The Bruce
personage. He was the most notorious pirate on the west coast, as
John Crab was on the east (see _Bk._ XVII. 239). We learn from Bain’s
_Calendar_ that on September 12, 1315, Thomas Dun and others, “with
a great ‘navye’ of Scots,” plundered a ship in Holyhead Harbour (No.
451). He kept on his depredations with a crew of Scots (No. 549;
_Patent Rolls_, i., p. 696). He was captured in July, 1317, and gave
information about an intended attack by the Earl of Moray on the Isle
of Man (No. 562). Thereafter he disappears from notice, probably via
the gallows. He was hovering about between Ulster and Scotland at this
time, and Edward was ordering the Mayor and bailiffs of Drogheda to
chase him (_Hist. and Munic. Docts., Ireland_, p. 377).
380 _Thai knew him weill._ See previous note.
382 According to the _Annals_, Edward Bruce cautiously or cleverly
(_caute_) crossed the Bann in pursuit of the English army, retiring to
Connor (_Annals_, p. 346).
383 _in biggit land._ “Land with houses on it”--_i.e._, cultivated.
389 _With a gret host, Richarde of Clar._ In the _Annals_ it is the
Earl of Ulster (Richard de Burgh), with the Justiciar (Butler) and
other magnates, who had undertaken to bring Edward Bruce to Dublin
alive or dead. So, too, in _Annals of Clonmacnoise_ and of _Loch Cé_ it
is De Burgh, the “Red Earl.”
394 _Coigneris._ Connor, to the north of the town of Antrim. “Conyers”
in _Annals_.
405 _Alane Stewart._ Cousin of Walter Stewart, and ancestor of the
Darnley Stewarts, Earls of Lennox. He is mentioned later in the
_Annals_ among the Scottish leaders (p. 359).
406 _Schir Robert Boyde._ Both E and H read _Robert_, probably
correctly, as there is no notice of the _Gilbert_ of C.
447 _On this wis._ This, or one of the later skirmishes, must be that
referred to in the _Annals_ when the Earl and some of his side were put
to flight, and several captured (p. 359).
460 _Thair wayis towart Coigneris._ After Edward Bruce crossed the Bann
the English army withdrew to Connor (_Annals_, p. 359).
515 _Fize Warin._ No doubt the Alan FitzWarin captured later by the
Scots (_Annals_, 349). See on xv. 75.
522 _Nycholl of Kylkenane._ Kilkenane was before the Reformation a
parish in Island Magee, the outer limb of Larne Lough (_Innes_). A
“Michael of Kylkenan” is on record in 1310 (Reeves, _History of Down_,
etc., _ibid._). Hart’s edition here gives _Michell_, which is perhaps
the correct reading.
BOOK XV.
8 _In battale._ The date of the English defeat at Connor is on or
shortly after September 10, 1315. The _Annals_ are not clear on the
point, and the capture of William de Burgh on the 10th seems to refer
to one of the earlier skirmishes mentioned in the previous book
(_Annals_, p. 346).
39 _The barell-ferraris._ See _Glossary_. _Cf._ “_Barell-ferrers_ they
brochede, and broghte them the wyne” (_Morte Arthure_, line 2714).
56 _Quha mast_, etc. “Who most would get the upper hand.”
63 _That evir durst_, etc. “No one dared to wait for his comrade.”
75 _Fizwarine._ The _Annals_ suggest that he was not captured till
early in the following year, and he is not mentioned among the captives
at “Conyers” (pp. 349, 346).
83 _Mont-peleris._ Apparently Montpelier, then famous for its School of
Medicine, an Arab foundation.
98 _Syne thidder._ The account in the _Annals_ states that “Baron de
Donull” made head against the Scots, but that they chased his men
boldly as far as “Cragfergus” (p. 346). The castle had been provisioned
against the Scots (_Bain_, iii., No. 479).
100 _Palmesonday._ April 4, 1316. The garrison was suffering great
privations from lack of food (_Annals, Fragment_, p. 297).
101 _Tysday._ Tuesday in Easter-week, 1316, was April 13.
105 _Paske evin._ Saturday night, April 10.
107 _Devilling._ Dublin. According to the _Annals_, Maundeville came
with men from Drogheda, arriving at Carrickfergus on April 8, and
inflicting a defeat upon the Scots, who lost about thirty men (p. 350).
