STARN: Scots Teaching and Resource Network
The Brus by John Barbour
Book 3
[The lord of Lorn attacks the king's men]
The lord off Lorne wonnyt thar-by That wes capitale ennymy To the king for his emys sak Jhon Comyn, and thocht for to tak 5 Vengeance apon cruell maner. Quhen he the king wyst wes sa ner He assemblyt his men in hy, And had intill his cumpany The barounys off Argyle alsua. 10 Thai war a thousand weill or ma And come for to suppris the king That weill wes war of thar cummyng. Bot all to few with him he had The-quhethir he bauldly thaim abaid, 15 And weill ost at thar fryst metyng War layd at erd but recoveryng. The kingis folk full weill thaim bar And slew and fellyt and woundyt sar, Bot the folk off the tother party 20 Faucht with axys sa fellyly, For thai on fute war everilkane, That thai feile off thar hors has slayne, And till sum gaiff thai woundis wid. James off Douglas wes hurt that tyd 25 And als Schyr Gilbert de le Hay. The king his men saw in affray And his ensenye can he cry And amang thaim rycht hardyly He rad that he thaim ruschyt all 30 And fele off thaim thar gert he fall. Bot quhen he saw thai war sa feill And saw thaim swa gret dyntis deill He dred to tyne his folk, forthi His men till him he gan rely 35 And said, 'Lordyngis, foly it war Tyll us for till assembill mar, For thai fele off our hors has slayn, And giff yhe fecht with thaim agayn We sall tyne off our small mengye 40 And our selff sall in perill be. Tharfor me thynk maist avenand To withdraw us us defendand Till we cum out off thar daunger, For our strenth at our hand is ner.' 45 Then thai withdrew thaim halely Bot that wes nocht full cowartly For samyn intill a sop held thai And the king him abandonyt ay To defend behind his mengye, 50 And throu his worschip sa wrouch he That he reskewyt all the flearis And styntyt swagat the chassaris That nane durst out off batall chas, For alwayis at thar hand he was. 55 Sa weile defendyt he his men That quha-sa-ever had seyne him then Prove sa worthely vasselage And turn sa oft-sythis the visage He suld say he aucht weill to be 60 A king off a gret reawté.
[Comparisons from Celtic and classical legends with the king's
defence of his men]
Quhen that the lord off Lorne saw His men stand off him ane sik aw That thai durst nocht folow the chase Rycht angry in his hart he was, 65 And for wondyr that he suld swa Stot thaim him ane but ma He said, 'Me think Marthokys sone Rycht as Golmakmorn was wone To haiff fra Fyn all his mengne, 70 Rycht swa all his fra us has he.' He set ensample thus mydlike, The-quhethir he mycht mar manerlik Lyknyt hym to Gaudifer de Larys Quhen that the mychty Duk Betys 75 Assailyeit in Gadyrris the forrayours, And quhen the king thaim maid rescours Duk Betys tuk on him the flycht That wald ne mar abid to fycht. Bot Gaudifer the worthi 80 Abandonyt him so worthyly For to reskew all the fleieris And for to stonay the chasseris That Alysander to erth he bar And alsua did he Tholimar 85 And gud Coneus alsua Danklyne alsua and othir ma, Bot at the last thar slayne he wes. In that failyeit the liklynes, For the king full chevalrusly 90 Defendyt all his cumpany And wes set in full gret danger And yeit eschapyt haile and fer.
