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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| XXX. |
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| XXXIII. |
| XXXIV. |
| XXXV. |
| XXXVI. |
| XXXVII. |
| XXXVIII. | CHAPTER XXXVIII. |
| XXXIX. |
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| CLIV. |
| CLV. |
| CLVI. |
| CLVII. |
| CLVIII. |
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| CLXV. |
| CLXVI. |
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| CLXVIII. |
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| CLXXI. |
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| CLXXIII. |
| CLXXIV. |
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| CLXXVII. |
| CLXXVIII. |
| CLXXIX. |
| CLXXX. |
| CLXXXI. |
| CLXXXII. |
| CLXXXIII. |
| CLXXXIV. |
| CLXXXV. |
| CLXXXVI. |
| CLXXXVII. |
| CLXXXVIII. |
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| CXCI. |
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| CXCVI. |
| CXCVII. |
 | CHAPTER XXXVIII. The Original Chronicle of Andrew of Wyntoun |  |
280
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
Off Sampsonis forse and his wichtnes
And of his dissaving but less.
And of his dissaving but less.
Syne wes Sampsone of renovne,
And fellit the forse of a lyoune;
For as he with his fader ȝeid
And with his moder in his ȝouthheid,
With a wif to maryit be,
All but þare witting that did he.
Sa efter quhen he was
Weddit with that wif of cass,
Him hapnit to cum to that steid
Quhare he wist þe lyoun deid;
A gret swarme of beis thare
Hyvit vp in his chaftis ware.
Off þat best þan gredely
He tuke and ete of þe hony;
Till his fader syne he ȝeid,
And till his moder full gud speid,
And gert þaim of þat hony eit.
Efter þat syne at the meit
Quhare his wiffis frendis haill
Assemblit were at þat bridall,
That his eld fader till him maid,
In þat land thai custome had,
Off his wiffis kyne thretty,
The noblest in that cumpany,
Assignit till him wes to be,
As feris in all honeste.
Than to thai xxx. at the meit,
As thai ware in þare greis set,
He said gif thai wald vndo
[Redill] that he suld schaw thaim to
Within vii. dais of þat bridall
With kyrtillis xxx. garmondis haill
He suld gif þame to þare meid,
And falȝeit þai, þai suld, but dreid,
Xxx. sic garmondis till him pay.
To þis þan assentit þai,
And bad þat he suld say þaim till
Quhat at euer wes in his will.
“I bid na langare it delay,
This is þe thing þat I wald say:
Off him deid þe meit come out,
And suetnes of him stark and stout.”
Sampsone said þis, and syne thai
Fra þis wes said held on þar way,
And stodyit on þis redyll heire
Till þe terme wes cummyn neire;
And quhen thai saw be nakyne slycht
That þis redall thai red mycht,
All thai thretty come onone
Till the wif of þis Sampsone,
And bad scho suld on ony wiss
Fleche hir husband for quayntise,
Till þat he suld all þat dout
Off þat redill tell hir out;
And scho to þaim suld tell it haill,
Sa þat thai ryne nocht in tinsaill,
Or ellis þai suld hir houses bryne,
And all þat euer were þare in;
For thai said wiþ ane assent
Gif þai were in þat entent
To fest callit, þat thai suld be
Dispulȝeit, it were vnhoneste.
This wif sa on hir husband ȝeid,
That him worthit apon neid
Tell hir all þe suthtfastnes,
Set langtyme he gruchand wes,
Excusand him be þis skill
That it wes neuer in his will
Till his fader it to say,
Na till his moder to that day.
Till his wif ȝit neuerþeles
He tald how it hapnit wes,
Off þe lyoune þat he levid
Slane, and fand syne in his hevid
A byke of beis, and gret copy
In it he fand of sueit hony.
To thai xxx. þan, but baid,
Scho tald all as he tald hir had;
Sua apon þe sevint day,
As sittand at þe mete were thai,
And were examynit throu Sampsone,
Thai ansuerd him þan all as one:
“Quhat þan þe lyoune is starkare,
And quhat þan hony is suetare?”
Be þat Sampsone wist rycht weill
He wes dissauit ilka deill,
And said, “Had nocht ȝour telche bene wrocht
With my quhy, ȝit had ȝe nocht
Fundin my propositioun;”
As quha say of þis hid ressoune,
“My wif has tald it ȝow but faill,
And kepit ȝow out of tinsaill.”
