Quoth she: "Sister, let be your heavy cheer; "I haf great wonder," quoth the silly Mouse, "How thou can'st float without feather or fin! This river is sa deep and dangerous, 31 Methinks that thou would drowned be therein. Tell me, therefore, what facultie or gin,? Thou hast to bring thee o'er this water?' Thans Thus to declare, the Paddock soon began: 35 "With my twa feet," quoth she, "webbed and braid,9 Instead of oars, I row the stream full still; And though the flood be perilous to wade, Baith to and fra I row at my ain will. I may not drown,-for why?-my open gill 40 Devoidis10 aye the water I resaif," Therefore to droun, forsooth, na dreid I haif." 12 The Mouse looked hard upon her fronsit13 face, Her wrinkled cheekes, and her lippes wide; Her hanging browės, and her voice sa hace; 45 Her sprawling leggės, and her harsky 15 hide. She ran aback, and to the Paddock cried: "If I have ony skill in phisnomie, 16 Thou hast some part of falsehood and envíe. 14 The blue-berries, though they be sad of hue, Are gathered when the primrose is forsaken. The face may fail to be the heart's true takin, Therefore I find this Scripture all in place: Thou should not judge a man after his face. "Though I unwholesome be to luik upon, 62 I have na cause why I should blamed be; 65 Were I as fair as jolie Absalom, I am na causer of that great beautie. This difference in form and qualitie Almighty God hath caused Dame Natúre To print, and set in every creature. 70 "Of some the face may be full flourishing; Of silken tongue and cheer richt amorous; With mind inconstant, false, and varying, With tricky ways, and full of sly deceit." "Leave preaching," quoth the Mouse, who longed to eat, "And by what craft, now mak me understand, You mean to bear me unto yonder land!" 77 Then up she gazed, and to the heavens gan cry: "O Jupiter! of Nature, god and king, I mak an aith truly to thee, that I This little Mouse shall o'er this water bring." This aith was made. The Mouse not pérceiving The false device of this foul trickster Taid, 24 97 Tuik threid, and bound her leg, as she her bade. Then foot for foot they leapt baith in the brim; But in their minds they were quite different: The Mouse thought of na thing but for to swim, The Paddock for to drown25 set her intent. When they had gained mid-stream, as on they went, 103 With all her force the Paddock pressed down, And thought the Mouse without mercie to drown. 105 23 Apparently an oath by which a person solemnly binds himself not to murder or injure another, or deceive him to his hurt. 4 Short time. 5 3 The sense is, For (i. e. because) the world's trash, refuse (wrack), without ("but") spiritual well-being (welfare) avails nothing. & Have. 6 Care. 7 The passage is thus paraphrased by Hailes:"What riches give us, let us then explore; Meat, drink, and clothes; what else? a sight of more." 8 Scroll. 1 Mahomet, here the devil. In the Middle Ages, Mahomet and other false prophets were confused or identified with Satan. 2 Fastens or fastings even, Shrove Tuesday, the evening preceding the fast of Lent. It was a season of riotous festivity. All with that warlook went: Out of their throats they shot on other ... 60 65 I that in health was and gladnéss, Am troubled now with great sickness, And feeble with infirmity; Timor Mortis conturbat me. Our pleasunce here is all vain glory, 4 5 The state of man does change and vary, Timor Mortis conturbat me. No state on earth stands fast, I find; Down unto death go all estates, Prelates, and kings, and potentates, Baith rich and poor of all degree; Death strikes the knichts up on the field, Timor Mortis conturbat me. That strong, unmerciful tyránd5 Taks, on the mother's breast sowkand," The babe full of benignity; Timor Mortis conturbat me. 15 20 25 17 Breve of Recto, a writ which in feudal Scotland established a right to succession. 18 In Dunbar's time and for long after, the Highlanders were regarded with a feeling of mingled dread and contempt by the more settled and prosperous people of the South. Cf. the attitude of Baillie Nichol Jarvie in Scott's Rob Roy. 19 An opponent of Wallace, the Scotch patriot. After swearing allegiance to Edward Ist, Makfadyane fled to a cave, where he was surprised and killed. Hence the assertion that he was fetched from a "nook" in the "northwest.' He taks the champion in the stour,' He spares no lord for his puissance, Masters of magic and astrology, In medecine the best practiciáns, I see that Makers, amang the lave," 8 Play here their pageants, then go to grave; Death does not spare their facultie; Timor Mortis conturbat me. Frae ballad-making and tragedy; Timor Mortis conturbat me. Holland and Barbour he has bereft; Sir Mungo Lockhart of the Lea! Clerk of Tranent eke he has ta'en, Timor Mortis conturbat me. He has blind Harry and Sandy Traill He has reft" Merseir his endite,' 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 20 70 75 10 Among the twenty-four poets celebrated by Dunbar, Chaucer alone remains a living power in literature. Barbour, Gower, Lydgate and Henryson hold a secure and honorable place; while a few others, as Blind Harry and Walter Kennedy, although less known, are still nominally remembered. Some of the remainder are more or less securely established on the right side of oblivion, while others, in Sir T. Browne's phrase, "Subsist under naked nominations, without deserts and noble acts, which are the balsam of our memories." (From the Prologue to the Eneid,1 Bk. XII) Welcome, the lord of licht, and lamp of day, Welcome, fost'rer of tender herbés green, Welcome, quick'ner of blooming blossoms sheen, Welcome, support of every root and vein, Welcome, comfort of all-kind fruit and grain, 5 15 1 The translation of the Eneid is generally acknowl edged to be Douglas's most important work. It is noteworthy as the earliest attempt to reproduce a great classical poem in English verse. The prologues prefaced to the various books, contain some vivid and forcible descriptions of Nature, and are intrinsically the most interesting parts of the work. 3 Briar. * Nest. i. e. the one who gives success to the farmer's labors. the source of his welfare. $ Sentinel. 10 675 Let doctors write their curious questióuns, O gentle redar, have na indignatióun, James Wedderburn c. 1500-1564-5 LEAVE ME NOT Ah! my Lord, leave me not, With ane burden on my back With sins I am laden sair,1 2 And hear thou my moan. 680 10 15 With Thy hands Thou hast me wrought, Leave me not, leave me not, With Thy hands Thou hast me wrought, 575 579 1 The Monarchy, or Ane Dialog betwix Experience and ane Courteour, Lyndsay's last poem, is a lengthy survey of the history of the world, with a prophecy of the millenium, when all things shall be made new. Lat. vulgaris, popular. Learned writers. Greek. I To Thee, Lord, alone. To leave me not, to leave me not, I cry and call to Thee, To leave me not alone: 10 Genius. Lat. ornatus, means here proper or fitting. 8 Original. 25 |