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OBIN fat on the gude grene hill,
Keipand a flock of fie,

Quhen mirry Makyne faid him till,

"O Robin rew on me:

"I haif thee luivt baith loud and fill,
"Thir towmonds twa or thre;
"My dule in dern bot gif thou dill,
"Doubtless but dreid Ill die."

Robin replied, Now by the rude,

Naithing of luve I knaw,
But keip my fheip undir yon wod:
Lo quhair they raik on raw.

Quhat can have mart thee in thy mude,
Thou Makyne to me fchaw;

Or quhat is luve, or to be lude?

Fain wald I leir that law.

"The law of luve gin thou wald leir,
"Tak thair an A, B, C ;

"Be heynd, courtas, and fair of feir,

"Wyfe, hardy, kind and frie,
"Sae that nae danger do the deir,

"Quhat dule in dern thou drie;
"Prefs ay to pleis, and blyth appeir,

Be patient and privie."

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20

Ver. 19. Bannatyne's MS. reads as above, heynd, not keynd, as in the Edinb. edit. 1770. Ver. 21. So that no danger. Bannatyne's MS.

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Robin, he answert her againe,

I wat not quhat is luve;

But I haif marvel in certaine

Quhat makes thee thus wanrufe.

The wedder is fair, and I am fain;
My fheep gais hail abuve;

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And fould we pley us on the plain,

They' wald us baith repruve.

"Robin, tak tent. unto my tale,

"And wirk all as I reid;

"And thou fall haif my heart all hale,

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"Eik and my maiden-heid:

"Sen God, he fendis bute for bale,

"And for murning remeid,

"I'dern with thee bot gif I dale,

"Doubtless I am but deid."

Makyne, to-morn be this ilk tyde,

Gif ye will meit me heir,

Maybe my fheip may gang befyde,
Quhyle we have liggd full neir;
But maugre haif I, gif I byde,

Frae thay begin to fteir,

Quhat lyes on heart I will nocht hyd,

Then Makyne mak gude cheir.

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"Robin, thou reivs me of my rest;

"Robin, in dule I am so drest,

"That luve will be my bane."

Makyn, gae luve quhair-eir ye lift,
For leman I luid nane.

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"Robin, I stand in sic a style,

"I fich and that full fair."

Makyne, I have bene here this quyle;

"Robin, my hinny, talk and fmyle,

"Gif thou will do nae mair." Makyne, fom other man beguyle, For hameward I will fare.

Syne Robin on his ways he went,
As light as leif on tree;

But Makyne murnt and made lament,

Scho trow'd him neir to fee.

Robin he brayd attowre the bent:

Then Makyne cried on hie,

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65

"Now may thou fing, for I am shent!

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66 Quhat ailis luve at me?"

Makyne went hame withouten fail,

And weirylie could weip;

Then Robin in a full fair dale

Affemblit all his sheip.

Be that fome part of Makyne's ail,

Out-throw his heart could creip;

Hir faft he followt to affail,

And till her tuke gude keip.

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Abyd,

Abyd, abyd, thou fair Makyne,
A word for ony thing;

For all my luve, it fall be thyne,

Withouten departing.

All hale thy heart for till have myne,

Is all my coveting;

My fheip to morn qubyle houris nyne,
Will need of nae keiping.

"Robin, thou hast heard sung and say,

"In gefts and storys auld, "The man that will not when he may, "Sall have nocht when he wald. "I pray to heaven baith nicht and day, "Be eiked their cares fae cauld, "That presses firft with thee to play "Be forreft, firth, or fauld."

Makyne, the nicht is foft and dry,

The wether warm and fair,

And the grene wod richt neir-hand by,

To walk attowre all where:

There may nae janglers us espy,

That is in luve contrair;

Therin, Makyne, baith you and I

Unfeen may mak repair.

V. 99. Bannatyne's MS. has woid, not woud, as in Ed. 1770.

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"Robin,

"Robin, that warld is now away,

"And quyt brocht till an end; "And nevir again thereto, perfay,

"Sall it be as thou wend;

"For of my pain thou made but play ;

"I words in vain did spend:

"As thou haft done, fae fall I fay,

"Murn on, I think to mend."

Makyne, the hope of all my heil,
My heart on thee is fet;
I'll evermair to thee be leil,
Quhyle I may live but lett,
Never to fail as uthers feill,
Quhat grace fo eir I get.
"Robin, with thee I will not deill;
"Adieu, for this we met."

Makyne went hameward blyth enough,

Outowre the holtis hair;

V. 117. Bannatyne's MS. reads as above feill, not faill, as in Ed. 1770.

XIV. GENTLE