[The king goes to Inverurie and falls ill]

Now leve we intill the Forest
Douglas that sall bot litill rest
Till the countre deliveryt be
Off Inglis folk and thar powste,
5 And turne we till the noble king
That with the folk off his leding
Towart the Month has tane his wai
Rycht stoutly and intill gud array,
Quhar Alysander Frayser him met
10 And als his broder Symonet
With all the folk thai with thaim had.
The king gud contenance thaim made
That wes rycht blyth off thar cummyne.
Thai tauld the king off the convyne
15 Off Jhone Cumyn erle of Bouchane
That till help him had with him tane
Schyr Jhon Mowbray and other ma,
Schyr David off Brechyn alsua,
With all the folk off thar leding,
20 'And yarnys mar na ony thing
Vengeance off you, schyr king, to tak
For Schyr Jhone the Cumyn his sak
That quhylum in Drumfres wes slayn.'
The king said, 'Sa our Lord me sayn,
25 Ik had gret caus him for to sla,
And sen that thai on hand will ta
Becaus off him to werray me
I sall thole a quhile and se
On quhat wys that thai pruve thar mycht,
30 And giff it fall that thai will fycht
Giff thai assaile we sall defend,
Syne fall eftre quhat God will send.'
Eftre this spek the king in hy
Held straucht his way till Enrowry,
35 And thar him tuk sik a seknes
That put him to full hard distress.
He forbar bath drynk and mete,
His men na medicyne couth get
That ever mycht to the king availe,
40 His force gan him halyly faile
That he mycht nother rid na ga.
Then wyt ye that his men war wa,
For nane wes in that cumpany
That wald haiff bene halff sa sary
45 For till haiff sene his broder ded
Lyand befor him in that steid
As thai war for his seknes,
For all thar confort in him wes.
Bot gud Schyr Edward the worthy
50 His broder that wes sa hardy
And wys and wycht set mekill payn
To comfort thaim with all his mayn,
And quhen the lordis that thar war
Saw that the ill ay mar and mar
55 Travaillyt the king, thaim thocht in hy
It war nocht spedfull thar to ly,
For thar all playne wes the countre
And thai war bot a few menye
To ly but strenth into the playne.
60 Forthi till that thar capitane
War coveryt off his mekill ill
Thai thocht to wend sum strenthis till.

[A reflection on leadership; the king goes to Slioch]

For folk foroutyn capitane
Bot thai the better be apayn
65 Sall nocht be all sa gud in deid
As thai a lord had thaim to leid
That dar put him in aventur
But abaysing to tak the ure
That God will send, for quhen that he
70 Off sic will is and sic bounte
That he dar put him till assay
His folk sall tak ensample ay
Off his gud deid and his bounte,
And ane off thaim sall be worth thre
75 Off thaim that wikkyt chifftane hais,
His wrechytnes sa in thaim gais
That thai thar manlynes sall tyn
throu wrechitnes of his convyn.
For quhen the lord that thaim suld leid
80 May do nocht bot as he that war ded
Or fra his folk haldis his way
Fleand, trow ye nocht than that thai
Sall vencusyt in thar hartis be.
Yis sall thai, as I trow per de,
85 Bot giff thar hartis be sa hey
That thai na will for thar worschip flei,
And thaocht sum be of sic bounte
Quhen thai the lord and his menye
Seys fley, yeit sall thai fley apayn
90 For all men fleis the deid rycht fayne.
Se quhat he dois that sua foully
Fleys thus for his cowardy,
Bath him and his vencusys he
And gerris his fayis aboune be.
95 Bot he that throu his gret noblay
Till perallis him abandounys ay
To recomfort his menye
Gerris thame be off sa gret bounte
That mony tyme unlikly thing
100 Tha bring rycht weill to gud ending.
Sa did this king that Ik off reid,
And for his utrageous manheid
Confortyt his on sic maner
That nane had radnes quhar he wer.
105 Thai wald nocht fecht till that he wes 105
Liand intill his seknes, 105
Tharfor in litter thai him lay
And till the Slevauch hald thar way
And thocht thar in that strenth to ly
110 Till passyt war his malady. 109

