ANE GODLY DREAM, COMPYLIT IN Scottish Meter be M. M. Gentelwoman in Culros, at the requeist of her friends.  Intr●ite per augustam portain, nam lata est via quae ducit ad interitum. 
JUSTITIA. RELIGIO.  
HI● SUFFVE 〈…〉  
〈◊〉 ●VIQUE DEUM ●…OLE  
EDINBVRGH ●●…NTED BE ROBERT ●HARTERIS. 1603.   

Ane godly Dream compylit in Scotish Meter be M. M. Gentelwoman in Culros, at the requeist of her friends.  

Upon one day as I did mourn fall soir.  
With sundry things quhairwith my saul was greatly  
My grief mcreasit & grew moir & moir  
My comfort fled and could not be releifit,  
With heaviness my heart was sa mischeifit,  
I loathe it my life, I could not eit nor drink,  
I micht not speik nor luik to nane that letfit,  
Bot musit alone and divers things did think.   

The wretched world did sa molest my mind,  
I thocht upon this false and Iron age.  
And how our heart's war sa to vice inclined,  
That Satan seimit mayst feirfullie to rage.  
Nathing in earth my sorrow could assuage,  
I felt my sin mayst strangely to increase,  
I greifit my Spreit that wont to be my pledge▪  
My saul was drownit into mayst deip distress   

All merynes did aggravate my pain,  
And earthly joys did still increase my woe:  
In compante I na ways could remain,  
Bot fled resort and so alone did go.  
My silly saul was tostit to and fro,  
With sundry thochts quhilk troublit me full soire  
I preisit to pray, bot siches overset me so,  
I could do nought bot sich and say no moir▪   

The twinkling 〈…〉  
My heart was easit quhen I had mournit my fill:  
Than I b●gan my lamentation,  
And said, O Lord, how long is it thy will,  
That thy poor Sancis shall be afflictit still?  
Alas, how long shall subtle Satan rage?  
Make haste O Lord, thy promeiss to fulfil,  
Make haste to end our painful pilgraumge.   

Thy silly Sancts are tostit to and fro,  
Awalk, O Lord, quhy sleipest thou sa long?  
We have na strength agains our cruel foe,  
In siches and sobbiss now chaingit is our sang.  
The world prevails, our enemies are strange,  
The wickit rage, bot we are poor and voaik:  
O shaw thyself, with speid revenge our wrang,  
Make short their days, even for thy chosens saik.   

Lord jesus cum and saif thy own Elect,  
For Satan seiks our sunpill sauls to slay:  
The wickit world dois strainglie us infect,  
Most monstruous sins increasses day be day.  
Our love grows called, our zeill is worn away,  
Our faith is faillit, and we are like to fall:  
The Lion roars to catch us as his prey,  
Make haste, O Lord, befoir we perish all.   

Their are the days that thou sa long foretald,  
Sold cum before this wretched world sold end  
Now vice abounds and charity grows called,  
And evin thine own most strongly dois offend.  
The Devil prevaillis, his forces he dois bend,  
Gifit could be to wraik thy children deir:  
Bot we are thine, thairfoir sum succour send,  
Resave our saullis, we irk to wander heir.   

Quhat 〈…〉 cloggit are with sin,  
In filthy vice our senseless saul's are drownit:  
Thocht we resolve we never can begin,  
To mend our lives, bot sin dois still abound.  
Quhen will thou come? quhen shall thy trumpet sound?  
Quhen shall we sie that grit and glorious day?  
O save us Lord, out of this pit profound,  
And reave us from this loathsum lump of clay.   

Thou knawis our hearts, thou sies our hail desire,  
Our secret thochts they are not hid fra thee:  
Thocht we offend thou knawis we strangely tire,  
To beir this wecht our spreit walled feign be free.  
Alas, O Lord, quhat pleasure can it be,  
To leif in sin that fair dois press us down:  
Oh, give us wings that we aloft may fly,  
And end the fetched that we may weir the crown.   

Befoir the Lord quhen I had thus complainit,  
My mind grew calm, my heart was at great rest▪  
Thocht I was faint from fuid yet I refrainit,  
And went to bed, because I thocht it best.  
With heaviness my spreit was sa oppressed,  
I fell on sleep, and sa again me thocht  
I maid my moan, and than my grief increase,  
And from the Lord with tears I secure socht.   

Lord jesus cum (said I) and end my grief.  
My spreit is vexit, the captive walled be fry:  
All vice abounds, O send us sum relief,  
I loathe to live, I wish desoluit to be.  
My spreit dois lang and thirsteth after thee,  
As thirsty ground requyris one shower of rain▪  
My heart is dry, as fruitless barren tree  
I feill myself, how can I heir remain▪   

 
Into my dream I thocht their did appeir:  
Ane sicht mayst sweit, quhilk maid me well content,  
Ane Angel bright with visage schyning clear,  
With luifing luiks and with one smile cheer:  
He ask me, quhy art thou thus sa sad?  
Quhy groans thou so? quhat dois thou duyning heir  
With carefulll cries in this thy bailfull bed?   

I heir thy siches, I sie thy twinkling tears,  
Thou seimes to be in sum perplexity:  
Quhat means thy moans? quhat is the thing thou fears  
Quhom walled thou have? in quhat place walled you be  
Faint not sa fast in thy adversity,  
Mourn not sa sair, sen mourning may not mend:  
Lift up thy heart, declare thy grief to me,  
Perchance thy pain brings pleasure in the end.   

