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Translaittit wes, bayth with kinrik and croun,
To erle Dauid, lord wes of Huntlyngtoun,
And his airis, quhilk be all mannis sicht,
Exceptand thame wes none vther had rycht;
Quhilk I sall schaw as I haif heir pretendit,
Ilk gre be gre as tha fra him discendit.
This ilk Dauid, my author said me so,
Tua dochteris had withoutin childer mo;
Of Gallowa gude Allane that wes lord,
His eldest dochter, gif that I rycht record,
Callit Margaret, he weddit to his wyffe,
Quhome with in joy he led rycht lang his lyfe.
This ilk Allane in all his tyme also,

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With hir he had tua dochteris and no mo;

The eldest that hecht Deworgill to hir name,

Lib. 14, f.216. Weddit scho was with ane lord of greit fame,
Johnne Ballioll, the quhilk that till him buir

Col. 1.

Ane sone hecht Johnne, of quhome now I tak 47,085 cuir,

For this wes one alledgit for to be

The richteous air, and na vther bot he;

The quhilk he said that no man suld deny,

And speciallie for this ressoun and quhy,
Becaus he wes cume of the eldest sister,

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Quhilk he culd preif gif that it stude in mister.
Of the tane part now I haif tald zow plane,
Now to the tother turne I will agane.

This ilk Dauid of quhome ze hard me tell,

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The richteous air, and aucht for to prevaill,
For-quhy, he said, he come of the first maill,
Quhilk sould prefer be consuetude of law,

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The quhilk that tyme he offerit him to schaw. 47,105
The tua pairteis of sic power and micht,
Richt greit contentioun ilkane for his richt
In the counsall' makand befoir the lordis,
With so greit power, my author recordis,
The lordis dred, seand thair hicht and pryde,
In that mater betuix thame till decyde.
For weill tha wist quhometo that tha gaif rycht,
The tother part with haill power and mycht,
Without ressone agane he wald persew,
Be way of deid his richtis till reskew;
And for that caus thocht best into sic thing,
For to commit vnto sum prince or king
The haill power, and tak on him sic pley,
That potent wes to gar thame bayth obey.

How THE ACTIOUN WAS REFERRIT TO

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KING EDWARD OF INGLAND, AND HE THE SAME HES TAIKIN ON HAND FOR TO DECYDE; ANE DAY WAS SET QUHAIR MONY LORDIS TO

GIDDER MET.

And so thai did without ony demand,
To this Edward that king wes of Ingland
Richt sone tha send, inquyring him thairtill,
Quhairto he grantit glaidlie with gude will,
Settand ane da at Beruik for to meit,
And thair to gif his sentence and decreit,
Richt equallie at his power and micht,
Of ilk partie quhen he had hard the richt.

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1 In MS. townit.

And so tha did sone efter syne and met
Into Beruik quhair that the tryst wes set;
Quhair present war, as my author recordis,
Of Scotland, Ingland, mony nobill lordis,
Befoir this king of greit power and mycht,
Quhair ilk partie proponit hes his richt.
This king Edward, quhen that he hard and knew
So greit richtis on euerie syde tha schew,
Becaus he thocht the mater so obscuir,

And his counsall that tyme bayth waik and puir,
Continewit all at his auctoritie,
Quhill efterwart he sould adwysit be
Be cunnyng men war doctouris in the law,
The rycht till him perfitlie weill culd schaw.
Deuysit hes syne with thair haill decreit,
In that same place agane syne for to meit,
As be this king wes gevin in command,
Tuelf wysast lordis that war in Scotland,
And tuelf of Ingland siclike he suld bring,
Most wisdome had and knawlege in sic thing;

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Col. 2.

The four and tuentie sworne sould be that tyde,
Betuix thame tua all richtis till decyid.
Quhen this wes done na langar wald remane,
Fixit ane da quhen tha suld meit agane.

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HOW KING EDWARD WAS ADWISIT WITH DOC-
TOURIS AND MEN OF LAW, QUHA SCHEW HIM
THE VERITIE OF AW.

Syne king Edward, as ze hard me pretend,

Wnto the doctouris of Pareis he send,
That wysast war and expert in the law,
Requyrand thame of thair counsall to schaw
In that mater as tha best wnderstude,
For euirilk part with sum ressoun conclude,

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And leif the mater far erar in dout,

Nor ouir planelie the veritie schaw out.

All this he wrocht than with ane subtill wyle, 47,160
Quhairwith he thocht the tane part to begyle;
Quhen that the mater in sic dout than stude,
With ony part as plesit him conclude.

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For the most pairt, the wysast men of lair
Concludit hes richt Robert Bruce full air;
Sayand but dout than for the veritie,
Wes none vther that had sic richt as he,
Sua of Scotland the vse and consuetude
In contrair him thairof wald nocht conclude.
The da wes cuming quhair the tryst wes set,
Quhair tha in Beruik all togidder met
With king Edward, that summound and gart reist
The lordis all sould pas on that inqueist.

Syne in ane place that quyet wes and derne,
Quhair tha micht sie the richtis till decerne,
With armit men he closit thame about,
That but his leif micht nane win in na out,
Quhill baith the richtis of ilk part wer kend,
And all the mater brocht war till ane end.
This king Edward with falset and dissait,
And haill purpois thair for to subjugait
The rewlling of Scotland to his haill desyre,
Gude Robert Bruce than first he did inquyre,
Gif he of him wald hald kinrik and croun
And wnder him leif in subjectioun,
The richt of all for him he suld conclude.
This gude Robert that so weill wnderstude
That bettir war with small rentis leif fre,
Na haif ane kinrik and ane thrall to be,

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Thairfoir he said, "I think it war greit wrang, 47,190 "To thrall that kinrik that hes bene frie so lang;

"Puttand the pepill in sic seruitude,

"For no reward 3it think I neuir till dude."

Quhen that he knew the Brucis mynd wes so,
To Johnne the Balliole quyetlie did go,
The samin thing he did at him inquyre.
The Balliole that had so greit desyre

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To be ane king and clyme on to sic hicht,
He luikit neuir to ressoun nor richt;
Into that tyme that he micht get his will,
All his desyre hes grantit to fulfill.

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HOW KING EDWARD DECRETIT AND GAIF FALS
SENTENCE AGANIS ROBERT BRUCE, AND PRO-
NOUNCIT FOR JOHN BALLIOLE.

This king Edward, of quhome befoir I ment,

Into the presens of that parliament

Sittand wes thair that mater to decyde,

Befoir thame all richt planelie thair that tyde, 47,205
For John Ballioll the sentence plane gaif he,
Without thair counsall or authoritie.

Quhilk he pronuncit with ane voce on hicht,
Sayand bot he that none vther had richt.
Ane nobill man that erle wes of Glamoir,
With that sentence the quhilk that did abhoir,
Neirby the king that tyme quhair he did stand,

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Col. 1.

Lib. 14, f. 216 b. This Robert Bruce than haldand be the hand,
Ane man he wes of greit auctoritie,
To king Edward that samin tyme said he :
"O vnjust king! withoutin dreid or aw
"Of God or man, without ressoun or law;

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Thy fame and conscience quhilk hes maculat,
"Throw injust sentence thow hes fulminat;
"Corruptit king, thairfoir remember the
"Of the sentence, so full of equitie,

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"Salbe pronuncit on the latter day,

"Fra quhilk sentence thow ma nocht flie away.

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