And fellit the forse of a lyoune;
For as he with his fader ȝeid
And with his moder in his ȝouthheid,
With a wif to maryit be,
All but þare witting that did he.
Sa efter quhen he was
Weddit with that wif of cass,
Him hapnit to cum to that steid
Quhare he wist þe lyoun deid;
A gret swarme of beis thare
Hyvit vp in his chaftis ware.
Off þat best þan gredely
He tuke and ete of þe hony;
Till his fader syne he ȝeid,
And till his moder full gud speid,
And gert þaim of þat hony eit.
Efter þat syne at the meit
Quhare his wiffis frendis haill
Assemblit were at þat bridall,
That his eld fader till him maid,
In þat land thai custome had,
Off his wiffis kyne thretty,
The noblest in that cumpany,
282
As feris in all honeste.
Than to thai xxx. at the meit,
As thai ware in þare greis set,
He said gif thai wald vndo
[Redill] that he suld schaw thaim to
Within vii. dais of þat bridall
With kyrtillis xxx. garmondis haill
He suld gif þame to þare meid,
And falȝeit þai, þai suld, but dreid,
Xxx. sic garmondis till him pay.
To þis þan assentit þai,
And bad þat he suld say þaim till
Quhat at euer wes in his will.
“I bid na langare it delay,
This is þe thing þat I wald say:
Off him deid þe meit come out,
And suetnes of him stark and stout.”
Sampsone said þis, and syne thai
Fra þis wes said held on þar way,
And stodyit on þis redyll heire
Till þe terme wes cummyn neire;
And quhen thai saw be nakyne slycht
That þis redall thai red mycht,
All thai thretty come onone
Till the wif of þis Sampsone,
And bad scho suld on ony wiss
Fleche hir husband for quayntise,
Till þat he suld all þat dout
284
And scho to þaim suld tell it haill,
Sa þat thai ryne nocht in tinsaill,
Or ellis þai suld hir houses bryne,
And all þat euer were þare in;
For thai said wiþ ane assent
Gif þai were in þat entent
To fest callit, þat thai suld be
Dispulȝeit, it were vnhoneste.
This wif sa on hir husband ȝeid,
That him worthit apon neid
Tell hir all þe suthtfastnes,
Set langtyme he gruchand wes,
Excusand him be þis skill
That it wes neuer in his will
Till his fader it to say,
Na till his moder to that day.
Till his wif ȝit neuerþeles
He tald how it hapnit wes,
Off þe lyoune þat he levid
Slane, and fand syne in his hevid
A byke of beis, and gret copy
In it he fand of sueit hony.
To thai xxx. þan, but baid,
Scho tald all as he tald hir had;
Sua apon þe sevint day,
As sittand at þe mete were thai,
And were examynit throu Sampsone,
Thai ansuerd him þan all as one:
“Quhat þan þe lyoune is starkare,
And quhat þan hony is suetare?”
286
He wes dissauit ilka deill,
And said, “Had nocht ȝour telche bene wrocht
With my quhy, ȝit had ȝe nocht
Fundin my propositioun;”
As quha say of þis hid ressoune,
“My wif has tald it ȝow but faill,
And kepit ȝow out of tinsaill.”
And quhen þis redill wes vndone
Fra þin he past till Askolone sone,
And xxx. men þat he fand thare,
That riche robis on þame baire,
All slew he, and thaire robis fyne
He gaif to thai xxx. syne
That he had hecht to warisone,
For thai assolȝeit his questioune.
Bot till his wif he kest sic leth
That thai departit all in wreth,
And wes dispituouse and felloune
Till hir and till hir natioun,
And one seire wiss thaim anoyit
And all thare cornis haill he stroyit.
For he muffit efter þat,
Thre hundreth foxis quhill he gat,
And to thare taillis knyt þe fyre
Off byrnand schydis brycht and schyre,
And set þaim in þare flattis gret
That were baith of wyne and quhete;
And all thai wild foxis þan,
As thai were wod throu flattis ran
With thai blesis our all quhare,
Till at thare cornys brynt vp ware.
Than þe Philisteis haill,
That tholit þat scaith and tinsaill,
Were muffit all in birnand ire,
And Sampsonis house thai set in fyre;
His wif and hir syre atanys
All thai brynt vp in þat wanys.
Fra þin he past till Askolone sone,
And xxx. men þat he fand thare,
That riche robis on þame baire,
All slew he, and thaire robis fyne
He gaif to thai xxx. syne
That he had hecht to warisone,
For thai assolȝeit his questioune.
