Efter that feild, in sum storie I reid,
Robert the Bruce to king Edward he zeid,
Sen be his way that da the feild wes wyn,
For his reward he askit to begin
The croun of Scotland till him to restoir,
Quhilk he to him promittit had befoir.
Heir be this thing ze ma considder weill,
That king Edward, als far as I haif feill,
To Robert Bruce befoir had maid ane band,
So at his faith that he wald byde and stand,
And tak his part with all help and supple,
Of Johnne the Ballioll to revengit be,
That king Edward with all power and mycht
Suld help this Robert to reskew his richt
Agane king Johnne in all maner of thing,
And, gif he micht, the Bruce he sould mak king;
And for this caus, that dar I hardlie sa,
Robert the Bruce all that he did that da
Agane king Johnne for to reskew his richt,
And nocht be way of tressoun nor of slicht,
For to dissaue this king or his natioun,
Bo[t] to reskew his kinrik and his croun.
As euirilk man hes ressone for his richt,
For to exerce with power, strenth and micht,
Be way of deid his purpois to fulfill,
Quhen he be ressoun can nocht cum thairtill:
So did the Bruce in[to] that samin thing,
Quhilk had the richt of Scotland to be king.
Rycht wranguslie it haldin wes him fra,
His rycht thairof wes neuir the les ane stra,
And ay wes fre, quhen tyme wes till persew,
Be ony help his richtis till reskew.
In this mater thocht sum man sa thair will,
I lat that pas and say nothing thairtill:
I say for me bot as I wnderstude,
Bot weill I wait that his willis war gude;
And all his querrell foundit vpoun richt,
Into his mynd without tressoun or slicht;
Quhilk efterwart that semit weill to be,
As ze sall heir will ze tak tent to me.
Robert [the] Bruce, as 3e haif hard me sa,
At king Edward desyrit that same da,
Be quhais wit the victorie he wan,
To keip promit quhen tha weiris began
He maid till him with all power and mycht,
Agane king Johnne to help him in his rycht,
Desyrand than of his auctoritie
The croun till him for to restoirit be.
This king Edward sic ansuer maid him to:
"Trow 3e," he said, "we haif nocht ellis ado,
"In sic danger and perrell put ws in,
"Kinrikis to 30w to conqueis and to wyn?
"Than mycht tha sa that I had all wrang wrocht;
"Beleve зе weill it wes neuir in my thocht."
Robert the Bruce quhen he hard him sa sua,
Weill ma ze wit in hart he wes rycht wa,
That frustrat wes into sa greit ane thing,
Be the falss tressoun of that tirrane king.
3it neuirtheles, as ane wyss prudent man,
Quhat euir he thocht he said bot litill than;
Lib. 14, f.218. Fra that tyme [furth] he gaif him traist na mair,
Bot passit hame and baid na langar thair.
3it in his mynd that thing ascendit he,
Thinkand alway, and he his tyme micht se,
Of that tressoun king Edward had him wrocht,
Revengit be or all sould gang to nocht.
Considdeir heir be this that I haif schawin,
Quha will aduert the richt ma eith be knawin,
That king Edward for all his vant and ruiss,
Without the help and supple of the Bruce,
And Scottismen that Bruce sic kyndnes schew,
Doucht neuir on force than Scotland to subdew, 47,615
Or conqueis it be maistres, strenth or micht,
Bot with sic tressoun, greit falsheid and slicht,
As I befoir aboue hes to 30w schawin,
To all the warld as it wes richt weill knawin.
As efterwart within ane litill space,
It prouit weill be gude William Wallace,
In contrairie that Scotland did reskew,
Quhen that his power wes bayth waik and few.
Be slicht and tressoun Scotland that he wan,
On force fra him it wes reskewit than,
As I sall schaw within ane litill space,
Be gude Wallace quhen tyme cum is and place.
This king Edward quhen he had wyn Dumbar,
Efter king Johnne he follouit on richt far;
In his veyage syne as he passit throuche,
The strang castell that tyme of Edinburch,
And Striuiling als, on tha rochis of stone,
And tuke thame baith, syne forder moir is gone,
With his power quhilk wes richt populos,
Throw Fyffe and Angus ay onto Montros;
For to persew this king Johnne and invaid,
In Forfair castell all that tyme that baid.
How SCHIR JOHNNE CUMING, LORD OF STRABOGY,
ASKIT PEAX AT KING EDWARD, AND HOW
KING JOHNNE, AND EDWARD HIS SONE, COME
ΤΟ KING EDWARD AND RESIGNIT THAIR
RYCHT OF SCOTLAND IN HIS HAND; SYNE
EFTER PASSIT TO BERUIK, AND THAIR RESSAUIT
ALL STRENTHIS THAT STUDE NEIR THE SE,
AND GART THE SCOTTIS OBEY HIM, AND TUKE
KING JOHNNE AND HIS SONE TO LUNDOUN
AND PAT THAME IN PRESOUN STRONG.
Schir Johnne Cuming, lord of Strabogie,
To king Edward he send richt curtasly
Beseikand him of fauour and of peice,'
And mak all weires for to stanche and ceis.
Quhairto king Edward gaif richt sone consent ;
For to mak peax at his plesour and will,
Desyrand him than for to cum him till;
And his sone Edward also with him bring,
At thair meiting syne commoun of sic thing,
At his plesour he said all sould be done.
Quhen this ansuer wes schawin to king Johnne,
Giffand him credence than into all thing,
He and his sone come bayth to that fals king; 47,650
Quhilk thame ressauit with ane fenzeit mynd,
Falss into thocht and into word richt kynd,
Quhill that he had thame alway in his will.
Sone efter syne he fenzeit nocht thame till,
Bot planelie schew the thing wes in his thocht, 47,655
Sayand to him rycht sone, and he wald nocht
Resigne all richt that he had to the croun,
Of his frie will without compulsioun,
Or zit micht haif, of Scotland than for euir,
That he suld die doutles or tha disseuir.
This ilk Johnne, that samin tyme we reid,
Than of his lyfe for verrie aw and dreid,
Richt frelie thair resignit in his hand,
All rycht he had or micht haif to Scotland,
Denudand him of all titill of richt
He had that tyme, or efterwart haif mycht.
No langar thair king Edward wald remane
Quhen this wes done, bot passit syne agane
To Beruik toun, quhair that the nobill[is] all
Of Scotland thair befoir him he gart call.
Suppois it wes richt soir aganes thair will,
Obediens he gart thame mak him till;
| 2 Here a line is wanting.
And all the strenthis that war in Scotland,
Stude neir the se he tuke in his awin hand.
Syne Johnne the Ballioll and his sone also,
To Lundoun toun he maid thame bayth till go,
Quhair tha war keipit in ane presoun strang
Richt souerlie, quhill efterwart full lang,
I can nocht tell 3ow how it hapnit so,
This Johnne the Ballioll levit wes to go
In Scotland hame, thair to byde and remane,
Makand ane aith that he sould neuir agane
In ony tyme, for ald feid or for new,
In plane battell no Inglisman persew,
Nor of Scotland no richt to alledge,
And left his sone behind him into pledge.
Syne quhen he saw that he wes nocht weill tretit
Quhilk king Edward in France send to him hame;
Than king Edward, of quhome befoir I tald,
Trowand he had all Scotland as he wald,
Withoutin pley at his obedience,
Tuke purpois than agane to pas in France.
And or he wald to his purpois pretend,
Into Scotland ane lieutennand he send,
With greit power, ane man of nobill fame,
That callit wes Hew Glassingawe to name,
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