The Original Chronicle of Andrew of Wyntoun printed on parallel pages from the Cottonian and Wemyss mss., with the variants of the other texts: Edited with introduction, notes, and glossary by F. J. Amours |
 | II, III, IV, V, VI. |
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| CLXXIX. |
| CLXXX. | CHAPTER CLXXX. |
| CLXXXI. |
| CLXXXII. |
| CLXXXIII. |
| CLXXXIV. |
| CLXXXV. |
| CLXXXVI. |
| CLXXXVII. |
| CLXXXVIII. |
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| CXCI. |
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 | CHAPTER CLXXX. The Original Chronicle of Andrew of Wyntoun |  |
CHAPTER CLXXX.
Off a fechting that wes tane then
Betuix þe Franche and Inglismen.
Betuix þe Franche and Inglismen.
In till þis tyme þat I of tell
Ane aduenture in France befell,
That for þe douchtynes of þe dede
Is worthy baith to write and reid.
All [tuich it] nocht to þis matere,
Me think it speidfull to writt heire,
That men of armes may reioysing
Haif, quhen it cummys to þar hering.
Ane aduenture in France befell,
That for þe douchtynes of þe dede
Is worthy baith to write and reid.
210
Me think it speidfull to writt heire,
That men of armes may reioysing
Haif, quhen it cummys to þar hering.
In Less Brettane beȝond þe se
Thare fell of weire a saire poynȝe
Betuix Franche and Inglissmen,
And set at Inglis ma were þen
Than were Franche, ȝit all þar rout
Were discomfit in fecht all out.
The Lord of Bewmaner in þe fecht
Throu manheid tuke ane Inglis knycht,
That leit of Franchemen richt lichtly,
And oft wald say dispitously:
“Quhat, are nocht Inglis douchtyest þen?
That God wald sleip in till his den,
Ȝit think me and I were to ta
Ane Inglisman is worþ of Franche twa.”
Thus spak he oft, till on a day
This Lord Bewmaner can him say:
“Thou spekis, schir, all to largely;
Men may fynd perchance nere hand by
Men of als mekle bounte
As þov may fynd in þi degre.”
The knycht said: “Schir, be my gud fay,
That wald I fayne were at assay,
Quhare we mycht fecht wiþ evin menȝe,
And ane of þaim þare wald I be.”
Bewmaner þan amovit was,
And said him: “Þov may fynd perchas
Thy fill of fechting, gif þov dar.”
“Ȝe, wald God,” sayd he, “gif I were þare.”
“Bew schir,” sais Bewmaner, “perfay,
Sen þov wald fane be at assay,
ȝit sall I mak þe þis cunnand.
Thow sall pass hame in Ingland,
And of þe best men of þe cuntre
Chess ay till ȝe xxx. be,
And I sall chess me als mony
Off kyn and freyndis heire me by,
And set we heire a certane place
To mete; and gif God giffis me grace
To haue wittour with my menȝe,
Gif þov slane in þe bargane be,
Thy ransoun sall I gif þe qwite,
I sall nocht ask þarof a myte;
And gif þov be tane to presoun,
Than sall þov double me þi ransoun.
Sa sall men se gif als fele
Off Franche wiþ Inglismen may dele.
A, mychti God of Hevin,” quod he,
“How ȝour worschip and ȝour bounte
Suld be incressit mony fald
Gif ȝe will hereof cunnand hald.”
“Ȝis,” said he, “sall I sickerly.”
Thare cunnandis band þai þare in hy,
And þarto set a certane place;
By Kane in Normondy it was.
Thare fell of weire a saire poynȝe
Betuix Franche and Inglissmen,
And set at Inglis ma were þen
Than were Franche, ȝit all þar rout
Were discomfit in fecht all out.
The Lord of Bewmaner in þe fecht
Throu manheid tuke ane Inglis knycht,
That leit of Franchemen richt lichtly,
And oft wald say dispitously:
“Quhat, are nocht Inglis douchtyest þen?
That God wald sleip in till his den,
Ȝit think me and I were to ta
Ane Inglisman is worþ of Franche twa.”
Thus spak he oft, till on a day
This Lord Bewmaner can him say:
“Thou spekis, schir, all to largely;
Men may fynd perchance nere hand by
Men of als mekle bounte
As þov may fynd in þi degre.”
The knycht said: “Schir, be my gud fay,
That wald I fayne were at assay,
Quhare we mycht fecht wiþ evin menȝe,
And ane of þaim þare wald I be.”
Bewmaner þan amovit was,
And said him: “Þov may fynd perchas
212
“Ȝe, wald God,” sayd he, “gif I were þare.”
“Bew schir,” sais Bewmaner, “perfay,
Sen þov wald fane be at assay,
ȝit sall I mak þe þis cunnand.
Thow sall pass hame in Ingland,
And of þe best men of þe cuntre
Chess ay till ȝe xxx. be,
And I sall chess me als mony
Off kyn and freyndis heire me by,
And set we heire a certane place
To mete; and gif God giffis me grace
To haue wittour with my menȝe,
Gif þov slane in þe bargane be,
Thy ransoun sall I gif þe qwite,
I sall nocht ask þarof a myte;
And gif þov be tane to presoun,
Than sall þov double me þi ransoun.
