The reply and challenge of King ROBERT the second, the first of the
STUARTS, unto HENRY the fourth King of England, unjustly
challenging his Homage.
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DUring the reign of the Roy Robert,
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The first King of the good Stewart:
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Henry of England the third King
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In Scotland sent and askt this thing
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At King Robert, why he not made
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Him Homage for his Lands braid?
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Or why he caused through his guilt
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So meikle saikless blood be spilt?
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He said he aught of heritage
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In London to make him homage:
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After the right of Brutus King,
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Who had England in Governing.
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When good King Robert wise and wight
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Had heard and seen his writ by sight:
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Therethrough he grew in malent,
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And shows Barons of his intent:
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And calld a Counsel in Stirling Town,
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And there came Lords of great renown;
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And at that time he asked it,
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That he might answer by his own wit.
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Our Lords were fain of that thing,
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Receivd them to their noble King:
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Without counsel of any man,
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To dyte and Write this King began.
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This was the effect of his writing,
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In all was sooth and no leasing.
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We Robert now by Gods might,
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King of Scots and Isles aright,
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Inhabites to the Ocean Sea,
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Our heritage is ever free.
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To thee Hary of Longcastle,
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Thine epistle I considered well:
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Duke of that ilk thou shouldst be calld,
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It was thy righteous style of old.
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Toward the first point degrading,
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No care I will take of such thing:
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Nought for a King I will call thee,
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For hurting of Kings Majestie.
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Wit thou that we have understand
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For to declare and take in hand
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Thy writings inward we have seen,
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Both first and last what thou dost mean;
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Therefore thou shalt an answer have
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Of mine own self not of the lave.
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To the first point, God witness bear,
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No blood for me be spilt in wear;
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But if it be for my defence,
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Through thy corrupted violence,
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And where thou writes and shews to us,
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Sen born were sons of old Brutus,
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That our Antecessors should be
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Servants to yours in each degree:
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Thou leid thereof, it is well known,
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We are ay free within our own,
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Although John Baliol made a band,
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Contrair the right of fair Scotland;
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That he was false, we will defend,
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Unto us all it is well kend.
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Our heritage is ever free,
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Since Scot of Egypt took the sea.
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But ye have been thirld and overharld
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The great refuse of all the warld.
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Ay in-born treason amongst you fell,
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Oft times the Chronicles can you tell,
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That ye have ever vanquisht been,
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Ten thousand pounds of gold so sheen
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To Julius Cesar payed ye
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Of tribute. Thus ye were not free,
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During the lives of many Emperors.
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Unto your land been Conquerors,
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Four hundred fourscoresixteen years,
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As in your history well appears.
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While Scots and Picts right manfully,
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[A]ssisted by noble Grahame valiantly
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Abolishing the walls of Adrian,
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Expelled the Romans with might & main.
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By holding in their possession,
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The whole lands of Humber up and down:
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With yearly tribute payed of before,
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About the space of years threescore.
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With Saxons then ye were ovrthrown
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With them two Christians of their own:
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And other folk in companie
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All born servants of Turkie,
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Came with such power in great haste,
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And made your lands of blood all waste;
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And slew your Gentles of England,
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At Salisbury I understand.
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Into a token, the hanging stones
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That Brutus set up for the Nones,
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In a lasting memorial,
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That Saxons have ovrset you all.
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Syne Heslapts son of Denmark King,
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The third time rose ovr you to reign;
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Who made in England plain conquiese,
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Syne left among you at last wise,
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A Dame in ilk house as is known,
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He did defile within your own,
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And occupied both maids and wives,
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In bondage thus ye led your lives;
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When this was done and all by past,
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The fifth conquiese approached fast,
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By that Bastard of Normandie,
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Who conquest England halilie;
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And yet among you reigns that blood,
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And meikle other which is not good.
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If thou trows this not true to be,
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The Register read, and thou shalt see;
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And Chronicles of bold Britain,
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Since that Gathelus first began.
