That any sic unworthy wight as he
Into our habit any man should see.
But, gif it pleases all you that are here,
Ye shall him see in likness of a friar
In habit black, it was his kind to wear;
Into sic wise that he shall no man deir,
Sae that ye do as I shall you devise,

"Ha! how! Hurlybass! now I conjure thée !

That up thou rise, and syne to me appear,
In habit black, in likness of a friar.
Out frae this trough, where that thou dois lie,
Thou rax' thee soon, and make no din nor
cry:

wise.

Whatever it be ye either see or hear,

Ye speak no word, nor yet make any stear:1 But hold you close, till I have done my

cure.

And, Symon, ye maun be upon the floor Near beside me, with staff into your hand: Have ye no dread, I shall you aye warrand." And Symon said, "I assent that it be sae. Syne up he gat, and took ane libberlae2 Intill his hand, and on the floor he start, Something affrayed, though stalwart was his heart.

Then Symon said unto Friar Robert soon, "Now tell me, master, what ye will have done."

"Nothing," he said, "but hold you close, and still;

And what I do take ye good tent 3 theretill. And near the door ye hide you privily; And when I bid you strike, strike hardily. Into the neck see that ye hit him right." "I warrand that," quoth he, "with all my might."

Thus on the floor I leave him standand still,

Bidand his time; and turn again I will To friar Robert, that took his book in hye,4 And turned oure the leavis busily

Ane full long space,5 and when he had

2 A baton, or heavy stick, 5 Space of time. 3 Heed. 6 Presently.

see

And syne till us thou show thèe openly. And in this place see that thou no man grieve;

But draw thy handis both into thy sleeve, And pull thy cowl down outour thy face; Thou may thank God thou gettis sic a grace.

Therefore thou turss2 thèe to thine ain resett,3

Let this be done, and make nae mair debate.

In thy departing, see thou make no deray Unto no wight, but freely pass thy way. And in this place see that thou come no

more,

But I command thèe, or else charge before; And oure the stair, see that thou gae with speed;

Gif thou does not, on thine own peril beid."4

With that the friar under the trough

that lay

Raxed him soon, for he was in affray ; Then out the trough he tumbled oure the

stane,

And to the door he shapest him to be gane, With heavy cheer, and dreary counten

ance,

For never before him happened sic a chance.

But when Friar Robert saw him gangand by,

Then unto Symon loudly couth he cry,

I Stretch.

2 Bundle up. 3 Place of abode.

4 Be it.

5 Direct, prepares. 6 Going.

"Strike, strike hardily, for now is time to

thee,"

With that Symon ane fellon flap1 let flee ;
With his burdoun he hit him on the neck;
He was so fierce he fell outour the seck,3
And brak his head upon ane mustard 4 stone.
By that the friar outour the stair was gone,
In sic ane wise he missèd has the trap;
And in the mire he fell, sic was his hap,
Was forty foot in breadth, under the
stair:

Yet gat he up with cleithing 5 naething fair,
Full drearily upon his feet he stood,
And through the mire full smartly then
he yude.6

And oure the wall he clamb right hastily,
Which roundabout was laid with stonis dry.
Of his escape in heart he was full fain.
I trow he shall be laith to come again.

With that Friar Robert start aback, and saw

Down oure the stair, intill a mire he fell, Let him now gae; he is ane graceless ghaist:

And boun ye to your bed and take yourrest."

Thus Symon's head upon the stone was broken;

And oure the stair Friar John in mire has loppen,

And tap oure tail he filed was wonder ill: And Alisone on nae ways gat her will. This is the story that happened of that friar ;

No more there is, but Christ us keep most

dear.

THE THREE PRIESTS OF

PEEBLES.

[THE first notice of these Tales is found

law

Upon the floor; and bleedand was his head. He start till him, and weend he had been dead;

And claught him up, withouten wordis more,

And to the door deliverly him bore.
And, for the wind was blawand in his face,
He soon ourecome7 within a little space.
And syne the friar has franit at him fast,
"What ailed you to be so sair aghast ?"
Hesaid, "Yon friar has made me in affray.'
"Let be," quoth he, "the worst is all away;
Make merry man, and see ye murne nae

the earliest copy that has been traced is an edition printed by Robert Charteris, Edinburgh, 1603.

Pinkerton, on the ground that the kingdom of Granada is referred to as not yet Christian, supposes them to have been written before 1492, and assigns their authorship to Dean David Steill, the author of "The Ring of the Roy Robert," a poem of over 200 lines, but of no poetic value, preserved in the Maitland MS. Sibbald refers them to between 1533 and 1540, and attributes their authorship to John Rolland. Dr Laing says that a portion of them, including the title, is contained in a MS. which appears to have been transcribed twenty years earlier than the date assigned them by Sibbald.

1 From top to toe.

Their inferiority to "The Friars of Berwick," in the telling as well as in the structure of the stories, is very apparent; yet they bear considerable resemblance to that admirable tale; although it were unwarrantable on this ground alone to assign them to the same authorship. The Prelude and "The First Taile " only, are here given; the second, or Master Archibald's Tale, being somewhat unsuitable; and the third, or Master William's, being a more developed allegory than the others, is somewhat dull.]

