The Bruce

by John Barbour

Death of Robert Bruce, King of Scotland.

JUNE, 1329 The Sorrow for the King’s Death

Quhen the Lord Dowglas, on this wis,
Had undirtane so hye empris, 240
As the gud Kyngis hert till ber
On Goddis fayis apon wer,
Prisit for his enpris wes he.
And the Kingis infermite
Woxe mair and mair, quhill at the last 245
The dulfull dede approchit fast.
And quhen he had gert till hym do
All that gud Cristin man fell to,
With werray repentans he gaf
The gast, that God till hevin couth haf, 250
Emang his chosyn folk till be
In joy, solace, and angell gle.
And fra his folk wist [he wes ded],
The sorow rais fra sted to sted.
Thair mycht men se men rif thar hare, 255
And cumly knychtis gret full sar,
And thar nevis oft sammyn driff,
And as wode men thair clathes rif,
Regratand his worthy bounte,
His wit, strynth, and his honeste; 260
And, our all, the gret cumpany
That he oft maid thame curtesly.
“All our defens,” thai said, “allas!
“And he that all our confort was,
“Our wit, and all our governyng, 265
“Is brought, allas! heir till ending.
“His worschip and his mekill mycht
“Maid all that war with him so wicht,
“That thai mycht nevir abaysit be,
“Quhill forouth thame thai mycht him se. 270
“Allas! quhat sall we do or say?
“For in liff quhill he lestit ay,
“With all our fais dred war we:[†]
“And in-till mony fer cuntre
“Of our worschip ran the renoune: 275
“And that wes [all for his persoune].”
With sic wordis thai maid thair mayne;
And sekirly wonder wes nane:
For better governour than he
Mycht in na cuntre fundyn be. 280
I hop that nane that is on lif
The lamentacioune suld discrif
That thai folk for thair lord maid.
And quhen thai lang thus sorowit had,
And he debowalit wes clenly,[†] [293] 285
And [bawlmyt eyne] full richly,
And the worthy lord Dowglas [295]
His hert, as it forspokyn was,
Has resavit in gret dantee,
With gret fair and solempnite [298] 290
Thai have him had till Dunfermlyne, [285]
And hym [solempnly erdit syne],
And in a fair towne in the queyr.
Bischoppes and prelatis that thar weir
Assolyheit hym, quhen the servis 295
Wes done as thai couth best devis; [290]
And syne, apon the toder day,
Sary and wa ar went thar way. [292]

JULY-AUG., 1330 Douglas reaches Spain

Quhen at the gud King beriit was,
The Erll of Murreff, Schir Thomas, 300
Tuk all the lande in governyng;
All obeysit till his bidding.
And the gud lord of Dowglas syne
Gert mak ane cas of silvir fyne
Anamalyt throu subtilite: 305
Thar-in the Kyngis hert did he,
And ay about his hals it bare,
And fast him bownyt for his fare.
His testament devisit he,
And ordanit how his land suld be 310
Governit, quhill his agane-cummyng,
Of frendis; and all othir thing,
That till him partenit ony wis,
With sa gude forsicht and sa wis,
Or his furth-passyng, ordanit he, 315
That na thing mycht amendit be.
And quhen that he his leif has tane,
[To schip till Berwik] is he gane;
And with ane nobill cumpany
Of knychtis and of squyary, 320
He put him thar in-to the se.
A lang way furthwarde salyt he;
Betuyx Cornwale and Bretanyhe
He salit, and left [the Grunye of Spanyhe][†]
On north half hym; and held thar way 325
Quhill till [Savill the Graunt] com thai.[†]
Bot gretly war his men and he
Travaled with tempest on the se;
Bot, thouch thai gretly travalit war,
Haill and feir thai cummyn ar. 330
Thai arivit at gret Savill;[†]
And eftir, in a litill quhill,
Thar hors to land thai drew ilkane,
And in the toune has herbery tane.

He hym contenyt richt richly; 335
For he had ,
And gold eneuch for till despend.
[The Kyng] all soyne eftir hym send,
And him richt weill resavit he,
And profferit hym in gret plente 340
Gold and tresour, hors and armyng;
Bot he wald tak thar-of na thyng;
For, he said, he tuk that viage
To pass in-till his pilgrimage
On Goddis fais, that his travale 345
Micht eftir till his saull avale.
And sen he wist that he had were
With Sarazenis, he wald dwell ther,
And help him at his mycht lely.
The King him thankit curtesly, 350
And betaucht him gud men that were
Weill knawin of that landis wer,
And the maner thar-of alsua.
Syne till his innys can he ga.

Quhen that the King him levit had, 355
A weill gret sojourne thar he mad.[†]
Knychtis that com of fer cuntre
Com in gret rowtis hym to se,
And honorit him full gretumly.
And our all men mast soveranly, 360
[The Inglis knychtis] that war thar
Honour and cumpany him bar.

