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1307 The King hears a Hound

The King now takis his gat to ga,

And with him tuk he servandis twa. 68

And Schir Gilbert de la Hay left he

Thar, for to rest with his menyhe.

To the wattir he com in hy,

And lisnyt full ententily 72

Gif he oucht herd of thare cummyng;

Bot yheit than mycht he heir na thing.

Endlang the wattir than yheid he

On athir syde gret quantite; 76

And saw the brayis hye standand,

The wattir holl throu slike rynand,

And fand na furd that men mycht pas

Bot quhar himself our passit was. 80

And sua strate wes the up-cummyng

That twa men mycht nocht sammyn thryng,

Na on na maner pres thame sua

That thai sammyn the land mycht ta.[†] 84 His twa men bad he than in hy[†] *85 Ga to thair feris to rest and ly; For he wald wach thar com to se. “Schir,” said thai, “quha sall with yhow be?” *88 “God,” he said, “forouten ma; “Pas on, for I will it be swa.” Thai did as he thame biddin had, And he thar all allane abaid. *92 Quhen he a quhile had biddin thare, And herbryit, he herd as it war A hundis quhistlyng apon fer, That ay com till him ner and ner. 88 He stude still for till herkyn mair, And ay the langer quhill he wes thair, He herd it ner and ner cumand: Bot he thoucht he thair still wald stand,[†] 92 Till that he herd mair taknyng, For, for a hundis quhestlyng, He wald nocht walkyn his menyhe. Tharfor he walde abyde and se 96 Quhat folk thai war, and quethir thai Held toward him the richt way; Or passyt ane othir way fer by: The moyn wes schynand rycht cleirly. 100 Sa lang he stude, that he mycht her The noyis of thaim that cummand wer. Than his twa men in hy send he To warne and walkyn his menyhe. 104 And thai ar furth thar wayis gane; And he left thar all hym allane. And sua lang stude he herkynand, Till that he saw cum at his hand 108 The haill rowt, in full gret hy; Than he umbethoucht him hastely, Gif he yheid to feche his menyhe, That, or he mycht reparit be, 112 Thai suld be passit the furde ilkane. And than behufit he chesit him ane Of thir twa, outhir to fle or de. Bot his hert, that wes stout and he, 116 Consalit hym allane to byde And kep thame at the furdis syde, And defend weill the up-cummyng, Sen he wes warnysit of armyng 120 That he thair arrawis thurt nocht dreid. And gif he war of gret manheid, He mycht stonay thame evirilkane, Sen thai mycht cum bot ane and ane. 124 He did rycht as his hert hym bad; Stark outrageous curage he had, Quhen he sa stoutly hym allane, For litill strynth of erd, has tane 128 To ficht with twa hundreth and ma. Thar-with he to the furd can ga. And thai, apon the tothir party, That saw him stand thair anerly, 132 Thryngand in-till the wattir raid, For of him litill dout thai had; And raid till him in full gret hy.

1307 Bruce beats them off

He smat the first sa rygorusly 136

With his spere, that richt scharply schare,

Till he doun to the erd hym bare.

The laif com than in a randoune;

Bot his hors, that wes born doune, 140

Cummerit thaim the upgang to ta.

And quhen the Kyng saw it wes sua,

He stekit the hors, and he can flyng,

And syne fell at the upcummyng. 144

The laif with that com with a schowt;

And he, that stalward wes and stout,

Met thame richt stoutly at the bra,

And sa gud payment can thaim ma 148

That fiff-sum in the furd he slew.

The laif than sumdeill thaim with-drew,

That dred his strakis woundir sare,

For he in nathing thame forbare. 152

Than ane said: “Certis, we ar to blame;

“Quhat sall we say quhen we cum hame,

“Quhen a man fechtis agains us all?

“Quha wist evir men sa fouly fall 156

“As us, gif that we thusgat leif?”

With that all haill a schout thai geve,

And cryit, “On hym! he may nocht last.”

With that thai presit hym so fast, 160

That, had he nocht the bettir beyn,

He had beyn ded forouten weyn.

Bot he sa gret defens can mak,

That, quhar he hit with evin strak, 164

Thar mycht no thing agane it stand.

In litill space he left lyand

Sa feill, that the upcom wes then

Dittit with slayn hors and men; 168

Swa that his fayis, for that stopping,

Micht nocht cum to the up-cummying.

A! deir God! quha had beyn by,

And seyn how he sa hardely 172

Adressit hym agane thame all,

I wat weill that thai suld him call

The best that liffit in-till his day.

And gif that I the suth sall say, 176

I herd nevir in na tyme gane

Ane stynt sa mony hym allane.

Example: how Tydeus slew Forty-nine Men,

And the Lieutenant tholed Shame and Paine.

