there with the King But they both short while had resting For they died both soone after syne For good Sir Dauid of Breching Fled to Brechin his owne Castell And garnist it both faire and well But the Erle of Atholl Sir Dauy His sonne that was in Kildromy Came syne and him assieged there And hee that would hold wéere na mair Nor bargane with the Noble King Came syne his man with good liking Of the heirship of Buchane And how the Castle of Forfare was tane NOw goe wée to the King againe That of his victorie was fane And gart his men burne all Buchane From end to end and spared nane And heryed them on sik manéere That efter that well fiftie yéere Men méened the heirship of Buchane The King then to his peace hes tane The North Countrie all hailelie Obeyed they to his Senyeorie So that by North the Month was nane But they his men were commen ilkane The Lordship aye woxt maire and maire Toward Angous syne can hee fare And thought soone to make his all frée That were on Northside the Scots Sea The Castell of Forfare was then Stuffed all with Englishmen But Philip the Frasar of Platane Hes of his friends with him tane And with Ladder all priuilie Hee to the Castell can him by And clambe vp ouer the walles of stane And syne all that hée fand hes slaine Syne yald the Castell to the King That made him right faire rewarding And syne hee gart breake downe the wall And forded well and Castell all How the King wan Sainct Iohnstown And tumbled all the Towres down WHen that the Castell of Forfare And all the towres downe tumbled were Right to the eird as I haue I told The King that stout was stark and bold Thought that hée would make all frée Upon North halfe the Scots sea To Perth hee went with all his rout And vnbeset the towne about But vnto it hes a Siege set But while they might haue men meat It might not but greit paine be tane For all the wall were then of stane And thicke towres and high standing And that time were there in winning The Methwenes and the Olyphands They two the towne had in their hands Of Stratherne al 's the Erle was there But his Sonne and his men were Without into the Kings rout There was ilke day bikkering stout And men flaine on either partie But the good King that was wittie In all his déedes euerilkane Saw the walles so stight of stane And saw the fence that they can make And that the towne was hard to take With open assault of strength and might Therefore he thought to worke with slight And in all time that hée there lay Hée spied and slely gart assay Where at the dykes it shaldest was While at the last hée found a place That they might to their shoulders waid And when hee that place had founden had Hée gart his Menyie buske ilkane When sex Oulkes of the siege was gan◠And tursed their Harnesse haillelie And left the siege all openlie And foorth with all his folke can fare As hée would doe thereat no mare And they that were into the towne When they to fare saw him all bowne They shouted him and scorning made And hée foorth on his wayes rade As hée no will had againe to turne Nor beside them to make sojourne And in aught dayes nought for thy Hee gart make Ladders priuily That might suffice to this intent And in a myrke night syne hée went Toward the towne with his Menyie And Horse and knaues leaued hée Far from the towne and syne hes tane His Ladders and on foote are gane Toward the towne all priuily They heard no Watches speake nor cry For they that were therein may fall As men that dred noght but slept all They had no dread then of the King For they of him heard no tyding All the thrée daies before or maire Therefore sikker and traist they were And when the King heard them not stéere He was right blyth in great manéere And his ladder in hand can ta Example to his men to ma. Arrayed well in all his geare Shot in the dyke and with his speare Cast till that he it ouer wade But to his throt the water stood THat time was in his companie A Knight of France wight and hardie And when he in the UUater sa Saw the King passe and with him ta His ladder vnabasedlie He saned him for the ferlie And said O Lord what shall we say Of our Lords of France that ay With good morcells fairses their panche And will but eat and drinke and dance UUhen sik a King and so worthie As this is through his Chenalrie Into sik perill hes him set To win a wretched Hamelet UUith that word to the dyke he ran And ouer after the King he wan And when the Kings Menyie saw Their Lord the King into a thraw Past to the dyke and but more let Their ladders to the wall they set And to climbe vp fast preassed they But the good King as I heard say UUas the second yéed ouer the wall And bade there while his Menyie all UUere comming vp in full great hy Yet then raise neither noise nor crie But soone efter they noyse made That of them first perceiuing had So that the cry raise through the towne But he that with his men was boune To assailyie to the towne is went And the most part of his men sent And skailled through the towne but he Held with himselfe a great Menyie So that he might be ay puruayde To defend gif he were assayde But they that he sent through the toun Put to so great