The Bruce

by John Barbour

1307 The King goes with the Men

Thai persavit be his spekyng[†]
And his effer, he wes the Kyng.
Thai changit contenans and late,
And held nocht in the first stat; 128
For thai war fayis to the Kyng;
And thoucht to cum in-to scowkyng,
And duell with hym quhill that thai saw
Thar tym, and [bryng hym than of daw]. 132
Thai grantit till his spek for-thi,
Bot the Kyng, that wes witty,
Persavit weill be thair havyng
That thai lufit hym in na thing: 136
He said; “Fallowis, yhe man all thre
“Forthir aquynt quhill that we be,
“All be yhour-self forrouth ga,
“And, on the sammyn wis, we twa 140
“Sall fallow yhow behynd weill neir.”
Quod thai; ‘Schir, it is na mysteir
‘To trow in-till us any ill.’
“Nane do I,” said he, “bot I will 144
“That yhe ga forrow us, quhill we
“Bettir with othir knawyn be.”
‘We grant,’ thai said, ‘sen yhe will swa:’
And furth apon thair gat can ga. 148

Thus yheid thai till the nycht wes neir.
And than the formast cumin weir
Till a wast husbandis hous; and thar
Thai slew the weddir at thai bar, 152
And slew fyre for to rost thar met,[†]
And askit the Kyng gif he wald et,
And rest hym till the met war dicht?
The Kyng, that hungry wes I hicht, 156
Assentit to thair speke in hy:
Bot he said, he wald anerly
Betuyx hym and his fallow be
At a fyre, and thai all thre 160
In the end of the hous suld ma
Ane othir fyre; and thai did swa.
Thai drew thame in the [hous] end,
And half the weddir till him send; 164
And thai rostit in hy thair met,
And fell rycht frakly for till et.
The King weill lang he fastyt had,
And had rycht mekill travale made: 168
Tharfor he ete richt egyrly.
And quhen he etyn had hastely,
He had to slepe sa mekill will,
That he mycht set na let thar-till. 172
For quhen the wanys fillit ar,
The body worthis hevy evirmar;[†]
And to slepe drawis hevynes.
The Kyng, that all for-travalit wes, 176
Saw that hym worthit [slep] neidwais;
Till his fostir brothir he sais,
“May I trast the me to walk,
“Till I a litill slepyng tak?” 180
‘Yha, Schir,’ he said, ‘till I may dre.’[†]
The Kyng than wynkit a litill we,
And slepit nocht full ynkurly,
Bot gliffnyt up oft suddandly; 184
For he had drede of thai thre men,
That at the tothir fyre war then.
That thai his fais war he wyst;
Tharfor he slepit [as foul on twist]. 188

Here he slew the three traitors.

1307 Bruce’s Foster-Brother is Slain

The Kyng slepit bot litill than,
Quhen sic a slepe fell on his man
That he mycht nocht hald up his e,
Bot fell on slepe and routit he. 192
Now is the King in gret perell:
For slepe he swa a litill quhile,
He sall be ded, forouten dred.
For the thre tratouris tuk gud hede, 196
That he on slep wes and his man.
In full gret hy thai rais up than,
And drew thair swerdis hastely,
And went toward the King in hy, 200
Quhen that thai saw he slepit swa,
And slepand thoucht thai wald hym sla.
*Till hym thai yheid a full gret pas,[†]
Bot in that tym, throu Goddis grace, *204
The Kyng blenkit up hastely,
And saw his man slepand him by, 204
And saw cumand the tratouris thre.
Delyverly on fut gat he,
And drew his suerd out and thame met,
And, as he yheid, his fut he set 208
Apon his man weill hevaly.
He walkynt, and rais all desaly:[†]
For the sleip maisterit hym swa,
That, or he gat up, ane of thai, 212
That com for to sla the Kyng,
Gaf hym a strake in his rysyng,
Swa that he mycht help hym no mair.
The Kyng so stratly stad wes thair, 216
That he wes never yheit swa stad;
Na war the armyng that he had,
He had beyn ded foroutyn weyr.
Bot nocht-for-thi on sic maneir 220
He helpit hym swa in that bargane,
That thai thre tratouris he has slane,
Throu Goddis grace and his manheid.
His fostir-brothir thair wes ded. 224
Than wes he wounder will of wayn,
Quhen he saw he wes left allane.
His fostir-brothir menyt he,
And waryit all the tothir thre, 228
And syne his way tuk hym allane,
And richt toward his trist is gane.

Here the King goes to his Tryst.

The Kyng went furth wrath and angry,
Menand his man full tendirly, 232
And held his way all hym allane,
And richt toward the hous is gane,
Quhar he set trist to mete his men;
It wes weill lat of nycht be then.[†] 236
He come soyn in the hous, and fand
The gud wif on the bynk sytand
Scho askit hym soyn quhat he wes,
And quhyne he com, and quhar he gais. 240
“A travalland man, dame,” said he,
“That travalys heir throu the cuntre.”
Scho said, ‘All that travaland ere,
‘For saik of ane, ar welcom here.’ 244
The Kyng said, “Gud dame, quhat is he
“That garris yhow have sik specialte
“Till men that travalis?” ‘Schir, perfay,’
Quod the gud wif, ‘I sal yhow say; 248
‘Gud Kyng Robert the Bruce is he,
‘That is rycht lord of this cuntre.
‘His fayis him haldis now in thrang;
‘Bot I thynk to se or oucht lang 252
‘Hym lord and kyng our all the land,
‘That na fayis sall hym withstand.’
“Dame, lufis thou hym sa weill?” said he.
‘Yha Schyr,’ scho said, ‘sa God me se!’ 256
“Dame,” said he, “lo! hym her the by,
“For I am he”;—‘Sa yhe suthly?’
“Yha, certis, dame.”—‘And quhar are gane
‘Yhour men, quhen yhe ar thus allane?’ 260
“At this tyme, dame, I have no ma.”
Scho said, ‘It may no wis be swa;
‘I have twa sonnys wicht and hardy,
‘Thai sall becum yhour men in hy.’ 264
As scho devisit thai have done,
His sworn men becom thai sone.
The wif gart soyn him syt and et.
Bot he had schort quhil at the met 268
Sittyn, quhen he herd gret stampyng
About the hous; than, but lettyng,
Thai stert up, the hous to defend;
Bot soyn eftir the Kyng has kend 272
James of Douglas: than wes he blith,
And bad oppyn the dures swith:
And thai com in, all at thai ware.
Schir Edward the Bruce wes thare, 276
And James als of Douglas,
That wes eschapit fra the chas,
And with the Kyngis brothir met.
Syne to the trist that thame wes set 280
Thai sped thame with thair cumpany,
That war ane hundreth and fyfty.

Here meets he with his Company.

1307 Bruce Plans a Surprise