Scottish Text Society publications > New series > Kingis quair; together with A ballad of good counsel

THE KINGIS QUAIK.
5
This Is to seyne—how that eche estate,
As fortune lykith, thame will [oft] translate.
9 For sothe It is, that, on hir tolt^ quhele,
Euery wight cleuenth In his stage,
And failyng foting oft, quhen hir lest rele,
Sum vp, sum doun; Is non estate nor age
Ensured, more the prynce [nor] than the page :
So vncouthly hir werdes sche deuidith,
Namly In 30Uth, that seildin ought prouidith.
10 Among thir thoughtis rolling to and fro,
Fell me to mynd of my fortune and vre ;
In tend^* jouth how sche was first my fo,
And eft my frende, and how I gat recure
Off my distress^, and all my« aue«ture
I gan oure-hayle, that lange^- slepe ne rest
Ne mygv^t I nat, so were my wittis wrest.
n For-wakit and for-walowit, thus musing,
Wery, forlyin, I lestnyt sodaynlye,
And sone I herd the bell to matyns ryng,
And vp I rase, no lange?- wald I lye:
Bot now, how trowe je ? suich a fantasye
Fell me to mynd, that ay me tho^t the bell
Said to me, “ tell on, ma«, quhat the befell.”
12 Tho^At I tho to my-self, “ quhat may this be ?
This is my« awin ymagynacioua ;
It is no lyf that spekA vnto me ;
It is a bell, or that impressiou/z
Off my tho^t causith this Ulusiouzz,
That dooth me think so nycely \n this wise; ”
And so befell as I schall jou deuise.