111 _The Mawndvell, ald Schir Thomas._ So also in _Annals_ (p. 350).
131 _the day._ April 11. The _Annals_ place this (the second) attack on
the Scots upon Easter-eve, April 10 (_in vigilia Pasche._, p. 350).
Similarly _St. Mary’s Annals_, p. 282. Nothing is said about a breach
of truce. Barbour, however, gives evidence of having been thoroughly
well informed. See below on 205-9.
137 _the Kyng._ _I.e._, Edward Bruce, apparently not crowned King till
some weeks later, May, 1316, “a little after the feast of Philip and
James” (May 1). The _Annals_ really seem to fix it in 1315 (p. 345),
but they have already stated that Edward did not land till May 26. The
chronology is confused (_cf._ on _Bk._ xiv. 21). See also line 161.
181 _Gib Harpar._ Probably Gilbert the Harper, or minstrel. His fate is
told in _Bk._ XVIII.
183 _of his stat._ These words suggest that he was of some special
class.
192 _reft the liff._ Sir Thomas Maundeville was slain (_Annals_, p.
350; _St. Mary’s Annals_, p. 282).
205-9 Skeat evidently thinks that these lines refer to the same
incident as that described above in lines 190-2, and actually prints
in his rubric “as I said” as a summary of Barbour, though Barbour has
nothing to suggest these words. But the person previously slain is
“_the_ Mawndvell”--_i.e._, Sir Thomas himself, whom Barbour has already
so denominated (111). The present victim is a Maundeville whose “propir
nayme” he does not know, but who, we learn from _St Mary’s Annals_, was
“John Maundevyll,” brother of Sir Thomas (p. 282).
259 _The castell till him yhalde._ Carrickfergus Castle was surrendered
(_Annals, Fragment_, p. 297; _Bain_, iii. 970) apparently in September,
1316 (_Fragment_, _ibid._). Thus, if begun after Connor, the siege must
have occupied the Scots for a year--the greater part of 1316.
260 _Till sauf thame thair liffis._ The defenders were granted life and
limb (_vita et membrum._ _Fragment_, p. 297).
272 _the Tarbard._ Tarbert, Kintyre: Gaelic _Tairbeart_, a portage, an
isthmus.
274 _draw thar schippes._ According to the _Magnus Saga_, chap. xx.,
Magnus, King of Norway, agreed with the King of Scotland, Edgar, in
1102, that he should have “all the islands to the west of Scotland,
between which and the mainland a helm-carrying ship could pass.” Magnus
then had “a small ship” drawn across the isthmus at Tarbert, with
himself sitting at the helm, and so secured Kintyre. “There is a narrow
ridge between it (Kintyre) and Scotland, so that ships are often drawn
across it.”
292 _Ald prophesy._ This probably derives from the incident told of
above.
299 _Johne of Lorne._ Barbour is quite wrong as to the career and fate
of John of Lorn or Argyll (“de Ergadia,” “Daragille,” in records). He
had escaped to England in 1309 (see _Bk._ 128), and was Admiral of
Edward’s fleet in the west by 1311 (_Bain_, iii., No. 203). In the
summer of 1314 he went to the Irish coast with a fleet (355), and was
in command there in 1315-1316 (No. 479, _Hist. and Municip. Docts.,
Ireland_, p. 344). He returned from the Irish service in 1316 “impotent
in body,” and received a pension from Edward II., but died a year and a
half later, probably towards the end of 1317, in London (_Bain_, iii.,
No. 912).
318 _the Forest._ Ettrick Forest.
321 _Eumond de Calion, a Gascoune._ Correctly, as in records, “Remon
Caillau,” or “Reymound Cailough” (_Bain_, iii., Nos. 470, 477). He
was perhaps a relative of the Bishop of Durham who died in the same
year, 1316, “Recardus Kellow” (_Lanercost_, p. 233). Other Gascons
are mentioned as having taken part in this sally--Arnant de Poillant,
Pierres de Logar, etc. (_ibid._). The information in _Bain_ is
contained in letters from the Governor of Berwick (see next note), and
petitions to the King from some of the townspeople.
