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SEP. 1306 Kildrummy is surrendered

At sic myscheiff, as yhe herd say,

War thai within; the-quhethir thai 160

Evir thame defendit worthely,

And thame contenit sa manfully,

That thai or day, throu mekill pane,

Had muryt up the yhet agane.

Bot on the morn, quhen day wes lycht, 165

And sone wes ryssyn schynand brycht,

Thai without in hale battale,

Com purvait, reddy till assale.

Bot thai within, that sa war stad,

That na wittaill na fuaill had, 170

Quhar-with thai mycht the castell hald,

Tretit ferst, and syne thame yhald

To be in-to the Kyngis will,

That than to Scottis wes full ill;

As soyn efter wes weill knawin, 175

For thai war hangit all and drawin.

Quhen this cunnand thus tretit wes,

And affermit with sekirnes,

Thai tuk thaim of the castell soyn.

And in till schort tyme has swa done, 180

That all a quarter off Snawdoune,

Rycht to the erd, thai tumlit doune.

Syne toward Ingland wend thar way.[†] Bot quhen the King Edward herd say How Neyll the Bruce held Kildrummy 185 Agane his sone sa stallwardly; He gaderit a gret chevelry, And toward Scotland went in hy.

And as in-to Northumbirland

He wes, with his gret rowt, rydand, 190

A seiknes tuk him in the way;

And put him in sa hard assay,

That he mycht nouthir gang no ryde.

Him worthit, magre his, abyde

In-till ane hamelat neir thair-by, 195

A litill toune, and unworthy.

With gret payn thiddir thai hym brocht;

He wes sa stad that he na mocht

Hys aynd bot with gret panys draw;

Na spek bot gif it war weill law. 200

The-quethir he bad thai suld him say

Quhat toune wes that, that he in lay.

“Schir,” thai said, “Bowrch-in-the-Sand

“Men callis this toune, in-to this land.”

‘Call thai it Burch? Allace!’ said he, 205

‘My hope is now fordone to me.

‘For I wend nevir to thole the payn

‘Of dede, quhill I, throu mekyll mayn,

‘The Burch of Jerusalem had tane;

‘My lif wend I thair suld be gane. 210

‘In Burch I wist weill I suld de:

‘Bot I was nouthir wis, no sle,

‘Till othir burchis kepe to ta.

‘Now may I no wis forthir ga.’

Thus plenyheit he off his folye; 215

As he had mater sekirly,

Quhen he wend to wit certante

Of that at nane may certane be.[†]

The-quhethir, men said enclosit he had

Ane spirit, that hym ansuer mad 220

Of thingis that he wald inqueir.

Bot he wes fule, forouten weir,

That gaf treuth to that creature.

For fendis ar of sic nature,

That thai to mankynd has invy; 225

For thai wat weill and wittirly,

That thai that weill ar liffand heir

Sall wyn the segis, quhar-of thai weir

Tumlit doune throu thair mekill pryde.

Quharfor oftymis will betyde. 230

That quhen fendis distrenyheit ar

For till apper and mak answar,

Throu force of conjuracioune,

That thai sa fals ar and felloune,[†] That thai mak ay thair ansuering, 235 In-till dowbill undirstanding, Till dissaf thame that will thame trow. Ensampill will I set heir now Of a were, as I herde tell, Betuix France and the Flemynnis fell. 240

1306 How Ferrand’s Mother was deceived

The Erll Ferrandis moder was

Ane nygramansour; and Sathanas

Scho rasit; and him askit syne,

Quhat suld worth off the fichtyne[†] Betuix the Franch king and hir sone. 245 And he, as he all tyme wes wone, In-to dissat maid his ansuer; And said to hir thir versis heir.