Читать книгу The Bruce - Barbour John - Страница 71

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1307 Bruce’s Foster-Brother is Slain

The Kyng slepit bot litill than,

Quhen sic a slepe fell on his man

That he mycht nocht hald up his e,

Bot fell on slepe and routit he. 192

Now is the King in gret perell:

For slepe he swa a litill quhile,

He sall be ded, forouten dred.

For the thre tratouris tuk gud hede, 196

That he on slep wes and his man.

In full gret hy thai rais up than,

And drew thair swerdis hastely,

And went toward the King in hy, 200

Quhen that thai saw he slepit swa,

And slepand thoucht thai wald hym sla.

*Till hym thai yheid a full gret pas,[†] Bot in that tym, throu Goddis grace, *204 The Kyng blenkit up hastely, And saw his man slepand him by, 204 And saw cumand the tratouris thre. Delyverly on fut gat he, And drew his suerd out and thame met, And, as he yheid, his fut he set 208 Apon his man weill hevaly. He walkynt, and rais all desaly:[†] For the sleip maisterit hym swa, That, or he gat up, ane of thai, 212 That com for to sla the Kyng, Gaf hym a strake in his rysyng, Swa that he mycht help hym no mair. The Kyng so stratly stad wes thair, 216 That he wes never yheit swa stad; Na war the armyng that he had, He had beyn ded foroutyn weyr. Bot nocht-for-thi on sic maneir 220 He helpit hym swa in that bargane, That thai thre tratouris he has slane, Throu Goddis grace and his manheid. His fostir-brothir thair wes ded. 224 Than wes he wounder will of wayn, Quhen he saw he wes left allane. His fostir-brothir menyt he, And waryit all the tothir thre, 228 And syne his way tuk hym allane, And richt toward his trist is gane.