The Bruce

by John Barbour

How the Queen and Other Ladies were taken and imprisoned and her Men slain.

In Rauchryne leve we now the King
In rest, for-owtyn barganying;
And off his fayis a quhile spek we,
That, throw thar mycht and thar powste,
Maid sic a persecucioune, 5
Sa hard, sa strayt, and sa feloune,
On thaim that till hym luffand wer,
Or kyn, or freynd on ony maner;
That it till her is gret pite.
For thai sparyt, [off na degre], 10
Thaim that thai trowit his freynd wer,
Nothir off the kyrk, na seculer.
For off Glaskow [byschop Robert],
And [Marcus off Man] thai stythly speryt,
Bath in fetrys and in presoune. 15
And worthy [Crystoll off Seytoun]
In-to Lochdon betresyt was,[†]
Throw a discipill off Judas.
[Maknab], a fals tratour, that ay
Wes off his duelling, nycht and day; 20
Quhom-to he maid gud cumpany.
It wes fer wer than tratoury
For to betreys sic a persoune,
So nobill, and off sic renoune.
Bot thar-off had he na pite: 25
In hell condampnyt mot he be!
For quhen he him betrasyt had,
The Inglis men rycht with him rad
In hy, [in Ingland], to the King,
That gert draw hym, and hede, and hing, 30
For-owtyn pete, or mercy.
It wes gret sorow sekyrly,
That so worthy persoune as he
Suld on sic maner hangyt be.
Thusgate endyt his worthynes. 35
And off Crauford als [Schyr Ranald] wes.
And [Schyr Bruce als the Blar],
Hangyt in-till .

1306 The Queen goes to Tain

The Queyn, and als [dame Marjory],
Hyr dochtyr that syne worthily 40
Wes coupillyt in-to Goddis band
With Walter, Stewart off Scotland;
That wald on na wys langar ly
In the castell off Kyldromy,
To byd a sege, ar ridin raith 45
With knychtis and with squyeris bath,
Throw Ros, rycht to [the gyrth off Tayne].
Bot that travaill thai maid in vayne;
For [thai off Ros], that wald nocht ber
For thaim na blayme, na yheit danger, 50
Owt off the gyrth thame all has tayne;[†]
And syne has send thaim evirilkane
Rycht in-till Ingland, to the King,
That gert draw all the men, and hing;
And [put the ladyis in presoune], 55
Sum in-till castell, sum in dongeoun.
[It wes gret pite for till heir]
Folk till be troublyt on this maneir.[†]