PART OF THE

P R O L OG UE

TO

SIR DAVID LYNDESAY'S DREAM.

WRITTEN IN THE REIGN OF KING JAMES V.

I.
IN the kalendies of Januarie

When fresche PHOEBUS by moving circulair
From Capricorn was enter'd in Aquarie,
With blastis that the branches made full bare,
The snow and fleet perturbit all the air,
And Alemit FLORA from everie bank and bus,
Throuch support of the aufteir Eolus.

II.
Efter that I the lang wynteris night
Had lyne waking in my bed allone
Throw hevy thought, that na way sleep I micht,
Remembering of divers thingis gone :
up

I rois, and cleithit me anone
By this fair Titan with his lemis licht
O’er all the land had spread his baner bricht.

R

Sa

III. With cloke and hude I dressit me belive, With dowbill schone, and myttains on my handis, Howbeit the air was richt penetratyve, Zet fure I forth lansing ourthort the landis, Towards the sea, to schort me on the sandis Becaus unblomit was baith bank and bray, And sa as I was passing by the way,

IV.
I met dame FLORA in dule weid disagyfit,
Quilk into May was dulce and delectabill,
With stalwart stormis hir sweetness was surprisit,
Hir heavinlie hewis war turnit into sabill,
Quilkis umquile war to Luffaris amiabill,
Fled from the froist, the tender flouris I saw
Under dame Nature's mantill lurking law.

The small fowlis in flockis saw I flee
To nature makand lamentatioun,
They lichit down beside me on ane tree,
Of their complaint I had compassioun,
And with ane piteous exclamation
They said “ blyfsit be somer with his flouris,
“ And waryit be thou wynter with thy schowris.

66

VI. “ Allace Aurore, (the fillic lark did cry)

Quhair has thou left thy balmy liquour sweit, " That us rejoisit mounting in the sky?

Thy filver drops are turned into sleit. “ Of fair Phebus quhair is the holsum heit,

Qhuy tholis thow thy hevinlie plesand face, “ With myftie vapouris to be obscurit, allace !

VII. Qhuair art thou May, with June thy sister schene 66 Weill bordourit with daseis of delyte? “ And gentill Julie, with thy mantill grene, “ Enamelit with rosis reid and quhyte ? « Now auld and cauld Januar in dispyte “ Reiffis from us all pastime and plesure “ Allace! quhait gentill hart may this indure ?

VIII. « Ovirsilit ar with cloudis odious “ The goldin skyis of the orient, “ Changeing in forrow our sing melodious, “ Quhilk we had wont to sing with gude intent, • Refoundand to the hevinnis firmament, “ But now our day is changed into the nicht,” With that they rose and flew forth of my ficht.

H AR DY K NU TE

A FRAGMENT,

STAT

I.
TATELY stept he east the wa,

And stately stept he west,
Full seventy zeirs he now had fene,

With fkerfs seven zeirs of rest.
He livit quhen Britons breach of faith

Wroucht Scotland meikle wae :
And

ay

his sword tauld to their cost, He was their deidly fae.

II. Hie on a hill his castle stude,

With halls and touris a hicht, And guidly chambers fair to fe,

Quhair he lodgit mony a Knicht. His Dame sae peirless anes and fair,

For chaft and bewtie deimt, Nae marrow had in all the land,

Seif ELENOR the queen.

III.
Full thirtein fons to him scho bare,

All men of valour stout;
In bluidy ficht with sword in hand

Nyne lost their lives bot doubt;
Four zit remain, lang may they live

To stand 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 sister saft and deir,
Her girdle shawd her middle gimp,

And gowden glift her hair.
Quhat waefau wae her bewtie bred?

Waefou to zung and auld,
Waefou I trow to kyth and kin,
As story ever tauld.

V.
The king of Norse in summer tyde,

Puft up with powir and micht,
Landed in fair Scotland the yle,

With mony a hardy knicht:
The tydings to our gude Scots king

Came, as he sat at dyne,
With noble chiefs in braif aray,

Drinking the blude-reid wyne.