VI.

"To horfe, to horfe, my ryal liege,
"Zour faes ftand on the strand,
"Full twenty thousand glittering fpears
"The king of Norfe commands.
Bring me my fleed Mage dapple gray,
Our gude king raise and cry'd,
A truftier beaft in all the land

A Scots king nevir fey d.

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 fwift as dart

Flung by his masters 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 glafs,

And gien five founds fae fhrill,

That treis in grene wod fchuke thereat,
Sae loud rang ilka hill.

IX.

His fons in manly fport and glie,
Had passd the fummer's morn,
Quhen lo! down in a graffy dale,
They heard their fatheris horn.

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

And fune they heyd them up the hill,
Aud fune were at his fyde.

X.

peace,

Late, late the zeitrene I weind in peace
To end my lengthen'd lyfe,

My age micht weil excufe my arm
Frae manly feats of ftryfe;

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 fhcute fae leil,

Many a comely countenance

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

Gif ze ficht weit as ze did anes

Gainst Westmorlands ferfs heir.

XII.

MALCOM, licht of fute as stag
That runs in forest wyld,

Get me my thousands thrie of men
Well bred to fword and fchield:
Bring me my Horfe and harnifine
My blade of mettal cleir ;

If faes kend but the hand it bare,
They fune had fled for feir.

XIII.

Farewell my dame fae peirlefs gude,
And tuke hir by the hand,
Fairer to me in age zou feim,
Than maids for bewtie fam'd:
My zoungeft fon fall here remain
To guard these ftately towirs,
And fhut the filver bolt that keips,
Sae faft zour painted bowirs.

XIV.

And firft fcho wet her comely cheiks,
And then hir boddice grene,

Hir filken cords of twirtle twist,
Weil plett with filver fchene;

And apron

fet with mony a dice

Of neidle-wark fae rare,

Wove by nae hand, as ze may guess,

Saif that of FAIRLY fair.

XV.

And he has ridden owre muir and mofs,
Owre hills and mony a glen,

Quhen he came to a wounded knicht

Making a heavy mane ;

Here maun I lye, here maun I dye,

By treacheries falfe gyles; Witless I was that eir gaif faith

To wicked womans fmiles.

XVI.

Sir knicht, gin ze were in my bowir,
To lean on filken feat,

To ladyis kyndlie care zoud prove,
Quha neir ftend deidly hate!
Hir felf wald watch ze all the day,

Hir maids a deid of nicht;

And FAIRLY fair zour heart wald cheir,

As fcho ftands in zour ficht.

XVII.

Aryfe zoung knicht, and mount zour steid,
Full lowns the fhynand day,
Cheis frae my menzie quhom ze pleis

To leid ze on the way.

With fmylefs luke, and visage wan

The wounded knicht replyd,

Kycd chiftain, zour intent purfue,
For heir I maun abyde.

S

XVIII.

To me nae after day nor nicht,
Can eir be fweit or fair,
But fune beneath fum draping tree,
Cauld death fall end my care.
With him nae pleiding micht prevail,
Brave HARDYKNUTE in to gain,
With fairest words and reafon strong,
Strave courteously in vain.

Syne he has

XIX.

gane far hynd attowre,

Lord CHATTANS land fae wyde, That lord a worthy wicht was ay,

Quhen faes his courage feyd: Of Pictish race by mothers fyde, Quhen Picts ruld Caledon,

Lord CHATTAN claimd the princely maid, Quhen he faift Pictish crown.

XX.

Now with his ferfs and ftalwart train,

He reicht a ryfing heicht,

Quhair braid encampit on the dale,

Norfs menzie lay in ficht;
Zonder my valiant fons and ferss,
Our raging revers wait

On the unconquerit Scottish fwaird
To try with us thair fate.