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GUDE WALLACE.

THIS is given from JOHNSTON'S Scots Musical Museum, where there is no notice of its being given from a printed copy, or obtained from recitation. In whatever way it came there, there can be little doubt that it is founded on an incident related in the fifth book of Henry's metrical life of the hero.

Wallace said, myself will pass in feyr,
And ane with me off herbre for to speyr;
Follow on dreich, gyff yat we mystir ocht.
Edward Litill, with hys mystir forth socht
Till ane Oystry, and with a woman met.
Sche tald to yaim yat Sothroune yar was set;

G

And ze be Scotts I cunsaill yow pass by,
For and yai may, ze will get ewill herbry;

At drynk yai ar, so haiff yai beyne rycht lang,
Gret worde is off Wallace yaim amang :

yar

Yai trew yat he has found hys men agayne,
At Lowchmaban feyll Inglismen ar slayne.
Yat houss is tynt, yat gers yaim be full wa,
I trow to God yat yai sall sone tyne ma.
Wallace sperd, off Scotland giff sche be?
Sche said hym, za, and thinkis zet to se
Sorow on yaim, throw help of Gods grace.
He askyt hir quha was into ye place.
Na man of fens is left yat houss within,
Twentye are her makand gret noyss and din.
Allace, sche said, giff I mycht anys se,
Ye worthi Scotts maist mastir in it to be.
With yis woman he wald na langar stand,
A bekyn he maid, Schyr Jhon come at hys hand.
Wallace went in, and said, benedicite,
Ye Captayne speryt, quhat bellamy may yow be
Yat commys so grym, sum tithings till us tell,
Yow art a Scott, ye dewyll yi natioune quell.
Wallace braid out hys suerd withoutyn mar,
In to ye breyst ye bryme captayne he bar,
Trouchout ye cost, and stekyt hym te ded.
Ane oyir he hytt awkwart apon ye hed

Qubam evir he strak he byrstyt bayne and lyr,
Feill of yaim dede fell thw-or-tour in ye fyr.
Haisty payment he maid yaim on ye flur,
And Edward Litill kepyt weill ye dur.

Schyr Jhon ye Grayme full fayn wald haiff beyne in
Edwarde hym bad at ye castell begyn,

For off yir folk we haiff bot litill dreid.
Schyr Jhone ye Grayme fast to ye castell zeid.
Wallace rudly sic routs to yaim gaiff,

Yai twenty men derfly to dede yai draiff;
Fyfteyn he straik, and fyfteyne has he slayne,
Edwarde slew fyfe quhilk was of mekill mayne.
Perth Edit. 1790, Vol. I. p. 112.

Although the "Gude Wallace" obviously alludes to the same event as that celebrated in the above lines, there is so much discrepancy in the two accounts, that many people may be inclined to think that the ballad is rather composed from some current tradition, than broken down from Henry's narrative.-Of the two opinions, I should be inclined to adopt the latter, as the difference is not greater than what we often find, where epi

sodes have been disjointed from ancient romances. The reader will readily excuse some observations connected with the subject, by Mr Leyden, in his introduction to the "Complaynt of Scotland." "Another favourite object of study (among the Scottish peasantry) is Scottish history; and as few books are so much calculated to gratify national prejudices and partiality as the " Wallace” and the

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Bruce," no history obtains equal admiration. The most brilliant episodes are occasionally chaunted to monotonous legendary airs. In this manner, metrical histories are melted down into unconnected songs or rhapsodies, metrical distichs of some antiquity, and songs celebrating imaginary feats of the hero, are added from time to time; and, when they display genius, and obtain popularity, are sometimes repeated as parts of the original metrical history, the incidents of which in this manner accumulate."-P. 225.

These remarks are ingenious; and, although rather vaguely expressed, are founded in truth. Mr Leyden gives one or two of these fragments that relate to Wallace, but they are neither very correct nor important.

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