VI.

"Allace AURORE, (the fillie lark did cry) Quhair has thou left thy balmy liquour fweit, "That us rejoifit mounting in the sky?

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Thy filver dropps are turned into fleit.

"Of fair PHEBUS quhair is the holfum heit, "Quhy tholis thow thy hevinlie plefand face, "With myftic vapouris to be obfcurit, allace!

VII.

"Quhair art thou May, with June thy fister schene "Weill bordourit with dafeis of delyte? "And gentill Julie, with thy mantill grene, "Enamelit with rofis reid and quhyte ? "Now auld and cauld Januar in dispyte "Reiffis from us all paftime and plesure "Allace! quhait gentle hart may

VIII.

"Ovirfilit ar with cloudis odious

"The goldin fkyis of the orient,

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this indure?

Changeing in forrow our fing melodious, Quhilk we had wont to fing with gude intent, "Refoundand to the hevinnis firmament,

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"But now our day is changed into the nicht," With that they rose and flew forth of my ficht.

HARDY KNUTE

A FRAGMENT.

I.

TATELY ftept he east the wa,
And ftately ftept he weft,

Full seventy zeirs he now had fene,
With fkerfs fevin zeirs of rest.

He livit quhen Britons breach of faith
Wroucht Scotland meikle wae.
ay his fword told to their coft,
He was their deidly fae.

And

II.

Hie on a hill his castle ftude,
With halls and touris a hicht,
And guidly chambers fair to se,
Quair he lodgit mony a knicht.
His Dame fa peirless anes and fair,
For chaft and bewtie deimt,
Nae marrow had in all the land,

Saif ELENOR the queen.

III.

Full thirtein fons to him fcho bare,
All men of valour ftout;

In bluidy ficht with fword in hand,

Nyne loft their lives bot doubt; Four zit remain, lang may they live To ftand my liege and land:

Hie was their fame, hie was their micht, And hie was their command.

IV.

Great luve they bare to FAIRLY fair,
Their fifter faft and deir,

Her girdle fhawd her middle gimp,

And gowden glift her hair.
Quhat waefou wae hir bewtie bred?
Waefou to zung and auld,
Waefou I trow to kyth and kin,
As ftory ever tauld.

V.

The king of Norfe in fummer tyde,
Puft up with power and micht,
Landed in fair Scotland the yle,
With mony a hardy knicht:
The tydings to our gude Scots king
Came, as he fat at dyne,
With noble chiefs in braif aray,

Drinking the blude-reid wyne.

VI.

"To horse, to horfe, my ryal liege,
"Zour faes ftand on the ftrand,
"Full twenty thoufand glittering fpears
"The king of Norfe commands.
Bring me my fteed Mage dapple grey,
Our gude king raise and cryd,
A truftier beaft in all the land
A Scots king nevir feyd.

VII.

Go little page, tell HARDYKNUTE,
That lives on hill fo hie,

To draw his fword, the dreid of faes,
And hafte and follow me.

The little page flew swift as dart

Flung by his master's arm,

Cum down, cum down lord HARDYKNUTE,

And rid zour king frae harm.

VIII.

Then reid, reid

grow

his dark-brown cheiks,

Sae did his dark-brown brow;

His luiks grew kene, as they were wont,

In dangers great to do;

He hes tane a horn as grene as glass,

And gien five founds fae fhrill,

That treis in grene wode schuke thereat,
Sae loud rang ilka hill.

IX.

His fons in manly fport and glie,
Had pafs'd the fummer's morn,
Quhen lo! down in a graffy dale,

They heard their fatheris horn.

That horn, quod they, neir founds in peace, We haif other fport to byde;

And fune they heyd them up the hill,

And fune were at his fyde.

X.

Late, late the zeftrene I weind in peace
To end my lengthen❜d lyfe,
My age micht weil excufe my arm
Frae manly feats of stryfe;

But now that NORSE dois proudly boast

Fair Scotland to inthrall,

Its neir be faid of HARDYKNUTE

He feard to ficht or fall.

XI.

ROBIN of Rothfay, bend thy bow,
Thy arrows fhoute fae leil,

Many a comely countenance

They haif turnd to deidly pale: Brade THOMAS tak ze but zour lance, Ze need nae weapons mair,

Gif ze ficht weit as ze did anes

Gainft Westmorland's ferfs heir.