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 |
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 | The buik of Alexander |  |
The King beheld him irously,
And said, “sen thow hes sic inuy
To venge my harm, gif that thow will,
Thow may haue laisere sone thair-till!
And, nocht-for-thy, I dar weill say
Thow hes him nocht now to assay.
Of the broune that thow luffit sa
To erd bakuard he gart the ga,
Quhen the cantell of thi helm sa cleir
Stikkit in the erd on sic manere,
For thi nekbane was neir bristing!
And I may weill say but lesing
That thow to meit him hes na will.
Of sic speche micht thow weill be still,
For I knaw he is nane of thay
That mekill noyis and bost will may,
For he can weill begin ane stour,
And end it als, weill with honour,
And, Quhen he seis he hes mister,
Part thair-fra on fair maner,
And mak mony ane fare recouering;
Quhen he preissit is ony thing,
He lettis nocht, withoutin weir,
His fallowis chaissit be to neir,
Bot thame with speir or [brand] all bare,
Deliueris thame, quhen chaissit are.
Mony fare point, throw his bounte,
Fele syis that day recouerit hes he,
And our best men and maist of mane
He gart oft hald thair hors agane.
Is nane that dar him neir assay
Than flatlingis to the erd gang thay.
This day I saw him fell sic thre
That the worst wint, throw his bounte,
To tak him allane and to bynd.
Se how he bydis his feris behind,
Lord, how he delis at his lyking
Baith with his hors and his arming!
I saw neuer man, my lyftyme ere,
Sa cleynly daill with scheild and spere.
I prais far mair his fleyng
Than I do all our follouing.
The lord that hes him of menȝe
Richt Ioyful in hart may he be,
For ane worthiar knicht na he,
I trow thair may nane fundin be,
For he had leuer to be slane,
Or hangit, or with hors be drawin,
Than he for radnes suld do sic thing
That micht him turne to repreuing.”
And said, “sen thow hes sic inuy
To venge my harm, gif that thow will,
96
And, nocht-for-thy, I dar weill say
Thow hes him nocht now to assay.
Of the broune that thow luffit sa
To erd bakuard he gart the ga,
Quhen the cantell of thi helm sa cleir
Stikkit in the erd on sic manere,
For thi nekbane was neir bristing!
And I may weill say but lesing
That thow to meit him hes na will.
Of sic speche micht thow weill be still,
For I knaw he is nane of thay
That mekill noyis and bost will may,
For he can weill begin ane stour,
And end it als, weill with honour,
And, Quhen he seis he hes mister,
Part thair-fra on fair maner,
And mak mony ane fare recouering;
Quhen he preissit is ony thing,
He lettis nocht, withoutin weir,
His fallowis chaissit be to neir,
Bot thame with speir or [brand] all bare,
Deliueris thame, quhen chaissit are.
Mony fare point, throw his bounte,
Fele syis that day recouerit hes he,
And our best men and maist of mane
He gart oft hald thair hors agane.
Is nane that dar him neir assay
Than flatlingis to the erd gang thay.
This day I saw him fell sic thre
That the worst wint, throw his bounte,
97
Se how he bydis his feris behind,
Lord, how he delis at his lyking
Baith with his hors and his arming!
I saw neuer man, my lyftyme ere,
Sa cleynly daill with scheild and spere.
I prais far mair his fleyng
Than I do all our follouing.
The lord that hes him of menȝe
Richt Ioyful in hart may he be,
For ane worthiar knicht na he,
I trow thair may nane fundin be,
For he had leuer to be slane,
Or hangit, or with hors be drawin,
Than he for radnes suld do sic thing
That micht him turne to repreuing.”
| The buik of Alexander | |