Contents -BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD

Thomas Humphry Ward, ed. The English Poets. 1880–1918.rnVol. I. Early Poetry: Chaucer to Donne

Robert Henryson (1430?–1506?)

The Garmond of Fair Ladies

WALD my gud Lady lufe me best,

And wirk eftir my will,

I suld ane Garmond gudliest

Gar mak hir body till.

Off hie honour suld be hir hud,

Upoun hir heid to weir,

Garneist with governance so gud,

Na demyng suld hir deir.

Hir sark suld be hir body nixt,

Of chestetie so quhyt,

With schame and dreid togidder mixt,

The same suld be perfyt.

Hir kirtill suld be of clene constance,

Lasit with lesum lufe,

The mailyheis of continuance

For nevir to remufe.

Hir gown suld be of gudliness

Weill ribband with renowne,

Purfillit with plesour in ilk place,

Furrit with fyne fassoun.

Hir belt suld be of benignitie,

About hir middill meit;

Hir mantill of humilitie,

To tholl bayth wind and weit.

Hir hat suld be of fair having

And hir tepat of trewth,

Hir patelet of gude pansing,

Hir hals-ribbane of rewth.

Hir slevis suld be of esperance,

To keip hir fra dispair;

Hir gluvis of the gud govirnance,

To hyd hir fyngearis fair.

Hir schone suld be of sickernes,

In syne that scho nocht slyd;

Hir hoiss of honestie, I ges,

I suld for hir provyd.

Wald scho put on this Garmond gay,

I durst sweir by my seill,

That scho woir nevir grene nor gray

That set hir half so weill.