But neer a word wad ane o them speak, For barring of the door.

7 And first they ate the white puddings, And then they ate the black; Tho muckle thought the goodwife to hersel,

Yet neer a word she spake.

8 Then said the one unto the other,
'Here, man, tak ye my knife;
Do ye tak aff the auld man's beard,
And I'll kiss the goodwife.'

9 'But there's nae water in the house,
And what shall we do than?'
What ails thee at the pudding-broo,3
That boils into the pan?'

10 O up then started our goodman,
An angry man was he:

'Will ye kiss my wife before my een, And scad me wi pudding-bree?'

40

STORYSS to rede ar delitabill, Supposs that thai be nocht bot fabill; Than suld storyss that suthfast wer, And thai war said on gud maner, Hawe doubill plesance in heryng. The fyrst plesance is the carping," And the tothir the suthfastnes, That schawys the thing rycht as it wes; And suth thyngis that ar likand Tyllmannys heryng, ar plesand. Tharfor I wald fayne set my will, Giff my wyt mycht suffice thartill,5 To put in wryt a suthfast story, That it lest ay furth in memory, Swa that na lenth of tyme it let," Na ger it haly be forget. For aulde storys that men redys, Representis to thaim the dedys Of stalwart folk that lywyt ar,1 Rycht as thai than in presence war. And, certis, thai suld weill hawe pryss, That in thar tyme war wycht 11 and wyss, And led thar lyff in gret trawaill,12 And oft in hard stour 18 off bataill Wan richt gret price off chewalry, And war woydyt 14 off cowardy; As wes king Robert off Scotland, That hardy wes off hart and hand; And gud Schyr Iames off Douglas, That in his tyme sa worthy was, That off hys price and hys bounte In fer landis renownyt wes he. Off thaim I thynk this buk to ma; Now God gyff grace that I may swa Tret it, and bryng it till endyng, That I say nocht bot suthfast thing!

1 If. ⚫ narrative. pleasing.

• writing. 7 hinder, destroy. 10 lived before. 11 powerful.

14 cleared.

15 make.

10

• To. 8 make. 12 labor.

15

ΤΟ

20

30

$ thereto.

HOW SCOTLAND LEARNED TO LOVE LIBERTY

(1, 179-246)

QUHEN 16 schir Edward, the mychty king,
Had on this wyss 17 done his likyng 18
Off Ihone the Balleoll, that swa sone
Was all defawtyt 19 and undone,
To Scotland went he than in hy,
And all the land gan occupy:

So hale,20 that bath castell and toune
War in-till 21 his possessioune,

Fra Weik anent Orknay

To Mullyr-snwk in Gallaway:

And stuffyt all with Ingliss men.

Schyrreffys and bailyheys maid he then;

And alkyn 22 othir officeris,

That for to gowern land afferis,28

He maid off Inglis nation;

That worthyt 24 than sa ryth fellone,2

And sa wykkyt and cowatouss,

And swa hawtane 26 and dispitouss,

That Scottis men mycht do na thing
That evir mycht pleyss to thar liking.27 20
Thar wyffis wald thai oft forly, 28

And thar dochtrys dispitusly;

And gyff 29 ony thar-at war wrath,

Thai watyt 80 hym wele with gret scaith,
For thai suld fynd sone enchesone $1

To put hym to destructione.
And gyff that ony man thaim by
Had ony thing that wes worthy,
As horss, or hund, or othir thing,
That plesand war to thar liking,
With rycht or wrang it have wald thai.
And gyf ony wald thaim withsay,
Thai suld swa do, that thai suld tyne
Othir land or lyff, or leyff 8 in pyne.

16 In middle Scots quh-wh.

82

17 wise, fashion.

24 became.

18 pleasure. 19 defaulted. 20 wholly. 21 into, in. 22 all kinds of. 23 belong. cruel. 26 haughty.

⚫ wholly.

13 shock.

30 lay in wait for.

si reason.

27 pleasure. 28 outrage. 32 lose.

25 very 29 if.

33 live.

