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And the gud Kyng held furth his way,

He and his man, ay quhill that thai

Passit owt throu the forest war;

Syne in a mure thai enterit ar. 108

That wes bath hee and lang and braid;

And or thai half it passit had,

Thai saw on syde thre men cumand,

Lik to licht men and waverand. 112

Swerdis thai had and axis als,

And ane of thame apon his hals

A mekill bundyn weddir bare.

Thai met the Kyng, and halsit him thar: 116

And the Kyng thame thar halsing yhald,

And askit thame quhethir thai wald.

Thai said, Robert the Bruce thai socht,

To meit with hym gif that thai mocht, 120

Thair duelling with hym wald thai ma.

The King said, “Gif that yhe will swa,

“Haldis furth yhour way with me,

“And I sall ger yhow soyn him se.” 124

1307 The King goes with the Men

Thai persavit be his spekyng[†] And his effer, he wes the Kyng. Thai changit contenans and late, And held nocht in the first stat; 128 For thai war fayis to the Kyng; And thoucht to cum in-to scowkyng, And duell with hym quhill that thai saw Thar tym, and bryng hym than of daw. 132 Thai grantit till his spek for-thi, Bot the Kyng, that wes witty, Persavit weill be thair havyng That thai lufit hym in na thing: 136 He said; “Fallowis, yhe man all thre “Forthir aquynt quhill that we be, “All be yhour-self forrouth ga, “And, on the sammyn wis, we twa 140 “Sall fallow yhow behynd weill neir.” Quod thai; ‘Schir, it is na mysteir ‘To trow in-till us any ill.’ “Nane do I,” said he, “bot I will 144 “That yhe ga forrow us, quhill we “Bettir with othir knawyn be.” ‘We grant,’ thai said, ‘sen yhe will swa:’ And furth apon thair gat can ga. 148

Thus yheid thai till the nycht wes neir.

And than the formast cumin weir

Till a wast husbandis hous; and thar

Thai slew the weddir at thai bar, 152

And slew fyre for to rost thar met,[†] And askit the Kyng gif he wald et, And rest hym till the met war dicht? The Kyng, that hungry wes I hicht, 156 Assentit to thair speke in hy: Bot he said, he wald anerly Betuyx hym and his fallow be At a fyre, and thai all thre 160 In the end of the hous suld ma Ane othir fyre; and thai did swa. Thai drew thame in the hous end, And half the weddir till him send; 164 And thai rostit in hy thair met, And fell rycht frakly for till et. The King weill lang he fastyt had, And had rycht mekill travale made: 168 Tharfor he ete richt egyrly. And quhen he etyn had hastely, He had to slepe sa mekill will, That he mycht set na let thar-till. 172 For quhen the wanys fillit ar, The body worthis hevy evirmar;[†] And to slepe drawis hevynes. The Kyng, that all for-travalit wes, 176 Saw that hym worthit slep neidwais; Till his fostir brothir he sais, “May I trast the me to walk, “Till I a litill slepyng tak?” 180 ‘Yha, Schir,’ he said, ‘till I may dre.’[†] The Kyng than wynkit a litill we, And slepit nocht full ynkurly, Bot gliffnyt up oft suddandly; 184 For he had drede of thai thre men, That at the tothir fyre war then. That thai his fais war he wyst; Tharfor he slepit as foul on twist. 188