Bot till his wif he kest sic leth
That thai departit all in wreth,
And wes dispituouse and felloune
Till hir and till hir natioun,
And one seire wiss thaim anoyit
And all thare cornis haill he stroyit.
For he muffit efter þat,
Thre hundreth foxis quhill he gat,
And to thare taillis knyt þe fyre
Off byrnand schydis brycht and schyre,
And set þaim in þare flattis gret
That were baith of wyne and quhete;
And all thai wild foxis þan,
As thai were wod throu flattis ran
With thai blesis our all quhare,
Till at thare cornys brynt vp ware.
288
That tholit þat scaith and tinsaill,
Were muffit all in birnand ire,
And Sampsonis house thai set in fyre;
His wif and hir syre atanys
All thai brynt vp in þat wanys.
That Sampsone, þat sa gret scaith had,
In till a coif his wonnyng maid,
And Philisteis of weire
Sone assemblit thare powere,
And in the land of Iuda thai
Come with thare oste and in it lay,
And tuke gret prayis to þar mete,
And wrocht in till it scaithis grete;
And quhen the barnage of Iuda
Resonit þaim quhy thai did sa,
Thai said the causs wes of þar come
To byde and leid away Sampsone,
And to quyt him lill for law.
Off Iuda þe barnage aw
Oblist þaim him for to ta,
Or thai were anoyit sua.
Than Philistenis haill
Removit fra þin thare batall.
Thre thousand wichtmen of Iuda
Passit with new rapis to ta
And for to bynd this Sampsone fast;
And as thai samyn till him past,
Sampsone met þaim in the way
And askit quheþer wart wald thai,
And thare ansuere wes þat he
Suld bunding and deliuerit be
Till his fais, for thai ware
For his saik anoyit saire;
And, for þat thai suld nocht him sla,
He ȝauld him to þaim of Iuda.
In till a coif his wonnyng maid,
And Philisteis of weire
Sone assemblit thare powere,
And in the land of Iuda thai
Come with thare oste and in it lay,
And tuke gret prayis to þar mete,
And wrocht in till it scaithis grete;
And quhen the barnage of Iuda
Resonit þaim quhy thai did sa,
Thai said the causs wes of þar come
To byde and leid away Sampsone,
And to quyt him lill for law.
Off Iuda þe barnage aw
Oblist þaim him for to ta,
Or thai were anoyit sua.
Than Philistenis haill
Removit fra þin thare batall.
Thre thousand wichtmen of Iuda
Passit with new rapis to ta
And for to bynd this Sampsone fast;
And as thai samyn till him past,
290
And askit quheþer wart wald thai,
And thare ansuere wes þat he
Suld bunding and deliuerit be
Till his fais, for thai ware
For his saik anoyit saire;
And, for þat thai suld nocht him sla,
He ȝauld him to þaim of Iuda.
Thare wes he tane and bundin fast,
And with him on thare way thai past,
And quhen þe Philisteis of þat
Off his taking wittering gat,
Bolnyt all with brag and bost,
Agane him come with all thare ost;
Bot Sampsone quhen he saw þaim neire
Cummand all on that manere,
With a tyt thare brak he all
Thare rapis in till pecis small,
And gat a cheke bane of ane ass,
That in the hie way lyand was,
And fra he gat it in his grip
He laid about him quhip for quhip,
Till of þe Philisteis wicht
Thre hundreth neire to deid wes dycht
With þat chek bane of þe ass;
And Sampsone, that forfochtin was,
Sa hait and thristy neire wes he
Wes in poynt to perischit be.
To God his prayere maid he þan,
Syne throu his grace he wichtnes wan,
Quhare throu his fais he put to deid,
As thare wes sene in to that steid,
That he wald, gif his willis were,
Grant him his fill of watter cleire,
Quhare with he mycht slokin his thrist.
Rycht sodanely þan begouth to brist
Out of the toith of þat cheke bane
Watter cleire in weill gret wane;
Thare of þan he drank his fill,
And fra þin he passit till
The gret cete of Gaza,
A quhill his quyet thare to ta.
