STARN: Scots Teaching and Resource Network
The Brus by John Barbour
Book 8
[The king in Kyle]
The king fra Schyr Aymer wes gane Gadryt his menye everilkan And left bath woddis and montanys And held hys way strak till the planys 5 For he wald fayne that end war maid Off that that he begunnyn had, And he wyst weill he mycht nocht bring It to gud end but travalling. To Kyle went he fryst and that land 10 He maid all till him obeysand, The men maist force come till his pes. Syne efterwart or he wald ses Of Conyngayme the maist party He gert held till his senyoury. 15 In Bothweill then Schyr Aymer was That in hys hart gret angre has For thai off Cunyngame and Kile That war obeysand till him quhile Left Inglismennys fewte. 20 Tharoff fayne vengyt wald he be, And send Philip the Mowbray With a thousand as Ik herd say Off men that war in his leding To Kile for to werray the king.
[Douglas defeats Sir Philip Mowbray at Edirford]
25 Bot James of Douglas that all tid Had spyis out on ilka sid Wyst off thar cummyng and that thai Wald hald doune Makyrnokis way. He tuk with him all prevely 30 Thaim that war off his cumpany That war fourty withoutyn ma, Syne till a strait place gan he ga That is in Makyrnokis way, The Edirford it hat perfay, 35 It lyis betwix marrais twa Quhar that na hors on lyve may ga. On the south halff quhar James was Is ane upgang, a narow pas, And on the north halff is the way 40 Sa ill as it apperis today. Douglas with thaim he with him had Enbuschyt him and thaim abaid, He mycht weile fer se thar cummyng Bot thai mycht se of hym na thing. 45 Thai baid in buschement all the nycht, And quhen the sone was schynand brycht Thai saw in bataillyng cum arayit The vaward with baner displayit, And syne sone the remanand 50 Thai saw weile ner behind cummand. Then held thai thaim still and preve Till the formast off that mengye War entryt in the ford thaim by, Then schot thai on thaim with a cry 55 And with wapnys that scharply schar Sum in the ford thai bakwart bar, And sum with arowis barblyt braid Sa gret martyrdome on thaim has maid That thai gan draw to voyd the place, 60 Bot byhynd thaim sa stoppyt was The way that thai fast mycht nocht fle, And that gert mony off thaim de, For thai on na wys mycht away Bot as thai come bot giff that thai 65 Wald throu thar fayis hald the gat, Bot that way thocht thaim all to hat. Thar fayis met thaim sa sturdely And contenyt the fycht sa hardily That thai sa dredand war that thai 70 That fyrst mycht fle fyrst fled away, And quhen the rerward saw thaim sua Discumfyt and thar wayis ga Thai fled on fer and held thar way.
[The flight of Sir Philip Mowbray to Inverkip]
Bot Schyr Philip the Mowbray 75 That with the formast ridand was That entryt wes in the place, Quhen that he saw how he wes stad Throu the gret worschip that he had With spuris he strak the steid off pryce 80 And magre all his ennymys Throu the thikkest off thaim he raid, And but challance eschapyt had Ne war ane hynt him by the brand, Bot he the gud steid that wald nocht stand 85 Lansyt furth deliverly. Bot the tother sa stalwartly Held that the belt braist off the brand And swerd and belt left in hys hand, And he but swerd his wayis raid 90 Weill otouth thaim and thair abaid, And beheld how that his menye fled And how his fayis clengyt the steid That war betwix him and his men. Tharfor furth the wayis tuk he then 95 To Kylmarnok and Kilwynnyne And till Ardrossane eftre syne, Syne throu the Largis him allane Till Ennirkyp the way has tane Rycht to the castell that wes then 100 Stuffyt all with Inglismen That him resaiffyt in daynte, And fra thai wyst howgat that he Sa fer had rydin him allane Throu thaim that war his fayis ilkan 105 Thai prisyt him full gretumly And lovyt fast his chevalry.
[The reactions of Valence and King Robert]
Schyr Philip thus eschapyt was, And Douglas yet wes in the place Quhar he sexty has slayne and ma, 110 The layff fouly thar gat gan ga And fled to Bothwell hame agayne Quhar Schyr Aymer wes na thing fayn Quhen he herd tell on that maner That his mengne discumfyt wer. 115 Bot quhen to King Robert wes tauld How that the Douglas that wes bauld Vencussyt sa fele with fewe menye Rycht joyfull in his hart wes he, And all his menye confortyt war 120 For thaim thocht weille bath les and mar That thai suld less thar fayis dreid Sen thar purpos sa with thaim yeid.
