At euirilk part a stalwart wach he maid; 755 Fermyt a sege, and stedfastly abaid. Byschop Synclar in till all haist him dycht, Com out off Bute with symly men to sycht; Owt off the ilys off Rauchlé and Aran, Lyndsay and Boid, with gud men mony ane. 760 Adam Wallace, barroun off Ricardtoun, Full sadly socht till Wallace off renoun, At Sanct Jhonstoun baid at the sailye still. For Sotheroun men thai mycht weill pass at will: For in thar way thar durst na enemys be, 765 Bot fled away be land, and als be se. About that toun thus semblyt thai but mor; For thai had beyn with gud Wallace befor. Cetoun, Lauder, and Richard off Lundé, In a gud barge thai past about be se; 770 Thair ankyr in Sanct Jhonstoun hawyn set. Twa Inglyss schippys thai tuk with outyn let; The tane thai brynt, syn stuffyt the tothir weill With artailye, and stalwart men in steyll, To kep the port, thar suld com na wictaill 775 In to that toun, nor men at mycht thaim waill. Fra south and north mony off Scotland fled, Left castellys waist, feill left thar lyff to wed. The South byschop, befor that left Dunkell, Fol. 118 a Till London past, and tald Eduuard him sell, 780 In Scotland thar had fallyn a gret myschance. Than send he son for Amar the Wallance, And askyt him quhat than war best to do. He hecht to pass, and tak gret gold tharto, In to Scotland sum menys for to mak 785 Agane Wallace; on hand this can he tak. Thai said, he wald wndo king Eduuardis croun, Bot gyff thai mycht throu tresoun put him doun. King Eduuard hecht, quhat thing at Wallang band, He suld it kep, war it bathe gold and land. 790 Wallange tuk leyff, and is in Scotland went; To Bothwell com; syn kest in his entent, Quhat man thar was mycht best Wallace begyll: And sone he fand, with in a litill quhill, Schyr Jhon Menteth Wallace his gossop was. 795 A messynger Schyr Amar has gert pass On to Schyr Jhon, and sone a tryst has set; At Ruglyn kyrk thir twa to gydder met. Than Wallang said; “Schyr Jhon, thow knawis this thing, “Wallace agayn ryssis contrar the king; 800 “And thow may haiff quhat lordschip thow will waill, “And thou wald wyrk as I can gyff consaill. “Yon tyrand haldys the rewmys at troubill bathe, “Till thryfty men it dois full mekill scaith. “He traistis the, rycht weyll thow may him tak; 805 “Off this mater ane end I think to mak. “War he away, we mycht at liking ryng “As lordys all, and leiff wndyr a king.” Than Menteth said; ‘He is our gouernour; ‘For ws he baid in mony felloun stour, 810 ‘Nocht for him selff, bot for our heretage: ‘To sell him thus it war a foull owtrage.’ Than Wallang said; “And thow weill wndyrstud, “Gret neid it war, he spillis so mekill blud “Off Crystin men, puttis saullis in peraill; 815 “I bynd me als, he sall be haldyn haill “As for his lyff, and kepyt in presoune; “King Eduuard wald haiff him in subiectioun.” Than Menteth thocht, sa [thai] wald kepe connand, He wald full fayn [haiff] had him off Scotland. 820 Wallange saw him intill a study be, Thre thowsand pundys off fyn gold leit him se; And hecht he suld the Lewyn-houss haiff at will. Thus tresonably Menteth grantyt thartill; Obligacioun with his awn hand he maid; 825 Fol. 118 b Syn tuk the gold, and Eduuardis seill so braid, And gaiff thaim his, quhen he his tym mycht se To tak Wallace our Sulway, giff him fre Till Inglissmen; be this tresonabill concord Schyr Jhon suld be off all the Lennox lord. 830 Thus Wallace suld in Ingland kepyt be, So Eduuard mycht mak Scotland till him fre. Thar cowatyss was our gret maystir seyn; Nane sampill takis, how ane othir has beyn For cowatice put in gret paynys fell; 835 For cowatice, the serpent is off hell. Throuch cowatice, gud Ector tuk the ded; For cowatice thar can be no ramed. Throuch cowatice gud Alexander was lost; And Julius als, for all his reiff and bost. 840 Throuch cowatice deit Arthour off Bretane. For cowatice thar has deit mony ane. For cowatyce, the traytour Ganyelon The flour off France he put till confusion. For cowatice thai poysound gud Godfra 845 In Antioche, as the autor will sa. For cowatice, Menteth, apon falss wyss, Betraysyt Wallace, that was his gossop twyss.