CHRYSTIS KIRK ON THE GRENE.[880]

Was nevir in Scotland hard nor sene
Sic dansing nor deray[881],
Nowthir at Falkland on the grene
Nor Peblis at the play,
As wes of wowaris[882], as I wene[883],
At Chryst kirk on ane day.
Thair come our kitteis[884] weschin clene
In thair new kirtillis of gray,
Full gay,
At Chrystis kirk of the grene.
To dans thir damysellis thame dicht[885],
Thir lassis licht of laitis[886],
Thair gluvis wes of the raffell[887] rycht,
Thair schone wes of the straitis[888];
Thair kirtillis wer of lynkome[889] licht,
Weill prest with mony plaitis.
Thay wer so nyss[890] quhen men thame nicht[891]
Thay squeilit lyk ony gaitis[892],
So lowd,
At Chrystis kirk of the grene that day.
Of all thir madynis myld as meid
Wes nane so gympt[893] as Gillie;
As ony ross hir rude[894] wes reid,
Hir lyre[895] wes lyk the lillie;
Fow[896] yellow yellow wes hir heid,
Bot scho of lufe wes sillie[897];
Thocht all hir kin had sworn hir deid[898]
Scho wald haif bot sweit Willie
Allone,
At Chrystis kirk of the grene.
Scho skornit Jok and skraipit[899] at him,
And mvrionit him with mokkis[900];
He wald haif luvit, scho wald nocht lat him,
For all his yallow loikkis:
He chereist hir, scho bad ga chat him[901];
Scho compt[902] him nocht twa clokkis[903];
So schamefully his schort goun set him,
His lymmis wes lyk twa rokkis[904],
Scho said,
At Chrystis kirk of the grene.
Thome Lular wes thair menstrall meit;
O Lord! as he cowd lanss[905];
He playit so schill[906], and sang so sweit
Quhill Towsy tuke a transs[907].
Auld Lychtfute thair he did forleit[908],
And counterfutit Franss;
He vse[909] him-self as man discreit
And vp tuke moreiss danss,
Full lowd,
At Chrystis kirk of the grene.
Than Stevin come stoppand in with stendis[910];
No rynk[911] mycht him arreist.
Platfute[912] he bobbit vp with bendis[913];
For Maid he maid requeist.
His lap quhill he lay on his lendis[914];
Bot rysand he wes preist[915]
Quhill that he oistit[916] at bath the endis
For honour of the feist,
That day,
At Chrystis kirk of the grene.
Syne Robene Roy begowth[917] to revell,
And Dwny till him druggit[918];
“Lat be,” quo Jok; and cawd him javell[919]
And be the taill him tuggit.
The kensy cleikit to the cavell[920],
Bot Lord! than gif thay luggit[921],
Thay pairtit hir manly with a nevell[922],
God wait gif hair wes ruggit[923]
Betuix thame,
At Chrystis kirk of the grene.
Ane bent a bow, sic sturt cowd steir him[924];
Grit skayth wesd to haif skard[925] him;
He chesit a flane[926] as did affeir[927] him,
The toder[928] said “Dirdum Dardum.”
Throwch baith the cheikis he thocht to cheir[929] him,
Or throw the erss haif chard[930] him;
Bot be ane akerbraid[931] it come nocht neir him,
I can nocht tell quhat mard him,
Thair,
At Chrystis kirk of the grene.
With that a freynd of his cryd “Fy!”
And vp ane arrow drew;
He forgit[932] so fowriously
The bow in flenders[933] flew;
Sa wes the will of God, trow I,
For had the tre bene trew
Men said that kend[934] his archery
That he had slane anew[935],
That day,
At Chrystis kirk on the grene.
Ane hasty hensure[936] callit Hary,
Quha wes ane archer heynd[937],
Tilt[938] vp a taikle withowttin tary[939],
That torment so him teynd[940].
I wait nocht quhidder his hand cowd wary[941],
Or the man wes his freynd,
For he eschaipit[942] throw michtis of Mary
As man that no ill meynd[943],
Bot gud,
At Chrystis kirk of the grene.
Than Lowry as ane lyon lap,
And sone a flane cowd fedder[944];
He hecht[945] to perss him at the pap,
Thair-on to wed a weddir[946].
He hit him on the wame a wap[947],
It buft[948] lyk ony bledder;
Bot swa his fortoun wes and hap
His dowblet wes maid of ledder,
And saift him,
At Chrystis kirk of the grene.
