Book IV

Summary

In September, the humyll moneth suette,

Quhen passyt by the hycht was off the hette,

Wictaill and froyte ar rypyt in aboundance

As god ordans to mannys gouernance.

Sagittarius with his aspre bow,

Be the Ilk syng weryte 3e may know

The changing cours quhilk makis gret deference.

And lewys had lost thair colouris of plesence.

All warldly thing has nocht bot a sesoune,

Both erbe and froyte mon fra the hycht cum doun.

In this Ilk tyme a gret consell was sett

In-to Glaskow, quhar mony maistms mett

Off Inglis lordis to statute this cuntre.

Than chargyt thai all schirreflis thar to be.

Schir Ranald Crawfurd behowide that tyme be thar

For he throw rycht was born schinefi of Ayr.

His der neuo that tyme with hym he tuk,

Will3ham Wallace, as witnes beris the buk,

For he na tyme suld far be fra his sicht.

He luffyt him with hart and all his mycht.

Thai graith thaim weill with-out langar abaid.

Wallace sum-part befor the court furth raid,

With him twa men that douchtye war in deid,

Our-tuk the child schir Ranald is sowme couth leid.

Softlye thai raid quhill thai the court suld knaw.

sodeynly at Hesilden he saw

The Perseys sowme, in quhilk gret ryches was.

The hors was tyryt and mycht no forthzV pas.

V men was chargit to keipe it weill all sid,

Twa was on fute, and thre on hors couth ride.

The maistir man at thar smvand can sper,

“Quha aw this sowme? The suth 30U to me ler.”

The man ansuerd withoutyn wordis mar,

” My lordis,” he said, “ quhilk schirrefi. is of Ayr.“

“ Sen it is his this hors sail with ws gang

To serwe our lord, or ellis me think gret wrang.

Thocht a subiet in deid wald pas his lord,

It is nocht lewyt be na rychtwis racord.“

Thai cutt the brays and leyt the harnes faw.

Wallace was ner quhen he sic reuere saw.

He spak to thaim with mawly contenance;

In fayr afforme he said but wariance,

” 3e do us wrang, and it in tyme of pes.

Off sic rubry war suffisance to ces.“

The Sothron schrew In Ire ansuerd him to,

“It sail be wrocht as thow may se ws do.