Читать книгу The Bruce - Barbour John - Страница 31

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The Lord off Lorne wonnyt thar-by,

That wes capitale ennymy

To the King, for his emys sak,

Jhon Comyn; and thocht for to tak

Vengeance apon cruell maner. 5

Quhen he the King wyst wes sa ner,

He assemblyt his men in hy;

And had in-till his cumpany

The barownys off Argyle alsua,

Thai war a thowsand weill or ma: 10

And come for to suppris the King,

That weill wes war of thair cummyng.

Bot all to few with him he had,

The-quhethir he bauldly thaim abaid;

And weill ost, at thar fryst metyng, 15

War layd at erd, but recoveryng.

The Kingis folk full weill thaim bar,

And slew, and fellyt, and woundyt sar.

Bot the folk off the tothir party

Fawcht with axys sa felounly 20

For thai on fute war evir-ilkane,

That thai feile off thar hors has slayne;

And till sum gaiff thai woundis wid.

James off Dowglas wes hurt that tyd;

And als Schyr Gilbert de le Hay. 25

The King his men saw in affray,

And his ensenyhe can he cry;

And amang thaim rycht hardyly

He rad, that he thaim ruschyt all;

And fele of thaim thar gert he fall. 30

Bot quhen he saw thai war sa feill,

And saw thaim swa gret dyntis deill,

He dred to tyne his folk, forthi

His men till him he gan rely,

And said; ‘Lordyngis, foly it war 35

‘Tyll us for till assembill mar,

‘For thai fele off our hors has slayn;

‘And gyff we fecht with thaim agayn

‘We sall tyne off our small mengyhe,

‘And our-selft sall in perill be. 40

‘Tharfor me thynk maist avenand

‘To withdraw us, us defendand,

‘Till we cum owt off thar daunger,

‘For owr strenth at our hand is ner.’

Then thai withdrew thaim halely; 45

Bot that wes nocht full cowartly;

For samyn in-till a sop held thai;

And the King him abandonyt ay

To defend behind his mengyhe.

And throw his worschip sa wroucht he, 50

That he reskewyt all the flearis,

And styntyt swagat the chassaris,

That nane durst owt off batall chas

For alwayis at thar hand he was.

Sa weile defendyt he his men, 55

That quha-sa-evir had seyne him then

Prove sa worthely vasselage,

And turn sa oft sythis the visage,

He suld say he awcht weill to be

A king of gret rewate. 60

1306 Bruce compared to Gaudifer

Quhen that the Lord of Lorne saw

His men stand off him ane sik aw,

That thai durst nocht folow the chase,

Rycht angry in his hart he was;

And for wondyr that he suld swa 65

Stot thaim, him allane but ma,

He said; “Me think, Marthokys sone,

“Rycht as Golmakmorn was wone

“To haiff fra Fyn all his mengne,

“Rycht swa all his fra us has he.” 70

He set ensample thus mydlike,

The-quhethir he micht, mar manerlik,

Lyknyt hym to Gaudifer de Larys,

Quhen that the mychty duk Betys

Assailyheit in Gadyrris the forrayours. 75

And quhen the King thaim made rescours,

Duk Betys tuk on him the flycht,

That wald ne mar abid to fycht.

Bot gud Gaudifer the worthi

Abandonyt him so worthyly, 80

For to reskew all the fleieris,

And for to stonay the chasseris,

That Alysandir to erth he bar;

And alsua did he Tholimar,

And gud Coneus alsua, 85

Danklyne alsua, and othir ma.

But at the last thar slayne he wes:

In that failyheit the liklynes.

For the King, full chevalrusly,

Defendyt all his cumpany, 90

And wes set in full gret danger;

And yheit eschapyt haile and fer.