Читать книгу The Bruce - Barbour John - Страница 63

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1307 Valence goes to hunt Bruce

The King spak apon this maner;

And of Vallanch Schir Amer 476

Assemblit a gret cumpany

Of nobill men and of worthy,

Of Ingland and of Lowdiane.

And he has alsua with him tane 480

Johne of Lorn and all his mycht,

That had of worthy men and wicht

With him aucht hundreth men and ma.

A sleuthhund had he thar alsua, 484

Sa gude that change wald for na thing.

And sum men sayis yheit that the King

As a strecour him nurist had,

And ay sa mekill of hym maid, 488

That with his hand he wald hym feyd.

He followit hym quhar-evir he yheid;

Swa that the hund hym lufit swa,

That he wald part na wis him fra. 492

Bot how that John of Lorn him had,

I herd nevir mencione be made.

Bot men sais it wes certane thing

That he had him in his sesing, 496

And throu hym thoucht the Kyng to ta;

For he wist he hym luffit swa,

That fra he mycht anys feill

The Kyngis sent, he wist rycht weill 500

That he wald change it for na thyng.

This John of Lorn hatit the King

For Schir John Cumyn his emys sak;

Micht he him outhir sla or tak, 504

He wald nocht pris his liff a stra,

With-thi he vengeans on hym mycht ta.

How Sir Aymer and John of Lorn

Chased the King with Hound and Horn.

1307 Bruce divides his Men

The wardane than, Schir Amery,

With Johne of Lorne in cumpany, 508

And othir of gud renoune alsua,

Thomas Randale wes ane of thai,

Come in-till Cumnok to seik the King,[†] That wes weill war of thar cummyng, 512 And wes up in the strenthis then, And with hym weill thre hundreth men.[†] His brothir that tyme with him was, And alsua James of Douglas. 516 Schir Ameryis rout he saw, That held the playn ay and the law, And in haill battale alwayis raid. The Kyng, that na supposing had 520 That thai war mair than he saw thair, Till thame, and nouthir ellis-quhar, Had ey, and wroucht unwittandly. For Johne of Lorn full sutelly 524 Behynd thoucht to suppris the Kyng. Tharfor with all his gaderyng, About ane hill he held his way, And held hym in-to covert ay, 528 Till he so neir com to the Kyng, Or he persavit his cummyng, That he wes cummyn on hym weill neir. The tothir host and Schir Amer 532 Presit on the tothir party. The Kyng wes in gret juperdy, That wes on athir syde umbeset With fayis that to slay hym thret, 536 And the lest party of thame twa Was starkar fer na he, and ma. And quhen he saw thame pres him to, He thoucht in hy quhat wes to do, 540 And said, “Lordis, we haf no mycht “As at this tyme for to stand and ficht. “Thar-for departis us in thre, “All sall nocht swa assalyheit be: 544 “And in thre parteis hald our way.” Syne till his consall can he say, Betuix thame in-to prevate, In quhat stede thar repair suld be. 548

With that thair gat all ar thai gane,

Ande in thre partis thair way has tane.

Than John of Lorn com to the plas

Quhar-fra the Kyng departit was, 552

And in his trais the hund he set,

That than, forouten langar let,

Held evyn the way eftir the Kyng,

Richt as he had of him knawing, 556

And left the tothir parteis twa,

As he na kepe to thame wald ta. And quhen the Kyng saw his cummyng, Eftir his route in-till a lyng, 560 He thoucht thai knew that it wes he:[†] Tharfor he bad till his menyhe Yheit than in thre depart thame sone; And thai did sua forouten hoyn, 564 And held thair way in thre parteis. The hund did than sa gret mastris, That he held ay, forout changing, Eftir the rout quhar wes the Kyng. 568

And quhen the Kyng has seyn thaim sua

All in a rout eftir hym ta

The way, and follow nocht his men,

He had a gret persavying then 572

That thai knew him; for-thi in hy

He bad his men richt hastely

Scale, and ilk man hald his way

All be hym-self, and sua did thai. 576

Ilk man a syndri gat is gane,

And the King has with him tane

His forstir brothir, forouten ma,

And sammyn held thair gat thai twa. 580

The hund alwais followit the Kyng,

And changit nocht for na parting,

Bot ay followit the Kyngis tras,

But wavering, as he passit was. 584

And quhen that Johne of Lorn saw

The hund so hard eftir hym draw,

And followit straucht eftir thai twa,

He knew the Kyng wes ane of thai, 588

And bad five of his cumpany,

That war richt wicht men and hardy,

And als on fute spediast ware

Of all that in that rout war thar, 592

Ryn eftir hym, and him our-ta,

And lat him na wys pas thaim fra.[†]