The Bludy Serk

This hindir zeir i hard be tald Thair was a worthy king Dukis erlis and barronis bald He had at his bidding The lord was anceane and ald And sexty zeiris cowth ring He had a dochter fair to fald A lusty lady zing Off all fairheid scho bur the flour And eik hir faderis air Off lusty laitis and he honour Meik bot and debonair Scho wynnit in a bigly bour On fold wes none so fair Princis luvit hir paramour In cuntreis our-allquhair Thair dwelt alyt besyde the king A fowll gyane of ane Stollin he hes the lady zing Away with hir is gane And kest hir in his dungering Quhair licht scho micht se nane Hungir and cauld and grit thristing Scho fand in to hir wane He wes the laithliest on to luk That on the grund mycht gang His nailis wes lyk ane hellis cruk Thairwith fyve quarteris lang Thair wes nane that he ourtuk In rycht or zit in wrang Bot all in schondir he thame schuke The gyane wes so strang He held the lady day and nycht Within his deip dungeoun He wald nocht gif of hir a sicht For gold nor zit ransoun Bot gife the king mycht get a knycht To fecht with his persoun To fecht with him both day and nycht Quhill ane wer dungin doun The king gart seik baith fer and neir Beth be se and land Off ony knycht gife he micht heir Wald fecht with that gyand A worthy prince that had no peir Hes tane the deid on hand For the luve of the lady cleir And held full trew cunnand That prince come prowdly to the toun Of that gyane to heir And fawcht with him his awin persoun And tuke him presoneir And kest him in his awin dungeoun Allane withouttin feir With hungir cauld and confusioun As full weill worthy weir Syne brak the bour had hame the bricht Vnto hir fadir deir Sa evill wondit was the knycht That he behuvit to de Vnlusum was his likame dicht His sark was all bludy In all the warld was thair a wicht So peteous for to sy The lady murnyt and maid grit mone With all hir mekle micht I luvit nevir lufe bot one That dulfully now is dicht God sen my lyfe wer fra me tone Or i had sene zone sicht Or ellis in begging evir to gone Furth with zone curtas knycht He said fair lady now mone i de Trestly ze me trow Tak ze my sark that is bludy And hing it forrow zow First think on it and syne on me Quhen men cumis zow to wow The lady said be mary fre Thairto i mak a wow Quhen that scho lukit to the serk Scho thocht on the persoun And prayit for him with all hir harte That lowsd hir of bandoun Quhair scho was wont to sit full merk In that deip dungeoun And evir quhill scho wes in quert That was hir a lessoun Sa weill the lady luvit the knycht That no man wald scho tak Sa suld we do our god of micht That did all for ws mak Quhilk fullely to deid wes dicht For sinfull manis saik Sa suld we do both day and nycht And prayaris to him mak This king is lyke the trinitie Baith in hevin and heir The manis saule to the lady The gyane to lucefeir The knycht to chryst that deit on tre And coft our synnis deir The pit to hell with panis fell The syn to the woweir The lady was wowd bot scho said nay With men that wald hir wed Sa suld we wryth all syn away That in our breist is bred I pray to iesu chryst verrey For ws his blud that bled To be our help on domysday Quhair lawis ar straitly led The saule is godis dochtir deir And eik his handewerk That was betrasit with lucifeir Quha sittis in hell full merk Borrowit with chrystis angell cleir Hend men will ze nocht herk For his lufe that bocht ws deir Think on the bludy serk (ffinis quod mr r. henrici)