Scotorum ductor pro fuæ virtutis præmio vitam æternam habebit, in fecula feculorum. Amen." RELATIONES ARNALDI BLAIR, apud "The Acts and Deeds of Sir W. Wallace." Edinburgh, 1758.

III.

A BALLAD AGAINST THE FRENCH,

rr

whofe officers extorting too much from the inhabitants of Bruges in Flanders, were murthered there; and the French Kings power, commanded by the Count du St. Pol, difcomfited. After which, K. Philip the Fair fending another mighty army, under the conduct of the Count d'Artois, against thefe Flemings; He was killed, and the French were almost all cutt to pieces. The later of thefe Battels was ftricken on Wednesday the 7th of July, A. D. 1301." WANLEY.

From the fame MS.

Luftnep lordinges bope jonge and olde,

Of pe freynsch men paz were so proude and bolde, Hou be flemmyffh men bohten hem ant folde,

þe kyng of fraunce mad ftatuz newe,

In þe lond of flaundres among falfe ant trewe,
pr pe comun of bruges ful fore con arewe,
And feiden amonges hem,

Gedere we vs togedere hardılýche at ene,
Take we pe bailifs bi zuenzy ant by zene,
Clappe we of þe heuedes an onen o þe grene,
Ant cafte we y þe fen.

pe webbes ant pe fullarís affembleden hem alle, Ant makeden huere confail ín huere cōmune halle, Token Peter Conyng huere kyng to calle,

Ant beo huere cheuenzeyn.

Hue nomen huere rouncyns our of þe stalle,
Anz closeden þe zoun wiþ ínne þe walle,
Sixti baylies ant ten hue maden adoun falle,
Ant moní an oper fweyn.

po wolde pe baylies par were come from fraunce,
Dryue pe flemíffhe pe made pe deftaunce,
Hue turnden hem azeynes wip fuerd & wip launce,
Stronge men ant lyhz.

Yeelle ou for fope, for al huere bobaunce,

Ne for pe auoweríe of pe kyng of fraunce,
Tuenti fcore anz fyue haden per mefchaunce,
By day ant eke by nýhz.

C 2

ΙΟ

15

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30

Síre

Sire Jakes de feint Poul ÿherde hou' hit was,

Sixtene hundred of horfmen afemblede o pe gras,
He wende toward bruges pas pur pas,

Wip fwipe grez mounde.

Þe flemmyffh ÿherden telle pe cas,

Agynnep zo clýnken huere bafyns of bras,
Ant al hem to dryuen afe fton dop þe glas,
Ant fellen hem zo grounde.

Sixtene hundred of horfmen hede per here fyn,
Hue leyzen ÿþe ftrezes yftyked afe fwyn,
per hue loren huere stedes ant mony rouncýn,
Pourh huere oune prude.

Sire Jakes afcapede by a coýnze gŷn,

Out at one pofterne per me folde wýn,
Out of pe fyhze hom zo ys yn,

Jn wel muchele drede.

po pe kyng of fraunce yherde pis anon Affemblede he is douffe pers eueruchon, be proude eorl of artoys anz oþer monyon, To come to parís.

pe barouns of fraunce pider conne gon,
Jnzo pe paleis pr paued is wiþ fton,

To íugge pe fiemmíffh zo bernen ant to slon,
Pourh pe flour de lís.

V. 33. hour. MS.

60

penne feide pe kyng Phelip, luftnep nou to me, Myn eorles anz mý barouns gentil ant fre, yours ybounde zo my kne, Haftífliche ant blyue.

Gop facchep me be

po fuor pe eorl of feint Poul, p la goule de,

We fhule facche pe rybaus wher þí wille be,

Ant drawen he [wip] wilde hors out of pe countre,
By poufendes fyue.

Sire Rauf Deuel, fayp pe eorl of boloyne,
No ne lerrum en vre chanoun ne moyne,

Wende we forp anon rípt wip ouze ený affoỳgne,

Ne no lyues man;

We fhule flo pe Conyng & make rofte is loyne, pe word fhal fpngen of him in to coloýne,

So hit fhal to acres & in to sefoyne,

And maken hím ful wan:

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70

Seuene eorles anz fourzí barouns yzolde,
Fiftene hundred knýhzes proude & fwype bolde,
Sixti poufenz fwyers amonge zunge ant olde,

Flemmiffhe to take.

75

pe flemmiffhe hardeliche hem come to zeynes, pis proude frein ffheorles huere knyhtes & huere fweynes, Aquelleden ant flowen by hulles & by pleynes,

Þis frenfhe come to flaundres fo lihe fo þe hare,
Er hit were mydnýhz hız fel hem to care,
Hue were lahz by pe net fo bryd ís ín fnare,
Wip rouncín & wip ftede.

be flemmífhe hem dabbep o pe her bare,
Hue nolden zake for huem raunfoun ne ware,
Hue deddep of huere heuedes fare fo hit fare,

Ant þare to hauep hue nede.

85

penne feyp pe eorl of Arcoís y zelde me to þe, Pezer Conyng by þi nome, zef þou are hende anz fre, 90 þý ne haue no fhame ne no výlte,

prý ne be noud ded.

penne fwor a bocher, by my leauze,

Shale pou ner more þe kỷng of fraunce se,

Ne ín þe zoun of bruges in pfone be,

pou woldeft spene bred.

per hy were knulled ý þe pur falle,

pis eorles ant barouns & huere knýhtes alle,

Huere ledíes huem mowe abide in boure & in halle,

Wel longe:

For hem mot huere kyng oper knyhzes calle,

Oper ftedes zaken out of huere stalle,

per hí habbep dronke bizzrere pen pe galle, Vpon þe drue londe.

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100

When