Читать книгу The Bruce - Barbour John - Страница 64

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And fra thai herd had the biddyng,

Thai held the way eftir the Kyng. 596

And followit hym so spedely,

That thai him weill soyn can our-hy.

The King than saw thame cumand ner,

And wes anoyit in gret maner, 600

For he thoucht, gif thai war worthy,

Thai mycht hym travale and tary,

And hald hym suagat taryand

Till the remanand suld cum at hand. 604

Bot had he dred bot anerly

Thame five, I trow all sekirly

He suld nocht haf full mekill dreid.

And till his fallow, as he yheid, 608

He said, “Yhon five ar fast cumand:

“Thai ar weill neir now at our hand.

“Swa is thair ony help with the?

“For we sall soyn assalit be.” 612

‘Yha, Schir,’ he said, ‘all that I may.’

“Thou sais weill,” said the Kyng, “perfay.

“I se thame cumand till us neir.

“I will na forthir, bot richt heir 616

“Byde, quhill that I am in aynd,

“And se quhat fors that thai can faynd.”

*How the King slew the five men

That John of Lorn sent to him then.[†]

1307 Bruce and Another against Five

The Kyng than stude full sturdely,

And the five soyn, in full gret hy, 620

Com with gret schoyr and mannasyng.

Thre of thame went on-to the Kyng;

And till his man the tothir twa

With swerd in hand can stoutly ga. 624

The Kyng met thame that till hym socht,

And till the first sic rowt he rocht,

That ere and cheik doun in the hals

He schare, and of the schuldir als 628

He ruschyt doun all desaly.

The twa, that saw sa suddanly

Thair fallow fall, effrayit war,

And stert a litill ouirmair. 632

The Kyng with that blenkyt him by,

And saw the twa full sturdely

Agane his man gret melle ma.

With that he left his awn twa, 636

And till thame that faucht with his man

A lowp richt lychtly maid he than,

And smat the hed of of the tane.

To mete his awn syne is he gane. 640

Thai com on hym rycht hardely.

He met the first sa egyrly,

That with his swerd, that scharply schare,

The arm he fra the body bare. 644

Quhat strakis thai gaf I can nocht tell,

Bot to the Kyng so fair befell,

That, thouch he travale had and payn,

He of his famen four has slayn. 648

His fostir brothir eftir soyn

The fift has out of dawis done.

And when the King saw that all fiff

War on that wis broucht out of lif, 652

Till his fallow than can he say,

“Thou has helpit richt weill, perfay.”

‘It likis yhow to say sua,’ said he,

‘Bot the gret part to yhow tuk yhe,[†] 656 ‘That slew four off the fyve, yhow ane.’[†] The Kyng said; “As the glew is gane, “Bettir than thou I mycht it do, “For I had mair lasair thar-to. 660 “For the twa fallowis that delt wyth the,[†] “Quhen thai me saw assalyheit with thre, “Of me richt na kyn dout thai had; “For thai wend I wes stratly stad. 664 “And for-thi that thai dred me nocht, “Noy thaim fer out the mair I moucht.” With that the Kyng lukyt hym by, And saw of Lorn the cumpany 668 Neir, with thair sleuthhund fast cumand; Than till a wod, that wes neir hand, He went with his fallow in hy. God sauf thame for his gret mercy! 672