[The king kills the two Mac na Dorsair brothers and their fellow]
Twa brethir war in that land That war the hardiest off hand 95 That war intill all that cuntre, And thai had sworn iff thai mycht se The Bruys quhar thai mycht him our-ta That thai suld dey or then hym sla. Thar surname wes Makyne Drosser, 100 That is al-so mekill to say her As the Durwarth sonnys perfay. Off thar covyne the thrid had thai That wes rycht stout ill and feloune. Quhen thai the king off gud renoune 105 Saw sua behind his mengne rid And saw him torne sa mony tid, Thai abaid till that he was Entryt in ane narow place Betwix a louch-sid and a bra 110 That wes sa strait Ik underta That he mycht nocht weill turn in his sted. Then with a will till him thai yede And ane him by the bridill hynt, Bot he raucht till him sic a dynt 115 That arme and schuldyr flaw him fra. With that ane other gan him ta Be the lege and his hand gan schute Betwix the sterap and his fute, And quhen the king feld thar his hand 120 In his sterapys stythly gan he stand And strak with spuris the stede in hy, And he lansyt furth delyverly Swa that the tother failyeit fete, And nocht-for-thi his hand wes yeit 125 Undyr the sterap magré his. The thrid with full gret hy with this Rycht till the bra-syd he yeid And stert behynd hym on his sted. The king wes then in full gret pres, 130 The-quhether he thocht as he that wes In all hys dedys avisé To do ane outrageous bounte, And syne hyme that behynd him was All magré his will him gan he ras 135 Fra behynd him, thocht he had sworn, He laid hym evyn him beforn, Syne with the swerd sic dynt hym gave That he the heid till the harnys clave. He rouschit doun off blud all rede 140 As he that stound feld off dede. And then the king in full gret hy Strak at the tothir vigorusly That he efter his sterap drew That at the fyrst strak he him slew. 145 On this wis him delyverit he Off all thai felloun fayis thre.
[Mac Nachtan praises the king]
Quhen thai of Lorne has sene the king Set in hym selff sa gret helping And defendyt him sa manlely, 150 Wes nane amang thaim sa hardy That durst assailye him mar in fycht, Sa dred thai for his mekill mycht. Thar wes a baroune Maknauchtan That in his hart gret kep has tane 155 To the kingis chevalry And prisyt him in hert gretly, And to the lord off Lorne said he, 'Sekyrly now may ye se Be tane the starkest pundelan 160 That evyr your lyfftyme ye saw tane, For yone knycht throu his douchti deid And thro his outrageous manheid Has fellyt intill litill tyd Thre men off mekill prid, 165 And stonayit all our mengye swa That eftyr him dar na man ga, And tournys sa mony tyme his stede That semys off us he had na dred.' Then gane the lord off Lorn say, 170 'It semys it likis ye perfay That he slayis yongat our mengye.' 'Schyr,' said he, 'sa Our Lord me se, To sauff your presence it is nocht swa, Bot quhether-sa he be freynd or fa 175 That wynnys prys off chevalry Men suld spek tharoff lelyly, And sekyrly in all my tyme Ik hard never in sang na ryme Tell off a man that swa smertly 180 Eschevyt swa gret chevalry.' Sic speking off the king thai maid, And he eftyr his mengye raid And intill saufte thaim led Quhar he his fayis na-thing dred, 185 And thai off Lorne agayn ar gayn Menand the scaith that thai haiff tayn.