confusioun Their foes that in beds were Or skailled fleeing here and there That ere the sunne raise they had tane Their foes and discomfist ilkane The Wardanes both therein were tane And Malise of Stratherne was gane To his father the Erle Malis And with strength tooke him and all his Syne for his sake the Noble King Gaue him his land in gouerning The laue that ran out through the toun Seazed to them in great fusioun Men arming and Merchandise And other good of sundrie wise While they that were both poore and bare Of their goods rich and mightie were But there was few slaine for the King Had giuen them in commanding Upon great paine they should sla nane That but great bargane might be tane For they were kinde to the Countrie He wist and had of them pietie IN this maner the towne was tane And syne the Towres euerilkane And walles great were tumbled downe He left nothing about the towne Towre standing nor stone wall But he gart haillelie destroy them all And prisoners that there tooke he He sent where they might kéeped be And to his peace tooke all the land Was none that then durst thē withstand On North halfe the Scots sea All obeyed to his Maiestie Except the Lord of Lorne and tha Of Argyle that would
men THe King Robert when he heard say That Englishmen in sik array And into so great quantitie Came in his land in hy gart he All men be summonde priuily And they came all full wilfully To the Torwood where that the King â—ad ordainde to make their meéeting Sir Edwâ—rd the Bruce the worthy Came with a full great company Of good men armed well and dight Hardie and forcy for to fight Walter Stewart of Scotland syne That then was but a beardlesse hyne Came with a rout of Noble men That men be countenance might theÌ„ ken And the good Lord Dowglas alswa Brought with him men I vnderta That well were vsde into feghting They sall the lesse haue abasing Gif them betide in thrang to be And ane auantage sall sooner sée For to astoney their foes might Than men that vses not to fight The Erle of Murray with his men Arrayed well came also then Into good conuéene for to fight And wilfull to maintaine their right Outtaken mony other Baroun And Knights of full greit Renoun Came with their men full stalwardly When they assembled were hailly Of feghting men I trow they were Threttie thousand and some deill mare Withoutten carriage and purall That carried Harnesse and Uittall Ouer all the Host yéed the King And beheld to their conteening And saw that of full faire afféere And hardie countenance they were By lyklinesse the most Cowart Seemed to doe full well his part The King hes séene all their hauing That knew them well into sik thing And saw them all commonlie Of sikker countenance and hardie Without affray or abasing In his heart had hée greit liking And thought that men of so greit will If they would set their might theretill Should bée full hard to win perfay And as hee met them in the way Hee welâ—omed them with gladsome faire Speaking good words heere and there And they that their Lord saw blythly So welcome them and so homlie Ioyfull they were and thought that they Aught well to put them in assay Of heard feghting and stalward stour For to maintaine well his honour The parting of the Scots men That in foure battells delt were then THe worthy King when hée hes seene His Host assembled all bedeene And saw them wilfull to fulfill His lyking with good heart and will And to maintaine well his franches Hée was joyfull on mony wise And called all his connsell priuie And said them Lords now may yee see That Englishmen with méekle might Hes all disponed them to fight For they yone Castell would reskew Therefore is good wée ordaine now How wee may let them of purpose And so fra them the wayes close That they passe not but greit letting Wee haue here with vs at bidding Well threttie thousand men and ma. Make wée foure battells of all tha And ordaine vs on sik manéere That when our foes comes néere Wee to the new Parke hold our way For there behooues them passe perfay But if they will beneth vs goe And ouer the Maras passe and so Wee shall bée at a vantage there And mee thinke that right spéedfull were To passe on foot to this feghting Armed but in light arming For shape wée vs on Horse to fight Sen that our foes are maire of might And better horsed than are wée Wée should into greit perill bée And if wée feght on foote perfay Wée shall bee at a vantage aye For in the Parke among the trées The Horsemen cumbred alwayes bées And the Syke also there downe Shall put them to confusioun And they consented to that Saw And then into a litle thraw Their foure battells ordained they And to the Erle Thomas perfay Hée gaue the Uangarde in leading For in his Noble gouerning And in his hie Cheualrie They had affiance souerainely And for to maintaine his Baner Lords that of greit worship were Were assigned with their Menyie Within his battell for to bée The other battell was giuen to leade To him that doughtie was of déede And praised al 's of Cheualrie That was Sir Edward the worthie I trow hee shall maintaine him so That how so euer the gaming goe His foes to plenyie shall matter