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Bot in the samyn tyme at thai

War in schipping, as yhe hard me say, 590

The Erle off the Levenax was,

I can nocht tell yhow throw quhat cas.

Levyt behynd with his galay,

Till the King wes fer on his way.

Quhen that thai off his cuntre 595

Wyst that so duelt behynd wes he,

Be se with schippys thai him soucht;

And he that saw that he wes nocht

Off pith to fecht with thai traytouris,

And that he had na ner socouris 600

Then the Kingis flote, for-thi

He sped him eftir thaim in hy.

Bot the tratouris hym folowyt sua,

That thai weill ner hym gan our-ta.

For all the mycht that he mycht do, 605

Ay ner and ner thai come him to.

And quhen he saw thai war sa ner

That he mycht weill thar manauce her,

And saw thaim ner and ner cum ay,

Then till his mengyhe gan he say; 610

“Bot giff we fynd sum sutelte,

“Ourtane all sone sall we be.

“Tharfor I rede, but mar letting,

“That, owtakyn our armyng,

“We kast our thing all in the se: 615

“And fra our schip swa lychtyt be,

“We sall swa row, and speid us sua,

“That we sall weill eschaip thaim fra;

“With that thai sall mak duelling

“Apon the se, to tak our thing; 620

“And we sall row but resting ay,

“Till we eschapyt be away.”

As he devisyt thai have done;

And thar schip thai lychtyt sone:

And rowyt syne, with all thar mycht; 625

And scho, that swa wes maid lycht,

Raykyt slidand throw the se.

And quhen thar fayis gan thaim se

Forowth thaim alwayis, mar and mar,

The thingis that thar fletand war 630

Thai tuk; and turnyt syne agayne,

Swa that thai lesyt all thar payne.

Quhen that the Erle on this maner,

And hys mengyhe, eschapyt wer,

Eftyr the King he gan hym hy, 635

That then, with all his cumpany,

In-to Kyntyr aryvyt was.

The Erle tauld him all his cas;

How he wes chasyt on the se,

With thaim that suld his awyn be; 640

And how he had bene tane but dout,

Na war it that he warpyt owt

All that he had, him lycht to ma;

And swa eschapyt he thaim fra.

“Schyr Erle,” said the King, “perfay 645

“Syn thow eschapyt is away,

“Off the tynsell is na plenyheing.[†] “Bot I will say the weile a thing; “That thar will fall the gret foly “To pas oft fra my cumpany. 650 “For fele sys, quhen thow art away, “Thow art set in-till hard assay. “Tharfor me thynk it best to the “To hald the alwayis ner by me.” ‘Schyr,’ said the Erle, ‘it sall be swa. 655 ‘I sall na wys pas fer yhow fra, ‘Till God giff grace we be of mycht ‘Agayne our fayis to hald our stycht.’[†]

1306 Angus of Islay joins Bruce

Angus off Ile that tyme wes syr,

And lord and ledar off Kyntyr. 660

The King rycht weill resavyt he;

And undretuk his man to be:

And him and his, on mony wys,

He abandownyt till his service.

And, for mar sekyrnes, gaiff him syne 665

Hys castell off Donavardyne,

To duell tharin at his liking.

Full gretumly thankyt him the King,

And resavyt his service.

Nocht-for-thi, on mony wys, 670

He wes dredand for tresoun ay:

And tharfor, as Ik hard men say,

He traistyt in nane sekyrly,

Till that he knew him utraly.

Bot quhatkyn dred that evir he had, 675

Fayr contenance to thaim he maid.

And in Donavardyne dayis thre,

For-owtyne mar, then duellyt he.

Syne gert he his mengyhe mak thaim yhar,

Towart Rauchryne be se to far, 680

That is ane ile in-to the se;

And may weill in mydwart be

Betuix Kyntyr and Irland:

Quhar als gret stremys ar rynnand,

And als peralous and mar 685

Till our-saile thaim in-to schipfair,

As is the rais of Bretangyhe,

Or strait off Marrok in-to Spanyhe.

Thair schippys to the se thai set;

And maid redy but langer let, 690

Ankyrs, rapys, bath saile and ar,

And all that nedyt to schipfar.

Quhen thai war boune, to saile thai went:

The wynd wes wele to thar talent.

Thai raysyt saile, and furth thai far; 695

And by the mole thai passyt yhar,

And entryt sone in-to the rase,

Quhar that the strem sa sturdy was

That wavys wycht, that brekand war,[†] Weltryt as hillys her and thar. 700 The schippys our the wavys slayd, For wynd at poynt blawand thai had. Bot nocht-for-thi quha had thar bene, A gret stertling he mycht haiff seyne Off schippys; for quhilum sum wald be 705 Rycht on the wavys, as on mounte;[†] And sum wald slyd fro heycht to law, Rycht as thai doune till hell wald draw; Syne on the wav stert sodanly. And othyr schippis, that war thar-by, 710 Deliverly drew to the depe. It wes gret cunnannes to kep Thar takill in-till sic a thrang, And wyth sic wavis; for, ay amang, The wavys reft thar sycht of land. 715 Quhen thai the land wes rycht ner hand, And quhen schippys war sailand ner, The se wald rys on sic maner, That off the wavys the weltrand hycht Wald refe thaim oft off thar sycht. 720

1306 The King settles in Rathein

Bot in to Rauchryne, nocht-forthi,

Thai aryvyt ilkane sawffly:

Blyth, and glaid, that thai war sua

Eschapyt thai hidwyss wavis fra.

In Rauchryne thai aryvyt ar; 725

And to the land thai went but mar,

Armyt upon thar best maner.

Quhen the folk, that thar wonnand wer,

Saw men off armys in thar cuntre

Aryve in-to sic quantite, 730

Thai fled in hy, with thar catell,

Towart a rycht stalwart castell,

That in the land wes ner thar-by.

Men mycht her wemen hely cry,

And fle with cataill her and thar. 735

Bot the Kingis folk, that war

Deliver off fute, thaim gan our-hy;

And thaim arestyt haillely,[†] And brocht thaim to the King agayne, Swa that nane off thaim all wes slayne. 740 Then with thaim tretyt swa the King, That thai, to fullfill hys yharning, Become his men evirilkane: And has him trewly undretane That thai and thairis, loud and still, 745 Suld be in all thing at his will: And, quhill him likit thar to leynd, Evirilk day thai suld him seynd Victalis for three hunder men: And ay as lord thai suld him ken;[†] 750 Bot at thar possessioune suld be, For all his men, thair awyn fre.

The cunnand on this wys was maid.

And on the morn, but langir baid

Off all Rauchryne bath man and page 755

Knelyt, and maid the King homage;

And tharwith swour him fewte,

To serve him ay in lawte:

And held him rycht weill cunnand.

For quhill he duelt in-to the land, 760

Thai fand meit till his cumpany;

And servyt him full humely.