[The king comforts his men with the example
of the recovery of Rome from Hannibal]
The king that nycht his wachis set And gert ordayne that thai mycht et, And bad conford to thaim tak 190 And at thar mychtis mery mak. For disconford, as then said he, Is the werst thing that may be, For throu mekill disconforting Men fallis oft into disparing, 195 And fra a man disparyt be Then utraly vencusyt is he, And fra the hart be discumfyt The body is nocht worth a myt. 'Tharfor,' he said, 'atour all thing 200 Kepys you fra disparyng, And think thouch we now harmys fele That God may yeit releve us weill. Men redys off mony men that war Fer harder stad then we yhet ar 205 And syne Our Lord sic grace thaim lent That thai come weill till thar entent. For Rome quhilum sa hard wes stad Quhen Hanniball thaim vencusyt had That off ryngis with rich stane 210 That war off knychtis fyngeris tane He send thre bollis to Cartage, And syne to Rome tuk his viage Thar to distroye the cite all. And thai within bath gret and small 215 Had fled quhen thai saw his cummyng Had nocht bene Scipio the king, That or thai fled wald thaim haiff slayn, And swagat turnyt he thaim agayn. Syne for to defend the cite 220 Bath servandis and threllis mad he fre, And maid thaim knychtis everilkane, And syne has off the templis tane The armys that thar eldrys bar, In name off victory offeryt thar. 225 And quhen thai armyt war and dycht That stalwart karlis war and wycht And saw that thai war fre alsua, Thaim thocht that thai had lever ta The dede na lat the toun be tane, 230 And with commoune assent as ane Thai ischit off the toune to fycht Quhar Hannyball his mekill mycht Aganys thaim arayit was. Bot throu mycht off Goddis grace 235 It ranyt sa hard and hevyly That thar wes nane sa hardy That durst into that place abid, Bot sped thaim intill hy to rid, The ta part to thar pailyounys, 240 The tother part went in the toune is. The rayne thus lettyt the fechtyn, Sa did it twys tharefter syne. Quhen Hanibal saw this ferly With all his gret chevalry 245 He left the toune and held his way, And syne wes put to sik assay Throu the power off that cite That his lyff and his land tynt he. Be thir quheyne that sa worthily 250 Wane sik a king and sa mychty, Ye may weill be ensampill se That na man suld disparyt be, Na lat his hart be vencusyt all For na myscheiff that ever may fall, 255 For nane wate in how litill space That God umquhile will send grace. Had thai fled and thar wayis gane Thar fayis swith the toune had tane. Tharfor men that werrayand war 260 Suld set thar etlyng ever-mar To stand agayne thar fayis mycht Umquhile with strenth and quhile with slycht, And ay thynk to cum to purpos, And giff that thaim war set in chos 265 To dey or to leyff cowartly, Thai suld erar dey chevalrusly.
[The king cites the example of Caesar]
Thusgat thaim comfort the king And to comfort thaim gan inbryng Auld storys off men that wer 270 Set intyll hard assayis ser And that fortoun contraryit fast, And come to purpos at the last. Tharfor he said that thai that wald Thar hartis undiscumfyt hald 275 Suld ay thynk ententily to bryng All thar enpres to gud ending, As quhile did Cesar the worthy That traveillyt ay so besyly With all his mycht folowing to mak 280 To end the purpos that he wald tak, That hym thocht he had doyne rycht nocht Ay quhill to do him levyt ocht. Forthi gret thingis eschevyt he As men may in his story se. 285 Men may se be his ythen will, And it suld als accord to skill That quha tais purpos sekyrly And folowis it syne ententily Forout fayntice or yheit faynding, 290 With-thi it be conabill thing, Bot he the mar be unhappy He sall eschev it in party, And haiff he lyff-dayis weill may fall That he sall eschev it all. 295 For-thi suld nane haff disparing For till eschev a full gret thing, For giff it fall he tharoff failye The fawt may be in his travailye.
