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 young sone and his wyff
125 And at that parleament sua did he.
With gret fayr and solemnyte
The King Davy wes crownyt thar,
And all the lordis that thar war 127
And als off the comynyte 128
130 Maid him manredyn and fewte. 129
And forouth that thai crownyt war 130
The King Robert gert ordane thar, 128
Giff it fell that his sone Davy
Deyit but ayr male off his body
135 Gottyn, Robert Stewart suld be 131
Kyng and bruk all the realte
That hys douchter bar Marjory,
And at this tailye suld lelely
Be haldyn all the lordis swar
140 And it with selys affermyt thar. 136
And gyff it hapnyt Robert the king
To pas to God quhill thai war ying,
The gud erle of Murreff, Thomas,
And the lord alsua off Douglas
145 Suld haiff thaim into governyng 141
Quhill thai had wyt to ster thar thing,
And than the lordschip suld thai ta.
Her-till thar athys gan thai ma
And all the lordis that thar war
150 To thir twa wardanys athis swar 146
Till obey thaim in lawte
Giff thaim hapnyt wardanys to be.

[The king's illness and last will]

Quhen all this thing thus tretit wes
And affermyt with sekyrnes
155 The king to Cardros went in hy, 151
And thar him tuk sa fellely
The seknes and him travailit sua
That he wyst him behovyt to ma
Off all this liff the commoun end
160 That is the dede quhen God will send, 156
Tharfor his lettrys sone send he
For the lordis off his countre
And thai come as thai biddyng had.
His testament than has he maid
165 Befor bath lordis and prelatis, 161
And to religioun of ser statis
For hele of his saule gaf he
Silver in gret quantite.
He ordanyt for his saule weill,
170 And quhen this done wes ilkadele 166
He said, 'Lordingis, sua is it gayn
With me that thar is nocht bot ane,
That is the dede withoutyn drede
That ilk man mon thole off nede.
175 And I thank God that has me sent 171
Space in this lyve me to repent,
For throuch me and my werraying
Off blud has bene rycht gret spilling
Quhar mony sakles men war slayn,
180 Tharfor this seknes and this payn 176
I tak in thank for my trespas.
And myn hart fichyt sekyrly was
Quhen I wes in prosperite
Off my synnys to sauffyt be
185 To travaill apon Goddis fayis, 181
And sen he now me till him tayis
Sua that the body may na wys
Fullfill that the hart gan devis
I wald the hart war thidder sent
190 Quharin consavyt wes that entent. 186
Tharfor I pray you everilkan
That ye amang you ches me ane
That be honest wis and wicht
And off his hand a noble knycht
195 On Goddis fayis my hart to ber 191
Quhen saule and cors disseveryt er,
For I wald it war worthily
Brocht thar, sen God will nocht that I
Haiff power thidderwart to ga.'

[Douglas is chosen to take the king's heart against God's enemies]

200 Than war thar hartis all sa wa 196
That nane mycht hald him fra greting.
He bad thaim leve thar sorowing
For it he said mycht not releve
And mycht thaim rycht gretly engreve,
205 And prayit thaim in hy to do 201
The thing that thai war chargit to.
Than went thai furth with drery mode,
Amang thaim thai thocht it gode
That the worthi lord of Douglas
210 Quham in bath wit and worschip was 206
Suld tak this travaill apon hand, 207
Heir-till thai war all accordand, 208
Syne till the king thai went in hy 209
And tald hym at thai thocht trewly 210
215 That the douchty lord Douglas 211
Best schapyn for that travaill was. 206
And quhen the king hard that thai sua
Had ordanyt him his hart to ta
That he mast yarnyt suld it haff
220 He said, 'Sa God himself me saiff 210
Ik hald me rycht weill payit that yhe
Haff chosyn him, for his bounte
And his worschip set in my yarnyng
Ay sen I thocht to