Hath take, and thoughte in his courage1
To gone upon a pelrinage
Into a strange region,
Where he hath his devocion
To don his sacrifice and preye,
If that he mighte in any weye
Towardes the goddes fynde grace,
His brother hele to purchase,
So that he mighte be reformed,
Of that he hadde be transformed.
To this purpose and to this ende,
This kynge is redy for to wende,
As he which wolde go by shipe;
And for to don hym felaushipe,
His wife unto the sea hym broughte
With all hir herte, and hym besoughte,
That he the tyme hir wolde seyn,3
Whan that he thoughte come ageyn:
Within, he saith, two monethe daie.
And thus in all the haste he maie
He tok his leve, and forth he saileth
Wependde, and she hirself bewaileth,
And torneth hom there she cam fro.

4

But whan the monethes were ago,
The whiche he sette of his comynge,
And that she herde no tydynge,
There was no care for to seche:
Whereof the goddes to beseche,
Tho she began in many wise,
And to Juno hir sacrifice
Above all other most she dede,

And for hir lord she hath so bede

To wittes and knowe how that he ferde," That Juno the goddes hir herde

Anon, and upon this matiere

She bad Iris hir massagyere,

9

To Slepes hous that she shall wende,

And bydde hym that he make an ende

Whiche of the sonne mai not have,
So that no man mai knowe aright
The poynt betwene the dai and night:
There is no fyr, there is no sparke,
There is no dore, which maie charke,17
Whereof an eie sholde unshette,18
So that inward there is no lette.19
And for to speke of that withoute,
There stant no great tree nigh aboute,
Whereon there might crowe or pie20
Alighte, for to clepe or crie:
There is no cocke to crowe day,
Ne beste21 non, which noise22 may
The hyll, but all aboute round
There is growende23 upon the ground
Popi, which bear'th the sed of slep,
With othere herbes suche an hep.
A stille water for the nones
Rennende24 upon the smalle stones,
Which highte25 of Lethes the rivere,
Under that hill in such manere

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There is, which yev'th great appetit To slepe, and thus full of delit

Slep hath his hous; and of his couche Withine his chambere if I shall touche, 90 Of Hebenus that slepie tree

The bordes all aboute bee.

And for he shuld slepe softe,
Upon a fethrebed alofte

He lieth with many a pilwe of down:
The chambre is strowèd up and down
With swevens many thousand fold.

Thus came Iris in to this hold,26

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The massage of Juno she dede.

(Which undertake hath the message)

50

By sweven1o and shewen all the cas

Unto this ladie, howe it was.

This Iris fro the highe stage

Hir reinie" cope12 dede upon,

The which was wonderly begon13

With colours of dyverse hewe,

55

An honderd mo than men it knewe;

Full ofte hir wordes she reherseth,
Er she his slepie eares perseth.
With mochell wo but ate laste
His slomerende27 yhen he upcaste,
And saide hir that it shall be do.
Wherof amonge a thousand tho
Withine his hous, that slepie were,
In speciall he ches28 out there
Three, which sholden do this dede.
The firste of hem, so as I rede,
Was Morpheus, the whose nature
Is for to take the fygure
Of what persone that hym liketh,29
Wherof that he full ofte entriketh 30
The lyf which slepe shall by nighte;
And Ithecus that other highte,
Which hath the voice of every soun,
The cheres and the condicioun

16 shape

17 creak

21 beast 22 disturb

18 unclose

23 growing

19 hindrance

24 running

20 magpie

25 is called

Of every life, what so it is:

Anone forth lepte in to the depe,

The thridde sewende1 after this,
Is Panthasas, which may transforme
Of every thyng the righte forme,
And chaunge it in an other kynde.
Upon hem three, so as I fynde,

Of swevenes stant all th'apparence,?
Whiche other while is evidence,
And other while but a jape,3
But netheles1 it is so shape,
That Morpheus by night allone
Appereth untill Alceone,

In lykenesse of hir husbonde,
All naked dead upon the stronde,
All how he dreinte in speciall
These other two it shewen all.
The tempeste of the blacke clowde,
The woode seà, the wyndes lowde,
All this she mette,' and sih hym dien;
Wherof that she began to crien
Slependes abedde there she lay,
And with that noise of hire affray,"
Hir women sterten up aboute,
Whiche of hir ladie were in doubte,
And asken hir howe that she ferde;
And she, right as she sigh" and herde,
Hir swevene hath told hem every del.12
And thei it halsen13 alle wel

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And wolde have caught hym in hir arm.
This infortune of double harm
The goddes from the hevene above
Behelde, and for the trouthe of love,
Which in this worthie ladie stod17
Thei have upon the salt flod
Hir dreinte lord and hir also

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And seyn it is a tokne of gode;

For though she hade hir power lore,22 Her will stod as it was tofore,

But till she wiste how that it stode,

150

And serveth hym so as she mai,

She hath no comfort in hire herte,

Wherof into this ylke dai

Upon the morowe and up she sterte, And to the sea (where that she mette The bodi lay) withoute lette

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Togedre upon the sea thei wonne,2
Where many a doughter and sonne
Thei bringen forth of bryddes kynde;
And for men sholden take in mynde
This Alceon the trewe quene,
Hire briddes yet, as it is sene,

Of Alceon the name beare.

