The Bruce

by John Barbour

How the Lord Soulis thought through Treason with his Accomplices to have put down Good King Robert the Bruce, and how he was warned by a Lady.

AUG., 1320 The Conspiracy against King Robert

Than wes the land a quhile in pes;[†]
Bot covatis, that can nocht ces
Till set men apon felony,
Till ger thame cum till senyhory,
Gert lordis of full gret renoune 5
Mak
Agane Robert, the douchty King;
Thai thoucht till bring him till ending,
And for till bruke, eftir his dede,
The kynrik, and ryng in his sted. 10
[The lord of Sowlis], Schir Wilyhame,
Of that purchas had mast defame;
For principall tharoff wes he,
Bath of assent and cruelte.
He had gert be with him syndri: 15
Gilbert [Male-herbe], Johne of Logy,[†]
Thir war the knychtis I tell of heir,
And Richard Broune als, a squyeir;
And gud Schir [David the Brechyne]
Wes of this deid arettit syne, 20
As I sall tell yhow forthirmair.
Bot thai ilkane discoverit war
[Throu ane lady], as I herd say,
Or till thair purpos cum mycht thai.
For scho tald haly to the King 25
Thair purpos and thair ordanyng,
And how that he suld haf beyn ded,
And Sowlis ryng in-till his sted;
And tald him werray takynnyng
That this purches wes suthfast thing. 30
And quhen the King wist it wes swa,
Sa sutell purchas can he ma,
That he gert tak thame evirilkane.
And quhar the lord Sowlis wes tane,
Thre hundreth and sexte had he 35
Of squyeris, cled in his liverye,
At that tyme in his cumpany,
Outane knychtis that war joly.
In-to Berwik than takyn wes he;
Than mycht men all his menyhe se 40
Sary and wa; for, suth to say,
The king leit thame all pass thar way;
And held thame that he takyn had.
The lord Sowlis syne eftir maid
[Playn granting] of all that purchas. 45
A parliament tharfor set thar was,
And thiddir broucht thir menyhe war.
The lord Sowlis has grantit thar
The deid in-to [plane parliament].
Thar soyn eftir he wes sent 50
[Till his penans till Dumbertane],
And deit in that tour of stane.

1320 Umfraville returns to England

Schir Gilbert Maleherbe, and Logy,
And Richard Broune, thir thre planly
War with ane assis than ourtane. 55
Tharfor [thai drawin war] ilkane,
And hyngit and hedit als thar-to,
As men had demyt thame till do.
And gud Schir David the Brechyne
Thai gert challans richt stratly syne; 60
And he grantit that of that thing
Wes maid till hym discoveryng,
Bot he thar-till gaf na consent.
And for he helit thair entent
And discoverit it nocht to the King, 65
That he held of all his halding,
And had maid till him his fewte,
Jugit to hang and draw wes he.
And as thai drew him for to hyng,
The pepill ferly fast gan thring, 70
Him and his myscheiff for to se,
That to behald wes gret pite.
Schir Ingerame Umphravell, that than
Wes with the King as [Scottis man],
Quhen he that gret mischeif can se, 75
“Lordis,” he said, “quhar-to press yhe?
“To se at myscheiff sic a knycht,
“That wes so worthy and so wicht,
“That I haf seyn ma pres to se
“Him for his richt soverane bounte, 80
“Than now dois for till se him heir!”
And quhen thir wordis spoken weir,
With sary cher he held him still
Quhill men had done of him thar will.
Syne, with the leiff of the King, 85
He broucht him menskfully till erding.
And syne to the King thus said he;
“A thing, pray I yhow, grant to me;
“That is, that yhe of all my land,
“That in-to Scotland is lyand, 90
“Wald gif me leiff till do my will.”
The King than soyne has said him till,
‘I will weill graunt that it swa be;
‘Bot tell me quhat anoyis the?’
He said agane, “Grant me mercy, 95
“And I sall tell yhow it planly.
“Myne hert giffis me no mor to be
“With yhow duelland in this cuntre.
“Tharfor, bot at it nocht yhow greiff,
“I pray yhow hertly of yhour leiff. 100
“For quhar sa richt worthy a knycht,
“And sa chevelrus and sa wicht,
“And sa renownit of worschip syne
“As gud Schir David the Brechyne,
“And sa fulfillit of all manheid, 105
“Wes put to sa felloune a ded,[†]
“My hert forsuth may nocht gif me
“Till duell, for na thing that may be.”
The King syne said; ‘Sen thou will swa,
‘Quhen-evir thou likis thou may ga,[†] 110
‘And thou sall haiff gud leiff thar-to
‘Thi liking of thi land till do.’
And he him thankit gretumly,
And of his land, in full gret hy,
As him thoucht best, disponit he. 115
Syne at the King of gret bounte,
Befor all thai that with him war,
He tuk his leyff for evirmair;
And went in Ingland to the King,
That maid him richt fair welcummyng, 120
And askit him of the north tithing.
And he him tald all, but lesing,
How thai knychtis distroyit war.
And all as I tald till yhow air;
And of [the Kyngis curtasye], 125
That levit him debonarly
Till do of his land his liking.
In that tyme war send fra the King
Of Scotland messingeris to tret
Of pes, gif that thai mycht it get, 130
As thai [oftsis] befor war send,
Quhar that thai couth nocht bring till end.
For the gud King had in entent,
Sen God sa fair grace till him sent,[†]
That he had wonnyn all his land 135
Throu strinth of armys till his hand,
That he pes in his land wald ma,
And all the landis stabill swa,
That his air eftir hym suld be
In peis, gif men held thair laute. 140

