To a close stair-the boardis raiff' in twinn: Fifteen foot large he lept out of that inn. Up the water suddenly he couth fare; Again he blent what 'perance he saw there; He thought he saw Fawdoun, that ugly sire, That whole hall he had set in a fire; 3 A great rafter he had intill his hand; Wallace as then no longer would he stand. Of his good men full great mervail had he, How they were tynt 4 through his feyle 5 fantaisie. Trusts right well all this was sooth indeed; Suppose that it no point be of the creed

*

*

**

By such mischief giff his men might be lost,
Drowned, or slain among the English host,
Or what it was in likeness of Fawdoun,
Which brought his men to sudden confusion-
I cannot speak of such divinité, &c.

[Book V. ver. 175, &c.]

The following incident is of a less terrific nature.

'Split, were riven.

• Looked. In the edit. 1685, it is blenked.

3 Upon the house, and all the rest on fire. Edit. 1685.

4 Lost.

Probably the same as fey, (Rudd. Gloss.) fatal.

Wallace had a mistress at Perth, whom he visited in the disguise of a priest; but he was accidentally discovered, and his mistress seized, and prevailed on by threats and promises to betray her gallant admirer. When every preparation has been made to surprise him-

he enter'd in the town

Witting no thing of all this false treasoun,
Till her chamber he went but mair abaid.'
She welcomed him, and full great pleasance made.
What that they wrought I cannot graithly say;
Right unperfyt I am of Venus' play:

But hastily he graithed him to gang.

Then she him took, and speir'd if he thought lang?3 She asked him that night with her to bide, Soon he said, "Nay! for chance that may betide! "My men are left all at mis-rule for me; "I may not sleep this night while I them see!" Then weeped she, and said full oft, "Alas! "That I was made! wo worth the cursed cause! "Now have I lost the best man living is;

"O feeble mind, to do so foul amiss!

3 Asked if he thought the time long, i. e. if he was tired.

"O waryd1 wit, wicked, and wariance.

"That me has brought into this mischeful chance! "Alas," she said, " in world that I was wrought! "If all his pain on myself might be brought! "I have 'served to be brent in a gleid.” 2

When Wallace saw she ner of witt couth weid,3 In his armis he caught her soberly,

And said," Dear heart, who has mis-done aught? I?” Nay, I (quoth she) has falsely wrought this train, "I have you sold! right now ye shall be slain !" She told him [all] her treason till an end As I have said; what needis more legend? At her he speir'd if she forthought it sore: "Wo! yea (she said) and shall do evermore! "My waryed werd in world I mon7 fulfill: "To mend this 'miss I would burn on a hill!"

He comfort her, and bade her have no dreid "I will (he said) have some part of thy weid," Her gown he took on him, and kerchiefs als: "Will God, I shall escape this treason false,

Cursed. (Werian. Sax.)

Deserved to be burnt in a coal fire.

* She could not imagine any contrivance ?

Of her he asked, &c.

5 Repented.

;

6

• Destiny.

7 Must.

& Dress.

"I thee forgive!" withouten wordis mair,
He kissed her, syne took his leave to fare.
His burly brand that help'd him oft in need,
Right privily he hid under that weid.

To the south gate the ganest way he drew,
Where that he found of armed men enew.3
To them he told, dissembled countenance,
"To the chamber, where he was upon chance,
"Speed fast! (he said) Wallace is locked in!"
From him they sought withouten noise or din,
To that same house; about they gan them cast.
Out at the gate then Wallace gat full fast,
Right glad in heart when that he was without,
Right fast he yede,4 a stour pace, and a stout.
Two him beheld, and said, "We will go see!
"A stalwarts quean, forsooth, yon seems to be."
Him they followed, &c.

[Book IV. ver. 731, &c.]

The abruptness of this author's manner has very often a dramatic effect, and gives considerable life and spirit to his narrative, which, on account of his blindness, he was unable to diversify with those

1

Shakspeare uses the word for huge; but it seems to be derived from the Old French word bouira, (bourrer, frapper), • Readiest.

to strike. La Combe.

3 Enough.

4 Went.

5 Bold.

beautiful pieces of picturesque description, in which the Scotch poets in general have so particularly excelled. The relation of Wallace's fishing adventure, in the first book; that of his engagement with the "red reiffar" (rover), in the ninth; and several smaller incidents dispersed through the work, are sketched with singular ability, and prove that Henry was a great master of his art, and that he deserved the popularity which he acquired among his countrymen, and which he continues to retain, after the lapse of more than three centuries.

Of the almost numberless editions of this work, the most elegant, and apparently the most correct, is that of Perth, 1790, which professes to be exactly copied from the MS. in the Advocate's library at Edinburgh.

The only poets who occur in the reign of Edward IV. are, John Harding; whose chronicle is beneath criticism, in point of composition, and can only be an object of curiosity to the antiquary: Scogan, whose pretended jests were published by Andrew Borde, a mad physician in the court of Henry VIII.; and John Norton and George Ripley, whose didactic poems, on the subject of Alchemy, are preserved, together with much other trash, in the strange farrago edited by Ashmole, under the title of "Theatrum Chemicum."