Page:Christ's kirk on the green (1).pdf/10

 10 CHRIST'S KIRK Canto II.

CANTO II.

BUT there had been mair blood and ſkaith, Sair hardſhips and great ſpoulzie, And mony a ane had gotten his death By this unſonfie toulzie; 4 But that the bauld goodwife of Braith, Armd with a great kail gully, Came belly ffaught, and loot an aith, She'd gar them a' be hooly. 8 Fou faſt that day.

Blyth to win aff fae wi' hale banes, Tho' mony had clowr'd pows; And dragl'd fae 'mang muck and ſtanes, They look'd like worry-cows: 12 Quoth ſome, who maiſt had tint their aynds, Let's ſee how a' bowls rows: And quat their brulziment at anes, Yon gully is nae mows, 16 Farſooth this day.

The King having painted the rufic ſqnable with an uncom- mon ſpirit, in a moſt ludicrous manner, in a ſtanza of verſe, the moſt difficult to keep the ſenſe complete, as he has done, with out being forced to bring in words for crambo's fake, where they return ſo frequently. Ambitious to imitate ſo great au Original, I put a ſtop to the war; called a congreſs, and made them ſign a peace, that the world might lave their picture in the more agreeable hours of drinking, dancing and ſinging. The following Cantos. were wrote, the one in 1715, the other in 1718, about 300 years af- ter the firſt. Let no worthy poet deſpair of immortality: good ſenſe will be always the ſame in ſpite of the revolution of words.

7. Cane bellyflaught.) Came in a great hate, as it were fly- ing full upon them with her arms ſpread, as a falcon with expand- ed wings comes ſouſſing upon her prey. 8. Be hooly fou faſt.) Defiſt immediately. 14. Let's ſee how a' bowls rows.) A bowling-green phraſe, commonly uſed when people would examine any affair that's 2 little ravel'd.