PREFACE.

IN Peebles town sometime, as I heard tell,
The foremost day of Februar, befel,
Three priests went unto Collation,
Into ane privy place of the said town,
Where that they sat right soft and unfoot
sair;

They loved not nae rangald nor repair.1
And, gif I should the sooth reckon and

say,

I trust it was upon saint Brydis day;
Where that they sat, full easily and soft;
With many loud laughter upon loft.
And, wit ye well, thir three they made

good cheer;

Both with themself what they would tell or crack;

Umquhile sadly,1 umquhile jangle and jack;2

Thus sat thir three beside ane felloun fire, Till their capons were roasted limb and lyre.3

Before them was soon set a roundel 4 bright;

And with ane clean cloth finely dight,
It was oureset, and on it bread was laid.
The eldest then began the grace, and said,
And blessed the bread with benedicite,
With Dominus, Amen, sae mot I thee.
And by 5 they had drunken about a quart,
Then spake ane thus, that Master was in
Art,

And to his name there called John was he; And said, "Sen that we here are priestis three,

Syne wantis nought by him that made the

Nor yet I am not travelled, as are ye,

Presumptuously I think not to presume,
As I that was never travelled but to Rome.
To tell ane tale but error I suppone,
The first tale told, mot be by Master John:
For he hath been in many uncouth land,
In Portugal and in Seville the grand ;
In five kinrikes2 of Spain all has he been
In four christian and ane heathen, I ween.
In Rome, Flanders, and in Venice town,
And other sundry landis up and down.
And for 3 that he spake, first of ane tale,
Therefore, (for) to begin he should not
fail."

Then speaks Master John, "Now by the
Rood,

Me to begin ane tale sen ye conclude,
An I deny,4 then had I sair offended
The thing begun the sooner it is ended."

THE FIRST TALE, TOLD BY MR JOHN.

Sae of thir three estatis all and sum,
In thir three halls he gart the wisest come.
And of their merry cheer what make I
mair?

They fure as well as any folk might fare The king himself come to this burgesses been;

And thir words to them carps2 I ween; And says, "Welcome, burgesses, my beild 3 and bliss!

When ye fare well I may nae mirthis miss When that your ships (at sea) hold hale

and sound.

In riches, goods, and welfare I abound. Ye are the cause of all my life and cheer, Out of far lands your merchandise comes here.

But ane thing is, for short, the cause (is) why

Together here you (now) gart come have I. To you I have ane question to declare

Queen ;

As many in the land before had been.
This king gart set ane plain parliament,
And for the lordis of his kinrik 5 sent;
And, for the welfare of his realm and guide
The three estates concluded at that tide :
The king gart call to his palace all three,
The estates, ilkane7 in their degree.
The Bishops first, with prelatis and abbots
With their clerkis servantis and varlotts
Into ane hall, was large, right high, and
huge;

Thir prelates all right lustily could lodge.
Syne in ane hall, full fair farrand,8
He lodged all the lordis of his land.
Syne in ane hall, was under that full clean
He harboured all his burgesses rich and
bein.9

third heir?

But casts away it that their elders wan: Declare me now this question, gif ye can; To you I give this question, all and sum For to declare, again the morn I come." Unto his lords then comen is the king: Does gladly all he said both old and ying : 4

"My lusty lords, my lieges, and my life I am in sturt 5 when that ye are in strife. When ye have peace, and when ye have pleasance,

Then I am. glad, and derfly" may I dance, Ane head on body dow not7 stand alane, Forout memberis, to be of might and main; For to uphold the body and the head, And sickerly9 to gar it stand in stead, 10 Therefore my lordis and my barons bold

To me all hale ye are help and uphold. And now I will ye wit, with diligence, Wherefore that I gart come sic confluence: And why ye lordis of my parliament

I have gart come, I will tell my intent Ane question I have, ye maun' declare, That in my mind is ever mair and mair, Wherefore, and why, and what can be the

cause,

Sae worthy lords were in mine elder's days, Sae full of freedom, worship, and honour, Hardy in heart to stand in every stour.2 And now in you I find the hale contrair? Therefore this doubt and question ye declare,

And it declare, under the highest pain The morn this time when that I come

again."

Than till his clergy come this noble king, "Welcome Bishops," he said, "with my

blessing;

But ane thing is I would ye understood, The cause into this place for to conclude, Wherefore and why I gart you hither come,

My clergy and my clerkis all and sum;
To you I have nae other tale, nor theme,
Exceptand to you, bishops, a probleme,
Whilk is to me ane question and doubt;
Out of my mind I would ye put it out.
That is to say, the cause wherefore and
why

In auld times and days of ancestry,
Sae mony bishops were and men of kirk,
Sae great will had aye, good works to
work ;

And through their prayers, made to God of might,

The dumb men spake, the blind men gat their sight;

The deaf men hearing, the crooked got their feet,

them beit.2