The Abbey Walk
Allone
as
I
went
up
and
doun
In
ane
abbay
wes
fair
to
se
Thinkand
quhat
consolatioun
Wes
best
into
adversitie,
On
cais
I
kest
on
syd
myne
e
And
saw
this
writtin
upoun
a
wall,
“Of
quhat
estait,
man,
that
thow
be,
Obey
and
thank
thi
God
of
all.”
Thy
kindome
and
thy
grit
empyre,
Thy
ryeltie
nor
rich
array
Sall
nocht
indure
at
thi
desyre
Bot
as
the
wind
will
wend
away.
Thy
gold
and
all
thi
gudis
gay
Quhen
Fortoun
list
will
fra
thee
fall.
Sen
thow
sic
sampillis
seis
ilk
day,
Obey
and
thank
thi
God
of
all.
Job
was
moist
riche,
in
writ
we
find,
Thobe
moist
full
of
cheretie.
Job
wox
peur
and
Thoby
blynd,
Baith
temptit
with
adversitie.
Sen
blindnes
wes
infirmitie
And
povertie
was
naturall,
Thairfoir
in
patience
baith
he
and
he
Obeid
and
thankit
God
of
all.
Thocht
thow
be
blind
or
haif
ane
halt
Or
in
thy
face
deformit
ill,
Sa
it
cum
nocht
throw
thy
defalt,
Na
man
sowld
thee
repreif
by
skill.
Blame
nocht
thy
Lord
sa
is
his
will.
Spur
nocht
thy
fute
aganis
the
wall
Bot
with
meik
hairt
and
prayar
still
Obey
and
thank
thy
God
of
all.
God
of
his
justice
mon
correct
And
of
his
mercy
petie
haif.
He
is
ane
juge
to
nane
suspect
To
puneis
synffull
man
and
saif.
Thocht
thow
be
lord
attouir
the
laif
And
eftirwart
maid
bund
and
thrall,
Ane
peure
begger
with
skrip
and
staif,
Obey
and
thank
thy
God
of
all.
This
changeing
and
grit
variance
Of
erdly
staitis
up
and
doun
Cumis
nocht
throw
casualtie
and
chance
As
sum
men
sayis
without
ressoun,
Bot
be
the
grit
provisioun
Of
God
aboif
that
rewill
thee
sall.
Thairfoir
evir
thow
mak
thee
boun
To
obey
and
thank
thy
God
of
all.
In
welth
be
meik,
heiche
not
thyself,
Be
glaid
in
wilfull
povertie.
Thy
power
and
thy
warldlie
pelf
Is
nocht
bot
verry
vanitie.
Remembir
him
that
on
the
tre
For
thy
saik
gustit
bittir
gall
Quha
hyis
law
and
lawis
he.
Obey
and
thank
thy
God
of
all.”
Robert Henryson
RoBERT HENRYSON, thc charming fabulist, Chaucer's aptest and brightest schoiar, aimost nothing is known. David Laing conjectures him to have been born about 1425, to have been educated at some foreign university, and to have died towards the ciosing years of the fifteenth century. It is certain that in 1462, being then * in Artibus Liceniiatus et in Decretis Bacchaiarius,' he was incorporated of the University of Glasgow; and that he was afterwards schooimaster in Dunferraline, and worked there as a notary-pubiic aiso.