Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, POEM: 9, by LAURENCE MINOT


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

POEM: 9, by                    
First Line: Sir david pe bruse -- was at distance
Last Line: Pus was dauid þe bruse -- into þe toure tane.
Subject(s): England; Grief; War; English; Sorrow; Sadness


SIR Dauid þe Bruse -- was at distance,
When Edward þe Baliolfe -- rade with his lance;
þe north end of Ingland -- teched him to daunce,
When he was met on þe more -- with mekill mischance.
Sir Philip þe Valayse -- may him noght avance;
þe flowres þat faire war -- er fallen in ffraunce,Þe floures er
now fallen -- þat fers war and fell;
A bare with his bataille -- has done pam to dwell.

Sir Dauid þe Bruse -- said he suld fonde
To ride thurgh all Ingland, -- wald he noght wonde;
At þe Westminster hall -- suld his stedes stonde,
Whils oure king Edward -- war out of þe londe:
Bot now has sir Dauid -- missed of his merkes
And Philip þe Valays -- with all þaire grete clerkes.

Sir Philip þe Valais, -- suth for to say,
Sent vnto sir Dauid -- and faire gan him pray
At ride thurgh Ingland -- þaire fomen to flay,
And said none es at home -- to let hym þe way,
None letes him þe way -- to wende whore he will:
Bot with schipherd staues -- fand de his fill.

ffro Philip þe Valais -- was sir Dauid sent
All Ingland to win -- fro Twede vnto Trent;
He broght mani berebag -- with bow redy bent;
þai robbed and þai reued -- and held þat þai hent;
It was in þe waniand -- þat þai furth went;
For couaitise of cataile -- po schrewes war schent;
Schent war po schrewes -- and ailed vnsele,
For at þe Neuil cros -- nedes bud pam knele.

At þe ersbisschop of pork -- now will I bigyn,
For he may with his right hand -- assoyl vs of syn;
Both Dorem and Carlele -- þai wald neuer blin
þe wirschip of Ingland -- with wapþen to win;
Mekill wirschip þai wan -- and wele haue þai waken,
For syr Dauid þe Bruse -- was in þat tyme taken.

When sir Dauid þe Bruse -- satt on his stede,
He said of all Ingland -- haued he no drede;
Bot hinde Iohn of Coupland, -- a wight man in wede,
Talked to Dauid p and kend him his crede.
Pare was sir Dauid -- so dughty in his dede,
þe faire toure of Londen -- haued he to mede.

Sone þan was sir Dauid -- broght vnto þe toure,
And William þe Dowglas -- with men of honowre;
Full swith redy seruis -- fand þai pare a schowre,
For first þai drank of þe swete -- and se -- in of þe sowre.

þan sir Dauid þe Bruse -- makes his mone,
þe faire coroun of Scotland -- haues he forgone;
He luked furth into France, -- help had he none
Of sir Philip þe Valais -- ne pit of sir Iohn.

þe pride of sir Dauid -- bigon fast to slaken,
For he wakkind þe were -- þat held him self waken;
For Philyp þe Valaise -- had he his brede baken,
And in þe toure of Londen -- his ines er taken:
To be both in a place -- þaire forward þai nomen,
Bot Philip fayled pare -- and Dauid es cumen.

Sir Dauid þe Bruse -- on þis manere
Said vnto sir Philip -- al pir sawes pus sere:
Philip þe Valais, -- pou made me be here,
þis es noght þe forward -- we made are to þere;
ffals es pi forward -- and euyll mot pou fare,
For pou and sir Iohn pi son -- haues kast me in care.

þe Scottes, with þaire falshede, -- pus went þai obout
For to win Ingland -- whils Edward was out.
For Cuthbert of Dorem -- haued þai no dout;
Parfore at Neuel cros -- law gan þai lout,Þaire louted þai law --
and leued allane:
pus was Dauid þe Bruse -- into þe toure tane.





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