The squier Boid, and all thair chewalry,200
Litill, Kneland, gert off thair enemyss de.
The Inglissmen tuk playnly part to fle;
On horsis some, to strenthis part, can found
To socour thaim, with mony werkand wound.
A hundreth dede in feild was lewyt thar,205
And thre yemen that Wallace menyde fer mar;
Twa was off Kyle, and ane of Conyngayme,
With Robert Boide to Wallace com fra hayme.
Four scor fled, that chapyt on the south syde.
The Scottis, in place that bauldly couth abyde,210
Spoilyed the feld, gat gold and othir ger,
Harnes and horss, quhilk thai mysteryt in wer.
The Ingliss knawis thai gart thar caryage leid
To Clidis forest: quhen thai war out off dreid,
Thai band thaim fast with wedeis sad and sar,215
On bowand treis hangyt thaim rycht thar.
He sparyt nane that abill was to wer;
Bot wemen and preystis he gart thaim ay forber.
Quhen this was doyne, to thar dyner thai went,
Off stuff and wyne that God had to thaim sent.220
Ten scor thai wan of horss that cariage bure;
With flour and wyne als mekill as thai mycht fur,
And othir stuff that thai off Carleile led.
The Sothron part out off the feild that fled,
With sorow socht to the castell off Ayr,225
Befor the lord, and tauld him off thair cair;
Quhat gud thai lost, and quha in feild was slayne,
Throw wicht Wallace that was mekill off mayne;
And how he had gart all thar serwandis hang.
The Persye said; “And that squier lest lang,230
“He sall ws exille out off this contré cleyne;
“Sa dispitfull in wer was neuir seyne.
“In our presoune her last quhen that he was,
“Our slouthfully our keparis leit him pass.
“Thus stuff our land, I fynde may nocht weill be;235
“We mon ger bryng our wittaill be the se.
“Bot loss our men, it helpis ws rycht nocht;
“Thar kyne may ban that euir we hydder socht.”
Lat I thaim thus, blamand thar sory chance,
And mar to sper of Scottis mennys gouernance.240
Quhen Wallace had weyle wenquist to the playne
The falss terand that had his fadyr slayne;
His brothyr als, quhilk was a gentill knycht,
Fol. 12 a
Othir gud men befor to dede thai dycht;
He gert dewyss, and prowide thar wictaille;245
Baith stuff and horss that was of gret awaille,
To freyndis about preualye thai send,
The ramanand full glaidlye thar thai spend.
In Clydis wode thai soiornyt twenty dayis,
Na Sothren that tyme was persawyt in thai wais,250
Bot he tholyt dede that come in thar danger:
The worde of him walkit baith fer and ner.
Wallace was knawin on lyff leyffand in playne,
Thocht Inglissmen tharoff had gret payne.
The erle Persye to Glaskow couth he fair,255
With wyss lordis, and held a consell thair.
Quhen thai war mett, weylle ma na ten thousand,
Na chyftane was that tyme durst tak on hand,
To leide the range on Wallace to assaill.
He speryt about, quhat was the best consaill.260
Schir Amar Wallange, a falss traytour strange,
In Bothwell duelt, and thar was thaim amange.
He said; “My lorde, my consaill will I giff;
“Bot ye do it, fra scaith ye may nocht scheyff.
“Yhe mon tak pess, with out mar tarying,265
“As for a tyme we may send to the king.”
The Persye said; ‘Of owr trewis he will nane.
‘Ane awfull chyftane trewly he is ane;
‘He will do mair, in faith, or that he blyne:
‘Sothroun to sla he thinkis it na syne.’270
Schir Amar said; “Trewis it wordis tak;
“Quhill eft for him prowisioune we may mak.
“I knaw he will do mekill for his kyne;
“Gentryss and trewtht ay restis him within.
“His wncle Schyr Ranald may mak this band.275
“Gyff he will nocht, racunnyss all his land
“On to the tym that he this werk haiff wrocht.”
Schir Ranald was sone to that consell brocht;
Thai chargyt him to mak Wallace at pess,
Or he suld pass to Londone with outyn less.280
Schir Ranald said; “Lordis, yhe knaw this weill,
“At my commande he will nocht do a deill.
“His worthi kyn dispitously ye slew,
“In presone syne ner to the dede him threw.
“He is at large, and will nocht do for me,285
“Thocht ye tharfor rycht now suld ger me de.”
Schir Amar said; ‘Thir lordis sone sall send
‘On to the king, and mak a finall end
‘Off his conquest, forsuth he will it haiff.
‘Wallace na thou ma nocht this kynrik saiff.290
‘Mycht Eduuard king get him, for gold or land,
‘To be his man, than suld he bruk Scotland.’
The lordis bad cess; “Thow excedis to that knycht
Fol. 12 b
“Fer mair be treuth than it is ony rycht.
“The wrang conquest our king desiris ay;295
“On hym or vs it sall be seyne some day.
“Wallace has rycht, bathe force and fair fortoun:
“Ye hard how he eschapyt our presoune.”
Thus said that lord, syne prayit Schyr Ranald fair
To mak this pess; “Thou schirreff art of Ayr.300
“As for a tyme we may awisit be:
“Vndyr my seylle I sall be bound to the
“For Inglissmen, that thai sall do him nocht,
“Nor to no Scottis, less it be on thaim socht.”