And chargyt him tak souerté of Wallas,
He suld him kepe fra merket toune or fair,415
Quhar he mycht best be out of thair repair.
The Sothroun wist that it was wicht Wallace,
Had thaim our set in to that sodand cass:
Thair trewis for this thai wald nocht brek adeill.
Quhen Wallace had this chance eschewit weill,420
Vpon the nycht fra Lagleyne hayme he raid;
In chaumeris sone thair residence thai maid.
Vpon the morn, quhen that the day was lycht,
Wicht Wallace went with Schyr Ranald. The knycht
Schew him the wryt lord Persie had him sent.425
“Deir sone,” he said, “this war my haile entent,
“That thow wald grant, quhill thir trewis war worne,
“Na scaith to do till Inglissman that is born;
“Bot quhar I pass dayly thou bid with me.”
Wallace ansuerd; ‘Gud Schyr, that may nocht be.430
‘Rycht laith I war, deyr wncle, you to greiff;
‘I sall do nocht till tyme I tak my leyff,
‘And warn you als or that I fra you pass.’
His eyme and he thus weill accordyt was.
Wallace with him maid his continuance;435
Ilk wicht was blyth to do till him plesance.
In Corsby thus he resyd thaim amang
Thai sextene dayis, suppos him thoucht it lang.
Thocht thai mycht pless him as a prince or king,
In his mynde yit remanyt ane othir thing.440
He saw his enemys maistris in this regioune,
Mycht nocht him pless thocht he war king with croune.
Thus leyff [I] him with his der freyndis still;
Off Inglissmen of sumpart spek I will.
EXPLICIT LIBER TERCIUS,
ET INCIPIT QUARTUS.
BUKE FEYRD.
In September, the humyll moneth suette,
Quhen passyt by the hycht was off the hette,
Wictaill and froyte ar rypyt in aboundance,
Fol. 14 a
As God ordans to mannys gouernance.
Sagittarius with his aspre bow,5
Be the ilk syng weryté ye may know
The changing courss quhilk makis gret deference;
And lewyss had lost thair colouris of plesence.
All warldly thing has nocht bot a sesoune;
Both erbe and froyte mon fra hewyn cum doun.10
In this ilk tyme a gret consell was sett
In to Glaskow quhar mony maistris mett,
Off Ingliss lordis, to statute this cuntré.
Than chargyt thai all schirreffis thar to be.
Schir Ranald Crawfurd behowide that tyme be thar,15
For he throw rycht was born schirreff of Ayr.
His der neuo that tyme with hym he tuk,
Willyham Wallace, as witness beris the buk;
For he na time suld be fra hys sycht,
He luffyt him with hart and all hys mycht.20
Thai graith thaim weill with out langar abaid.
Wallace sum part befor the court furth raid,
With him twa men that douchtye war in deid;
Our tuk the child Schyr Ranaldis sowme couth leid.
Softlye thai raid quhill thai the court suld knaw.25
So sodeynly at Hesilden he saw
The Perseys sowme, in quhilk gret ryches was;
The horss was tyryt, and mycht no forthyr pass.
Fyve men was chargit to keipe it weill all tid;
Twa wass on fute, and thre on horss couth ride.30
The maistir man at thair serwand can sper;
“Quha aw this sowme? the suth thou to me ler.”
The man ansuerd, with outyn wordis mair;
‘My lordis,’ he said, ‘quhilk schirreff is of Ayr.’
“Sen it is his, this horss sall with ws gang35
“To serwe our lord, or ellis me think gret wrang;
“Thocht a subiet in deid wald pass his lord,
“It is nocht lewyt be na rychtwiss racord.”
Thai cutt the brayss and leyt the harness faw.
Wallace was ner; quhen he sic reueré saw,40
He spak to thaim with manly contenance.
In fayr afforme, he said, but wariance;
‘Ye do vs wrang, and it in tyme of pess;
‘Off sic rubry war suffisance to cess.’
The Sothron schrew in ire ansuerd him to;45
“It sall be wrocht as thow may se ws do.
“Thow gettis no mendis; quhat wald thow wordis mar?”
Sadly awisit Wallace remembrith him thar
On the promyss he maid his eyme befor:
Resoun him rewllyt, as than he did no mor.50
The horss thai tuk for awentur mycht befall,
Laid on thar sowme, syne furth the way couth call.
Thar tyryt sowmir so left thai in to playne.
Wallace raturnd towart the court agayne;
In the mursyde sone with his eyme he mett,55
And tauld how thai the way for his man sett:
Fol. 14 b
“And war noucht I was bonde in my legiance,
“We partyt noucht thus for all the gold in France.
“The horss thai reft quhilk suld your harness ber.”
Schir Ranald said; ‘That is bot litill der.60
‘We may get horss and [vthir] gud in playne;
‘And men be lost, we get neuir agayne.’
Wallace than said; “Als wisly God me sawe,
“Off this gret myss I sall amendis hawe;
“And nothir latt for pess na your plesance.65
“With witness her I gif vp my legiance:
“For cowardly ye lik to tyne your rycht;
“Your selff sone syne to dede thai think to dycht.”
In