Scottish Text Society publications > Third series > Chronicles of Scotland > Volume 2, 1941

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bellenden’s boece
myc/it be eftir sikkir occasioun of batall aganis him quhen
pai fand sufficient oportunite, he rasit ane grete army be avise
of King Edward to tak all pe said strenthis, and first tuke
purpoft with sindry ingeneus & subtile instrumewtis to tak
pe castell of Lochtlevin. And becaus pis castell mycht nocht
be takin but lang seige, he left Schir lohnne Striueling to ly
at pe sege perof with ane grete power quhill pe castell war
woraryn ; and to doo pair besynes mair eselye, pai sett doun
pair pail3eonis in pe kirk3ard of Sanct Serff besyde Kynroft,
and pollutit pe kirk pairof with pair abhominabill lustis. This
castell was kepit be Alane Auldbrig and lames Lamby. At
522 last, quhen pir Inglismen | had assail3eitt lang tyme to gett
pis castell and gevin it mony grete assalh's be sindry ingynis,
howbeitt pai war in vane, pai devisit ane subtill slycht to tak
pe castell but ony straik. First pai inclusit pe watter pat
ran oute of pe loch with ane grete dam, and biggitt it sa straitt
with faill, devaitt and treis pat pe watter mycht be haldin in
quhill it raift abone pe hous ; and to cauft pe dam to be boldin
mair haistlye, pai brocht pe burnys of sindry partis to pe locch.
It happbinit pat Sc/zfr lohnne Striueling, principale Capitane
of pe sege, went in his deuocioun to Dunfermling, levand
behynd him sa mony as he thocht sufficient to sustene pe
sege. Alane Aldbrig, principale Capitane within pe houft,
(II. 427) knawing pe grete dangere appering to him, come oute of
pe castell with thre cobillis, and quhen he had boritt ane
grete hoill throw pe fayll, he retumit but ony noyift to pe
castell. Incontinent pe watter brak oute with sik preft pat
it drownitt all pe army pat was lyand vnder pe dam, and brocht
pame with horft, careage and all vther pair provisioun to pe
seye. It is sayd at pis vengeance come on pame for pollucioun
of Sanct Serfffs kirk. In pe menetyme Alane Aldbrig, quhen
pe watter was fallin to pe aid mesoure, ischitt oute of pe castell
with ane grete cunpany, and slew mony of pame quhilkis war
eschapitt at pis tyme, and pe remanent put to flycht, syne
retumit with grete spouse of pair gudzs, riches and vittalis
to pe castell. lohnne Striueling, herand pe calamite pat
wes fallin to his folkis, retumytt to pe sege, and maid ane vowe
nevir to part fra pe samyn quhill he had slayne all pame quhilkis