[Valence challenges the king to open battle at Loudoun hill]
The king lay in Galliston That is evyn rycht anent Loudoun 125 And till his pes tuk the cuntre. Quhen Schyr Aymer and his menye Hard how he ryotyt the land And how that nane durst him withstand He wes intill his hart angry, 130 And with ane off his cumpany He send him word and said giff he Durst him into the planys se He suld the tend day of May Cum under Loudoun hill away, 135 And giff that he wald meyt him thar He said his worschip suld be mar, And mar be turnyt in nobillay, To wyn him in the playne away With hard dintis in evyn fechtyng 140 Then to do fer mar with skulking. The king that hard his messynger Had dispyt apon gret maner That Schyr Aymer spak sa heyly, Tharfor he answeryt irusly 145 And to the messynger said he, 'Say to thi lord giff that I be In lyfe he sall me se that day Weyle ner giff he dar hald the way That he has said, for sekyrly 150 Be Loudoun hill mete him sall I.' The messinger but mare abaid Till his maistre the wayis raid And his answer him tauld alswith Quharof he wes bath glaid and blyth, 155 For he thocht throu his mekill mycht Gyff the king durst cum to fycht That throu the gret chevalry That suld be in his cumpany He suld sua ourcum the king 160 That thar suld be na recovering.
[The king chooses and prepoares a battle field]
And the king on the tother party That was all wis and averty Raid for to se and cheis the place, And saw the hey gat liand was 165 Apon a fayr feild evyn and dry, Bot apon athir sid tharby Wes a gret mos mekill and braid That fra the way wes quhar men raid A bow-draucht weile on ather sid, 170 And that place thocht him all to wyd Till abyd men that horsyt war.m Tharfor thre dykys our-thwort he schar Fra baith the mossis to the way That war sa fer fra other that thai 175 War ytwyn a bow-draucht or mar. So holl and hey the dykys war That men mycht nocht but mekill pane Pas thaim thocht nane war thaim agan, Bot sloppys in the way left he 180 Sa large and off sic quantite That fyve hunder mycht samyn rid In at the sloppis sid be sid. Thar thocht he bataile for to bid And bargane thaim, for he na drede 185 Had that thai suld on sid assaile Na yeit behind giff thaim battaile, And befor thocht him weill that he Suld fra thar mycht defendyt be. Thre dep dykys he gert thar ma, 190 For gyff he mycht nocht weill ourta To mete thaim at the fyrst, that he Suld havve the tother on his pouste, Be than the thrid gyff it war sua That thai had passyt the tother twa. 195 On this wys him ordanys he, And syne assemblit his mengne That war sex hunder fechtand men, But rangale that wes with him then That war als fele as thai or ma. 200 With all that mengne gan he ga The evyn or that the bataill suld be Till litill Loudoun quhar that he Wald abid to se thar cummyng, Syne with the men of his leding 205 He thocht to sped him sua that he Suld at the dyk befor thaim be.
[The armies before the battle of Loudoun]
Schyr Aymer on the tother party Gadryt sua gret chevalry That he mycht be thre thousand ner 210 Armyt and dycht on gud maner, Than as man off gret noblay He held towart his trist his way Quhen the set day cummyn was. He sped him fast towart the place 215 That he nemmyt for to fycht, The sone wes ryssyn schynand brycht thyat schawyt on the scheldis brade In twa eschelis ordanyt he had The folk that he had in leding. 220 The king weile sone in the mornyng Saw fyrst cummand thar fyrst eschele Arrayit sarraly and weile, And at thar bak sumdeill ner-hand He saw the tother folowand, 225 Thar bassynettis burnyst all brycht Agayne the son glemand off lycht, Thar speris pennonys and thar scheldis Off lycht enlumynyt all the feldis, Thar best and browdyn brycht baneris 230 And hors hewyt on ser maneris And cot-armouris off ser colour And hawbrekis that war quhyt as flour Maid thaim gleterand as thai war lyk Till angelys hey off hevynnys ryk. 235 The king said, 'Lordis now ye se How yon men throu thar gret poweste Wald, and thai mycht fulfill thar will, Sla us, and makys sembland thartill, And sen we knaw thar felny 240 Ga we mete thaim sa hardily That the stoutest of thar mengye Off our meting abaysit be, For gyff the formast egrely Be met ye sall se sodanly 245 The henmaist sall abaysit be. And thoucht that thai be ma than we That suld abays us litill thing, For quhen we cum to the fechting Thar may mete us no ma than we. 250 Tharfor lordingis, ilkan suld be Off us worthi off gret valour For to maynteyme her our honour. Thynkis quhat glaidschip us abidis Gyff that we may aqs weile betidis 255 Haff victour off our fayis her, For thar is nane than fer na ner In all thys land that us thar doute.' Then said thai all that stud about, 'Schyr gyff God will we sall sa do 260 That na reprov sall fall tharto.' 'Now ga we furth than,' said the king, 'Quhar He that maid off nocht all thing Lede us and saiff us for his mycht And help us for till hald our rycht.' 265 With that thai held thar way in hy Weill sex hunder in cumpany Stalwart and stout, worthi and wycht Bot thai war all to few Ik hycht Agayne sa fele to stand in stour 270 Ne war thar utrageous valour.
