The Brus Book 20

King Robert in Northumberland]

Sone eftre that the erle Thomas
Fra Wardaill thus reparyt was
The king assemblyt all his mycht
And left nane that wes worth to fycht,
5 A gret ost than assemblit he
And delt his ost in partis thre.
A part to Norame went but let
And a stark assege has set
And held thaim in rycht at thar dyk,
10 The tother part till Anwyk
Is went and thar a sege set thai,
And quhill that thir assegis lay
At thir castellis I spak off ar,
Apert eschewys oft maid thar war
15 And mony fayr chevalry
Eschevyt war full douchtely.
The king at thai castellis liand
Left his folk, as I bar on hand
And with the thrid ost held hys way
20 Fra park to park hym for to play
Huntand as all hys awn war,
And till thaim that war with him thar
The landis off Northummyrland
That neyst to Scotland war liand
25 In fe and heritage gave he,
And thai payit for the selys fe.

[The peace with England]

On this wys raid he destroyand
Quhill that the king of Ingland
Throu consaill of the Mortymar
30 And his moder that that tym war
Ledaris of him that than young wes
To King Robert to tret off pes
Send messyngeris, and sua sped thai
That thai assentyt on this way
35 Than a perpetuale pes to tak,
And thai a mariage suld mak
Off the King Robertis sone Davy
That than bot fyve yer had scarsly
And off Dame Jhone als off the Tour
40 That syne wes of full gret valour,
Systre scho wes to the ying king
That had Ingland in governyng,
That than of eild had sevyn yer.
And monymentis and lettrys ser
45 That thai of Ingland that tyme had
That oucht agayn Scotland maid
Intill that tretys up thai gaff,
And all the clame that thai mycht haff
Intill Scotland on ony maner,
50 And King Robert for scaithis ser
That he to thaim off Ingland
Had done off wer with stalwart hand
Full twenty thousand pund suld pay
Off silver into gud monay.
55 Quhen men thir thingis forspokyn had
And with selis and athis maid
Festnyng off frendschip and of pes
That never for na chaunc suld ces,
The mariage syne ordanyt thai
60 To be at Berwik and the day
Thai haff set quhen that this suld be,
Syne went ilk man till his countre.
Thus maid wes pes quhar wer wais ar
And thus the segis raissyt war.

[The marriage of the king's son, David]

65 The King Robert ordanyt to pay
The silver, and agane the day
He gert wele for the mangery
Ordane quhen that his sone Davy
Suld weddyt be, and Erle Thomas
70 And the gud lord of Douglas
Intill his steid ordanyt he
Devisouris of that fest to be,
For a malice him tuk sa sar
That he on na wis mycht be thar.
75 His malice off enfundeying
Begouth, for throuch his cald lying
Quhen in his gret myscheiff wes he
Him fell that hard perplexite.
At Cardros all that tyme he lay,
80 And quhen ner cummyn wes the day
That ordanyt for the weddyn was
The erle and the lord of Douglas
Come to Berwik with mekill far
And brocht young Davy with thaim thar,
85 And the queyn and the Mortymer
On other part cummyn wer
With gret affer and reawte,
The young lady of gret bewte
Thidder thai brocht with rich affer.
90 The weddyn haf thai makyt thar
With gret fest and solempnyte,
Thar mycht men myrth and glaidschip se
For rycht gret fest thai maid thar
And Inglismen and Scottis war
95 Togidder in joy and solace,
Na fellouné betwix thaim was.
The fest a wele lang tym held thai,
And quhen thai buskyt to far away
The queyn has left hyr douchter thar
100 With gret riches and reale far,
I trow that lang quhile na lady
Wes gevyn till hous sa richely,
And the erle and the lord Douglas
Hyr in daynte ressavyt has
105 As it war worthi sekyrly
For scho wes syne the best lady
And the fayrest that men thurft se.
Eftre this gret solemnyte
Quhen of bath half levys war tane
110 The queyn till Ingland hame is gane
And had with hyr Mortymar.
The erle and thai that levyt war
Quhen thai a quhill hyr convoyit had
Towart Berwik again thai raid,
115 And syne with all thar cumpany
Towart the king thai went in hy,
And had with thaim the young Davy
And Dame Jhone als that young lady.

[Coronation of David, settlement of the succession]

The king maid thaim fair welcumyng
120 And efter but langer delaying
He has gert set a parleament
And thidder witth mony men is went,
For he thocht he wald in his lyff
Croun his yo