<div style="background:#fff;border:#bbb dashed 1px;padding:5px"><a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=418941" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none"><div style="margin:10px 0"><strong>The Brus Book III</strong></div><div style="margin:10px 0">The lord of Lorn attacks the king's men] </div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>The lord off Lorne wonnyt thar-by <br>That wes capitale ennymy <br>To the king for his emys sak <br>Jhon Comyn, and thocht for to tak <br>5 Vengeance apon cruell maner. <br>Quhen he the king wyst wes sa ner <br>He assemblyt his men in hy, <br>And had intill his cumpany <br>The barounys off Argyle alsua. <br>10 Thai war a thousand weill or ma <br>And come for to suppris the king <br>That weill wes war of thar cummyng. <br>Bot all to few with him he had <br>The-quhethir he bauldly thaim abaid, <br>15 And weill ost at thar fryst metyng <br>War layd at erd but recoveryng. <br>The kingis folk full weill thaim bar <br>And slew and fellyt and woundyt sar, <br>Bot the folk off the tother party <br>20 Faucht with axys sa fellyly, <br>For thai on fute war everilkane, <br>That thai feile off thar hors has slayne, <br>And till sum gaiff thai woundis wid. <br>James off Douglas wes hurt that tyd <br>25 And als Schyr Gilbert de le Hay. <br>The king his men saw in affray <br>And his ensenye can he cry <br>And amang thaim rycht hardyly <br>He rad that he thaim ruschyt all <br>30 And fele off thaim thar gert he fall. <br>Bot quhen he saw thai war sa feill <br>And saw thaim swa gret dyntis deill <br>He dred to tyne his folk, forthi <br>His men till him he gan rely <br>35 And said, 'Lordyngis, foly it war <br>Tyll us for till assembill mar, <br>For thai fele off our hors has slayn, <br>And giff yhe fecht with thaim agayn <br>We sall tyne off our small mengye <br>40 And our selff sall in perill be. <br>Tharfor me thynk maist avenand <br>To withdraw us us defendand <br>Till we cum out off thar daunger, <br>For our strenth at our hand is ner.' <br>45 Then thai withdrew thaim halely <br>Bot that wes nocht full cowartly <br>For samyn intill a sop held thai <br>And the king him abandonyt ay <br>To defend behind his mengye, <br>50 And throu his worschip sa wrouch he <br>That he reskewyt all the flearis <br>And styntyt swagat the chassaris <br>That nane durst out off batall chas, <br>For alwayis at thar hand he was. <br>55 Sa weile defendyt he his men <br>That quha-sa-ever had seyne him then <br>Prove sa worthely vasselage <br>And turn sa oft-sythis the visage <br>He suld say he aucht weill to be <br>60 A king off a gret reawté. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">[Comparisons from Celtic and classical legends with the king's <br>defence of his men] </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Quhen that the lord off Lorne saw <br>His men stand off him ane sik aw <br>That thai durst nocht folow the chase <br>Rycht angry in his hart he was, <br>65 And for wondyr that he suld swa <br>Stot thaim him ane but ma <br>He said, 'Me think Marthokys sone <br>Rycht as Golmakmorn was wone <br>To haiff fra Fyn all his mengne, <br>70 Rycht swa all his fra us has he.' <br>He set ensample thus mydlike, <br>The-quhethir he mycht mar manerlik <br>Lyknyt hym to Gaudifer de Larys <br>Quhen that the mychty Duk Betys <br>75 Assailyeit in Gadyrris the forrayours, <br>And quhen the king thaim maid rescours <br>Duk Betys tuk on him the flycht <br>That wald ne mar abid to fycht. <br>Bot Gaudifer the worthi <br>80 Abandonyt him so worthyly <br>For to reskew all the fleieris <br>And for to stonay the chasseris <br>That Alysander to erth he bar <br>And alsua did he Tholimar <br>85 And gud Coneus alsua <br>Danklyne alsua and othir ma, <br>Bot at the last thar slayne he wes. <br>In that failyeit the liklynes, <br>For the king full chevalrusly <br>90 Defendyt all his cumpany <br>And wes set in full gret danger <br>And yeit eschapyt haile and fer. