The buik of Alexander Or the buik of the most noble and valiant conquerour Alexander the Grit: By John Barbour ... Edited in four volumes, from the unique printed copy in the possession of the Earl of Dalhousie, with introductions, notes and glossary, together with the French originals (Li Fuerres de Gadres and Les Voeux du Paon) collated with numerous mss.: By R. L. Graeme Ritchie |
 | I, II. |
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| 1. |
How ȝoung Pirrus lord of Montflour Reskeuit his men and wan honour |
| 2. |
 | The buik of Alexander |  |
How ȝoung Pirrus lord of Montflour Reskeuit his men and wan honour
The pure man that vnarmit wasRaid prekand stoutly throw the preis.
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And held of him baith towris and tounis.
His scheild to-fruschit was halely,
And he woundit in the body,
Bot the wound was litill, suthlie,
And he had bundin it straitlie.
Wpon ane syde of the feild he saw
Ane knycht of Gaderis without fallow,
Armyt in to full riche armour.
His armis quhitar war than flour,
His scheild was bordouret richely
With gold and asure halely,
His hors was fare; he saw neuer knycht
That him thocht sa gaily dicht.
On syde sa stoutly he him straik
That all suddanly the hede can tak
Baith of the knycht and of the steid,
And his necbane in sounder ȝeid,
And his chyn brak dispitusly.
The child than lychtit doun in hy,
And dicht him in his armour swith,
And syne lap on his steid sa styth.
His swerd nakit in hand he bare,
Beheld his leggis, how thay ware
Arrayit in melȝe of fyne hew,
His hart within his body grew;
He saw his eme at erd, him by,
And his gude steid vpon him ly,
For he was fallin in ane turnyng.
Seuyne knychtis he saw vpon him dyng,
That grete rowtis vnto him raucht.
The child cryit “Archade!” with all his maucht
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And smot the first sa sturdely
That he smote euin the arme in tua,
And ane other to the erd can ga;
And rushit, with that, vpone the laif,
And mony deidly dynt thame gaif;
Sa of the seuin slew he fyue.
With that, the duke vpstart belyue—
The tother tua hes left that steid—
And he drest him into his weid,
And said, “quhat art thow, freind, that me
Hes in this thrang done this bounte?”
“Schir,” said the childe, “I hecht Pyrrus,
And neuoy is to Emynedus.
In Daurus presoun haue I bene
Weill xiiij. ȝeir, forouttin wene.
For, quhan I was ane lytill page,
For my fader I went in hostage;
Now (louit be God!) eschaipit am I.
I haue bene scornit this day greatly
For armour; louit mot God be,
For now I haue aneuch plentie!
My fader is of Archade, suithly,
Emynedus sister sone am I,
Now seik I him in seir countre.”
The duke said, “louit mot God be!
I am thy eme, fair, deir cousine;
Thow art my deir sib-man and I thine.
In Alexanderis court throw me
Thow sall menskit and honourit be.”
With that, he can him fast imbrais,
And kissit him, armit as he was.
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Am of this meting richt happy!
My hart is full of Iolite.
Now think I, sweit eme, to be
Honourit, throw ȝow, with great and small,
And for my awin deidis with all.”
Emynedus sayis, “my neuoy deir,
Se that thow hald the by me heir!
This is the perrillous battale
That euer I saw in my trauell,
And thow, my sone, be set fra me.”
“Schir,” said the child, “or it sa be,
My sword sall be of blude all rede,
And I woundit neir to the deid.”
| The buik of Alexander | |