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Thou ar[t] not righteous for to reign,
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Thy own Realm knows well this thing,
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In London thou sware in Parliament;
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England ten years thou should absent;
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Then was thou plainly men-sworn,
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Or the third year was out-worn;
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Thou rose treasonably for to reign,
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And slew Richard thy native King,
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Forsooth the Proverb tells of this
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Which oftentimes true found it is:
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Flyt with his neighbour, they will tell
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All the mischief that him befel.
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But Scotland yet I dare well say,
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Is ever free unto this day;
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And never brought in subjection,
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Except an man-sworn of your crown,
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That was Long-shanks, called Edward,
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Took on him to declare the part
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Between Bruce and John Ballioun,
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When through the false illusioun;
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Where that John Baliol had no right,
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Took treasonably to hold by slight;
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Castles and Strengths of our Country
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Ye got by your subtility.
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While William Wallace wight and wise,
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Right worthily rescud us thrise;
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When Robert the Bruce racklesly
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First tint, syne wan us worthily.
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With Stewart, Grahame, & good Dowglas
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That proved well in many a place;
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And James Randald wise and wight,
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As there was not a worthier Knight;
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Then these expelld your false barnage,
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And fred our Realm of all thirlage.
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How far they marcht within your land,
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York may bear witness I understand;
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Upon their wall our Banner stood,
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For fear of force, and sparing blood,
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Then presently without delay
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Ten thousand merks of gold did pay,
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To signifie that they would yeeld,
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We being Masters of the field.
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Then on we marchd with bow and spear,
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All of you being in a fear;
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The Queen was sent with her Ladies,
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With kirk-men with their beids & friers
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To beg for pity until a day.
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We did consent, and went away;
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Three quarters of a year I tell,
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Remaining then, returning but battel.
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If thou trow us not, trow of this,
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Of sixty thousand, there was no misse,
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At Bonnok-burn discomfit was
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And your false King away did pass;
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Through a traitor that well kend,
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Then free in England he him send;
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Or else we had taken your King,
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That had all England in governing.
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When Henry then was come and gane
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Then Edward of Carnaverane
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Discomfit was he at by hand,
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By Messengers I understand;
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Sir Walter Stewart then in hy,
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He chased him all openly
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To Skanbrynth Castle ere he him left,
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Syne to his horse returned oft.
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By then the Clergy of England
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Renewed again with stalwart hand
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At Newrie, as it was well known,
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There hastily they were ovrthrown
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By the good Dowglas, sooth to say
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And James Dowglas Earl of Murray.
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There thirty thousand were dung dead,
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Without succour or remeed:
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Of Priests that were of shorn Crown,
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That hardy men were of renown.
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Syne after that Robert the Bruce
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Took state, and wholly could reduce
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Northumberland all to himself,
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Ye cannot say but this befell,
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Then ye were fain ere we would cease
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To procure marriage then for peace.
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And sought our Prince, the Bruce Davie,
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With your Dame Danie for to ally.
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Ye made that Evident and Band
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Under the great seal of England:
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The which we call a golden Charter,
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Of England he made many a Traitor.
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Which we have plainly for to show,
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If ye the verity would know:
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And then your falshood supplying,
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When Edward lately took his Ring,
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That this is true I testifie
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To prove on sixty against sixtie,
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Or fourty for fourty if thou like,
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Or twenty or ten of thy Kinrick:
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Nine, eight, or seven, or three, or two,
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Born of ancient blood also,
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Or if thou think it comes not so,
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Let us part it between us two:
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I proffer me to prove on thee,
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That we in Scotland yet are free,
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I will fight with thee hand for hand,
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In the defence of fair Scotland.
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This writ to London it was send,
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And fra the Counsel had it kend.
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Then they considered it in plain,
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But no answer came back again.
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Now blessed be God for that he sent,
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The field is ours, no blood is spent,
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