Mercers of Innerpeffray and Inchbreakie, from 1400 to 1513

24
And thocht he haif no dout of speid,
Zit will he sich and schaw grit schouris,
As he wald sterfe in that steid —
Sic perrell lyis in paramouris.
Athis to sueir, and giftis to hecht,
Moir than he hes thretty fold ;
And for hir honour for to feoht,
Quhill that his blude becumin cold ;
Bot fra scho to his willis yold
Adew, fair weill thir sorner flouris ;
All growss in glass that semit gold —
Sic perrell lyis in paramouris.
Than turnis he his saill annone,
And passis to ane uthir port,
Thocht scho be never so wobegone —
Her cairis cauld ar his comfort.
Heirfoir I pray in termys schort,
Crhyst keip thir birdis bricht in bowris,
Fra fals luvaris, and their resort- -
Sic perrell lyes in paramouris.
finis quod Meesar.
COUNSEL TO LOVERS.
Thir billis ar brevit to birdis in speciall,
Moir for lust nor ony gude lufe —
I breif this bill to zow in generall,
Ladeis and madynis that zarnis fra reprufe ;
Zow to conserf, an als for zour behufe,
That ze defend and keip zow fra dissait,
And zow to teich all filthy lyfe to hait.
Ze madynis fair that ar for till avance
Within the breist of zour virginite ;
And ladeis, als ze cheiss zow nevir to chance,
Quhilk may defame do to zour honeste, —
Latt nevir zour wit to zour will subject be,
Bot haif in mynd, for him that deid on rude,
Quhat wirchep is to be fair and gude.
Haif mynd how gude is to haif a gude name,
And than na crime sail zour grit wirchep fyle ;
Haif mynd how bernis hes brocht birdis to blame,
And latt na grome with gabing zow begyle ;
ffor every wrynk luk that ze haif a wyle ;
ffor every word be wyse, I warne zow ;
Quhair trew is ane, sexty is nocht trew.
And ze him trow than ar ze all betrasit,
ffor with thair tressone thay bring the to ane trane.
To leif in lust he is so lasit
Moir than he hes to hecht he wilbe fane.
Bot and ze grant him ony grace agane
ff ra he haif sped, f airweill spowsing to speir ;
ffor than is all your wadding ch&ngeit into weir.