FROM THE THRISSILL AND THE ROIs.' Quhen Merche wes with variand windis past In bed at morrow, sleiping as I lay, And halsit me, with visage paill and grene; 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. 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; Herb without vertew thow hald nocht of sic pryce As herb of vertew and of odour sueit; And lat no nettill vyle, and full of vyce, Nor hald non udir flour in sic denty3 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 I raise, and by a rosere did me rest : 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 flete', Hir cristall teris I saw hyng on the flouris Quhilk he for lufe all drank up with his hete. With curiouse notis, as Venus chapell clerkis; 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, 10 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, His kethat for the nanis : 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 scheir. Nixt in the Dance followite Invy, Fild full of feid and fellony, Hid malyce and dispyte. For pryvie hatrent that tratour trymlit; And flattereris in to menis facis ; And rownaris 10 of false lesingis, Of thame can nevir be quyte. 2 abodes. 1 waste. * northern participial form. 5 observe that ei represents several southern vowel sounds. 6 arrayed. 3 robe. Nixt him in Dans come Cuvatyce Rute of all evill, and grund of vyce, Catyvis, wrechis, and ockeraris1, Hud-pykis 2, hurdaris 3, and gadderaris *, Out of thair throttis thay schot on udder 5 Feyndis fild thame new up to the thrott Syne Sweirnes, at the secound bidding, Mony sweir bumbard belly huddroun", Evir lascht thame on the lunyie 15: In Dans thay war so slaw of feit, Than Lichery, that lathly corse, Quhen they were enterit in the Dance, |