Minstrelsy of the Scottish border - National Library of Scotland

THE SCOTTISH BOllDER. 185
To the brynyng fyres of liell.
Sees thou, Thomas, yone fayr castell,
That standes ouyr yone fair hill ?
Of town and tower it beereth the belle,
In mid dell erth is none like theretill.
Whan thou comyst in yone castell gaye,
I pray thu curteis man to be ;
What so any man to you say.
Soke thu answer none but me.
My lord is servyd at yche messe,
With XXX kniztes feir and fre ;
I shall say syttyng on the dese,
I toke thy speche beyond the le.
Thomas stode as still as stone.
And behelde that ladye gaye ;
Than was sche fayr and ryche anone.
And also ryal on hir palfreye.
The grewhoundes had fylde them en the dere.
The raches coupled, by my fay,
She blewe her home Thomas to chere,
To the castell she went her way.
The ladye into the hall went,
Thomas folowyd at her hand ;
Thar kept her mony a lady gent.
With curtasy and lawe.
Harp and fedyl both he fande.
The getern and the sawtry,
Lut and rybid ther gon gan,
Thair was al maner of mynstralsy.
The most fertly that Thomas thoght,
When he com emyddes the flore,
Fourty hertes to quarry were broght.
That had ben befor both long and store.
Lymors lay lappyng blode,
And kokes standyng with dressyng knyfe,
And dressyd dere as thai wer wode,
And rewell was thair wonder.
Knyghtes dansyd by two and thre,
All that leue long day.