[Atholl asks to be left; the king sends him,
Neil Bruce and the ladies to Kildrummy]
He prechyt thaim on this maner 300 And fenyeit to mak better cher Then he had mater to be fer, For his caus yeid fra ill to wer, Thai war ay in sa hard travaill, Till the ladyis began to fayle 305 That mycht the travaill drey na mar, Sa did other als that thar war. The Erle Jhone wes ane off tha Off Athole that quhen he saw sua The king be discumfyt twys, 310 And sa feile folk agayne him rys, And lyff in sic travaill and dout, His hart begane to faile all-out And to the king apon a day He said, 'Gyff I durst you say, 315 We lyff into sa mekill dreid, And haffis oftsys off met sic ned, And is ay in sic travailling With cauld and hunger and waking, That I am sad off my selvyn sua 320 That I count nocht my liff a stra. Thir angrys may I ne mar drey, For thoucht me tharfor worthit dey I mon sojourne, quharever it be. Levys me tharfor par cheryte.' 325 The king saw that he sa wes failyt And that he ik wes for-travaillyt. He said, 'Schyr erle, we sall sone se And ordayne how it best may be. Quharever ye be, Our Lord you send 330 Grace fra your fais you to defend.' With that in hy to him callyt he Thaim that till him war mast preve. Then amang thaim thai thocht it best And ordanyt for the liklyest 335 That the queyne and the erle alsua And the ladyis in hy suld ga With Nele the Bruce till Kildromy, For thaim thocht thai mycht sekyrly Dwell thar quhill thai war vittaillit weile, 340 For swa stalwart wes the castell That it with strenth war hard to get Quhill that tharin war men and mete. As thai ordanyt thai did in hy, The queyne and all hyr cumpany 345 Lap on thar hors and furth thai far. Men mycht haiff sene quha had bene thar At leve-takyng the ladyis gret And mak thar face with teris wet, And knychtis for thar luffis sak 350 Bath bsich and wep and murnyng mak, Thai kyssyt thar luffis at thar partyng. The king umbethocht him off a thing, That he fra thine on fute wald ga And tak on fute bath weill and wa, 355 And wald na hors-men with him haiff, Tharfor his hors all haile he gaiff To the ladyis that myster had. The queyn furth on hyr wayis rade And sawffly come to the castell 360 Quhar hyr folk war ressavyt weill And esyt weill with meyt and drynk, Bot mycht nane eys let hyr to think On the king that wes sa sar stad That bot twa hunder with him had, 365 The-quhethir thaim weill comfortyt he ay. God help him that all mychtis may.
[The king plans to go to Kintyre; Neil Campbell sent to find ships;
the king and his men cross Loch Lomond; he reads a romance to them]
The queyne dwelt thus in Kyldromy, And the king and his cumpany That war twa hunder and na ma 370 Fra thai had send thar hors thaim fra Wandryt emang the hey montanys, Quhar he and his oft tholyt paynys, For it wes to the wynter ner, And sa feile fayis about him wer 375 That all the countre thaim werrayit. Sa hard anoy thaim then assayit Off hunger cauld with schowris snell That nane that levys can weill it tell. The king saw how his folk wes stad 380 And quhat anoyis that thai had, And saw wynter wes cummand ner, And that he mycht on na maner Dre in the hillys the cauld lying Na the long nychtis waking. 385 He thocht he to Kyntyr wald ga And swa lang sojournyng thar ma Till wynter wedder war away, And then he thocht but mar delay Into the manland till aryve 390 And till the end his werdis dryv. And for Kyntyr lyis in the se Schyr Nele Cambel befor send he For to get him navyn and meite, And certane tyme till him he sete 395 Quhen he suld meite him at the se. Schir Nele Cambell with his mengye Went his way but mar letting And left his brother with the king, And in twelf dayis sua traveillit he 400 That he gat schippyne gud plente And vittalis in gret aboundance. Sa maid he nobill chevisance For his sibmen wonnyt tharby That helpyt him full wilfully. 405 The king efter that he wes gane To Louch Lomond the way has tane And come on the thrid day, Bot tharabout na bait fand thai That mycht thaim our the water ber. 410 Than war thai wa on gret maner For it wes fer about to ga, And thai war into dout alsua To meyt thar fayis that spred war wyd. Tharfor endlang the louchhis syd 415 Sa besyly thai socht and fast Tyll James of Douglas at the last Fand a litill sonkyn bate And to the land it drew fut-hate, Bot it sa litill wes that it 420 Mycht our the watter but a thresum flyt. Thai send tharoff word to the king That wes joyfull off that fynding And fyrst into the bate is gane, With him Douglas, the thrid wes ane 425 That rowyt thaim our deliverly And set thaim on the land all dry, And rowyt sa oftsys to and fra Fechand ay our twa and twa That in a nycht and in a day 430 Cummyn out-our the louch ar thai, For sum off thaim couth swome full weill And on his bak ber a fardele. Swa with swymmyng and with rowyng Thai brocht thaim our and all thar thing. 