[The battle at Loudoun]
Now gais the nobill king his way Rycht stoutly and in gud aray, And to the formast dyk is gane And in the slop the feld has tane. 275 The cariage and the povyrall That war nocht worth in the bataill Behynd him levyt he all still Syttand all samyn on the hyll. Schyr Aymer the king has sene 280 With his men that war cant and kene Come to the playne doune fra the hill As him thocht in full gud will For to defend or to assaile Gyff ony wald him bid bataill. 285 Tharfor his men confortit he And bad thaim wycht and worthi be, For gyff that thai mycht wyne the king And haiff victour off his fechting Thai suld rycht weile rewardyt be 290 And ek gretly thar renomme. With that thai war weill ner the king And he left his amonesting And gert trump to the assemble, And the formest off his mengne 295 Enbrasyt with the scheldis braid And rycht sarraly togydder raid With heid stoupand and speris straucht Rycht to the king thar wayis raucht, That met thaim with sa gret vigour 300 That the best and off maist valour War laid at erd at thar meting Quhar men mycht her sic a breking Off speris that to-fruschyt war And the woundyt sa cry and rar 305 That it anoyus wes to her For thai that fyrst assemblyt wer Fwyngyt and faucht full sturdely. The noyis begouth then and the cry.
[The victory of King Robert]
A! mychty God quha thar had bene 310 And had the kingis worschip sene And his brodyr that waine him by That stonayit thaim sa hardely That thair gud deid and thair bounte Gaiff gret confort to thar mengye, 315 And how Douglas sa manlily Confortyt thaim that war him by, He suld weile say that thai had will To wyn honour and cum thar-till. The kingis men sa worthi war 320 That with speris that scharply schar Thai stekit men and stedis baith Till rede blud ran off woundis raith. The hors that woundyt war gan fling And ruschyt thar folk in thar flynging 325 Sua that thai that the formast war War skalyt in soppys her and thar. The king that saw thaim ruschyt sua And saw thaim reland to and fra Ran apon thaim sa egrely 330 And dang on thaim sa hardely That fele gart off his fayis fall. The feild wes ner coveryt all Bath with the slane hors and with men, For the gud king thar folowit then 335 With fyve hunder that wapnys bar That wald thar fayis na thing spar. Thai dang on thaim sa hardely That in schort tyme men mycht se ly At erd ane hunder and wele mar. 340 The remanand sa fleyit war That thai begouth thaim to withdraw, And quhen thai off the rerward saw Thar vaward be sa discumfyt Thai fled foroutyn mar respyt 345 And quhen Schyr Aymer has sene His men fleand haly beden Wyt ye weile him wes full way Bot he moucht nocht ammonys sway That ony for him walde torne agane, 350 He turnyt his bridill and to-ga, For the gud king thaim presit sua That sum war dede and sum war tane And the laiff thar gat ar gane
[Valence resigns his keepership and returns to England]
355 The folk fled apon this maner Forout arest and Schir Aymer Agane to Boithweill is gane Menand the scaith that he has tane Sa schamfull that he vencusit wais 360 That till Ingland in hy he gais Rycht to the king and schamfully He gaff up thar his wardanry, Na nevyr syne for nakyn thing Bot giff he come rycht with the king 365 Come he to werray Scotland, Sa hevyly he tuk on hand That the king into set battaill With a quhone lik to poverall Vencusyt him with a gret menye 370 That war renonyt off gret bounte. Sic anoy had Schyr Amery, And King Robert that wes hardy Abaid rycht still into the place Till that his men had left the chace, 375 Syne with presonaris that thai had tane Thai ar towart thar innys gane Fast lovand God off thar weilfar. He mycht haiff sene that had bene thar A folk that mery wes and glaid 380 For thar victour, and als thai haid A lord that sa swete wes and deboner Sa curtais and off sa fayr effer Sa blyth and als weill bourdand And in bataill sa styth to stand 385 Sua wys and rycht sua avisé That thai had gret cause blyth to be. Sua war thai blyth withoutyn dout, For fele that wynnyt thaim about Fra thai the king saw help him sua 390 Till him thar homage gan thai ma.
