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

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THE FREIRIS OF' BERWIK.
299
Vnto ws all throw pur1 gud govirnance :
And than annone2 thay drank evin round abowt
Of Gascone wyne; the Freiris3 playit cop owt.
Thay sportit thame, and makis4 mirry cheir 415
With sangis lowd, baith Symone and the Freir;
And on this wyiss the lang nicht thay ourdraif;5
No thing thay want that thay desyrd to haif.6
Than Symon said to the gudwyf in hy,
“Cum heir, fair dame, and sett pw doun me by, 420
And tak pairte of sic gud as we haif heir,
And hairtly, I pw pray, to thank this Freir
Off his bening grit besines and cure,
That he hes done to ws vpoun this flure,
And brocht ws meit and drink haboundantlie, 425
Quhairfoir of richt we aucht mirry to be.”7
Bot all thair sport, quhen thay wer maist8 at eiss,
Vnto our deme it wes bot littill9 pleiss,
For vther thing thair wes in to hir thocht;
Scho wes so red,10 hir hairt wes ay11 on flocht, 430
That throw the Freir scho sowld discoverit12 be,
To him scho lukit oft tymes effeiritlie,13
And ay disparit in hart was scho,
That he had witt of all hir purveance to.14
Thus15 satt scho still, and wist no vdir wane; 435
Quhat evir thay say, scho lute him16 all alane,
Bot scho drank with thame in-to cumpany
With fenpit cheir, and hert full wo and hevy.17
Bot thay wer blyth annwche, God watt, and sang,
For ay the wyne was rakand thame amang, 440
Quhill at the last thay woix richt18 blyth ilk one.
1 M. his. 2 M. And with that wourde. 3 M. the gud wyn; and ay.
4 M. They eit and drank and maid richt. 5 M. our thay draif.
. craif. 7 M. omits 11. 419-426. 8 M. thocht thai war weill.
. micht hir nothing. 10 M. had sic dreid. 11 M. all.
12 M. dishonorit. 13 M. Asyd to him sche cast a fremmit E.
14 M. omits 11. 433, 434. 15 M. omits ; B. This. 18 M. and let them.
17 M. omits 11. 437, 438. 18 M. waxit.