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">[The king kills the two Mac na Dorsair brothers and their fellow] </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Twa brethir war in that land <br>That war the hardiest off hand <br>95 That war intill all that cuntre, <br>And thai had sworn iff thai mycht se <br>The Bruys quhar thai mycht him our-ta <br>That thai suld dey or then hym sla. <br>Thar surname wes Makyne Drosser, <br>100 That is al-so mekill to say her <br>As the Durwarth sonnys perfay. <br>Off thar covyne the thrid had thai <br>That wes rycht stout ill and feloune. <br>Quhen thai the king off gud renoune <br>105 Saw sua behind his mengne rid <br>And saw him torne sa mony tid, <br>Thai abaid till that he was <br>Entryt in ane narow place <br>Betwix a louch-sid and a bra <br>110 That wes sa strait Ik underta <br>That he mycht nocht weill turn in his sted. <br>Then with a will till him thai yede <br>And ane him by the bridill hynt, <br>Bot he raucht till him sic a dynt <br>115 That arme and schuldyr flaw him fra. <br>With that ane other gan him ta <br>Be the lege and his hand gan schute <br>Betwix the sterap and his fute, <br>And quhen the king feld thar his hand <br>120 In his sterapys stythly gan he stand <br>And strak with spuris the stede in hy, <br>And he lansyt furth delyverly <br>Swa that the tother failyeit fete, <br>And nocht-for-thi his hand wes yeit <br>125 Undyr the sterap magré his. <br>The thrid with full gret hy with this <br>Rycht till the bra-syd he yeid <br>And stert behynd hym on his sted. <br>The king wes then in full gret pres, <br>130 The-quhether he thocht as he that wes <br>In all hys dedys avisé <br>To do ane outrageous bounte, <br>And syne hyme that behynd him was <br>All magré his will him gan he ras <br>135 Fra behynd him, thocht he had sworn, <br>He laid hym evyn him beforn, <br>Syne with the swerd sic dynt hym gave <br>That he the heid till the harnys clave. <br>He rouschit doun off blud all rede <br>140 As he that stound feld off dede. <br>And then the king in full gret hy <br>Strak at the tothir vigorusly <br>That he efter his sterap drew <br>That at the fyrst strak he him slew. <br>145 On this wis him delyverit he <br>Off all thai felloun fayis thre. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">[Mac Nachtan praises the king] </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Quhen thai of Lorne has sene the king <br>Set in hym selff sa gret helping <br>And defendyt him sa manlely, <br>150 Wes nane amang thaim sa hardy <br>That durst assailye him mar in fycht, <br>Sa dred thai for his mekill mycht. <br>Thar wes a baroune Maknauchtan <br>That in his hart gret kep has tane <br>155 To the kingis chevalry <br>And prisyt him in hert gretly, <br>And to the lord off Lorne said he, <br>'Sekyrly now may ye se <br>Be tane the starkest pundelan <br>160 That evyr your lyfftyme ye saw tane, <br>For yone knycht throu his douchti deid <br>And thro his outrageous manheid <br>Has fellyt intill litill tyd <br>Thre men off mekill prid, <br>165 And stonayit all our mengye swa <br>That eftyr him dar na man ga, <br>And tournys sa mony tyme his stede <br>That semys off us he had na dred.' <br>Then gane the lord off Lorn say, <br>170 'It semys it likis ye perfay <br>That he slayis yongat our mengye.' <br>'Schyr,' said he, 'sa Our Lord me se, <br>To sauff your presence it is nocht swa, <br>Bot quhether-sa he be freynd or fa <br>175 That wynnys prys off chevalry <br>Men suld spek tharoff lelyly, <br>And sekyrly in all my tyme <br>Ik hard never in sang na ryme <br>Tell off a man that swa smertly <br>180 Eschevyt swa gret chevalry.' <br>Sic speking off the king thai maid, <br>And he eftyr his mengye raid <br>And intill saufte thaim led <br>Quhar he his fayis na-thing dred, <br>185 And thai off Lorne agayn ar gayn <br>Menand the scaith that thai haiff tayn. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">[The king comforts his men with the example <br>of the recovery of Rome from Hannibal] </div><div style="margin:10px 0">The king that nycht his wachis set <br>And gert ordayne that thai mycht et, <br>And bad conford to thaim tak <br>190 And at thar mychtis mery mak. <br>For disconford, as then said he, <br>Is the werst thing that may be, <br>For throu mekill disconforting <br>Men fallis oft into disparing, <br>195 And fra a man disparyt be <br>Then utraly vencusyt is he, <br>And fra the hart be discumfyt <br>The body is nocht worth a myt. <br>'Tharfor,' he said, 'atour all thing <br>200 Kepys you fra disparyng, <br>And think thouch we now harmys fele <br>That God may yeit releve us weill. <br>Men redys off mony men that war <br>Fer harder stad then we yhet ar <br>205 And syne Our Lord sic grace thaim lent <br>That thai come weill till thar entent. <br>For Rome quhilum sa hard wes stad <br>Quhen Hanniball thaim vencusyt had <br>That off ryngis with rich stane <br>210 That war off knychtis fyngeris tane <br>He send thre bollis to Cartage, <br>And syne to Rome tuk his viage <br>Thar to distroye the cite all. <br>And thai within bath gret and small <br>215 Had fled quhen thai saw his cummyng <br>Had nocht bene Scipio the king, <br>That or thai fled wald thaim haiff slayn, <br>And swagat turnyt he thaim agayn. <br>Syne for to defend the cite <br>220 Bath servandis and threllis mad he fre, <br>And maid thaim knychtis everilkane, <br>And syne has off the templis tane <br>The armys that thar eldrys bar, <br>In name off victory offeryt thar. <br>225 And quhen thai armyt war and dycht <br>That stalwart karlis war and wycht <br>And saw that thai war fre alsua, <br>Thaim thocht that thai had lever ta <br>The dede na lat the toun be tane, <br>230 And with commoune assent as ane <br>Thai ischit off the toune to fycht <br>Quhar Hannyball his mekill mycht <br>Aganys thaim arayit was. <br>Bot throu mycht off Goddis grace <br>235 It ranyt sa hard and hevyly <br>That thar wes nane sa hardy <br>That durst into that place abid, <br>Bot sped thaim intill hy to rid, <br>The ta part to thar pailyounys, <br>240 The tother part went in the toune is. <br>The rayne thus lettyt the fechtyn, <br>Sa did it twys tharefter syne. <br>Quhen Hanibal saw this ferly <br>With all his gret chevalry <br>245 He left the toune and held his way, <br>And syne wes put to sik assay <br>Throu the power off that cite <br>That his lyff and his land tynt he. <br>Be thir quheyne that sa worthily <br>250 Wane sik a king and sa mychty, <br>Ye may weill be ensampill se <br>That na man suld disparyt be, <br>Na lat his hart be vencusyt all <br>For na myscheiff that ever may fall, <br>255 For nane wate in how litill space <br>That God umquhile will send grace. <br>Had thai fled and thar wayis gane <br>Thar fayis swith the toune had tane. <br>Tharfor men that werrayand war <br>260 Suld set thar etlyng ever-mar <br>To stand agayne thar fayis mycht <br>Umquhile with strenth and quhile with slycht, <br>And ay thynk to cum to purpos, <br>And giff that thaim war set in chos <br>265 To dey or to leyff cowartly, <br>Thai suld erar dey chevalrusly. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">[The king cites the example of Caesar] </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Thusgat thaim comfort the king <br>And to comfort thaim gan inbryng <br>Auld storys off men that wer <br>270 Set intyll hard assayis ser <br>And that fortoun contraryit fast, <br>And come to purpos at the last. <br>Tharfor he said that thai that wald <br>Thar hartis undiscumfyt hald <br>275 Suld ay thynk ententily to bryng <br>All thar enpres to gud ending, <br>As quhile did Cesar the worthy <br>That traveillyt ay so besyly <br>With all his mycht folowing to mak <br>280 To end the purpos that he wald tak, <br>That hym thocht he had doyne rycht nocht <br>Ay quhill to do him levyt ocht. <br>Forthi gret thingis eschevyt he <br>As men may in his story se. <br>285 Men may se be his ythen will, <br>And it suld als accord to skill <br>That quha tais purpos sekyrly <br>And folowis it syne ententily <br>Forout fayntice or yheit faynding, <br>290 With-thi it be conabill thing, <br>Bot he the mar be unhappy <br>He sall eschev it in party, <br>And haiff he lyff-dayis weill may fall <br>That he sall eschev it all. <br>295 For-thi suld nane haff disparing <br>For till eschev a full gret thing, <br>For giff it fall he tharoff failye <br>The fawt may be in his travailye. