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Then cried Mahoun1 for a Hieland padyan;2
Syne ran a Fiend to fetch Macfadyan

Far northward in a neuk.3

By he the coronach had done shout,
men so gathered him about

Erse 5

In Hell great room they took.
These termagants, with tag and tatter,
Full loud in Erse begouth to clatter

8

7

And roup like raven and rook.

The Devil sae deaved was with their yell,
That in the deepest pit of hell

He smorit 10 them with smuke.

TO THE KING.

THE PETITION OF THE GREY HORSE, AULD DUNBAK.
Now lovers 11 come with largess loud,
Why should not palfreys then be proud?
When gillets 12 will be shomd and shroud,13
That ridden are baith with lord and lewd ;14
Sir, let it never in toun be tauld 15
That I suld be ane Yule's yauld! 16

When I was young and into ply,17
And would cast gammalds 18 to the sky
I had been bocht in realmès by 19
Had I consented to be sauld.20

Sir, let it never in toun be tauld
That I suld be ane Yule's yauld!

With gentle horse when I would knip,21
Then is there laid on me ane whip;
To coal-heavers then mun I skip
That scabbit are, has cruik, and cald?

22

1 Satan. 2 Pageant. 3 In a corner of the far north. 4 By the time when.

5 Irish, Gaelic. 6 Noisy fellows.

10 Smothered.

11 Petitioners.

7 Began. 12 Fillies.

15 Be told.

8 Croak. 9 Deafened. 13 Decked up and drest

14 Persons of low ranks (lewd). 16 Yule signifies Christmas, and yauld is an old horse. The exact meaning of the expression" ane Yule's yauld" is lost. A superstition prevailed in Morayshire a century ago to the effect that no woman would leave her work unfinished on Christmas Eve for fear she should be Yule's yauld during the next year Yule" being in this case personified in her mind as a night-mare or goblin. Dunbar's refrain, "That I should be ane Yule's yauld" appears to have been an adaptation of some such old proverb or popular superstition. (See Dr. Laing's edition of Dunbar's Poems, vol ii. p. 327.) 17 In condition. 18 Gambols. 21 Crop grass.

19 Bought in neighbouring kingdoms. 20 Sold.

Sir, let it never in toun be tauld
That I suld be ane Yule's yauld!
Thocht in the stall I be not clappit,
As coursers that in silk been trappit,
With ane new house I would be happit 2
Against this Christenmas for the cauld.
Sir, let it never in toun be tauld

1 Though.

That I suld be ane Yule's yauld!
Suppose I were ane auld yaid aiver 3
Shot forth on cleuchs to pull the claver,
And had the strength of all Stranaver,5
I wad at Yule be housed and stalled.
Sir, let it never in toun be tauld
That I suld be ane Yule's yauld!

I am an auld horse, as ye knaw,
That ever in dule does dring' and draw
Great court horse puts me frae the staw
To fang9 the fog by frith and fauld.

Sir, let it never in toun be tauld
That I suld be ane Yule's yauld!

.10

I have run lang forth in the field
On pastures that are plain and peeled;
I micht be now taen in for eild: 11
My beiks 12 are spruning 13 hie and bauld.
Sir, let it never in toun be tauld
That I suld be ane Yule's yauld!

My mane is turned into white,
And thereof ye have all the wite ! 14
When other horse had bran to bite,
I gat but girss,15 knip 16 gif I wald.

Sir, let it never in toun be tauld
That I suld be ane Yule's yauld!

I was never dantit 17 into stable;
My life has been so miserable!
My hide to offer I am able,18

For ill-shorn straw 19 that I reive wald.20
Sir, let it never in toun be tauld

5 Meaning obscure.

That I suld be ane Yule's yauld!

2 Furnished. 3 An old spent horse. 4 Over the fields.
6 Should. 7 Drag. 8 Stall. 9 Encounter.
11 Taken indoors for my old age.
14 Blame.

10 Stripped bare.

13 Projecting high.

17 Petted up in a stable.

12 Teeth. 15 Grass. 16 If I chose to crop it. 18 I can, if I choose, sell my hide.

And yet, suppose my thrift1 be thine
Gif that I die your aucht 2 within,
Let never the Soutters have my skin,
With ugly gums to be gnawin.

Sir, let it never in toun be tauld
That I suld be ane Yule's yauld!
The court has done1 my courage cool,
And made me a for-ridden5 mule;
Yet, to wear trappings at this Yule,
I would be spurrit at every spald! 7

6

Sir, let it never in toun be tauld
That I suld be ane Yule's yauld!

