The Bruce

John Barbour

• Publisher: Canongate Classics
• Year: 2009
• Print ISBN: 9780862416812
• eBook ISBN: 9781847675941
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: English Literary Criticism
• Index: Literature

A! Fredome is a noble thing
Fredome mays man to haiff liking
Fredome all solace to man giffis
He levys at es that frely levys

These are some of the most famous lines in Scottish literature. They were written c.1375 by John Barbour, Archdeacon of Aberdeen, as a celebration of the Age of Chivalry - an age of bravery, valour, and above all loyalty. Its twin heroes are Robert the Bruce and James Douglas, his faithful companion.

The epic sweep and scale of the poem catch the full drama of Bruce's life - from being pursued by dogs in Galloway to his great triumph at Bannockburn, from hunted fugitive surrounded by traitors to kingship of a free nation. The poem is one of the key sources for any life of Bruce and incorporates much information not found elsewhere.

The language of the poem is easy to read and its vigour and imagery provide a marvellous insight into the medieval mind. This is the first accessible modern edition of The Bruce featuring a full historical introduction, a special commentary on Bannockburn, a facing page translation with extensive annotation and six detailed maps. This edition also includes the other great nationalist statement about the reign of Robert the Bruce, The Declaration of Arbroath.

A.A.M. Duncan's work on The Bruce represents the culmination of a life-long interest and this book, comprehensively revised in 2007, marks a radical reassessment of the history of Robert the Bruce as recounted in the poem which bears his name.

BOOK 17

[Only Berwick remains in English hands; a burgess offers to betray it]

1The lordis off the land war fayne

2Quhen thai wist he wes cummyn agan

3And till him went in full gret hy,

4And he ressavit thaim hamlyly

5 And maid thaim fest and glaidsum cher,

6And thai sa wonderly blyth wer

7Off his come that na man mycht say,

8Gret fest and fayr till him maid thai.

9Quharever he raid all the countré

10 Gaderyt in daynté him to se,

11Gret glaidschip than wes in the land.

12All than wes wonnyn till his hand,

13Fra the Red Swyre to Orknay

14Wes nocht off Scotland fra his fay

15Outakyn Berwik it allane.

16That tym tharin wonnyt ane

17That capitane wes of the toun,

18All Scottismen in suspicioun

19He had and tretyt thaim tycht ill.

20 He had ay to thaim hevy will

21And held thaim fast at undre ay,

22Quhill that it fell apon a day

23That a burges Syme of Spalding

24Thocht that it wes rycht angry thing

25 Suagate ay to rebutyt be.

26Tharfor intill his hart thocht he

27That he wald slely mak covyne

28With the marchall, quhays cosyne

29He had weddyt till his wiff,

30 And as he thocht he did belyff.

31Lettrys till him he send in hy

32 With a traist man all prively,

33And set him tym to cum a nycht

34With leddrys and with gud men wicht

35Till the kow yet all prively,

36And bad him hald his trist trewly

37And he suld mete thaim at the wall,

38For his walk thar that nycht suld fall.

[The marischal shows the letter to the king, who seeks to avoid jealousy between Douglas and Moray]

39Quhen the marchell the lettre saw

40 He umbethocht him than a thraw,

41For he wist be himselvyn he

42Mycht nocht off mycht no power be

43For till escheyff sa gret a thing,

44And giff he tuk till his helping

45 Ane, other suld wrethit be.

46Tharfor rycht to the king yeid he

47And schawyt him betwix thaim twa

48The letter and the charge alsua.

49Quhen that the king hard that this trane

50 Spokyn wes intill certayne

51That him thocht tharin na fantis

52He said him, ‘Certis thou wrocht as wis

53That has discoveryt the fryst to me,

54For giff thou had discoveryt the

55 To my nevo the Erle Thomas

56Thou suld disples the lord Douglas,

57And him alsua in the contrer,

58Bot I sall wyrk on sic maner

59That thou at thine entent sall be

60 And haff of nane of thaim mawgré.

61Thou sall tak kep weill to the day,

62And with thaim that thou purches may

63At evyn thou sall enbuschit be

64In Duns Park, bot be prevé,

65 And I sall ger the Erle Thomas

66And the lord alsua of Douglas

67Ather with a soume of men

68Be thar to do as thou sall ken.’

69The marchell but mar delay

70 Tuk leve and held furth on his way

71And held his spek prevé and still

72Quhill the day that wes set him till.

73Than of the best of Lothiane

74He with hym till his tryst has tane

75For schyrreff tharoff than wes he.

[The Scots take the wall of Berwick, but discipline breaks down]

76To Duns Park with his menye

77He come at evyn prively,

78And syne with a gud cumpany

79Sone eftyr come the Erle Thomas

80That wes met with the lord Douglas.

81A rycht fayr cumpany thai war

82Quhen thai war met togidder thar,

83And quhen the marchell the covyn

84To bath the lordis lyne be lyne

85 Had tauld, thai went furth on thar way.

86Fer fra the toun thar hors left thai,

87To mak it schort sua wrocht thai then

88That but seyng off ony men

89Outane Sym of Spaldyn allane

90That gert that deid be undertane

91Thai set thar leddrys to the wall,

92And but persaving come up all

93And held thaim in a nuk prevé

94Quhill that the nycht suld passit be,

95 And ordanyt that the maist party

96Off thar men suld gang sarraly

97With thar lordis and hald a stale,

98And the remanand suld all hale

99Skaill throu the toun and tak or sla

100 The men that thai mycht ourta.

101Bot sone this ordynance brak thai,

102For alsone as it dawyt day

103The twa partis off thar men and ma

104All scalyt throu the toun gan ga.

105 Sa gredy war thai to the gud

106That thai ran rycht as thai war woud

107And sesyt housis and slew men,

108And thai that saw thar fayis then

109Cum apon thaim sa suddanly

110 Throu-out the toun thai raissyt the cry

111And schot togidder her and thar,

112As ay as thai assemblyt war

113Thai wald abid and mak debate.

114Had thai bene warnyt wele I wate

115 Thai suld haiff sauld thar dedis der

116For thai war gud men and thai wer...

Table of contents

• Cover
• About the Author
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Preface
• Introduction
• List of Maps
• The Bruce
• Bannockburn Commentary
• Appendix
• Index