The Argument.
The Bruce dispersed host their Lord doeth know
Who to Kintyre reteirs and their doeth sie
An aged Syre that vnto him doeth show
The heauenlie constullations curiouslie
And his blesd race and princelie stemm doeth draw
From these rair purtrates in the heauens that be
He showes eche Prince and doeth the lyne aduance
To that fair matchles Douager of France.
Soft now my Muse and do not sore to hye
Waed not in curious questiones too deep
Let thy pure ground be trueth and veritie
And learne the cheefest pointe’s & heads to keep
Altho thou somtyme wantonize awry
To recreat thy self yet softlie creep
So neir the treuth as none may heare nor se
To taint the chastest eare nor sharpest eye.
The chyld doeth learne his lessone euerie day
Yet play doeth oftin recreat his Sprite
play sharpes th ingyne makes pregnant witt’s they say
After long studie honest mirth is meet
The purest trueth doeth harshslie rune away
But sau’cd with Parnass streames it sounds more sweet
The strength es stomak waek and wanting power
With sugar sweet accepts a portion sover.
Whill Bruce and Douglas sleepes and dreames of toyes
That in their moystned braine impression makes
Evne as the Day comes in they heare a noyes
A noyes that suddanelye them both awakes
Yet makes them both therafter to reioyse
And greif’s sad vale from their sharp eyes it shaekes
For heaune blissd Bruce was so with patience cround
Adversitie his mynd could neuer wound.
Altho he gravelie did vnfold his ill
Vnto the valiant Count his woes bewaeling
Yet with a constant minde he actes them still
His cheerfull lookes and words so muche prevailling
As in their heartes all thought of feare did kill
And winnes their love their curage still appealling
Who were his followers in eche wofull fight
And could no danger feare if in his sight.
Which made them all way vp and doun to rainge
Throw desarts Montains plains and Forrests hore
Bewailling their hard lots and fortuns strainge
Their want of food, but want of him much more
They did lament: and in this wofull chainge
They sweare to venge his death or die theirfore
For sure they thoght he by mishap did stray
Amongst his foes when night did parte the fray
Now were they come neir to the grove wheir ho
And Douglas slumberd soundlie in a dreme
Who both awaekt rush’d furt he and streight they sie
An armed man the King knew weill his name
whome when he cald the rest did quicklie flie
Furth through the groves; some feares, and some thinkes shame
Yet loue and ioie recald them all at last
Before his feit them selfes they humblie cast.
So haue I fiene a moore-hen in the spring
Missing her tender Brood throw desearts straying
She in her throat some chirping nots doth sing
Which when they heare with naturall loue repaying
Her kyndlie cair in haist them selfs they bring
And floks about her all her will obeying
She seims right glad to sie her yung ones so
Scap’d from the Daunger of their rawning foe
When he vnlac’d his burnishd helme of gold
His milde, Sueit, manlie countenance they knew
Vertue and Grace diuyne they might behold
Like Phebus beams from his fair looks t’ensew
As Phebus draw’s the dew vp from the mold
His eies their hearts so from their bosoms drew
Before him still vpone their kneis they fall
To gratious hea’uens they render thankes for all
He thankes them for their faith their trueth their love
And to eche man did seuerall favores sho
Soone after they from thence did all remove
And westward to Dumberton glaedlie go
From thence great Neptunes freindship wold they prove
And th’Oceans watrie force they neids wold kno
Shipd for Kyntire fleing the wind before
Ere morrow nixt they saiflie came to shore.
The king his men in throgh the cuntrie sent
With them the Errl of lennox for their Lord
An vther way he with the Douglas went
To sie what fauour fortuon wold affoord
They trawelling allong with this Intent
At last their way them to a wod restord
Wheir half a myill at most they had not riddin
When both to ryd one way were thus forbiddin.
Two vglie monstruos wolfs they might espy
Had kild a harte and on the same was feiding
Eche choosd a wolf his hors swift Paise to try
For Boare-spears serud their launce in this proceeding
Eche wolf his follower leads a sundrie way
Their eger chase and ther persuit deriding
What fortun hevins for Douglas had apointed
We’ll after show, now to the Lords anointed
I mean the Bruce that brave and valiant Prince
Who with an egger mind perseu’d the chace
The wolf had left the wood and for defence
Vnto a mighte Rock he rins a pace
Breathles he seimd so slowlie runing thence
As made the Prince hope weill to winne the race
He quyts his horse rins vp the Rock in haiste
But soone he loste the sight of whome he chaist
His trevell lost he wold returne o’re night
Yet anye where to ryid he doeth not knoe
The Rock he seis of such a wondrous hight
As all the countrey round about would show
Vp then he goes to view so fair a sight
Whill he ascends the sone discendet low
But e’re he could vnto the top attaine
Night spreds her painted vaile o’re all the plaine.
In heavns heighe court the lampes all lighted shynes
Which him constraind to searche some place of rest
The montaines top was deckt with oakes and pynes
Where nature hade a garden rairlie drest
With fontanes walkes and groves without ingynes
Of arte: yet seemd of artes best skill poseest
But sad it seemd to Nightes sad shad inclyning
Showne to the Prince by Ph
(Patrick Gordon)
More Poetry from Patrick Gordon:
Patrick Gordon Poems based on Topics: Arguments, Kings & Queens, Night, Sense & Perception, Man, Gold, Place, Spring, Food, Garden- The Famous Historie: Cap. XV (Patrick Gordon Poems)
- The Famous Historie: Cap. XVI (Patrick Gordon Poems)
- The Famous Historie: Cap. XIV (Patrick Gordon Poems)
- The Famous Historie: Cap. XVII (Patrick Gordon Poems)
- The Famous Historie: Cap. III (Patrick Gordon Poems)
- The Famous Historie: Cap. VI (Patrick Gordon Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: Man Poems, Night Poems, Sense & Perception Poems, Place Poems, Kings & Queens Poems, Gold Poems, Spring Poems, Garden Poems, Food Poems, Arguments PoemsBased on Keywords: thankes, weill, countrey, cald, thinkes, hade, neir, phebus, mighte, heighe, kno
- Malcolm's Katie: A Love Story - Part IV. (Isabella Valancy Crawford Poems)
- The Passion Of Dido For Aeneas (John Denham Poems)
- An Essay on Man: Epistle II (Alexander Pope Poems)
- Malcolm's Katie: A Love Story - Part III. (Isabella Valancy Crawford Poems)
- The Famous Historie: Cap. VIII (Patrick Gordon Poems)