Discretion in Giving [In geving sowld discretioun be]To speik of gift or almous deidis]

Sum gevis for mereit and for meidis,

Sum, warldly honour to uphie,

Gevis to thame that nothing neidis.

In geving sowld discretioun be.

Sum gevis for pryd and glory vane,

Sum gevis with grugeing and with pane,

Sum gevis, in practik, for supplé,

Sum gevis for twyis als gud agane.

In geving sowld discretioun be.

Sum gevis for thank and sum for threit,

Sum gevis money and sum gevis meit,

Sum gevis wordis fair and sle,

Giftis fra sum ma na man treit.

In giving sowld discretioun be.

Sum is for gift sa lang requyrd,

Quhill that the crevar be so tyrd

That, or the gift deliverit be,

The thank is frustrat and expyrd.

In geving sowld discretioun be.

Sum gevis to littill full wretchitly,

That his giftis ar not set by,

And for a huidpyk haldin is he

That all the warld cryis on him, "Fy!"

In geving sowld discretioun be.

Sum in his geving is so large

That all ourlaidin is his berge.

Than vyce and prodigalité

Thairof his honour dois dischairge.

In geving sowld discretioun be.

Sum to the riche gevis geir

That micht his giftis weill forbeir;

And thocht the peur for falt sowld de,

His cry nocht enteris in his eir.

In geving sowld discretioun be.

Sum givis to strangeris with faces new,

That yisterday fra Flanderis flew,

And to awld servandis list not se,

War thay nevir of sa grit vertew.

In geving sowld discretioun be.

Sum gevis to thame can ask and plenyie,

Sum gevis to thame can flattir and fenyie,

Sum gevis to men of honestie

And haldis all janglaris at disdenyie.

In geving sowld discretioun be.

Sum gettis giftis and riche arrayis,

To sweir all that his maister sayis,

Thocht all the contrair weill knawis he -

Ar mony sic now in thir dayis.

In geving sowld discretioun be.

Sum gevis gudmen for thair thewis,

Sum gevis to trumpouris and to schrewis,

Sum gevis to knaiffis awtoritie,

Bot in thair office gude fundin few is.

In geving sowld discretioun be.

Sum givis parrochynnis full wyd,

Kirkis of Sanct Barnard and Sanct Bryd,

To teiche, to rewill, and to ouirsie,

That hes na wit thamselffe to gyd.

In geving sowld discretioun be.

William Dunbar

WiUiam Dunbar was born, probably in East Lothian, between 1450 and 1460. He entered the University of St. Andrews in 1475, and took his full degree in 1479. In eariy life, according to his own account, he went about from Berwick to Dover, and passed over to Calais and Picardy, preaching and alms-gathering as a Franciscan noviciate ; but he became dissatisficd with this life and does not seem to have taken the vows of the order. It has been inferred from allusions in his verse that he was for some years empioyed in connection with foreign embassies. Toward tiie close of the century we find him in attendance on the Scotch Court, a poet with an established reputation, and a continual suitor for piace. In 1500 he received from the king (James IV) a pension of ^io , raised by degrees, during the next ten years to ;^8o ? then a respectable annuity; but he never obtained the Church promotion, to which on somewhat irrelevant grounds he constantly laid claim.

More poems from same author

A Dream Discretion in Taking [In taking sowld discretioun be] In a Secret Place [Ye brek my hart, my bony ane] Of James Dog [Madame, ye heff a dangerous dog] Rule of Oneself [He rewllis weill that weill himself can gyd]

Discretion in Giving [In geving sowld discretioun be]To speik of gift or almous deidis]

More poems from same author

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