William Dunbar: Sen that I am a presoneir

Pages	Line number	Line
229	1	Sen that I am a presoneir
	2	Till hir that farest is and best,
	3	I me commend fra #eir till #eir
	4	In till hir bandoun for to rest.
	5	I govit on that gudliest:
	6	So lang to luk I tuk laseir,
	7	Quhill I wes tane, withoutin test,
	8	And led furth as a presoneir.
	9	Hir Sweit Having and Fresche Bewte
	10	Hes wondit me, but swerd or lance.
	11	With thame to go commandit me,
	12	Ontill the castell of pennance.
	13	I said, ‘Is this #our gouirnance,
	14	To tak men for thair luking heir?’
	15	Fresche Bewty said, ‘#a, schir, perchance
	16	#e be my ladeis presoneir.’
	17	Thai had me bundin to the #et,
	18	Quhair Strangenes had bene portar ay,
	19	And in deliuerit me thairat,
	20	And in thir termis can thai say:
	21	‘Do wait and lat him nocht away.’
	22	Quo Strangnes vn to the porteir,
	23	‘Ontill my lady, I dar lay,
	24	#e be to pure a presoneir.’
	25	Thai kest me in a deip dungeoun,
	26	And fetterit me, but lok or cheyne.
	27	The capitane hecht Comparesone -
	28	To luke on me he thocht greit deyne.
230	29	Thocht I wes wo I durst nocht pleyne,
	30	For he had fetterit mony a feir.
	31	With petous voce thus cuth I sene,
	32	‘Wo is a wofull presoneir.’
	33	Langour wes weche vpoun the wall,
	34	That nevir sleipit bot evir wouke.
	35	Scorne wes bourdour in the hall,
	36	And oft on me his babill schuke,
	37	Lukand with mony a dengerous luke.
	38	‘Quhat is he #one that methis ws neir?
	39	#e be to townage, be this buke,
	40	To be my ladeis presoneir.’
	41	Gud Houp rownit in my eir,
	42	And bad me baldlie breve a bill;
	43	With Lawlines he suld it beir,
	44	With Fair Serwice send it hir till.
	45	I wouk and wret hir all my will.
	46	Fair Serwice fur withoutin feir,
	47	Sayand till hir with wirdis still,
	48	‘Haif pety of #our presoneir.’
	49	Than Lawlines to Petie went
	50	And said till hir in termis schort,
	51	‘Lat we #one presoneir be schent,
	52	Will no man do to ws support.
	53	Gar lay ane sege vnto #one fort.’
	54	Than Petie said, ‘I sall appeir.’
	55	Thocht sayis, ‘I hecht, coim I ourthort,
	56	I houp to lows the presoneir.’
	57	Than to battell thai war arreyit all
	58	And ay the wawart kepit Thocht.
	59	Lust bur the benner to the wall,
	60	And Bissines the grit gyn brocht.
	61	Skorne cryis out, sayis, ‘Wald #e ocht?’
	62	Lust sayis, ‘We wald haif entre heir.’
231	63	Comparisone sayis, ‘That is for nocht.
	64	#e will nocht wyn the presoneir.’
	65	Thai thairin schup for to defend,
	66	And thai thairfurth sail#eit ane hour.
	67	Than Bissines the grit gyn bend,
	68	Straik doun the top of the foir tour.
	69	Comparisone began to lour,
	70	And cryit furth, ‘I #ow requeir
	71	Soft and fair and do fawour,
	72	And tak to #ow the presoneir.’
	73	Thai fyrit the #ettis deliuerly,
	74	With faggotis, wer grit and huge,
	75	And Strangenes, quhair that he did ly,
	76	Wes brint in to the porter luge.
	77	Lustely thay lakit, bot a iuge,
	78	Sik straikis and stychling wes on steir.
	79	The semeliest wes maid assege,
	80	To quhome that he wes presoneir.
	81	Throucht Skornes nos thai put a prik,
	82	This he wes banist and gat a blek.
	83	Comparisone wes erdit quik,
	84	And Langour lap and brak his nek.
	85	Thai sail#eit fast, all the fek.
	86	Lust chasit my ladeis chalmirleir,
	87	Gud Fame wes drownit in a sek,
	88	Thus ransonit thai the presoneir.
	89	Fra Sklandir hard Lust had vndone
	90	His ennemeis, he him aganis
	91	Assemblit ane semely sort full sone
	92	And rais and rowttit all the planis.
	93	His cusing in the court remanis,
	94	Bot ialous folkis and geangleiris
	95	And fals Invy, that no thing lanis,
	96	Blew out on luvis presoneir.
232	97	Syne Matremony, that nobill king,
	98	Was grevit and gadderit ane grit ost,
	99	And all enermit, without lesing,
	100	Chest Sklander to the west se cost.
	101	Than wes he and his linege lost,
	102	And Matremony, withowttin weir,
	103	The band of freindschip hes indost
	104	Betuix Bewty and the presoneir.
	105	Be that of eild wes Gud Famis air
	106	And cumyne to continwatioun,
	107	And to the court maid his repair,
	108	Quahir Matremony than woir the crowne.
	109	He gat ane confirmatioun,
	110	All that his modir aucht, but weir,
	111	And baid still, as it wes resone,
	112	With Bewty and the presoneir.



