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

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SCHIR WILLIAM WALLACE (1256-1524).
1256. Roncesvalles is meant. Ganjelon is Ganalon. See ‘ Medi-
£eval Tales’ (Routledge), p. 39.
1274. A say. That is, she tasted every dish she offered to Wallace
and Earl Malcolm.
1305, &c. Probably, as being a Frenchwoman and newly come to
England, the queen would speak French. This implies that, accord¬
ing to Harry, Wallace also could speak that language.
1342. Note that any documents of Wallace that are extant recognise
Baliol as king, not Bruce. The way in which Bruce is here spoken
of shows that the fact that he succeeded in freeing his country made
him be regarded as the rightful heir to the throne from the first.
1346. He said, &c. This is a historical saying. Fordun tells us
that, after the battle of Dunbar, the elder Bruce came to the King of
England and besought him to faithfully fulfil what he had long ago
promised him as to his getting the kingdom. But that old framer of
wiles, in no little indignation, answered thus in the French tongue,
“ Ne avonis ren autres chose a fer, que a vous reamys ganere?”—that
is to say, “ Have we nothing else to do but to win kingdoms for
thee ? ”
1375. Harry manages this scene with wonderful skill.
1379. That is, that slew so innocent a creature.
1394. A nothir is like a newt. See note, vii. 705.
1410. See Glossary.
1438. That sail he nocht. 1594 edition reads, “ that sail not be."
1451. Note that Harry here dignifies his own position as a minstrel.
He even places minstrels before heralds. Compare Homer, Od.,
viii. 479 :—
“iracn yap av6ptbiroi<nv iiri^ovloiuiv doiSof
Tipijs ifi/xopol €iVi ko! aiSods, oBve/c’ &pa cnpeas
otpcas Mover’ t8l8a£c, <pi\i]<Te 8e cj>u\ov aotSwv ”—
where Demodocus, the blind minstrel, is being rewarded for his song.
1493. Applessit occurs before, in v. 741.
1503. Clyffurd. If this is Sir Robert Clifford, Harry is wrong, as in
the end of 1297 and in the beginning of 1298 he was engaged, accord¬
ing to Hemingford, in wasting Annandale and other parts of Scotland.
The ‘ Calendar’ shows that he was appointed Warden of the Marches
in 1296.
1523. Randell—z.e., Randolph, Earl of Moray, the nephew of Bruce.
There is nothing to show that he was among those Scots taken to
England by Edward. The ‘Calendar’ shows a “Sir Nicholas, son
of Sir Thomas,” as a prisoner in the Tower at this time. Sir Thomas
was taken prisoner and confined by the English, but this was after
the battle of Methven in 1306.
1524. There is nothing in the ‘ Calendar’ to show that the Lord of
Lorn was at this time in England. On the contrary, he seems to
have been a supporter of Edward.