A yaip[949] yung man that stude him neist
Lowsd[950] of a schot with yre;
He ettlit the bern[951] in at the breist,
The bolt flew our the byre[952].
Ane cryit Fy! he had slane a preist
A myll beyond ane myre;
Than bow and bag[953] fra him he keist
And fled as ferss as fyre
Of flynt,
At Chrystis kirk of the grene.
With forkis and flailis thay lait[954] grit flappis,
And flang[955] togiddir lyk friggis[956];
With bowgaris[957] of barnis thay beft[958] blew kappis
Quhill thay of bernis maid briggis[959].
The reird[960] raiss rudly with the rappis,
Quhen rungis[961] wes layd on riggis[962];
The wyffis come furth with cryis and clappis,
“Lo quhair my lyking liggis[963]!”
Quo thay
At Chryst kirk of the grene.
Thay girnit and lait gird with granis[964]
Ilk gossep vder grevit[965];
Sum straik with stingis[966], sum gadderit stanis,
Sum fled and evill mischevit;
The menstrall wan within twa wanis[967],
That day full weill he previt[968],
For he come hame with vnbirsed banis[969]
Quhair fechtaris wer mischevit[970]
For evir,
At Chrystis kirk of the grene.
Heich[971] Hucheoun, with a hissill ryss[972],
To red[973] can throw thame rummill[974];
He mudlet[975] thame doun lyk ony myss[976],
He wes no barty-bummill[977].
Thocht he wes wicht[978] he wes nocht wyss
With sic jangleris to jummill[979],
For fra his thowme thay dang a sklyss[980],
Quhill he cryd “Barla-fummyll[981]!
I am slane,”
At Chrystis kirk of the grene.
Quhen that he saw his blude so reid,
To fle micht no man lat[982] him;
He wend[983] it bene for auld done feid[984],
The far sarar it set[985] him.
He gart his feit defend his heid,
He thocht ane cryd haif at him,
Quhill he wes past out of all pleid[986]
He suld bene swift that gat him
Throw speid,
At Chrystis kirk of the grene.
The toun sowtar[987] in greif wes bowdin[988],
His wyfe hang in his waist;
His body wes with blud all browdin[989],
He granit lyk ony gaist.
Hir glitterand hair that wes full goldin
So hard in lufe him lest[990]
That for hir saik he wes nocht yoldin,
Sevin myll quhill he wes chest[991],
And mair,
At Chrystis kirk of the grene.
The millar wes of manly mak;
To meit him wes na mowis[992];
Thair durst nocht ten cum him to tak,
So nowit he thair nowis[993].
The buschment haill[994] about him brak
And bikkerit[995] him with bowis[996],
Syne tratourly behind his bak
Thay hewit him on the howiss[997]
Behind,
At Chrystis kirk of the grene.
Twa that wes heidmen of the heird
Ran vpoun vtheris lyk rammis;
Than followit feymen[998] rycht on affeird[999],
Bet on with barrow trammis.
Bot quhair thair gobbis wes vngeird[1000]
Thay gat vpoun the gammis[1001],
Quhill bludy berkit[1002] wes thair beird;
As thay had wirreit[1003] lammis,
Maist lyk,
At Chryst kirk of the grene.
The wyvis kest vp ane hiddouss yell
Quhen all thir yunkeris yokkit[1004];
Als ferss as ony fyr-flaught[1005] fell
Freikis[1006] to the feild thay flokkit:
Tha cairlis[1007] with clubbis cowd vder quell[1008],
Quhill blud at breistis out bokkit[1009].
So rudly rang the commoun bell,
Quhill all the stepill rokkit
For reird,
At Christis kirk of the grene.
Quhen thay had berit[1010] lyk baitit bulis,
And branewod brynt in bailis[1011],
Thay wer als meik as ony mvlis
That mangit wer with mailis[1012].
For fantness tha forfochin fulis[1013]
Fell doun lyk flawchtir-failis[1014],
And freschmen come in and held thair dulis[1015],
And dang[1016] thame doun in dailis[1017]
Be-dene[1018],
At Chryst kirk on the grene.
Quhen all wes done, Dik with ane aix
Come furth to fell a fidder[1019].
Quod he, “Quhair ar yone hangit smaix[1020]
Rycht now wald slane my bruder?”
His wyfe bade him ga hame gub-glaikis[1021],
And sa did Meg his muder.
He turnd and gaif thaim bayth thair paikis[1022],
For he durst ding nane vdir[1023],
For feir,
At Chryst kirk of the grene that day.