Читать книгу The Bruce - Barbour John - Страница 50

Table of Contents

This wes in vere, quhen wyntir tyde,

With his blastis hydwis to byde,

Wes ourdriffin: and byrdis smale,

As thristill and the nychtingale, 4

Begouth rycht meraly to syng,

And for to mak in thair synging

Syndry notis, and soundis sere,

And melody plesande to here. 8

And the treis begouth to ma

Burgeonys, and brycht blumys alsua,

To wyn the heling of thar hevede.

That wikkit wyntir had thame revede; 12

And all grevis begouth to spryng.[†] In-to that tyme the nobill King, With his flot and a few menyhe, Thre hundir I trow thai mycht weill be, 16 Is to the se, furth of Arane[†] A litill forrow the evyn gane.

1307 Who made the Fire?

Thai rowit fast with all thar mycht,

Till that apon thame fell the nycht, 20

That it wox myrk on gret maner,

Swa that thai wist nocht quhar thai wer.

For thai na nedill had na stane;

Bot rowyt alwayis in-till ane, 24

Stemmand alwayis apon the fyre,[†] That thai saw byrnand licht and schire. It wes bot aventur that thame led:[†] And thai in schort tym swa thame sped, 28 That at the fyre arivit thai, And went to land but mair delay. And Cuthbert, that has seyn the fyre, Wes full of angir and of ire, 32 For he durst nocht do it away; And he wes alsua doutand ay That his lord suld pas the se. Tharfor thair cummyng watit he,36 And met thame at thair ariving. He wes weill soyne brocht to the King, That sperit at hym how he had done. And he with sair hert tald him sone, 40 How that he fand nane weill willand, Bot all war fais that evir he fand: And at the lord the Persy, With neir thre hundreth in cumpany, 44 Was in the castell thar besyde, Fulfillit of dispit and pride. Bot mair than twa part of his rowt War herbreit in the toune tharout; 48 “And dispisis yhow mair, Schir King, “Than men may dispis ony thing.” Than said the Kyng, in full gret ire, ‘Tratour, quhy maid thou on the fyre?’ 52 “A! Schir,” said he, “sa God me se! “That fyre wes nevir maid on for me. “Na, or this nycht, I wist it nocht; “Bot fra I wist it, weill I thocht 56 “That yhe, and haly yhour menyhe, “In hy suld put yhow to the se. “Forthi I com to meit yhow her, “To tell peralis that may aper.” 60

The King wes of his spek angry,

And askit his preve men in hy,

Quhat at thame thocht wes best to do.

Schir Edward ferst answerd thar-to, 64

His brothir that wes so hardy,[†] And said: “I say yhow sekirly “Thar sall na peralis that may be, “Dryve me eftsonis to the se. 68 “Myne aventure heir tak will I, “Quhethir it be eisfull or angry.” ‘Brothir,’ he said, ‘sen thou will sa, ‘It is gud that we sammyn ta 72 ‘Dises or ese, or pyne or play, ‘Eftir as God will us purvay. ‘And sen men sais that the Persy ‘Myne heritage will occupy, 76 ‘And his menyhe sa neir us lyis, ‘That us dispytis mony wys; ‘Ga we venge sum of the dispit, ‘And that we may haf don als-tit; 80 ‘For thai ly trastly, but dreding ‘Of us, or of our heir-cummyng. ‘And thouch we slepand slew thaim all, ‘Repreif us tharof na man sall. 84 ‘For weriour na fors suld ma, ‘Quhethir he mycht ourcum his fa ‘Throu strynth, or throu sutelte; ‘Bot at gud faith ay haldin be.’ 88