435 The king the quhilis meryly Red to thaim that war him by Romanys off worthi Ferambrace That worthily our-cummyn was Throu the rycht douchty Olyver, 440 And how the duk-peris wer Assegyt intill Egrymor Quhar King Lavyne lay thaim befor With may thousandis then I can say, And bot ellevyn within war thai 445 And a woman, and war sa stad That thai na mete thar-within had Bot as thai fra thar fayis wan. Yheyte sua contenyt thai thaim than That thai the tour held manlily 450 Till that Rychard off Normandy Magré his fayis warnyt the king That wes joyfull off this tithing, For he wend thai had all beyne slayne. Tharfor he turnyt in hy agayne 455 And wan Mantrybill and passit Flagot, And syne Lavyne and all his flot Dispitusly discumfyt he, And deliveryt his men all fre And wan the naylis and the sper 460 And the crowne that Jhesu couth ber, And off the croice a gret party He wan throu his chevalry. The gud king apon this maner Comfort thaim that war him ner 465 And maid thaim gamyn and solace Till that his folk all passyt was.
[Lennox joins the king; a reflection on weeping]
Quhen thai war passit the water brad Suppos thai fele off fayis had Thai maid thaim mery and war blyth. 470 Nocht-for-thi full fele syth Thai had full gret defaut of mete, And tharfor venesoun to get In twa partys ar thai gayne. The king himselff wes intill ane 475 And Schyr James off Douglas Into the tother party was. Then to the hycht thai held thar way And huntyt lang quhill off the day And soucht schawys and setis set 480 Bot thai gat litill for till ete. Then hapnyt at that tyme percas That the erle of the Levenax was Amang the hillis ner tharby, And quhen he hard sa blaw and cry 485 He had wonder quhat it mycht be, And on sic maner spyryt he That he knew that it wes the king, And then foroutyn mar duelling With all thaim off his cumpany 490 He went rycht till the king in hy, Sa blyth and sa joyfull that he Mycht on na maner blyther be For he the king wend had bene ded, And he wes alsua will off red 495 That he durst nocht rest into na place, Na sen the king discumfyt was At Meffan he herd never thing That ever wes certane off the king. Tharfor into full gret daynte 500 The king full humyly haylist he, And he him welcummyt rycht blythly And askyt him full tenderly, And all the lordis that war thar Rycht joyfull off thar meting war, 505 And kyssyt him in gret daynte. It wes gret pite for til se How thai for joy and pite gret Quhen that thai with thar falow met That thai wend had bene dede, forthi 510 Thai welcummyt him mar hartfully, And he for pite gret agayne That never off metyng wes sa fayne. Thocht I say that thai gret sothly It wes na greting propyrly, 515 For I trow traistly that gretyng Cummys to men for mysliking, And that nane may but angyr gret Bot it be wemen, that can wet Thair chekys quhenever thaim list with teris, 520 The-quhethir weill oft thaim na thing deris, But I wate weill but lesyng Quhatever men say off sic greting That mekill joy or yeit pete May ger men sua amovyt be 525 That water fra the hart will rys And weyt the eyne on sic a wys That is lik to be greting, Thocht it be nocht sua in all thing, For quhen men gretis enkrely 530 The hart is sorowful or angry, Bot for pite I trow gretyng Be na thing bot ane opynnyng Off hart that schawis the tendernys Off rewth that in it closyt is. 535 The barounys apon this maner Throu Goddis grace assemblyt wer. The erle had mete and that plente And with glad hart it thaim gaiff he, And thai eyt it with full gud will 540 That soucht na nother sals thar-till Bot appetyt, that oft men takys, For rycht weill scowryt war thar stomakys. Thai eit and drank sic as thai had And till Our Lord syne lovyng maid, 545 And thankit him with full gud cher That thai war mete on that maner. The king then at thaim speryt yarne How thai sen he thaim seyne had farne, And thai full petwysly gan tell 550 Aventuris that thaim befell And gret anoyis and poverte. The king tharat had gret pite And tauld thaim petwisly agayne The noy, the travaill and the payne 555 That he had tholyt sen he thaim saw. Wes nane amang thaim hey na law That he ne had pite and plesaunce Quhen that he herd mak remembrance Off the perellys that passyt war, 560 Bot quhen men oucht at liking ar To tell off paynys passyt by Plesys to heryng petuisly, And to rehers thar auld disese Dois thaim oftsys comfort and ese, 565 With-thi tharto folow na blame Dishonour wikytnes na schame.
