Book XVIII

Bot he, that rest anoyit ay,
And wald in travaill be all-way,
A day forrouth thair arivyng
That war send till hym fra the King,
He tuk his way south-wart to fare
Magre them all that with hym war.
For he had nocht than in that land
Of all men, I trow, twa thousand,
Outane the kyngis off Erischry
That in gret rowtis raid hym by.
Toward Dundawk he tuk the way:
And quhen Richard of Clare herd say
That he com with ane few menyhe,
All that he mycht assemblit he,
Of all Irland, of armyt men:
Swa that he had thar with him then
Of trappit hors tuenty thousand,
But thaim that war on fut gangand;
And held furth northwarde on his way.
And quhen Schir Edward has herd say
That cummyn neir till hym wes he,
He send discurrouris hym till se:
The Sowlis and the Steward war thai,
And als Schir Philip the Mowbray.
And quhen thai seyn had thar cummying,
Thai went agane to tell the King,
And said weill thai war mony men.
In hie Schir Edward ansuered then,
And said that he suld fecht that day
Thouch tryplit or quadruplit war thai.
Schir Johne Steward said, “Sekirly,
“I red ye nocht ficht in sic hy.
“Men sais my brothir is cumand
“With fyftene hundreth men neir hand;
“And war thai knyt with yhow, yhe mycht
“The trastlyar abyde to ficht.”
Schir Edward lukit richt angrely,
And till the Sowlis said in hy,
‘Quhat sais thou?’ “Schir,” he said, “perfay,
“As my fallow has said, I say.”
And than till Schir Philippe than said he,
“Schir,” said he, “sa our Lord me se!
“Me think it na foly to byde
“Yhour men, that spedis thame to ryde.
“For we ar few, our fais ar feill;
“God may rycht weill our weirdis deill;
“Bot it war woundir that our mycht
“Suld ourcum so feill in ficht.”
Than, with gret ire, ‘Allas,’ said he,
‘I wend nevir till here that of the!
‘Now help quha will, for sekirly
‘This day, but mair baid, fecht will I.
‘Sa na man say, quhill I may dre,
‘That strynth of men sall ger me fle!
‘God scheld that ony suld us blame,
‘That we defoull our noble name.’
“Now be it swagat than,” quod thai,
“We sall tak that God will purvay.”

And quhen the kyngis of Erischry
Herd say, and wist all sekirly,
That that King, with sa quheyn, wald ficht
Agane folk of sa mekill mycht,
Thai come till him in full gret hy,
And consalit hym full tendirly
For till abid his men; and thai
Suld hald thar fais all that day
Doand, and on the morne alsua,
With thar saltis that thai suld ma.
Bot thair mycht na consel availl,
He wald all-gat haff the battaill.
And quhen thai saw he wes so thra
To fecht, thai said; “Yhe may weill ga
“To ficht with yhon gret cumpany;
“Bot we acquyt us utirly,
“That nane of us will stand to ficht,
“Assuris nocht tharfor in our mycht.
“For our maner is of this land
“To follow and ficht, and ficht fleand,
“And nocht till stand in plane melle
“Quhill the ta part discumfit be.”
He said; ‘Sen that your custum is,
‘Ik ask no mair at yhow bot this,
‘That is, that yhe and yhour menyhe
‘Wald all to-giddir arayit be,
‘And stand on fer, but departing,
‘And se our ficht and our endyng.’
Thai said weill at thai suld do swa,
And syne toward thair men can ga,
That war weill forty thousand neir.
Edward, with thame that with him weir,
That war nocht fully twa thousand,
Arayit thame stalwardly till stand
Agane fourty thousand and ma.
Schir Edward that day wald nocht ta
His cot-armour; bot Gib Harper,
That men held als withouten peir
Of his estat, had on that day
All haill Schir Edwardis aray.
The ficht abaid thai on this wis;
And in gret hy thair enymys
Com, till assemmyll all reddy,
And thai met thame richt hardely.
Thai war sa few, forsuth to say,
That ruschit with thair fais war thai;
And thai that pressit mast to stand
War slane doune, and the remanand
Fled till Erischry for succour.
Schyr Edward, that had sic valour,
Wes ded, and Johne Steward alsua;
And Johne de Sowlis als with thai,
And othir als of thair cumpany.
Thai vencust war sa suddanly
That few in-till the place war slayne;
For the laif has thair wayis tane
Till the Erische kyngis that wes thar,
And in haill battale howand war.

