Off lord Persye he has resauit this band.
Perseys war trew, and ay off full gret waill,
Sobyr in pess, and cruell in battaill.
Schir Ranald bownyde vpon the morne but baid,
Wallace to seke in Clydis forest braid.310
So he him fand bownand to his dyner.
Quhen thai had seyne this gud knycht was so ner,
Weyle he him knew, and tauld thaim quhat he was;
Meruaille he had quhat gart him hiddyr pass,
Maide him gud cheyr of meyttis fresche and fyne.315
King Eduuardis self could nocht get bettir wyn
Than thai had thar, warnage and wenysoune
Off bestiall in to full gret fusioun.
Syn eftir mett, he schew thaim of hys deide,
How he had beyne in to so mekill dreid.320
“Now,” he said, “wyrk part of my consaill;
“Tak pess a quhill, as for the mair awaill.
“Bot thou do so, forsuth thou dois gret syne,
“For thai ar set till wndo all thi kyn.”
Than Wallace said till gud men him about;325
‘I will no pess for all this felloune dout,
‘Bot gif it pless bettir to yow than me.’
The squier Boide him ansuerd sobyrlé;
“I gif conseill, or this gud knycht be slayne,
“Tak pess a quhill, supposs it do ws payne.”330
So said Adam the ayr of Rycardtoune;
And Kneland als grantyt to thair opynyoun.
With thair consent Wallace this pess has tayne,
As his eyme wrocht, till ten moneth war gayne.
Thar leyff thai tuk, with conforde into playn;335
Sanct Jhone to borch thai suld meyt haill agayn,
Boyde and Kneland past to thar placis hayme;
Adam Wallace to Ricardtoun by nayme;
And Wilyham furth till Schir Ranald can ride,
And his houshald, in Corsby for to bide.340
This peess was cryede in August moneth myld:
Yhet god of battaill furius and wild,
Mars, and Juno ay dois thair besynes,
Fol. 13 a
Causer of wer, wyrkar of wykitnes;
And Venus als the goddess of luff,345
Wytht ald Saturn, his coursis till appruff.
Thir four scansyte of diuerss complexioun,
Bataill debaite, inwy and destructioun,
I can nocht deyme for thar malancoly.
Bot Wallace weille coude nocht in Corsby ly,350
Hym had leuir in trauaill for to be;
Rycht sar he langyt the toune of Ayr to se.
Schir Ranald past fra hame apon a day.
Fyfteyne he tuk, and to the toune went thai;
Couerit his face, that no man mycht him knaw:355
Nothing him roucht how few ennymyis him saw.
In souir weide disgysyt weill war thai.
Ane Inglissman, on the gait, saw he play
At the scrymmagis a bukler on his hand.
Wallace ner by in falouschipe couth stand.360
Lychtly he sperde; “Quhi, Scot, dar thow nocht preiff?”
Wallace said; ‘Ya, sa thow wald gif me leiff.’
“Smyt on,” he said, “I defy thine actioune.”
Wallace tharwith has tane him on the croune,
Throuch bukler, hand, and the harnpan also,365
To the schulderis, the scharp suerd gert he go.
Lychtly raturnd till his awne men agayne.
The wemen cryede; “Our bukler player is slaine.”
The man was dede; quhat nedis wordis mair?
Feille men of armys about him semblit thair,370
Sewyn scor at anys agayne sextene war sett:
Bot Wallace sone weill with the formest mett,
With ire and will on the hede has him tayne,
Throuch the brycht helm in sondyr bryst the bayne.
Ane othir braithly on the breyst he bar;375
His burnyst blaid throuch out the body schar.
Gret rowme he maid, his men war fechtand fast;
And mony a growme thai maid full sair agast:
For thai war wicht, and weill wsyt in wer;
Off Inglissmen rycht bauldly doun thai ber.380
On thair enemyss gret martirdome thai maik,
Thar hardy chiftane so weill couth wndyrtak,
Quhat Inglissman, that baid in till his gait,
Contrar Scotland maid neuir mar debait.
Felle frekis on fold war fellyt wndyr feit;385
Off Sothroune blude lay stekit in the streit.
New pouir come fra the castell that tyde:
Than Wallace drede, and drew towart a side.
With gude will he wald escheu a suppriss;
For he in wer was besy, wicht and wiss.390
Harness and hedis he hew in sonderys fast;
Beforce out off the thikest preyss thai past.
Wallace raturnyde behynde his men agayne,
At the reskew feile enemyss hass he slayne.
His men all samyn he out off perill brocht,395
Fra his enymyss, for all the pouer thai mocht.
Fol. 13 b
To thar horss thai wan but mair abaide;
For danger syne to Laglyne wode thai raid.
Twenty and nyne thai left in to that steide,
Off Sothroun men that bertynit war to dede.400
The ramaynand agayne turnyt that tide;
For in the woode thai durst nocht him abyde.
Towart the toune thai drew with all thair mayn,
Cursand the pess thai tuk befor in playne.
The lord Persye in hart was gretlye grewyt.405
His men supprisyt agayne to him relewyt;
And feille war dede in to thair armour cler,
Thre of his kyne that war till him full der.
Quhen he hard tell of thair gret grewance,
Thar selff was causs of this myschefull chance,410
Murnyng he maid, thoucht few Scottis it kend.
A herald than to Schyr Ranald he