Robin answerit hir agane,

'I wat not quhat is lufe;
But I haif mervel in certaine

Quhat makis thee this wanrufe :
The weddir is fair, and I am fain;
My sheep gois haill aboif;
And we wald pley us in this plane,
They wald us baith reproif.'

'Robin, tak tent unto my tale,
And wirk all as I reid,

And thou sall haif my heart all haill,
Eik and my maiden-heid:
Sen God sendis bute for baill,
And for murnyng remeid,
In dern with thee bot gif I dale
Dowtles I am bot deid.'

'Makyn, to-morn this ilka tyde
And ye will meit me heir,
Peraventure my sheip may gang besyde
Quhyle we haif liggit full neir;
But mawgre haif I, and I byde,
Fra they begin to steir;

Quhat lyis on heart I will nocht hyd;
Makyn, then mak gude cheir.'

'Robin, thou reivis me roiff and rest;

I luve bot thee allane.'

'Makyn, adieu! the sone gois west,

The day is neir-hand gane.'

'Robin, in dule I am so drest
That luve will be my bane.'

'Gae luve, Makyne, quhair-evir thow list,
For lemman I luve nane.'

'Robin, I stand in sic a styll,

I sicht and that full sair.'

'Makyn, I haif been here this quhyle;

At hame God gif I weir.'
'My huny, Robin, talk ane quhyll

Gif thow will do na mair.'
'Makyn, sum uthir man begyle,
For hamewart I will fair.'

Robin on his wayis went
As light as leif of tre;
Makyn murnit in hir intent,
And trowd him nevir to se.
Robin brayd attour the bent:

Then Makyn cryit on hie,

'Now may thow sing, for I am schent!
Quhat alis lufe at me?'

Makyn went hame withowttin fail,

Full wery eftir cowth weip;
Then Robin in a ful fair daill
Assemblit all his scheip.

Be that sum part of Makynis aill

Out-throw his hairt cowd creip;
He fallowit hir fast thair till assaill,

tuke keip] paid attention.

schent] destroyed. alis] ails. be that] by the time

grass.

that.

till] to.

'Abyd, abyd, thow fair Makyne,
A word for ony thing;

For all my luve, it sall be thyne,
Withowttin departing.

All haill thy hairt for till haif myne
Is all my cuvating;

My scheip to-morn, quhyle houris nyne,
Will neid of no keping.'

'Robin, thow hes hard soung and say,
In gestis and storeis auld,

The man that will nocht quhen he may
Sall haif nocht quhen he wald.

I pray to Jesu every day,

Mot eik thair cairis cauld
That first preissis with thee to play
Be firth, forrèst, or fauld.'

'Makyn, the nicht is soft and dry,
The weddir is warme and fair,
And the grene woid rycht neir us by
To walk attour all quhair:
Thair ma na janglour us espy,
That is to lufe contrair;
Thairin, Makyne, baith ye and I,
Unsene we ma repair.'

'Robin, that warld is all away,
And quyt brocht till ane end:
And nevir agane thereto, perfay,
Sall it be as thow wend;

17.

For of my pane thow maid it play;
And all in vane I spend:

As thow hes done, sa sall I say,

'Makyn, the howp of all my heill,
My hairt on thee is sett;
And evirmair to thee be leill

Quhill I may leif but lett;
Never to faill as utheris feill,

Quhat grace that evir I gett.'
'Robin, with thee I will nocht deill;
Adieu for thus we mett.'

Makyn went hame blyth anneuche
Attour the holttis hair;

Robin murnit, and Makyn leuche;
Scho sang, he sichit sair:

And so left him baith wo and wreuch,

In dolour and in cair,

Kepand his hird under a huche
Amangis the boltis hair.

The Bludy Serk

THIS hinder yeir I hard be tald

Thair was a worthy King;

Dukis, Erlis and Barronis bald,
He had at his bidding.

The Lord was ancean and ald,
And sexty yeiris cowth ring;
He had a dochter fair to fald,
A lusty Lady ying.

Off all fairheid scho bur the flour,
And eik hir faderis air;
Off lusty laitis and he honour,
Meik, bot and debonair:
Scho wynnit in a bigly bour,
On fold wes nane so fair,
Princis luvit hir paramour
In cuntreis our allquhair.

Thair dwelt a lyt besyde the King
A foull Gyand of ane;
Stollin he has the Lady ying,
Away with hir is gane,

And kest her in his dungering

Quhair licht scho micht se nane;
Hungir and cauld and grit thristing
Scho fand into hir waine.

He wes the laithliest on to luk
That on the grund mycht gang:
His nailis wes lyk ane hellis cruk,
Thairwith fyve quarteris lang;

ring] reign. air] heir.

well-built.

ying] young.

fald] enfold. fairheid] beauty. laitis] manners. scho wynnit] she dwelt. bigly] fold] earth. paramour] lovingly. our allquhair] all a lyt besyde] a little, (i. e. close) beside. of ane] kest] cast. dungering] dungeon. into hir waine] in hellis cruk] hell-claw.

the world over.

as any.

her lodging.