'And what wul ye leive to your bairns and your wife,

Edward, Edward?

And what wul ye leive to your bairns and your wife,

Whan ye gang ovir the sea O?' "The warldis room, late them beg thrae13 life,

Mither, mither,

45

The warldis room, late them beg thrae life, For thame nevir mair wul I see O.'

'And what wul ye leive to your ain14 mither deir,

Edward, Edward? 50

And what wul ye leive to your ain mither

deir?

My deir son, now tell me O.'

"The curse of hell frae me sall15 ye beir, 16 Mither, mither, The curse of hell frae me sall ye beir, Sic counseils ye gave to me Ö.'

THE THREE RAVENS

THERE were three ravens sat on a tree, Downe a downe, hay down, hay downe; There were three ravens sat on a tree, With a downe;

55

5

There were three ravens sat on a tree,
They were as blacke as they might be,
With a downe derrie, derrie, derrie, downe,
downe.

The one of them said to his mate,
'Where shall we our breakefast take?'

'Downe in yonder greene field
There lies a knight slain under his shield.
'His hounds they lie downe at his feete,
So well they can their master keepe.
'His haukes they flie so eagerly
There's no fowle dare him come nie.'
Downe there comes a fallow1s doe,
As great with yong as she might goe.
She lift up his bloudy hed,

And kist his wounds that were so red.

12 must

10

15

18 applied to a species of deer

'But ye maun' go wi me now, Thomas,
True Thomas, ye maun go wi me,
For ye maun serve me seven years,
Thro weel or wae as may chance to be.' 20

She turned about her milk-white steed,
And took True Thomas up behind,
And aye wheneer her bridle rang,

The steed flew swifter than the wind.

For forty days and forty nights

He wade thro red blude to the knee,
And he saw neither sun nor moon,
But heard the roaring of the sea.

O they rade on and further on,

Until they came to a garden green: 'Light down, light down, ye ladie free, Some of that fruit let me pull to thee.'

'But I have a loaf here in my lap, Likewise a bottle of claret wine, And here ere we go farther on,

We'll rest a while, and ye may dine.' 40

When he had eaten and drunk his fill,
'Lay down your head upon my knee,'
The lady sayd, 'ere we climb yon hill,
And I will show you fairlies10 three.
'O see ye not yon narrow road,

So thick beset wi thorns and briers?
That is the path of righteousness,
Tho after it but few enquires.

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And signd it wi his hand,

10

And sent it to Sir Patrick Spence,

Was walking on the sand.

'O wha is this has don this deid,

This ill deid don to me,

To send me out this time o' the yeir,

To sail upon the se!

'Mak hast, mak haste, my mirry men all Our guid schip sails the morne': 'O say na sae, my master deir, For I feir a deadlie storme.

'Late, late yestreen1 I saw the moone,

Wi the auld moone in hir arme,
And I feir, I feir, my deir master,
That we will cum to harme.'

O our Scots nobles wer richt laith
To weet their cork-heild schoone;
Bot lang owres a' the play wer playd,
Thair hats they swam aboone."

O lang, lang may their ladies sit,
Wi thair fans into their hand,
Or eirs they se Sir Patrick Spence
Cum sailing to the land."

O lang, lang may the ladies stand,
Wi thair gold kems in their hair,
Waiting for thar ain deir lords,

For they'll se thame na mair

Haf owre,10 haf owre to Aberdour,
It's fiftie fadom deip,

And thair lies guid Sir Patrick Spence,
Wi the Scots lords at his feit.

20

new

LORD THOMAS AND FAIR ANNET

LORD THOMAS and Fair Annet
Sate a' day on a hill;

Whan night was cum, and sun was sett,
They had not talkt their fill.

Lord Thomas said a word in jest,

Fair Annet took it ill:

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35

'The nut-browne bride has oxen, brother, 25 The nut-browne bride has kye11;

I wad hae ye marrie the nut-browne bride, And cast Fair Annet bye.'

'Her oxen may dye i the house, billie,15

And her kye into the byre1;

And I sall hae nothing to mysell

Bot a fat fadge17 by the fyre.'

And he has till his sister gane:

'Now, sister, rede ye mee;

O sall I marrie the nut-browne bride,
And set Fair Annet free?'

'I'se1s rede ye tak Fair Annet, Thomas,
And let the browne bride alane,

Lest ye sould sigh, and say, Alace, 19

What is this we brought hame!'

40

'No, I will tak my mither's counsel,
And marrie me owt o hand;
And I will tak the nut-browne bride:
Fair Annet may leive the land.'

5

Up then rose Fair Annet's father, Twa hours or it were day,

And he is gane into the bower Wherein Fair Annet lay.

'Rise up, rise up, Fair Annet,' he says;

'Put on your silken sheene20:

Let us gae to St. Marie's kirke,

And see that rich weddeen.'

'My maides, gae to my dressing-roome,
And dress to me my hair;
Whaireir21 yee laid a plait before,
See yee lay ten times mair.

'My maides, gae to my dressing-room, And dress to me my smock;

The one half is o the holland fine,

The other o needle-work.'

The horse fair Annet rade upon,

He amblit like the wind:

Wi siller22 he was shod before,
Wi burning gowd behind.

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