Emang thame wes ane strange knycht,
That wes haldyn so woundir wicht,
That for ane of the gude wes he 365
Prisit of all the Cristianite.
Sa fast till-hewyn wes all his face
That it our all neir wemmyt was.
Or he the lord Dowglas had seyne,
He wend his face had wemmyt beyne, 370
Bot nevir ane hurt in it had he.
Quhen he unwemmyt can it se,
He said that he had gret ferly
That sic a knycht and sa worthy,
And prisit of sa gret bounte, 375
Mycht in the face unwemmyt be.
And he ansuerd thar-till mekly,
And said, “Love God, all tym had I[†]
“Handis myne hede for till were.”
Quha wald tak tent to this ansuer[†] 380
Suld se in it undirstanding,
That, and he that maid askyng,
Had had handis to wer, his face,
That, for defalt of fens so was
To-fruschit into placis ser, 385
Suld haf, may fall, left haill and fer.
The gud knychtis, that than war by,
Prisit this ansuer gretumly;
For it wes maid with meke speking,
And had richt hye undirstanding. 390

AUG. 25, 1330 A Battle with the Saracens

Apon this maner still thai lay,
Quhill throu the cuntre thai herd say
That the hey King of [Balmeryne],[†]
With mony a mudy Sarasyne,
Wes enterit in the land off Spanyhe 395
All haill the cuntre till demanyhe.
The Kyng of Spanyhe, on othir party,
Gaderit his host delyverly,
And delt thame in-to battellis thre.
And to the lord Dowglas gaf he 400
[The vaward] for to leid and steir;
All haill [the strangeris with him weir],
And the gret [mastir of Saint Jak]
The tothir battell gert he tak.
The reirward maid him-selvyn thar. 405
Thusgat devisit, furth thai war
[To mete thair fayis], that in battale
Arayit, reddy to assale,
Com agane thame full sturdely.
The Dowglas than, that wes worthy, 410
Quhen he to thame of his ledyng
Had maid ane fair amonestyng
Till do weill and na dede to dreid,
For hevynnis blis suld be thair meid,
Gif that thai deit in Goddis servis; 415
Than, as gud werriours and wis,
With thame stoutly assemblit he.
Thar mycht men felloune fechting se;
For thai war all wicht and hardy
That war on the Cristyn party; 420
So fast thai faucht, with all thar mayne,[†]
That of Sarasenys war mony slayne;
The-quhethir, with mony fell fachoune,
Mony Cristyn thai dang thar doune.

AUG. 25, 1330 The Death of Douglas

Bot at the last the lord Douglas, 425
And the gret rout that with hym was,
Pressit fast the Sarasenys swa
That thai haly the bak can ta.
And thai chassit with all thar mayn,
And mony in the chas has slayn. 430
[So fer chassit] the lord Dowglas,
With few folk, that he passit wes
All the folk that wes chassand then.
He had nocht with him atour ten
Of all men that war with him thar. 435
Quhen he saw all reparit war
Toward his host than turnit he.
And quhen the Saryzynys gan se[†]
That the chasseris turnyt agane,
[Thai relyit] with mekill mayne.[†] 440
And as the gud lorde Dowglas,
As I said air, reparand was,
So saw he, richt besyd him ner,
Quhar that Schir Willyhame de Sancler
With a gret rout enveremyt was. 445
He wes anoyit, and said; “Allas!
“Yhone worthy knycht will soyn be ded,
“Bot he haf help throu our manhed.
“God biddis us help him in gret hy,
“Sen that we ar so neir him by. 450
“And God wat weill our entent is
“Till lif and de in his servis;
“His will in all thing do sall we,
“Sall na perell eschevit be
“Quhill he be put out of yhone payne, 455
“Or than we all be with hym slayn.”
With that with spurris spedely
Thai strak the hors, and in gret hy
Amang the Saracenys soyne thai raid,
And rowme about thame haf thai maid. 460
Thai dang on fast with all thair mycht,
And feill of thame to ded has dicht.
Gretar defens maid nevir sa quhoyne
Agane so feill, as thai have doyne.
Quhill thai mycht lest to gif battale. 465
Bot mycht no worschip thar avale
That tym, for [ilkan war slayn thar];
For Sarasynys sa mony war
That thai war tuenty neir for ane.
The gud lord Douglas thar wes slane, 470
And Wilyhame Sancler syne alsua;
And other worthy knychtis twa,
Schir Robert Logan hat the tane,
And the tothir Walter Logane;
Quhar our Lord, for his mekill mycht, 475
Thar saulys have to hevynnis hycht![†]

