29 scion. 30 warm. 31 float. 32 Against. 33 sprang.

34 Medicinal syrup. 35 savin, a drug made from a variety of juniper. 36 scent-ball. 37 Musk. 38 gay. 39 garden or arbour. 40 emerald meads. 41 rustle. 42 bulrushes. 43 lakes. 44 Seeking by nature. 45 raise. 46 stretching. 47 long shining feathers on a cock's neck. 48 herbs. 49 Pecking. to practises.

51 peacock. 52 neat. 53 wheel-rim. 54 Covered

with his plumage. 55 Showing. 58 Many. 59 oaks. 60 mates.

56 branches. 57 twigs.

Welcum, maister and rewlar of the yeyr! Welcum, weilfar of husbandis at the plewis !

Welcum, reparar of woddis, treis, and bewis;

260

Welcum, depayntar of the blomyt medis !
Welcum, the lyfe of euery thing that spredis!
Welcum, stourour 18 of alkynd bestiall!
Welcum be thi brycht bemys, glading all !
Welcum celestiall myrrour and aspy,
Attechyng 14 all that hantis sluggardy!'
And with this word, in chalmer quhair I lay,
The nynt morow of fresche temperat May,
On fut I sprent 15 into my bayr sark,16 269
Wilfull for till compleyt my langsum wark
Twichand the lattyr buke of Dan Virgill,
Quhilk me had tareyt al to lang a quhile,
And to behald the cummyng of this kyng,18
That was sa welcum tyll all warldly thyng,
With sic tryumphe and pompos curage glayd
Than of his souerane chymmis,19 as is sayd,
Newly arissyn in hys estayt ryall,
That, by hys hew, but orleger 20 or dyall,
I knew it was past four houris of day,
And thocht I wald na langar ly in May 280

1 chirps. 2 making the air resound.

calls. twitters. 5 resounded.
8 releasing (their voices).
10 fosterer. 11 vein, pore.
14 Reproving.
15 sprang.
19 mansions.

18 the sun.

the hours.

• din.

* cuckoo 7 warbles.

Praise their liege lord. 12 shelter. 13 stirrer. 16 shirt. 17 Touching.

20 without one to call

KING HART in to his cumlie castell strang,
Closit about with craft and meikill ure,81
So semlie wes he set his folk amang,
That he no dout had of misaventure;
So proudlie wes he polist, plane, and pure,
With youthheid and his lustie levis grene;
So fair, so fresche, so liklie to endure,
And als so blyth as bird in symmer schene.

For wes he never yit with schouris schot,
Nor yit ourrun with rouk 2 or ony rayne; 10
In all his lusty lecam 88 nocht ane spot;
Na never had experience into payne,

Thir war the inwarde ythand 12 servitouris, Quhilk gouernouris war to this nobil king, And kepit him inclynit to thair curis;

Se wes thair nocht in erde that ever micht bring

Ane of thir folk away fra his duelling. Thus to thair terme thay serve for thair rewarde, 18

1 Dansing, disport, singing, revelling, With bissines all blyth to pleis the lairde. 40

Thir folk, with all the femell 14 thai micht fang,

Quhilk nummerit ane milyon and weill mo, That wer upbred as servitouris of lang,15 And with this king wald wonn 16 in weill and wo,

For favour nor for feid 17 wald found 18 him fro

Unto the tyme thair dait be run and past:

1 pleasure. 2 not to lie, i.e., to tell the truth. dwell. • appointed. guide. • planned. 7 hide. So G. Smith from Maitland MS. Pinkerton reads love love; Small lave, and explains as "subject t," a doubtful gloss. • experience. New Fashion. 10 Prodigality. 11 Generosity. 12 diligent. 13 interests. 14 family. 15 for a long time. 16 dwell. 17 hostility. 18 go.

That sweit all spreit baith heid and feit inclynis,

Thy gloir afoir for till imploir remeid.10

1 This "ballade in commendation of honour and verteu "ends "The Palace of Honour," and with its internal rhymes is a good example of the virtuosity in metre of the Middle Scots poets.

2 sober. • condign. 4 acknowledged. 5 Without. poor folk to great consequence. 7 without equal. 8 reign. That sweet (sight) inclines all spirit (i. e., everybody) with both head and feet. 10 advancement.