That office than he brukyt bot schort tyme.
The editor of the first edition I have seen might have overlooked the
six intervening lines, by fixing his eye on the conclusion of v. 134,
which closes with the same words as that of v. 140--_of Scotland_. But
the sense requires these lines; as no _office_ was given to Bruce, but
merely his heritage.
_Schir Ranald knew weill a mar quiet sted,_
_Quhar Wilyham mycht he bettir fra thair fede,_
_With his wncle Wallas of_ Ricardtoun,
_Schir Richard hecht, that gud knycht off renoun._--V. 353.
“Riccartoun is evidently a corruption of Richardtoun. It is generally
supposed to have been so called from a Sir Richard Wallace, who lived
in the vicinity of the village, and who is said to have been uncle to
the celebrated patriot, Sir William Wallace. Of his house no vestige
now remains; the place, however, where it stood is well known. The
village of Riccartoun is within one English mile of the market-place of
Kilmarnock.” V. Riccartoun, Stat. Acc. V. 117.
_And with the swerd_ awkwart _he him gawe._--V. 407.
In Edit. 1594,--ane _ackwart_ straik him gaif.
This is followed by subsequent editions. The line, as it stands in MS.,
is both clumsy and nonsensical. But perhaps Blind Harry used this for
athwart; as it occurs in the same sense, II. 109.
_Went till his eyme, and tauld him of this_ drede. MS.--V. 437.
Of the _deid_, Edit. 1594. Of the _deed_, Edit. 1620.
This is more in character, than to suppose that Wallace, after so
chivalrous an achievement, should run to his uncle, and tell him in
what terror he was for the vengeance of the English. The term here
used, indeed, seems to reduplicate on the phrase which occurs v. 434,
“this worthi werk.”