English

The grit blythnes, and joy inestimabil,
For to set furth the Scottis ar nocht abil;
Nor for to mak condigne solemnitie,
For the gude news, and tythings comfortabil,
Of the contract of maryage honorabil,
Betwix the Quene's maist nobil majestie,
And the gritist young prince in christentie,
And alsua to us the maist prositabil,
Of France the Dolphin, first son of King Henrie.

All lustie wowars, and hardie chevaleris,
Go dress your hors, your harnes, and your geiris,
To rin at lists, to just, and to turnay;

The quyet pawse that silente night,
Doth bring from trauayles past:
Of daye no sooner had by sleight,
A slumber on me cast.
But in my sleepe there did appeare,
Sixe sauadge men in mosse and haire.

A Fagot bounde the foremost wight,
Me thought in hande did beare:
Which ioyntly and alone through might,
All sought to breake and teare,
Yet still in vaine their strength they tryde,
Eche parte to other was so tyde.

Till wresting long, a stick at last,
One forth by sleight doth wring,

Where reason rules, affections fonde doe flye,
And bewties beames smale bittirnesse may breede:
Where wisdome will, by vertues skill doth tye,
C YPIDOS flames are quenched forth with speede.
Let reason then thy will by wisedome guyde,
So shalt thou safely shunne this stormie tyde.

The streaming stormes, that fast on me doe flowe,
The secrete sighes that waste my wofull breast:
The Isie colde I feele like flakes of Snowe,
The hidden harmes that breede my great vnreast.
By Fancies force doe cause such troublous tyde,
That shyp nowe shakes, which late in roade did ryde.

A SANG.

As absence is the greatest so
That Cupid's clients do suspect;
(Lang out of sicht engenders so
To presence the contrair effect;)
And as oblivion dois deject
The building of rememberance;

So lak of memorie dois neglect
The deids deserving recompance.
Of absence langour dois proceid;
And langour breids melancolie.
Melancolie procuirs the deid
Be sindrie kynds of maladie.
Thus may I gather easalie
That Absence is ane homiceid,

My idle head retaynes the busie hope,
My gasing eye giues ouer her desyre:
My reaching hand would after fauor grope,
My legs yeelde vp and leaue me in the myre.
Tis light t'outrunne, but not to outread the wife,
Thus finde I strife to hinder my deuise.

The time too shorte, to weare so speedie greese,
I still pursue, that shunnes my wylling holde:
Skill is to weake to yeelde my woe releefe,
My cares lyke clowds, infect my hart with colde.
So that if heat should melt so cruell frost,

( " Booz s'etait couche. " )

At work within his barn since very early,
Fairly tired out with toiling all the day,
Upon the small bed where he always lay
Boaz was sleeping by his sacks of barley.

Barley and wheat-fields he possessed, and well,
Though rich, loved justice; wherefore all the flood
That turned his mill-wheels was unstained with mud
And in his smithy blazed no fire of hell.

His beard was silver, as in April all
A stream may be; he did not grudge a stook.

My ladyis pulchritud
Hes me so plong'd in paine,
That mar'd in mynd and muid,
Mirthles I man remaine.
Unles that fluid
Of graces gud,
Be mansuetud,
My rest restoir againe.

Blind Boy! thow dois so beir
My fortoun in ballance,
I flie from houp to feir;
From feir till esperance.
Now thair, now heir;
Now peace, now weir;
Chainging my cheir,
As chainges ay my chance.

As in the wind I wie,
Ay wavering with the wechtis,
Feir wald force Fayth to flie;

Intill ane morning, mirthfullest of May,
Or Phebus' bemes did gleit aganes the west,
I rais, and saw the feildis fair and gay.
Syne to ane river-syde anone me drest;
Quhairas the merle, and maveis mirriest,
And lark, thair nots maist curiouslie did sing.
The birdis blythe, with angel-voice possest,
Maid all the hevins about me for to ring.

Depaintit wer the feilds, with all kynd hewis,
By dame Nature, that lustie ladye schene.
The sylver drops of dew hang on the bewis,
Lyke orient perle in gold quhilk set hathe bene.

( " Un lion habitait pres d'une source. " )

Anigh a desert-spring a lion dwelt; an eagle
Drank from the same clear flow.
One morn it chanced two warrior-chiefs of aspect regal —
Often fate suffers so —

Drew nigh this spring which with its broad and shadowy palms
Allures the traveller,
And, recognizing each his foe, flashed sudden arms,
Fought, — and fell bleeding there.

Then, while they breathed their last, the eagle, hovering
O'er lowly heads, shrilled loud: