Barbour, John
c.1320 - 1395
The Inglis archeris schot sa fast,
That mycht thair schot haff ony last,
It had bene hard to Scottis men.
Bot king Robert, that wele gan ken
That thair archeris war peralouss,
And thair schot rycht hard and grewouss,
Ordanyt, forouth the assembl?,
Hys marschell with a gret menye,
Fyve hundre armyt in to stele,
That on lycht horss war horsyt welle,
For to pryk amang the archeris;
And swa assaile thaim with thair speris,
That thai na layser haiff to schute.
This marschell that Ik of mute,
That Schyr Robert of Keyth was cauld,
As Ik befor her has yow tauld,
Quhen he saw the bataillis sua
Assembill, and to gidder ga,
And saw the archeris schoyt stoutly;
With all thaim off his cumpany,
In hy apon thaim gan be rid;
And our tuk thaim at a sid;
And ruschyt amang thaim sa rudly,
Stekand thaim sa dispitously,
And in sic fusoun berand doun,
And slayand thaim, for owtyn ransoun;
That thai thaim scalyt euirilkane.
And fra that tyme furth thar wes nane
That assemblyt schot to ma.
Quhen Scottis archeris saw that thai sua
War rebutyt, thai woux hardy,
And with all thair mycht schot egrely
Amang the horss men, that thar raid;
And woundis wid to thaim thai maid;
And slew of thaim a full gret dele.
Thai bar thaim hardely and wele.
For fra thair fayis archeris war
Scalyt, as I said till yow ar,
That ma na thai war be gret thing,
Swa that thai dred nocht thair schoting,
Thai woux sa hardy, that thaim thoucht
Thai suld set all thair fayis at nocht.