HIGHLAND CHEEE. 157 



and mitre thereof a great round, as it had been a block- 

 house which was lofted and geisted the space of three 

 house-heights (3) ; the floors laid with green scharets (4) and 

 spreats (5), medwarts (6) and flowers, that no man knew 

 whereon he zeid (7) but as he had been in a garden. Fur- 

 ther, there were two great rounds in ilk side of the gate, 

 and a great portcullies of tree falling down with the manner 

 of a barrace (8), with a draw-bridge, and a great stank of 

 water of sixteen feet deep, and thirty feet of breadth : and 

 also the palace within was hung with fine tapestry, and 

 arrasses of silk, and lighted with fine glass windows in all 

 airths (9) ; that this palace was as pleasantly decored with 

 all necessaries pertaining to a prince, as it had been in his 

 own palace-royal at home. Further, this earl gart make 

 such provision for the king, and his mother, and the ambas- 

 sador, that they had all manner of meats, drinks, and deli- 

 cates, that were to be gotten at that time in all Scotland, 

 either in burgh or land ; that is to say, all kind of drink, 

 as ale, beer, wine, both white and claret, malvasy (10), 

 muskadel, hippocras, and aquavitse. Further, there was of 

 meats, wheat bread, mainbread, and gingerbread ; with 

 fleshes, beef, mutton, lamb, veal, venison, goose, grice (11), 

 capon, coney, cran, swan, partridge, plover, duck, drake, 

 brisset cock (12), and pawnies (13), black cock, muirfowl, 

 and capercailies. And also the stanks that were round 

 -about the palace were full of all delicate fish, as salmonds, 

 trouts, pearches, pikes, eels, and all other kinds of delicate 

 fish that could be gotten in fresh water, and all ready for 

 the banquet; syne were there proper stewards, cunning 

 baxters (14), excellent cooks and potingars (15), with con- 



3 "Three house-height," Three storeys high. 



4 'Scharets," Green turfs. 



5 'Spreats," Rushes. 



6 ' Medwarts," Meadow-sweet. 



7 'Zeid, "Sat. 



8 ' Barrace," Barrier, an outwork at the gate of a castle. 



9 ' Airths," Quarter of the heaven ; point of the compass. 



10 ' Malvasy," Malmsey wine. 



11 ' Grice, or Gyrce," A young wild boar. 



12 ' Brisset Cock," Turkey. 



13 ' Pawnies," Peacock. 



14 'Baxters, "Bakers. 



15 'Potingars," Cooks who prepared herbs. 