haue And syne the third battell hee gaue To Walter Stewart for to leade And to Dowglas doughtie of déede They were Cousings in néere degrée Therefore to him betaught was hée For hée was young and not for thy I trow hée shall so manfullie Doe his deuoure and worke so well That men shall of his deédes tell The feird battell the Noble King Tooke in his owne gouerning And had into his companie The men of Carrik haillelie And of the Iles whereof was syre And of Argyle and of Kintyre Angous of the Iles and Boot alswa And of the plaine lands hée had ma Of armed men a Noble rout His Battell stalward was and stout Hée said the Réeregard hée would ma And euen before him should ga The Uangard and on either hand The other Battells should bée gangand Behind on side a litle space And the King that behind them was Should see where there was most myster And reliue them with his Baner How King Robert gart pottes make And couert them well I vndertake THe King that was both wight and wise And right attentiue at deuise And hardie al 's attour all thing Ordained his men for the feghting And on the morne on Satterday The King heard his discurreours say That Englishmen with meekle might Had lyen at Edinburgh that night Therefore withoutten more delay Hée to the North-Parke held his way UUith all that in his leading were And in the Parke them harbred there And in a plaine field by the way Where he thought they behooued haue way The Englishmen gif that they wald Through the Parke to the Castell hald He gart men mony Pots ma Of a foot-brade round and all tha Were déepe vp to a mans knée And so thicke that they might likned be To a wax Kame with Bées made And then the Pots they couered had With stickes and with gersse all gréene So that they might not well be séene On Sunday syne in the morning Well soone after the Sun-rising They heard the Masse all reuerently And mony shraue them full deuoutly That thought to die into that melle Or then to make their Countrie frée To GOD for their right prayed thay There dyned none of them that day But for the Uigile of Sanct Iohn They fasted water and bread ilkone THe King wheÌ„ that the Masse was done Went for to sée the Pots soone And at his lyking saw them made On other side the way well brade It was potted as I haue tauld Gif that their foes on horse would hauld Foorth on the way I trow they sall Not all escape withoutten fall Throughout the Oast then gart he cry That all sould arme them hastely And buske them on their best maner And when that all assembled wer He gart array them for to fight And syne ouer all gart cry on
made him yare Into the Iles for to fare Walter Stewart with him tooke he His Maich and with him great Menyie And other men of great Noblay To the Tarbarts they tooke their way In Gaillayes ordainde for their fare But them worthed their ships draw there And a mile was betwixt the seas And that is loned all with trees The King his shippes there gart draw And for the wind can stoutlie blaw Upon their backe as they can ga He gart men Masts and rapes ma And set them in the shippes hie And Sailes to the toppes tie And gart men gang there by drawing The wind them helped that was blawing So that into a litle space Their flote all there ouer drawne was And when they that in the Iles were Heard tell how that the good King there Gart his shippes with Sailes gee Out ouer betwixt the Tabarts two They were abased alluterlie For they wist through old Prophecy That hée that should gar shippes so Betwixt the seas with Sailes goe Should win the Iles so to hand That none with strength should him withstand Therefore they came all to the King Durst none gainstand his bidding Ouertooke â—ohn of Lorne allane But well soone efter hée was tane And presented right to the King And they that were of his leading That to the King haue broken fay Were all destroyed and dead away This Iohn of Lorne the King hes tane And sent him foorth to Dumbartane A while in prison for to bée Syne to Lochleuen sent was hee Where hée was long time in fasting I trow hée made therein ending The King when all the Iles were Brought to his liking lesse and maire All that season there dwelt hée At Hunting and at game and glée Lord Dowglas with battell plaine Reskewed the Prey and brought againe WHen the King vpon this maner Hee daunted the Iles as I tell here The good Sir Iames Dowglas Into the Forrest dwelling was Defending doughtelie the Land That time in Bâ—rwicke was winnand Edmound of Calhow a Gascoun Hée was a Knight of greit Renoun And into Gasconyie his Countrie Lord of greit Senyeorie was hée And had then Berwick in kéeping Hée made a priuie gaddering And gote him a greit companie Of wight men armed jolelie All the nether end of Teuidall Hée preyed into him all haill And of the Mers a greit partie Syne toward Barwicke went in hy Sir Adam of Gordoun that then Was becommen Scottishman Saw them driue so away his fee And weind they whéene were for that hée Saw but the fléeing skaill perfey And them that seezed on the Prey That to Sir Iames of Dowglas In full greit hy the way he â—aes And told how Englishmen their Prey Had tane and syne were went away Toward