Читать книгу The Bruce - Barbour John - Страница 57

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1307 The King Fights with Three

Now, bot God help the nobill King,

He is neir hand till his ending! 584

For that covert that he yheid till,

Wes on the tothir syde a hill,[†] That nane of his men mycht it se. Thiddirward went his page and he; 588 And quhen he cummin wes in the schaw, He saw thai thre cum all on raw Aganis him full sturdely. Than till his boy he said in hy, 592 “Yhone men will slay us and thai may! “Quhat wappyn has thou?” ‘A Schir! perfay, ‘I haf a bow bot and a vyre.’ “Gif me thame smertly baith.” ‘A! Syre, 596 ‘How-gat will yhe than that I do?’ “Stand on fer and behald us to. “Gif thow seis me abovin be, “Thou sall haf wapnys in gret plente: 600 “Ande gif I de, withdraw the soyne.” With thai wordis, forouten hoyn, He tit the bow out of his hand, For the tratouris wes neir cumand. 604 The fader had a suerd but mair, The tothir bath suerd and hand-ax bair, The thrid a suerd had and a speir. The King persavit, be thair effeir, 608 That all wes suth men till hym tald. “Tratour,” he said, “thou has me sald. “Cum na forthir, bot hald the thair, “I will thou cum na forthir mair.” 612 ‘A! Schir, umbethinkis yhow,’ said he, ‘How neir to yhow that I suld be; ‘Quha suld cum neir to yhow bot I?’ The King said, “I will sekirly 616 “That thou at this tym cum nocht ner, “Thou may say quhat thou will on fer.” Bot he, with fals wordis flechand, Wes with his sonnys ay cumand. 620 Quhen the King saw he wald nocht let, Bot ay cum on fenyheand falset, He tasit the vyre and leit it fle, And hit the fader in the e, 624 Till it rycht in the harnys ran; And he backward fell doun rycht than. The brothir, that the hand-ax bar, That saw his fader lyand thar, 628 A gyrd rycht to the King can mak, And with the ax he him ourstrak. Bot he, that had his suerd on hicht, Raucht him sic rout in randoun richt. 632 That he the hed to harnis clafe, And him doun ded to the erd drafe. The tothir brothir, that bare the spere, Saw his brothir sa fallin ther, 636 With his speir, as angry man, In a rais till the King he ran. Bot the King, that him dred sum-thing, Watit the sper in the cummyng, 640 And with a wysk the hed of-strak; And or the tothir had toym to tak His suerde, the King sic swak him gaiff, That he the hede till harnys claif: 644 He ruschit doune of blude all rede. And quhen the King saw thai war ded, All thre lyand, he wyppit his brand. With that his boy com fast rynand, 648 And said; “Our Lord mot lovit be, “That grantit yhow mycht and powste “To fell the felony and pride “Of thir thre in sa litill tyde.” 652 The King said; ‘Sa our Lord me se! ‘Thai had beyn worthy men all thre, ‘Had thai nocht beyn full of tresoune; ‘Bot that maid thair confusione.’ 656