The mynister herd quhat Thomas said in playne.
He chargyt him than; ‘Go, speid the fast agayne325
‘To that sammyn houss, and werraly aspye.’
The man went furth, at byddyng was full bayne;
To the Newtoun to pass he did his payn,
To that ilk houss; and went in sodanlye.
About he blent on to the burd him bye.330
This woman raiss, in hart scho was [nocht] fayn.
Quha aw this lik he bad hir nocht deny.
“Wallace,” scho said, “that full worthy has beyne.”
Than wepyt scho, that peté was to seyne.
The man thar to gret credens gaif he nocht:335
Towart the burd he bowned as he war teyne.
On kneis scho felle, and cryit; ‘For Marye scheyne,
‘Let sklandyr be, and flemyt out of your thocht.’
This man hir suour; “Be him that all has wrocht,
“Mycht I on lyff him anys se with myn eyn,340
“He suld be saiff, thocht Ingland had hym socht.”
Scho had him wp to Wallace by the dess;
He spak with him, syne fast agayne can press
With glaid bodword, thar myrthis till amend.
He told to thaim the first tithingis was less.345
Than Thomas said; ‘Forsuth, or he decess,
‘Mony thousand in feild sall mak thar end.
‘Off this regioun he sall the Sothroun send;
‘And Scotland thriss he sall bryng to the pess:
‘So gud off hand agayne sall neuir be kend.’350
All worthi men, that has gud witt to waille,
Be war that yhe with myss deyme nocht my taille.
Perchance ye say, that Bruce he was none sik.
He was als gud, quhat deid was to assaill,
As off his handis, and bauldar in battaill.355
Bot Bruce was knawin weyll ayr off this kynrik;
For he had rycht, we call no man him lik.
Bot Wallace thriss this kynrik conquest haile,
In Ingland fer socht battaill on that rik.
I will ratorn to my mater agayne.360
Quhen Wallace was ralesched off his payne,
The contré demyd haile that he was dede;
His derrest kyn nocht wist of his ramede.
Bot haile he was, likly to gang and ryd.
In to that place he wald na langar byde.365
His trew kepar he send to Elrislé;
Eftir him thar he durst nocht lat hyr be:
Hir dochtir, als thar serwand, and hir child,
He gart thaim pass on to his modyr myld.
Quhen thai war gayne, na wapynnys thar he saw 370
Fol. 9 a
To helpe him with, quhat auentur mycht befaw.
A rousty suerd in a noik he saw stand,
With outyn belt, but boss, bukler, or band.
Lang tyme befor it had beyne in that steid;
Ane agyt man it left quhen he was dede.375
He drew the blaid, he fand it wald bitt weill;
Thocht it was foule, nobill it was of steyll.
“God helpis his man; for thou sall go with me,
“Quhill bettir cum; will God full sone may be!”
To Schyr Ranald as than he wald nocht fair;380
In that passage offt Sothroun maid repar.
At Rycardtoun full fayn he wald hawe beyne,
To get him horss and part of armour scheyne.
On thedyrwart as he bownyt to fair,
Thre Inglissmen he met ridand till Ayr,385
In thair wiage at Glaskow furth had beyne;
Ane Longcastell, that cruell was and keyne,
A bauld squier, with him gud yemen twa.
Wallace drew by, and wald haiff lattyn thaim ga.
Till him he raid, and said dispitfully;390
“Thow Scot, abide, I trow thow be sum spy;
“Or ellis a theyff, fra presens wald the hid.”
Than Wallace said, with sobyr wordis, that tid;
‘Schir, I am seik, for Goddis luff latt me ga!’
Langcastell said; “Forsuth it beis nocht sa.395
“A felloune freik thow semys in thi fair;
“Quhill men the knaw, thow sall with me till Ayr.”
Hynt out his suerd, that was of nobill hew,
Wallace with that, at hys lychtyn, him drew;
Apon the crag with his suerd has him tayne;400
Throw brayne and seyne in sondyr straik the bayne.
Be he was fallyn, the twa than lichtyt doun;
To wenge his dede to Wallace maid thaim boun.
The tayne of thaim apon the hed he gaiff,
The rousty blaid to the schulderis him claiff.405
The tothir fled, and durst no langer bide;
With a rud step Wallace coud eftyr glide.
Our thourch his rybbis a seker straik drewe he,
Quhill leuir and lounggis men mycht all redy se.
Thar horss he tuk, bathe wapynnys and armour;410
Syne thankit God with gud hart in that stour.
Syluer thai had, all with him has he tayne,
Him to support; for spendyng had he nayne.
In to gret haist he raid to Ricardtoun,
A blyth semblay was at his lychtyn doun.415
Quhen Wallace mett with Schyr Richart the knycht,
For him had murnit quhill feblit was his mycht.
His thre sonnys of Wallace was full fayne;
Thai held him lost, yit God him sawth agayne.
His eyme, Schyr Ranald, to Rycardtoun come fast;420
The wemen, told, by Corsby as thai past,
Off Wallace eschaipe, syne thar wiage yeid.
Schyr Ranald yit was in a felloune dreid:
Fol. 9 b
Quhill he him saw, in hart he thocht full lang;
Than sodanlye in armys he couth him fang.425
He mycht nocht spek, but kyst him tendyrlye;
The knychtis spreit was in ane extasye,
The blyth teris tho bryst for his eyne two;
Or that he spak, a lang tyme held him so: