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1306 Valence occupies Perth

For yheit then mekill off the land

Wes in-till Inglis mennys hand.

Till Perth then went thai in a rout,

That then wes wallyt all about 220

With feile towris, rycht hey bataillyt,

To defend giff it war assaylit.

Thar-in duellyt Schir Amery,

With all his gret chevalry.

The King Robert wyst he wes thar, 225

And quhat-kyn chyftanys with him war,

And assemblyt all his mengyhe.

He had feyle off full gret bounte;

Bot thar fayis war may then thai,

Be fifteene hunder, as Ik herd say. 230

The-quhethir he had thar, at that ned,

Full feill that war douchty off deid;

And barownys that war bauld as bar.

Twa erlis alsua with him war;

Off Levynax and Atholl war thai. 235

Edward the Bruce wes thar alsua,

Thomas Randell, and Hew de le Hay,

And Schyr David the Berclay,

Fresale, Somerveile, and Inchmertyn;

James of Dowglas thar wes syne, 240

That yheyt than wes bot litill off mycht;

And othir fele folk forsye in fycht:

Bot I can nocht tell quhat thai hycht.[†] Thocht thai war qwheyn, thai war worthy, And full of gret chevalry. 245 And in bataill, in gud aray, Befor Sanct Jhonystoun com thai, And bad Schyr Amery isch to fycht; And he, that in the mekill mycht Traistyt off thaim that wes him by, 250 Bad his men arme thaim hastily. Bot Schir Ingram the Umfravill Thocht it war all to gret perill In playne bataill to thaim to ga, Or quhill thai war arayit sa:[†] 255 And till Schyr Amer then said he;[†] ‘Schir, giff that yhe will trow to me, ‘Yhe sall nocht ische thaim till assaile, ‘Till thai ar purvayt in bataill. ‘For thar ledar is wys and wycht, 260 ‘And off his hand a noble knycht; ‘And he has in his cumpany ‘Mony a gud man and worthi, ‘That sall be hard for till assay, ‘While thai ar in sa gud aray.[†] 265 ‘For it suld be full mekill mycht ‘That now suld put thaim to the flycht: ‘For quhen thai folk ar weill arayit, ‘And for the bataill weill purvait, ‘With-thi that thai all gud men be, 270 ‘Thai sall fer mar be avise, ‘And weill mar for to dreid, then thai ‘War set sumdele out off aray. ‘Thairfor yhe may, schir, say thaim till, ‘That thai may this nycht, and thai will, 275 ‘Gang herbery thaim and slep and rest; ‘And at to morn, but langar frest, ‘Yhe sall isch furth to the bataill, ‘And fecht with thaim bot gyf thai faile. ‘Sa till thar herbery wend sall thai,[†] 280 ‘And sum sall wend to the forray; ‘And thai that duellis at the logyng, ‘Sen thai come owt off travelling, ‘Sall in schort tyme unarmyt be. ‘Then on our best maner may we, 285 ‘With all our fayr chevalry, ‘Ryd towart thaim rycht hardyly; ‘And thai that wenys to rest all nycht ‘Quhen thai se us arayit to fycht, ‘Cummand on thaim sa sudanly, 290 ‘Thai sall affrayit be gretumly. ‘And or thai cummyn in bataill be,[†] ‘We sall speid us swagat that we ‘Sall be all redy till assembill. ‘Sum man for erynes will trymbill, 295 ‘Quhen he assayit is sodanly, ‘That with avisement is douchty.’