And with him on thare way thai past,
And quhen þe Philisteis of þat
Off his taking wittering gat,
Bolnyt all with brag and bost,
Agane him come with all thare ost;
Bot Sampsone quhen he saw þaim neire
Cummand all on that manere,
With a tyt thare brak he all
Thare rapis in till pecis small,
And gat a cheke bane of ane ass,
That in the hie way lyand was,
And fra he gat it in his grip
He laid about him quhip for quhip,
Till of þe Philisteis wicht
Thre hundreth neire to deid wes dycht
With þat chek bane of þe ass;
And Sampsone, that forfochtin was,
Sa hait and thristy neire wes he
Wes in poynt to perischit be.
To God his prayere maid he þan,
Syne throu his grace he wichtnes wan,
292
As thare wes sene in to that steid,
That he wald, gif his willis were,
Grant him his fill of watter cleire,
Quhare with he mycht slokin his thrist.
Rycht sodanely þan begouth to brist
Out of the toith of þat cheke bane
Watter cleire in weill gret wane;
Thare of þan he drank his fill,
And fra þin he passit till
The gret cete of Gaza,
A quhill his quyet thare to ta.
Thare till a woman ȝoung and faire
He vsit oft to mak repaire,
And quhen þe Philisteis, but let,
Wist þat he maid þare resset,
Thai enbuschit þaim neire by
That womanis chalmer prevely,
And set þare wache for to se
Quhen vnarrayit all wes he,
That sa thai mycht him best supprise;
And he, vnwarnyt of thare spyise,
With þat woman went to bed,
As he nocht of thare buschment dred.
Bot that nycht or it wes day,
Thai him maid a felloune fray,
Quhill to þe ȝettis of forss he past,
That lokit were and barrit fast,
And thare he made sa huge a rak
Till conȝe and rabet baith he brak,
And bruschit vp thai ȝettis thare,
And on his schulderis vp thaim baire
To the hie hill of Hebrone,
And þus gatis chapit thare Sampsone.
He vsit oft to mak repaire,
And quhen þe Philisteis, but let,
Wist þat he maid þare resset,
Thai enbuschit þaim neire by
That womanis chalmer prevely,
And set þare wache for to se
Quhen vnarrayit all wes he,
That sa thai mycht him best supprise;
And he, vnwarnyt of thare spyise,
With þat woman went to bed,
As he nocht of thare buschment dred.
Bot that nycht or it wes day,
Thai him maid a felloune fray,
Quhill to þe ȝettis of forss he past,
That lokit were and barrit fast,
And thare he made sa huge a rak
294
And bruschit vp thai ȝettis thare,
And on his schulderis vp thaim baire
To the hie hill of Hebrone,
And þus gatis chapit thare Sampsone.
Syne vsit he repaire to ma
Till a woman callit Dalida,
And scho amang þar previteis
Counsalit throu Philisteis,
In hir flecheing thraly muffit,
Scho askit oft, as he hir luffit,
Quhare in his forss stude and his pygh,
And quhat gif he were bunding with
Mycht hald him fast till þat he
Mycht at his fais willis be.
And quhen he persauit he wes
Sa thraly throu his wantones
Wexit, sa þat him behuffit
Mak hir ansuere, þan he [contruffit],
And fenȝeit and þus said:
“With vii. cordis þat new were laid
Off hert sennonis nocht all dry,
Bot sowpill, sagatis fast were I,
Bot dout bunding I were þan,
And mycht na mare þan a commoun man.”
And þe Philisteis herd þat,
In hy þare cordis all thai gat,
And scho þaim held and tuke gud keip
Till he wes sadly fallin on sleip,
And with a hank þan baith his handis
Fast scho festynit with thai bandis,
And syne scho cryit lowd with a schout:
“Sampsone, þi fayes ar þe about!”
Sampsone of his sleip with þat
Wakynnit and on his feit gat,
And with a rug thai rapis all
He rakkit in to pecis small;
And quhen þis woman þis had sene,
Scho murmurit fast and maid hir tene,
And of hir wickit wordis plenȝeit,
For all in falset luf he fenȝeit
Till hir þat for his luf alhaill
Had put hir body to tinsall.
Till a woman callit Dalida,
And scho amang þar previteis
Counsalit throu Philisteis,
In hir flecheing thraly muffit,
Scho askit oft, as he hir luffit,
Quhare in his forss stude and his pygh,
And quhat gif he were bunding with
Mycht hald him fast till þat he
Mycht at his fais willis be.
