XVI.

And eke the goddis mercifull virking,
For my long pane, and trew service in lufe,
That has me gevin halely myne asking,

Quhich has my hert for ever set abufe

In perfyte joye, that never may remufe,
Bot onely deth, of quhom in land and prise,
With thankfull hert I say richt in this wise.

XVII.

Blissit mot be the goddis all,

So fair that glateren in the firmament!

And blissit be thaire myt celestiall,

That have conuoyit hale with one assent,

My lufe, and to glade a consequent!

And thankit be fortunys exiltre,

And quhele, that thus so wele has quhirlit me.

XVIII.

Thankit mot be, and fair and lufe befall
The nychtingale, yat with so gud entent
Sang thare of lufe, the notis suete and small,
Quhair my fair hertis lady was present,

Hir with to glad, or that sche forthir went;

And thou gerafloure, mot I thankit be
All other flouris for ye lufe of ye.

XIX.

And thankit be ye fair castell wall,
Quhare as I quhilom lukit furth and lent,
Thankit mot be the sanctis merciall,

That me first causit hath this accident:
Thankit mot be the grene bewis bent,
Throu quhom and vnder first fortunyt me,
My hertis hele and my confort to be.

XX.

For to the presence suete and delitable,
Rycht of this floure yat full is of plesance,
By processe and by menys favourable,
First of ye blisful goddis purveyance,
And syne throu long and trewe contynance
Of veray faith in lufe and trew service,
I cum am, and forthir in this wise.

XXI.

Vnworthy lo bot onely of hir grace,
In lufis rok, that esy is and sure,

In guerdoun of all my lufis space
Sche hath me tak, hir humble creature,

And thus befell my blisfull auenture,

In zouth of lufe, that now from day to day
Flourith ay newe, and zit forther I say.

XXII.

Go litill tretise, nakit of eloquence,
Causing simpless and pouertee to wit,
And pray the reder to have pacience
Of thy defaute, and to supporten it,
Of his gudnesse thy brukilnesse to knytt,
And his tong for to reule and to stere,
That thy defautis helit may bene here.

XXIII.

Allace! and gif thou cumyst in ye presence!
Quhare as of blame faynest thou wald be quite,
To here thy rude and crukit eloquens,
Quho sal be there to pray for thy remyt?
No wicht bot gif hir merci will admyt
The for gud will, that is thy gyd and stere,
To quham for me thou piteousely requere.

§ XXII. and XXIII. The genuine natural simplicity of these two stanzas, as they express the modesty of the Royal Poet, do likewise enhance the merit of his poem.

No less does the fine concluding compliment, which he pays to Chaucer and Gower, "his maisters dere."

REMARKS

ON THE

SCOTS LANGUAGE.

THE

HE science of Etymology has, of late years, fallen into disrepute, rather, I believe, from the ignorance or negligence of some of its professed admirers, than because it is of little utility or importance to the Republic of Letters. But many attempts, and sometimes with success, have been made in this kind of investigation. The Dutch has been illustrated by the Frisian and Teutonic; the English by the Anglo-Saxon; and the German has been explained, with much labour and care, by Wach ter, and others, from the ancient monuments of the Francs, Goths, and Alamanni. The learned Ihre, Professor at Upsal, has illustrated the ancient language and laws of Sweden, in his Lexicon Swio-Gothicum, a work that will ever be regarded as a noble treasury of Scandinavian antiquities.