Der schottische Adelige und Vorkämpfer der schottischen Unabhängigkeit von England im Dienste von Robert the Bruce starb 1330 in Teba bei der Belagerung des Castillo de la Estrella von Teba in einem Scharmützel gegen ein nasridisches Entsatzheer aus Málaga. Eigentlich befand er sich auf dem Weg nach Jerusalem, wo er das Herz des 1329 verstorbenen Robert I. hinbringen sollte. John Barbour erzählt 45 Jahre später im Versepos The Brus folgendes (Auszug! 239 - 520):
Quhen the Lord Dowglas, on this wis, ___ quhen = when, 'als'
Had undirtane so hye empris, 240 ___ hye? = high?
As the gud Kyngis hert till ber ___ ber?
On Goddis fayis apon wer, ___ fayis? wer?
Prisit for his enpris wes he. ___ prisit?
And the Kingis infermite
Woxe mair and mair, quhill at the last 245 ___ woxe? quhill = will
The dulfull dede approchit fast.
And quhen he had gert till hym do ___ gert?
All that gud Cristin man fell to,
With werray repentans he gaf
The gast, that God till hevin couth haf, 250
Emang his chosyn folk till be
In joy, solace, and angell gle.
And fra his folk wist he wes ded,
The sorow rais fra sted to sted.
Thair mycht men se men rif thar hare, 255
And cumly knychtis gret full sar,
And thar nevis oft sammyn driff,
And as wode men thair clathes rif,
Regratand his worthy bounte,
His wit, strynth, and his honeste; 260
And, our all, the gret cumpany
That he oft maid thame curtesly.
“All our defens,” thai said, “allas!
“And he that all our confort was,
“Our wit, and all our governyng, 265
“Is brought, allas! heir till ending.
“His worschip and his mekill mycht
“Maid all that war with him so wicht,
“That thai mycht nevir abaysit be,
“Quhill forouth thame thai mycht him se. 270
“Allas! quhat sall we do or say?
“For in liff quhill he lestit ay,
“With all our fais dred war we:
“And in-till mony fer cuntre
“Of our worschip ran the renoune: 275
“And that wes all for his persoune.”
With sic wordis thai maid thair mayne;
And sekirly wonder wes nane:
For better governour than he
Mycht in na cuntre fundyn be. 280
I hop that nane that is on lif
The lamentacioune suld discrif
That thai folk for thair lord maid.
And quhen thai lang thus sorowit had,
And he debowalit wes clenly, [293] 285
And bawlmyt eyne full richly,
And the worthy lord Dowglas [295]
His hert, as it forspokyn was,
Has resavit in gret dantee,
With gret fair and solempnite [298] 290
Thai have him had till Dunfermlyne, [285]
And hym solempnly erdit syne,
And in a fair towne in the queyr.
Bischoppes and prelatis that thar weir
Assolyheit hym, quhen the servis 295
Wes done as thai couth best devis; [290]
And syne, apon the toder day,
Sary and wa ar went thar way. [292]
Had undirtane so hye empris, 240 ___ hye? = high?
As the gud Kyngis hert till ber ___ ber?
On Goddis fayis apon wer, ___ fayis? wer?
Prisit for his enpris wes he. ___ prisit?
And the Kingis infermite
Woxe mair and mair, quhill at the last 245 ___ woxe? quhill = will
The dulfull dede approchit fast.
And quhen he had gert till hym do ___ gert?
All that gud Cristin man fell to,
With werray repentans he gaf
The gast, that God till hevin couth haf, 250
Emang his chosyn folk till be
In joy, solace, and angell gle.
And fra his folk wist he wes ded,
The sorow rais fra sted to sted.
Thair mycht men se men rif thar hare, 255
And cumly knychtis gret full sar,
And thar nevis oft sammyn driff,
And as wode men thair clathes rif,
Regratand his worthy bounte,
His wit, strynth, and his honeste; 260
And, our all, the gret cumpany
That he oft maid thame curtesly.
“All our defens,” thai said, “allas!
“And he that all our confort was,
“Our wit, and all our governyng, 265
“Is brought, allas! heir till ending.
“His worschip and his mekill mycht
“Maid all that war with him so wicht,
“That thai mycht nevir abaysit be,
“Quhill forouth thame thai mycht him se. 270
“Allas! quhat sall we do or say?
“For in liff quhill he lestit ay,
“With all our fais dred war we:
“And in-till mony fer cuntre
“Of our worschip ran the renoune: 275
“And that wes all for his persoune.”
With sic wordis thai maid thair mayne;
And sekirly wonder wes nane:
For better governour than he
Mycht in na cuntre fundyn be. 280
I hop that nane that is on lif
The lamentacioune suld discrif
That thai folk for thair lord maid.
And quhen thai lang thus sorowit had,
And he debowalit wes clenly, [293] 285
And bawlmyt eyne full richly,
And the worthy lord Dowglas [295]
His hert, as it forspokyn was,
Has resavit in gret dantee,
With gret fair and solempnite [298] 290
Thai have him had till Dunfermlyne, [285]
And hym solempnly erdit syne,
And in a fair towne in the queyr.
Bischoppes and prelatis that thar weir
Assolyheit hym, quhen the servis 295
Wes done as thai couth best devis; [290]
And syne, apon the toder day,
Sary and wa ar went thar way. [292]