Scottish Text Society publications > Old series > Actis and deidis of the illustere and vailzeand campioun, Schir William Wallace, Knicht of Ellerslie

THE FOURT BUIK.
49
Our tuk the child Schyr Ranaldis sowme couth leid.
Softlye thai raid quhill thai the court suld knaw. 25
So sodeynly at Hesilden he saw
The Perseys sowme, in quhilk gret ryches was;
The hors was tyryt, and mycht no forthyr pas.
V men was chargit to keipe it weill all tid;
Twa was on fute, and thre on hors couth ride. 30
The maistir man at thair serwand can sper;
“ Quha aw this sowme? the suth thou to me ler.”
The man ansuerd, with outyn wordis mar;
‘ My lordis,’ he said, ‘ quhilk schirreff is of Ayr.’
“ Sen it is his, this hors sail with ws gang 35
To serwe our lord, or ellis methink gret wrang;
Thocht a subiet in deid wald pass his lord,
It is nocht lewyt be na rychtwis racord.”
Thai cutt the brayss and lej# the harnes faw.
Wallace was ner; quhen he sic reuere saw, 40
He spak to thaim with manly contenance.
In fayr afforme, he said, but wariance;
‘ Ye do vs wrang, and it in tyme of pes ;
Off sic rubry war suffisance to ces.’
The Sothron schrew in ire ansuerd him to; 45
“ It sail be wrocht as thow may se ws do.
Thow gettis no mendis; quhat wald thow wordis mar?”
Sadly awisit Wallace remembrith him thar
On the promyss he maid his eyme befor:
Resoun him rewllyt, as than he did no mor. 50
The hors thai tuk for awentur mycht befall,
Laid on thar sowme, syne furth the way couth call.
Thar tyryt sowmir so left thai in to playne.
Wallace raturnd towart the court agayne;
24. {couth) suld.
26. In MS. for at the word is ^at. A. has—
“So suddandly that tyme himself he
saw.”
29. (all) that.
30. (couth) can.
35. (ws) me.
39. cuttit; (brayss) brace.
40. (reuere) rubric.
42. In fair forme.
44. it war gude tyme to ceis.
47. quhat neidis word mair?
48. rememberit thar.
51. (thai tuk) ^it tuk yai.
52. (Laid) Band.
53. (so left thai) yai left thair.
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