And quhen he persauit he wes
Sa thraly throu his wantones
Wexit, sa þat him behuffit
Mak hir ansuere, þan he [contruffit],
And fenȝeit and þus said:
“With vii. cordis þat new were laid
Off hert sennonis nocht all dry,
Bot sowpill, sagatis fast were I,
Bot dout bunding I were þan,
And mycht na mare þan a commoun man.”
And þe Philisteis herd þat,
In hy þare cordis all thai gat,
And scho þaim held and tuke gud keip
296
And with a hank þan baith his handis
Fast scho festynit with thai bandis,
And syne scho cryit lowd with a schout:
“Sampsone, þi fayes ar þe about!”
Sampsone of his sleip with þat
Wakynnit and on his feit gat,
And with a rug thai rapis all
He rakkit in to pecis small;
And quhen þis woman þis had sene,
Scho murmurit fast and maid hir tene,
And of hir wickit wordis plenȝeit,
For all in falset luf he fenȝeit
Till hir þat for his luf alhaill
Had put hir body to tinsall.
Bot in hir fleching syne agane
Quhen Dalida maid hir to pleyne
Off þe causs haill of his pighe,
And quhat were his vndoing with,
Than him worth of neid ma
Ansuere till hir and said, quha
Wald bynd him with twa bandis grene,
All new, that neuer in werk wes sene,
He suld be na wichtare þan
Than ane oþer commone man.
With thai rapes þan scho him band
Fast in his sleip baith fut and hand,
And with a schout cryit him on:
“Thy fais ar on þe now, Sampsone!”
Than in his wakenyng with a braid
Thai twa new bandis on him laid
He brak and gat apon his feit.
With þat scho brissit out of greit,
And menyt hir wickit wordis ware,
That brocht hir in noye and caire,
That scho couþ neuer leif Sampsone
To be maid lady of Sydone.
“For it is lyking and na payne
To luf and to be luffit agane;
Bot for luf to ȝeild bot fenȝeing
It is,” quod scho, “bot mystrowing.
Sa fallis it of me Dalida,
That changeit has my weill for wa,
Off hert and body, of kyne and kyth,
And of all warldis welth þarewith;
For Sampsone I haif maid a change,
And he to me is alway strange,
And has me in to mysleving,
And for leill luf ȝeildis me fenȝeing.”
And ȝit þus murnand neuerþeles
Scho franyt mare of his wichtnes,
Quhare in it stude, and how þat he
Mycht lychtlye ouercummyn be.
Than he said gif scho wald bynd
Sevin haris of his heid behind
With a threid till a spykyne,
And in þe erd fast stik it syne;
Than were he feble and of na pigh,
Na nocht had for to help him with.
At þe thrid tyme scho assayit,
And of his sleip syne him affrayit,
And he tyt vp na nalis with pyth,
And left baith haire and threid thaire with.
Quhen Dalida maid hir to pleyne
Off þe causs haill of his pighe,
And quhat were his vndoing with,
Than him worth of neid ma
Ansuere till hir and said, quha
Wald bynd him with twa bandis grene,
All new, that neuer in werk wes sene,
He suld be na wichtare þan
Than ane oþer commone man.
With thai rapes þan scho him band
Fast in his sleip baith fut and hand,
And with a schout cryit him on:
“Thy fais ar on þe now, Sampsone!”
298
Thai twa new bandis on him laid
He brak and gat apon his feit.
With þat scho brissit out of greit,
And menyt hir wickit wordis ware,
That brocht hir in noye and caire,
That scho couþ neuer leif Sampsone
To be maid lady of Sydone.
“For it is lyking and na payne
To luf and to be luffit agane;
Bot for luf to ȝeild bot fenȝeing
It is,” quod scho, “bot mystrowing.
Sa fallis it of me Dalida,
That changeit has my weill for wa,
Off hert and body, of kyne and kyth,
And of all warldis welth þarewith;
For Sampsone I haif maid a change,
And he to me is alway strange,
And has me in to mysleving,
And for leill luf ȝeildis me fenȝeing.”
And ȝit þus murnand neuerþeles
Scho franyt mare of his wichtnes,
Quhare in it stude, and how þat he
Mycht lychtlye ouercummyn be.
Than he said gif scho wald bynd
Sevin haris of his heid behind
With a threid till a spykyne,
And in þe erd fast stik it syne;
Than were he feble and of na pigh,
300
At þe thrid tyme scho assayit,
And of his sleip syne him affrayit,
And he tyt vp na nalis with pyth,
And left baith haire and threid thaire with.
