Читать книгу The Bruce - Barbour John - Страница 56

Table of Contents

1307 The King is Warned

The tresone thus is undirtane;

And he hame till his hous is gane,

And watit opportunite

For to fulfill his mavite. 524

In gret perell than wes the King,

That of his tresone wist na thing.

For he, that he trowit mast of ane,

His dede falsly had undirtane: 528

And nane may treson do titar than he

That man in trowis leawte.

The King in hym trastit; for-thi

He had fulfillit his felony, 532

Na war the King, throu Goddis grace,

Gat hale wittering of his purchas,

And how, and for how mekill land,

He tuk his slauchtir upon hand. 536

I wat nocht quha the warnyng maid,

Bot in all tym he sic hap had,

That quhen men schupe him to betrais,

He gat witting tharof alwayis: 540

And mony tyme, as I herd say,

Throu women, that he wald with play,

That wald tell all that thai mycht here.

And sua mycht happyn that it fell here. 544

Bot how that evir it fell, perde,

I trow he sall the warrar be.

Nocht-for-thi, this tratour ay

Had in his thocht, bath nycht and day, 548

How he mycht best bring till ending

His tresonabill undirtaking;

Till he umbethocht him at the last,

In till his hert can umbecast, 552

That the King had in custum ay

For to ris airly evirilk day,

And pas weill fer fra his menyhe,

Quhen he wald pas to the preve, 556

And seik a covert him alane,

Or at the mast haf with him ane.

Thair thoucht he, with his sonnys twa,

For to suppris the King, and slay, 560

And syne wend to the wod away:

Bot yheit of purpos falyheit thai.

And nocht-for-thi thai com all thre

In a covert that wes preve, 564

Quhar the King wes oft wount to ga,

His preve nedis for to ma.

Thair hid thai thame till his cummyng.

And the King in the mornyng, 568

Rais quhen that his liking wes,

And richt towart that covert gais,

Quhar liand war the traitouris thre,

For till do thar his prevate. 572

To treson tuk he than no heid:

But he wes wount, quhar-evir he yheid,

His suerd about his hals to bere;

that avalit hym gretly ther.[†] 576 For had nocht God, all thing weldand,[†] Set help in-till his awne hand, He had ben ded withouten dreid. A chalmir page thar with him yheid. 580 And sua, forouten followis ma, Towart the covert can he ga.