Johne Tomassun, that wes leder
Of thame of Carrik that thair wer,
Quhen he saw the discumfiting,
With-drew him till ane Erische king
That of his acquyntans had he;
And he resavit him in lawte.
And quhen Johne cummyn wes to that king,
He saw be led fra the fechting
Schir Philipe the Mowbray, the wicht,
That had beyne doysnyt in the ficht.
And be the armys led was he
With twa men, apon the cawse
That wes betuix thame and the toune,
That strekit lang in a randoune.
Toward the toune thai held thair way,
And quhen in myd cawse war thai,
Schir Philip of his desynais
Ourcome, and persavit he wes
Tane, and swagat led with twa:
The tane he swappit soyne him fra,
And syne the tothir in gret hy;
Syne drew his suerde deliverly,
And till the fecht the way he tais
Endlang the cawse, that than was
Fillit in-to sa gret foysoune
Of men that than went to the toune.
And he, that met thame, can thame ma
Sic payment, quhar he can ga,
That weill ane hundreth men gert he
Leiff, magre thairis, the cawsee;
As Johne Tomassun said suthly,
That saw his deid all halely.
Toward the battall evyn he yheid.
Johne Tomassun, that tuk gud heid
That thai war vencust all planly,
Cryit on hym in full gret hy,
And said, “Cum heir, for thar is nane
“On liff, for thai ar dede ilkane.”
Than stude he still a quhile, and saw
That thai war all done out of daw;
Syne went toward him sarraly.
This Johne wroucht syne sa wittely
That all that thidder fled than wer,
Thouch that thai lesit of thair ger,
Com till Cragfergus haill and feir.
And thai, that at the fechting weir
Soucht Schir Edward, to get his hede,
Emange the folk that thar wes ded;
And fand Gib Harper in his ger:
And, for sa gude his armys wer,
Thai strak his hed of; and syne it
Thai haf gert saltit in-till a kyt,
And send it syne in-till Ingland,
To Edward King in-till presand.
Thai wend Schir Edwardis it had beyne;
Bot, for the armyng that wes scheyne,
Thai of the hed dissavit war,
All-thouch Schir Edward deit thar.

On this wis war thai nobill men
Throu wilfulnes all losit then;
And that wes syn and gret pite.
For had thair outrageous bounte
Beyne led with wit and with mesure,
Bot gif the mair misadventure
Befell thame, it suld richt hard thing
Be till leid thame till outrayng.
Bot gret outrageous succudry
Gert thame all deir thair worschip by.
And thai, that fled fra the melle,
Sped thame in hy toward the se,
And to Cragfergus cummyn ar thai.
And thai that war in-to the way,
To Schir Edward send fra the King,
Quhen thai herd the discumfiting,
Till Cragfergus thai went agane:
And that wes nocht forouten pane.
For thai war mony tymes that day
Assalit with Erischry, bot thai
Ay held to-gidder sarraly,
Defendand thame so wittely
That thai eschapit oft throu mycht,
And mony tymes als throu slycht;
For oft of thairis till thame gaf thai
Till let thame scathles pass thar way,
And to Cragfergus com thai swa.
Than batis and schippes can thai ta,
And salit till Scotland in hy,
And thar arivit all saufly.
Quhen thai of Scotland had wittering
Of Schir Edwardis discomfiting,
Thai menyt hym full tendrely
Our all the land comonly;
And thai that with him slane war thar
Full tendrely als menyt war.

