Scottish Text Society publications > Third series > Actis and Deidis of Schir William Wallace, 1570

THE PREFACE
following,pr«ifclie affirme,the haill contentis thairof,to be ofanc mfaQB
billtreuch: Swadolnathing lei then allow the judgement and opinioun
of them,that ralhlie.and at rhc firft ficht, doit dampn* the famin,or maiA
pain thairof,ai friuoll,and fenzeir« And that becaut thair is Aim ftrange»
and meruellous thingis contcinic thairin, qubilk fcarcely fern is can becre«
dim. Anc of the cheii and principall thingis.that mouis them heirto, is tho
Hidorie ofFawdoun,andoftheGafkhall.Ic is written thair, that Wallace
eftirthat he had narrowlieefcapit mony greitdangeris.and had flain hisa-
win man Fawdoun, he come at nicht to theGaskhal.Quhen he had hard
thairgreicdyn of hornii blawing, he fend out hitmen, firft twa, fyne twa,
vntill they wer all fend funh. Naac of them all returnand agane, and the
noyfe ftillconrinewand, he pallis fu.rth him felf. In the palling furth, he
thochc he faw Fawdoun, quhome he had flain the day befoir. flinginghis
held at him, and he eleikit it be the hair,and flang it at him aganc. The
feir be this gret terrour increflir in him mekil mair.Thus was he conftray*
nit to remute from the Gsskhall. -Quhen he had ane lytill remuiflt helui-
kis bebinde him and thocht he fiW the hous all in ane fyre1; and Fawdoua
vpon the heidofit. Swa in greit feir he wanderis furth althe nicht quhill
become to ane womans hous of his acquaintance, quhair herefrefehit him
felt with raettand red. This hyflorie becaus itappcirisincredibill, makic
mony to derpyle the haill warkfublequent, Burgifmen fuld luik mair
aeirheon it, it wald not be thocht At vneouth,nor zitincredible..Frequent
and common it is to men of greit fpreitis.quhat time they ar oppreffit with
extreme feir,and weryit with greit trauellii, and beand in defert places vn-
dernichtjohtair^oconfaueand perfwadevnto them felfis thattney maid
certainliefe that thing, quhilk nochttheles is not fenein deid, hot is ane
meirfantalic confauit andgenerit of thair feir and werine*. As it com* to
pas heir in our Wallace, quhaefcaipingfa mocy dargeris the day befoir,
being fair trauellk and weryit for faultofmeic Screfrefehing, and laikirg
offletpfbeing vnder nicht in ane defert place, circultt (as itappeirit) be his
enemiestfolitair anddedituteof all his men,& being exceidingcairfull for
them.thinking them to be all flare, and gane, AllTantafles, and pcrrilles
Weiterand thus in his mynde, throw immoderat cair and feir, he thocht he
faw Fawdoun cafland his heid at him,and that hecaifl it agar eat him,and
that the hous was in ane fyre.Zit was thair na ficthingin verraydeid, bot
Was only ane vane fantafie, generit of his feir, andfaintr.es. And (wait is
Written in th: buik it felf/hnt he thochc he faw fle thingis,and not writtin
that hefliw them in verry deid. Alsquhen he come to the hous, quhair he
was repoflt.he faid, that all the perrilhs and jeopardies that he had bene in
befoir, wes bot play to chat nicht: quhtlk wes ane euident argument of his
Seit feir and terrour. On the morne he fend ane woman to fe qubat was
cummin of the Gaskhall; quhafand itintheauld, and former ftaite»
Vithoucony hurtfQ^hairchfowifii manifgft, this yiCoun W?> only