Scottish Text Society publications > Old series > Historie and cronicles of Scotland > Volume 1, 1899

JAMES V.
375
Vnder ane peill1 of gold scho sould haue past
Be burgesis borne clethit in silkis fyne
Ane gret maister of howshald at the last
with him in ordour all the kingis tryne
5 Quhais ordinance war lang sum to desyne
On this maner scho passing throwch the toune
Suld haue resauit mony benisowne.
Off wirgines and of lustie burges wyweis
quhilk sould haue beine ane sicht celestiall
to ‘Viue la royne’ cryand for thair lyweis
With ane harmonious sound angelicall
In evirilk corner mirthis musicall
Bot thow tyrane in quhome is found no graice
Our alleluya 3 hes turned in alaice.
15 Thow sould haue hard the ornat oratouris
makand hir hines solutatioun
Both of the clergie towne and counsallouris
with mony notabill narratioun
Thow sould haue seine hir corronatioun
20 In the fair abay of the haly ruid
In presence of ane mirthfull multitwde.
Sic bancatting, sic awfull tornamentis
on hors and fut that tyme quhilk sould haue beine
Sic chappell royall with sic instrumentis
25 and craiftie musick singing frome the splene
In this cuntrie was nevir hard nor seine
Bot all this gret solempnitie and game
Turned thow hes in requiem eternam.
Inconstant warld thy freindschip I defy
30 Sen strenth nor wisdome riches nor honour
Wertew nor beawtie non may certifie
within thy bowndis for to remane ane hour
1 “Peill”—i.e., pall.
2 I reads “melulya,” which seems a mistake of the copyist.