Book I

Summary

OUR antecessowris that we suld of reide

And hald in mynde, thar nobille worthi deid

We lat ourslide throw werray sleuthfulnes,

And castis ws euir till vthir besynes.

Till honour Ennymyis is our haile entent.

It has beyne seyne in thir tymys by went,

Our aid Ennemys cummyn of Saxonys blud,

That neuyr 3eit to Scotland wald do gud

Bot euir on fors and contrar haile thar will,

Quhow gret kyndnes thar has beyne kyth thaiw till.

It is weyle knawyne on mony diuers syde,

How thai haff wrocht in-to thar mychty pryde

To hald Scotlande at wndyr emVmar,

Bot god abuff has maid thar mycht to par.

3hit we suld thynk one our bearis befor.

Of thir parablys as now I say no mor.

We reide of ane rycht famous of renowne,

Of worthi blude that ryngis in this regioune,

And hensfurth I will my proces hald

Of Wil3ham Wallas 3he haf hard beyne tald.

His forbearis, quha likis till understand,

Of hale lynage and trew lyne of Scotland.

Schir Ranald Crawfurd, rycht schirreff of Ayr,

So in hys tyme he had a dochtir fayr

And 3onge schir Ranald, schirreff. of that toune.

His systir fair, off gud fame and ranoune,

Malcom Wallas hir gat in mariage,

That Elrisle than had in heretage,

Auchinbothe and othir syndry place.

The secund 0 he was of gud Wallace,

The quhilk Wallas full worthely at wrocht

Quhen Waltyr her of Waillis fra Warayn socht.

Quha likis till haif mar knowledge in that part

Go reid the rycht lyne of the fyrst Stewart.

Bot Malcom gat upon this lady brycht

Schir Malcom Wallas, a full gentill knycM,

And Wil3ame als, as cornyklis beris on hand,

Quhilk efitir was the reskew of Scotland.

Quhen it was lost with tresoune and falsnas,

Our-set be fais, he fred it weyle throu grace.

Quhen Alexander our worthi king had lorn

Be awentur his liff besid Kyngorn,

Thre 3er in pes the Realm stude desolate,

Quharfor thair rais a full grewous debate.

Our prynce Dawy, the Erie of Huntywtoun,

Thre dochtrys had that war of gret ranoun,

Off quhilk thre com Bruce, Balgoune and Hastyng.

Twa of the thre desyryt to be kyng.

Baljoune clamyt of fyrst gre lynialy,

50 And Bruce fyrst male of the secund gre by.