Edward the Bruce, as I said air,
Wes discumfit on this manare.
And quhen the feld wes clengit cleyne,
Sa that na resisteris wes seyne,
The wardane than, Richard of Clare,
And all the folk that with him war,
Toward Dundawk has tane the way;
Swa that richt na debat maid thai
At that tyme with the Erischrye,
Bot to the toune thai held in hy.
And syne has send furth to the King,
That Ingland had in governyng,
Gib Harperis hed in-till ane kyt.
Johne Mawpas till the King had it.
Quhilk he resavit in gret dayntee;
Richt blith of that present wes he;
For he was swa glad that he wes swa
Deliverit of sic felloune a fa.
In hert tharof he tuk sic pryde,
That he tuk purpos for to ryde
With a gret host in-till Scotland,
Till revenge hym, with stalward hand,
Of the tray, travaill, and of teyne
That done till hym thar-in had beyne.
And a richt gret hoost gaderit he,
And gert his schippes by the se
Cum with gret foysoune of vittale;
For at that tyme he thoucht all hale
For till distroy so cleyn Scotland
That nane suld be thar-in liffand;
And with his folk, in gret aray,
Toward Scotland he tuk the way.
And quhen King Robert wist that he
Com on hym with sic ane menyhe,
He gaderit men, bath fer and neir,
Quhill sa feill till him cummyn weir,
And war als for till cum hym to,
That him weill thoucht he suld weill do.
He gert with-draw all the catele
Of Lowdiane, evirilk deill,
And till strynthis gert thame be send,
And ordanit men thame to defend.
And with his hoost all still he lay
At Culros, for he walde assay
Till ger his fais throu fasting
Be feblist, and throu lang walking;
And fra he feblist had thair mycht
Assemmyll he wald with thame till ficht.

He thoucht till wirk apon this wis;
And Inglis men with gret mastris
Com with thar hoost in Lowdiane,
And soyne till Edinburgh ar gane,
And thair abaid thai dayis thre.
Thair schippes that war on the se
Had the wynd contrar till thame ay,
Swa that apon no maner thai
Had power till the Fyrth till bring
Thair vittale, till releiff the King.
And thai of the host that falit met,
Quhen thai saw that thai mycht nocht get
Thair vittalis to thame by the se,
Than send thai furth a gret menyhe
For till forray all Lowdiane;
Bot cattell haf thai fundyn nane,
Outane a kow that wes haltand,
That in Tranentis corne thai fand;
Thai broucht hir till thair hoost agane.
And quhen the Erll of Warane
That cow saw anerly cum swa,
He askit gif thai gat no ma.
And thai haf said all till him, “Nay.”
“Than, certis,” said he, “I dar say
“This is the derrest beiff that I
“Saw evir yheit; for sekirly
“It cost ane thousand pund and mar!”
And quhen the King and thai that war
Of his consell saw thai mycht get
Na catell till thar host till et,
That than of fasting had gret payne,
Till Ingland turnyt thai hame agayne.
At Melros schupe thai for till ly,
And send befor ane cumpany,
Thre hundreth neir of armyt men.
Bot the lord Dowglas, that wes then
Besyde in-till the Forest neir,
Wist of thar com and quhat thai weir;
And with thame of his cumpany
In-till Melros all prevely
He hufit in-till ane enbuschement.
And a richt sturdy frer he sent
Without the yhet, thar com till se,
And bad him hald him all preve,
Quhill that he saw thame cumand all
Richt till the cunyhe of the wall,
And than crye hye, “Dowglas! Dowglas!”
The frer furth than his way he tais,
That wes derff, stout, and ek hardy;
His mekill hude helit haly
The armyng that he on hym had;
Apon a stalward hors he raid,
And in his hand he had a spere,
Abydand apon that maner
Quhill that he saw thame cumand neir.
And quhen the formast passit weir
The cunyhe, he cryit, “Dowglas! Dowglas!”
Than till thame all ane cours he mais,
And bare ane doune deliverly;
And Dowglas, with his cumpany,
Yschit apon thame with a schout.
And quhen thai saw sa gret a rout
Cum apon thame sa suddanly,
Thai war abaysit richt gretumly,
And gaf the bak but mar abaid.
The Scottis men emang thaim raid,
And slew all thaim thai mycht ourta;
Ane gret martirdome thair can thai ma.
And thai that eschapit unslayne
Ar till thar gret host went agane,
And tald thame quhat kyn welcummyng
Dowglas thaim maid at thair metyng,
Convoyand thame agane roydly,
And warnyt thame the playn herbery.

