The Works of The Ettrick Shepherd Centenary Edition. With a Memoir of the Author, by the Rev. Thomas Thomson ... Poems and Life. With Many Illustrative Engravings [by James Hogg] |
 |
|
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
|
|
| 1. |
| 2. |
| 3. |
| 4. |
| 5. |
|
| 1. |
| 2. |
| 3. |
| 4. |
|
The Gude Greye Katt.
|
|
| 1. |
| 2. |
| 3. |
| 4. |
| 5. |
| 6. |
|
| 1. |
| 2. |
| 3. |
| 4. |
|
|
| 1. |
|
|
|
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
|
|
|
|
|
 | The Works of The Ettrick Shepherd |  |
172
The Gude Greye Katt.
There wase ane katt, and ane gude greye katt,
That duallit in the touir of Blain;
And mony haif hearit of that gude katt,
That neuir shall heare agayn.
That duallit in the touir of Blain;
And mony haif hearit of that gude katt,
That neuir shall heare agayn.
Scho had ane brynd upon her backe,
And ane brent abone hir bree;
Hir culoris war the merilit heuis
That dappil the krene berrye.
And ane brent abone hir bree;
Hir culoris war the merilit heuis
That dappil the krene berrye.
But scho had that withyn hir ee
That man may neuir declaire,
For scho had that withyn hir ee
Quhich mortyl dochtna beare.
That man may neuir declaire,
For scho had that withyn hir ee
Quhich mortyl dochtna beare.
Sumtymis ane ladye sochte the touir,
Of rych and fayre beautye;
Sumtymis ane maukyn cam therin,
Hytchyng rycht wistfullye.
Of rych and fayre beautye;
Sumtymis ane maukyn cam therin,
Hytchyng rycht wistfullye.
But quhan they serchit the touir of Blain,
And socht it sayre and lang,
They fande nocht but the gude greye katt
Sittyng thrummyng at hir sang;
And socht it sayre and lang,
They fande nocht but the gude greye katt
Sittyng thrummyng at hir sang;
And up scho rase and pacit hir wayis
Full stetlye ower the stene,
And streikit out hir braw hint-leg,
As nocht at all had bene.
Full stetlye ower the stene,
And streikit out hir braw hint-leg,
As nocht at all had bene.
Weil mocht the wyfis in that kintrye
Rayse up ane grefous stir,
For neuir ane katt in all the lande
Durst moop or melle wyth hir.
Rayse up ane grefous stir,
For neuir ane katt in all the lande
Durst moop or melle wyth hir.
Quhaneuir theye lukit in her fece,
Their fearis greue se ryfe,
Theye snirtit and theye yollit throu frychte,
And rann for dethe and lyfe.
Their fearis greue se ryfe,
Theye snirtit and theye yollit throu frychte,
And rann for dethe and lyfe.
The Lairde of Blain he had ane spouis,
Beth cumlye, gude, and kynde;
But scho had gane to the landis of pece,
And left him sad behynde;
Beth cumlye, gude, and kynde;
But scho had gane to the landis of pece,
And left him sad behynde;
He had seuin dochteris all se fayre,
Of mayre than yerdlye grece,
Seuin bonnyer babyis neuir braithit ayre,
Or smylit in parentis fece.
Of mayre than yerdlye grece,
Seuin bonnyer babyis neuir braithit ayre,
Or smylit in parentis fece.
Ane daye, quhan theye war all alane,
He sayde with hevye mene;
“Quhat will cum of ye, my deire babyis,
Now quhan your moderis gene?
He sayde with hevye mene;
“Quhat will cum of ye, my deire babyis,
Now quhan your moderis gene?
“O quha will leide your tendyr myndis
The pethe of ladyhoode,
To thynke as ladye ocht to thynke,
And feele as mayden sholde?
The pethe of ladyhoode,
To thynke as ladye ocht to thynke,
And feele as mayden sholde?
“Weil mot it kythe in maydenis mynde,
And maydenis modestye,
The want of hir that weil wase fit
For taske unmeite for me!”
And maydenis modestye,
The want of hir that weil wase fit
For taske unmeite for me!”
But up then spak the gude greye katt
That satt on the herthe stene,
“O hald yer tung, my deire maister,
Nor mak se sayre ane mene;
That satt on the herthe stene,
“O hald yer tung, my deire maister,
Nor mak se sayre ane mene;
“For I will breide your seuin dochteris,
To winsum ladyhoode;
To thynke as ladyis ocht to thynke,
And feile as maydenis sholde.
To winsum ladyhoode;
To thynke as ladyis ocht to thynke,
And feile as maydenis sholde.
“I'll breide them fayre, I'll breide them free
From every seye of syn,
Fayre as the blumyng roz withoute,
And pure in herte withyn.”
From every seye of syn,
Fayre as the blumyng roz withoute,
And pure in herte withyn.”
Rychte sayre astoundit wase the lairde,
Ane frychtenit man wase he;
But the sueite babyis war full faine,
And chicklit joifullye.
Ane frychtenit man wase he;
But the sueite babyis war full faine,
And chicklit joifullye.
May Ella tooke the gude greye katt
Rychte fondlye on hir knee;
“And hethe my pussye lernit to speike?
I troue scho lernit of me.”
Rychte fondlye on hir knee;
“And hethe my pussye lernit to speike?
I troue scho lernit of me.”
The katt, scho thrummyt at hir sang,
And turnit hir haffet sleike,
And drewe hir bonnye bassenyt side
Againste the babyis cheike.
And turnit hir haffet sleike,
And drewe hir bonnye bassenyt side
Againste the babyis cheike.
But the lairde he was ane cunnyng lairde,
And he saide with spechis fayre,
“I haif a feste in hall to nychte,
Sueite pussye, be you there.”
And he saide with spechis fayre,
“I haif a feste in hall to nychte,
Sueite pussye, be you there.”
The katt scho set ane luke on him,
That turnit his herte til stene;
“If you haif feste in hall to nychte,
I shall be there for ane.”
That turnit his herte til stene;
“If you haif feste in hall to nychte,
I shall be there for ane.”
The feste wase laide, the tabil spread
With rych and nobil store,
And there wase set the byschope of Blain,
With all his holy kore;
With rych and nobil store,
And there wase set the byschope of Blain,
With all his holy kore;
He wase ane wyce and wylie wychte
Of wytch and warlockrye,
And mony ane wyfe had byrnit to coome,
Or hangit on ane tre.
Of wytch and warlockrye,
And mony ane wyfe had byrnit to coome,
Or hangit on ane tre.
He kenit their merkis and molis of hell,
And made them joifully
Ryde on the reid-het gad of ern,
Ane plesaunt sycht to se.
And made them joifully
Ryde on the reid-het gad of ern,
Ane plesaunt sycht to se.
The byschope said ane holye grace,
Unpatiente to begyn,
But nathyng of the gude greye katt
Was funde the touir withyn;
Unpatiente to begyn,
But nathyng of the gude greye katt
Was funde the touir withyn;
But in there cam ane fayre ladye
Cledd in the sylken sheene,
Ane winsumer and bonnyer may
On yerde was neuir seene.
Cledd in the sylken sheene,
Ane winsumer and bonnyer may
On yerde was neuir seene.
173
Scho tuke her sete at tabil heide,
With courtlye modestye,
Quhill ilken bosome byrnit with lufe,
And waulit ilken ee.
With courtlye modestye,
Quhill ilken bosome byrnit with lufe,
And waulit ilken ee.
Sueite was hir voyce to all the ryng,
Unlesse the Lairde of Blain,
For he had hearit that very voyce
From off his own herthe stene.
Unlesse the Lairde of Blain,
For he had hearit that very voyce
From off his own herthe stene.
He barrit the doris and windois fast,
He barrit them to the jynne;
“Now in the grece of Heuin,” said he,
“Your excercyse begyn;
He barrit them to the jynne;
“Now in the grece of Heuin,” said he,
“Your excercyse begyn;
“There is ne grece nor happynesse
For my poor babyis soulis,
Until you trye that weirdlye wytch,
And rost hir on the colis.”
For my poor babyis soulis,
Until you trye that weirdlye wytch,
And rost hir on the colis.”
“If this be scho,” the byschope saide,
“This beauteous cumlye May,
It is meite I try hir all alone
To heire quhat scho will saye.”
“This beauteous cumlye May,
It is meite I try hir all alone
To heire quhat scho will saye.”
“No,” quod the lairde, “I suthely sweire
None shall from this proceide,
Until I see that wycked wytch
Brynt til ane izel reide.”
None shall from this proceide,
Until I see that wycked wytch
Brynt til ane izel reide.”
The byschope knelit doune and prayit,
Quhill all their hayris did creipe;
And aye he hoonit and he prayit,
Quhill all war faste asleipe;
Quhill all their hayris did creipe;
And aye he hoonit and he prayit,
Quhill all war faste asleipe;
He prayit gain syn and Sauten bothe,
And deidis of shyft and schame;
But all the tyme his faithful handis
Pressit the cumlye dame.
