XVI. _The Bruce_; by John Barbour; partly written in 1375. It has been frequently printed, viz. in 1616, 1620, 1670, 1672, 1715, 1737, and 1758; and was edited by Pinkerton in 1790, by Jamieson in 1820, and by Cosmo Innes in 1866; also by myself (for the Early English Text Society) in 1870-89; and again (for the Scottish Text Society) in 1893-5. Unfortunately, the two extant MSS. were both written out about a century after the date of composition. Nevertheless, we have the text of more than 260 lines as it existed in 1440, as this portion was quoted by Andro of Wyntown, in his _Cronykil of Scotland_, written at that date. I quote some lines from this portion, taken from _The Bruce_, Book i, 37-56, 91-110; with a few explanations in the footnotes. Qwhen Alysandyre oure kyng wes dede, That Scotland had to stere{1} and lede, The land sex yhere and mayr perfay{2} Wes desolate efftyr his day. The barnage{3} off Scotland, at the last, Assemblyd thame, and fandyt{4} fast To chess{5} a kyng, thare land to stere, That off awncestry cummyn were Off kyngis that aucht{6} that reawt{'e}{7}, And mast{8} had rycht thare kyng to be. But inwy{9}, that is sa fellowne{10}, Amang thame mad dissensiown: For sum wald have the Ballyolle kyng, For he wes cumyn off that ofspryng That off the eldest systere was; And other sum nyt{11} all that cas, And sayd, that he thare kyng suld be, That wes in als nere{12} degre, And cummyn wes off the nerrast male In thai{13} brawnchys collateralle... {Footnotes: 1: _govern_ 2: _more, by my faith_ 3: _nobility_ 4: _endeavoured_ 5: _choose_ 6: _possessed_ 7: _royalty_ 8: _most_ 9: _envy_ 10: _wicked_ 11: _others denied_ 12: _as near_ 13: _those_ } A! blynd folk, fulle off all foly, Had yhe wmbethowcht{14} yowe inkkyrly{15} Quhat peryle to yowe mycht appere, Yhe had noucht wroucht on this man{`e}r. Had yhe tane kepe{16}, how that that kyng Off Walys, forowtyn sudiowrnyng{17}, Trawaylyd{18} to wyn the senyhowry{19}, And throw his mycht till occupy Landys, that ware till hym marchand{20}, As Walys was, and als Irland, That he put till sic threllage{21}, That thai, that ware off hey parage{22}, Suld ryn on fwte, as rybalddale{23}, Quhen ony folk he wald assale. Durst nane of Walis in batale ryd, Na yhit, fra evyn fell{24}, abyde Castell or wallyd towne within, Than{25} he suld lyff and lymmys tyne{26}. Into swylk thryllage{27} thame held he That he owre-come with his powst{e'}{28}. {Footnotes: 14: _bethought_ 15: _especially_ 16: _taken heed_ 17: _without delay_ 18: _laboured_ 19: _sovereignty_ 20: _bordering_ 21: _such subjection_ 22: _high rank_ 23: _rabble_ 24: _after evening fell_ 25: _but_ 26: _lose_ 27: _thraldom_ 28: _power_ }