Was fyfty men in all that felloun dreid.
Ane awfull salt the Sothren son began,
About the Scottis socht mony likly man,610
With bow, and sper, and swerdis stiff of steill:
On athir side no frendschip was to feill.
Wallace in ire a burly brand can draw,
Quhar feill Sothron war semblit vpon raw,
Fol. 20 a
To fende his men with his deyr worthi hand:615
The folk was fey that he befor him fand.
Throw the thikkest of the gret preiss he past,
Vpon his enemyss hewand wondyr fast.
Agayne his dynt na weidis mycht awaill;
Quham so he hyt was dede with outyn faill.620
Off the fersest full braithly bair he doun,
Befor the Scottis that war of gret renoun.
To hald the strenth thai preist, with all thair mycht,
The Inglissmen, that worthi war and wicht.
Schir Jhon Butler relewit in agayne,625
Swndryt the Scottis and did thaim mekill payn;
The Loran alss that cruell was and keyn.
A sar assay forsuth thar mycht be seyn.
Than at the strenth thai mycht no langer bide,
The range so strang come wpon athir syde.630
In the thikkest woode thar maid thai felle defens,
Agayn thair fayis so full of wiolens:
Yit felle Sothron left the lyff to wed.
Till a new strenth Wallace and his men fled;
On aduersouris thai maid full gret debait,635
Bot help thaim self, no socour ellis thai wait.
The Sothron als war sundryt than in twyn;
Bot thai agayne to gidder sone can wyn:
Full sutellye thar ordinance thai maid,
The rang agayne bownyt but mar abaid.640
The Scottis war hurt, and part of thaim war slayn;
So fair assay thai couth nocht mak agayn.
Be this the host approchand was full ner;
Thus wrandly thai held thaim wpon ster.
Quhen Wallace saw the Sothroune was at hand,645
Him thocht no tym langar for to stand.
Rycht manfully he graithit has his ger;
Sadly he went agayne the men of wer.
Throw out the stour full fast fechtand he socht,
With Goddis grace to wenge him gif he mocht.650
Vpon the Butler awfully straik he;
Saiffgarde he gat wndir a bowand tre;
The bowcht in twa he straik, aboune his hede,
Alss to the ground, and feld him in that stede.
The haill pouer wpon him com so fast,655
At thai beforce reskewit him at the last.
Loran was wa, and thidder fast can draw.
Wallas retornd, sa sodeynly him saw:
Out at a syde full fast till him he yeid;
He gat no gyrth for all his burnyst weid:660
With ire him straik on his gorgeat off steill,
The trensand blaid to persyt euirydeill
Throu plaitt and stuff, mycht nocht agayn it stand;
Derffly to dede he left him on the land.
Hym haif thai lost, thocht Sotheren had it suorn; 665
Fol. 20 b
For his crag bayne was all in sondyr schorn.
The worthi Scottis did nobilly that day
About Wallace, till he was woun away.
He tuk the strenth magre thar fayis will;
Abandonly in bargan baid thar still.670
The scry sone raiss, the bald Loran was dede:
Schyr Garrat Heroun tranontit that stede,
And all the host assemblit him about.
At the north side than Wallace ischet owt,
With him his men, and bownyt him to ga,675
Thankand gret God at thai war partyt sa.
To Cargyll wood thai went that samyn nycht.
Sewyn of his men that day to dede was dycht:
In feld was left of the Sothren sex scoyr;
And Loran als, thair murnyng was the mor.680
The rang in haist thai rayit sone agayne:
Bot quhen thai saw thair trauaill was in wayne,
And he was past, full mekill mayne thai maid
To rype the wood, bath wala, slonk, and slaid,
For Butleris gold Wallace tuk off befor;685
Bot thai fand nocht, wald thai seke euirmor.
Hys horss thai gat, and nocht ellis of thair ger.
With dulfull mayn retorned thir men of wer
To Sanct Jhounston, in sorou and gret cayr.
Off Wallace furth me likis to spek mair.690
The secunde nycht the Scottis couth thaim draw
Rycht priwaly agayne to Schortwod schaw;
Tuk wp thair gud, quhilk was put owt of sycht,
Cleithing and stuff, bathe gold and siluer brycht.
Vpon thar fute, for horsis was thaim fra;695
Or the son raiss, to Meffen wood can ga.
Thar twa dayis our thar lugyng still thai maid;
On the thrid nycht thai mowit but mar abaid.
Till Elkok park full sodeynly thai went:
Thar in that strentht to bide was his entent.700
Than Wallace said, he wald go to the toun;
Arayit him weill in till a preistlik goun.
In Sanct Jhonstoun disgysyt can he fair,
Till this woman the quhilk I spak of ayr.
Off his presence scho rycht reiosit was;705
And sor adred how he away suld pass.
He soiornyt thar fra nowne was of the day
Quhill ner the nycht, or that he went away.
He trystyt hyr quhen he wald cum agayne,
On the thrid day; than was scho wondyr fayne.710
Yeitt he was seyn with enemyss as he yeid;
To Schyr Garraid thai tald off all his deid,
And to Butler, that wald haiff wrokyn beyne.
Than thai gart tak that woman brycht and scheyne,
Accusyt hir sar of resset in that cass:715
Feyll