The Argument.
The warlick Douglase on his iournay goas
Wheir his most loued Lord did him command
He finds a deing knight that sadlie shoes
A tale most Pitifull to vnderstand
Which dooth a wofull Iniurie disclose
Wheirof he vous reuenge and in that land
He knou’s a knight whois counsall doth obtane
Douglase cheif strength the English bands ar slane.
Fair fortuns knight that erst had tane in had
The cuntrie al about to vieu and sie
And all the fois designs to vnderstand
whe titanes spous with purple wings forth flie
The golden barrs heaunis siluer gates vpbad
She straight vndois when with dreid majestie
On silver pauid heauins her Lord of light
Rolls forth his golden whils and chareot bright
The weestern lands in clouds of night enrold
From shaddowis dark of death he doth releas
When as the earle so strong so stout so bold
Brings foorth his troup weill armd and thence a pais
He marcht ou’r daells, hills vaills and forrests old
And paissaige frie he finds in euerie place
For being oft encountred by his foes
Fair victoorie still foreward with him gois.
This conquering Lord thrie dayis surth Iournay’t right
When in a wod hard by a riuer side
They sadlie heare a wofull groning knight
Forth throu the grous to him in haist thy ride
Who deidlie woundit lay a wofull sight
His gorie blood the flourie verdir dyit
The erle with pitie sadlie him desoght
What murtherers that cruell act had wroght.
He weaklie leans his head vpone his hand
Wan was his face paile death haith dim’d his sight
An holow sound his deing voice yet fand
These words he braethed faintlie as he might
Ah shall the conquerd conquerours with stand
When eu’ne them selfs against them selfs still fight
Ah heauins thy wrath procur’d doth nou discend,
Ah Scotts, your name, fame, glorie, nou must end.
In Douglas duelt I kennedie I hight
My wife a ladie was allace too fair
To fair allace my sorrous doth indight
Her too chaste mind was frought with virtues rair
In her was all my ioy all my delight
With her remaind my heart my thoght my cair
Yea she me also lou’d as much and more
She me esteimd all earthlie ioys before
A hundreth soldiers and a captane bold
In Douglas strongest castell doth remane
These hath the land in all mischeiff inrold
Which nou by wrong to clifford doth pertane
By wrong vsurping Edwards gift and gold
whill the right heyre deferrs his right to gane
And all the land obeys this captains will
Ether in right or wrong in good or Iil.
One day hee chancd my ladie for to vew
Whill she one diuine seruice did attend
Whill as enamord straight of her he greu
Whom not enioy’t death wold affectioun end
Freindship he vrg’t on me thus did enseu
Tuixt mee and him greate loue but still he faign’d
For all his freindship was for to desceaue me
And of my cheifest ioy for to bereaue me.
Such freindlie loue he seim’d to me to bear
Confermd with words with vous with oaths not feu
That my too trustie mind could noway fear
From such fair sugrad words decept t ‘inseu
But lo he whisperd in my ladeis ear
That I to her did bear a mind vntrew
By this one Slight to winn his soot he tryit
When by all vther means he was denyit
No head to this fond taill at first she took
At last he vrg’d so far he taks on hand
She should it sie her eie theiron should look
Prouiding that she wold but cloisltie stand
And nothing wold beuray to his rebook
Wheir to she yeilds at last which erst I fand
Then foorth into a Groue he did her bring
Our which a mightie clifted rock did hing
Neir to my house this quiet walk doth ly
By which a cleir swist runing riuer glyds
A Sister hath my ladie neir hand by
That with her sire a graue old knight abids
For her the captane seimd in loue to dy
When Pensiue oftentims allone he rids
He hants my house and yet no Ill I deim’d
His virteus worth I still so much esteim’d
Whill oft he pensiue seimd and sad with greif
I much desird the caus thereof to kno
Oft wishd I to his woi’s to find releif
When after greate and much Intreatie lo
He so disgueis’d his thoghts that to be breif
He made me to beleiue his ceasles wo
Proceids from ladie Anns fair beauties beame
For so my ladeis sister heght to name
I pitied him and glad of this his loue
Promeisd his sute should cunninglie be wrought
For which in sacreit I her mind wold proue
This he allous for this was all he soght
But praied I to my wife sould nothing moue
Nor she nor any els shuld know his thoght
But trist her to that secret Groue I should
And their allone to moue her if I could
When night driu’s day doun from the westerne lands
Eu’ne then he brings my ladie foorth to vieu
Wheir I and her fair sister cloislie stands
Within a Groue of bussis thik that greu
My Aarms Imbrac’t I gript and wrong her hands
And of these words I softlie did reneu
Thow then most worthie fear not lou’s annoy
Be secreit still and thou shall all enioy.
This hard my ladie like to burst for greif
Tortred with burning love and cold disdane
Whilst I poore Soule knew noght of this mischeif
Whiche to aquite my paines he doth ordane
Yet to his loue this finds him no releif
Her spotles name for this she wold not staine
But closlie heapes her pane her greif her woe
In her poore heart till it sould burst in two.
As dooth a neu fresse strong and mighte wyne
Perse throw and burst his vessell ould a shunder
So wold her sorrous split her heart in twyne
So oft she wishd to fall her Burden vnder
But hee that could not worke with this Ingine
His lust to furie turn’d almost
(Patrick Gordon)
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Based on Topics: Night Poems, Light Poems, Mind Poems, Death & Dying Poems, Fairness Poems, Name Poems, Gold Poems, Fame Poems, Silver Poems, Sisters Poems, English PoemsBased on Keywords: feu, mighte, castell, weill, edwards, clifford, sute, nou, seruice, furie, worthie