Scottish Text Society publications > Old series > Poems of William Dunbar > Volume 2, 1893

OF THE FEN^EIT FREIR OF TUNGLAND.
Vane organis he full clenely carvit,
Quhen of his straik so mony starvit,
Dreid he had gottin that he desarvit,
He fled away gud speid.
In Scotland than, the narrest way
He come, his cunnyng till assay j
To sum man thair it was no play
The preving of his sciens.
In pottingry 1 he wrocht grit pyne,
He murdreist 2 mony in medecyne;
The jow was of a grit engyne,
And generit was of gyans.
In leichecraft he was homecyd,
He wald haif, for a nicht to byd,
A haiknay and the hurtmanis hyd,
So meikle he was of myance.
His yrnis was rude as ony rawchtir,
Quhair he leit blude it was no lawchtir,
Full mony instrument for slawchtir
Was in his gardevyance.8
He cowth gif cure for laxatyve;
To gar a wicht horss want his lyve,
Quha evir assay wald, man or wyve,
Thair hippis ^eid hiddy giddy.
His practikis nevir war put to preif,
But suddane4 deid, or grit mischeif;
He had purgatioun to mak a theif
To dee withowt a widdy.6
Vnto no mess pressit this 6 prelat,
For sound of sacring bell nor skellat;
A. potingary. 2 A. omits. 3 A. gardyvians.
A. sudand. 5 A. wedye. 6 A. the.