The King of Ingland and his men,
That saw thair herbreouris then
Cum reboytit on that maneir
Anoyit gretly in hert thai wer,
And thoucht that it war gret foly
In-to the wode till tak herbery.
Tharfor by Driburgh, in the playne,
Thai herbryit thame; and syne agane
Ar went till Ingland haym thar way.
And quhen the King Robert herd say
That thai war turnyt hame agane,
And how thair herbreouris war slane,
In hy his host assemblit he,
And went south our the Scottis Se,
And till Ingland his way he tais.
Quhen his host all assemblit was,
Auchty thowsand he wes and ma,
And aucht battellis he maid of tha:
In ilk battell wes ten thousand.
Syne went he furth on to Ingland,
And in hale rout followit sa fast
The Inglis King, quhill at the last
He com approchand to Byland,
Quhar, at that tyme, thar wes liand
The King of Ingland with his men.
Kyng Robert, that had wittering then
That he lay thair with mekill mycht,
Tranontit swa on hym ane nycht,
That, be the morne that it wes day,
Cummyn in-till playn feld war thai,
Fra Biland bot ane litill space.
Bot betuix thaim and it thar was
Ane craggy bra, strekit weill lang,
And a gret peth up for to gang.
Othirwayis mycht thai nocht away
Till pass till Bilandis abbay,
Bot gif thai passit fer about.
And quhen the mekill Inglis rout
Herd at King Robert wes so neir,
The mast part of thame that thar weir
Went to the path and tuk the bra,
Thair thoucht thai thair defens to ma.
Thair baneris thair thai gert display
And thair battellis on breid aray,
And thoucht weill to defend the place.
Quhen King Robert persavit has
That thai thame thoucht thair to defend,
Eftir his consell has he send,
And askit quhat wes best till do.
The lord Dowglas ansuerd thar-to,
And said, “Schir, I will undir-ta
“That in schort tyme I sall do swa,
“That I sall wyn yhon place planly,
“Or than ger all yhon cumpany
“Cum doun till yhow heir in this plane.”
The King than said till him agane,
‘Do than,’ he said, ‘and God the speid!’
Than he furth on his wayis yheid,
And of the host the mast party
Put thame in-till his cumpany,
And held thar way toward the plas.
The gud Erll of Murreff, Thomas,
Left his battell, and in gret hy
Bot with thre men of his cumpany,
Com till the lordis rout of Dowglas;
And, or he enterit in the plas,
Befor thame all the place tuk he;
For he wald that men suld him se.
And quhen Schir James of Dowglas
Saw that he swagat cummyn was,
He prisit him thar-of gretly,
And welcummyt hym full humylly,
And syne the place can sammyn ta.
Quhen Inglis men saw thaim do swa,
Thai lichtit and agane thame yheid.
Twa knychtis, that douchty war of deid,
Thomas Ouchtre ane hat to name,
The tothir Schir Rauf of Cobhame,
Com doune befor all thair menyhe.
Thai war bath of full gret bounte,
And met thair fais richt manly;
Bot thai war pressit gretumly.
Thair mycht men se men weill assale,
And men defend with stout battale,
And arrowes fle in gret foysoune,
And thai that owth war tummyl doune
Stanis apon thame fra the hicht.
Bot thai that set bath will and mycht
To wyn the peth, thame pressit swa,
That Schir Raulf of Cobhame can ta
The way richt till his host in hy,
And left Schir Thomas manfully
Defendand with gret mycht the plas,
Quhill that he swa supprisit was,
That he wes tane throu herd fechting.
And tharfor syne, quhill his ending,
He wes renownyt for best of hand
Of a knycht wes in all Ingland.
For this ilk Schyr Raulf of Cobhame,
In all Ingland he had the name
For the best knycht of all the land;
And for Schir Thomas duelt fechtand
Quhar Schir Raulf, as befor saide we,
With-drew him, prisit our hym wes he.

