FROM THE THRISSILL AND THE ROIs.' Quhen Merche wes with variand windis past And Appryle had, with her silver schouris, In bed at morrow, sleiping as I lay, In at the window lukit by the day, And halsit me, with visage paill and grene; On quhois hand a lark sang fro the splene, Awalk, luvaris, out of your slomering Sé hou the lusty morrow dois up spring. Me thocht fresche May befoir my bed up stude, In brycht atteir of flouris forgit new Hevinly of color, quhyt, reid, broun and blew, Balmit in dew, and gilt with Phebus bemys; Quhyll all the house illumynit of her lemys3. Slugird, scho said, awalk annone for schame, And in my honour sum thing thou go wryt; The lark hes done the mirry day proclame, To raise up luvaris with confort and delyt; Yit nocht incressis thy curage to indyt, Quhois hairt sum tyme hes glaid and blisfull bene, Sangis to mak undir the levis grene. morning orisons. from the heart. rays. Than callit scho all flouris that grew on feild And saw him kepit with a busche of speiris; A radius croun of rubeis scho him gaif, And sen thou art a King, thou be discreit; Nor hald non udir flour in sic denty As the fresche Rois, of cullour reid and quhyt: For gife thow dois, hurt is thyne honesty; Considring that no flour is so perfyt, So full of vertew, plesans, and delyt, So full of blisful angeilik bewty, FROM THE GOLDYN TARGE.' Bryght as the stern of day begouth to schyne Glading the mery foulis in thair nest; Full angellike thir birdis sang thair houris 1 rest. 2 match herself. 3 favour. 4 rose bush. Anamalit was the felde with all colouris, Quhill all in balme did branch and levis flete1, Quhilk he for lufe all drank up with his hete. 3 With curiouse notis, as Venus chapell clerkis; Throu bemes rede, birnyng as ruby sperkis; THE DANCE OF THE SEVIN DEIDLY SYNNIS. Off Februar the fyiftene nycht, Full lang befoir the dayis lycht, I lay in till a trance; And than I saw baith Hevin and Hell: Off Schrewis that were nevir schrevin, 6 He bad gallandis ga graith a gyiss * Heilie Harlottis on hawtane wyiss Quhill preistis come in with bair schevin nekkis, Lat sé, quoth he, now quha begynnis, And first of all in Dance was Pryd, And round abowt him, as a quheill, Mony prowd trumpour with him trippit 4 Thay gyrnd with hyddous granis. Than Yre come in with sturt and stryfe; 6 All bodin in feir of weir In jakkis, and scryppis and bonettis of steill Sum upoun uder with brandis beft', With knyvis that scherp cowd scheit. Nixt in the Dance followite Invy, Fild full of feid and fellony, Hid malyce and dispyte. For pryvie hatrent that tratour trymlit; 1 waste. ' observe that ei represents several southern vowel sounds. struck. 2 abodes. feud. 3 robe. ' petulant fellow. northern participial form, 10 whisperers. Nixt him in Dans come Cuvatyce Rute of all evill, and grund of vyce, Hud-pykis, hurdaris, and gadderaris *, Out of thair throttis thay schot on udder Feyndis fild thame new up to the thrott 8 Syne Sweirnes, at the secound bidding, Full slepy wes his grunyie 10, Mony sweir bumbard belly huddroun", 15: Evir lascht thame on the lunyie 15 And made them quicker of counyie Than Lichery, that lathly corse, Quhen they were enterit in the Dance, |