[They row past Bute; Lennox's boat escapes pursuers]
Efter the mete sone rais the king Quhen he had levyt hys speryng, And buskyt him with his mengye 570 And went in hy towart the se Quhar Schyr Nele Cambell thaim mete Bath with schippis and with meyte Saylys ayris and other thing That wes spedfull to thar passyng. 575 Then schippyt thai foroutyn mar Sum went till ster and sum till ar, And rowyt be the ile of But. Men mycht se mony frely fute About the cost, thar lukand 580 As thai on ayris rais rowand, And nevys that stalwart war and squar, That wont to spayn gret speris war, Swa spaynyt aris that men mycht se Full oft the hyde leve on the tre. 585 For all war doand, knycht and knave, Wes nane that ever disport mycht have Fra steryng and fra rowyng To furthyr thaim off thar fleting. Bot in the samyn tyme at thai 590 War in schipping, as ye hard me say, The erle off the Levenax was, I can nocht tell you throu quhat cas Levyt behynd with his galay Till the king wes fer on his way. 595 Quhen that thai off his cuntre Wyst that so duelt behynd wes he Be se with schippys thai him socht, And he that saw that he wes nocht Off pith to fecht with thai traytouris 600 And that he had na ner socouris Then the kingis flote, forthi He sped him efter thaim in hy, Bot the tratouris hym folowyt sua That thai weill ner hym gan ourta 605 For all the mycht that he mycht do. Ay ner and ner thai come him to, And quhen he saw thai war sa ner That he mycht weill thar manance her And saw thaim ner and ner cum ay, 610 Then till his mengye gan he say, 'Bot giff we fynd sum sutelte Ourtane all sone sall we be. Tharfor I rede but mar letting That outakyn our armyng 615 We kast our thing all in the se, And fra our schip swa lychtyt be We sall row and speid us sua That we sall weill eschaip thaim fra, With that thai sall mak duelling 620 Apon the se to tak our thing And we sall row but resting ay Till we eschapyt be away.' As he divisyt thai have done And thar schip thai lychtyt sone 625 And rowyt syne with all thar mycht, And scho that swa wes maid lycht Raykyt slidand throu the se. And quhen thar fayis gan thaim se Forouth thaim alwayis mar and mar, 630 The thingis that thar fletand war Thai tuk and turnyt syne agayne, And leyt thai lesyt all thar payne.
