To Fyfe he past, to wesy that cuntré, Bot wrangwarnyt off Inglissmen was he. 780 Schyr Jhon Sewart, quhen thai were passyt by, Fra the Ochell he sped him haistely; Vpon Wallace folowit in all his mycht, In Abyrnethy tuk lugyng that fyrst nycht. Apon the morn, with fyftene hundreth men, 785 Till Black Irnsyde his gydys couth them ken. Thar Wallace was, and mycht no message send Till Sanct Jhonstoun, to mak this jornay kend; For Inglissmen, that full sutell has beyn, Gart wachis walk, that nayn mycht pass betweyn. 790 Than Wallace said, “This mater payis nocht me.” He cald till him the squier gud Guthré, And Beset als, that knew full weyll the land; And ast at thaim, quhat deid was best on hand, “Message to mak, our pouer for to get; 795 “With Sotheroun sone we sall be wndirset. “And wykked Scottis, that knawis this forest best, “Thai ar the causs that we may haiff no rest. “I dred fer mar Wallang, that is thair gyd, “Than all the layff that cummys on that syd.” 800 Than Guthré said; ‘Mycht we get ane or tway ‘To Saynct Johnstoun, it war the gaynest way; ‘And warn Ramsay, we wald get succour sone. ‘Our suth it is, it can nocht now be don. ‘Rycht weyll I wait, weschell is lewyt nayn, 805 ‘Fra the Wood hawyn, to the ferry cald Aran.’ Than Wallace said; “The water cald it is; “My selff can swym, I trow, and fall na myss. “But currours oyss, that gaynys nocht for me; “And I leyff yow her, yet had I leuir de. 810 “Throw Goddis grace we sall bettir eschew; “The strenth is stark, als we haiff men inew. “In Elchoch park, bot fourty thar war we, “For sewyn hundreth, and gert feill Sothron de; “And chapyt weill in mony wnlikly place; 815 “So sall we her, throw help off Goddis grace. “Quhill men may fast, thir woddis we may hauld still; “For thi, ilk man be off trew hardy will; “And at we do so nobill in to deid, “Off ws be found no lak eftir to reid. 820 “The rycht is ouris, we suld mor ardent be; Fol. 84 b “I think to freith this land, or ellis de.” His waillyt spech, with wit and hardyment, Maid all the layff so cruell off entent; Sum bad tak feild, and giff battaill in playn. 825 Wallace said; “Nay, thai wordis are in wayn: “We will nocht leyff that may be our wantage; “The wod till ws is worth a yeris wage.” Off hewyn temyr in haist he gert thaim tak Syllys off ayk, and a stark barrés mak, 830 At a foyr frount, fast in the forest syd, A full gret strenth, quhar thai purpost to bid; Stellyt thaim fast till treis that growand was, That thai mycht weyll in fra the barrés pass; And so weill graithit on athir sid about; 835 Syn com agayn, quhen thai saw thaim in dout. Be that the strenth arayit was at rycht, The Inglis ost approchyt to thair sycht. Than Sewart com, that way for till haiff wend, As thai war wount; so his gydis thaim kend. 840 At that entré thai thocht till haiff passage; But sone thai fand that maid thaim gret stoppage. A thousand he led off men in armes strang, With fyve hundreth he gert Jhon Wallang gang With out the wod, that nayn suld pass thaim fra. 845 Wallace with him had fourty archarys thra; The layff was speris, full nobill in a neid: On thair enemys thai bykkyr with gud speid. A cruell cwntyr was at the barrés seyn. The Scottis defens so sykkyr was and keyn, 850 Sotheroun stud aw to enter thaim amang; Feill to the ground thai our threw in that thrang. A rowm was left, quhar part in frount mycht fayr; Quha entrit in, agayn yeid neuirmar. Fourty thai slew, that formast wald haiff past. 855 All dysarayit the ost was, and agast; And part off hors throw schot to dede was brocht, Brak to a playn, the Sotheroun fra them socht. The Sewart said; “Allace, how [may] this be; “And do no harm? Our gret rabut haiff we.” 860 He tald Wallang, and askyt his consaill; “Schyrreff thou art, quhat may be our awaill? “But few thai ar that makis this gret debait.” John Wallang said; ‘This is the best I wait, ‘To cess her off, and remayn her besyd; 865 ‘For thai may nocht lang in this forest byd; ‘For fawt off fud, thai mon in the cuntré; Fol. 85 a ‘Than war mar tym on thaim to mak mellé. ‘Or thai be won be fors, in to this stryff ‘Feyll at ye leid sall erar loss the lyff.’ 870 Than Sewart said; “This reid I will nocht tak: “And Scottis be warnyt, reskew sone will they mak. “Off this dispyt amendys I think to haiff, “Or de thar for in nowmyr with the laiff. “In till a rang myselff on fut will fayr.” 875 Aucht hundreth he tuk off liklyest that was thair; Syn bad the layff bid at the barrés still With Jhon Wallang, to rewyll thaim at his will. “Wallang,” he said, “be forthwart in this cace; “In sic a swar we couth nocht get Wallace. 880 “Tak hym or sla; I promess the be my lyff, “That king Edwart sall mak the erll off Fyff. “At yon est part we think to enter in; “I bid no mar, might ye this barress wyn.