For thai dempt1 thaim eftir thar will, Takand 2 na kep3 to rycht na skill.4 A! quhat thai dempt thaim felonly !5 For gud knychtis that war worthy, For litill enchesoune or than nane, Thai hangyt be the nekke bane. Alas! that folk, that evir wes fre, And in fredome wount for to be, Throw thar gret myschance and foly, War tretyt than sa wykkytly, That thar fays thar iugis was; Quhat wrechitnes may man bave mar? A! fredome is a noble thing! Fredome mayss 7 man to haiff liking; Fredome all solace to man giffis: He levys at ess that frely levys! A noble hart may haiff nane ess, Na ellys nocht that may him pless, Gyff fredome failyhe; for fre liking Is yharnyt our 10 all othir thing. Na 11 he, that ay hass levyt fre, May nocht knaw weill the propyrte, The angyr, na the wrechyt dome, That is cowplyt to foule thyrldome. Bot gyff he had assayit it,

9

Than all perquer 12 he suld it wyt; 18
And suld think fredome mar to pryss
Than all the gold in warld that is.
Thus contrar thingis evir-mar
Discoweryngis off the tothir ar.
And he that thryll 14 is has nocht his,
All that he hass enbandownyt 15 is
Till hys lord, quhat euir he be.

HOW THE KING READ
FERUMBRAS
(111, 405-67)

THE king, eftir that he was gane,
To Lowchlomond the way has tane,16
And come thar on the thrid day.
Bot thar-about na bait 17 fand thai,
That mycht thaim our the watir ber:
Than war thai wa 18 on gret maner:
For it wes fer about to ga;
And thai war in-to dout alsua,

40

To meyt thar fayis 19 that spred war wyd.
Tharfor, endlang the louchhis 20 syd,
Sa besyly thai socht, and fast,
Tyll Iamys of Dowglas, at the last,

1 judged. taking. heed. 4 nor reason. wickedly they condemned them! 6 foes.

8 fail.

yearred for.

10 over.

11 nor.

$ How 7 makes.

12 by

15 subjected. 16 taken. 19 foes. 20 lake's.

heart. 13 know. 14 thrall. 17 boat. 18 woeful.

Faud a litill sonkyn bate,21

And to the land it drew, fut-hate.22 Bot it sa litill wes, that it

20

Mycht our the wattir bot thresum 28 flyt.24
Thai send thar-off word to the king,
That wes ioyfull off that fyuding;
And fyrst in-to the bate is gane,
With him Dowglas; the thrid wes ane
That rowyt thaim our deliverly,25
And set thaim on the land all dry:
And rowyt sa of-syss 26 to and fra,
Fechand 27 ay our 28 twa and twa,
That, in a nycht and in a day,
Cummyn owt-our 29 the louch ar thai.
For sum off thaim couth swome 80 full weill,
And on his bak ber a fardele.81

Swa with swymmyng, and with rowyng,
Thai brocht thaim our, and all thar thing.
The king, the quhilis, meryly

82

was

Red to thaim, that war him by,
Romanys off worthi Ferambrace,
That worthily our-cummyn 88
Throw the rycht douchty Olywer;
And how the duk-peris 84
Assegyt & in-till Egrymor,

86

wer

Quhar king Lawyne lay thaim befor,
With may 6 thowsandis then I can say.
And bot eleven within war thai,
And a woman: and war sa stad,
That thai na mete thar-within had,
Bot as thai fra thar fayis 87 wan.
Yheyte 88
sua contenyt thai thaim than,
That thai the tour held manlily,
Till that Rychard off Normandy,
Magre 89 his fayis, warnyt the king,
That wes ioyfull off this tithing; 40
For he wend 41 thai had all bene slayne.
Tharfor he turnyt in hy 42 agayne,
And wan Mantry bill and passit Flagot;
And syne Lawyne and all his flot 48
Dispitusly discumfyt he:
And deliveryt his men all fre,
And wan the naylis, and the sper,
And the croune, that Iesu couth 44 ber;
And off the croice a gret party 45
He wan throw his chewalry.
The gud king, apon this maner,
Comfortyt thaim that war him ner;
And maid thaim gamyn 46 and solace,
Till that his folk all passyt was.

28 over.

31

40

50

60

21 boat. 22 hot-foot, hastily. 23 three at a time. 24 transport. 25 quickly. 26 oft-times. 27 Fetching. 29 across. 30 swim. a1 burden. 82 mean33 overcome. 34 douze pairs, the Twelve Peers of France. 36 Besieged. 36 more. 37 foes. 39 In spite of. 40 tidings.

while.

