Welcum, depayntar of the blomyt medis !
Welcum, the lyfe of euery thing that spredis!
Welcum, stourour 18 of alkynd bestiall!
Welcum be thi brycht bemys, glading all!
Welcum celestiall myrrour and aspy,
Attechyng 14 all that hantis sluggardy!'
And with this word, in chalmer quhair I lay,
The nynt morow of fresche temperat May,
On fut I sprent 15 into my bayr sark,16 269
Wilfull for till compleyt my langsum wark
Twichand 17 the lattyr buke of Dan Virgill,
Quhilk me had tareyt al to lang a quhile,
And to behald the cummyng of this kyng,18
That was sa welcum tyll all warldly thyng,
With sic tryumphe and pompos curage glayd
Than of his souerane chymmis, 19 as is sayd,
Newly arissyn in hys estayt ryall,
That, by hys hew, but orleger 20 or dyall,
I knew it was past four houris of day,
And thocht I wald na langar ly in May 280

Les Phebus suld me losanger attaynt: 21 For Progne had, or than, sung hyr complaynt,

And eik hir dreidful systir Philomene
Hir lais endit, and in woddis grene
Hyd hir selvin, eschamyt of hyr chance;
And Esacus 22 completis his penuance
In riveris, fludis, and on every laik;
And Peristera 28 byddis luffaris awaik;
'Do serve my lady Venus heyr with me!
Lern thus to mak your observance,' quod
she,

290

Into myne hartis ladeis sweit presens
Behaldis how I beinge,24 and do reverens.'
Hir nek scho wrinklis, trasing mony fold,
With plomis glitterand, asur apon gold,
Rendring a cullour betwix grene and blew
In purpour glans of hevinly variant hew;
I meyn our awin native bird, gentill dow,
Syngand in hyr kynd 'I come hidder to
wow ;'

So pryklyng hyr grene curage for to crowd 28
In amorus voce and wowar soundis lowd,
That, for the dynning of hir wanton cry, 301
I irkyt of my bed and mycht nocht ly,
Bot gan me blys,27 syne in my wedis dres,
And, for it was ayr morow, or tyme of mes,28
I hynt a scriptour 29 and my pen furth tuike.
Syne thus begouth of Virgill the twelt

KING HART in to his cumlie castell strang,
Closit about with craft and meikill ure,81
So semlie wes he set his folk amang,
That he no dout had of misąventure;
So proudlie wes he polist, plane, and pure,
With youthheid and his lustie levis grene;
So fair, so fresche, so liklie to endure,
And als so blyth as bird in symmer schene.

For wes he never yit with schouris schot,
Nor yit ourrun with rouk 2 or ony rayne; 10
In all his lusty lecam 33 nocht ane spot;
Na never had experience into payne,

30 The text is based on the Maitland MS. as printed by Gregory Smith in Specimens of Middle Scots. 31 work. 33 mist. 3 body.

29

Honour persewit to the kingis yet; Thir folk said all thai wald nocht lat him in,

Becaus thai said thair lord to feist wes set,

With all his lustie servandis more and myn; 80

Bot he ane port had enterit with ane gyn,81

And up he can in haist to the grit toure, 70 And said he suld it parall 82 all with fyn And fresche delyt, with mony florist floure.

So strang this king him thocht his castell stude,

With mony towre and turat crownit hie: About the wall thair ran ane water woid,88 Blak, stinkand, sowr, and salt as is the