Sa sall men se gif als fele
Off Franche wiþ Inglismen may dele.
A, mychti God of Hevin,” quod he,
“How ȝour worschip and ȝour bounte
Suld be incressit mony fald
Gif ȝe will hereof cunnand hald.”
“Ȝis,” said he, “sall I sickerly.”
Thare cunnandis band þai þare in hy,
And þarto set a certane place;
By Kane in Normondy it was.
Quhen þai devisit had þe day,
This knycht till Ingland went his way,
And tald in opin þis tythand;
And fra þe word spred throu þe land
That, but were, tane wes sic a thing,
Ȝoung men, þat ȝarnyt to wyn loving,
Wald proffer þar seruice for to gif
To þare lordis till þai mycht lif
For to purchess þaim, at þai mycht
In nomere of þai xxx. fycht.
Than in till Ingland sa did he
That he chesit in gret daynte
Xxx. all þire wichtest men
That he couþ waill in Ingland þen;
And Bewmaner in till his land,
Off his freyndis þat were nere hand,
And of his kyn, chesit thretty,
Wicht and apert, stark and douchty;
And prevely he gert inquere
Off all þai men þat wiþ him were
Quhilk luffit paramouris, and quhare;
And quhare he herd þar luffaris ware,
He maid purches sa subtelly
That gif scho madin wes, his lady
That he sa luffit, þan purchest he
That scho suld at þat fechting be;
And gif scho bundin wer in wedding,
Hir lord suld hir þidder with him bring;
For quhare sic thingis were ado,
Him thocht it ferit weill þarto
That throu þe sycht of faire ladyis
Suld reif men thocht of cowardiss.
Thus brocht he all þar luffaris þare,
In þare sicht þat suld fecht, but mare,
For he supposit at þar sicht
Suld gif þaim hardyment and mycht.
This knycht till Ingland went his way,
And tald in opin þis tythand;
And fra þe word spred throu þe land
That, but were, tane wes sic a thing,
Ȝoung men, þat ȝarnyt to wyn loving,
214
To þare lordis till þai mycht lif
For to purchess þaim, at þai mycht
In nomere of þai xxx. fycht.
Than in till Ingland sa did he
That he chesit in gret daynte
Xxx. all þire wichtest men
That he couþ waill in Ingland þen;
And Bewmaner in till his land,
Off his freyndis þat were nere hand,
And of his kyn, chesit thretty,
Wicht and apert, stark and douchty;
And prevely he gert inquere
Off all þai men þat wiþ him were
Quhilk luffit paramouris, and quhare;
And quhare he herd þar luffaris ware,
He maid purches sa subtelly
That gif scho madin wes, his lady
That he sa luffit, þan purchest he
That scho suld at þat fechting be;
And gif scho bundin wer in wedding,
Hir lord suld hir þidder with him bring;
For quhare sic thingis were ado,
Him thocht it ferit weill þarto
That throu þe sycht of faire ladyis
Suld reif men thocht of cowardiss.
Thus brocht he all þar luffaris þare,
In þare sicht þat suld fecht, but mare,
For he supposit at þar sicht
Suld gif þaim hardyment and mycht.
The day come sone, and in þe place
A stalwart barras maid þar was
Off mekle bastyne rapis thrungin
Throu stowpis, þat full deip were dongin
Within þe erd rycht stalwartly;
And þidder come on athir party,
Xxx. on ilk syde, for to ficht.
The Franche men were gaily dicht
With couerit horss in irne and steill,
Bot þe Inglismen had na deill
Couerit horss, as I herd say;
Forþi als sone as cummyn wer þai
To þare rank [end, þai] lichtit doune,
And to fecht on fute maid þaim bovne.
The Franche men rycht sa has done,
And saw þaim licht, þai lichtit sone,
And samyn went with speris straucht,
And a lang quhile fenȝeit and facht.
Ane Inglisman had vpon a staff
A hammyre hard, and þarwith gaif
Sic pay þat at þar assembling
He slew ane without recouering.
Sa fast þar fors can þaim faynd
That baith þe partiis falȝeit aynd.
A litill þai withdrew þaim þen,
And on þar suerdis can þaim lene,
Bot þan ane of þe Franche squyeris
Saw be þe fecht and þar afferis
That hard wes wittour for to wyn
Foroutin subtelte or gyn;
He left his feris quhare þai stude,
And evin towart his horss he ȝude.
The Lord de Bewmaner þat saw
Him, as him thocht, him sa withdraw,
Said: “Cousing, I wend nocht in þe
That þov þe first suld falȝeand be.”
He said: “Þe rame oft gais abak,
That he þe mare debait may mak.”
This ansuere maid he him schortly,
And held on till his horss in hy,
Lap on, and agane wallopand
He come, and fand þaim fast fechtand.
At þe syde of þe Inglismen
Sa stoutly in he bruschit þen
That sturdely þaim scalit he.
