_And fra the tyme that he of presoune four,_
_Gude_ souir _weide dayly on him he wour:_
_Gude lycht harness, fra that tyme, wsyt he euir._--V. 83.
Instead of _And_ fra the tyme, read, _Ay_ fra the tyme, as in MS.
It is remarkable that in all the copies, without exception, as far as I
know, it is _somer_ or _summer weid_, or _weed_. Of what use could this
have been to Wallace, when in “sodeyn stryff?” The term is the same
with E. _sure_, i.e. secure armour, although light.
_His face he kepit, for it was euir bar,--_
_In to his weid, and he come in a thrang._--V. 91.
I have pointed this passage according to what seems the sense. Having
so many enemies, when he was accidentally “in a crowd, he muffled
up his face,” that his features might not be recognised. Hamilton
of Gilbertfield, although in many instances he has given an air of
ridicule to this ancient poem, by the grossness of his phraseology,
seems to have hit the true sense here, which is totally lost by the
mode of punctuation in most of the editions. He renders it;--
His face, when he came in among strange folk,
He held it best to hide within his cloak.--P. 42.
_Send twa_ skowrrouris _to wesy weyll the playn._--V. 103.
_Scurriours_, Edit. 1620. In that of Perth, _thowrrouris_; but in MS.
it may be read _tkowrrouris_, _t_ or _c_ being put for _s_. We have
_skouriouris_, IV. 431.
_The knycht_ Fenweik _conwoide the caryage._--V. 117.
--_The knycht_ Fenweik, _that cruell was and keyne;_
_He had at dede off Wallace fadyr beyne._--V. 169.
“Among other antiquities there may be mentioned, a place called _Beg_,
above Allinton, where the brave Wallace lay in a species of rude
fortification with only fifty of his friends, yet obtained a complete
victory over an English officer of the name of _Fenwick_, who had two
hundred men under his command. This gallant hero, it is well known,
had several places of retirement towards the head of this parish and
in the neighbourhood, some of which retain his name unto this day;
_Wallace-hill_ in particular, an eminence near the Galla-law, and a
place called _Wallace-Gill_, in the parish of Loudoun, a hollow glen,
to which he probably retired for shelter when pursued by his enemies.”
P. of Galston. Stat. Acc. II. 74.
_Schir Amar Wallange, a falss traytour strange_, &c.--V. 261.
The Minstrel, it has been said by Lord Hailes, “always speaks of Aymer
de Valloins, Earl of Pembroke, as _a false Scottish knight_.” Annals,
I. 245. But, as Kerr has observed, although he designs him “a false
traitor,” &c. his country is no where mentioned; unless this should
be viewed as implied in what is said, B. VII. 1097, concerning his
forsaking “_his awne land_ for euirmar.” Kerr views this, however, as
referable to his quitting Bothwell, the heritage of Moray, which had
been given to Valloins. V. Hist. Bruce, I. 115.