intruss 3 reason, Till he was full; syne went his way apace. Of this murthour what shall I say, alas! Was not this reuth? was not this great pity? To gar this silly lamb but1 guilt thus die? MORAL. XIV. The poor people this lamb may signify, As mail-men, merchands, and poor labourers, Of whom the life is half a purgatory, To win with lawty living as effeirs.3 The wolf betokens false extortioners, And oppressors of poor men, as we see, By violence, or craft, or subtlety. XV. Three kind of wolfis in the world now rings:4 The first are false perverters of the laws, Quhilk under polite termis falset mingis,5 Lettand that all were gospel that he shaws: But for a bud? the poor man he o'erthraws, Where wrong and reif4 should dwell in SmoirandR the right, garrand 9 the wrong XVII. Oman! but' mercy, what is in thy thought? Waur2 than a wolf, and thou could understand; Thou has enough; the poor husband 3 has nought To dring and draw, in court 2 or in carriage; His servant, or himself, may not be spared, To swink3 and sweat, withouten meat or wage: Thus how he stands in labour and bondage, But crop and calf,4 upon ane clout5 of That scantly may he purchase by his maill,4 land. For Goddis awe, how dare thou take on hand, To live upon dry bread and water kail.5 XXI. And thou in barn and byre so bene7 and Has thou no reuth to gar thy tennant big, sweat, And God, as thou all righteous prayer hears, IV. For as we see, ane bow that is aye bent, Mot save our King, and give him heart Worthis unsmart,' and dullis on the string In homely language, and in termis rude, (Sae it be laboured with great dilligence), Gif that ye find ought through my negliSpringis the flowris, and the corn on breird,3 Wholesome and good to mannis sus tenance; Sae springis there ane moral sweet sentence Out of the subtle dite 4 of poetry gence, Be diminute, or yet superfluous, VII. My author in his fables tellis how To good purpose, who could it well apply, That brutal beastis spake and understood, III. And to good purpose dispute, and argow, The nuttis shell, though it be hard and Putting example and similitude, tough, How many men in operation And that through custom, and the daily Jewels are tint, as oft-times has been seen rite Syne in their minds sae fast is radicate,1 That they in brutal beastis are transformate. IX. This noble clerk, Æsop, as I have told, In gay metre, as poet laureate, By figure wrote his book; for he nought would Lack the wisdom of high, nor low estate, And to begin, first of ane cock he wraite. Seekand his meat, which found ane jolly stone, Of whom the fable ye shall hear anone. THE COCK AND THE JASP. I. Upon the floor, and sweepèd forth anonePeradventure so was this samen stone. III. Sae marvelland upon the stone, quoth he, "O gentle jasp! O rich and noble thing; Though I thee find, thou gainis nought for me! Thou art a jewel for a lord or king; And thou so fair, and worth sae meikle4 gold. IV. "It is pity I should thee find, for why, Ane cock, sometime with fetheram 2 fresh As draff, or corn, to fill my toom entrail. Where should thou sit but on ane kingis Without science? over all thing I you IX. This jolly jasp had properties seven : XIII. Wha is enemy to science and cunning, Weel were that man o'er all other that Who has this stone, shall have good hope All his life days in perfite study wair,8 to speed, Of fire or water him needs nought to dread. X. This gentle jasp right different of hue, To get science; for him needs nae mair. XIV. But now, alas! science is tint 9 and hid; I Work made for looking at. 2 Stout. 3 Also. I Resound. 4 Learn. 7 Earthly. 8 Wear. 9 Lost. |