With lullaby now take thine ease,
With lullaby thy doubts appease;
For trust to this, if thou be still,
My body shall obey thy will.

Thus lullaby my youth, mine eyes,

My will, my ware, and all that was:
I can no more delays devise;

But welcome pain, let pleasure pass.
With lullaby now take your
leave;
With lullaby your dreams deceive;
And when you rise with waking eye,
Remember then this lullaby.

48.

ALEXANDER MONTGOMERIE

The Night is Near Gone

HEY! now the day dawis;
The jolly cock crawis;

Now shroudis the shawis

Thro' Nature anon.
The thissel-cock cryis

On lovers wha lyis:

Now skaillis the skyis;

The nicht is neir gone.

The fieldis ouerflowis
With gowans that growis,

Quhair lilies like low is

As red as the rone.

1540?-1610?

low] flame.

rone] rowan.

The turtle that true is,
With notes that renewis,
Her pairty pursuis:

The nicht is neir gone.

Now hairtis with hindis
Conform to their kindis,
Hie tursis their tyndis

On ground quhair they grone.
Now hurchonis, with hairis,
Aye passis in pairis ;

Quhilk duly declaris

The nicht is neir gone.

The season excellis

Through sweetness that smellis;
Now Cupid compellis

Our hairtis echone
On Venus wha waikis,
To muse on our maikis,
Syne sing for their saikis—

'The nicht is neir gone!'

All courageous knichtis
Aganis the day dichtis.

The breist-plate that bright is
To fight with their fone.
The stoned steed stampis
Through courage, and crampis,
Syne on the land lampis:
The nicht is neir gone.

pairty] partner, mate. grone] groan, bell. mates. fone] foes. lampis] gallops.

tursis] carry.

tyndis] antlers. maikis]

crampis] prances.

hurchonis] hedgehogs, 'urchins.'
stoned steed] stallion.

49.

The freikis on feildis
That wight wapins weildis
With shyning bright shieldis.
At Titan in trone;

Stiff speiris in reistis
Ouer corseris crestis

Are broke on their breistis :
The nicht is neir gone.

So hard are their hittis,
Some sweyis, some sittis,
And some perforce flittis
On ground quhile they grone.
Syne groomis that gay is
On blonkis that brayis

With swordis assayis

:

The nicht is neir gone.

WILLIAM STEVENSON

Jolly Good Ale and Old

I CANNOT eat but little meat,

My stomach is not good;

But sure I think that I can drink
With him that wears a hood.
Though I go bare, take ye no care,
I nothing am a-cold;

I stuff my skin so full within
Of jolly good ale and old.

Back and side go bare, go bare ;
Both foot and hand go cold;

48. freikis] men, warriors.

1530?-1575

wight wapins] stout weapons. flittis] are

at Titan] over against Titan (the sun), or read 'as.'

But, belly, God send thee good ale enough,
Whether it be new or old.

I love no roast but a nut-brown toast,
And a crab laid in the fire;

A little bread shall do me stead;
Much bread I not desire.

No frost nor snow, no wind, I trow,
Can hurt me if I wold;

I am so wrapp'd and thoroughly lapp'd
Of jolly good ale and old.

Back and side go bare, go bare, &c.
And Tib, my wife, that as her life
Loveth well good ale to seek,
Full oft drinks she till ye may see
The tears run down her cheek:
Then doth she trowl to me the bowl
Even as a maltworm should,

And saith, Sweetheart, I took my part
Of this jolly good ale and old.'

Back and side go bare, go bare, &c.

Now let them drink till they nod and wink,
Even as good fellows should do;
They shall not miss to have the bliss

Good ale doth bring men to;

And all poor souls that have scour'd bowls

Or have them lustily troll'd,

God save the lives of them and their wives,
Whether they be young or old.

Back and side go bare, go bare;

Both foot and hand go cold;

But, belly, God send thee good ale enough,
Whether it be new or old.

ANONYMOUS (SCOTTISH)

16th Cent.

50. When Flora had O'erfret the Firth

Q

UHEN Flora had o'erfret the firth

In May of every moneth queen ;

Quhen merle and mavis singis with mirth
Sweet melling in the shawis sheen;
Quhen all luvaris rejoicit bene
And most desirous of their prey,
I heard a lusty luvar mene
"I luve, but I dare nocht assay!'

'Strong are the pains I daily prove,
But yet with patience I sustene,
I am so fetterit with the luve
Only of my lady sheen,

Quhilk for her beauty micht be queen,
Nature so craftily alway

Has done depaint that sweet serene:
-Quhom I luve I dare nocht assay.

'She is so bricht of hyd and hue,
I luve but her alone, I ween ;
Is none her luve that may eschew,
That blinkis of that dulce amene;
So comely cleir are her twa een
That she mae luvaris dois affray

Than ever of Greece did fair Helene:
-Quhom I luve I dare nocht assay!'