MAY-JUNE, 1323 A Thirteen Years’ Truce

In this tyme now that Umphrevele,
As I bair yhow on hand eir-quhil,
Com till the King of Ingland,
The Scottis messingeres thar he fand
Of pes and rest to haf tretis. 145
The King wist Schir Ingerame wes wis,
And askit his consell thair-to,
Quhat he wald rede him for till do.
For him, said he, thoucht herd to ma
Pes wyth King Robert Bruce his fa, 150
Quhill that he of him vengit war.
Schir Ingerame till hym maid ansuar
And said, “He delt sa curtasly
“With me, that on na wis suld I
“Giff consell till his merring.” 155
‘The behufis neid-way,’ said the King,
‘To this thing heir say thine avis.’
“Schir,” said he, “sen yhour willis is
“That I say, wyt yhe sekirly,
“For all yhour gret chevelry, 160
“Till deill with hym yhe haf no mycht.
“His men ar worthyn all sa wicht
“For lang usage of gret fechting,
“That has beyne norist in sic thing,
“That ilk yheman is sa wicht 165
“Of his, that he is worth a knycht.
“Bot and yhe think yhour weir to bring
“Till your purpos and gud liking,
“Lang trewis with hym tak sall yhe.
“Than sall the mast of his menyhe, 170
“That ar bot sympill yhemanry,
“Be distrenyheit all comonly
“To wyn thair met with thair travale.
“And sum of thame neid mon thame call
“With plewch and harrow for to get, 175
“And othir ser craftis, thair met;
“Swa that thair armyng sall worth ald,[†]
“And sall be rottyn, distroyit, or sald;
“And feill, that now of weir ar sle,
“In-till a lang trewis sall de, 180
“And othir in thair sted sall ris
“That sall cun litill of sic mastris.
“And quhen thai thus disusyt ar,
“Than may yhe move on thame yhour wer,
“And sall richt weill, as I suppos,[†] *185
“Bring yhour entent to gud purpos.” *186
Till this assentit thai ilkane. 185
And eftir syne [war trewis tane],
Betuix the twa Kyngis, that wer
Talit to lest for thretten yheir:[†]
And on the marchis gert thame cry.
The Scottis men kepit thame lely, 190
[Bot Inglis men apon the se]
Distroyit, throu gret iniquite,
Marchand-schippis, that saland war
Fra Scotland to Flandris with war,
And distroyit the men ilkane, 195
And till thar oys thar gude has tane.
The King send oft till ask redres,
Bot nocht thar-of redres ther wes;
And he abaid all tyme askand.
The trewis on his half gert he stand 200
Apon the marchis stabilly,
And gert men kep thame lelely.