University of Virginia Library

Quho that Antique Stories reidis
Considder may the famous deidis
Of our Nobill Progenitouris,
Quhilk suld to vs be richt mirrouris,
Thair verteous deidis to ensew,
And vicious leuing to eschew.
Sic Men bene put in memorie,
That deith suld not confound thair glorie.
Howbeit thair bodie bene absent,
Thair verteous deidis bene present.
Poetis, thair honour to auance,
Hes put thame in rememberance.
Sum wryt of preclair Conquerouris;
And sum of vailȝeand Empriouris;
And sum of Nobill Michtie Kingis,
That Royallie did reull thair Ringis;
And sum of Campiounis and of Knichtis,
That bauldlie did defend thair richtis,
Quhilk vailȝeandlie did stand in stour,
For the defence of thair honour;
And sum of Squyeris douchtie deidis,
That wounders wrocht in weirlie weidis.
Sum wryt of deidis amorous;
As Chauceir wrait of Troilus,
How that he luiffit Cressida;
Of Iason and of Medea.
With help of Cleo I intend,
Sa Minerue wald me Sapience send,
Ane Nobill Squyer to discryfe,
Quhais douchtines, during his Lyfe,
I knaw my self: thairof I wryte,
And all his deidis I dar indyte.
And secreitis, that I did not knaw,
That Nobill Squyer did me schaw.
Sa I intend, the best I can,
Descryue the deidis and the Man;
Quhais ȝouth did occupie in lufe,
Full plesantlie, without reprufe;
Quhilk did as monie douchtie deidis
As monie ane that men of reidis,
Quhilkis Poetis puttis in Memorie,
For the exalting of thair glorie.
Quhairfoir, I think, sa God me saif,
He suld haue place amangis the laif,
That his hie honour suld not smure,
Considering quhat he did indure,
Oft times for his Ladeis sake.
I wait Sir Lancelote du lake,
Quhen he did lufe King Arthuris wyfe,
Faucht neuer better with sword nor knyfe,
For his Ladie in no battell,
Nor had not half so just querrell.
The veritie quha list declair,
His Lufe was ane Adulterair,
And durst not cum into hir sicht,
Bot lyke ane Houlet on the nicht.
With this Squyer it stude not so:
His Ladie luifit him and no mo.
Husband nor Lemman had scho none;
And so he had hir lufe alone.
I think it is no happie lyfe,
Ane Man to jaip his Maisteris wyfe,
As did Lancelote: this I conclude,
Of sic amour culd cum na gude.

Now to my purpois will I pas,
And shaw ȝow how the Squyer was:
Ane gentilman of Scotland borne.
So was his Father him beforne,
Of Nobilnes lineallie discendit,
Quhilks thair gude fame hes euer defendit.
Gude Williame Meldrum he was namit,
Quhilk in his honour was neuer defamit;
Stalwart and stout in euerie stryfe,
And borne within the Schyre of Fyfe,
To Cleische and Bynnis richt Heritour,
Quhilk stude for Lufe in monie stour.
He was bot twentie ȝeiris of age,
Quhen he began his Uassalage:
Proportionat weill, of mid stature,
Feirie, and wicht, and micht indure,
Ouirset with trauell, both nicht and day,
Richt hardie baith in ernist and play,
Blyith in countenance, richt fair of face,
And stude weill ay in his Ladies grace;
For he was wounder amiabill,
And, in all deidis, honorabill,
And ay his honour did auance,
In Ingland first and syne in France.
And thair his manheid did assaill,
Under the Kingis greit Admirall,
Quhen the greit Nauie of Scotland
Passit to the sey aganis Ingland.
And as thay passit be Ireland Coist,
The Admirall gart land his Oist,
And set Craigfergus into Fyre,
And saifit nouther Barne nor Byre.
It was greit pietie for to heir
Of the pepill the bailfull cheir,
And how the Land folk wer spuilȝeit.
Fair wemen vnderfute wer fuilȝeit.
Bot this ȝoung Squyer, bauld and wicht,
Sauit all wemen quhair he micht:
All Preistis and Freiris he did saue.
Till, at the last, he did persaue,
Behind ane Garding amiabill,
Ane womanis voce richt lamentabill,
And on that voce he followit fast,
Till he did see hir, at the last,
Spuilȝeit, naikit as scho was borne.
Twa men of weir wer hir beforne,
Quhilk wer richt cruell men and kene,
Partand the spuilȝie thame betwene.
Ane fairer woman nor scho wes
He had not sene in onie place.
Befoir him on hir kneis scho fell,
Sayand, for him that heryit Hell,
Help me, sweit Sir, I am ane Mayd.
Than softlie to the men he said,
I pray ȝow giue againe hir sark,
And tak to ȝow all vther wark.
Hir Kirtill was of Scarlot reid;
Of gold ane garland of hir heid,
Decorit with Enamelyne,
Belt, and Brochis of siluer fyne.
