Page:Poems of William Dunbar (1834) Vol 1.djvu/98

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And every flour of vertew, most and leist,

And every herb be seild fer and neir,

As thay had wont in May, fro yeir to yeir,

To hir thair makar to mak obediens,

Full law inclynnand with all dew reverens.

With that annone scho send the suiyft Ro

To bring in beistis of all conditioun;

The restles Suallow commandit scho also

To feche all foull of small and greit renown;

And to gar flouris compeir of all fassoun,

Full craftely conjurit scho the Yarrow,

Quhilk did furth swirk als swift as ony arrow.

All present wer in twynkling of ane é,

Baith beist, and bird, and flour, befoir the Quene;

And first the Lyone, gretast of degré,

Was callit thair, and he, most fair to sene,

With a full hardy contenance and kene,

Befoir dame Nature come, and did inclyne,

With visage bawld, and corage leonyne.

This awfull beist full terrible wes of cheir,

Persing of luke, and stout of countenance,

Rycht strong of corpis, of fassoun fair, but feir,

Lusty of schaip, lycht of deliverance,

Reid of his cullour, as is the ruby glance;

On feild of gold he stude full mychtely,

With flour-de-lycis sirculit lustely.