me:

‘And gyff God will that it sa be, 160

‘I sall als frely in all thing

‘Hald it, as it afferis to king;

‘Or as myn eldris forouch me

‘Held it in freyast rewate.’

The tothir wreythyt him, and swar 165

That he suld have it nevir mar:

And turnyt him in wreth away.

Bot Schyr Jhon the Balleoll, perfay,

Assentyt till him, in all his will;

Quhar-throuch fell eftir mekill ill. 170

He was king bot a litill quhile;

And throuch gret sutelte and ghyle,

For litill enchesone, or nane,

He was arestyt syne and tane,

And degradyt syne wes he 175

Off honour and off dignite.

Quhethir it wes throuch wrang or rycht,

God wat it, that is maist off mycht.

1292-1296 Edward takes Possession of Scotland

Quhen Schyr Edward, the mychty king,

Had on this wys done his likyng 180

Off Jhone the Balleoll, that swa sone

Was all defawtyt and undone,

To Scotland went he than in hy,

And all the land gan occupy:

Sa hale, that bath castell and toune 185

War in-till his possessioune,

Fra Weik anent Orknay,

To Mullyr-snuk in Gallaway;

And stuffyt all with Inglis men.

Schyrreffys and bailyheys maid he then; 190

And alkyn othir officeris,

That for to govern land afferis,

He maid off Inglis nation;

That worthyt than sa ryth fellone,

And sa wykkyt and covatous, 195

And swa hawtane and dispitous,

That Scottis men mycht do na thing

That evir mycht pleys to thar liking.

Thar wyffis wald thai oft forly,

And thar dochtrys dispitusly: 200

And gyff ony thar-at war wrath,

Thai watyt hym wele with gret scaith;

For thai suld fynd sone enchesone

To put hym to destructione.

And gyff that ony man thaim by 205

Had ony thing that wes worthy,

As hors, or hund, or othir thing,

That plesand war to thar liking,

With rycht or wrang it have wald thai.

And gyf ony wald thaim withsay, 210

Thai suld swa do, that thai suld tyne

Othir land or lyff, or leyff in pyne.

For thai dempt thaim eftir thar will,

Takand na kep to rycht na skill.

A! quhat thai dempt thaim felonly! 215

For gud knychtis that war worthy,

For litill enchesoune or than nane,

Thai hangyt be the nekbane.[†] Alas that folk, that evir wes fre, And in fredome wount for to be, 220 Throw thar gret myschance and foly, War tretyt than sa wykkytly, That thar fays thar jugis war: Quhat wrechitnes may man have mar?

A! fredome is a noble thing! 225

Fredome mays man to haiff liking;

Fredome all solace to man giffis:

He levys at es that frely levys.

A noble hart may haiff nane es,

Na ellys nocht that may him ples, 230

Gyff fredome failyhe: for fre liking

Is yharnyt our all othir thing.

Na he, that ay has levyt fre,

May nocht knaw weill the propyrte,

The angyr, na the wrechyt dome, 235

That is cowplyt to foule thyrldome.

Bot gyff he had assayit it,

Than all perquer he suld it wyt;

And suld think fredome mar to prys,

Than all the gold in warld that is. 240

Thus contrar thingis evir-mar,

Discoveryngis off the tothir ar.

And he that thryll is has nocht his;

All that he has enbandownyt is

Till hys lord, quhat-evir he be. 245

Yheyt has he nocht sa mekill fre

As fre liking to leyve, or do[†] That at hys hart hym drawis to. Than mays clerkis questioun, Quhen thai fall in disputacioun, 250 That gyff man bad his thryll owcht do, And in the samyn tym come him to His wyff, and askyt hym hyr det, Quhethir he his lordis neid suld let, And pay fryst that he awcht, and syne 255 Do furth his lordis commandyne; Or leve onpayit his wyff, and do It that commaundyt is him to?[†] I leve all the solucioun Till thaim that ar off mar renoun. 260 Bot sen thai mek sic comperyng Betwix the dettis off wedding, And lordis bidding till his threll, Yhe may weile se, thoucht nane yhow tell, How hard a thing that threldome is. 265 For men may weile se, that ar wys, That wedding is the hardest band, That ony man may tak on hand: And thryldome is weill wer than deid; For quhill a thryll his lyff may leid, 270 It merrys him, body and banys; And dede anoyis him bot anys. Schortly to say, is nane can tell The halle condicioun off a threll.

1298-1299 Harsh Treatment of the Scots

Thus-gat levyt thai, and in sic thrillage; 275

Bath pur, and thai off hey parage.

For off the lordis sum thai slew,

And sum thai hangyt, and sum thai drew;

And sum thai put in hard presoune,[†] For-owtyn caus or enchesoun. 280 And, amang othir, off Dowglas Put in presoun Sir Wilyham was, That off Dowglas was lord and syr; Off him thai makyt a martyr. Fra thai in presoune him sleuch, 285 Hys landis, that war fayr inewch,[†] Thai to the lord off Clyffurd gave.[†] He had a sone, a litill knave, That wes than bot a litill page, Bot syne he wes off gret vaslage; 290 Hys fadyr dede he vengyt sua, That in Ingland, I underta, Wes nane off lyve that hym ne dred; For he sa fele off harnys sched, That nane that lyvys thaim can tell. 295 Bot wondirly hard thingis fell Till him, or he till state wes brocht. Thair wes nane aventur that mocht Stunay hys hart, na ger him let To do the thing he wes on set;[†] 300 For he thocht ay encrely To do his deid avysily. He thocht weill he wes worth na seyle, That mycht of nane anoyis feyle; And als for till escheve gret thingis, 305 And hard travalyis, and barganyngis, That suld ger his price dowblyt be. Quharfor, in all hys lyve-tyme, he Wes in gret payn, et gret travaill;[†] And nevir wald for myscheiff faill, 310 Bot dryve the thing rycht to the end, And tak the ure that God wald send. Hys name wes James of Douglas: And quhen he heard his fadir was Put in presoune sa fellounly, 315 And at his landis halyly War gevyn to the Clyffurd, perfay He wyst nocht quhat to do na say; For he had na thing to dispend,[†] Na thar wes nane that evir him kend 320 Wald do sa mekill for him, that he Mycht sufficiantly fundyn be. Than wes he wondir will off wane; And sodanly in hart has tane, That he wald travaile our the se, 325 And a quhile in Parys be, And dre myscheiff quhar nane hym kend, Till God sum succouris till hym send. And as he thocht he did rycht sua, And sone to Parys can he ga; 330 And levyt thar full sympylly. The-quhethir he glaid was and joly; And till swylk thowlesnes he yheid, As the cours askis off yhowtheid; And umquhill in-to rybbaldaill: 335 And that may mony tyme availl. For knawlage off mony statis May quhile availyhe full mony gatis; As to the gud Erle off Artayis Robert, befell in-till his dayis. 340 For oft feynyheyng oft rybbaldy Availyheit him, and that gretly. And Catone sayis us, in his wryt, That to fenyhe foly quhile is wyt.[†] In Parys ner thre yher duellyt he; 345 And then come tythandis our the se, That his fadyr wes done to ded Then wes he wa, and will of red; And thocht that he wald hame agayne, To luk gyff he, throw ony payn, 350 Mycht wyn agayn his heritage, And his men out off all thryllage.