BOOK VI.
3 the Umphrevell. See Bk. V. 483, 513, etc.
69 Gilbert de la Hay. See note on Bk. II. 237.
120 “Since he was provided with armour.”
121 thurt. “Needed.” The word occurs once in Morte Arthure, in the present impersonal: “Hym thare be ferde (afraid) for no faces” (403). Cf. also Bk. VIII. 257.
128 For litill strynth of erd. “On account of a slight natural defence in the character of the ground.”
149 fiff-sum. “Five together.” The compound is still familiar in Scotland—e.g., a “three-some reel,” a “four-some” in golf. Cf. “sex-sum” in line 231.
179 The story is from the Thebaid of Statius through some intermediate source which cannot now be identified. See Appendix F, § iv.
195-6 “First the one should reign a year, then the other for a year from the expiry of the previous term,” and so on.
201 his constabill. Defined in the Alexander:
“That of the duke’s hoist all hale,
Was constabill and chief ledere” (73; 14, 15).
252 the gret anciente. “Through its great antiquity.”
314 “Then they praised greatly God the all-mighty.” The comparative fastar is in Bk. XIII. 129.
316 Thaim byrd. “It behoved or was necessary for them.” (O.E. byrian, impersonal verb). Cf. “Sa byrd al Galouya hyme honoure” (Lives of the Saints, Ninian, 932): “Me byrd be blyth” in same (Martha, 152). Frequent in the Alexander. Cf. on Bk. I. 381.
336 Worschip extremyteis has twa. Valour as a mean between two extremes is an Aristotelian notion (cf. line 347).
339 “And they are both to be avoided.”
341 “Things which should be left alone as well as those which should be done” (cf. lines 348-9).
463 In Cumnok. A town and parish in Kyle, Ayrshire.
481 Johne of Lorn. See note on Bk. III. 1.
483 aucht hundreth men and ma. On July 19, 1307, there is a command from Aymer de Valence, the King’s lieutenant, for aid to John of Lorn “guarding the town of Ayr and parts adjacent.” Lorn had 22 men-at-arms and 800 foot, so that Barbour’s statement is remarkably accurate, while his details enable us to fix the date of the events (Bain ii., No. 1957).
484 A sleuthhund. Jean le Bel has a reference to some such occurrence as this, though he credits it to Edward I., and distorts the course of events. He explains that one time Edward had Robert Bruce chased through great forests for the space of three or four days, “by dogs and sleuth-hounds” (par chiens et limiers), and gives as his authority not only popular report (ce dit on), but also “an account composed by the said King Robert” (et le treuve on en hystoire faitte par le dit roy Robert. Chronique i., chap. xxii.). Sleuth-hounds were common for police purposes: “That thar sal nane lat (obstruct) a sluthe hund passand or the men that are cumand with hym for to follow theyffis or to tak mysdvaris,” etc. (1289) (Acta Parl. Scot., I. 108). See on VII. 17.
487 a strecour. A fast runner, a dog for the chase; from the verb streke, to go rapidly (Skeat).
503 his emys sak. See note on Bk. III. 3.
507 Schir Amery. Valence is at Glenken, Kirkcudbrightshire, on July 24, and at Doon-side on July 31, 1307 (Bain ii., Nos. 1958, 1959).
510 Thomas Randale. Thomas Randolph, on the English side. See note on Bk. II. 463.
558 “He would pay no attention to the others.”
650 Out of dawis doyn. “Done out of days”—i.e., killed.
657 yhow ane. “Yourself alone”—a rather awkward expression, but the reading in H supports E.
665-6 “As they did not fear me, I could do them much more harm.”