325 _He had than Berwik in keping._ No; Sir Moryz or Maurice de
Berkele(y) was “warden of Berwick-on-Tweed.” Caillou was only one of
“the King’s sergeant-at-arms” (_Bain_, iii., No. 477)--_i.e._, an
officer of the royal household.
327 _a gret cumpany._ A “great part of the garrison” went out on this
foray. They had been forbidden to go out by the warden, but Berwick
was in desperate straits for want of food, and they replied that “it
was better to die fighting than starve” (_Bain_, 477). The date of the
foray is February 14, 1316.
329 _the nethir end of Tevydaill_, etc. Teviotdale, locally so
pronounced. The forayers went as far as “within two leagues (miles)
of Melros Abbey” (_Bain_, 477). The Merse is South Berwickshire, the
“March,” or frontier.
333 _Schir Adam of Gordoun._ See note on _Bk._ XI. 46. He became a
“Scottis man” apparently after Bannockburn. His lands of Gordon were in
East Lothian.
335 _drif away thar fe._ “They took many prisoners and cattle” (_Bain_,
470).
*337-*338. These lines mean that Gordon saw only small bodies
(“scaill”; _cf._ line 344*) of the English in retreat, and the “swains”
in possession of the prey--_i.e._, driving the cattle. _Cf._ lines
*353-*354 and 339-341. “Scaill” is a noun here as in *353.
*354 _a childrome._ The scattered bands assembled in one body to
deal with the Scots in pursuit, and sent on the cattle in front. For
“childrome,” or “schiltrome,” see note on _Bk._ XII. 249.
341 _made a staill._ “Staill” is certainly to be preferred to “scaill,”
which is contrary to the sense of the passage. Skeat, in his note,
admits as much. _Cf._ similar use in _Bk._ XVII. 97. The forayers
“made a stand” to defend the cattle from the Scots. The fight was at
Scaithmoor. (_Scala._, p. 143).
351 _on his luf, etc._ “Let each man think on his love.”
375-6 _thai wer, etc._ “Though the English were very many more than the
Scots.” Barbour’s usual reckless use of “thai.”
377 _wes ded._ The writer in _Bain_ did not know whether Caillou was
dead or only a prisoner (No. 470).
381 _sum has slayne._ The foragers lost 20 men-at-arms and 60 foot,
killed or prisoners (_Bain_, No. 470). “The Gascons were slain to a
man” (_furount mors toutes playnes de Gascoins._ _Scala._, p. 143). The
Scots, of course, recovered the castle, and the Berwick garrison were
soon dying of hunger on the walls (_ibid._, No. 477).
392 _hap him fell._ “If it so happened.”
393 _That._ _I.e._, the killing of the “cheftune,” or leader of his
opponents.
405 _full gret invy._ Neville appears to have had a weakness in this
way. He had already slain a cousin of Robert Bruce in a quarrel as to
which was the greater lord (_Scala._, p. 143). He was known as “the
Peacock of the North,” which significantly describes him (_Bain_, iii.,
p. xxv).
435 _Befor Berwyk._ The fight between Douglas and Neville took place at
Berwick (_Scala._, p. 143; _Gesta Edw. de Carn._, p. 56). The _Gesta_
dates it June, 1319; Barbour seems to place it in 1316, but says
nothing definite; nor does Gray, “another time” (_Scala._, p. 143),
introducing it, like Barbour, after the Skaithmoor fight, but unlike
Barbour, also after Lintalee.
477 _no mycht till us._ “Douglas with his yeomanry shall have no power
compared with ours.”
503 _Schir Ralf the Nevell, etc._ There is on record a petition by
“Rauf de Neville” to the King asking for assistance in ransoming
himself, and explaining that he, with two of his brothers, was taken
prisoner on the day on which his brother Sir Robert was killed by the
Scots (_Bain_, iii., No. 527).
504 _the Baroun of Hiltoun._ Apparently Sir Robert de Hilton, who is
a witness in 1310 to a grant by the Bishop of Durham of a manor in
Scotland (_Bain_, iii., No. 1147). Hilton is near Berwick.
505 _othir of mekill mycht._ “Many of his (Neville’s) company were
captured, and the rest put to flight” (_Gesta_, p. 56). _Cf._ line 510.
BOOK XVI.
8 _in Scotland for till pas._ Barbour, as he himself explains, now goes