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">[Atholl asks to be left; the king sends him, <br>Neil Bruce and the ladies to Kildrummy] </div><div style="margin:10px 0">He prechyt thaim on this maner <br>300 And fenyeit to mak better cher <br>Then he had mater to be fer, <br>For his caus yeid fra ill to wer, <br>Thai war ay in sa hard travaill, <br>Till the ladyis began to fayle <br>305 That mycht the travaill drey na mar, <br>Sa did other als that thar war. <br>The Erle Jhone wes ane off tha <br>Off Athole that quhen he saw sua <br>The king be discumfyt twys, <br>310 And sa feile folk agayne him rys, <br>And lyff in sic travaill and dout, <br>His hart begane to faile all-out <br>And to the king apon a day <br>He said, 'Gyff I durst you say, <br>315 We lyff into sa mekill dreid, <br>And haffis oftsys off met sic ned, <br>And is ay in sic travailling <br>With cauld and hunger and waking, <br>That I am sad off my selvyn sua <br>320 That I count nocht my liff a stra. <br>Thir angrys may I ne mar drey, <br>For thoucht me tharfor worthit dey <br>I mon sojourne, quharever it be. <br>Levys me tharfor par cheryte.' <br>325 The king saw that he sa wes failyt <br>And that he ik wes for-travaillyt. <br>He said, 'Schyr erle, we sall sone se <br>And ordayne how it best may be. <br>Quharever ye be, Our Lord you send <br>330 Grace fra your fais you to defend.' <br>With that in hy to him callyt he <br>Thaim that till him war mast preve. <br>Then amang thaim thai thocht it best <br>And ordanyt for the liklyest <br>335 That the queyne and the erle alsua <br>And the ladyis in hy suld ga <br>With Nele the Bruce till Kildromy, <br>For thaim thocht thai mycht sekyrly <br>Dwell thar quhill thai war vittaillit weile, <br>340 For swa stalwart wes the castell <br>That it with strenth war hard to get <br>Quhill that tharin war men and mete. <br>As thai ordanyt thai did in hy, <br>The queyne and all hyr cumpany <br>345 Lap on thar hors and furth thai far. <br>Men mycht haiff sene quha had bene thar <br>At leve-takyng the ladyis gret <br>And mak thar face with teris wet, <br>And knychtis for thar luffis sak <br>350 Bath bsich and wep and murnyng mak, <br>Thai kyssyt thar luffis at thar partyng. <br>The king umbethocht him off a thing, <br>That he fra thine on fute wald ga <br>And tak on fute bath weill and wa, <br>355 And wald na hors-men with him haiff, <br>Tharfor his hors all haile he gaiff <br>To the ladyis that myster had. <br>The queyn furth on hyr wayis rade <br>And sawffly come to the castell <br>360 Quhar hyr folk war ressavyt weill <br>And esyt weill with meyt and drynk, <br>Bot mycht nane eys let hyr to think <br>On the king that wes sa sar stad <br>That bot twa hunder with him had, <br>365 The-quhethir thaim weill comfortyt he ay. <br>God help him that all mychtis may. