James I of Scotland

James I (December 10 1394 – February 21 1437) was King of Scots from 1406 until his death. As a makar he is credited with the earliest known poem in the Scottish Chaucerian tradition, The Kingis Quair, which describes his eighteen-year detention as a hostage in England and his courtship there of Lady Joan Beaufort.

The Kingis Quair

 * The bird, the best, the fisch eke in the see, They live in fredome, everich in his kynd. And I a man, and lakkith libertee.
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 * Now was there maid fast by the touris wall A gardyn fair, and in the corneris set Ane herber grene with wandis long and small Railit about; and so with treis set Was all the place, and hawthorn hegis knet.
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 * Worschippe, ye that loveris bene this May, For of your blisse the kalendis are begonne, And sing with us, “away, winter, away! Cum, somer, cum, the suete sesoun and sonne!”
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 * And therewith kest I doun myn eye ageyne, Quhare as I sawe, walking under the tour, Full secretly new cummyn hir to pleyne, The fairest or the freschest yonge floure That ever I sawe, me thoght, before that houre, For quhich sodayn abate anon astert The blude of all my body to my hert.
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 * So ferr I fallyng into lufis dance, That sodeynly my wit, my contenance, My hert, my will, my nature and my mynd, Was changit clene ryght in anothir kynd.
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 * Beautee eneuch to mak a world to dote.
 * Line 329


 * The cristall water ran so clere and cold, That in myn ere maid contynualy A maner soun, mellit with armony, That full of lytill fischis by the brym Now here now there with bakkis blewe as lede Lap and playit, and in a rout can swym So prattily, and dressit tham to sprede Thair curall fynnis as the ruby rede, That in the sonne on thair scalis bryght As gesserant ay glitterit in my sight.
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