"Sen that I go beguil'd

"With ane that faith has syld,1

2

"That gars me oft-syis3 sigh full sair,
"And walk among the holtis hair,4
"Within the woodis wild.

"This great disease for love I dre ;5
"There is no tongue can tell the wo:
"I love the love that loves not me:
"I may not mend, but mourning mo,' 6
"While God send some remeid
"Through destiny or deid."

"I am his friend, and he my foe.
"My sweet, alas! why does he so ?
"I wrought him ne'er na feid !§

"Withoutin feign I was his friend

"In word and work, great God it wait!? "Where he was plac'd, there list I leynd,

10

3 Oft-sithes, i. e. oft-times. Holtis hoar is used in Sir Laun5 Endure.

except by a continuance of 8 Feud, enmity.

C

10 To dwell. Rudd. Gloss,

3

"But now he gais another gait, 3 "And has no eye to my estate,* "Which does me all this pyne. 5.

"It does me pyne that I may prove,
"That makis me thus mourning mo.
"My love he loves another love;

"Alas, sweet-heart, why does he so?
"Why should he me forsake?

"Have mercy on his maik. 6

"Therefore my

heart will burst in two:

"And thus, walking with doe and roe

"My life now here I take."

Then weepit she, lusty in weed,

And on her wayis can she went,7 ·

In hy, after that heynd's I yede,

And in my armis could her hent,"

'Keeping, watching, guarding against.

2 Sin, impeachment.

3 Gait, or gate, and way, were formerly synonymous; and

the Scots still use gang your gait, for go your way..

4 State, situation.

6 Companion, mistress.

8 Beautiful woman.

5 Pain.

7 Wend, go.

And said, "Fair lady, at this tide

66

(With leave) ye man abide,

“And tell me who you hither sent?

"Or why ye bear your bow so bent "To slay our deer of pride?

"In waithman1 weed sen I

you find,

“In this wood walkand your alone,

"Your milk-white handis we shall bind

"While that the blood burst fra the bone.

"Chargeand you to prisoùn,

"To the king's deep dungeoùn.

"They may ken by your feather'd flane “Ye have been many beastis' bane, "Upon thir bentis brown."

That free answer'd with fair afeir, 3

And said, "Sir, mercy! for your might! "Thus man I bow and arrows bear,

"Because I am ane banish'd wight;

'Outlaw.

"They ought not to be hold vagabond nor waith."

[G. Douglas, p. 159. 27.]

Little John and Robin Hood

Wayth men were commended good.

[Wyntown's Chron. vol. 1. p. 397.]

2 Arrows. Ruddim. Gloss.

3 Propriety? aferir, Fr. is synonymous with convenir.

"So will I be full lang :
"For God's love let me gang;

"And here to you my truth I plight,
"That I shall, neither day nor night,
"No wild beast wait with wrang.

"Though I walk in this forest free
"With bow and eke with feather'd flane,
"It is weill mair than dayis three.
"And meat or drink yet saw I nane.
"Though I had ne'er sic need
"Myself to win my bread,

"Your deer may walk, sir, their alane.1

"Yet was I ne'er na beastis bane;.

"Sen that I never did you ill,

"It were no skill you did me skayth."

2

"Your deer may walk where'er they will,
"I win my meat with na sic waith. 3
"I do but little wrang,

"But gif I flouris fang.

4

In the eighth stanza, the author uses your alone instead

of you alone.

2 Mischief.

4 Seize. Sax.

3 Hunting; wathan. Sax.

"Gif that ye trow not in my aythe,
"Take here bow and arrows baythe,
"And let my own self gang."

my

"I say your bow and arrows bright!
"I bid not have them, by Saint Bride,
"But ye man rest with me all night,
"All naked, sleepand by my side.”—
"I will not do that sin,

66

Leif you, this world to win !"-
"Ye are so hale of hue and hide, 2

"Love has me fangit in this tide : "I may not fra you twyn.”

993

Then lookit she to me, and leuch; 4

And said, "Sic love I rid you layne : 5 "Albeid ye make it ne'er sa teuch,‘ "To me your labour is in vain. "Were I out of your sight

"The space of half a night,

66 Suppose ye saw me ne'er again—

"Love has you strain'd with little pain, "Thereto my truth I plight."