Ffollowis how Dumbar was desyrd to be ane Freir

This nycht befoir the dawing cleir,
Me thocht Sanct Francis did to me appeir,
With ane religiouss abbeit in his hand,
And said, " In thiss go cleith the my serwand ;
Reffuss the warld, for thow mon be a freir."

With him and with his abbeit bayth I skarrit,
Lyk to ane man that with a gaist wes marrit :
Me thocht on bed he layid it me abone,
Bot on the flure delyuerly and sone
I lap thairfra, and nevir wald cum nar it

Quoth he, "Quhy skarris thow with this holy weid?
Cleith the thairin, for weir it thow most neid ;
Thow, that hes lang done Venus lawis teiche,
Sall now be freir, and in this abbeit preiche;
Delay it nocht, it mon be done but dreid."

Quod I, " Sanct Francis, loving be the till,
And thankit mot thow be of thy gude will
To me, that of thy clayis ar so kynd ;
Bot thame to weir it nevir come in my mynd ;
Sweit Confessour, thow tak it nocht in ill.

In haly legendis haif I hard allevin,
Ma Sanctis of bischoppis, nor freiris, be sic sevin ;
Off full few freiris that hes bene Sanctis I reid ;
Quhairfoir ga bring to me ane bischopis weid,
Gife evir thow wald my saule gaid vnto Hevin.

My brethir oft hes maid the supplicationis,
Be epistillis, sermonis, and relationis,
To tak the abyte, bot thow did postpone ;
But ony process, cum on thairfoir annone,
All sircumstance put by and excusationis.

Gif evir my fortoun wes to be a freir,
The dait thairof is past full mony a ȝeir ;
For into every lusty toun and place
Off all Yngland, frome Berwick to Kalice,
I haif in to thy habeit maid gud cheir.

In freiris weid full fairly haif I fleichit,
In it haif I in pulpet gon and preichit
In Demtoun kirk, and eik in Canterberry;
In it I past at Dover our the ferry
Throw Piccardy, and thair the peple teichit.

Als lang as I did beir the freiris style,
In me, God wait, wes mony wrink and wyle ;
In me wes falset with every wicht to flatter,
Quhilk mycht be flemit with na haly watter ;
I wes ay reddy all men to begyle.

This freir that did Sanct Francis thair appeir,
Ane fieind he wes in liknes of ane freir ;
He vaneist away with stynk and fyrie smowk ;
With him me thocht all the houshend he towk,
And I awoik as wy that wes in weir.

Quod Dumbar.