“Welcum, neuo, welcum deir sone to me.
“Thankit be he that all this warld has wrocht,
“Thus fairlye the has out of presoune brocht.”
His modyr come, and othir freyndis enew,
With full glaid will, to feill thai tithingis true.435
Gud Robert Boyd, that worthi was and wicht,
Wald nocht thaim trew, quhill he him saw with sycht.
Fra syndry part thai socht to Ricardtoun.
Feille worthi folk, that war of gret renoun.
Thus leiff I thaim in myrth, blyss and plesance,440
Thankand gret God off his fre happy chance.
EXPLICIT LIBER SECUNDUS,
ET INCIPIT TERCIUS.
BUKE THRYD.
In joyowss Julii, quhen the flouris suete,
Degesteable, engenered throu the heet,
Baith erbe and froyte, busk and bewis, braid
Haboundandlye in euery slonk and slaid;
Als bestiall, thar rycht courss till endur,5
Weyle helpyt ar be wyrkyn off natur,
On fute and weynge ascendand to the hycht,
Conserwed weill be the Makar of mycht;
Fyscheis in flude refeckit rialye
Till mannys fude, the warld suld occupye.10
Bot Scotland sa was waistit mony day,
Throw wer sic skaith, at labour was away.
Wictaill worth scant or August coud apper,
Throu all the land, that fude was hapnyt der:
Bot Inglissmen, that richess wantyt nayne,15
Be caryage brocht thair wictaill full gud wayne;
Stuffit houssis with wyn and gud wernage;
Demaynde this land as thair awne heretage;
The kynryk haile thai rewllyt at thar will.
Messyngeris than sic tithingis brocht thaim till;20
And tald Persye, that Wallace leffand war,
Off his eschaip fra thar presoune in Ayr.
Thai trowit rycht weill he passit was that steid;
For Longcastell and his twa men was deid.
He trowit the chance that Wallace so was past.25
In ilka part thai war gretly agast,
Throw prophesye that thai had herd befor.
Lord Persye said; “Quhat nedis wordis mor?
“Bot he be cest he sall do gret merwaill.
“It was the best for king Eduuardis awaill,30
“Mycht he him get to be his steidfast man,
“For gold or land; his conquest mycht lest than.
“Me think beforce he may nocht gottyn be;
Fol. 10 a
“Wyssmen the suth be his eschaip may se.”
Thus deyme [thai] him in mony diuerss cass.35
We leiff thaim her, and spek furth of Wallass.
In Rycardtoun he wald no langer byde,
For freindis consaill, nor thing that mycht betide.
And quhen thai saw that it awaillit nocht,
His purposs was to wenge him, at he mocht,40
On Sothron blud, quhilk has his eldris slayne.
Thai latt him wyrk his awn will in to playne.
Schir Richart had thre sonnys, as I yow tald.
Adam, Rychart, and Symont that was bald.
Adam, eldest, was growand in curage;45
Forthward, rycht fayr, auchtene yer of age;
Large off persone; bath wiss, worthi and wicht:
Gude king Robert in his tyme maid him knycht.
Lang tyme eftir in Brucis weris he baid,
On Inglissmen moné gud iorné maid.50
This gud squier with Wallace bound to ryd;
And Robert Boid, quhilk wald no langar bide
Vndir thrillage of segis of Ingland.
To that falss king he had neuir maid band.
Kneland was thar, ner cusyng to Wallace,55
Syne baid with him in mony peralouss place;
And Eduuard Litill, his sistir sone so der;
Full weill graithit in till thar armour cler.
With thar serwandis fra Ricardtoun thai raid
To Mawchtlyne mur, and schort tyme thar abaid;60
For freindis thaim tauld, was bound wndir trewage,
That Fenweik was for Perseys caryage:
With in schort tyme he will bryng it till Ayr
Out off Carleile; he had resawyt it thair.
That plesyt Wallace in his hart gretumlye;65
Wytt yhe thai war a full glaid cumpanye.
Towart Lowdoun thai bownyt thaim to ride;
And in a schaw, a litill thar besyde,
Thai lugyt thaim, for it was nere the nycht,
To wache the way als besyly as thai mycht.70
A trew Scot, quhilk hosteler houss thair held,
Wnder Lowdon, as myn autor me teld,
He saw thar come, syne went to thaim in hye;
Baithe meite and drynk he brocht full priwalye:
And to thaim tald the cariage in to playn;75
Thair forrydar was past till Ayr agayne,
Left thaim to cum with pouer of gret waille,
Thai trowit be than thai war in Awendaille.
Wallace than said, we will nocht soiorne her,
Nor change no weid, bot our ilk dayis ger.80
At Corssentoun the gait was spilt that tide;
For thi that way behowid thaim for to ride.
And fra the tyme that he of presoune four,
Gude souir weide dayly on him he wour:
Gude lycht harness, fra that tyme, wsyt he cuir;85
For sodeyn stryff, fra it he wald nocht seuir.
A habergione vndyr his goune he war,
Fol. 10 b
A steylle capleyne in his bonet but mar;
His glowis of plait in claith war couerit weill,
In his doublet a closs coler of steyle;90