Of ȝallow Taftais wes hir sark,
Begaryit all with browderit wark,
Richt craftelie with gold and silk.
Than said the Ladie, quhyte as milk,
Except my sark, no thing I craue;
Let thame go hence, with all the laue.
Quod thay to hir, be Sanct Fillane,
Of this ȝe get nathing agane.
Than said the Squyer, courteslie,
Gude Freindis, I pray ȝow hartfullie,
Gif ȝe be worthie Men of Weir,
Restoir to hir agane hir Geir;
Or, be greit God that all hes wrocht,
That spuilȝie salbe full deir bocht.
Quod thay to him, we the defy,
And drew thair swordis haistely,
And straik at him with sa greit Ire,
That from his Harnes flew the fyre:
With duntis sa darflie on him dang,
That he was neuer in sic ane thrang.
Bot he him manfullie defendit,
And with ane bolt on thame he bendit,
And hat the ane vpon the heid,
That to the ground he fell doun deid:
For to the teith he did him cleif,
Lat him ly thair with ane mischeif.
Than, with the vther, hand for hand,
He beit him with his birneist brand.
The vther was baith stout and strang,
And on the Squyer darflie dang.
And than the Squyer wrocht greit wonder,
Ay till his sword did shaik in sunder.
Than drew he furth ane sharp dagair,
And did him cleik be the Collair,
And euin in at the collerbane,
At the first straik he hes him slane:
He founderit fordward to the ground.
Ȝit was the Squyer haill and sound;
For quhy, he was sa weill enarmit,
He did escaip fra thame vnharmit.
And, quhen he saw thay wer baith slane,
He to that Ladie past agane,
Quhair scho stude nakit on the bent,
And said, tak ȝour abulȝement.
And scho him thankit full humillie,
And put hir claithis on spedilie.
Than kissit he that Ladie fair,
And tuik his leif at hir but mair.
Be that the Taburne and Trumpet blew,
And euerie man to shipburd drew.
That Ladie was dolent in hart,
From tyme scho saw he wald depart,
That hir releuit from hir harmes,
And hint the Squyer in hir armes,
And said, will ȝe byde in this Land,
I sall ȝow tak to my Husband.
Thocht I be cassin, now, in cair,
I am (quod scho) my Fatheris Air,
The quhilk may spend, of pennies round,
Of ȝeirlie Rent ane thowsand Pound.
With that, hartlie scho did him kis.
Ar ȝe (quod scho) content of this?
Of that (quod he) I wald be fane,
Gif I micht in this Realme remane.
Bot I mon first pas into France;
Sa quhen I cum agane, perchance,
And efter that the Peice be maid,
To marie ȝow I will be glaid:
Fair weill, I may no langer tarie.
I pray God keip ȝow, & sweit sanct Marie.
Than gaif scho him ane Lufe taking,
Ane riche Rubie set in ane Ring.
I am (quod scho) at ȝour command,
With ȝow to pas into Scotland.
I thank ȝow hartfullie (quod he)
Ȝe ar ouir ȝoung to saill the See,
And speciallie with Men of weir.
Of that (quod scho) tak ȝe na feir,
I sall me cleith in mennis clais,
And ga with ȝow quhair euir ȝe pleis.
Suld I not lufe him Paramour,
That saifit my Lyfe and my honour?
Ladie, I say ȝow in certane
Ȝe sall haue lufe for lufe agane,
Trewlie, vnto my Lyfis end.
Fairweill, to God I ȝow commend.
With that, into his Boit he past,
And to the ship he rowit fast.
Thay weyit thair ankeris, and maid saill,
This Nauie, with the Admirall,
And landit in bauld Brytane.
This Admirall was Erle of Arrane,
Quhilk was baith wyse and vailȝeand,
Of the blude Royall of Scotland,
Accompanyit with monie ane Knicht,
Quhilk wer richt worthie men and wicht.
Amang the laif, this ȝoung Squyar
Was with him richt familiar;
And, throw his verteous diligence,
Of that Lord he gat sic credence,
That, quhen he did his courage ken,
Gaif him cure of fyue hundreth men,
Quhilkis wer to him obedient,
Reddie at his commandement.
It wer to lang for to declair
The douchtie deidis that he did thair.
Becaus he was sa courageous,
Ladies of him wes amorous.
He was ane Munȝeoun for ane Dame;
Meik in Chalmer, lyk ane lame:
Bot, in the Feild, ane Campioun,
Rampand lyke ane wyld Lyoun;
Weill practikit with Speir and Scheild,
And with the formest in the Feild.
No Chiftane was, amangis thame all,
In expensis mair liberall.
In euerilk play he wan the pryse:
With that, he was verteous and wyse.
And so, becaus he was weill pruif[i]t,
With euerie man he was weill luifit.