Berwicke with all their fée And said they wheene were and if hee Would speed him hee should well lightly Win them and rescue all the Ky Sir Iames soone gaue his assent To follow them and foorth is went And followed them in full greit hy And came well neâ—re them hastelie For ere they might fullie see They came well neere with their Menyie But then both forray and the staill UUere knit into a sop all haill Bot knaues swaines that had no might For to stand into field to fight Before them gart they driue the Ky They were a right faire companie And all togidder in a staill The Dowglas saw their lump all haill And saw them of so good conuyne And that they were so mony syne That they for one of his were two Lordings hee said sen it is so That wée haue chaist on sik manéere That wée are now commen so neere That wée may not eschew the fight But if wée fullie take the flight Let ilke man of his life then méene And how wee mony times haue béene In greit thrang and commen well away Thinke wée to doe right so this day And take wée of this Foord héere by Our auantage for in greit hy They shall come on vs for to fight Get we then will and strength and might For to méete them right hardelie And with that word full hastelie Hée hes displayed his Banéere For his foes were comming neere And when they saw they were so wheene They thought all was their owne bedeene And assembled full hardelie Their men might see them feght fellie And a right cruell melle make And mony strakes gaue and take The Dowglas there right hard was stad But the greit hardement that hee had Comforted them on sik a wise That no man thought on Cowardise But faught so fast with all their maine That they feill of their foes haue slaine And though they were full mony moe Then they yet them they demained so That Edmund de Callok was dead Through Dowglas right in that ilke stead And all the laue fra this was doone Were all haill discomfist soone And they that chased some hes slaine And turned the Preyes haill againe The hardest feghting this was That euer the good Lord Dowglas Was in and of so few Menyie For had not beene his greit bountie That slew their Chiftaine in the fight His men to dead had beene all dight But hée had into custome ay When euer hee came to hard assay Hée preassed the Chiftane for to sla And heerefore hope I that hée did sa That gart him haue victorie full syse When Sir Edmund vpon this wise Was dead the good Lord Dowglas To the Forrest his way he tayes His foes greatly can him dread The word sprang far of his manhead So that in England néere there by Men spake of it right commonly How Iames of Dowglas slew Newel That vowed to meete him in battell SIr Robert Newell at that tide Winned in Barwike there beside The Marches where the Lord Dowglas In the Forrest repairing was And had him in full great enuy And for â—he saw him so manfully Make his bounds ay more and maire He heard the folke that with him were Speake of the Lord Dowglas might And how he forcie was in fight And how him oft fell faire Fortoun He wraithed him thereat full soone And said what wéene ye is there nane That euer is woorth but he allane Ye set him as he were but Péere But I avow before you héere Gif euer he come into this land He sall find me néere at his hand And gif I euer his Banéere May sée displayed vpon wéere I sall assemble it but dout Although ye hold him neuer so stout Of this avow soone Bodword was Brought to Sir Iames of Dowglas That said gif he will hold his heght I sall doe so he sall haue feght Of me and of my company Yet or oght long well néere him by His retinue then gaddered he That were good men of great bountie And to the March in good array Upon a night he tooke the way So that in the morning earely He was with all his companie Before Barwike and there he made Men to display his Baner brade And
Quéene to England home is gane And had with her the Mortymer The Erle and they that leaued were When a whyle they her conuoyed had Toward Barwike againe they rade And syne with all their company Toward the King they went in hy And had with them the young Dauy And al 's Dame Iane the young Lady The King made them faire welcomming And efter but long delaying He hes gart set a Parliament And hidder with mony men is went For he thought he would in his life Crowne his young Sonne and his Wife At that Parliament and so did he With great fare and solemnitie The King Dauid was crowned there And all his Lords that there were And also all the Commountie Made him homage and fewtie And before that they crowned were King Robert gart ordaine there Gif it fell that his sonne Dauy Died but Aire Male of his body That Robert Stewart sould be King and brooke the Royaltie That his Doughter bare in Mariage And that this Tailyie sould leelely Be holden all the Lords sware And with their Seales affirmed if there And gif it hapned Robert the King To passe to GOD while they were ying The good Erle of Murray Sir Thomas With the Lord also of Dowglas While they had wit to stéere their Reigne Sould haue them into gouerning And then the Lordship they sould ta Hereto their aithes can they ma And all the Lords that were there To tha