Читать книгу The Bruce - Barbour John - Страница 44

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To Kyng Robert agane ga we, 336

That in Rauchryne, with his menyhe,

Lay till the wyntir neir wes gane,

And of that ile his met has tane.

James of Douglas wes angry 340

That thai so lang suld ydill ly;

And to Schir Robert Boyd said he;

“The pouir folk of this countre

“Ar chargit apon gret maner 344

“Of us, that ydill lyis her.

“And I heir say that in Arane,

“Intill a stith castell of stane,

“Ar Inglis men that with strang hand 348

“Haldis the lordschip of the land.

“Ga we thiddir; and weill may fall,

“Anoy thame in sum thing we sall.”

Schir Robert said, “I grant thar-till. 352

‘To ly heir mair war litill skill:

‘Tharfor till Arane pass will we,

‘For I knaw rycht weill that cuntre.

‘And the castell alsua knaw I. 356

‘We sall come thair sa prevely,

‘That thai sall haff na persavyng,

‘Na yheit witting of our cummyng.

‘And we sall neir enbuschit be, 360

‘Quhar we thair out-cummyng may se.

‘Sa sall it on na maner fall,

‘Than scath thame on sum wis we sall.’

1307 Douglas is in Ambush

With that thai buskit thame on-ane: 364

And at the Kyng thair leyf has tane,

And went thaim furth syne on thair way.

In-to Kentyre soyn cumin ar thai:

Syne rowit all-wayis by the land, 368

Till at the nycht wes neir at hand;

Than till Arane thai went thair way,

And saufly thair arivit thai.

And under ane bra thair galay dreuch,[†] 372 And syne it helit weill ineuch; Thair takill, ayris, and thair stere, Thai hyde all on the samyn maner:[†] And held thair way rycht in the nycht, 376 Sa that, or day wes dawyn lycht, Thai war enbuschit the castell neir, Arayit on the best maneir. And thouch thai wate war and wery, 380 And for lang fastyng all hungry, Thai thoucht to hald thame all preve, Till that thai weill thair poynt mycht se.

Schir John the Hastyngis, at that tyde, 384

With knychtis of full mekyll pryde,

And squyaris and gude yhemanry,

That war a weill gret cumpany,

Wes in the castell of Brathwik. 388

And oftsis, quhen it wald him lik,

He went to hunt with his menyhe

And sua the land abandonit he,

That nane durst warn to do his will. 392

He wes in-to the castell still,

The tym that James of Douglas,

As I haf tald, enbuschit was.

Sa hapnyt at that tyme, throu chans, 396

With vittalis and ek purvians,

And with clething, and with armyng,[†] The day befor, in the evynnyng, The undirwardane arivit was, 400 With thre batis, weill neir the place Quhar that the folk I spak off ar[†] Prevely enbuschit war. Soyn fra the batis saw thai ga 404 Of Inglis men thretty and ma, Chargit all with syndry thing, Sum bare wyne, and sum armyng: The remanand all chargit were 408 With thingis on syndry manere: And othir syndry yheid thame by, As thai war masteris, ydilly. Thai that enbuschit war thame saw, 412 Ande, for-outen dreid or aw, Thair buschement apon thame thai brak,[†] And slew all that thai mycht ourtak. The cry rais hydwisly and hee: 416 For thai, that dredand war to de, Rycht as bestis can rair and cry, Thai slew thaim for-outen mercy;[†] Swa that, in-to the samyn sted, 420 Weill neir to fourty thar war ded.

Quhen thai, that in the castell war,

Herd the folk sa cry and rair,

Thai yschit furth to the fechtyng; 424

Bot quhen Douglas saw thar cummyng,

His men till hym he can rely,

And went till meit thame hastely.

And quhen thai of the castell saw 428

Hym cum on thaim forouten aw,

Thai fled forouten mair debate;

And thai thame followit to the yhate,

And slew of thame, as thai in past. 432

Bot thai thair yhet barrit so fast,

At thai mycht do at thame no mair:

Tharfor thai left thame ilkane thair,

And turnit to the see agane, 436

Quhar that the men war forrow slane.

And quhen thai that war in the batis

Saw thair cummyng, and wist how-gatis

Thai had discumfit thair menyhe, 440

In hy thai put thame to the se,

And rowit fast with all thare mayn.

Bot the wynde wes thame agayn,

That it gert sa the land-brist rys, 444

That thai mycht weld the se na wis.

Na thai durst nocht cum to the land,

Bot hald thame thair so lang hobland,

That of thre batis drownyt twa, 448

And quhen Dowglas saw it wes swa,

He tuk the armyng, and cleything,

Vittalis, wyne, and othir thing

At thai fand thar; and held thair way 452

Rycht glad and joyfull of thair pray.