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poetry. - 67 
GLEANINGS OF ANCIENT POETRY. 
¥ LAUS VENERIS. 
“ ANE TREATISE CALLIT THE COURT OF VENUS, DIVIDIT INTO 
FOUR BUIKES, NEWLIE COMPYLIT BE JOHN ROLLAND IN DAL- 
KEITH, IMPRINTIT AT EDINBURGH BE JOHN ROS, MDLKXXV. 
Cum privilegio regali. 
Our fra the splere with cordiall amauris, 
Greit salusingis, with greitings full of gloir; 
Laude, reverence, helth, vertew, and honouris; 
With all havingis that may ane corps decoir, 
To the Venus I render evermoir. 
And nocht causles; with superabund:nt 
Mirth, melodie, thow dois my hart refloir, 
As invincent victeur, and.triumphant. 
For to remane into memoriall 
Thy name and fame in chronik and scriptour, 
I sall gar prent to keip perpetuall, 
As is the actis of the greit conquerour 5 
©! Venus, quene! of all’ quenis the flour, 
Adres my spreit, that I may say sum thing, 
Within this gairth to thy laude and honour, 
The to salute, and thy sone Cupid king. 
My spreitis thay feir, for dreid my hart dois quaik, 
My toung trimblis nalfin ane extasie, 
Fra my febill and feint ingine totak, 
And to descrive the greit nobilitie 
And tendernefs that dois remane in the. 
The proverb is, gude will sould be payment, 
Because the toung can nocht keip unitie, 
As wald the heart, now to purpois I went. 
The poem is upon the whole a curious picture of the manners of the age, 
with that strange jumble of the Pagan mythology and the Christian re~ 
Figion, of which we see.so many examples in the works of Milton. 
PHILALBARN. 