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">[The king plans to go to Kintyre; Neil Campbell sent to find ships; <br>the king and his men cross Loch Lomond; he reads a romance to them] </div><div style="margin:10px 0">The queyne dwelt thus in Kyldromy, <br>And the king and his cumpany <br>That war twa hunder and na ma <br>370 Fra thai had send thar hors thaim fra <br>Wandryt emang the hey montanys, <br>Quhar he and his oft tholyt paynys, <br>For it wes to the wynter ner, <br>And sa feile fayis about him wer <br>375 That all the countre thaim werrayit. <br>Sa hard anoy thaim then assayit <br>Off hunger cauld with schowris snell <br>That nane that levys can weill it tell. <br>The king saw how his folk wes stad <br>380 And quhat anoyis that thai had, <br>And saw wynter wes cummand ner, <br>And that he mycht on na maner <br>Dre in the hillys the cauld lying <br>Na the long nychtis waking. <br>385 He thocht he to Kyntyr wald ga <br>And swa lang sojournyng thar ma <br>Till wynter wedder war away, <br>And then he thocht but mar delay <br>Into the manland till aryve <br>390 And till the end his werdis dryv. <br>And for Kyntyr lyis in the se <br>Schyr Nele Cambel befor send he <br>For to get him navyn and meite, <br>And certane tyme till him he sete <br>395 Quhen he suld meite him at the se. <br>Schir Nele Cambell with his mengye <br>Went his way but mar letting <br>And left his brother with the king, <br>And in twelf dayis sua traveillit he <br>400 That he gat schippyne gud plente <br>And vittalis in gret aboundance. <br>Sa maid he nobill chevisance <br>For his sibmen wonnyt tharby <br>That helpyt him full wilfully. <br>405 The king efter that he wes gane <br>To Louch Lomond the way has tane <br>And come on the thrid day, <br>Bot tharabout na bait fand thai <br>That mycht thaim our the water ber. <br>410 Than war thai wa on gret maner <br>For it wes fer about to ga, <br>And thai war into dout alsua <br>To meyt thar fayis that spred war wyd. <br>Tharfor endlang the louchhis syd <br>415 Sa besyly thai socht and fast <br>Tyll James of Douglas at the last <br>Fand a litill sonkyn bate <br>And to the land it drew fut-hate, <br>Bot it sa litill wes that it <br>420 Mycht our the watter but a thresum flyt. <br>Thai send tharoff word to the king <br>That wes joyfull off that fynding <br>And fyrst into the bate is gane, <br>With him Douglas, the thrid wes ane <br>425 That rowyt thaim our deliverly <br>And set thaim on the land all dry, <br>And rowyt sa oftsys to and fra <br>Fechand ay our twa and twa <br>That in a nycht and in a day <br>430 Cummyn out-our the louch ar thai, <br>For sum off thaim couth swome full weill <br>And on his bak ber a fardele. <br>Swa with swymmyng and with rowyng <br>Thai brocht thaim our and all thar thing. <br>435 The king the quhilis meryly <br>Red to thaim that war him by <br>Romanys off worthi Ferambrace <br>That worthily our-cummyn was <br>Throu the rycht douchty Olyver, <br>440 And how the duk-peris wer <br>Assegyt intill Egrymor <br>Quhar King Lavyne lay thaim befor <br>With may thousandis then I can say, <br>And bot ellevyn within war thai <br>445 And a woman, and war sa stad <br>That thai na mete thar-within had <br>Bot as thai fra thar fayis wan. <br>Yheyte sua contenyt thai thaim than <br>That thai the tour held manlily <br>450 Till that Rychard off Normandy <br>Magré his fayis warnyt the king <br>That wes joyfull off this tithing, <br>For he wend thai had all beyne slayne. <br>Tharfor he turnyt in hy agayne <br>455 And wan Mantrybill and passit Flagot, <br>And syne Lavyne and all his flot <br>Dispitusly discumfyt he, <br>And deliveryt his men all fre <br>And wan the naylis and the sper <br>460 And the crowne that Jhesu couth ber, <br>And off the croice a gret party <br>He wan throu his chevalry. <br>The gud king apon this maner <br>Comfort thaim that war him ner <br>465 And maid thaim gamyn and solace <br>Till that his folk all passyt was. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">[Lennox joins the king; a reflection on weeping] </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Quhen thai war passit the water brad <br>Suppos thai fele off fayis had <br>Thai maid thaim mery and war blyth. <br>470 Nocht-for-thi full fele syth <br>Thai had full gret defaut of mete, <br>And tharfor venesoun to get <br>In twa partys ar thai gayne. <br>The king himselff wes intill ane <br>475 And Schyr James off Douglas <br>Into the tother party was. <br>Then to the hycht thai held thar way <br>And huntyt lang quhill off the day <br>And soucht schawys and setis set <br>480 Bot thai gat litill for till ete. <br>Then hapnyt at that tyme percas <br>That the erle of the Levenax was <br>Amang the hillis ner tharby, <br>And quhen he hard sa blaw and cry <br>485 He had wonder quhat it mycht be, <br>And on sic maner spyryt he <br>That he knew that it wes the king, <br>And then foroutyn mar duelling <br>With all thaim off his cumpany <br>490 He went rycht till the king in hy, <br>Sa blyth and sa joyfull that he <br>Mycht on na maner blyther be <br>For he the king wend had bene ded, <br>And he wes alsua will off red <br>495 That he durst nocht rest into na place, <br>Na sen the king discumfyt was <br>At Meffan he herd never thing <br>That ever wes certane off the king. <br>Tharfor into full gret daynte <br>500 The king full humyly haylist he, <br>And he him welcummyt rycht blythly <br>And askyt him full tenderly, <br>And all the lordis that war thar <br>Rycht joyfull off thar meting war, <br>505 And kyssyt him in gret daynte. <br>It wes gret pite for til se <br>How thai for joy and pite gret <br>Quhen that thai with thar falow met <br>That thai wend had bene dede, forthi <br>510 Thai welcummyt him mar hartfully, <br>And he for pite gret agayne <br>That never off metyng wes sa fayne. <br>Thocht I say that thai gret sothly <br>It wes na greting propyrly, <br>515 For I trow traistly that gretyng <br>Cummys to men for mysliking, <br>And that nane may but angyr gret <br>Bot it be wemen, that can wet <br>Thair chekys quhenever thaim list with teris, <br>520 The-quhethir weill oft thaim na thing deris, <br>But I wate weill but lesyng <br>Quhatever men say off sic greting <br>That mekill joy or yeit pete <br>May ger men sua amovyt be <br>525 That water fra the hart will rys <br>And weyt the eyne on sic a wys <br>That is lik to be greting, <br>Thocht it be nocht sua in all thing, <br>For quhen men gretis enkrely <br>530 The hart is sorowful or angry, <br>Bot for pite I trow gretyng <br>Be na thing bot ane opynnyng <br>Off hart that schawis the tendernys <br>Off rewth that in it closyt is. <br>535 The barounys apon this maner <br>Throu Goddis grace assemblyt wer. <br>The erle had mete and that plente <br>And with glad hart it thaim gaiff he, <br>And thai eyt it with full gud will <br>540 That soucht na nother sals thar-till <br>Bot appetyt, that oft men takys, <br>For rycht weill scowryt war thar stomakys. <br>Thai eit and drank sic as thai had <br>And till Our Lord syne lovyng maid, <br>545 And thankit him with full gud cher <br>That thai war mete on that maner. <br>The king then at thaim speryt yarne <br>How thai sen he thaim seyne had farne, <br>And thai full petwysly gan tell <br>550 Aventuris that thaim befell <br>And gret anoyis and poverte. <br>The king tharat had gret pite <br>And tauld thaim petwisly agayne <br>The noy, the travaill and the payne <br>555 That he had tholyt sen he thaim saw. <br>Wes nane amang thaim hey na law <br>That he ne had pite and plesaunce <br>Quhen that he herd mak remembrance <br>Off the perellys that passyt war, <br>560 Bot quhen men oucht at liking ar <br>To tell off paynys passyt by <br>Plesys to heryng petuisly, <br>And to rehers thar auld disese <br>Dois thaim oftsys comfort and ese, <br>565 With-thi tharto folow na blame <br>Dishonour wikytnes na schame. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">[They row past Bute; Lennox's boat escapes pursuers] </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Efter the mete sone rais the king <br>Quhen he had levyt hys speryng, <br>And buskyt him with his mengye <br>570 And went in hy towart the se <br>Quhar Schyr Nele Cambell thaim mete <br>Bath with schippis and with meyte <br>Saylys ayris and other thing <br>That wes spedfull to thar passyng. <br>575 Then schippyt thai foroutyn mar <br>Sum went till ster and sum till ar, <br>And rowyt be the ile of But. <br>Men mycht se mony frely fute <br>About