With the small pype, for it most fresche will call.

Madem, as yit ye ma nocht tempt us all. Gret part off gud is left amang our kyn; In Ingland als we fynd enewch to wyn.' Abayssyt scho was to mak ansuer him till. 'Der schyr,' scho said, 'sen this is at your will;

Wer or pes, quhat so yow likis best, Lat your hye witt and gud consaill degest.' ' 'Madem,' he said, 'now sall ye undirstand The resoune quhy that I will mak na band.

220

Scho thankit him off his grant mony sys,16 And all the ladyis apon a gudly wys. Glaidly thai drank, the queyn and gud

Wallace;

The gret commend that scho to Wallace gaiff,

20

Befor the king, in presens off the laiff,
Till trew Scottis it suld gretly apples,19
Thocht Inglismen tharoff had litill es;
Off worschip, wyt, manheid, and governans,
Off fredom, trewth; key off remembrans
Scho callyt him thar in to thair hye presens;
Thocht contrar thaim he stud at his defens.
'So chyftaynlik,' scho said, ' as he is seyn,
In till Inglande, I trow, has nevir beyn. 270
Wald ye off gold gyff him this rewmys 21
rent,

Fra honour he will nocht turn his entent. Sufferyt we ar, quhill ye may message mak;

Off wys lordis sum part I reid 22
yow tak,
To purches pees, with outyn wordis mar;
For all Ingland may rew his raid full sayr.
Your harroldys als 23 to pass to him has

leyff,

ALLACE, Scotland, to quhom sall thow compleyn !

Allace, fra payn quha sall the now restreyn !

Allace, thi help is fastlie brocht to ground, Thi best chyftaue in braith1 bandis is bound!

Allace, thow has now lost thi gyd off lycht! Allace, quha sall defend the in thi rycht? Allace, thi payn approchis wondyr ner, With sorow sone thow mon bene 2 set in feyr!

Thi gracious gyd, thi grettast governour, Allace, our ueir is cumyn his fatell hour! 10 Allace, quha sall the beit now off thi baill? 5

Allace, quhen sall off harmys thow be haill? Quha sal the defend? quha sall the now mak fre?

Allace, in wer quha sall thi helpar be? Quha sall the help? quha sall the now radem ? 6

That sall be seyn on the, or on thi seid.' The king gert 28 charge thai suld the byschop ta; 24

Bot sad 25 lordys consellyt to lat him ga. 30
All Inglismen said, at his desyr was rycht;
To Wallace than he rakyt 26 in thar sicht,
And sadly hard his confessioun till ane end.
Humbly to God his spreyt he thar comend,
Lawly him servyt with hartlye devocioun
Apon his kneis, and said ane orysoun.
His leyff he tuk, and to West monastyr 27
raid.

The lokmen 28 than thai bur Wallace but baid 29

On till a place, his martyrdom to tak;
For till his ded he wald no forthyr 30 mak. 40
Fra the fyrst nycht he was tane in Scotland,
Thai kepyt him in to that sammyn
81 band.

Off wykkydness thow has a felloun thocht. Is nane in warld at has sa mony slane; Tharfor till ask, me think thow suld be bane, 16

917

Grace off our king, and syn at his barnage.' Than Wallace smyld a litill at his langage. 80 'I grant,' he said, 'part Inglismen I slew In my quarrel, me thocht nocht halff enew. I mowyt 18 na wer bot for to win our awin; 19 To God and man the rycht full weill is knawin.

Thi frustyr 20 wordis dois nocht bot taris me, I the commaund, on Goddis halff,21 lat me be.'

A schyrray gart 22 this clerk son fra him

A Psaltyr buk Wallace had on him evir;
Fra his childeid fra it wald nocht desevir.24 90
Bettyr he trowit in viage for to speid.
Bot than he was dispalyeid 25 off his weid.
This grace he ast at lord Clyffurd that
knycht,

To lat him haiff his Psaltyr buk in sycht.
He gert a preyst it oppyn befor him hauld,
Quhill thai till him had done all at thai
wauld.

Stedfast he red, for ocht thai did him thar: Feyll 26 Sotheroun said, at Wallace feld na sayr.27

Gud devocioun sa was his begynnyng, Conteynd tharwith, and fair was his end

At my begynnyng first I clepe and call To yow, Cleo, and to yow, Polymye, With Thesiphone,80 goddis and sistris all, In nowmer ix., as bokis specifye;

130

In this processe my wilsum 81 wittis gye; And with your bryght lanternis wele convoye

My pen, to write my turment and my joye!

15 stands. 16 guide. 17 helmless. 18 must hasten to harm. 19 help. 20 voyage. 21 mean this regarding myself, partly. sufficient rank and means. 23 To govern my will with; so little I could. 24 began. 25 drive. 26 call. 27 maketh. 28 unfurl. (?) 29 skill. On this whole passage cf. Chaucer's Troilus, Bk. 11., Proem.

30 Tisiphone, a Fury. James, misled by a passage in Chaucer's Troilus, takes her for a Muse. si wilful.