Quhen scho saw hir þe thrid tyme sa
Dissauit, þan scho maid gret wa,
That scho wes like till haif bene dede,
As scho were but comfort or remeid.
Than Sampsone, movit in pete,
Tald hir all in prevate
That gif sevin haris of his heid
War shavin of and nane levid,
Off pigh and wichtnes he wes þan
Bot as ane vþer commone man.
Sone efter þat apon a day
Sampsone þat wery wes away
Apone hir kne scho gert him sleip,
And till hir tyme scho tuke gud keip;
And gert [slely] get a barbour,
And schufe of all his haire þat houre,
And þe Philistiis in hy
Scho gert cum on him sodanely,
That tuke him and his ene put out,
And thare efter withoutin dout
Thai put him in a deip prisoune.
Sa lang he lay in þat dungeoun
Till on his heid þe haire grew,
And his pygh worthit fresche and new.
Dissauit, þan scho maid gret wa,
That scho wes like till haif bene dede,
As scho were but comfort or remeid.
Than Sampsone, movit in pete,
Tald hir all in prevate
That gif sevin haris of his heid
War shavin of and nane levid,
Off pigh and wichtnes he wes þan
Bot as ane vþer commone man.
Sone efter þat apon a day
Sampsone þat wery wes away
Apone hir kne scho gert him sleip,
And till hir tyme scho tuke gud keip;
And gert [slely] get a barbour,
And schufe of all his haire þat houre,
And þe Philistiis in hy
Scho gert cum on him sodanely,
That tuke him and his ene put out,
And thare efter withoutin dout
Thai put him in a deip prisoune.
Sa lang he lay in þat dungeoun
Till on his heid þe haire grew,
And his pygh worthit fresche and new.
And as þe Philistiis on þare wiss
To Dagone maid þare sacrifiss
Apone a day with gamyn and gle,
With myrth and wiþ solempnyte,
In to þare hall as þai were set
That day all samyn at þe mete,
A boy thai gert call onone
And bad him ga bring in Sampsone,
That he mycht thare bourdour be,
In eking of þare gamyn and gle.
And quhen he wes among þaim all
Brocht in to þat mekill hall,
He requyrit with faire prayere
The boy þat him kepit there
To thole him bot a litill space,
Sen he wery for standing was,
To leyne him till a pyllere thare,
Quhill þat he refreschit ware.
Than þis boy but langere let
Sampsone at þe piller set;
Than prayit he to God of mycht
That for þe tinsall of his sicht
A revengeance he mycht sene
Off all his fais at wes þare in.
About twa pillaris þan but let,
At þat gret hall was on set,
He kest his armes hastely,
And tuggit at þaim dogitly,
And said: “My lif in perell ga
With þir Philisteis, and sla.”
The post he tit till him sa fast
Quhill doune þat houss fell at the last,
And smorit all þat wes thare in,
Man and wif, baith mare and myn,
And him self amangis þe laif
Wes smorit with þaim and þe knaif.
Sa slew he ma in his deing
Than all that he slew in fechting.
302
Apone a day with gamyn and gle,
With myrth and wiþ solempnyte,
In to þare hall as þai were set
That day all samyn at þe mete,
A boy thai gert call onone
And bad him ga bring in Sampsone,
That he mycht thare bourdour be,
In eking of þare gamyn and gle.
And quhen he wes among þaim all
Brocht in to þat mekill hall,
He requyrit with faire prayere
The boy þat him kepit there
To thole him bot a litill space,
Sen he wery for standing was,
To leyne him till a pyllere thare,
Quhill þat he refreschit ware.
Than þis boy but langere let
Sampsone at þe piller set;
Than prayit he to God of mycht
That for þe tinsall of his sicht
A revengeance he mycht sene
Off all his fais at wes þare in.
About twa pillaris þan but let,
At þat gret hall was on set,
He kest his armes hastely,
And tuggit at þaim dogitly,
And said: “My lif in perell ga
With þir Philisteis, and sla.”
The post he tit till him sa fast
Quhill doune þat houss fell at the last,
304
Man and wif, baith mare and myn,
And him self amangis þe laif
Wes smorit with þaim and þe knaif.
Sa slew he ma in his deing
Than all that he slew in fechting.
In Israell þan wes na king
Bot ilk man did his awne liking.
Bot ilk man did his awne liking.
| CHAPTER XXXVIII. The Original Chronicle of Andrew of Wyntoun | |