e Hundred Ballades, containing Counsel
to a Knight, that he should love loyally"; this counsel offered by
Messire Lyonnet de Coismes, Messire Jehan de Mailly, the Sieur d'Yvry,
and many other good knights that were true lovers. Verily, in sermons of
preachers and lives of holy men I found no such comfort.

Almost the sorest time of my sorrowing was for very grief of heart when
Elliot set forth on pilgrimage to Puy en Velay, for we were but newly
come together; "twain we were with one heart," as a maker sang whom once
I met in France ere I came back to Scotland; sweetly could he make, but
was a young clerk of no godly counsel, and had to name Maitre Francoys
Villon. Our heart was one, the heart of Elliot and mine own, and lo!
here, in a day, it was torn asunder and we were set apart by the wisdom
of men.

I remember me how I lay wakeful on the night before the day when Elliot
should depart. Tossing and turning, I lay till the small fowls brake
forth with their songs, and my own thought seemed to come and go, and
come again in my head, like the "ritournelle" of the birds. At last I
might not endure, but rose and attired myself very early, and so went
down into the chamber. Thither presently came Elliot, feigning wonder to
find me arisen, and making pretence that she was about her housewiferies,
but well I wot that she might sleep no more than I. The old housewife
coming and going through the room, there we devised, comforting each
other with hopes and prayers; indeed we sorely wanted comfort, because
never till we were wed, if ever that should be, might we have such solace
of each other's presence as we desired. Then I brought from the workshop
a sheet of vellum and colours, and the painting tools, and so fashioned a
little picture of her, to wear within the breast of my doublet. A rude
thing it was and is, for what gold, however finely handled, could match
with her golden hair, whereof, at my desire, she gave me a lock; and of
all worldly gear from my secular life, these and the four links of my
mother's chain alone are still mine, and where my heart is there is my
treasure. And she, too, must clip a long curl of my hair, for as yet it
was not cut "en ronde," as archers use to wear it, but when she came
again, she said she would find me shrewdly shaven, and then would love me
no longer. Then she laughed and kissed me, and fell to comforting me for
that she would not be long away.

"And in three months or four