The Bruce
1816), at Newburgh, in Tynedale, August 28 (_Fœdera_, ii., p. 1018).
He was delayed in Northumberland by sickness but passed the winter of
1306-1307 at Lanercost, near Carlisle, to which, on “account of old age
and weakness,” he came by easy stages in a horse-litter, arriving on
September 29, and staying till Easter of the following year, March 26,
1307 (_Chron. de Lanercost_, p. 205). Barbour thus antedates his death,
which took place at Burgh-on-Sand, “three (about five) miles north of
Carlisle,” on July 7, 1307 (_ibid._, 207; _Hem._, ii., p. 266).
211 _In Burch I wist weill_, etc. This is a familiar type of story, the
“dowbill undirstanding,” told of several historic personages: of Henry
IV., to whom it had been prophesied that he should die in Jerusalem,
and who died in the “Jerusalem chamber,” Westminster (Shakespeare’s _2
Henry IV._, Act IV., Scene 5); of Cardinal Wolsey, and others.
220 _Ane spirit._ Archbishop Sharpe was reported to have a “familiar
spirit,” which he carried in a snuff-box in the form of a bee!
241 _Erle Ferrandis moder._ Ferrand was an historical personage, a
Prince of Portugal, who, by marriage, became Earl of Flanders. The
story of the oracle which can be read in two ways, is also one of which
there are many examples from that of the utterance of the Delphic
oracle to Crœsus, as told by Herodotus. Ferrand is in the _Morte
Arthure_:
“One sir Feraunt before, upon a fayre stede,
Was fosterde in Famacoste, _the fend was his fadyre_”
(2760-61).
_Famacoste_ is Famagosta, in Cyprus.
249 _Bosbek_ or Busbecq was in Flanders, west of Courtrai.
253 _in Inglis._ Barbour calls his own language English, as the Scots
poets do down till the fifteenth century (see on _Language_, _Appendix_
G).
256 _Mynerff._ Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom, etc. For the early
and mediæval Christians, the ancient deities were demons.
282 _in the fechting._ Ferrand and the Emperor Otho IV. were defeated
at Bouvines, between Lille and Tournai, July 27, 1214.
322 _“hangis and drawis.”_ It was Edward I. who regularized the
horrible form of punishment allotted to traitors, several examples of
which have already been noted. The victim was first drawn by horses
on a rough cart through the principal streets, as Fraser was through
the streets of London, then hanged, next taken down before he was dead
and decapitated. The head was then stuck up on a public place, if the
victim was sufficiently notorious, and the limbs might be similarly
exposed, as was done with Wallace. Fraser’s heart and entrails
were burned, and his body was again hung up till about three weeks
afterwards, when it and the gallows were burned together. For Fraser’s
case, see _Ann. Paul_, pp. 148, 149. For the grammatical forms, see
_Appendix_ H.
336 _To King Robert._ The narrative now goes back to the closing months
of 1306.
338 _till the wyntir neir wes gane._ Too long a period. On February
1, 1307, Edward is ordering out ships to hunt for Bruce “towards Ayr”
(_Bain_, ii., 1893).
367 _In-to Kintyre._ Hemingburgh has it that about September 29, 1306,
Bruce came back from the islands and waited in Kintyre, and sent
some men over to Carrick, who lifted his rents for Martinmas. Trivet
has an account which is simply a careless abridgment of Hemingburgh
(_Hemingburgh_, ii. 251; _Trivet_, 410). Nothing is said of Arran, but
these writers are not strong in geography. Hemingburgh says Bruce had a
force of “Irish” (_Hibernicis_) and Scots (_ibid._). “Irish” suggests
Rathlin, or they may be west-islanders.
384 _Schir John the Hastyngis._ Sir John de Hastings had been the most
important of the Competitors, next to Balliol and Bruce, being the
grandson of the youngest daughter of the Earl of Huntingdon. On May 22,
1306, he received from Edward a grant “of the Earldom of Mentethe in
Scotland, with the Isles” (_Bain_, ii., No. 1771). In July or August,
1307, he is one of the garrison of Ayr Castle (_ibid._, 1901).
388 _Brathwik._ Brodick.
421 _neid to fourty._ In line 405 he says the English were in all
“thretty and ma”!
