Читать книгу The Bruce - Barbour John - Страница 27

JUNE 26, 1306 The Scots give way

On athir syd thus war thai yhar,

And till assemble all redy war.

Thai straucht their speris, on athir syd,

And swa ruydly gan samyn ryd,

That speris all to-fruschyt war, 350

And feyle men dede, and woundyt sar;

The blud owt at their byrnys brest.

For the best and the worthiest,

That wilfull war to wyn honour,

Plungyt in the stalwart stour, 355

And rowtis ruyd about thaim dang.

Men mycht haiff seyn in-to that thrang

Knychtis that wycht and hardy war,

Undyr hors feyt defoulyt thar,

Sum woundyt, and sum all ded: 360

The gress woux off the blud all rede.

And thai, that held on hors, in hy

Swappyt owt swerdis sturdyly;

And swa fell strakys gave and tuk,

That all the renk about thaim quouk. 365

The Bruysis folk full hardely

Schawyt thair gret chevalry:

And he him-selff, atour the lave,

Sa hard and hevy dyntis gave,

That quhar he come thai maid him way. 370

His folk thaim put in hard assay,

To stynt thar fais mekill mycht,

That then so fayr had off the fycht,

That thai wan feild ay mar and mar:

The Kingis small folk ner vencusyt ar. 375

And quhen the King his folk has sene

Begyn to faile, for propyr tene

Hys assenyhe gan he cry;

And in the stour sa hardyly

He ruschyt, that all the semble schuk; 380

He all till-hewyt that he our-tuk;

And dang on thaim quhill he mycht drey.

And till his folk he criyt hey;

“On thaim! On thaim! Thai feble fast!

“This bargane nevir may langar last!” 385

And with that word sa wilfully

He dang on, and sa hardely,

That quha had sene him in that fycht

Suld hald him for a douchty knycht.

Bot thocht he wes stout and hardy, 390

And othir als off his cumpany,

Thar mycht na worschip thar availyhe;

For thar small folk begouth to failyhe,

And fled all skalyt her and thar.

Bot the gude, at enchaufyt war 395

Off ire, abade and held the stour

To conquyr thaim endles honour.

And quhen Schyr Amer has sene

The small folk fle all bedene,

And sa few abid to fycht, 400

He releyt to him mony a knycht;

And in the stour sa hardyly,

He ruschyt with hys chevalry,

That he ruschyt his fayis ilkane.

Schir Thomas Randell thar wes tane, 405

That then wes a yhoung bacheler;

And Schyr Alexander Fraseyr,

And Schyr David the Breklay,

Inchmertyne, and Hew de le Hay,

And Somerveil, and othir ma; 410

And the King him-selff alsua

Wes set in-till full hard assay,

Throw Schyr Philip the Mowbray,

That raid till him full hardyly,

And hynt hys rengyhe, and syne gan cry; 415

“Help! help! I have the new maid king!”

With that come gyrdand, in a lyng,

Crystall of Seytoun, quhen he swa

Saw the King sesyt with his fa;

And to Philip sic rout he raucht, 420

That thocht he wes off mekill maucht,

He gert hym galay disyly;

And haid till erd gane fullyly,

Ne war he hynt him by his sted.

Then off his hand the brydill yhed; 425

And the King his enssenyhe gan cry,

Releyt his men that war him by,

That war sa few that thai na mycht

Endur the fors mar off the fycht.

Thai prikyt then out off the pres; 430

And the King that angry wes,

For he his men saw fle him fra,

Said then; “Lordingis, sen it is swa

“That ure rynnys agane us her,

“Gud is we pass off thar daunger, 435

“Till God us send eftsonys grace:

“And yheyt may fall, giff thai will chace,

“Quyt thaim corn-but sum-dele we sall.”

To this word thai assentyt all,

And fra thaim walopyt owyr mar. 440

Thar fayis alsua wery war,

That off thaim all thar chassyt nane:

Bot with prisoneris, that thai had tane,

Rycht to the toune thai held thar way,

Rycht glaid and joyfull off thar pray. 445

That nycht thai lay all in the toun;

Ther wes nane off sa gret renoun,

Na yheit sa hardy off thaim all,

That durst herbery with-out the wall.

Sa dred thai sar the gayne-cummyng 450

Off Schir Robert, the douchty King.

And to the King off Ingland sone,

Thai wrate haly as thai haid done;

And he wes blyth off that tithing,

And for dispyte bad draw and hing 455

All the prisoneris, thocht thai war ma.

1306 Fate of the Prisoners

Bot Schyr Amery did nocht sua;

To sum bath land and lyff gaiff he,

To leve the Bruysis fewte,

And serve the King off Ingland, 460

And off him for to hald the land,

And werray the Brus as thar fa.

Thomas Randell wes ane off tha,

That for his lyff become thar man.

Off othir, that war takyn than, 465

Sum thai ransownyt, sum thai slew,

And sum thai hangyt, and sum thai drew.