When Talbart saw into his schield
Ane otter in ane silver field,
This race, said he, I sair may rew,
For I see weill my dreame was true;
Methocht yon otter gart1 me bleid,
And buir me backwart from my sted;
But heir I vow to God soverane,

That I sall never just3 agane.

And sweitlie to the Squiyre said,

5

Thou knawis the cunning that we made,
Quhilko of us twa suld tyne the field,
He suld baith hors and armour yield
Till him that wan, quhairfore I will
My hors and harness geve thé till.
Then said the Squyer, courteouslie,
Brother, I thank you hartfullie;
Of you, forsooth, nothing I crave,
For I have gotten that I would have.

Squyre Meldrum, after many foreign Exploits, comes
Home and has the following Love-adventure.
Out throw the land then sprang the fame,
That Squyer Meldrum was come hame.
Quhen they heard tell how he debaitit9,
With every man he was sa treitet 10,
That quhen he travellit throw the land,
They bankettit" him fra hand to hand

Made.-2 Bore.-3 Joust.-4 Thou knowest.-5 Agreement or understanding.6 Which.,-7 Lose.-8 To him.-9 Fought. 10 Entertained.

Feasted.

2

With greit solace, till, at the last,
Out throw Stratherne the Squyer past.
And as it did approach the nicht,
Of ane castell he gat ane sicht,
Beside ane montane in ane vale,
And then eftir his greit travaill1
He purposit him to repoise
Quhare ilk man did of him rejois.
Of this triumphant pleasand place
Ane lustie lady 3 was maistrés,
Quhais lord was dead schort time befoir,
Quhairthrow her dolour wes the moir:
Bot yit scho tuik some comforting,
To heir the plesant dulce talking
Of this young Squiyer, of his chance,
And how it fortunit him in France.
This Squyer and the ladie gent
Did wesche, and then to supper went:
During that nicht there wes nocht ellis
But for to heir of his novellis7.
Enéas, quhen he fled from Troy,
Did not Quene Dido greiter joy :
The wonderis that he did rehers,
Were langsum for to put in vers,
Of quhilk this lady did rejois :
They drank and synes went to repois.
He found his chalmer 9 well arrayit
With dornik 10 work on bord displayit:

Toil. Repose.—3 Handsome, pleasant.—4 Whose.—5 Neat, pretty.—6 Else.—7 News.—8 Then.—9 Chamber.—1o Napery.

Of venison he had his waill',
Gude aquavitae, wyne, and aill,
With nobill confeittis, bran, and geill,
And swa the Squyer fuir3 richt weill.
Sa to heir mair of his narration,..
The ladie cam to his collation,
Sayand he was richt welcum hame.
Grand-mercie, then, quod he, Madame !
They past the time with ches and tabill,
For he to everie game was abill.
Than unto bed drew eyerie wicht;
To chalmer went this ladie bricht;
The quilk this Squyer did convoy,
Syne till his bed he went with joy.
That nicht he sleepit never ane wink,

But still did on the ladie think.
Cupido, with his fyrie dart,

Did piers him sa throwout the hart,
Sa all that nicht he did but murnit-
Sum tyme sat up, and sum tyme turnit
Sichand, with mony gant and grane,
To fair Venus makand his mane,
Sayand, fair ladie, what may this mene,
I was ane free man lait? yestreen,
And now ane captive bound and thrall,
For ane that I think flowr of all.

I pray God sen scho knew my mynd,
How for hir saik I am sa pynd:

Choice.-2 Jelly.-3 Fared.-4 Slept.-5 Sighing.—6 Saying.

-7 Late.

Wald God I had been yit in France,
Or I had hapnit sic mischance;
To be subject or serviture

Till ane quhilk takes of me na cure.
This ladie ludgit1 nearhand by,
And hard the Squyer prively,

With dreidful hart makand his mane,
With monie careful gant and grane2;
Hir hart fulfillit with pitie,

Thocht scho wald haif of him mercie,
And said, howbeit I suld be slane,
He sall have lufe for lufe agayne:
Wald God I micht, with my honour,
Have him to be my paramour.
This was the mirrie tyme of May,
Quhen this fair ladie, freshe and gay,
Start up to take the hailsum3 air,
With pantouns on hir feit ane pair,
Airlie into ane cleir morning,
Befoir fair Phoebus' uprysing:

Kirtill alone, withoutin clok,
And sa the Squyers door unlok.
She slippit in or evir he wist,
And feynitlie past till ane kist,

And with hir keys oppenit the lokkis,

And made hir to take furth ane boxe,

Bot that was not hir errand thare:

With that this lustie young Squyar

Lodged. Groan.-3 Wholesome.-4 Slippers.-5 Feigningly.-6 Pretended.

Saw this ladie so pleasantlie
Com to his chalmer quyetlie,
In kirtill of fyne damais brown,
Hir golden tresses hingand1 doun;
Hir pappis were hard, round, and quhyte,
Quhome to behold was greit deleit;
Lyke the quhyte lillie was her lyre*;
Hir hair wes like the reid gold weir;
Hir scharckis quhyte, withouten hois",
Quhareat the Squyar did rejois,

And said, then, now vailye quod vailye*,
Upon the ladie thow mak ane sailye.
Hir courtlyke kirtill was unlaist,

And sone into his armis hir braist.

*

*

*

* *

*

1 Hanging. Throat.-3 Hose, stockings.-4 Happen what

may.