Scottish Text Society publications > Third series > Mar Lodge translation of the history of Scotland by Hector Boece

284 THE MAR LODGE TRANSLATION OF ‘ BOECE ’
Fo. lxxx \. parkit the samyn with fowsyis, and schortlie brocht game to
sa scharp poynt gat eftir victualis consumyt, be branschis and
chattis of treis, herbis and rutis certane tyme gai sustenit ge
miserabill life. At last ouresett be hunger, with difficulte gai
impetrate at ge king he wald pleift gif eris to ge messagere,
quham gai war to direct ; at quhais cuming the king grantit
pece, be condicioun gat ge chiftane and vtheris ijc quham he 10
wald cheift, suld be deliuerit to punycioun as ge counsell wald
devise ; the remanent denwde of wapynnys and armoure suld
m.l.t. 177 departe salflie to ge Ilis. To ge multitude afflictit be extreme
penurite, thir condiciouns war piesing, and haistelie ijc war
deliuerit cheif of ge rebellioun with the principale chiftane,
and at command of ge king and counsale war all put to dede.
The Insulanis, hevily weyand sic crudelite, furiouslie (becaus
gai Wantit wapynnys and armoure) warpit stanis as men in
rage apoun ge oist, quhilk weill anarmyt eschewit ge stanys,
and slew of Insulanis grete nowmer. The residew evading,
fled to ge montanis. Ffra thyne the brule3eis of Insulanis
pecifyit and Romanis vfiih difficulte at fidelite conserving
Britons, certane 3eris Scotland was mare peciabill, without 20
were amang game or be inemyis. During this tranquillite
the king vesijt all ge regiouns in Scotland and constitute
ofliciaris and iugis to gyde ge cuntre be equite and iustice.
And gat in his age he suld noc&t grow dolf be idilnes he gaif
his studye to hunting, as ge rite is of cure cuntre, and as in
barneage he was exercit, diligentlie providing gat na thing
concernyng sic gammyn vsit be antecessouris suld be omittit.
He decretit gat be nettis, gimys or vthir sic thingz's, nane fra
thyne furth suld tak ane hare nor 3k with staff, schot of arrow
or vthir instrument, vnwerly sla hir in hir sete ; and gif scho
evadit the houndis throw spede or war wery forrvn, scho suld 30
nocht be ceirsit ferder to be slane, sen ge hare is euer in con-
tinuall raddoure, scho rynnys ithandlie and may sone be slane
be sic wayis ; alsua gat na stalkaris suld sla ane hart be schot,
nor hound ane baggit hynde, bot abstene fra gare persute
all ge wynter and grete parte of vere, sa lang as depe snaw
covens ge erde, quhen on force be penurite and hungir gai
mon draw fra forestis and montanis; and gat ge hynde calf