Classic Poem

Wallace commaunde a burges for to get
Fyne cawk eneuch, that his der nece mycht set
On ilk yeit quhar Sotheroun wer on raw.
Than xxti men he gert fast wetheis thraw,
Ilk man a pair, and on thar arme thaim threw.
Than to the toune full fast thai cuth persew.
The woman past befor thaim suttelly,
Cawkit ilk yett that thai neid nocht gang by.
Than festnyt thai with wetheis duris fast,
To stapill and hesp with mony sekyr cast.
Wallace gert Boid ner-hand the castell ga
With fyfte men a jeperte to ma.
Gyff ony ischet, the fyr quhen that thai saw,
Fast to the yett he ordand thaim to draw.
The laiff with him about the bernys yheid.
This trew woman thaim servit weill in deid
With lynt and fyr that haistely kendill wald.
In euirilk nuk thai festnyt blesis bald.
Wallace commaund till all his men about,
Na Sotheron man at thai suld lat brek out;
"Quhateuir he be reskewis off that kyn
Fra the rede fyr, himselff sall pas tharin!'
The lemand low sone lanssyt apon hycht.
"Forsuth,' he said, this is a plessand sicht;
Till our hartis it suld be sum radres.
War thir away thar power war the les!'
Onto the Justice himselff loud can caw:
"Lat ws toborch our men fra your fals law
At leyffand ar, that chapyt fra your ayr.
Deyll nocht thar land, the wnlaw is our sayr.
Thou had no rycht--that sall be on the seyne!'
The rewmour rais with cairfull cry and keyne.
The bryme fyr brynt rycht braithly apon loft.
Till slepand men that walkning was nocht soft!
The sycht without was awfull for to se.
In all the warld na grettar payne mycht be
Than thai within insufferit sor to duell,
That euir was wrocht bot purgatory or hell--
A payne off hell weill-ner it mycht be cauld,
Mad folk with fyr hampryt in mony hauld.
Feill byggyns brynt that worthi war and wicht;
Gat nane away, knaiff, captane nor knycht.
Quhen brundis fell off ruf-treis thaim amang
Sum rudly rais in byttir paynys strang;
Sum nakyt brynt bot belches all away;
Sum nevir rais bot smoryt quhar thai lay;
Sum ruschit fast till Ayr gyff thai mycht wyn.
Blyndyt in fyr thar deidis war full dym.
The reik mellyt with fylth off carioune
Amang the fyr, rycht foull off offensioune.
The peple beryt lyk wyld bestis in that tyd
Within the wallis rampand on athir sid,
Rewmyd in reuth with mony grysly grayne.
Sum grymly gret quhill thar lyff-dayis war gayne;
Sum durris socht the entre for to get,
Bot Scottismen so wysly thaim beset,
Gyff ony brak be awnter off that steid
With suerdis sone bertnyt thai war to dede,
Or ellys agayne be force drewyn in the fyr.
Thar chapyt nayne, bot brynt wp bayne and lyr.
The stynk scalyt off ded bodyis sa wyde
The Scottis abhord ner-hand thaim for to byd,
Yeid to the wynd and leit thaim ewyn allayne
Quhill the rede fyr had that fals blude ourgayne. . . .