The King's Reply.8

After our writings, Treasurar,
Tak in this grey horse, Auld Dunbar,
Whilk in my aucht, with service true,
In lyart 10 changèd is his hue :

Gar 11 house him now against this Yule,
And busk 12 him like ane bishop's mule;
For with my hand I have indost 13
To pay whatever his trappings cost.

TO THE MERCHANTS OF EDINBURGH.

Why will ye, Merchants of renown,
Let Edinburgh, your noble town,
For lack of reformation,

The common profit tine,14 and fame?
Think ye nocht shame

That ony other region

Shall with dishonour hurt your name?

May nane pass through your principal gates1
For stink of haddocks and of skates,

For cries of carlings 16 and debates,
For fensum 17 flytings 18 of defame.
Think ye nocht shame,

Before strangers of all estates,
That sic dishonour hurt your name?

1 The profit of my carcase. 2 In your possession.
4 Made my spirit cool.

5 Over-ridden.

3 Shoemakers. 6 For royal favours. 7 Joint.

8 There is doubt whether this is the original composition of James IV., or the reply added by Dunbar himself to his own petition. 11 Cause, order. 12 Dress.

10 Into grey.

Possession.
13 Indorsed.
14 Lose.

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2

Your Stinking Stile 1 that standès dark
Holds the licht frae your Parish Kirk;
Your fore-stairs3 maks your houses mirk1
Like nae country but here at hame.
Think ye nocht shame,

Sae little policy,5 to work,

In hurt and slander of your name?

6

At your High Cross, where gold and silk
Suld be, there is but curds and milk;
And at your Tron7 but cockle and wilk,8
Paunches and puddings of Jock and Jame.9
Think ye nocht shame,

Sin as 10 the world says that ilk11
In hurt and slander of your name?

Your Common Minstrels 12 has no tune
But "Now the day dawns" and "Into June; " 13
Cunninger 14 men maun serve Saint Cloun,"
And "Never to other craftès clamb!"

Think ye nocht shame

66

To hauld sic mowers on the moon 15
In hurt and slander of your name?

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Your Burgh of beggars is ane nest;

To shout these swenyours 19 will nocht rest;
All honest folk they do molest,

Sae piteously they cry and rame.'

1 A narrow passage.

2 St. Giles.

20

3 Common stairs to different tenements, which projected into the street. 4 Gloomy.

5 So impolitic.

6 Its site is still marked upon the pavement in the High Street of Edinburgh, and is the place from which public proclamations are made.

7 A public beam for weighing heavy wares stood near the site of the present Tron Church. 8 Cockles and periwinkles.

9 Possibly tripe and haggis. The kind called of Jock and Fame are now unknown. 10 Since (since as). 11 The same, i.e. all this about you. 12 Street pipers maintained by the city. 13 Popular tunes. 14 Cleverer. 15 Uphold or maintain such mouthers on the moon.

16 Shoemakers.

Think ye nocht shame

That for the poor has nothing drest,1
In hurt and slander of your name?

Your profit daily does increase,
Your godly workès less and less;
Through streetès nane may make progress
For cry of crooked, blind, and lame.
Think ye nocht shame

That ye sic substance does possess,
And will nocht win ane better name?

Since, for the Court and the Session,
The great repair 2 of this region
Is in your Burgh, therefore be boun 3
To mend all faults that are to blame,
And eschew shame :

Gif they pass to ane other toun,
Ye will decay, and your great name!

Therefore, strangers and lieges 1 treat;
Tak nocht ower mickle for their meat;
And gar your Merchants be discreet,
That nae extortions be proclaim,®

5

Offerand ane shame.

Keep order; and poor neighbours beit,
That ye may get ane better name!

Singular profit so does you blind,
The common profit goes behind.
pray the Lord remede 10 to find,
That died into Jerusalem;

I

And gar 11 you shame;

That sometime reason may you bind
For to reconquer 12 your good name.

OF THE WORLD'S INSTABILITY.

AN APPEAL TO THE KING FOR A BENEFICE.

This waverand 13 warld's wretchedness;
The failand fruitless busyness;

The mis-spent time, the service vain ;-
For to consider is ane pain.

1 Provided.
5 Cause.
9 The gain of the many,

2 Resort.
6 Proclaimed.

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