Bysshopes ant barouns come to the kynges pes,
Ase men that weren fals, fykel, ant les,
Othes hue him sworen in stude ther he wes,35
To buen him hold ant trewe for alles cunnes res,
Thrye,
That hue ne shulden ayeyn him go,
So hue were temed tho;
Weht halt hit to lye?40
To the kyng Edward hii fasten huere fay;
Fals wes here foreward so forst is in May,
That sonne from the southward wypeth away;
Moni proud Scot therof mene may
To yere.45
Nes never Scotlond
With dunt of monnes hond
Allinge aboht so duere.
The bisshop of Glascou y chot he wes ylaht,
The bisshop of Seint-Andrè, bothe he beth ycaht,50
The abbot of Scon with the kyng nis nout saht,
Al here purpos ycome hit ys to naht,
Thurh ryhte:
Hii were unwis
When hii thohte pris55
Ayeyn huere kyng to fyhte.
Thourh consail of thes bisshopes ynemned byfore,
Sire Robert the Bruytz furst kyng wes ycore;
He mai everuche day ys fon him se byfore,
Yef hee mowen him hente, i chot he bith forlore,60
Sauntz fayle.
Soht for te sugge,
Duere he shal abugge
That he bigon batayle.
Hii that him crounede proude were ant bolde,65
Hii maden [kyng of somer], so hii ner ne sholde,
Hii setten on ys heved a croune of rede golde,
Ant token him a kyneyerde, so me kyng sholde,
To deme.
Tho he wes set in see,70
Lutel god couthe he
Kyneriche to yeme.
Nou kyng Hobbe in the mures yongeth,
For te come to toune nout him ne longeth;
The barouns of Engelond, myhte hue him grype,75
He him wolde techen on Englysshe to pype,
Thourh streynthe:
Ne be he ner so stout,
Yet he bith ysoht out
O brede ant o leynthe.80
Sire Edward of Carnarvan, (Jhesu him save ant see!)
Sire Emer de Valence, gentil knyht ant free,
Habbeth ysuore huere oht that, par la grace dée,
Hee wolleth ous delyvren of that false contree,
Yef hii conne.85
Muche hath Scotlond forlore,
Whet alast, whet bifore,
Ant lutel pris wonne.
Nou i chulle fonge ther ich er let,
Ant tellen ou of Frisel, ase ich ou byhet.90
In the batayle of Kyrkenclyf Frysel wes ytake;
Ys continaunce abatede eny bost to make
Biside Strivelyn;
Knyhtes ant sweynes,
Fremen ant theynes,95
Monye with hym.