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

8o
SCHIR WILLIAM WALLACE.
In to gret ire he send thaim furth on raw.
Quhen he allayne Wallace was lewyt thar,
The awfull blast aboundyt mekill mayr.
Than trowit he weill thai had his lugyng seyne;
His suerd he drew of nobill mettall keyne, 19
Syn furth he went quhar at he hard the home.
With out the dur Fawdoun was him beforn,
As till his sycht, his awne hed in his hand j
A croys he maid, quhen he saw him so stand
At Wallace in the hed he swaket thar; 195
And he in haist sone hynt [it] by the hair,
Syne out agayne at him he couth it cast;
In till his hart he was gretlye agast.
Rycht weill he trowit that was no spreit of man;
It was sum dewill, at sic malice began. 200
He wyst no waill thar langar for to bide,
Vp throuch the hall thus wicht Wallace can glid,
Till a closs stair; the burdis raiff in twyne,
Xv fute large he lap out of that in.
Wp the wattir sodeynlye he couth fair; 205
Agayne he blent quhat perance he sawe thair.
Him thocht he saw Faudoun that hugly syr;
That haill hall he had set in a fyr;
A gret raftre he had in till his hand.
Wallace as than no langar walde he stand, 210
Off his gud men full gret meruaill had he,
How thai war tynt throuch his feyle fantase.
Traistis rycht weill all this was suth in deide,
Supposs that it no poynt be of the creide.
Power thai had witht Lucifer that fell, 215
The tyme quhen he partyt fra hewyn to hell.
Fol. 24 a Be sic myscheiff giff his men mycht be lost,
Drownyt or slayne amang the Inglis ost;
186. MS. has the gret. 207. ugly. So P.
,93. his heid into his hand. 208. Upon the hous, and all the laif in fyre.
194. croce. 209. rufe tre.
201. nane availl; P. vneill. 212. this fell—a better reading.
206. apperance. 216. that he departit.