Thomas Humphry Ward, ed. The English Poets. 1880–1918.rnVol. I. Early Poetry: Chaucer to Donne
Gawain Douglas (c. 1474–1522)Extracts from The Palice of Honour: The Fête Champêtre
O
Law at the fute of ane faire grene montane,
Amid ane meid schaddowit with ceder treis,
Saif fra all heit, thair micht we weill remane.
All kinde of herbis, flouris, frute, and grane,
With euerie growand tre thair men micht cheis,
The beriall stremis rinnand ouir stanerie greis
Made sober noyis, the schaw dinnit agane
For birdis sang, and sounding of the beis.
The ladyis fair on diuers instrumentis,
Went playand, singand, dansand ouir the bentis,
Full angellike and heuinlie was thair soun.
Quhat creature amid his hart imprentis,
The fresche bewtie, the gudelie representis,
The merie speiche, fair hauingis, hie renoun
Of thame, wald set a wise man half in swoun,
Thair womanlines wryithit the elementis,
Stoneist the heuin, and all the eirth adoun.