With his twa handis, the quhilk full worthi war,
In to his weid, and he come in a thrang:
Was na man than on fute mycht with him gang.
So growane in pith, off pouer stark and stur,95
His terryble dyntis war awfull till endur.
Thai trast mar in Wallace him allane,
Than in a hundreth mycht be off Ingland tayne.
The worthi Scottis maid thar no soiornyng,
To Lowdoun hill past in [the] gray dawyng;100
Dewysyt the place, and putt thair horss thaim fra;
And thocht to wyn, or neuir thin to ga:
Send twa skowrrouris to wesy weyll the playne;
Bot thai rycht sone raturnde in agayne,
To Wallace tald that thai war cummand fast.105
Than thai to grounde all kneland at the last,
With humyll hartis prayit with all thair mycht,
To God abowne to help thaim in thar rycht.
Than graithit thai thaim till harnes hastely
Thar sonyeit nane of that gud chewalrye.110
Than Wallace said; “Her was my fadyr slayne;
“My brothyr als, quhilk dois me mekill payne;
“So sall my selff, or wengit be but dreid.
“The traytour is her, [the] causs was off that deid.”
Than hecht thai all to bide with hartlye will.115
Be that the power was takand Lowdounhill.
The knycht Fenweik conwoide the caryage;
He had on Scottis maid mony schrewide wiage.
The sone was rysyne our landis schenand brycht.
The Inglissmen so thai come to the hycht;120
Ner thaim he raid, and sone the Scottis saw.
He tald his men, and said to thaim on raw;
“Yhonne is Wallace, that chapit our presoune;
“He sall agayne be drawyn throu the toune.
“His hede mycht mar I wait, weill pless the king,125
“Than gold, or land, or ony warldly thing.”
He gart serwandes bide with the cariage still;
Thai thocht to dawnt the Scottis at thar will.
Nyne scor he led in harnes burnyst brycht;
And fyfty was with Wallace in the rycht.130
Vnraboytyt the Sothroun was in wer;
And fast thai cum, fell awfull in affer.
A maner dyk, off stanys thai had maid,
Narrowyt the way quhar throuch thai thikar raid.
The Scottis on fute tuk the feld thaim befor;135
The Sothroun saw thar curage was the mor.
In prydefull ire thai thoucht our thaim to ryde;
Bot othyr wyss it hapnyt in that tide.
On athir side to giddyr fast thai glaid;
The Scottis on fute gret rowme about thaim maid, 140
Fol. 11 a
With ponyeand speris throuch platis prest of steylle;
The Inglissmen, that thoucht to weng thaim weylle,
On harnest horss about thaim rudely raide;
That with wness wpone thar feit thai baid.
Wallace the formast in the byrneis bar;145
The grounden sper throuch his body schar.
The shafft to schonkit off the fruschand tre;
Dewoydyde sone, sen na bettir mycht be.
Drew suerdis syne, bathe hewy, scharp and lang;
On athyr syd full cruelly thai dang.150
Fechtand at anys in to that felloune dout,
Than Inglissmen enverond thaim about;
Beforce etlyt throuch out thaim for to ryde.
The Scottis, on fute that baldly couth abyde,
With suerdis schar throuch habergeons full gude,155
Vpon the flouris schot the schonkan blude,
Fra horss and men throw harness burnyst beyne.
A sair sailyie forsuth thair mycht be seyne:
Thai traistyt na lyff bot the lettir end.
Off sa few folk gret nobilness was kend,160
To gydder baid defendand thaim full fast;
Durst nane seuer quhill the maist press was past.
The Inglissmen, that besye was in wer,
Beforss ordand in sondyr thaim to ber.
Thair cheyff chyftan feryt als ferss as fyr,165
Throw matelent, and werray propyr ire;
On a gret horss, in till his glitterand ger,
In fewtir kest a fellone aspre sper
The knycht Fenweik, that cruell was and keyne;
He had at dede off Wallace fadyr beyne,170
And his brodyr that douchty was and der.
Quhen Wallace saw that falss knycht was so ner,
His corage grew in ire as a lyoune.
Till him he ran, and fell frekis bar he doune;
As he glaid by, aukwart he couth hym ta,175
The and arson in sondyr gart he ga.
Fra the coursour he fell on the fer syd;
With a staff suerd Boyd stekit him that tyde.
Or he was dede, the gret press come so fast,
Our him to grounde thai bur Boyd at the last.180
Wallace was ner, and ratornde agayne
Hym to reskew, till that he raiss off payne;
Wichtly him wor, quhill he a suerd had tayne.
Throu out the stour thir twa in feyr ar gayne.
The ramanand apon thaim folowit fast;185
In thar passage fell Sothron maid agast.
Adam Wallace, the ayr off Ricardtoun,
Straik ane Bewmound, a squier of renoun,
On the pyssan, with his hand burnyst bar,
The thrusande blaid his halss in sonder schayr.190
The Inglissmen, thocht thar chyftayn was slayne,
Bauldly thai baid, as men mekill off mayn.
Fol. 11 b
Reth horss repende rouschede frekis wndir feit;
The Scottis on fute gert mony loiss the suete.
Wicht men lichtyt thaim selff for to defend;195
Quhar Wallace come thar deide was litill kend.
The Sothroune part so frusched was that tide,
That in the stour thai mycht