THE SCENE: Before he became a champion of the Scottish people, William Wallace lived his early life as violent young man who was contemptuous of authority and unconcerned with danger. The passage below shows a typical altercation between Wallace and an arrogant English lordling named Selbie.
THE TEXT: This vain young fop, so much on folly bent,
Young Wallace saw, then straight unto him went,
And with disdain, [Selbie] said, “Scot, I pray thee stay;
What devil clad thee in a suit so gay?
A horse’s mantle was thy kind to wear,
And a Scots whittle at thy belt to bear,
Rough roullion shoes, or any common trash,
Did serve such whore’s sons through the dubs [puddles] to plash;
Give me that knife under thy girdle hings.”
Wallace: “Nay, pardon me sir, I know better things;
Therefore forbear I earnestly entreat;
It both defends me, and it cuts my meat.”
Selbie assaults him, and would take it by force,
And so the plea went on from bad to worse.
Fast by the collar Wallace did him take,
Made this young squire tremble there and shake,
His dagger with the other hand drew out,
In spite of all his men so throng about,
And boldly without either fear or dread,
Upon the spot he stick’d young Selbie dead.
The squire fell, of him there was no more,
And then his men pursu’d young Wallace sore,
Who made a pair of clearly clever heels,
And so escap’d from all the South’ron chiels,
The bloody dagger fast held in his hand,
And spared none that did his flight withstand.
– The Life and Heroick Actions of the Renoun’d Sir William Wallace, Blind Harry, 15th Century AD See Less