464 _The King arivit._ On the west side of the island, opposite
Campbelltown, is the _King’s Cove_, where, as tradition says, “King
Robert de Bruce and his retinue lodged ... for some time when taking
shelter in retired places” (_Old. Stat. Acct._, vol. ix., p. 167).
466 _in a toune._ Not “in a town” in the modern sense, but in the Scots
meaning of any group of houses or buildings--_e.g._, a farm “toun.”
556 _Turnberys snuke._ Turnberry Point, on the coast of Ayrshire,
the site of the castle of the Earls of Carrick. The castle was in
possession of Henry Percy, to whom Edward had granted Bruce’s Earldom,
as is stated in lines 599-600 (_Hem._, ii. 251). The point at Berwick
was known as “le Snoke” (_Hist. Docts._, ii. p. 160). S reads “nuk”
from C.
682-3 _Jeromy_ = Jeremiah. _Ysay_ = Isaiah.
720-1 “The constellation that gives to them kindly manners”--_i.e._,
natural dispositions. _Cf._ “kyndly” = naturally, in line 735. For
“manners” = character, _cf._ Chaucer. _The Dethe of Blaunche_:
“She used gladly to do wel,
These were hir _maners_ everydel” (1012-13).
747 _Nigramansy._ “Necromancy,” or the art of revealing the future
through communication with the dead (Gr. _nekros_, a dead body);
appearing in mediæval Latin as _nigromanteia_; O.F., _nygromancie_, the
first part of the compound being confused and identified with Latin
_niger_, black--whence “the black art.”
753 _the Phitones._ The _Pithoness_ or _Pythoness_, which usually
appears in the M.E. writers as in the text. _Cf._ Chaucer’s _Hous of
Fame_, iii. 171: “And _phitonesses_, charmeresses,” etc. Pythia was
the oracle-giving priestess of Apollo at Delphi; hence a woman who
prophesies or divines. The name was given, as in the reference here, to
the witch of Endor (1 _Chron._ x. 13), as in Bacon, _Prophecies_, etc.,
“Said the _Pythonissa_ to Saul,” etc.
BOOK V.
1 _in vere._ “In spring”--February, 1307 (see note on _Bk._ IV. 338.)
The description here is really of the “Poets’ May.”
23 _na nedill had na stane_; _i.e._, neither an actual needle
magnetized, nor a piece of magnetic iron, loadstone, to serve as a
compass.
24 _in-till ane._ “In a straight course,” guiding themselves by the
fire.
90 _till the toune._ _Cf._ note on III. 556. Hemingburgh’s account is
that Bruce, coming on him suddenly, attacked Percy by night and slew a
few of his company (ii. 251). _Cf._ 95, etc. Fordun says Bruce captured
and destroyed one of his own castles, slew the garrison, and divided
arms and other spoils among his men (_Gesta Annalia_, cxxi.). This is
not Barbour’s version, which is the right one. _Cf._ on 107, 118.
104 _Makdowall._ Probably, as Jamieson suggests, the Dougall Macdowall
who, about this time, defeated and captured Bruce’s brothers in
Galloway. See on _Bk._ IV. 36.
107 _In the castell._ See above on 90. According to Hemingburgh, “Bruce
besieged Percy in the castell till the siege was raised by an English
army” (ii. 251). There were desertions, February 18, among troops
called out to deal with Bruce (_Parliam. Writs_, i., p. 379).
118 _All haill the reif._ Bruce had captured their steeds and silver
plate (_Hemingburgh_, as cited); steeds and much other spoil (Trivet’s
_Annals_, p. 410).
133 _a lady of that cuntre._ Fordun says that Bruce was assisted in
returning to Carrick by Christian “of the Isles,” who “had a kindness
for him” (_Gesta Annalia_, cxxi.), but the lady here would seem to be
of Carrick, and a relative. _Cf._ on _Bk._ IV. 367. Fordun is probably
right as to the name, and Barbour as to the location, for “Cristiane de
Carric” had, afterwards, a pension of forty shillings “at the King’s
(Robert’s) pleasure” (_Excheq. Rolls_, i., p. 114).
151 _the Erle Adell._ See on _Bk._ II. 235.