And deidis of shyft and schame;
But all the tyme his faithful handis
Pressit the cumlye dame.
Weil saw the lairde, but nething saide,
He kenit, in holye zele
He grepit for the merkis of hell,
Whilk he did ken ful weil.
He kenit, in holye zele
He grepit for the merkis of hell,
Whilk he did ken ful weil.
And aye he pressit hir lillye hande,
And kyssit it ferventlye,
And prayit betweine, for och ane kynde
And lufyng preste was he!
And kyssit it ferventlye,
And prayit betweine, for och ane kynde
And lufyng preste was he!
The byschope stappit and sterted sore,
Wide gaipen with affrychte,
For och that fayre and lillye hande
Had turned ane paw outrychte!
Wide gaipen with affrychte,
For och that fayre and lillye hande
Had turned ane paw outrychte!
Ane paw with long and crukit clawis:
That breste of heuinlye charme
Had turnit till brusket of ane katt,
Ful hayrie and ful warme!
That breste of heuinlye charme
Had turnit till brusket of ane katt,
Ful hayrie and ful warme!
And there scho satt on lang-settil,
With een of glentyng flame,
And theye war on the byschope sett
Lyke poynter on his game.
With een of glentyng flame,
And theye war on the byschope sett
Lyke poynter on his game.
The byschope turnit him runde aboute,
To se quhat he mocht se;
Scho strak ane clawe in ilken lug,
And throu the rofe did flee.
To se quhat he mocht se;
Scho strak ane clawe in ilken lug,
And throu the rofe did flee.
The katt went throu withouten stop
Lyke schado throu the daye,
But the great byschopis fleschlye forme
Made all the rofe gif waye;
Lyke schado throu the daye,
But the great byschopis fleschlye forme
Made all the rofe gif waye;
The silyng faldit lyke ane buke,
The serker crashit amayne,
And shredis and flenis of brokyn stenis
Fell to the grunde lyke rayne.
The serker crashit amayne,
And shredis and flenis of brokyn stenis
Fell to the grunde lyke rayne.
The braide ful mone wase up the lyft,
The nychte wase lyke ane daye,
As the greate byschope tuke his jante
Up throu the milkye-waye;
The nychte wase lyke ane daye,
As the greate byschope tuke his jante
Up throu the milkye-waye;
He cryit se loude and lustilye
The hillis and skyis war riuen;
Och sicken cryis war neuir hearit
Atweine the yerde and heuin!
The hillis and skyis war riuen;
Och sicken cryis war neuir hearit
Atweine the yerde and heuin!
They sawe him spurryng in the ayre,
And flynging horredlye,
And than he prayit and sang ane saum,
For ane fearit wychte was he;
And flynging horredlye,
And than he prayit and sang ane saum,
For ane fearit wychte was he;
But aye his waylingis fainter greue
As the braide lyft he crossit,
Quhill sum saide that theye hearit them still,
And sum saide all wase loste.
As the braide lyft he crossit,
Quhill sum saide that theye hearit them still,
And sum saide all wase loste.
There was ane herd on Dollar-Lawe,
Turnyng his flockis by nychte,
Or stealyng in ane gude haggyse
Before the mornyng lychte.
Turnyng his flockis by nychte,
Or stealyng in ane gude haggyse
Before the mornyng lychte.
He hearit the cryis cum yont the heuin,
And sawe them bethe passe bye;
The katt scho skreuit up hir taile
As sayrlye pinchit to flye.
And sawe them bethe passe bye;
The katt scho skreuit up hir taile
As sayrlye pinchit to flye.
But aye scho thrummyt at hir sang,
Though he wase sore in thrall,
Like katt that hethe ane jollye mouse
Gaun murryng throu the hall.
Though he wase sore in thrall,
Like katt that hethe ane jollye mouse
Gaun murryng throu the hall.
That greye kattis sang it wase se sweete,
As on the nychte it fell,
The murecokis dancit ane seuinsum ryng
Arunde the hether bell;
As on the nychte it fell,
The murecokis dancit ane seuinsum ryng
Arunde the hether bell;
The foumartis jyggit by the brukis,
The maukinis by the kaile,
And the otar dancit ane minowaye
As he gaed ouir the daile;
The maukinis by the kaile,
And the otar dancit ane minowaye
As he gaed ouir the daile;
The hurchanis helde ane kintrye dance
Alang the brumye knowe,
And the gude toop-hogg rase fra his layre
And ualtzit with the youe.
Alang the brumye knowe,
And the gude toop-hogg rase fra his layre
And ualtzit with the youe.
| The Works of The Ettrick Shepherd | |