Book IX

Summary

Aryoll king, than Ryngyt in-to France,

Gret worschip herd off Wallace goumiance :

Off prowis, prys, and off his wort hi deid,

And forthwart, fair, commendede off mawheid,

Bathe humyll, leyll, and off his prewyt prys,

Off honour, trewth, and woid off cowatis.

The nobill king ryngand in Ryolte

Had gret delyte this Wallace for to se,

And knew rycht weill, schortly to wndyrstand,

The gret supprys and ourset off Ingland.

Als mmield he off Wallace small power,

That but a king tuk sic a rewm to ster

Agayn Ingland, and gert thar malice ces

Quhill thai desyryt with gud will to mak pes.

And rycht onon a herrold gert he call.

In schort tmnys he has rehersit him all

Off his entent completly till ane end.

Syn in Scotland he bad him for to wend.

And thus he wrait than in-till gret honour

To Wil3am Wallace as a conquerour :

” O lowit leid, with worschip, wys and wicht,

Thow werray help in haldyn off the rycht;

Thou rycht restorer off thi natyff land,

With goddis grace agayn thi fais to stand ;

In thi defens helpar of rychtwys blud ;

O worthy byrth and blessyt be thi fud,

As it is red in prophecy beforn

In happy tym for Scotland thow was born.

I the besek with all humylite

My clos lettir thow wald ccmsaiff and se ;

As 3our brodyr I crystyn king off France,

To the berer 3e her and gyff credance.“

The herrold bownd him and to the schip is gone.

In Scotland sone he cuwmyn is onon,

Bot harrold lyk he sekis his presens.

On land he went and maid no residens

In ony steid ; quhar he presumyt, thar

So on a day he fand him, in-to Ayr,

In gud affer and manlik cumpany.

The harrold than with honour reiwendly

Has salust him apon a gudly maner,

And he agayn with humyll, hamly cher

Rasauit him in-to rycht gudly wys.

The harrold than, with worschip to dewys,

4Be-tuk till him the kingis wryt off France,

Wallace, on kne with lawly obeysance,

Rycht reuerendly for worschip off Scotland.