[Arrival in Kintyre; Angus of Islay submits at Dunaverty;
they sail for Rathlin]
Quhen that the erle on this maner And his mengye eschapyt wer, 635 Eftyr the king he gan him hy That then with all his cumpany Into Kyntyr aryvyt was. The erle tauld him all his cas, How he wes chasyt on the se 640 With thaim that suld his awyn be, And how he had bene tane but dout Na war it that he warpyt out All that he had him lycht to ma And swa eschapyt thaim fra. 645 'Schyr erle,' said the king, 'perfay, Syn thou eschapyt is away Off the tynsell is na plenyeing. Bot I will say the weile a thing, That thar will fall the gret foly 650 To pas oft fra my cumpany, For fele sys quhen thou art away Thou art set intill hard assay, Tharfor me thynk best to the To hald the alwayis ner by me.' 655 'Schyr,' said the erle, 'it sall be swa. I sall na wys pas fer you fra Till God giff grace we be off mycht Agayne our fayis to hald our stycht.' Angus off Ile that tyme wes syr 660 And lord and ledar off Kyntyr, The king rycht weill resavyt he And undertuk his man to be, And him and his on mony wys He abandounyt till his service, 665 And for mar sekyrnes gaiff him syne His castell off Donavardyne To duell tharin at his liking. Full gretumly thankyt him the king And resavyt his service. 670 Nocht-forthi on mony wys He wes dredand for tresoun ay, And tharfor, as Ik hard men say, He traistyt in nane sekyrly Till that he knew him utraly. 675 Boy quhatkin dred that ever he had Fayr contenance to thaim he maid, And in Donavardyne dayis thre Foroutyne mar then duellyt he. Syne gert he his mengye mak thaim yar 680 Towart Rauchryne be se to far That is ane ile in the se, And may weill in mydwart be Betuix Kyntyr and Irland, Quhar als gret stremys ar rynnand 685 And als peralous and mar Till our-saile thaim into schipfair As is the rais of Bretangye Or Strait off Marrok into Spanye.
[The stormy crossing; the panic and the submission of Rathlin]
Thair schippys to the se thai set, 690 And maid redy but langer let Ankyrs rapys bath saile and ar And all that nedyt to schipfar. Quhen thai war boune to saile thai went, The wynd wes wele to thar talent. 695 Thai raysyt saile and furth thai far, And by the Mole thai passyt yar And entryt sone into the rase Quhar that the stremys sa sturdy was That wavys wyd wycht brakand war 700 Weltryt as hillys her and thar. The schippys our the wavys slayd For wynd at poynt blawand thai had, Bot nocht-forthi quha had thar bene A gret stertling he mycht haiff seyne 705 Off schippys, for quhilum sum wald be Rycht on the wavys as on a mounté And sum wald slyd fra heycht to law Rycht as thai doune till hell wald draw, Syne on the wav stert sodanly, 710 And other schippys that war tharby Deliverly drew to the depe. It wes gret cunnanes to kep Thar takill intill sic a thrang And wyth sic wavis, for ay amang 715 The wavys reft thar sycht of land Quhen thai the land wes rycht ner-hand, And quhen schippys war sailand ner The se wald rys on sic maner That off the wavys the weltrand hycht 720 Wald refe thaim oft off thar sycht. Bot into Rauchryne nocht-forthi Thai aryvyt ilkane sawffly, Blyth and glaid that thai war sua Eschapyt thai hidwys wavis fra. 725 In Rauchryne thai aryvyt ar And to the land thai went but mar Armyt apon thar best maner. Quhen the folk that thar wonnand wer Saw men off armys in that cuntre 730 Aryve into sic quantite Thai fled in hy with thar catell Towart a rycht stalwart castell That in the land wes tharby. Men mycht her wemen hely cry 735 And fle with cataill her and thar. Bot the kingis folk that war Deliver of fute thaim gan our-hy And thaim arestyt hastely And brocht thaim to the king agayne 740 Swa that nane off thaim all wes slayne. Then with thaim tretyt swa the king That thai to fulfill his yarnyng Become his men everilkane, And has him trewly undertane 745 That thai and tharis loud and still Suld be in all thing at his will, And quhill him likit thar to leynd Everilk day thai suld him send Vittalis for thre hunder men, 750 And thai as lord suld him ken, Bot at thar possessioune suld be For all his men thar awyn fre. The cunnand on this wys was maid, And on the morn but langer baid 755 Off all Rauchryne bath man and page Knelyt and maid the king homage, And tharwith swour him fewté To serve him ay in lawté, And held him rycht weill cunnand, 760 For quhill he duelt into the land Thai fand meit till his cumpany And servyt him full humely.