BOOK XVIII.
How Sir Edward the Bruce was slain in Ireland.
OCT. 14, 1318 Edward Bruce is bent on Fighting
Bot he, that rest anoyit ay,
And wald in travaill be all-way,
[A day forrouth thair arivyng]
That war send till hym fra the King,
He tuk his way south-wart to fare[†] 5
Magre them all that with hym war.
For he had nocht than in that land
Of all men, I trow, [twa thousand],
Outane the kyngis off Erischry
That in gret rowtis raid hym by. 10
Toward Dundawk he tuk the way:
And quhen [Richard of Clare] herd say
That he com with ane few menyhe,
All that he mycht assemblit he,
Of all Irland, of armyt men: 15
Swa that he had thar with him then
Of trappit hors [tuenty thousand],
But thaim that war on fut gangand;
And held furth northwarde on his way.
And quhen Schir Edward has herd say 20
That cummyn neir till hym wes he,
He send discurrouris hym till se:
The Sowlis and the Steward war thai,
And als Schir Philip the Mowbray.
And quhen thai seyn had thar cummying, 25
Thai went agane to tell the King,
And said weill thai war mony men.
In hie Schir Edward ansuered then,
And said that he suld fecht that day
Thouch tryplit or quadruplit war thai.[†] 30
Schir Johne Steward said, “Sekirly,
“I red ye nocht ficht in sic hy.
“[Men sais] my brothir is cumand
“With fyftene hundreth men neir hand;[†]
“And war thai knyt with yhow, yhe mycht 35
“The trastlyar abyde to ficht.”
Schir Edward lukit richt angrely,
And till the Sowlis said in hy,
‘Quhat sais thou?’ “Schir,” he said, “perfay,
“As my fallow has said, I say.” 40
And than till Schir Philippe than said he,
“Schir,” said he, “sa our Lord me se!
“Me think it na foly to byde
“Yhour men, that spedis thame to ryde.
“For we ar few, our fais ar feill; 45
“God may rycht weill our weirdis deill;
“Bot it war woundir that our mycht
“Suld ourcum so feill in ficht.”
Than, with gret ire, ‘Allas,’ said he,
‘I wend nevir till here that of the! 50
‘Now help quha will, for sekirly
‘This day, but mair baid, fecht will I.
‘Sa na man say, quhill I may dre,
‘That strynth of men sall ger me fle!
‘God scheld that ony suld us blame, 55
‘That we defoull our noble name.’
“Now be it swagat than,” quod thai,
“We sall tak that God will purvay.”
OCT. 14, 1318 Edward Bruce is slain
And quhen the kyngis of Erischry
Herd say, and wist all sekirly, 60
That that King, with sa quheyn, wald ficht
Agane folk of sa mekill mycht,
Thai come till him in full gret hy,
And consalit hym full tendirly
For till abid his men; and thai 65
Suld hald thar fais all that day
Doand, and on the morne alsua,
With thar saltis that thai suld ma.
Bot thair mycht na consel availl,
He wald all-gat haff the battaill. 70
And quhen thai saw he wes so thra
To fecht, thai said; “Yhe may weill ga
“To ficht with yhon gret cumpany;
“Bot we acquyt us utirly,
“That [nane of us] will stand to ficht, 75
“Assuris nocht tharfor in our mycht.
“For our maner is of this land
“To follow and ficht, and ficht fleand,
“And nocht till stand in plane melle
“Quhill the ta part discumfit be.” 80
He said; ‘Sen that your custum is,
‘Ik ask no mair at yhow bot this,
‘That is, that yhe and yhour menyhe
‘Wald all to-giddir arayit be,
‘And stand on fer, but departing, 85
‘And se our ficht and our endyng.’
Thai said weill at thai suld do swa,
And syne toward thair men can ga,
That war weill [forty thousand neir].[†]
Edward, with thame that with him weir, 90
That war nocht fully twa thousand,
Arayit thame stalwardly till stand
Agane fourty thousand and ma.
Schir Edward that day wald nocht ta
His [cot-armour]; bot Gib Harper, 95
That men held als withouten peir
Of his estat, had on that day
All haill Schir Edwardis aray.