Suth is, quhen till Ethiocles Fra his brothir Polynices 180 Wes send Thedeus in-to message Till ask haly the heritage Of Thebes till hald for a yheir, For thai cummyn of a byrth weir;[†] 184 Thai straif, for athir kyng wald be. Bot the barnage of thar cuntre Gert thame assent on this maner, That the tane suld be kyng a yhere; 188 And than the tothir, na his menyhe, Suld nocht be fundin in the cuntre, Quhill the first brothir ryngand were. Syne suld the tothir ryng a yhere; 192 Ande syne the first suld leif the land, Quhill that the tothir war ryngand. Thus ay a yheir suld ryng the tane, The tothir a yheir fra that war gane. 196 To ask halding of this assent, Thedeus wes to Thebes went; And sua spak for Polynices, That of Thebes Ethiocles 200 Bad his constabill with hym ta Fifty weill armyt, and forouth ga To meit Thedeus in the way, And slay hym but langar delay. 204 The constabill his way is gane, And nyne and fourty with him has tane, Swa that he with thame maid fifty. In-till the evynnyng, prevely 208 Thai set enbuschement in the way, Quhar Thedeus behufit away Betuix ane hye crag and the se. And he, that of thair mavite 212 Wist na thing, his way has tane, And toward Grece agane is gane. And as he raid in-to the nycht, Sa saw he, with the monys licht, 216 Schynyng of scheldis gret plente; And had woundir quhat it mycht be. With that all haill thai gaf a cry, And he, that herd sa suddanly 220 Sic noyis, sumdeill affrayit was; Bot in schort time he till him tais His spiritis full hardely; For his gentill hert and worthy, 224 Assurit him in-till that neide. Then with the spuris he strak his steide, And ruschit in amang thame all. The first he met he gert him fall, 228 And syne his suerd he swappit out, And raucht about him mony a rout, And slew sex-sum weill soyn and ma, Than undir him his hors thai sla. 232 And he fell; bot he smertly rais, And, strikand, rowm about him mais, And slew of thame a quantite: Bot woundit woundir sair wes he. 236

1307 How Tydeus overcame Fifty

With that a litill rod he fand,

Up toward the crag strikand.

Thiddir went he in full gret hy,

Defendand him full douchtely, 240

Till in the crag he clam sum-deill;

And fand a place enclosit weill,

Quhar nane but ane mycht him assale.

Thair stude he and gaf thame battale: 244

And thai assalit evirilkane;

And oft fell, quhen that he slew ane,

As he doun to the erd wald driff,

He wald beir doun weill four or fiff. 248

Thair stude he and defendit swa,

Till he had slane thame half and ma.

A gret stane than by him saw he,

That throu the gret anciente, 252

Was lowsyt reddy for to fall;

And quhen he saw thaim cumand all,

He tumlit doun on thaim the stane;

And aucht men tharwith has he slane, 256

And sua stonait the remanand,

That thai war weill neir recryand.

Then wald he preson hald no mare,

Bot on thame ran with suerd al bare, 260

And hewit and slew with all his mayn

Till he had nyne and fourty slane.

The constabill syne can he ta,

And gert him suere that he suld ga 264

To King Ethiocles, and tell

The aventure that thame befell.

Thedeus bare him douchtely,

That our-com him allane fyfty. 268

Yhe that this redis, jugis yhe,

Quhethir that mair suld presit be:

The King, that, with avisment,

Undirtuk sic hardyment 272

As for to stynt, him ane but fer,

Thai folk that weill twa hundreth wer;

Or Thedeus, that suddanly,

Fra thai had rasit on him the cry, 276

Throu hardyment that he had tane,

Wan fifty men all him allane.

Thai did thair dede bath in the nycht,

And faucht bath with the monys licht; 280

Bot the King discumfit ma,

And Thedeus the ma can sla.

Now demys, quhethir mair lovyng

Suld Tedeus haf, or the King! 284

In this maner that I haf tald,

The King, that stout wes, stark and bald,

Wes fechtand on the furdis syde,

Gyffand and takand rowtis ryde;[†] 288 Till he sic martirdome thair maid That he the furde all stoppit had, That nane of thame mycht till him ryde. Than thoucht thame foly for to byde, 292 And halely the flicht can ta, And went hamward quhar thai com fra. For the Kingis men with that cry Walknyt, and full affraitly, 296 Com for to seik thair lord the King. The Galloway men herd thair cummyng And fled, that durst nocht byde no mair. The Kingis men, that dredand wair 300 For thair lord, full spedaly Com to the furde, and soyn in hy Thai fand the Kyng sytand alane, That of his basnet than had tane, 304 To tak the air, for he wes hate; Than sperit thai at him of his stat; And he tald thaim all haill the cas, Howgat that he assalyheit was; 308 And how that God hym helpit sua, That he eschapit haill thame fra. Than lukit thai how feill war ded, And thai fand liand in that sted 312 Fourteyn, that slayn war with his hand. Than lovit thai God fast, all-weldand, That thai thar lord fand haill and feir; And said, “Thaim byrd on na maner 316 “Dreid thair fayis, sen thair chiftane “Wes of sic hert and of sic mane, “That he for thame had undertane “With sa feill folk to ficht him ane.” 320

1307 True Courage is a Mean

Syk wordis spak thai of the Kyng:

And, for his hye undertaking

Farlyit, and yharnyt hym to se,

That with hym ay wes wount to be. 324

A! quhat worschip is prisit thing![†] For it makis men to haf loving, Gif it be followit ythandly. For pris of worschip nocht-forthi 328 Is hard to wyn but gret travale; Oft till defende and oft assale, And till be in thair dedis wis, Gerris men of worschip wyn the pris. 332 That may no man haf worthyhede, Bot he haf wit to steir his stede And se quhat is to leif or ta. Worschip extremyteis has twa; 336 Fule-hardyment the formast is, And the tothir is cowardis: And thai ar bath for to forsak. Fule-hardyment will all undertak, 340 Als weill thingis to leiff as ta; Bot cowardis dois na thing sua, Bot uterly forsakis all; And that war woundir for to fall, 344 Na war falt of discrecione. For-thi has worschip sic renoune, That it is mene betuix thai twa, And takis that is till undirta, 348 And levis that is to leif; for it Has so gret warnasyng of wit, That it all peralis weill can se, And all avantagis that may be. 352 It wald till hardyment hald haly, With-thi away war the foly. For hardyment with foly is wis. Bot hardyment that mellit is 356 With wit, is worschipay, per de, For, but wit, worschip may nocht be.