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

NOTES TO EIGHTH BOOK (575-935).
433
575-580. See ‘Hist. Doc.,’ vol. ii. pp. 41-43, where Edward issues a
decree in April 1296, expelling all Scotsmen resident on the lands of
Scotsmen in England from that country. Malton is mentioned, and
is said to have been burned and to be lying waste. The name of the
proprietor of Malton twice occurs, but it is “ Henry of Malton,” not
Sir Ralph Raymond. Malton, or New Malton, lies N.E. of York and
S.E. of Northallerton.
623. Pomfray—i.e., Pontefract. But Edward was not in England at
the time of Wallace’s invasion of that country.
629. A. has a much better reading. See Glossary for a ftayn.
631, &c. With regard to the crowning of Wallace, note that in the
‘Wallace Papers,’ p. 191, there is an account of Wallace’s Trial, in
which it is said (I translate the Latin): “ He was tried in Westminster
Hall, being crowned with laurel, for that he himself in past time had
declared that he ought to wear a crown (coronam) in that hall.”
649. Wrangwisplace. The right place would be Scone.
660. A fer. Probably we should read offer of iver.
662, &c. Compare with this passage what is said in xi. 1447, &c.
668. For me probably should be fra me.
711. Faute offfude. This was the policy of the Scots when their
country was invaded by the English.
714. There is a more intelligible reading in 1758 edition—“ Through¬
out fair and free town.”
724. Bawchillyt, &c. Cp. Shakespeare’s—
“ Till thou canst rail the seals from off my bond,
Thou but offendst thy lungs to speak so loud.”
733, 734. Wedowis, &c. These two lines are very beautiful.
765. Gownnys. See Glossary. Our Scottish Homer here is nod¬
ding, for there were no guns in Wallace’s time.
775. See Glossary. There are several notices in the ‘Calendar’d
these warlike engines.
867. Fer to wyn. Fer is probably for ser—i.e., sair, sore. Or it may
mean that to get food, one had to go far.
869. Warysoun. The word here seems used pretty much as the
kindred O.Fr. warison or garison—security, safety. As A. reads ver-
nysoun, perhaps we should read warnysoun—provisions, stores.
886. King Arthur.
888. Gayn—i.e., gone, not gain.
906. The reading of A. is much better.
911. Nocht apayn. J. takes a payn here to mean hardly—like Fr.
a peine. A. has a better reading. I do not think that nocht a payn
can mean not hardly, as there is another negative in the end of the line.
918. A better reading in A.
935. This must be April 1298. Cp. line 433, where we see Wal¬
lace setting off to England in November of 1297. He had returned