Compleyn to hewyn with wordis that nocht faillis:
Compleyne your woice wnto the God abuffe;
Compleyne for him in to that sitfull sell is;
Compleyne his payne in dolour thus that duellis;220
In langour lyis, for losyng of thar luff,
Hys fureous payne was felloune for to pruff.
Compleyne also, yhe birdis, blyth as bellis,
Sum happy chance may fall for your behuff.
Compleyne, lordys, compleyne, yhe ladyis brycht,225
Compleyne for him that worthi was and wycht,
Off Saxons sonnys sufferyt full mekill der.
Compleyne for him was thus in presone dicht
And for na causs, bot, Scotland, for thi rycht.
Compleyne also, yhe worthi men of wer,230
Compleyne for hym that was your aspresper;
And to the dede fell Sothroun yeit he dicht:
Compleyne for him your triumphe had to ber.
Celimus was maist his geyeler now.
In Inglissmen, allace, quhi suld we trow,235
Our worthy kyn has payned on this wyss?
Sic reulle be rycht is litill [till] allow:
Me think we suld in barrat mak thaim bow
At our power, and so we do feill syss.
Off thar danger God mak ws for to ryss,
That weill has wrocht befor thir termyss, and now!240
For thai wyrk ay to wayt ws with suppryss.
Quhat suld I mor of Wallace turment tell;
The flux he tuk in to thar presoune fell?
Ner to the dede he was likly to drawe.245
Thai chergyt the geyler nocht on him to duell,
Bot bryng him wp out of that vgly sell
To jugisment, quhar he suld thoill the law.
This man went doun, and sodanlye he saw,
As to hys sycht, dede had him swappyt snell;250
Syn said to thaim, “He has payit at he aw.”
Quhen thai presumyt he suld be werray ded,
Thai gart serwandys, with outyn langer pleid,
With schort awiss on to the wall him bar:
Thai kest him our out of that bailfull steid,255
Off him thai trowit suld be no mor ramede,
In a draff myddyn, quhar he remannyt thar.
His fyrst noryss, of the Newtoun of Ayr,
Till him scho come, quhilk was full will of reid,
And thyggyt leiff away with him to fayr.260
In to gret ire thai grantyt hir to go.
Scho tuk him wp with outyn wordis mo,
And on a caar wnlikly him thai cast:
Atour the wattir led him with gret woo,
Till hyr awin houss with outyn ony hoo.265
Scho warmyt wattir, and hir serwandis fast
His body wousche, quhill filth was of hym past.
His hart was wicht, and flykeryt to and fro,
Fol. 8 a
Als his twa eyne he kest wp at the last.
His fostyr modyr, lowed him our the laiff,270
Did mylk to warme, his liff giff scho mycht saiff;
And with a spoyn gret kyndnes to him kyth.
Hyr dochtir had of twelf wokkis ald a knayff;
Hir childis pape in Wallace mouth scho gaiff.
The womannys mylk recomford him full swyth:275
Syn in a bed thai brocht him fair and lyth.
Rycht couertly thai kepe him in that caiff,
Him for to sawe so secretlye thai mycht.
In thar chawmyr thai kepyt him that tide;
Scho gart graith wp a burd be the houss side,280
Wyth carpettis cled, and honowryt with gret lycht:
And for the woice in euiry place suld bide,
At he was ded, out throuch the land so wide,
In presence ay scho wepyt wndyr slycht;
Bot gudely meytis scho graithit him at hir mycht.285
And so befel in to that sammyn tid,
Quhill forthirmar at Wallas worthit wycht.
Thomas Rimour in to the Faile was than,
With the mynystir, quhilk was a worthi man:
He wsyt offt to that religiouss place.290
The peple demyt of witt mekill he can;
And so he told, thocht at thai bliss or ban,
Quhilk hapnyt suth in many diuerss cace,
I can nocht say, be wrang or rychtwisnas,
In rewlle of wer, quhethir thai tynt or wan;295
It may be demyt be diuisioun of grace.
Thar man that day had in the merket bene,
On Wallace knew this cairfull cass so kene.
His mastyr speryt, quhat tithingis at he saw.
This man ansuerd; “Of litill hard I meyn.”300
The mynister said; ‘It has bene seildyn seyn,
‘Quhar Scottis and Ingliss semblit bene on raw,
‘Was neuir yit, als fer as we coud knaw,
‘Bot othir a Scott wald do a Sothroun teyne,
‘Or he till him, for awentur mycht faw.’305
“Wallas,” he said, “ye wist tayne in that steid;
“Out our the wall I saw thaim cast him deide,
“In presoune famyst for fawt of fude.”
The mynister said, ‘with hart hewy as leid;
‘Sic deid to thaim, me think, suld foster feid;310
For he was wicht, and cummyn of gentill blud.’
Thomas ansuerd; “Thir tythingis ar noucht gud;
“And that be suth, my self sall neuir eit breid,
“For all my witt her schortlye I conclud.”
‘A woman syne of the Newtoun of Ayr,315
‘Till him scho went fra he was fallyn thar;
‘And on hir kneis rycht lawly thaim besocht,
‘To purchess leiff scho mycht thine with him fayr.
‘In lychtlyness tyll hyr thai grant it thair.
Fol. 8 b
‘Our the wattyr on till hir houss him brocht,320
To beryss him als gudlye as scho mocht.’
Yhit Thomas said; “Than sall I leiff na mar,
“Giff