Classic Poem

" I wish we had a king," says Wallace,
" That Scotland might not want a head;
In England and in Scotland baith,
I 'm sure that some have sowed ill seed."

Wallace he oer the water did luke,
And he luked law down by a glen,
And he was aware of a gay lady,
As she was at the well washing.

" Weel may ye save, fair lady!" he says,
" Far better may ye save and see!
If ye have ony tidings to tell,
I pray cum tell them a' to me."

" I have no tidings you to tell,
And as few tidings do I ken;
But up and to yon ostler-house
Are just gane fifteen gentlemen.

" They now are seeking Gude Wallace,
And ay they 're damning him to hang;"
" Oh God forbid," says Wallace then,
" I 'm sure he is a true Scotsman.

" Had I but ae penny in my pocket,
Or in my company ae baubee,
I woud up to yon ostler-house,
A' these big gentlemen to see."

She pat her hand into her pocket,
She powd out twenty shillings and three:
" If eer I live to come this way,
Weel payed shall your money be."

He leaned him twafold oer a staff,
Sae did he twafold oer a tree,
And he 's gane up to the ostler-house,
A' these fine gentlemen to see.

When he cam up among them a',
He bad his benison be there;
The captain, being weel buke-learnd,
Did answer him in domineer.

" Where was ye born, ye eruked carl,
Or in what town, or what countree?"
" O I was born in fair Scotland,
A cruked carl although I be."

The captain sware by the root of his sword,
Saying, I 'm a Scotsman as weel as thee;
Here 's twenty shillings of English money
To such a cruked earl as thee,
If thou 'll tell me of that Wallace;
He 's ay the creature I want to see.

" O hawd your hand," says Wallace then,
" I 'm feard your money be not gude;
If 't were as muckle and ten times mair,
It shoud not bide anither bode."

He 's taen the captain alang the chaps,
A wat he never chawed mair;
The rest he sticked about the table,
And left them a' a sprawling there.

" Gude wife," he said, " for my benison,
Get up and get my dinner dight;
For it is twa days till an end
Syne I did taste ane bit of meat."

Dinner was not weel made ready,
Nor yet upon the table set,
When fifteen other Englishmen
Alighted all about the yate.

" Come out, come out now, Wallace," they say,
" For this is the day ye are to dee;
Ye trust sae mickle in God's might,
And ay the less we do fear thee."

The gude wife ran but, the gude man ran ben,
They pat the house all in a swither;
Five sune he sticked where he stude,
And five he smitherd in a gutter.

Five he chac'd to the gude green-wood,
And hanged them a' out-oer a pin;
And at the morn at eight o'clock
He din'd with his men at Lough-mabin.