Be this the tyme off October was past; Ner Nouember approchit wondyr fast. Tithandis than come, king Eduuard grewit was, 435 With his power in Scotland thocht to pass; For erll Patrik had gyffyn hym sic consaill. Wallace gat wit, and semblit power haill, Fourty thousand on Roslyn mur thar met. “Lordis,” he said, “thus is King Eduuard set, 440 “In contrar rycht to sek ws in our land. “I hecht to God, and to yow, be my hand, “I sall him meit, for all his gret barnage, “With in Ingland, to fend our heretage. “His falss desyr sall on him selff be seyn; 445 “He sall ws fynd in contrar off his eyn. “Sen he with wrang has ryddyn this regioun, “We sall pass now in contrar off his crown. “I will nocht bid gret lordis with ws fayr; “For myn entent I will playnly declar. 450 “Our purposs is othir to wyn or de; “Quha yeildis him, sall neuir ransownd be.” The barrons than him ansuerd worthely, And said, thai wald pass with thair chewalry. Him selff and Jop prowidyt that menyhé; 455 Twenty thousand off waillit men tuk he, Harnes and hors he gert amang thaim waill; Wappynnys enew, at mycht thaim weill awaill; Grathyt thar men, that cruell wes and keyn; Bettir in wer in warld coud nocht be seyn. 460 He bad the laiff on laubour for to bid. In gud aray fra Roslyn mur thai ryd. At thair muster gud Wallace couth thaim ass, Quhat mysteryt ma in a power to pass? “All off a will, as I trow, set ar we, 465 “In playne battaill can nocht weill scumfit be. “Our rewme is pur, waistit be Sotheroun blud; “Go wyn on thaim tresour, and othir gud.” The ost inclynd all in till humyll will, And said, thai suld his commandment fulfill. 470 The erll Malcome with thir gud men is gayne; Bot nayme off rewill on him he wald tak nayne. Wallace him knew a lord and full worthi; At his consaill he wrocht full stedfastly. Starkar he was, gyff thai had battaill seyn; 475 For he befor had in gud jornays beyn. A man off strenth, that has gud wit with all, A haill regioune may comfort at his call: Fol. 62 b As manly Ectour wrocht in till his wer; Agayn a hundreth cowntyt was his sper. 480 Bot that was nocht throuch his strenth anerly; Sic rewill he led off worthi chewalry. Thir ensampyllis war noble for to ken. Ectour I leiff, and spek furth off our men. The knycht Cambell maid hime to that wiage, 485 Off Louchow cheiff, that was his heretage. The gud Ramsay furth to that jornay went; Schir Jhone the Grayme, forthwart in his entent; Wallace cusyng, Adam, full worthi was, And Robert Boid; full blythly furth thai pass. 490 Baith Awchynlek, and Richard off Lundy, Lawder and Hay, and Cetoun full worthy. This ryall ost, but restyng, furth thai rid, Till Browis feild, and thar a quhill thai bid. Than Wallace tuk with him fourty, but less, 495 Till Roxburgh yett raid sone, or he wald cess. Sotheroun marueld giff it suld be Wallace, With out souerance come to persew that place. Off Schyr Rawff Gray sone presence couth he ass; And warnd him thus, forthwart [or] he wald pass. 500 “Our purposs is in Ingland for to ryd; “No teyme we haiff off segyng now to bid. “Tak tent and her off our cummyng agayne; “Gyff our the houss, send me the keyis in playn. “Thus I commaund befor this witnes large, 505 “Gyff thow will nocht, ramayne with all the charge. “Bot this be done, throuch force and I tak the, “Out our the wall thow sall be hyngit hye.” With that he turnd, and till his ost can wend. This ilk commaund to Berweik sone he send, 510 With gud Ramsay, that was a worthi knycht. The ost but mar full awfully he dycht; Began at Tweid, and spard nocht at thai fand; Bot brynt befor throuch all Northummyrland. All Duram toun thai brynt wp in a gleid. 515 Abbays thai spard, and kyrkis quhar thai yeid. To York thai went but baid, or thai wald blyn; To byrn and sla off thaim he had na syne. Na syn thai thocht, the samyn thai leit ws feill; Bot Wilyam Wallace quyt our quarell weill. 520 Fortrace thai wan, and small castellis kest doun; With aspre wapynnys payit thair ransoune. Off presonaris thai likit nocht to kep; Quhom thai our tuk, thai maid thair freyndis to wepe. Thai sawft na Sotheroun for thair gret riches; 525 Off sic koffre he callit bot wretchitnes. On to the yettis and faboris off the toun Fol. 63 a Braithly thai brynt, and brak thair byggyngis doun; At the wallys assayed fyfetene dayis; Till king Eduuard send to thaim, in this wayis, 530 A knycht, a clerk, and a squier of pes; And prayit him fayr off byrnyng [for] to cess; And hecht battaill, or fourty dayis war past, Souerance so lang, gyff him likit, till ass. And als he sperd, quhy Wallace tuk on hand 535 The felloun stryff, in defens off Scotland. And said, he merweld on his wyt for thy, Agayn Inglande was off so gret party; “Sen ye haiff maid mekill off Scotland fre.