in the vivid descriptions and stirring incidents, the moral aim of the author. The King is a real feudal monarch, holding his state nobly amongst his living subjects and vassals; whilst Queen Pleasance, in her enchanted castle, charms us, not only by her beauty, but is invested with so much nature and verisimilitude, that we believe her a real enchantress, surrounded by her beautiful and captivating syrens. The first canto opens with great spirit:

King Hart into his comely castel strang,1
Closed about with craft and meikle ure,2
So seemly was he set his folk amang,

That he no doubt had of misaventure.
So proudly was he polished, plain, and pure,
With Youthheid and his lusty levis grene,
So fair, so fresh, so likely to endure,
And also blyth as bird in summer schene.
"For, was he never yet with shouris schot,
Nor yet o'er run with rouk3 or ony raine,
In all his lusty lecam not ane spot,

Na never had experience into paine.
But alway into lyking mocht to layne,5

Only to love and very gentleness;

He was inclynit cleanlie to remain,

And wonn under the wing of Wantonness."

Thus slightly modernized

66

King Hart sat in his comely castle strong,
All closed about with craft and cunning sure,
So proudly was he placed his folks among,
That he no doubt had of misadventure.
His state did promise it should long endure;
His youth was fresh, his lusty leaves were green,
His cheek show'd mantling blood, as ruby pure,
His voice was blyth as bird in summer sheen.

1

strong.

2 toil.
3 moisture.
might incline to pleasure.

6 live.

4 body.

"Like goodly tree whom tempest ne'er had torn,

Or fresh-blown rose, whose beauty ne'er could wane,
King Hart stood firm; his curling locks, unshorn,
Play'd round his brows; he never dreamt of pain:
But always thought in liking soft to layne,'
Love's servant, nurst in lap of gentleness-

He fondly dreamt that he should aye remain,
And won beneath the wing of Wantonness."

The poet proceeds to tell us that, however bold he looked, this king did not enjoy freedom-since Nature had commissioned various "ythand servitouris," or diligent servants, to guide and govern him under which description he includes the many evil passions and wicked propensities to which the heart of man is a prey :

-

"First was their Strength and Rage and Wantonness;
Green Lust, Disport, Jelosy, and Invy,
Freschness, new gate, Waist-gude and Wilfulness;
Deliverness, Full-hardiness thairby,
Gentrice, Freedom, Pitie, Privy, espy,
Want-wit, Vain-gloir, and Prodigalitie,

Unrest, Night-walk, and felon Gluttony,
Unricht, Dym-sicht, with Slycht and Subtiltie."

While King Hart is surrounded by these subjects,
Honor arrives at the gate, but is denied admit-

tance:

"Honor persewit to the Kingis yet,'

Thir folk said all thai wald not let him in,
Becaus thai said the laird to feast was set,
With all his lusty servants more and myn;3
But he ane port had entered with a gyn:
And up he came in haist to the great toure;
And said he suld it perall all with fine
And fresh delight, with many a richest flower."

The castle of dame Pleasure is next described

1 lie.

3 2 gate.

more and less. 4 decorate it.

"The quhilk was paralld all about with pride;" and from this fortress, into which no care or sorrow can force its entrance, this beauteous queen issues on a day to take her sport in the forest :

"Happend this worthy queen upon a day,

With her fresh court arrayet weill at rycht,
Hunting to ride her, to disport and play,
With mony a lustre ladie fair and brycht,
Hir banner schene displayit and on hycht
Was seen above ther heedis; where they raid
The green ground was illuminyt of the lycht-
Fresh Beauty had the vanguard and was guide."
Thus slightly changed:-

"It hapt this lovely queen upon a day,

With her gay court in glittering weeds bedight,
Rode to the chace, intent on sport and play,
Circled with many a lady fair and bright.
Their radiant banner was display'd on height,
And from its sun-lit wavy folds was shed
Upon the verdant turf a flood of light;

Whilst Beauty, huntress sweet, the joyous vanguard led." When the lovely queen and her troop of bright and captivating ladies approach the castle of King Hart, with their banner waving, and the sounds of joyousness and melody, the warders alarmed, inform the monarch, and advise that he should send some messenger to discover their intentions; upon this, Youthheid and Delight instantly offer their services :

"Youthheid upstert and cleckit1 on his cloke,
Was broudin all with lustre levis grene-
Rise Fresche Delyt, lat not this mater soke,2
We will go see quhat may this muster mene;
So weill we sall us it copi betwene,
That thair sall nothing pass away unspyit,

1 buckled.

VOL. III.

2 slacken.

L

Syne sall we tell the King as we have sene,
And thair sall nothing trewlie be denyit."

The catastrophe of Youthheid and Fresh Delight, who are dazzled and disarmed by Beauty, and carried prisoners to her castle, is sweetly told. With scarce any change, except the substitution of the ancient for the modern spelling, the stanzas throw themselves into beautiful poetry :

"Youthheid forth far'd-he rode on Innocence,
A milk-white steed that ambled as the wind;
Whilst Fresh Delight bestrode Benevolence,
A palfrey fair, that would not bide behind:
The glorious beams had almost made them blind,
That forth from Beauty burst, beneath the cloud
With which the goddess had herself enshrined,
Sitting, like Eastern queen, in her pavilion proud.
"But these young wights abased at the sight,

Full soon were staid in their courageous mood;
Instant within them died all power and might,
And gazing, rooted to the earth they stood;
At which Fair Calling, seeing them subdued,
Seized on their slacken'd rein with rosy hands:

Then to her castle swift away she yude,1

And fasten'd soon the twain in Venus' silken bands."

The consequences of this capture may be easily anticipated. King Hart, discomposed at the disappearance of his espials, sends others of his subjects to inquire the cause: these, with equal ease, are made prisoners, and the monarch, beholding from the battlements the total discomfiture of this second party, calls to arms, and, at the head of his host, his broad banner waving over a wood of spears, issues forth to attack his fair antagonists. As we already know, he is grievously wounded

1 went.

and taken prisoner. The story now gets ingeniously intricate, but tedious withal, and we cannot follow the subjects of the king into their several dungeons: he himself is closely confined within a grated chamber, near the "donjon" tower, where, as he lies sick with love, and hopeless of escape, his only comfort is to listen to the melody which issues from the palace of dame Pleasance. The prisoners, however, by means of Pity, one of her ladies who deserts her service, subtilely effect their escape. The lovely queen, when asleep in her pavilion, is surprised, and in her turn becomes a captive. Conscious of her power, she requests an interview with King Hart, and he, as may be expected, is too happy to become her liberator;the canto concluding, in all due propriety, with their espousals and marriage-feast. The opening of the second canto, and the arrival of Age, is given with great spirit:

"Quha is at eis quhen baith ar now in bliss,

But fresche King Hart that cleirlie is above,
And wantis nocht in warld that he culd wis,1
And traistis nocht that eer he sall remove
Scoir years and more, Schir Lyking and Schyr Luif
Of him thai haif the cure and governance;

Quhile at the last befell, and sa behuif,2

Ane changeing new, that grevit Dame Pleasance.
"Ane morning tide quhen that the sun so schene,
Out-raschet had his bemys from the sky,
Ane auld gude man before the yett3 was sene
Upon ane steid that raid full easilie.
He rappit at the yett-but curtaslie,

Yet at the straik the grit dungeon gan din;
Then at the last he schouted fellonly,

And bade thaim rise, and said he man1 come in."