The gud lord Douglas thus wes ded;
And the Sarasenys in that sted
Abaid no mair, bot held thar way;
Thai knychtis ded thar levit thai. 480
Sum of the lord Douglassis men,
That thar lord ded had fundyn then,
Yheid weill neir wood for dule and wa.
Lang quhile our hym thai sorowit swa,
And with gret dule syne hame him bar. 485
The Kyngis hert have thai fundyn thar,
And that haym with thame have thai tane,
And ar toward thair innys gane
With greting and with evill cher;
Thair sorow angyr wes to her. 490
And quhen of Keth gud Schir Wilyhame,
That all that day had beyn at hame—
For at sa gret myschef wes he,
That he come nocht to the journee,
For his arme wes brokyne in twa— 495
Quhen he that folk sic dule saw ma,[†]
He askyt quhat it wes in hy.
And thai him tauld all opynly,
How that thair douchty lord wes slayn
With Sarazynys that releyt agayn. 500
And quhen he wyst that it was sua,
Atour all other he wes mast wa,
And maid so woundir evill cher
That all wounderit that by him wer.
Bot till tell of thair sorowyng 505
Anoyis, and helpis litill thing.
Men may weill wit, thouch nane thaim tell,
How angry, sorowfull, and how fell
Is till tyne sic ane lord as he
Till thame that war of his menyhe. 510
For he wes swete, and debonar,
And weill couth tret his frendis far,
And his fais richt felonly
Stonay, throu his gret chevelry.
The-quhethir of litill effer wes he, 515
Bot our all thing he lufit lawte;
At tresoune growyt he so gretly,
That na tratour mycht be hym by,
That he mycht wit, na he suld be
Weill punyst of his cruelte. 520

1330 How Fabricius punished a Traitor

I trow, [the leill Fabricius],
That fra Rome to warray Pirrus
Wes send with a gret menyhe,
Hatit tresoune na les than he.
The-quhethir quhen the Pirrus had 525
On him and on his menyhe, mayd
Ane outrageous discumfitour,
Quhar he eschapit throu aventour,
And mony of his men war slane,
And he gaderit ane host againe, 530
A gret mastir of medicyne,
That Pirrus had in governyne,
Profferit to this Fabricius
In tresoune for to slay Pirrus;
For, in his first potacioune, 535
He suld him gif dedly poysoune.
Fabricius than, that wondir had
That he sic proffer till hym maid
Said; “Certis, Rome is wele of mycht
“Throu strynth of armys in-to ficht, 540
“Till vencus weill thar fais, thouch thai
“Consent to tresoune be na way.
“And for thou wald do sic tresoune,
“Thou sall, to get thi warisoune,
“Ga to Pirrus, and lat hym do 545
“Quhat evir in hert hym lyis the to.”
Than till Pirrus he sende in hy
This mastir, and gert him oppenly
Fra end till end tell all this tale.
Quhen Pirrus had it herd all hale, 550
He said; ‘Wes nevir man that swa
‘For laute bar hym till his fa,
‘As heir Fabricius dois till me;
‘It is als ill to ger hym be
‘Turnyt fra way of richtwisnes, 555
‘Or to consent till wikidnes,
‘As at mydday to turne agane
‘The sone that rynnis his cours all playn.’
Thus said he of Fabricius,
That syne vencust this ilk Pirrus 560
In playne battell throu hard fechting.
His honest lawte gert me bryng
In this ensampell her, for he
Had soverane pris of his lawte.
And richt sua had the lord Douglas, 565
That honest, leill, and worthy was;
That ded wes, as befor said we;
All menyt hym, strange and preve.

Quhen his men lang had maid murnyng,
The debowellit hyme, and syne 570
Gert seth him, swa that mycht be tane
The flesche all haly fra the bane.
The carioune thair in haly plas
Erdit with richt gret worschip was.
The banys have thai with thame tane, 575
And syne ar till thair schippes gane.
Quhen thai war levit of the Kyng,
That dule had of thar sorowyng.
Till se thai went, gud wynd thai had,
Thair cours till Ingland haf thai maid, 580
And thair saufly arivit thai;
Syne toward Scotland held thar way,
And thar ar cummyne in full gret hy.
And the banys richt honorabilly
In-till [the kirk of Dowglas] war 585
Erdit, with dule and mekill car.
[Schir Archibald his sone] gert syne
Of alabast bath fair and fyne
Ordane a towme full richly,
As it behufit till swa worthy. 590

JULY 20, 1332 Death of the Earl of Murray

Qwhen that on this wis Schir Wilyhame
Of Keyth had broucht his banis hame,
And the gud Kyngis hert alsua,
And men had richly gert ma
With fair affeir his sepulture, 595
The Erle of Murreff, that the cure
That tyme of Scotland had haly,
With gret worschip has gert bery
The Kyngis hert at the abbay
Of [Melros], quhar men prayis ay 600
That he and his haffe paradis.
Quhen this wes done that I devis,
The gud Erll governit the land,
[And held the pure weill to warand].
The law sa weill mantemyt he, 605
And held in pes swa the cuntre,
That it wes nevir led or his day
So weill, as I herd ald men say.
Bot syne, allas! [poysonyt wes he];
To se his ded wes gret pite.[†] 610

The lordis deit apon this wis.
He, that hye Lord of all thing is,
Up till his mekill blis thame bryng,
And grant his grace, that thar ofspryng
Leid weill the land, and ententif 615
Be to folow, in all thair liff,
Thair nobill elderis gret bounte!
The afald God in Trinite
Bring us hye up till hevynnis blis,
Quhar all-wayis lestand liking is!—Amen. 620