Читать книгу The Bruce - Barbour John - Страница 35

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The King, eftir that he wes gane, 405

To Lowchlomond the way has tane,

And come thar on the thrid day.

Bot thar-about na bait fand thai,

That mycht thaim our the watir ber:

Than war thai wa on gret maner: 410

For it wes fer about to ga;

And thai war in-to dout alsua,

To meyt thair fayis that spred war wyd.

Tharfor, endlang the louch his syd,

Sa besyly thai socht, and fast, 415

Tyll Jamys of Dowglas, at the last,

Fand a litill sonkyn bate,

And to the land it drew, fut-hate.

But it sa litill wes that it

Mycht our the wattir bot thresum flyt. 420

Thai send thar-off word to the King,

That wes joyfull off that fynding;

And fyrst in-to the bate is gane,

With him Dowglas; the thrid wes ane

That rowyt thaim our deliverly, 425

And set thaim on the land all dry:

And rowyt sa oft-sys to and fra,

Fechand ay our twa and twa,

That in a nycht and in a day,

Cummyn owt-our the louch ar thai. 430

For sum off thaim couth swome full weill,

And on his bak ber a fardele.

Swa with swymmyng, and with rowyng,

Thai brocht thaim our, and all thair thing.

1306 Bruce reads aloud a Romance

The King, the quhilis, meryly 435

Red to thaim, that war him by,

Romanys off worthi Ferambrace,

That worthily our-cummyn was,

Throw the rycht douchty Olyver;

And how the Duk-Peris wer 440

Assegyt in-till Egrymor,

Quhar King Lavyne lay thaim befor,

With may thowsandis then I can say.

And bot eleven within war thai,

And a woman: and war sa stad, 445

That thai na mete thar-within had,

Bot as thai fra thar fayis wan.

Yheyte sua contenyt thai thaim than,

That thai the tour held manlily,

Till that Rychard off Normandy, 450

Magre his fayis, warnyt the King,

That wes joyfull off this tithing:

For he wend thai had all bene slayne.

Tharfor he turnyt in hy agayne,

And wan Mantrybill and passit Flagot; 455

And syne Lavyne and all his flot,

Dispitusly discumfyt he:

And deliveryt his men all fre,

And wan the naylis, and the sper,

And the croune that Jesu couth ber; 460

And off the croice a gret party

He wan throw his chevalry.

The gud King, apon this maner,

Comfortyt thaim that war him ner;

And maid thaim gamyn and solace,[†] 465 Till that his folk all passyt was.

Quhen thai war passit the watir brad,

Suppos thai fele off fayis had,

Thai maid thaim mery, and war blyth;

Nocht-for-thi full fele syth 470

Thai had full gret defaut off mete,

And tharfor venesoun to get

In twa partys ar thai gayne.

The King him-selff was in-till ane,

And Schir James off Dowglas 475

In-to the tothir party was.

Then to the hycht thai held thar way,

And huntyt lang quhill off the day;

And soucht schawys, and setis set;

Bot thai gat litill for till ete. 480

Then hapnyt at that tyme percas,

That the Erle of the Levenax was

Amang the hillis ner tharby;

And quhen he hard sa blaw and cry,

He had wondir quhat it mycht be; 485

And on sic maner spyryt he,

That he knew that it wes the King

And then, for-owtyn mar duelling,

With all thaim off his company,

He went rycht till the King in hy, 490

Sa blyth and sa joyfull, that he

Mycht on na maner blyther be.

For he the King wend had bene ded;

And he wes alsua will off red,

That he durst rest in-to na place[†] 495 Na, sen the King discumfyt was At Meffan, he herd nevir thing That evir wes certane off the King. Tharfor in-to full gret daynte, The King full humyly haylsit he; 500 And he him welcummyt rycht blythly, And kyssyt him full tendirly.[†] And all the lordis, that war thar, Rycht joyfull off thar meting war, And kyssyt him in gret daynte. 505 It wes gret pite for till se How thai for joy and pite gret, Quhen that thai with thar falow met,[†] That thai wend had bene dede; forthi Thai welcummyt him mar hartfully. 510 And he for pite gret agayne, That nevir off metyng wes say fayne.

1306 How men weep

Thocht I say that thai gret, sothly

It wes na greting propyrly:

For I trow traistly that gretyng 515

Cummys to men for mysliking;

And that nane may but anger gret,

Bot it be wemen, that can wet

Thair chekys quhen-evir thaim list with teris,

The-quhethir weill oft thaim na thing deris. 520

Bot I wate richt weill, but lesyng,[†] Quhat-evir men say off sic greting, That mekill joy, or yheit pete, May ger men sua amovyt be, That watir fra the hart will rys, 525 And weyt the eyne on sic avys, That it is lik to be greting, Thocht it to be nocht sua in all thing. For quhen men gretis enkrely, The hart is sorowfull or angry. 530 Bot for pite, I trow, gretyng Be na thing bot ane opynnyng Off hart, that schawis the tendirnys Off rewth that in it closyt is. The barownys apon this maner, 535 Throw Goddis grace, assemblyt wer. The Erle had mete, and that plente, And with glaid hart it thaim gaiff he; And thai eyt it with full gud will, That soucht nane othir sals thar-till 540 Bot appetyt, that oft men takys; For rycht weill scowryt war thar stomakys. Thai eit and drank sic as thai had; And till our Lord syne lovyng maid, And thankit him, with full gud cher, 545 That thai war met on that maner. The King then at thaim speryt yharne, How thai, sen he thaim saw, had farne; And thai full petwysly gan tell Aventuris that thaim befell, 550 And gret anoyis, and poverte. The King thar-at had gret pite: And tauld thaim petwisly agayne The noy, the travaill, and the payne, That he had tholyt, sen he thaim saw. 555 Wes nane amang thaim, hey na law, That he ne had pite and plesaunce, Quhen that he herd mak remembrance Off the perellys that passyt war. For, quhen men oucht at liking ar, 560 To tell off paynys passyt by Plesys to heryng wonderly; And to rehers thar auld disese, Dois thaim oft-sys confort and ese; With-thi thar-to folow na blame, 565 Dishonour, wikytnes, na shame.