Thus war thai fechtande in the plas;
And quhen the King Robert, that was
Wis in his deid and averty,
Saw his men ay swa douchtely
The peth apon thair fayis ta;
And saw his fais defend thame swa,
Than gert he all the Erischry
That war in-till his cumpany,
Of Argyle and the Ilis alsua,
Spede tham in hy on-to the bra:
He bad thame leiff the peth haly
And clym up in the craggis by,
And speid thame fast the hicht to ta.
And thai in gret hy has done swa,
And clymb allgait up to the hycht,
And leve nocht for thair fayis mycht.
Magre thair fayis, thai bar thaim swa,
That thai ar gottyn aboun the bra.
Than mycht men se thame ficht felly,
And rusche thair fais sturdely.
And thai that till the pass war gane,
Magre thair fais, the hycht has tane.
Than layd thai on with all thar mycht:
Thair mycht men se men felly ficht.
Ther wes ane perelus bargane:
For a knycht, hat Schir Johne Bretane,
That lichtit wes abovyn the bra,
With his men gret defens can ma.
And Scottis men sa can assaill,
That gaf thame so felloune battale,
That thai war set in sic affray
That thai, that fle mycht, fled away.
Schir Johne of Bretane thar wes tane,
And richt feill of his folk war slane.
Of Frans thar tane wes knychtis twa;
The lord of Souly wes ane of tha,
The tothir wes the marschall Bretane,
That wes a weill gret lord at hame.
The laiff sum deid and sum war tane,
The remanand thai fled ilkane.

And quhen the King of Ingland,
That yheit at Biland wes liand,
Saw his men discumfyt planly,
He tuk his way in full gret hy,
And southwardis fled with all his mycht.
The Scottis men chast hym herd, I hycht,
And in the chas has mony tane.
The king quytly away is gane,
And the mast part of his menyhe.
Walter Stewart, that gret bounte
Set ay on hye chevelry,
With fyve hundreth in cumpany,
Till Yorkis yhettis chas can ma,
And thair sum of thair men can sla,
And abaid thair quhill neir the nycht,
To se gif ony wald ysche to ficht.
And quhen he saw nane wald cum out,
He turnyt agane with all his rout,
And till the host is went in hy,
That than tane had thair herbery
In-till the abbay of Biland
And Riveus that wes by neir hand.
Thai delt emang thame that war ther
The King of Inglandis ger,
That he had levit in-to Biland;
All gert thai lepe out our thar hand,
And maid thame all glaid and ek mery.
And quhen the King had tane herbery,
That broucht till him the presoneris
All unarmyt, as it efferis;
And quhen he saw Johne of Bretane
He had at hym richt gret disdeyne;
For he wount wes to spek hely
At hayme, and our dispitfully;
And bad haf him away in hy,
And luk he kepit war stratly,
And said, “War it nocht that he war
“Sic a catiff, he sulde by sair
“His wourdis that war sa angry;”
And mekly he hym cryit mercy.
Thai led him furth, forouten mair,
And kepit hym weill ay quhill thai war
Cummyn hame to their awne cuntre.
Lang eftir syne ransonyt wes he
For tuenty thousand pund to pay,
As I haf herd mony men say.

Qwhen that the King this spek had maid,
The Franche knychtis, that tane men had,
Wes broucht richt thar byfor the King;
And he maid thame fair welcummyng,
And said; “I wat richt weill that yhe,
“For yhour gret worschip and bounte
“Com for till se the fichting heir.
“For sen yhe in the cuntre war,
“Yhour strinth, yhour worschip, and yhour mycht
“Wald nocht thoill yhow escheve the ficht.
“And sen that caus yhow led thar-till,
“And nouthir wreth na evil will,
“As frendis yhe sall resavit be,
“Quhar welcum heir all tym be yhe.”
Thai knelit, and thankit him gretly,
And he gert tret thame curtasly;
And lang quhill with him thaim had he,
And did thaim honour and bounte.
And quhen thai yharnyt to thair land,
To the King of Fraunce in presand
He sent thaim quit, but ransoun fre,
And gret gyftis to thaim gaff he.
His frendis thusgat curtasly
He couth ressave, and hamely,
And his fais stoutly to-stonay.
At Biland all that nycht he lay.
For thair victor all blith thai war.
And on the morn, forouten mair,
Thai haff furthwarde tane thair way.
So fer at that tyme travalit thai,
Byrnand, slayand, and distroyand,
Thair fayis with thair mycht noyand,
Quhill to the Wald cummyn war thai.
Syne northwarde tuk thai hame thar way;
And distroyit, in thair repair,
The vale haly of Beauvare.
And syne with presoners and catele,
Riches, and mony fair jowele,
Till Scotland tuk thai hame thar way,
Blith and glad, joyfull and gay.
And ilk-man went to thair repair,
And lovit God thame fell so fair,
That thai the King of Ingland,
Throu worschip and throu strinth of hand,
And throu thair lordis gret bounte,
Discumfit in his awne cuntre.