Throwout the glass hir bemis brast so fair
That I micht se on everie side me by.

The northin wind had purifyit the air,

And sched the misty cloudis fra the sky1.
The frost freisit, the blastis bitterly

Fra Pole Artick came quhistling loud and schill,
And causit me remufe aganist my will.

I mend the fire, and beikit me about,

Than tuik a drink my spreitis to comfort,
And armit me weill fra the cauld thairout;

To cut the winter nicht and mak it schort,
I tuik ane Quair3, and left all uther sport,
Writtin be worthie Chaucer glorious
Of fair Cresseid and lusty Troilus.'

In this charming description Henryson, by the use of simple and natural means and by the operation of a principle of selection that is nothing if not artistic, has produced an impression that would not disgrace a poet skilled in the knacks and fashions of the most pictorial school. Indeed I confess to having read in its connection a poem that might in many ways be imitated from it (La Bonne Soirée), and to feeling and seeing more with Henryson than with Théophile Gautier.

W. E. HENLEY.

The wind had swept from the wide atmosphere,
Each vapour that obscured the sunset's ray.' Shelley.
2 bustled.

3 book.

THE GARMOND OF FAIR LADIES

Wald my gud Lady lufe me best,
And wirk eftir my will,
I suld ane Garmond gudliest
Gar mak hir body till.

Off hie honour suld be hir hud,
Upoun hir heid to weir,
Garneist with governance so gud,
Na demyng suld hir deir.

Hir sark suld be hir body nixt,

Of chestetie so quhyt,

With schame and dreid togidder mixt,
The same suld be perfyt.

Hir kirtill suld be of clene constance,
Lasit with lesum1 lufe,
The mailyheis 2 of continuance

For nevir to remufe.'

Hir gown suld be of gudliness
Weill ribband with renowne,
Purfillit with plesour in ilk place,
Furrit with fyne fassoun3.

Hir belt suld be of benignitie,
About hir middill meit;

Hir mantill of humilitie,

To tholl bayth wind and weit.

Wald scho put on this Garmond gay,
I durst sweir by my seill*,
That scho woir nevir grene nor gray
That set hir half so weill.

THE TAILL OF THE LYOUN AND THE MOUS.

Ane Lyoun at his pray wery foirrun®,

To recreat his limmis and to rest,

Beikand his breist and bellie at the sone,
Under ane tree lay in the fair forrest,

9

Swa3 come ane trip of Myis out of thair nest,
Rycht tait and trig 10, all dansand in ane gyis 11,
And ouer the Lyoun lansit 12 twyis or thrys.

He lay so still, the Myis wes nocht effeird
Bot to and fro out ouer him tuke thair trace,
Sum tirllit at the campis 13 of his beird,

Sum spairit nocht to claw him on the face;
Merie and glaid, thus dansit thay ane space,

Till at the last the nobill Lyoun woke,

And with his pow 14 the maister Mous he tuke.

1 shoes.

2 security.

6

foundered, spent.

9

9 band.

13 long hair, locks.

10

9 hosen.

* knowledge.

7 basking; as a transitive verb.
11 figure.

gamesome and dainty.
14 paw.

5 suited.

8 So.

12 darted.

Scho gaif ane cry, and all the laif1 agast

Thair dansing left, and hid thame sone allquhair;
Scho that wes tane, cryit and weipit fast,

And said, Allace! oftymes, that scho come thair;
'Now am I tane ane wofull presonair,

And for my gilt traistis 2 incontinent,

Of lyfe and deith to thoill the jugement.'
Than spak the Lyoun to that cairfull* Mous,
'Thou cative wretche, and vile unworthie thing,
Ouer malapert, and eik presumpteous

Thow wes, to mak out ouer me thy tripping.
Knew thow nocht weill, I wes baith lord and king
Of Beistis all?' 'Yes,' quod the Mous. I knaw;
But I misknew, because ye lay so law.
'Lord! I beseik thy kinglie royaltie,

Heir quhat I say, and tak in pacience;
Considder first my simple povertie,

And syne thy mychtie hie magnificence:
See als how thingis done of negligence,
Nouther of malice nor presumptioun,

6

5

Erar suld haif grace and remissioun.

'We wir repleit, and had grit haboundance
Of alkin' thingis, sic as to us effeird3.
The sweit sesoun provokit us to dance,
And mak sic mirth as Nature to us leird",
Ye lay so still, and law upon the eird,

I rest.

That, be my saull, we wend 10 ye had bene deid,
Ellis wald we nocht haif dancit ouer your heid.'

'Thy fals excuse,' the Lyoun said agane,
'Sall nocht availl ane myte, I underta 11:
I put the case, I had bene deid or slane
And syne my skyn bene stoppit 12 full of stra,
Thocht thow had found my figure lyand swa,
Because it bair the prent of my persoun,

Thow suld for feir on knees haif fallin doun.

2

expect.

3 endure.

4 sorrowful.

5 And not.

9 taught.

1

'For thy trespas thow sall mak na defence,
My nobill persoun thus to vilipend;
Of thy feiris, nor thy awin negligence,

:

For to excuse, thow can na cause pretend;
Thairfoir thow suffer sall ane schamefull end,
And deith, sic as to tressoun is decreit,
On to the gallous harlit1 be the feit.'
'A mercie, Lord! at thy gentrice 2 I ase3:
As thow art king of beistis coronat *,
Sober thy wraith, and let thy yre ouerpas,
And mak thy mynd to mercy inclynat ;
I grant offence is done to thyne estait,
Quhairfoir I worthie am to suffer deid,
Bot gif thy kinglie mercie reik' remeid 8.
'In everie juge mercy and reuth suld be
As assessouris, and collaterall.

Without mercie Justice is crueltie,

As said is in the Lawis Spirituall;
Quhen rigour sittis in the tribunall,
The equitie of Law quha may sustene?
Richt few or nane, but mercie gang betwene.
Alswa ye knaw the honour triumphall

Of all 10 victour upon the strenth dependis
Of his conqueist, quhilk manlie in battell.
Throw jeopardie of weir lang defendis.

11

Quhat price or loving " quhen the battell endis
Is said of him, that ouercummis ane man
Him 12 to defend quhilk nouther may nor can?
'Ane thousand myis to kill, and eke devoir,
Is lytill manheid to ane strong Lyoun;
Full lytill worschip haif ye wyn thairfoir,
To quhais strenth is na comparisoun :

It will degraid some part of your renoun,
To slay ane Mous quhilk may mak na defence,
Bot 13 askand mercie at your Excellence.

dragged, trundled.

'crowned.

12 For himself.'

3 ask.

9 unless.

13 unless it be that of.