the cost, thar lukand <br>580 As thai on ayris rais rowand, <br>And nevys that stalwart war and squar, <br>That wont to spayn gret speris war, <br>Swa spaynyt aris that men mycht se <br>Full oft the hyde leve on the tre. <br>585 For all war doand, knycht and knave, <br>Wes nane that ever disport mycht have <br>Fra steryng and fra rowyng <br>To furthyr thaim off thar fleting. <br>Bot in the samyn tyme at thai <br>590 War in schipping, as ye hard me say, <br>The erle off the Levenax was, <br>I can nocht tell you throu quhat cas <br>Levyt behynd with his galay <br>Till the king wes fer on his way. <br>595 Quhen that thai off his cuntre <br>Wyst that so duelt behynd wes he <br>Be se with schippys thai him socht, <br>And he that saw that he wes nocht <br>Off pith to fecht with thai traytouris <br>600 And that he had na ner socouris <br>Then the kingis flote, forthi <br>He sped him efter thaim in hy, <br>Bot the tratouris hym folowyt sua <br>That thai weill ner hym gan ourta <br>605 For all the mycht that he mycht do. <br>Ay ner and ner thai come him to, <br>And quhen he saw thai war sa ner <br>That he mycht weill thar manance her <br>And saw thaim ner and ner cum ay, <br>610 Then till his mengye gan he say, <br>'Bot giff we fynd sum sutelte <br>Ourtane all sone sall we be. <br>Tharfor I rede but mar letting <br>That outakyn our armyng <br>615 We kast our thing all in the se, <br>And fra our schip swa lychtyt be <br>We sall row and speid us sua <br>That we sall weill eschaip thaim fra, <br>With that thai sall mak duelling <br>620 Apon the se to tak our thing <br>And we sall row but resting ay <br>Till we eschapyt be away.' <br>As he divisyt thai have done <br>And thar schip thai lychtyt sone <br>625 And rowyt syne with all thar mycht, <br>And scho that swa wes maid lycht <br>Raykyt slidand throu the se. <br>And quhen thar fayis gan thaim se <br>Forouth thaim alwayis mar and mar, <br>630 The thingis that thar fletand war <br>Thai tuk and turnyt syne agayne, <br>And leyt thai lesyt all thar payne. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">[Arrival in Kintyre; Angus of Islay submits at Dunaverty; <br>they sail for Rathlin] </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Quhen that the erle on this maner <br>And his mengye eschapyt wer, <br>635 Eftyr the king he gan him hy <br>That then with all his cumpany <br>Into Kyntyr aryvyt was. <br>The erle tauld him all his cas, <br>How he wes chasyt on the se <br>640 With thaim that suld his awyn be, <br>And how he had bene tane but dout <br>Na war it that he warpyt out <br>All that he had him lycht to ma <br>And swa eschapyt thaim fra. <br>645 'Schyr erle,' said the king, 'perfay, <br>Syn thou eschapyt is away <br>Off the tynsell is na plenyeing. <br>Bot I will say the weile a thing, <br>That thar will fall the gret foly <br>650 To pas oft fra my cumpany, <br>For fele sys quhen thou art away <br>Thou art set intill hard assay, <br>Tharfor me thynk best to the <br>To hald the alwayis ner by me.' <br>655 'Schyr,' said the erle, 'it sall be swa. <br>I sall na wys pas fer you fra <br>Till God giff grace we be off mycht <br>Agayne our fayis to hald our stycht.' <br>Angus off Ile that tyme wes syr <br>660 And lord and ledar off Kyntyr, <br>The king rycht weill resavyt he <br>And undertuk his man to be, <br>And him and his on mony wys <br>He abandounyt till his service, <br>665 And for mar sekyrnes gaiff him syne <br>His castell off Donavardyne <br>To duell tharin at his liking. <br>Full gretumly thankyt him the king <br>And resavyt his service. <br>670 Nocht-forthi on mony wys <br>He wes dredand for tresoun ay, <br>And tharfor, as Ik hard men say, <br>He traistyt in nane sekyrly <br>Till that he knew him utraly. <br>675 Boy quhatkin dred that ever he had <br>Fayr contenance to thaim he maid, <br>And in Donavardyne dayis thre <br>Foroutyne mar then duellyt he. <br>Syne gert he his mengye mak thaim yar <br>680 Towart Rauchryne be se to far <br>That is ane ile in the se, <br>And may weill in mydwart be <br>Betuix Kyntyr and Irland, <br>Quhar als gret stremys ar rynnand <br>685 And als peralous and mar <br>Till our-saile thaim into schipfair <br>As is the rais of Bretangye <br>Or Strait off Marrok into Spanye. