Scottish Text Society publications > Old series > Poems of Alexander Montgomerie

8
THE CHERRY AND ];E SLAE.
LAING]
F. 16 b.
2
3
7-
To heir the stertlie streameis cleir,
Me thocht it mwsick to ];e eir,
Quhair daskene did abound,
With trubill sueit, & tenno&r lust;
And ay the echo reparcust
hir diapassoun sound,
Set with ]?e ci soil fa uthe clewe,1
Thairby to know the note,
Sounding ane michtie senabrewe
Out of J>e elphis thrott:
Discreittlie, mair sueitlie,
Nor craftie amphioun;
Or mwssis that vsis
That fountoun eloquon.
8.
Quha wald hawe tyrit to heir that tune,2
Pe birdis corrobrat ay abone,
Throw schuitting of J>e larkis ?
sum flew so heiche into }>e skyis,
Quhill cupid walknit w/th the cryis
Of naturall chappell clerkis ;
Quha leaving all the heavinis aboue,
alleichtit on ]?e jeird.
Lo,8 heir ]?at littill god of luif
Befoir me ]?air appeird;
So myldlyke and childlyke,
W/th bow threis quarteris skant;
So moylie so coylie,
he luikit lyk ane sant.
Lines 90 and 91 had puzzled the scribe : he writes—
Hir DrafFassoun sound
Set with J)e resoll fair Ruthe clewe (!).
‘ Towne ’ has been stroked out and ‘ tune ’ written in above.
MS. To.
85
90
95
100
roS
110