Читать книгу The Bruce - Barbour John - Страница 73

The Kyng went furth wrath and angry,

Menand his man full tendirly, 232

And held his way all hym allane,

And richt toward the hous is gane,

Quhar he set trist to mete his men;

It wes weill lat of nycht be then.[†] 236 He come soyn in the hous, and fand The gud wif on the bynk sytand Scho askit hym soyn quhat he wes, And quhyne he com, and quhar he gais. 240 “A travalland man, dame,” said he, “That travalys heir throu the cuntre.” Scho said, ‘All that travaland ere, ‘For saik of ane, ar welcom here.’ 244 The Kyng said, “Gud dame, quhat is he “That garris yhow have sik specialte “Till men that travalis?” ‘Schir, perfay,’ Quod the gud wif, ‘I sal yhow say; 248 ‘Gud Kyng Robert the Bruce is he, ‘That is rycht lord of this cuntre. ‘His fayis him haldis now in thrang; ‘Bot I thynk to se or oucht lang 252 ‘Hym lord and kyng our all the land, ‘That na fayis sall hym withstand.’ “Dame, lufis thou hym sa weill?” said he. ‘Yha Schyr,’ scho said, ‘sa God me se!’ 256 “Dame,” said he, “lo! hym her the by, “For I am he”;—‘Sa yhe suthly?’ “Yha, certis, dame.”—‘And quhar are gane ‘Yhour men, quhen yhe ar thus allane?’ 260 “At this tyme, dame, I have no ma.” Scho said, ‘It may no wis be swa; ‘I have twa sonnys wicht and hardy, ‘Thai sall becum yhour men in hy.’ 264 As scho devisit thai have done, His sworn men becom thai sone. The wif gart soyn him syt and et. Bot he had schort quhil at the met 268 Sittyn, quhen he herd gret stampyng About the hous; than, but lettyng, Thai stert up, the hous to defend; Bot soyn eftir the Kyng has kend 272 James of Douglas: than wes he blith, And bad oppyn the dures swith: And thai com in, all at thai ware. Schir Edward the Bruce wes thare, 276 And James als of Douglas, That wes eschapit fra the chas, And with the Kyngis brothir met. Syne to the trist that thame wes set 280 Thai sped thame with thair cumpany, That war ane hundreth and fyfty.

Here meets he with his Company.

Table of Contents

1307 Bruce Plans a Surprise

And quhen at thai has seyn the Kyng,

Thai war joyfull of thair metyng: 284

And askit how he eschapit was,

And he thaim tald all haill the cas;

How the five men him presit fast,

And how he throu the wattir past, 288

And how he met the thevis thre,

And how he slepand slayn suld be,

Quhen he walknyt, throu Goddis grace;

And how his fostyr-brothir was 292

Slayne, he tald thame halely.

Than lovyt thai God all comonly,

That thair lord wes eschapit swa.

Than spak thai wordis to and fra, 296

Till at the last the Kyng can say;

“Fortoun has travalit us this day,

“That scalit us sa suddandly.

“Our fayis this nycht sall trastly ly;” 300

For thai trow we so scalit ar[†] *301 *And fled to-waverand her and thar, *That we sall nocht thir dayis thre All to-giddir assemblit be *304 *Tharfor this nycht thai sall trastly. “But wachis, tak thair eis and ly. “Quharfor, quha knew thair herbery, “And wald cum on thame suddanly, “With few menyhe mycht soyn thame scath, 304 “And yhet eschape withouten vath.” ‘Perfay,’ quoth James of Douglas, ‘As I com hiddirward, per-cas ‘I com so neir thair herbery, 308 ‘That I can bring yhow quhar thai ly. ‘And wald yhe speid yhow, yheit or day ‘It may sa happyn that yhe may ‘Do thame a gretar scath weill soyn 312 ‘Than thai us all the day has done, ‘For thai ly scalit as thame lest.’ Than thocht thai all it wes the best To speid thame to thaim hastely; 316 And thai did swa in full gret hy, And com on thame in the dawyng, Richt as the day begouth to spryng.

Here the King and his Company come hastily upon their Enemies, and slay Many.

Table of Contents

1307 Sir Aymer praises Bruce

So fell it that a cumpany 320

Had in toune tane thair herbry,

Weill fra the host a myle or mair;

Men said that thai twa thousand war.[†] Thar assemblit the nobill Kyng. 324 And soyn eftir thair assemblyng, Thai, that slepand assalyheit war, Rycht hyduisly can cry and rar; And othir-sum, that herd the cry, 328 Ran furth rycht swa effraytly, That sum of thame all nakyt war, Fleand to-waverand heir and thair;[†] And sum thair armys with thaim drew: 332 And thai without mercy thame slew; And swa cruell vengeans can ta, That the twa part of thame and ma, War slayn rycht in that ilk sted; 336 Till thar host the remanand fled. The host, that herd the noyis and cry, And saw thair men sa wrechidly Cum nakit, fleand heir and thair, 340 Sum haill, and sum woundit sair, In-to full gret affray thai rais, And ilk man to his baner gais: Swa that the host wes all on steir. 344 The Kyng and thai that with hym weir, Quhen thai on steir the host saw swa, Toward thair warrand can thai ga, And tharin swith cummyn ar thai. 348 And quhen Schir Amery herd say How that the Kyng thar men had slayn, And how thai turnit war agane, He said, “Now may we cleirly se 352 “That nobill hert, quhar-evir it be, “Is hard till ourcum throu mastry. “For quhar a hert is rycht worthy “Agane stoutnes it is ay stout; 356 “And, as I trow, thair may na dowt “Ger it all out discumfit be, “Quhill body liffand is and fre;[†] “As be this melle may be seyn. 360 “We wend Robert the Bruce had beyn “Swa discumfit that, be gud skill, “He suld nouthir haff hert no will “Swilk juperdy till undirta; 364 “For he wes put at undir swa “That he wes left all hym allane, “And all his folk war fra hym gane; “And he wes sa fortravalit, 368 “To put of thame that hym assalit, “That he suld haf yharnit restyng “Mair than fechtyng or travalyng.[†] “Bot his hert fillit is of bownte, 372 “Swa that it vencust may nocht be.”