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

THE FOURT BUIK.
The captayne baid, thocht he war sor agast.
Part of the Scottis be worthines thai slew :
Wallace was wa, and to wart him he drew.
His men dred for the Butler bauld and keyn.
On him he socht in ire and propyr teyn;
Vpon the hed him straik in matelent:
The burnyst blaid throu his basnett went.
Bathe bayne and brayn he byrst throw all the weid;
Thus Wallace hand deliuerit thaim off dreid.
3eitt feill on fold was fechtand cruelly :
Stewyn of Irland, and all the cheualry,
In to the stour did cruelly and weill;
And Kerle als with his gud staff of steill.
The Inglismen, fra thar cheftayne was slayne,
Thai left the feild and fled in all thair mayn.
Thre scoyr war slayne or thai wald leif that steid.
The fleande folk, that wist of no rameid,
Bot to the hous thai fled in all thair mycht;
The Scottis folowit, that worthi war and wycht.
Few men of fens was left that place to kepe,
Wemen and preistis wpon the wall can wepe :
For weill thai wend the flearis was thar lord :
To tak him in thai maid thaim redy ford,
Leit doun the bryg, kest wp the 3ettis wide.
The frayit folk entrit, and durst nocht byde :
Gud Wallace euir he folowit thaim so fast,
Quhill in the hous he entryt at the last;
The Jett he wor, quhill cumin was all the rout
Of Inglis and Scottis; he held na man tharout.
The Inglismen, that won war in that steid,
With outyn grace thai bertnyt thaim to deid.
The capteynis wiff, wemen, and preistis twa,
And 3ong childer, forsuth thai sawyt no ma;
463. men than dred the Buttelar.
467. brane and bane he brystit throw
weid.
469. fechtand fellounly.
471. worthely and weill.
477. Bot tak.
his 479. of fence.
480. P. has u/tw IVa/Zace—which is
489. that wynnit.