153 _till his party war heldand._ There were others who were no longer
“inclining” to his party; Allan, “late Earl of Menteith,” Sirs Patrick
de Graham, Hugh Lovel, William de Moray of Sandford, Walter de Moray,
and other adherents, had “come to the King’s (Edward’s) peace to be in
law” in November of the previous year; and Thomas Randolph, too, had
gone over (_cf._ _Bk._ II. 463 note).
156 _Cristole of Setoun._ See note on _Bk._ IV. 16.
174 _Bot quhar worschip_; _i.e._, in fair fight on the field of battle.
192 _Bot lay lurkand._ On February 6 there is a letter from Edward
to the Bishop of Chester, his Treasurer, expressing “great wonder at
hearing no news of Sir Aymer de Valence and his forces since he went to
Ayr,” and requesting him to order Valence, Percy, Sir John de St. John
and others to send particulars of what they are doing and of the state
of affairs. He states also that “he hears they have done so badly that
they do not wish him to know” (_Bain_, ii., No. 1895). On February 11
there are letters to the same effect, sent direct to Valence, the Earls
of Gloucester and Hereford, St. John, and Percy (_ibid._, 1896).
203 _Schir Gauter the Lile._ Sir Walter de Lisle.
205 _schavalduris._ Skeat explains this as “wanderers,” and says “the
right form seems to be _shaveldour_, a vagrant” (Glossary). Jamieson
takes it to mean “wanderers in the woods, subsisting by hunting.” There
were bands of “schavaldurs” on the Border, who robbed and plundered
(_Bain_, iii., No. 675); but John de Harcla had “schavaldurs” in his
employment (_ibid._, p. 128). Clerk “Helias” was a _schavaldus nobilis_
(_Stevenson_, p. 2; _Bk._ XVI. 441 note). The exact force of the word
is not yet clear. Probably they were what later times knew as “broken
men.”
231 _the Clyffurd._ _Cf._ note on _Bk._ I. 282. Ancestor of the
Cliffords, Earls of Cumberland.
256 _Toward Douglas._ In the valley of the Douglas (Gael: _dubh glas_,
black water), a tributary of the Clyde, in Upper Lanarkshire. In Bain’s
_Calendar_ is a petition from one of the garrison in Douglas Castle,
“when Sir Robert de Brus and Sir James de Douglas attacked it, the year
when the late King (Edward I.) died” (iii., No. 682).
296 _manrent._ “Homage”; Scots form of “manred” (A.S. _mannraéden_,
homage, allegiance). “Bonds of manrent” are a familiar form of
association with some great noble in later Scottish history.
307 _Palme Sonday._ March 19, 1307.
317 _mantill._ For long a mantle or cloak was the upper garment of the
Scots, rich and poor.
336 _Sanct Brydis._ The church of Douglas was dedicated to St. Bridget,
or Bride, a Celtic Saint.
388 _With burdys set._ On trestles, as the dinner-table. _Cf._ note on
_Bk._ II. 96.
403 “Knocked out the heads of the wine barrels.”
410 _the Dowglas Lardenere._ “The Douglas Larder,” a North English
and Scottish form of A.F. _lardiner_: here with the double meaning of
a store of food and a slaughter. For the latter, _cf._ “The knyghtes
of the round table made soche _lardare_ through the field” (_Merlin_,
cited N.E.D.). In the _Alexander_ it is said of the slaughter
accomplished by Porrus:
“Of handis and heidis baith braune and blude
He maid ane _lardnare_ quhare he stood” (p. 233, 5).
Dr. Neilson says, “there is nothing corresponding in the French,” and
claims that the lines in the _Bruce_ are the source of the “lurid and
telling phrase” (_John Barbour_, p. 56). But this does not follow, as
the word occurs in this sense elsewhere (see N.E.D.), and the simple
sense of “slaughter” in the _Alexander_ is not quite parallel to the
full significance of the word in the _Bruce_, where the “meile, malt,
blude and wyne” fill out the suggestiveness of its use. According to
Hume of Godscroft, the Douglas historian, the “wyne-sellar” of line 399
is identified with a cellar “called yet the Douglas Lairder” (_History
of the House of Douglas_, p. 28, ed. 1644).