Читать книгу The Bruce - Barbour John - Страница 34

1306 Bruce will go to Kintyre

The Queyne duelt thus in Kyldromy:

And the King and his cumpany,

That war twa hunder, and na ma,

Fra thai had send thar hors thaim fra, 370

Wandryt emang the hey montanys

Quhar he and his oft tholyt paynys.

For it wes to the wynter ner;

And sa feile fayis about him wer,

That all the countre thaim werrayit. 375

Sa hard anoy thaim then assayit,

Off hungir, cauld, with schowris snell,

That nane that levys can weill it tell.

The King saw how his folk wes stad,

And quhat anoyis that thai had; 380

And saw wynter wes cummand ner;

And that he mycht on na wys der,

In the hillys, the cauld lying,

Na the lang nychtis waking.

He thocht he to Kyntyr wald ga, 385

And swa lang sojowrnyng thar ma,

Till wynter weddir war away:

And then he thocht, but mar delay,

In-to the manland till aryve,

And till the end hys werdis dryve. 390

And for Kyntyr lyis in the se,

Schyr Nele Cambel befor send he,

For to get him navyn and meite:

And certane tyme till him he sete,

Quhen he suld meite him at the se. 395

Schir Nele Cambel, with his mengyhe,

Went his way, but mar letting,

And left his brothir with the King.

And in twelve dayis sua traveillit he,[†] That he gat schippyne gud plente, 400 And victalis in gret aboundance: Sa maid he nobill chevisance. For his sibmen wonnyt thar-by, That helpyt him full wilfully.