[The king decides to go north across the Mounth]
Than woux his power mar and mar, And he thoucht weile that he wald far Oute-our the Mounth with his menye To luk quha that his frend wald be. 395 Into Schyr Alexander Fraser He traistyt for thai cosyngis wer And his broder Symon, thai twa. He had mystre weile of ma For he had fayis mony ane. 400 Schir Jhon Cumyn erle off Bouchquhane And Schyr Jhon the Mowbray syne And gus Schyr David off Brechyne With all the folk off thar leding War fayis to the noble king, 405 And for he wyst thai war his fayis His viage thidderwart he tais, For he wald se quhatkyn ending Thai wald set on thar manassing. The king buskyt and maid him yar 410 Northwartis with his folk to far, His brodyr gan he with him ta And Schyr Gilbert de le Hay alsua, The erle off Levenax als wes thar That with the king was our-all-quhar, 415 Schyr Robert Boyd and other ma.
[Douglas returns to Douglasdale, to trick the
garrison of Douglas Castle]
The king gan furth his wayis ta, And left James off Douglas With all the folk that with him was Behind him for to luk giff he 420 Mycht recover his countre. He left into full gret perill, Bot eftre in a litill quhile Throu his gret worschip sa he wrocht That to the kingis pes he brocht 425 The forest of Selcrik all hale, And alsua did he Douglasdale And Jedworthis forest alsua. And quha-sa weile on hand couth ta To tell his worschippis ane and ane 430 He suld fynd off thaim mony ane, For in his tyme as men said me Thretten tymys vencusyt wes he And had victouris sevin and fyfty. Hym semyt nocht lang ydill to ly, 435 Be his travaill he had na will, Me think men suld him love with skill. This James quhen the king wes gane All prevely his men has tane And went to Douglas daile agane, 440 And maid all prevely a trane Till thaim that in the castell war. A buschement slely maid he thar, And off his men fourtene or ma He gert as thai war sekkis ta 445 Fyllyt with gres, and syne thaim lay Apon thar hors and hald thar way Rycht as thai wald to Lanark far Outouth quhar thai enbuschyt war.
[The garrison comes out]
And quhen thai off the castell saw 450 Sa fele ladys gang on raw Off that sycht thai war wonder fayn And tald it to thar capitane That hate Schyr Jhone of Webetoun. He wes baith yong stoute and felloun 455 Joly alsua and valageous, And for that he wes amorous He wald isch fer the blythlyar. He gert his men tak all thar ger And isch to get thaim vittaille, 460 For thar vittaile gan fast thaim faile. Thai ischyt all abandounly And prykkyt furth sa wilfully To wyn the ladys that thai saw pas Quhill that Douglas with his was 465 All betwix thaim and the castell. The laid-men that persavyt weill, Thai kest thar ladys doun in hy, And thar gownys deliverly That heylyt thaim thai kest away, 470 And in gret hy thar hors hint thai And stert apon thaim sturdely And met thar fayis with a cry That had gret wonder quhen thai saw Thaim that war er lurkand sa law 475 Cum apon thaim sa hardely. Thai woux abaysit sodanly And at the castell wald haiff bene, Quhen thai on other halff has sene Douglas brak his enbuschement 480 That agayne thaim rycht stoutly went. Thai wyst nocht quhat to do na say, Thar fayis on athir sid saw thai That strak on thaim foroutyn sparing, And thai mycht help thaim selvyn na thing 485 Bot fled to warrand quhar thai mocht, And thai sa angryly thaim socht That off thaim all eschapyt nane.
[The letter of Webiton, the taking of the castle and the freeing of its
garrison]
Schyr Jhoun Webetoun thar wes slane, And quhen he dede wes as ye her 490 Thai fand intill his coffeir A lettyr that him send a lady That he luffyt per drouery, 492a The letter spak on this maner 493* That said quhen he had yemyt a yer In wer as a gud bachiller 494a And governit weill in all maner 495* 495 The aventuris castell off Douglas That to kepe sa peralus was Than mycht he weile ask a lady Hyr amouris and hyr drouery, The lettyr spak on this maner. 500 And quhen thai slayne on this wyse wer Douglas rycht to the castell raid And thar sa gret debate he maid That in the castell entryt he, I wate nocht all the certante 505 Quhethyr it was throu strenth or slycht, Bot he wrocht sua with mekill mycht That the constabill and all the laiff That war tharin, bath man and knav He tuk and gaiff thaim dispending 510 And sent thaim hamr but mar greving To the Cliffurd in thar countre. And syne sa besily wrocht he That he tumblyt doun all the wall And destroyit the housis all, 515 Syne till the Forest held his way Quhar he had mony ane hard assay And mony fayr poynt off wer befell. Quha couth thaim all rehers or tell He suld say that his name suld be 520 Lestand into full gret renoune.