A Ballad of the Friar of Tungland
As
yung
Aurora
with
cristall
haile
In
orient
schew
hir
visage
paile,
A
swevyng
swyth
did
me
assaile
Of
sonis
of
Sathanis
seid.
Me
thocht
a
Turk
of
Tartary
Come
throw
the
boundis
of
Barbary
And
lay
forloppin
in
Lumbardy
Full
lang
in
waithman
weid.
Fra
baptasing
for
to
eschew,
Thair
a
religious
man
he
slew
And
cled
him
in
his
abeit
new,
For
he
couth
wryte
and
reid.
Quhen
kend
was
his
dissimulance
And
all
his
cursit
govirnance,
For
feir
he
fled
and
come
in
France,
With
littill
of
Lumbard
leid.
To
be
a
leiche
he
fenyt
him
thair,
Quhilk
mony
a
man
micht
rew
evirmair,
For
he
left
nowthir
seik
nor
sair
Unslane
or
he
hyne
yeid.
Vane
organis
he
full
clenely
carvit.
Quhen
of
his
straik
so
mony
starvit,
Dreid
he
had
gottin
that
he
desarvit,
He
fled
away
gud
speid.
In
Scotland
than
the
narrest
way
He
come
his
cunnyng
till
assay.
To
sum
man
thair
it
was
no
play,
The
preving
of
his
sciens.
In
pottingry
he
wrocht
grit
pyne,
He
murdreist
mony
in
medecyne.
The
Jow
was
of
a
grit
engyne,
And
generit
was
of
gyans.
In
leichecraft
he
was
homecyd.
He
wald
haif,
for
a
nycht
to
byd,
A
haiknay
and
the
hurt
manis
hyd,
So
meikle
he
was
of
myance.
His
yrnis
was
rude
as
ony
rawchtir.
Quhair
he
leit
blude
it
was
no
lawchtir.
Full
mony
instrument
for
slawchtir
Was
in
his
gardevyance.
He
cowth
gif
cure
for
laxatyve
To
gar
a
wicht
hors
want
his
lyve.
Quhaevir
assay
wald,
man
or
wyve,
Thair
hippis
yeid
hiddy
giddy.
His
practikis
nevir
war
put
to
preif
Bot
suddane
deid
or
grit
mischeif.
He
had
purgatioun
to
mak
a
theif
To
dee
withowt
a
widdy.
Unto
no
Mes
pressit
this
prelat
For
sound
of
sacring
bell
nor
skellat.
As
blaksmyth
bruikit
was
his
pallatt
For
battering
at
the
study.
Thocht
he
come
hame
a
new
maid
channoun,
He
had
dispensit
with
matynnis
channoun.
On
him
come
nowther
stole
nor
fannoun
For
smowking
of
the
smydy.
Me
thocht
seir
fassonis
he
assailyeit
To
mak
the
quintessance,
and
failyeit.
And
quhen
he
saw
that
nocht
availyeit,
A
fedrem
on
he
tuke,
And
schupe
in
Turky
for
to
fle.
And
quhen
that
he
did
mont
on
he,
All
fowill
ferleit
quhat
he
sowld
be,
That
evir
did
on
him
luke.
Sum
held
he
had
bene
Dedalus,
Sum
the
Menatair
marvelus,
Sum
Martis
blaksmyth,
Vulcanus,
And
sum
Saturnus
kuke.
And
evir
the
tuschettis
at
him
tuggit,
The
rukis
him
rent,
the
ravynis
him
druggit,
The
hudit
crawis
his
hair
furth
ruggit,
The
hevin
he
micht
not
bruke.
The
myttane
and
Sanct
Martynis
fowle
Wend
he
had
bene
the
hornit
howle,
Thay
set
aupone
him
with
a
yowle
And
gaif
him
dynt
for
dynt.
The
golk,
the
gormaw,
and
the
gled
Beft
him
with
buffettis
quhill
he
bled,
The
sparhalk
to
the
spring
him
sped
Als
fers
as
fyre
of
flynt,
The
tarsall
gaif
him
tug
for
tug,
A
stanchell
hang
in
ilka
lug,
The
pyot
furth
his
pennis
did
rug,
The
stork
straik
ay
but
stynt,
The
bissart,
bissy
but
rebuik,
Scho
was
so
cleverus
of
hir
cluik
His
bawis
he
micht
not
langer
bruik,
Scho
held
thame
at
ane
hint.
Thik
was
the
clud
of
kayis
and
crawis,
Of
marleyonis,
mittanis,
and
of
mawis,
That
bikkrit
at
his
berd
with
blawis,
In
battell
him
abowt.
Thay
nybbillit
him
with
noyis
and
cry,
The
rerd
of
thame
rais
to
the
sky,
And
evir
he
cryit
on
Fortoun,
"Fy!"
His
lyfe
was
into
dowt.
The
ja
him
skrippit
with
a
skryke
And
skornit
him,
as
it
was
lyk.
The
egill
strong
at
him
did
stryke
And
rawcht
him
mony
a
rowt.
For
feir
uncunnandly
he
cawkit,
Quhill
all
his
pennis
war
drownd
and
drawkit.
He
maid
a
hundreth
nolt
all
hawkit
Beneth
him
with
a
spout.
He
schewre
his
feddreme
that
was
schene,
And
slippit
out
of
it
full
clene,
And
in
a
myre
up
to
the
ene
Amang
the
glar
did
glyd.
The
fowlis
all
at
the
fedrem
dang
As
at
a
monster
thame
amang,
Quhill
all
the
pennis
of
it
owtsprang
In
till
the
air
full
wyde.
And
he
lay
at
the
plunge
evirmair,
Sa
lang
as
any
ravin
did
rair.
The
crawis
him
socht
with
cryis
of
cair
In
every
schaw
besyde.
Had
he
reveild
bene
to
the
ruikis,
Thay
had
him
revin
all
with
thair
cluikis.
Thre
dayis
in
dub
amang
the
dukis
He
did
with
dirt
him
hyde.
The
air
was
dirkit
with
the
fowlis
That
come
with
yawmeris
and
yowlis,
With
skryking,
skrymming,
and
with
scowlis,
To
tak
him
in
the
tyde.
I
walknit
with
the
noyis
and
schowte,
So
hiddowis
beir
was
me
abowte.
Sensyne
I
curs
that
cankerit
rowte,
Quhairevir
I
go
or
ryde.
