Freedom all solace to man gives:
He lives at ease that freely lives.
A noble heart may have none ease,
Nor else nought that may him please,
If freedom faileth; for free liking
Is yearned oure all other thing.
Nor he that aye has lived free
May not know well the property,
The anger, nor the wretched doom
That is coupled to foul thraldom.
But if he had essayed it,
Then all perquer he should it wyt;
And should think freedom more to prize
Than all the gold in world that is.
ONE night he thought in his dreaming
That sitting he was beside the king
At a seat in hunting: so
Into his leash had grey-hounds two.
He thought while he was so sittand,
He saw three women by gangand;
And these women then thought he
Three weird sisters most like to be.
The first he heard say, going by,
"Lo! yonder the thane of Crumbauchty!”
The 'tother woman said again,
"Of Moray, yonder I see the thane." The third then said, "I see the king."
All this he heard in his dreaming.
Soon after that, in his youthood,
Of these thanedoms he thane was made;
So next he thought to be the king,
When Duncan's days had ta'en ending.
The fantasy thus of his dream
Moved him most to slay his eme,
As he did all forth indeed,
As before he heard me rede,
And dame Gruok, his eme's wife,
Took and led with her his life,
And held her both his queen and wife.
BEWAILING in my chamber thus alone,
Despairing of all joy and remedy,
Fore-tired of my thought, and woe-begone,
And to the window gan I walk in hye,
To see the world, and folk that went forby
As for the time (though I of mirthe's food
Might have no more), to look it did me good.
Now was there made, fast by the Touris wall,
A garden fair; and in the corners set
An arbour green; with wandis long and small
Railed about, and so with trees beset
Was all the place, and hawthorn hedges knit, That life was none a walking there forby, That might within scarce any wight espy.
And therewith cast I down mine eye again,
Whereas I saw, walking under the tower
Full secretly, new coming her to playen,
The fairest and the freshest young flower
That ever I saw, methought, before that hour;
For which sudden abate anon did start
The blood of all my body to my heart.
And though I stood abased then a lyte,
No wonder was't; for why? my wittis all
Were so o'ercome with pleasance and delight,
Only through letting of mine eyen fall,
That suddenly my heart became her thrall
For ever; of free will; for of menace
There was no token seen in her sweet face.
Of her array the form if I shall write,
Toward her golden hair and rich attire,
In fret-wise couched was with pearls white,
And jewelled rubies gleaming as the fire,
With many an emerald and fair sapphire,
And on her head a chaplet fresh of hue
Of plumes, yparted red, and white, and blue.
In her was youth, beauty, with humble aport,
Bounty, richess, and womanly feature;
God better wot than my pen can report:
Wisdom, largess, estate, and cunning sure,
In every point so guided her measure,
In word, in deed, in shape, in countenance,
That nature might no more her child avance.
JAMES I. OF SCOTLAND.
THE ASSEMBLAGE OF THE BEASTS AND
FROM THE THRISSIL AND THE ROSE,
WITH that this lady soberly did smile,
And said: Uprise, and do thy observance;
Thou did promit, in Mayis lusty while,
For to describe the Rose of most pleasance.
Go see the birdis how they sing and dance,
Illumined our with orient skyis bright,
Enamelled richly with new azure light.
Dame Nature ordered every bird and beast
Before her Highness sould anon compear,
And every flower of virtue, most and least,
And every herb by field, or far or near,
As they had wont in May, from year to year,
To her their Maker to make obedience,
Full low inclining with due reverence.
All present were in twinkling of an ee,
Baith beast, and bird, and flower, before the queer;
And first the lion, greatest of degree,
Was called there, and he most fair to sene,
With a full hardy countenance and keen,
Before dame Nature came, and did incline,
With visage bold, and courage leonine.
This lady liftit up his clawis clear,
And let him lightly lean upon her knee,
And crownit him with diadem full dear,
Of radiant stones most royal for to see;
Saying the king of beastis mak I thee,
And the chief protector in woods and shaws;
Unto thy lieges go forth and keep the laws.
Then called she all the flowers that grew in field, Discerning all their fashions and effeirs;
Upon the awful Thrissil she beheld,
And saw him kepit with a bush of spears;
Considering him so able for the weirs,
A radiant crown of rubies she him gave,
And said in field go forth and find the lave;
Nor hold none other flower in sic denty,
As the fresh Rose, of colour red and white:
For if thou do, hurt is thine honesty ;
Considering that no flower is so perfyt,
So full of virtue, pleasure, and delight,
So full of blissful angelic beautie,
Imperial birth, honour, and dignity.
Then to the Rose she turned her visage,
And said, O lusty daughter most benign, Above the lily's illustrious lineage,
From the stock royal rising fresh and ying, Without one spot or blemish doing spring: Come, bloom of joy with genius to be crowned, For o'er the lave thy beauty is renowned.
Then all the birdis sang with voice on hicht,
Whose mirthful sound was marvellous to hear;
The mavis sang: Hail Rose, most rich and right,
That does upflourish under Phœbus' spear;
Hail plant of youth, hail prince's daughter dear,
Hail blossom breaking out of the blood-royal,
Whose precious virtue is imperial.
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