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

THE ELLEUINT BUIK.
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And this Jong man that Menteth till him send;
Wyst nane hot thir quhat way at Wallace wend;
The quhilk gart warn his eym the auchtand nycht.
Sexte full sone Schyr Jhone [Menteith] gert dycht 990
Off hys awn kyn, and off alya born;
To this tresoun he gert thaim all be suorn.
Fra Dunbertane he sped thaim haistely,
Ner Glaskow kyrk thai bownyt thaim priwaly.
Wallace past furth quhar at the tryst was set, 995
A spy thai maid, and folowed him but let
Till Robrastoun, was ner be the way syd,
And bot a hows quhar Wallace oysyt to byd.
He wouk on fut quhill passyt was myd nycht;
Kerle and he than for a sleip thaim dycht. 1000
Thai bad this cuk, that he suld wache hys part,
And walkyn Wallace, com men fra ony art.
Quhen thai slepyt, this traytour tuk graith heid,
He met his eym, and bad him haiff no dreid :
“ On sleip he is, and with him bot a man, 1005
Ye may him haiff, for ony craft he can;
With owt the hous thair wapynnys laid thaim fra.”
For weill thai wyst, gat Wallace ane off tha
And on his feyt, hys ransoun suld be sauld.
Thus semblyt thai about that febill hauld. 1010
This traytour wach fra Wallace than he stall
Bathe knyff and suerd, his bow and arowis all.
Eftyr mydnycht in handis thai haiff him tane,
Fol. laobDyschowyll on sleipe, with him na man bot ane.
Kerle thai tuk, and led him off that place, 1015
Dyd him to ded with outyn langar space.
Thai thocht to bynd Wallace throu strenthis strang;
On fute he gat the feill traytouris amang,
990. Menteith is from A. syde.
991. kyn and allya was borne. P. reads off 1001. this man . . . walk his part.
A lay was born. 1002. any part.
994. buskit yame. 1003. gude heid.
995 is not in A. 1014. Slomerit on.
997. Robert Railston, was neir the way be-