Specimens with Memoirs of the Less-known British Poets Part 16

'Why lie ye thus? Rise up, my sister dear, Come to your meat, this peril is o'erpast.'

The other answer'd with a heavy cheer, 'I may nought eat, so sore I am aghast.

Lever[12] I had this forty dayis fast, With water kail, and green beans and peas, Than all your feast with this dread and disease.'

With fair 'treaty, yet gart she her arise; To board they went, and on together sat, But scantly had they drunken once or twice, When in came Gib Hunter, our jolly cat, And bade G.o.d speed. The burgess up then gat, And to her hole she fled as fire of flint; Bawdrons[13] the other by the back has hent.[14]

From foot to foot he cast her to and frae, Whiles up, whiles down, as cant[15] as any kid; Whiles would he let her run under the strae[16]

Whiles would he wink and play with her buik-hid;[17]

Thus to the silly mouse great harm he did; Till at the last, through fair fortune and hap, Betwixt the dresser and the wall she c.r.a.p.[18]

Syne up in haste behind the panelling, So high she clamb, that Gilbert might not get her, And by the cluiks[19] craftily can hing, Till he was gone, her cheer was all the better: Syne down she lap, when there was none to let her; Then on the burgess mouse loud could she cry, 'Farewell, sister, here I thy feast defy.

Thy mangery is minget[20] all with care, Thy guise is good, thy gane-full[21] sour as gall; The fashion of thy feris is but fair, So shall thou find hereafterward may fall.

I thank yon curtain, and yon parpane[22] wall, Of my defence now from yon cruel beast; Almighty G.o.d, keep me from such a feast!

Were I into the place that I came frae, For weal nor woe I should ne'er come again.'

With that she took her leave, and forth can gae, Till through the corn, till through the plain.

When she was forth and free she was right fain, And merrily linkit unto the muir, I cannot tell how afterward she fure.[23]

But I heard syne she pa.s.sed to her den, As warm as wool, suppose it was not grit, Full beinly[24] stuffed was both b.u.t.t and ben, With peas and nuts, and beans, and rye and wheat; Whene'er she liked, she had enough of meat, In quiet and ease, withouten [any] dread, But to her sister's feast no more she gaed.

[FROM THE MORAL.]

Blessed be simple life, withouten dreid; Blessed be sober feast in quiete; Who has enough, of no more has he need, Though it be little into quant.i.ty.

Great abundance, and blind prosperity, Ofttimes make an evil conclusion; The sweetest life, therefore, in this country, Is of sickerness,[25] with small possession.

[1] 'Spence:' pantry.

[2] 'Wuish:' washed.

[3] 'Telyies grit:' great pieces.

[4] 'Spier'd;' asked.

[5] 'Sairy:' sorry.

[6] 'Wait:' expect.

[7] 'Threif:' a set of twenty-four.

[8] 'Staw:' stole.

[9] 'Creish:' grease.

[10] 'rede:' counsel.

[11] 'Syne:' then.

[12] 'Lever:' rather.

[13] 'Bawdrons:' the cat.

[14] 'Hent:' seized.

[15] 'Cant:' lively.

[16] 'Strae:' straw.

[17] 'Buik-hid:' body.

[18] 'c.r.a.p:' crept.

[19] 'Cluiks:' claws.

[20] 'Minget:' mixed.

[21] 'Gane-full:' mouthful.

[22] 'Parpane:' part.i.tion.

[23] 'Fure:' went.

[24] 'Beinly:' snugly.

[25] 'Sickerness:' security.

THE GARMENT OF GOOD LADIES.

Would my good lady love me best, And work after my will, I should a garment goodliest Gar[1] make her body till.[2]

Of high honour should be her hood, Upon her head to wear, Garnish'd with governance, so good No deeming[3] should her deir,[4]

Her sark[5] should be her body next, Of chast.i.ty so white: With shame and dread together mixt, The same should be perfite.[6]

Her kirtle should be of clean constance, Laced with lesum[7] love; The mailies[8] of continuance, For never to remove.

Her gown should be of goodliness, Well ribbon'd with renown; Purfill'd[9] with pleasure in ilk[10] place, Furred with fine fashioun.

Her belt should be of benignity, About her middle meet; Her mantle of humility, To thole[11] both wind and weet.[12]

Her hat should be of fair havng, And her tippet of truth; Her patelet of good pansng,[13]

Her hals-ribbon of ruth.[14]

Her sleeves should be of esperance, To keep her from despair; Her gloves of good governance, To hide her fingers fair.

Her shoes should be of sickerness,[15]

In sign that she not slide; Her hose of honesty, I guess, I should for her provide.

Would she put on this garment gay, I durst swear by my seill,[16]

That she wore never green nor gray That set[17] her half so weel.

[1] 'Gar:' cause.

[2] 'Till:' to.

[3] 'Deeming:' opinion.

[4] 'Deir:' injure.

[5] 'Sark:' shift.

[6] 'Perfite:' perfect.

[7] 'Lesum:' lawful.

[8] 'Mailies:' eyelet-holes.

[9] 'Purfill'd:' fringed.

[10] 'Ilk:' each.

[11] 'Thole:' endure.

[12] 'Weet:': wet.

[13] 'Pansing:' thinking.

[14] 'Her hals-ribbon of ruth:' her neck-ribbon of pity.

[15] 'Sickerness:' firmness.

[16] 'Seill:' salvation.

[17] 'Set:' became.