Читать книгу The Bruce - Barbour John - Страница 52

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Qwhen at the King and his folk ware

Arivit, as I tald yhow are, 124

A quhill in Carrik lendit he,

To se quha frend or fa wald be.

Bot he fand litill tendirnes:

And nocht-for-thi the pepill wes 128

Inclynit to hym in-to party;

Bot Inglis men sa angirly

Led thame with danger and wyth aw,

That thai na frendschip durst him schaw. 132

Bot a lady of that cuntre,

That wes till hym in neir degre

Of cosynage, wes wounder blith

Of his arivale, and als swith 136

Sped hir till hym, in full gret hy,

With fourty men in cumpany,[†] And betacht thame all to the King, To help hym in his warrayng. 140 And he resavit thame in daynte, And hir full gretly thankit he; And sperit tithandis of the Queyn, And of his frendis all bedeyn, 144 That he had left in that cuntre, Quhen that he put hym to the se. And scho hym tald, sychand full sair, How that his brothir takyn wair 148 In the castell of Kildrummy, And syne destroyit sa vilonysly; And of the Erll Adell alsua: And how the Queyn and othir ma 152 That till his party war heldand, War tane and led in-to Ingland, And put in-to feloun presoune. And how that Cristole of Setoun 156 Wes slane, gretand scho tald the King, That soroufull wes of that tithing; And saide, quhen he had thoucht a thraw, Thir wordis that I sall yhow schaw:— 160 “Allas,” he said, “for luf of me, “And for thair mekill laute,[†] “Thai nobill men and thai worthy, “Ar distroyit sa vilonisly! 164 “Bot and I lif in lege pouste, “Thair ded sall rycht weill vengit be. “The King the-quhethir of Ingland “Thoucht that the kinrik of Scotland 168 “Wes to litill to hym and me; “Tharfor I will it all myn be. “Bot of gud Cristal of Setoune, “That wes of sa nobill renoune, 172 “That he suld de war gret pite, “Bot quhar worschip mycht prufit be.”