The ficht abaid thai on this wis;
And in gret hy thair enymys 100
Com, [till assemmyll] all reddy,
And thai met thame richt hardely.
Thai war sa few, forsuth to say,
That [ruschit with thair fais] war thai;
And thai that pressit mast to stand 105
War slane doune, and the remanand
Fled till Erischry for succour.
Schyr Edward, that had sic valour,
Wes ded, and Johne Steward alsua;
And [Johne de Sowlis als] with thai, 110
And othir als of thair cumpany.
Thai vencust war sa suddanly
[That few in-till the place war slayne];
For the laif has thair wayis tane
Till the Erische kyngis that wes thar, 115
And in haill battale howand war.
[Johne Tomassun], that wes leder[†]
Of thame of Carrik that thair wer,
Quhen he saw the discumfiting,
With-drew him till ane Erische king 120
That of his acquyntans had he;
And he resavit him in lawte.
And quhen [Johne cummyn] wes to that king,
He saw be led fra the fechting
[Schir Philipe the Mowbray], the wicht, 125
That had beyne doysnyt in the ficht.
And be the armys led was he
With twa men, apon the cawse
That wes betuix thame and the toune,
That strekit lang in a randoune. 130
Toward the toune thai held thair way,
And quhen in myd cawse war thai,
Schir Philip of his desynais
Ourcome, and persavit he wes
Tane, and swagat led with twa: 135
The tane he swappit soyne him fra,
And syne the tothir in gret hy;
Syne drew his suerde deliverly,
And till the fecht the way he tais
Endlang the cawse, that than was 140
Fillit in-to sa gret foysoune
Of men that than went to the toune.
And he, that met thame, can thame ma
Sic payment, quhar he can ga,
That weill ane hundreth men gert he 145
Leiff, magre thairis, the cawsee;
As Johne Tomassun said suthly,
That saw his deid all halely.
Toward the battall evyn he yheid.
Johne Tomassun, that tuk gud heid 150
That thai war vencust all planly,
Cryit on hym in full gret hy,
And said, “Cum heir, for thar is nane
“On liff, for thai ar dede ilkane.”
Than stude he still a quhile, and saw 155
That thai war all done out of daw;
Syne went toward him sarraly.
This Johne wroucht syne sa wittely
That all that thidder fled than wer,
Thouch that thai lesit of thair ger, 160
Com till Cragfergus haill and feir.
And thai, that at the fechting weir
Soucht Schir Edward, to get his hede,
Emange the folk that thar wes ded;
And fand Gib Harper in his ger: 165
And, for sa gude his armys wer,
Thai [strak his hed of]; and syne it
Thai haf gert saltit in-till a kyt,
And send it syne in-till Ingland,
To Edward King in-till presand. 170
Thai wend Schir Edwardis it had beyne;
Bot, for the armyng that wes scheyne,
Thai of the hed dissavit war,
All-thouch Schir Edward deit thar.
OCT., 1318 The Skilful Retreat of the Scots
On this wis war thai nobill men 175
Throu wilfulnes all losit then;
And that wes syn and gret pite.
For had thair outrageous bounte
Beyne led with wit and with mesure,
Bot gif the mair misadventure 180
Befell thame, it suld richt hard thing
Be till leid thame till outrayng.
Bot gret [outrageous succudry]
Gert thame all deir thair worschip by.[†]
And thai, that fled fra the melle, 185
Sped thame in hy toward the se,
And to Cragfergus cummyn ar thai.
And thai that war in-to the way,
To Schir Edward send fra the King,
Quhen thai herd the discumfiting, 190
Till Cragfergus thai went agane:
And that wes nocht forouten pane.
For thai war mony tymes that day
Assalit with Erischry, bot thai
Ay held to-gidder sarraly, 195
Defendand thame so wittely
That thai eschapit oft throu mycht,
And mony tymes als throu slycht;
For oft of thairis till thame gaf thai
Till let thame scathles pass thar way, 200
And to Cragfergus com thai swa.
Than batis and schippes can thai ta,
And salit till Scotland in hy,
And thar arivit all saufly.
Quhen thai of Scotland had wittering 205
Of Schir Edwardis discomfiting,
Thai menyt hym full tendrely
Our all the land comonly;
And thai that with him slane war thar
Full tendrely als menyt war. 210