God, of his justice, mon correct;
And, of his mercy, pity have;
He is ane judge, to nane suspect,

To punish sinful man and save.
Though thou be lord attour the laif,

2

And afterward made bound and thrall,
Ane poor beggar, with scrip and staiff 3
Obey, and thank thy God of all.

VI.

This changing, and great variance
Of earthly statis, up and down,

4

Is not but casualty and chance,

(As some men sayis without ressown) 5 But by the great provisioun

Of God above, that rule thee shall! Therefore, ever thou make thee boun

To obey, and thank thy God of all.

VII.

In wealth be meek, heich 7 not thyself;
Be glad in wilful poverty;
Thy power, and thy worldis pelf,

Is nought but very vanity.

• Above the rest: literally, beside the rest. Fr. • Reason.

↑ Only.
7 Exalt.

Remember, him that died on tre

For thy sake tastit the bitter gall:
Wha heis low hearts, and laweis he,4
Obey; and thank thy God of all!

[P. 105.] PATRICK JOHNSTOUN is only known to us by a single specimen of 64 lines, printed in lord Hailes's collection. The following are the most striking stanzas.

The three dead Powis,

I.

O sinful man! into this mortal se,

Which is the vale of mourning and of care,
With gaistly sight behold our headis three,
Our holkit eyn, our peilit powis bare! 8
As ye are now, into 9 this world we were;
Als fresh, als fair, als lusty to behold.
When thou lookis on this sooth exemplair,
Of thyself, man, thou may be right un-bold.

III.

O wanton youth! als fresh as lusty May,
Fairest of flowers renewit white and reid,
Behold our heads, O lusty gallants gay!
Full earthly " thus shall lie thy lusty heid

"So the MS.-Lord Hailes prints, inaccurately, loathly.

Holkit, and how, and wallowit as the weed."

2

Thy crumplind hair and eke thy chrystal eyn Full carefully conclude shall duleful deid; 3

Thy example here by us it may be seen.

IV.

O ladies, white in claithis+ coruscant 5

Polish'd with pearl and many precious stane,
With palpis white, and hals[es] elegant,
Circlit with gold and sapphires many ane;
Your fingeris small, white as whalis bane,
Array'd with rings and many rubies reid ;
As we lie thus, so shall ye lie ilk ane

With peelit powis, and holkit thus your heid!

VI.

This question who can absolve, let see,
What phisnamour or perfyt palmister,

8

› Holkit and how are nearly synonymous, both meaning hollow, emaciated: wallowit is faded.

Curled, like tendrils. Lord Hailes prints crampland, inaccurately.

Mournful death shall put an end to, &c.

Clothes.

• Dazzling.

• Necks.

? This does not mean what we call whalebone, nor indeed any bone, but the tooth or horn of the narwal, or unicorn-fish, which was employed for many of the purposes of ivory.

Wha was fairest or foulest of us three?
Or which of us of kin was gentiller?
Or maist excellent in science or in lare,
In art music, or in astronomy?
Here shoulde be your study and repair,
And think as thus all your headis mon be!
[Page 139.]

Another Scotish poet of this period is MERSAR, whose Christian name is not known; and of whose talents the following small poem, extracted from Lord Hailes's collection, affords the only specimen.

Peril in Paramours.

I.

Alas! so sober' is the might

Of women for to make debate In contrair mennis subtle slight, Which are fulfillit with dissait ;a With treason so intoxicate

Are mennis mouthis at all hours, Whom in to trust no woman wait, Sic peril lies in paramours!

Small, weak.

• Deceit.

• Knows.

II.

Some swearis that he loves so weill
That he will die without remeid,
But gife that he her friendship feel
That garris' him sic languor lead:
And though he have no doubt of speed,
Yet will he sigh and show great showers,
As he would sterfe into that steid!2
Sic peril lies in paramours!

3

III.

Athis to swear, and gifts to hecht,*

(More than he has thirty fold!) And for her honour for to fecht,

While that his blood becomis cold!

But, fra she.to his willis yold,

Adieu, farewell thir summer flowers!
All grows in glass that seemit gold: 5
Sic peril lies in paramours!

3 Oaths. • Promise.

The substitution of glass for silver or golden drinking vessels suggested this proverbial phrase, which is not uncommon amongst our early poets.