38 yet. 42 haste.

43 fleet. 44 did. 45 piece.

41 weened. 46 mirth.

THE BATTLE OF BANNOCK

BURN

(XII, 407-588)

THE Scottis men, quhen it wes day,
Thair mess devotly herd thai say,
Syne tuk a sop, and maid thame yar.1
And quhen, thai all assemblit war,
And in thair battalis 2 all purvait,
With thair braid baneris all displayit,
Thai maid knychtis, as it efferis 3
To men that oysis thai mysteris.
The kyng maid Walter Stewart knycht,
And lames of Douglass, that wes wicht, 10
And othir als of gret bounte

6

4

He maid, ilkane in thair degre.
Quhen this wes done, that I you say,
Thai went all furth in gud aray,
And tuk the playne full apertly,"
Mony wicht man, gud and hardy,
That wer fulfillit of gret bounte.
In-till 8 thair rowtis men mycht se
The Yuglis men, in othir party,
That richt as angelis schane brichtly,
War nocht arayit on sic maner;
For all thair battalis sammyn 10
In a schiltrum; 11 bot quhethir it wes
Throu the gret stratnes 12 of the plass,
That thai war rad 18 till byd 14 fichting,
Or that it wes for abaysing,15

I 16

wer

20

30

wat nocht; bot in a schiltrum It semyt thai war, all and some, Outane 17 the vaward anerly, That with ane richt gret cumpany Be thame-selvin arayit war, And till the battale maid thame yar. That folk our-tuk 18 ane mekill 19 feld On breid, quhar mony a schynand scheld, And mony a burnyst bricht armour, And mony man of gret valour, And mony a baner, bricht and scheyne, Micht in that gret schiltrum be seyne. And quben the kyng of Yngland Saw Scottis men sa tak on hand To tak the hard feild so planly, And apon fut, he had ferly,20 And said, 'Quhat? will yon Scottis ficht?' " Yaa, sekirly, schir,' than said a knycht, Schir Ingerame Vmphrevell hat 21 be, And said, 'Forsuth, schir, now I se

40

4 use.

8 In. • bands. 11 squadron. 12 narrowness.

13 afraid.

15 dismay. 16 know. 17 Except. 18 covered. 20 wonder. 21 was called.

26

All the mast ferlifull 22 sycht
That evir I saw, quhen for to ficht
The Scottis men has tane on hand
Agane 28 the gret mycht of Yngland,
In plane hard feild to gif battale.
Bot and yhe 24 will trow my consale,
Yhe sall discomfit thame lichtly.
Yhe sal vithdraw hyne 25 suddanly,
With battalis, baneris, and pennownys,
Quhill that we pass our palyeownys;
And ye sall se als soyne at 27 thai,
Magre thair lordis, sall brek aray,
And scale 28 thame, our harness to ta.29
And quhen we se thame scalit swa,
Prik we than on thame hardely,
And we sall haf thame weill lichtly.
For than sall nane be knyt 80 to ficht,
That may withstand our mekill mycht.'
'I will nocht,' said the king, 'perfay,
Do sa; for ther sall no man say
That I suld eschewe the battale,
Na withdraw me for sic rangale.'
Quhen this wes said that er 3 said I,
The Scottis men full devotly
Knelyt all doune, till God to pray,
And a schort prayer thair maid thai
Till God, till help thame in that ficht.
And quhen the Yngliss king has sicht
Of thame kneland, he said in hy — 34
'Yon folk knelis till ask mercy.'
Schir Yngerame said, 'Ye
say
suth now;
Thai ask mercy, bot nocht at yow.
For thair trespass to God thai cry.
I tell yow a thing sekirly,

88

'82

81

That yon men will wyn all or de,
For doubt of ded 35 thar sall nane fle.'
'Now be it swa,' than said the kyng,
'We sall it se but 8 delaying.'
He gert 37 trump up to the assemble;
On athir 38 syd than men mycht se
Full mony wicht men and worthy,
All ready till do chevelry.

50

70

84

90

¦ Thus war thai boune 89 on athir syde;
And Yngliss men, with mekill prid,
That war in-till thar awaward,40
Till the battall that schir Eduard
Gouernyt and led, held straucht thair way.
The horss with spuris hardnyt11 thai,
And prikit apon thame sturdely;
And thai met thame richt hardely,