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The fourth muse
41
Leanfac'd envie doth often bring a nation
To civill discord, shame, and desolation.
Such bitter fruit we found, all to confusion
At once did run, was nothing but effusion
Of guiltlesse bloud: Our enemies did take
Our strengths again, and all things went to wrake,
Such was our wofull state, unto the time
The brave King, Robert Bruce, came to this clime,[1]
Most happily, yet small beginnings had:
For many yeers before this land he fred
From enemies rage, till wisely he at length
By soft recoiling recollected strength;
Then came to Perth, and did the same besiege[2]
And take; who through persuit and cruell rage
Kil'd Scots, and English all were in it found,
Brake down the walls, them equal'd to the ground.
But after this victorious King did die,
And brave Earle Thomas Randolf, by and by
All things perplexed were, the Baliol proud
With English forces both by land and floud[3]
In Scotland came, arrived at Kinghorne,
And through the countrie mightily did sorne.
Our Governours, the Earles of Merche and Marre
Sufficient armies levying for warre
This pride for to represse, did fixe their tents
At Dupline camped Marre: mine heart it rents[4]
To tell the wofull event, in the night
This Earle and all his hoste surprisde by sleight,
Yee know the storie, all to death neer brought,
The Englishmen on Scots such butcheries wrought.
To civill discord, shame, and desolation.
Such bitter fruit we found, all to confusion
At once did run, was nothing but effusion
Of guiltlesse bloud: Our enemies did take
Our strengths again, and all things went to wrake,
Such was our wofull state, unto the time
The brave King, Robert Bruce, came to this clime,[1]
Most happily, yet small beginnings had:
For many yeers before this land he fred
From enemies rage, till wisely he at length
By soft recoiling recollected strength;
Then came to Perth, and did the same besiege[2]
And take; who through persuit and cruell rage
Kil'd Scots, and English all were in it found,
Brake down the walls, them equal'd to the ground.
But after this victorious King did die,
And brave Earle Thomas Randolf, by and by
All things perplexed were, the Baliol proud
With English forces both by land and floud[3]
In Scotland came, arrived at Kinghorne,
And through the countrie mightily did sorne.
Our Governours, the Earles of Merche and Marre
Sufficient armies levying for warre
This pride for to represse, did fixe their tents
At Dupline camped Marre: mine heart it rents[4]
To tell the wofull event, in the night
This Earle and all his hoste surprisde by sleight,
Yee know the storie, all to death neer brought,
The Englishmen on Scots such butcheries wrought.