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">[The stormy crossing; the panic and the submission of Rathlin] <br>Thair schippys to the se thai set, <br>690 And maid redy but langer let <br>Ankyrs rapys bath saile and ar <br>And all that nedyt to schipfar. <br>Quhen thai war boune to saile thai went, <br>The wynd wes wele to thar talent. <br>695 Thai raysyt saile and furth thai far, <br>And by the Mole thai passyt yar <br>And entryt sone into the rase <br>Quhar that the stremys sa sturdy was <br>That wavys wyd wycht brakand war <br>700 Weltryt as hillys her and thar. <br>The schippys our the wavys slayd <br>For wynd at poynt blawand thai had, <br>Bot nocht-forthi quha had thar bene <br>A gret stertling he mycht haiff seyne <br>705 Off schippys, for quhilum sum wald be <br>Rycht on the wavys as on a mounté <br>And sum wald slyd fra heycht to law <br>Rycht as thai doune till hell wald draw, <br>Syne on the wav stert sodanly, <br>710 And other schippys that war tharby <br>Deliverly drew to the depe. <br>It wes gret cunnanes to kep <br>Thar takill intill sic a thrang <br>And wyth sic wavis, for ay amang <br>715 The wavys reft thar sycht of land <br>Quhen thai the land wes rycht ner-hand, <br>And quhen schippys war sailand ner <br>The se wald rys on sic maner <br>That off the wavys the weltrand hycht <br>720 Wald refe thaim oft off thar sycht. <br>Bot into Rauchryne nocht-forthi <br>Thai aryvyt ilkane sawffly, <br>Blyth and glaid that thai war sua <br>Eschapyt thai hidwys wavis fra. <br>725 In Rauchryne thai aryvyt ar <br>And to the land thai went but mar <br>Armyt apon thar best maner. <br>Quhen the folk that thar wonnand wer <br>Saw men off armys in that cuntre <br>730 Aryve into sic quantite <br>Thai fled in hy with thar catell <br>Towart a rycht stalwart castell <br>That in the land wes tharby. <br>Men mycht her wemen hely cry <br>735 And fle with cataill her and thar. <br>Bot the kingis folk that war <br>Deliver of fute thaim gan our-hy <br>And thaim arestyt hastely <br>And brocht thaim to the king agayne <br>740 Swa that nane off thaim all wes slayne. <br>Then with thaim tretyt swa the king <br>That thai to fulfill his yarnyng <br>Become his men everilkane, <br>And has him trewly undertane <br>745 That thai and tharis loud and still <br>Suld be in all thing at his will, <br>And quhill him likit thar to leynd <br>Everilk day thai suld him send <br>Vittalis for thre hunder men, <br>750 And thai as lord suld him ken, <br>Bot at thar possessioune suld be <br>For all his men thar awyn fre. <br>The cunnand on this wys was maid, <br>And on the morn but langer baid <br>755 Off all Rauchryne bath man and page <br>Knelyt and maid the king homage, <br>And tharwith swour him fewté <br>To serve him ay in lawté, <br>And held him rycht weill cunnand, <br>760 For quhill he duelt into the land <br>Thai fand meit till his cumpany <br>And servyt him full humely.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br /></a><br />poem by <a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/by.php?a=John+Barbour">John Barbour</a><div class=q> <img src="https://www.citatepedia.ro/g/32share.png" style="float:left" alt="Share"> <script type="text/javascript" src="//s7.addthis.com/js/300/addthis_widget.js#pubid=citatepedia" async="async"></script><div style="display:inline-block" class="addthis_sharing_toolbox" data-url="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=418941" data-title="The Brus Book III de John Barbour" data-description="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 assembl..."></div> </div> </div>

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