twa Wardanes aithes sware To obey them into Lawtie Gif it hapned them UUardanes to be WHen all this thing thus treated was And affirmed with sickernes The King to Cardros went in hy And there him tooke so suddenly His sicknesse and him trauelde sa That he wist him behooued ma Of all this life the common end That is the death when GOD will send Therefore his Letters soone sent hée For all the Lords of his Countrie And they came as hee bidden had His Testament then hes hee made Before both Lords and Prelats And to Religions of seir Estates For haill of his soule gaue hee Siluer into greit quantitie Hee ordainde for his soule right well And when this was done ilk deill Lords hee said so it is gone With mée that there is nought but one That is the death withoutten dreed That ilke man shall thole on need And I thanke God that hes mée sent Space in our life here to repent For through mée and my wéering Of blood there hes beene greit spilling Where mony saklesse man was slaine Therefore this sicknesse and this paine I take in thanke for my trespasse And mine heart firmlie set was And when I was in prosperitie From my sinnes to saued bée To trauell vpon Gods faes And sen hée mee now to him taes That the body may on no wise Performe that the heart can deuise I would mine heart were hidder sent Wherein conceiued was that intent Therefore I pray you euerilkane That yee among you all chuse ane That bée honest wise and wight And of his hands a Noble Knight On Gods foes mine Heart to beare When soule and bodie disseuered are For I would it were worthelie Had there sen God will nought that I Had power hidderward to goe Then were their hearts all so woe That none might hold them from gréeting Hee bade them leaue their sorrowing For it hée said might not reliue And might themselues greitlie grieue Hee prayed them in hy to do The thing that they were charged to Then went they foorth with drerie moode And among them that thought it good That the worthie Lord Dowglas Whom in both wit and worship was Should take the trauell vpon hand Héereto they were all accordand And to the King they went in hy And told him that they thought truely That the doughtie Lord Dowglas Best ordainde for that trauell was And when the King heard that they sa Had ordainde him his Heart to ta That hee most yarned should it haue Hee said so God himselfe mée the saue I hold mee right well payed that yee Haue chosen him for his bountie For Certes it hes béene my yarning Ay sen I thought to doe this thing That he mine heart should with him beare And sen yee all assented are It is the more liking to mée Let see now what thereto sayes hée And when the Lord of Dowglas Wist that the King thus spoken hes Hée â—â—me and knéeled to the King And on this wise made his talking I thanke you greitly Lord said hee Of mony larges and greit bountie That yée haue done to mée feill syse Sen first I came to your seruice But ouer all thing I make thanking That yée so digne and worthie a thing As your heart that illuminate was With all bountie and worthinesse Will that I in my kéeping take For you right blithly will I make This trauell if God will mée giue Laiser and space so long to liue The King him thanked tenderlie There was none in that companie That wéeped not for greit pitie That was greit sorrow for to sée Here died King Robert and was syne Solemnedly buried in Dumfermling WHen the Lord Dowglas in this wise Hes vndertane so hie Emprise As the good Kings Heart to beare On Gods foes for to weare Praised for his Emprise was hée And the Kingâ— infirmitie Was more and more while at the last The dulefull death approached fast And when hée had gart doe him to All that good Christen men should do With true repentance then hée gaue The gaist whilke GOD to Heauen mot haue Among his Chosen for to bee In Ioye solace and Angels glée And fra his folke wist hée was dead The sorrow that raise from stead to stead There might men sée men riue their haire And comlie Knights gréete full saire And their hands togidder driue And as wood men their claithes ryue Regarding his worthie bountie His wit his strength and honestie And ouer all the greit companie That hee oft made them courteouslie All our defence they said alas And hee that haill our comfort was Our wit our heale our gouerning Is brought alace here to ending His worship and his méekle might Made all that were with him so wight That they might neuer abased bée While before them they might him sée Alace what shall wee doe or say For in life while hee lasted ay With all our foes dred were wée And into mony other Countrie Of our Worship ran the Renowne And that was all for his Persoun With sike words they made their mane And sickerlie wonder was nane For better Gouernour than hée Might in no Countrie founden bee I hope that none that is on life The lament and sorrow can descriue That tha folke for their Lord made And when that they long sorrowed had And he bowelled was cleanely And balmed syne full richly The worthy Lord the good Dowglas His Heart as it forespoken was Hes receiued in great dayntie UUith great faire and Solemnitie They haue him had to Dunfermelyne And him