Of the Tailors and the Shoemakers [Telyouris and sowtaris, blist be ye]

Betuix twell houris and ellevin,
I dremed ane angell came fra hevin
With plesand stevin sayand on hie:
"Telyouris and sowtaris, blist be ye.
"In Hevin hie ordand is your place
Aboif all sanctis in grit solace,
Nixt God grittest in dignitie:
Tailyouis and sowtaris, blist be ye.
"The caus to yow is nocht unkend;
That God mismakkis, ye do amend
Be craft and grit agilitie:
Tailyouris and sowtaris, blist be ye.
"Sowtaris, with schone weill maid and meit
Ye mend the faltis of ill maid feit,
Quhairfoir to Hevin your saulis will fle:
Telyouris and sowtaris, blist be ye.
"Is nocht in all this fair a flyrok
That hes upoun his feit a wyrok,
Knowll tais nor mowlis in no degrie,
Bot ye can hyd tham, blist be ye.
"And ye tailyouris, with weil maid clais
Can mend the werst maid man that gais
And mak him semely for to se:
Telyouris and sowtaris, blist be ye.
"Thocht God mak ane misfassonit swayne,
Ye can him all schaip new agane
And fassoun him bettir be sic thre:
Telyouris and sowtaris, blist be ye.
"Thocht a man haif a brokin bak,
Haif he a gud telyour, quhattrak,
That can it cuver with craftis slie:
Telyouris and sowtaris, blist be ye.
"Of God grit kyndnes may ye clame
That helpis His peple fra cruke and lame,
Supportand faltis with your supplé:
Tailyouris and sowtaris, blist be ye.
"In erd ye kyth sic mirakillis heir,
In hevin ye sal be sanctis full cleir,
Thocht ye be knavis in this cuntré:
Telyouris and sowataris, blist ye be."
William Dunbar
William Dunbar

WiUiam Dunbar was born, probably in East Lothian, between 1450 and 1460. He entered the University of St. Andrews in 1475, and took his full degree in 1479. In eariy life, according to his own account, he went about from Berwick to Dover, and passed over to Calais and Picardy, preaching and alms-gathering as a Franciscan noviciate ; but he became dissatisficd with this life and does not seem to have taken the vows of the order. It has been inferred from allusions in his verse that he was for some years empioyed in connection with foreign embassies. Toward tiie close of the century we find him in attendance on the Scotch Court, a poet with an established reputation, and a continual suitor for piace. In 1500 he received from the king (James IV) a pension of ^io , raised by degrees, during the next ten years to ;^8o ? then a respectable annuity; but he never obtained the Church promotion, to which on somewhat irrelevant grounds he constantly laid claim.

More poems from same author

Beauty and the Prisoner His Own Enemy Of Covetise [And all for caus of cuvetice] On the Resurrection of Christ [Surrexit Dominus de sepulchro] Rule of Oneself [He rewllis weill that weill himself can gyd]

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