2 Her mantle of humility To thole both wind and wet. Her hat should be of fair having, Her sleeves should be of esperance, Her shoen should be of sickerness,4 Would she put on this garment gay, That she wore never green or gray, That set her half so well. Suffer. Sax. Thinking. I do not understand the word patelet (pattelette. Fr.) unless it mean lappet. 3 Her neck-ribband of pity. • Felicity. 4 Security, steadiness. • Became. he Lord Hailes, in his notes on this poem, which supposes to be " a sort of paraphrase of 1 Tim. "ii. 9-11," observes very justly, that the comparison between female ornaments, and female virtues, is carried so far as to become "somewhat "ridiculous." But this strange conversion of the virtues into the stock in trade, of an allegorical mantua-maker, was first conceived by Olivier de la Marche, who, in a poem intitled "Le Triomphe, ou "Parement des Dames d'Honneur," recommends to the ladies slippers of humility, shoes of diligence, stockings of perseverance, garters of " ferme propos" (i. e. determination), a petticoat of chastity, a pincushion of patience, &c. Such was the taste of the age, but the following fine moral poem, will shew that Henrysoun's talents were fitted for a better employment than that of imitating Olivier de la Marche. The Abbey Walk. Alone as I went up and down, Was best unto adversity; I On case I cast on side mine ee,2 And saw this written on a wall: "Of what estate, man, that thou be, "Obey, and thank thy God of all!" Thy kingdom, and thy great empire, Shall nought endure at thy desire; Though thou be blind, or have an halt, Or in thy face deformed ill, So it come not through thy default, No man should thee repreif 3 by skill. Blame not thy Lord, so is his will! Spurn not thy foot against the wall; But with meek heart, and prayer still, Obey, and thank thy God of all. God, of his justice, mon 4 correct; Though thou be lord atour the laif,' This changing, and great variance Of God above, that rule thee shall! In wealth be meek, heich4 not thyself; Above the rest: literally, beside the rest. Fr. Patrick Johnstoun is only known to us by a single specimen of 64 lines, printed in lord Haile's collection. The following are the most striking stanzas. The three dead Powis.1 1. O sinful man! into this mortal see Which is the vale of mourning and of care, III. O wanton youth! as fresh as lusty May, Thy crampland 7 hair, and eke thy crystal eyn, 6 Holkit and how are nearly synonymous, both meaning hollow, emaciated: wallowed is faded. Curled, like tendrils. |