X.

"Late, late zestrene, I weind in peace "To end my length'ned lyfe;

66

My age micht weil excuse my arm
"Frae manly feats of stryfe :

"But now that Norse dois proudly boast "Fair Scotland to inthral,

"Its neir be said of Hardyknute,

"He feird to ficht or fall.

XI.

"Robin of Rothsay bend thy bow, 66 Thy arrows shute sae leil, "That mony a comely countenance "They've turn'd to deidly pale. "Brade Thomas tak ze but your lance, "Ze neid nae weapons mair; "Gif ze fecht wi't, as ze did anes,

"Gainst Westmoreland's ferss heir.

XII.

"Malcom, licht of fute, as stag "That runs in forest wyld,

"Get me my thousands thrie of men,
"Well bred to sword and schield:
"Bring me my horse and harnisine,
My blade of mettal cleir;"

If faes kend but the hand it bare,
They sune had fled for feir.

XIII.

"Fareweil, my dame sae peirless gude," And tuke hir by the hand,

"Fairer to me in age zou seim

"Than maids for bewtie fam'd: My zoungest son sall here remain, "To guard these stately towirs, "And shut the silver bolt that keips

"Sae fast zour painted bowirs."

XIV.

And first scho wet her comely chieks,
And then hir boddice grene;

Her silken cords of twirtle twist
Weil plett with silver schene;
And apron set with mony a dice
Of neidle-wark sae rare,

Wove by nae hand, as ze may guess,
Saif that of Fairly fair.

XV.

And he has ridden owre muir and moss, Owre hills and mony a glen,

Quhen he came to a wounded knicht,

Making a heavy mane :

"Here maun I lye, here maun I dye

"By treacheries false gyles; "Witless I was that eir gaif faith "To wicked woman's smyles."

XVI.

"Sir knicht, gin ze were in my bowir,
"To lean on silken seat,

“My ladyis kyndlie care zou'd prove
“Quha neir kend deidly hate;
"Hir self wald watch ze all the day,
"Hir maids a deid of nicht,

"And Fairly fair zour heart wald cheir,
"As scho stands in zour sicht.

XVII.

"Arise, zoung knicht, and mount zour steid, "Full lowns* the schynand day; "Cheis frae my menzie † quhom ze pleis, “To leid ze on the way."

With smyless luke, and visage wan,

The wounded knicht replyd, "Kind chieftain, your intent pursue,

"For here I maun abyde.

*Lowns, or rather lown's, is calm.

† Menzie, men.

XVIII.

"To me, nae after day nor nicht, "Can eir be sweit or fair;

"But sune beneath sum draping trie,
"Cauld deith sall end my care."
With him nae pleiding micht prevail,
Braif Hardyknute to gain,

With fairest words and reason strang,
Straif courteously in vain.

XIX.

Syne he has gane far hynd*, attowre
Lord Chattan's land sae wyde;
That lord a worthy wicht was ay,
Quhen faes his courage seyd:
Of Pictish race, by mother's syde:
Quhen Picts ruld Caledon,

Lord Chattan claim'd the princely maid

Quhen he saift Pictish crown.

* Far hynd, attowre, far beyond, over the country.