And quhare he saw þe mast semble
Off Inglismen, in þare he raid,
And rudly rovme amang þaim maid;
For his horss rycht weill armyt was,
That he þare stabying dred weill les.
The Franchemen, þat þaim scalit saw,
Ruschit on þaim, but dreid or aw,
And discomfyt þaim vtraly.
Nyne were slane of þar cumpany,
And þe remanent all were tane.
Off Franchemen þare deit nane,
Outtane he þat with þe mell
Wes slane, as ȝe herd forouth tell.
The Franchemen wes prasit gretly
Off þat, at quhen þai in sic hy
Saw þare fallow sa him withdraw,
As it had bene for dreid or aw,
And maid na takin of abasing
For his richt sudand withdrawing,
Bot faucht fersly furþ as befor,
And sonȝeit nocht forþi þe more,
Thai were to priss, and sa wes he,
That in sa fell a chadmelle,
As man for man, and nocht sa feill
As þai were, and wiþ wit couþ deill,
And vesynes, throu quham þai wan
This batall, þat wes takin þan
And endit, quhare ladyis ioly
Mycht se rycht weill how manfully
Thare luffaris baire þaim in þat fecht.
Men may se pryde, ogart and hicht
Gert þis fecht be vndirtane;
Forþi men may se wit is nane
To dispiss oþeris natioun,
For men may weill se be ressoun
That þai ar men als wele as þai,
And perchans quhill pruf als wele may
As þai; forthy suld nane dispiss
Thare fais, for þe victour lyiss
In his worschip als wele as his;
Forthy me think at he wenys myss
That vthire men litill or nocht is worth
That beris him better quhen he cumis furþ.
A stalwart barras maid þar was
216
Throu stowpis, þat full deip were dongin
Within þe erd rycht stalwartly;
And þidder come on athir party,
Xxx. on ilk syde, for to ficht.
The Franche men were gaily dicht
With couerit horss in irne and steill,
Bot þe Inglismen had na deill
Couerit horss, as I herd say;
Forþi als sone as cummyn wer þai
To þare rank [end, þai] lichtit doune,
And to fecht on fute maid þaim bovne.
The Franche men rycht sa has done,
And saw þaim licht, þai lichtit sone,
And samyn went with speris straucht,
And a lang quhile fenȝeit and facht.
Ane Inglisman had vpon a staff
A hammyre hard, and þarwith gaif
Sic pay þat at þar assembling
He slew ane without recouering.
Sa fast þar fors can þaim faynd
That baith þe partiis falȝeit aynd.
A litill þai withdrew þaim þen,
And on þar suerdis can þaim lene,
Bot þan ane of þe Franche squyeris
Saw be þe fecht and þar afferis
That hard wes wittour for to wyn
Foroutin subtelte or gyn;
He left his feris quhare þai stude,
And evin towart his horss he ȝude.
The Lord de Bewmaner þat saw
Him, as him thocht, him sa withdraw,
218
That þov þe first suld falȝeand be.”
He said: “Þe rame oft gais abak,
That he þe mare debait may mak.”
This ansuere maid he him schortly,
And held on till his horss in hy,
Lap on, and agane wallopand
He come, and fand þaim fast fechtand.
At þe syde of þe Inglismen
Sa stoutly in he bruschit þen
That sturdely þaim scalit he.
And quhare he saw þe mast semble
Off Inglismen, in þare he raid,
And rudly rovme amang þaim maid;
For his horss rycht weill armyt was,
That he þare stabying dred weill les.
The Franchemen, þat þaim scalit saw,
Ruschit on þaim, but dreid or aw,
And discomfyt þaim vtraly.
Nyne were slane of þar cumpany,
And þe remanent all were tane.
Off Franchemen þare deit nane,
Outtane he þat with þe mell
Wes slane, as ȝe herd forouth tell.
The Franchemen wes prasit gretly
Off þat, at quhen þai in sic hy
Saw þare fallow sa him withdraw,
As it had bene for dreid or aw,
And maid na takin of abasing
For his richt sudand withdrawing,
Bot faucht fersly furþ as befor,
And sonȝeit nocht forþi þe more,
220
That in sa fell a chadmelle,
As man for man, and nocht sa feill
As þai were, and wiþ wit couþ deill,
And vesynes, throu quham þai wan
This batall, þat wes takin þan
And endit, quhare ladyis ioly
Mycht se rycht weill how manfully
Thare luffaris baire þaim in þat fecht.
Men may se pryde, ogart and hicht
Gert þis fecht be vndirtane;
Forþi men may se wit is nane
To dispiss oþeris natioun,
For men may weill se be ressoun
That þai ar men als wele as þai,
And perchans quhill pruf als wele may
As þai; forthy suld nane dispiss
Thare fais, for þe victour lyiss
In his worschip als wele as his;
Forthy me think at he wenys myss
That vthire men litill or nocht is worth
That beris him better quhen he cumis furþ.
| CHAPTER CLXXX. The Original Chronicle of Andrew of Wyntoun | |