[The skirmishing at Slioch]

Bot fra the erle of Buchane
Wyst that thai war thidder gane
And wyst that sa sek wes the king
That men doutyt off his covering,
115 He sent eftre his men in hy 114
And assemblyt a gret cumpany,
For all his awine men war thar
And all his frendis with him war,
That wes Schir Jhonne the Mowbray
120 And his brodyr as Ik hard say 119
And Schyr David off Brechynge
With fele folk in thar ledyng.
And quhen thai all assemblit war
In hy thai tuk thar way to far
125 To the Slevauch with all thar men` 124
For till assaile the king that then
Wes liand intill his seknes.
This wes eftyr the Martymes
Quhen snaw had helyt all the land.
130 To the Slevauch thai come ner-hand 129
Arayit on thar best maner
And thane the kingis men that wer
War off thar come thaim apparaylyt
To defend giff thai thaim assaylyt
135 And nocht-forthi thar fayis war 134
Ay twa for ane that thai war thar.
The erlys men ner cummand war
Trumpand and makand mekill far
And maid knychtis quhen thai war ner,
140 And thai that in the woddis sid wer 139
Stud in aray rycht sarraly
And thocht to byd thar hardyly
The cummyng off thar ennymys,
Bot thai wald apon nakyn wys
145 Ische till assaile thaim in fechting 144
Till coveryt war the nobill king,
Bot and othir wald thaim assailye
Thai wald defend vailye que vailye.
And quhen the erlis cumpany
150 Saw that thai wrocht sa wisely 149
That thai thar strenth schupe to defend,
Thar archeris furth to thaim thai send
To bykkyr thaim and men off mayn,
And thai send archeris thaim agayne
155 That bykkyrryt thaim sa sturdely 154
Till thai off the erlis party
Intill thar bataill dryvyn war.
Thre dayis on this wys lay thai thar
And bykkyryt thaim everilk day
160 Bot thar bowmen the war had ay. 159
And quhen the kingis cumpany
Saw thar fayis befor thaim ly
That ilk day wox ma and ma,
And thai war quhone and stad war sua
165 That thai had na thing for till eyt 164
Bot giff thai travaillit it to get,
Tharfor thai tuk consale into hy
That thar wald thai na langer ly
Bot hald thar way quhar thai mycht get
170 To thaim and tharis vittaillis and mete. 169

[The king withdraws from Slioch]

In a littar the king thai lay
And redyit thaim and held thar way
That all thar fayis mycht thaim se,
Ilk man buskyt him in his degre
175 To fycht giff thai assaillyt war. 174
In myddis thaim the king thai bar
And yeid about him sarraly
And nocht full gretly thaim gan hy.
The erle and thai that with him war
180 Saw that thai buskit thaim to far, 179
And saw how with sa litill effray
Thai held furth with the king thar way
Redy to fycht quha wald assaile.
Thar hartis begouth all to faile
185 And in pes lete thaim pas thar way 184
And till thar housis hame went thai.

[The king goes to Strathbogie then to Inverurie]

The erle his way tuk to Bouchane,
And Schyr Edward the Bruce is gane
Rycht to Strabolghy with the king
190 And sua lang thar maid sojorning 189
Till he begouth to covyr and ga,
And syne thar wayis gan thai ta
Till Innerroury straucht agane
For thai wald ly into the plane,
195 The wynter sesone, for vittaile 194
Intill the plane mycht thaim nocht faile.
The erle wyst that thai war thar
And gaderyt a mengne her and thar.
Brechyne and Mowbray and thar men
200 All till the erle assemblyt then 199
And war a full gret cumpany
Off men arayit jolyly.
Till Auld Meldrum thai yeid the way
And thar with thar men logit thai
205 Befoir Yhule evyn a nycht but mar, 204
A thousand trow I weile thai war.
Thai logyt thaim all thar that nycht
And on the morn quhen day wes lycht
The lord off Brechyn Schyr Davy
210 Is went towart Innerroury 209
To luk gyff he on ony wys
Mycht do skaith till his ennymys,
And till the end off Innerroury
Come ridand sa sodanly
215 That