The thre deid pollis
O sinful man in to this mortall se
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Quhilk is the vaill of mvrnyng and of cair
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With gaistly sicht behold oure heidis thre
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Oure holkit ene oure peilit pollis bair
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As ze ar now in to this warld we wair
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Als fresche als fair als lusty to behald
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Quhan thow lukis on this swth examplair
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Off thy self man thow may be richt vnbald
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For suth it is that every man mortall
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Mon thole the deid and de that lyfe hes tane
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Na erdly stait aganis deid ma prevaill
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The hour of deth and place is vncertane
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Quhilk is referrit to the hie god allane
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Heirfoir haif mynd of deth that thow mon dy
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This sair exampill to se quotidiane
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Sowld caus all men fra wicket vycis fle
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O wantone zowth als fresche as lusty may
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Farest of flowris renewit quhyt and reid
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Behald our heidis o lusty gallandis gay
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Full laithly thus sall ly thy lusty heid
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Holkit and how and wallowit as the weid
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Thy crampand hair and eik thy cristall ene
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Full cairfully conclud sall dulefull deid
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Example heir be ws it may be sene
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O ladeis quhyt in claithis corruscant
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Poleist with perle and mony pretius stane
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With palpis quhyt and hals so elegant
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Sirculit with gold and sapheris mony ane
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Zour finzearis small quhyt as quhailis bane
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Arrayit with ringis and mony rubeis reid
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As we ly thus so sall ze ly ilk ane
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With peilit pollis and holkit thus zour heid
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O wilfull pryd the rute of all distres
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With humill hairt vpoun our pollis pens
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Man for thy mis ask mercy with meiknes
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Aganis deid na man may mak defens
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The empriour for all his excellens
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King and quene and eik all erdly stait
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Peure and riche salbe but differens
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Turnit in as and thus in erd translait
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This questioun quha can obsolue lat see
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Quhat phisnamour or perfyt palmester
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Quha was farest or fowlest of ws thre
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Or quhilk of ws of kin was gentillar
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Or maist expert in science or in lare
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In art mvsik or in astronomye
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Heir still sowld be zour study and repair
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And think as thus all zour heidis mon be
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O febill aige ay drawand neir the dait
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Of dully deid and hes thy dayis compleit
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Behald our heidis with mvrning and regrait
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Fall on thy kneis ask grace at god and greit
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With orisionis and haly salmes sweit
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Beseikand him on the to haif mercy
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And of our sawlis bydand the decreit
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Of his godheid to rew and glorife
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Als we exhort that every man mortall
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For his saik that maid of nocht all thing
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For mercy cry and pray in generall
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To iesus chryst of hevin and erd the king
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Throwch zour prayar that we and ze may ring
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With the hie fader be eternitie
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The sone alswa the haly gaist conding
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Thre knit in ane be perfyt vnitie
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Quod maister robert henrysoun