Читать книгу The Bruce - Barbour John - Страница 16

The barownys thus accordyt ar;[†]

And that ilk nycht than writyn war[†]

Thair endenturis, and aythis maid

To hald that thai forspokyn haid.

Bot off all thing wa worth tresoun! 515

For thar is nothir duk ne baroun,

Na erle, na prynce, na king off mycht,

Thocht he be nevir sa wys na wycht,

For wyt, worschip, price, na renoun,

That evir may wauch hym with tresoune. 520

Wes nocht all Troy with tresoune tane,

Quhen ten yheris of the wer wes gane?

Then slayn wes mone thowsand

Off thaim with-owt, throw strenth of hand;

As Dares in his buk he wrate, 525

And Dytis, that knew all thar state.

Thai mycht nocht haiff beyn tane throw mycht,

Bot tresoun tuk thaim throw hyr slycht.

And Alexander the Conqueroure,

That conqueryt Babilonys tour, 530

And all this warld off lenth and breid,

In twelf yher, throw his douchty deid,

Wes syne destroyit throw pusoune,

In his awyne hows, throw gret tresoune.

Bot, or he deit, his land delt he: 535

To se his dede wes gret pite.

Julius Cesar als, that wan

Bretane and Fraunce, as dowchty man,

Affryk, Arrabe, Egipt, Surry,

And all Europe halyly; 540

And for his worschip and valour

Off Rome wes fryst maid emperour;

Syne in hys capitole wes he,

Throw thaim of his consaill prive,

Slayne with punsoune, rycht to the ded: 545

And quhen he saw thair wes na rede,

Hys eyn with his hand closit he,

For to dey with mar honeste.

Als Arthur, that throw chevalry

Maid Bretane maistres and lady 550

Off twelf kinrykis that he wan;

And alsua, as a noble man,

He wan throw bataill Fraunce all fre;

And Lucius Yber vencusyt he,

That then of Rome was emperour: 555

Bot yheit, for all his gret valour,

Modreyt his systir son him slew;

And gud men als ma then inew,

Throw tresoune and throw wikkitnes;

The Broite beris tharoff wytnes. 560

Sa fell off this conand-making:

For the Cumyn raid to the King

Off Ingland, and tald all this cas;

Bot, I trow, nocht all as it was.

Bot the endentur till him gaf he, 565

That soune schawyt the iniquite:

Quharfor syne he tholyt ded;

Than he couth set tharfor na rede.

1306 Edward sends for Bruce

Quhen the King saw the endentur,

He wes angry out of mesur, 570

And swour that he suld vengeance ta

Off that Bruys, that presumyt swa

Aganys him to brawle or rys,

Or to conspyr on sic a wys.

And to Schyr Jhon Cumyn said he, 575

That he suld, for his leawte,

Be rewardyt, and that hely:

And he him thankit humyly.

Than thocht he to have the leding

Off all Scotland, but gane-saying, 580

Fra at the Bruce to dede war brocht.

Bot oft failyheis the fulis thocht;

And wys mennys etling

Cummys nocht ay to that ending

That thai think it sall cum to; 585

For God wate weill quhat is to do.

Off hys etlyng rycht swa it fell,

As I sall efterwartis tell.

He tuk his leve, and hame is went;

And the King a parlyament 590

Gert set thareftir hastely;

And thidder somownys he in hy

The barownys of his reawte.

And to the lord the Bruce send he

Bydding to come to that gadryng. 595

And he that had na persavyng

Off the tresoun, na the falset,

Raid to the King but langir let;

And in Lundon hym herberyd he

The fyrst day off thar assemble; 600

Syn on the morn to court he went.

The Kyng sat into parleament;

And forouch hys consaile prive,

The lord the Bruce than callyt he,[†]

And schawyt hym the endentur. 605

He wes in full gret aventur

To tyne his lyff; bot God of mycht

Preservyt him till hyer hycht,

That wald nocht that he swa war dede.

The King betaucht hym in that steid 610

The endentur, the seile to se,

The askyt, gyff it enselyt he?

He lukyit the seyle ententily,

And answeryt till hym humyly,

And sayd; “How that I sympill be, 615

“My seyle is nocht all tyme with me;

“Ik have ane othir it to ber.

“Tharfor giff that yhour willis wer,

“Ic ask yhow respyt for to se

“This lettir, and avysit be,[†] 620

“Till to morn that yhe be set:

“And then, for-owtyn langir let,

“This lettir sall I entyr heyr,

“Befor all yhour consaill planer;

“And thair-till in-to bourch draw I[†] 625

“Myn herytage all halily.”

The King thocht he wes traist inewch,

Sen he in bowrch hys landis drewch;

And let hym with the lettir passe,

Till entyr it, as for-spokin was. 630