For the frendschipe king Eduuard with hym fand,
Protector haile he maid hym of Scotland.140
That office than he brukyt bot schort tyme.
I may nocht now putt all thair deid in ryme;
Off cornikle quhat suld I tary lang?
To Wallace agayne now breiffly will I gange.
Scotland was lost quhen he was bot a child,145
And our set throuch with our ennemyss wilde.
His fadyr Malcom in the Lennox fled;
His eldest sone thedir he with hym led.
Hys modyr fled with him fra Elrislé,
Till Gowry past, and duelt in Kilspyndé.150
The knycht hir fadyr thedyr he thaim sent
Till his wncle, that with full gud entent
In Gowry duelt, and had gud lewyng thar;
Ane agyt man, the quhilk resawyt thaim far.
In till Dundé Wallace to scule thai send,155
Quhill he of witt full worthely was kend.
Fol. 2 b
Thus he conteynde in till hys tendyr age;
In armys syne did mony hie waslage,
Quhen Saxons blude into this realm cummyng,
Wyrkand the will of Eduuard that fals king,160
Mony gret wrang thai wrocht in this regioune,
Distroyed our lordys, and brak thar byggynnys doun.
Both wiffis, wedowis, thai tuk all at thair will,
Nonnys, madyns, quham thai likit to spill.
King Herodis part thai playit in to Scotland,165
Off yong childer that thai befor thaim fand.
The byschoprykis, that war of gretast waile,
Thai tuk in hand of thar archbyschops haile:
No for the Pape thai wald no kyrkis forber,
Bot gryppyt all be wiolence of wer.170
Glaskow thai gaif, as it our weile was kend,
To dyocye in Duram to commend.
Small benifice that wald thai nocht persew,
And for the richt full worthy clerkis thai slew;
Hangitt barrownnys and wroucht full mekill cayr:175
It was weylle knawyn, in the Bernys of Ayr,
Auchtene score putt to that dispitfull dede:
Bot God abowyn has send ws sum ramede.
The remembrance is forthir in the taile.
I will folow apon my process haile.180
Willyham Wallace, or he was man of armys,
Gret pitté thocht that Scotland tuk sic harmys.
Mekill dolour it did hym in hys mynde;
For he was wyss, rycht worthy, wicht and kynd:
In Gowry duelt still with this worthy man.185
As he encressyt, and witt haboundyt than,
In till hys hart he had full mekill cayr,
He saw the Sothroun multipliand mayr;
And to hym self offt wald he mak his mayne.
Off his gud kyne thai had slane mony ane.190
Yhit he was than semly, stark and bald;
And he of age was bot auchtene yer auld.
Wapynnys he bur, outhir gud suerd or knyff;
For he with thaim hapnyt richt offt in stryff.
Quhar he fand ane without the othir presance,195
Eftir to Scottis that did no mor grewance;
To cut his throit, or steik hym sodanlye,
He wayndyt nocht, fand he thaim fawely.
Syndry wayntyt, bot nane wyst be quhat way;
For all to him thar couth na man thaim say.200
Sad of contenance he was bathe auld and ying,
Litill of spech, wyss, curtass and benyng.
Wpon a day to Dundé he was send;
Off cruelness full litill thai him kend.
The constable a felloun man of wer,205
That to the Scottis did full mekill der,
Fol. 3 a
Selbye he hecht, dispitfull and owtrage.
A sone he had ner twenty yer of age:
Into the toun he wsyt euerlik day;
Thre men or four thar went with him to play;210
A hely schrew, wanton in his entent.
Wallace he saw, and towart him he went;
Liklé he was, richt byge and weyle beseyne,
In till a gyde of gudly ganand greyne.
He callyt on hym, and said; “Thou Scot, abyde;215
“Quha dewill the grathis in so gay a gyde?
“Ane Ersche mantill it war thi kynd to wer;
“A Scottis thewtill wndyr thi belt to ber;
“Rouch rewlyngis apon thi harlot fete.
“Gyff me thi knyff; quhat dois thi ger so mete?”220
Till him he yeid, his knyff to tak him fra.
Fast by the collar Wallace couth him ta;
Wndyr his hand the knyff he bradit owt,
For all his men that semblyt him about:
Bot help him selff he wsyt of no remede;225
With out reskew he stekyt him to dede.
The squier fell: of him thar was na mar.
His men folowid on Wallace wondyr sar:
The press was thik, and cummerit thaim full fast.
Wallace was spedy, and gretlye als agast;230
The bludy knyff bar drawin in his hand,
He sparyt nane that he befor him fand.
He knew the hous his eyme had lugit in;
Thedir he fled, for owt he mycht nocht wyn.
The gude wyff than within the closs saw he;235
And, “Help,” he cryit, “for him that deit on tre;
“The yong captane has fallyn with me at stryff.”
In at the dur he went with this gud wiff.
A roussat goun of hir awn scho him gaif
Apon his weyd, at coueryt all the layff;240
A soudly courche our hed and nek leit fall;
A wowyn quhyt hatt scho brassit on with all;
For thai suld nocht lang tary at that in;
Gaiff him a rok, syn set him doun to spyn.
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