I sicht again, and said alas for woe,  
My grief is great, I can it not declare:  
Into this earth I wander to and fro,  
Ane pilgrim poor consumit with siching sair.  
My sins alas, increasses mair and mair,  
I loathe my life, I irk to wander heir:  
I long for Heaven, my heritage is their,  
I long to live with my Redimer deir   

Is this the cause (said he) rise up anon,  
And follow me and I shall be thy gydt:  
And from thy siches leif off thy heavy moan,  
Refrain from tears and cast thy cair aside,  
Trust in my strength, and in my word confided,  
And thou shall have thy heavy hearts desire:  
Rise up with speid, I may not long abide,  
Greit diligence this matter dois require.   

My saul rejoysit to heir his words sa sweit,  
I luikit up and saw his face mayst fair:  
His countenance revived my weary Spreit,  
Incontinent I cuist aside my cair.  
With humble heart I prayit him to declare  
Quhat was his name? he answered me again,  
I am thy God for quhom thou sicht sa sair,  
I now am cummit: thy tears are not in vain,   

I am the way, I am the truth and life.  
I am thy spous that brings thee store of grace▪  
I am thy luif quhom thou walled feign embrace,  
I am thy joy, I am thy rest and peace.  
R●se up anon and follow after me,  
I shall the leid into thy dwelling place:  
The Land of rest thou langs sa sair to sie  
I am thy Lord that soon shall end thy race.   

With joyful bear't I thanked him again,  
Reddie am I (said I) and weill content  
To follow thee, for heir I live in pain,  
O wretch unworth, my days are vainly spent.  
Notched one is just bot all are fiercely bend,  
To run to vice, I have na force to stand:  
My sins increase quhilk makes me fair lament,  
Make haste, O Lord, I long to see that Land.   

Thy haste is great, he answered me again,  
Thou thinks thee their, thou art transported so:  
That pleasant place most purchaist be with pain,  
The way is straight, and thou hes far to go.  
Art thou content to wander to and fro,  
Throw great deserts throw water and throw fire▪  
Throw thorns and breirs and money dangers more,  
Quhat says thou now? Thy febill flesh will ty●e▪   

Alas said I, howbeit my flesh be walk,  
My spreit is strange and willing for to fly:  
O leif me not, bot for thy mercies saik,  
Perform thy word, or else for duill I die.  
I feir no pain, sense I sold walk with thee,  
The way is long, ȝit bring me throw at last:  
Thou answeirs weill, I am content said he,  
To be thy guide, bot see thou grip me fast.   

Than up I raise and maid na mair delay,  
My febill arm about his arm I cast:  
He went befoir and still did guide the way,  
Thocht I was waik, my spreit did follow fast.  
Throw mos and mires, throw ditches deip we passed,  
Throw pricking thorns, throw water & throw fire:  
Throw dreidfull dens quhilk maid my heart aghast,  
He buir me up quhen I begouth to tire.   

sometime we clam on craigie Montanes high,  
And sometimes slaid on ugly brayes of sand:  
They war sa stay that wonder was to sie,  
Bot quhen I feared he held me be the hand.  
Throw thick and thin, throw sea and eik be land,  
Throw great deserts we wanderit on our way:  
Quhen I was walk and had no force to stand,  
Ȝit with one luik he did refresh me ay.   

Throw waters great we war compellit to weyd,  
Quhilk warsa deip that I was like to drown:  
sometime I sank, bot ȝit my gracious guide,  
Did draw me out half died and in one sown.  
In woods mayst wild and far fra any town,  
We thristit throw, the breirs together stak:  
I was sa waik their strength did ding me down,  
That I was forcit for feir to fly aback.   

Courage said he, thou art mid gait and mair,  
Thou may not tire nor turn aback again:  
Hauled fast thy grip, on me cast all thy cair,  
Assay thy strength, thou shall not fetched in vain,  
I tauld thee first, that thou sold suffer pain,  
The nearer heaven, the harder is the way:  
Lift vy thy heart and let thy hope remain,  
Sense I am guide thou shall not go astray.   

Fordwart we passed on narrow brigs of try,  
Over water's great that hiddeouslie did roir:  
Thair lay belaw that fearful was to sie,  
Mayst ugly beists, that gaipit to devoir.  
My head grew licht and troublit wondrous foir,  
My heart did feir, my feit began to slide?  
Bot quhan I cryit, he heard me evermore,  
And held me up, O blissit be my guide.   

Weary I was, and thocht to sit at rest,  
Bot he said na: thou may not sit nor stand,  
Hauled on thy course and thou shall find it best,  
Give thou desyris to see that pleasant Land.  
Thocht I was waik, I raise at his command,  
And held him fast: at length he let me sie  
That pleasant place, quhilk semit to be at hand,  
take courage now, for thou art near, said he.   

I luikit up unto that Castle fair,  
Glistering like gold, and schyning silver bright:  
The stately towers did mount above the air,  
They blindit me, they cuist sa great one licht.  
My heart was glaid to see that joyful sicht,  
My voyage than I thocht was not in vain.  
I him besocht to guide me their aricht,  
With many vows never to tire again,   

Tocht thou ve near, the way is wondrous hard,  
Said he again, thairfoir thou mon be stout,  
Faint not for feir, for cowarts are debarred,  
That hes na heart to go their voyage out.  
Pluck up thy heart and grip me fast about,  
Out throw ȝon trance together we man go:  
Give this war past, we have not many more.   

I held him fast, as he did give commund,  
And throw that trance together than we went:  
Quhairin the middis grit pricks of Iron did stand,  
Quhairwith my feit was all betorne and rent.  
take courage now said he, and be content,  
To suffer this: the pleasure cuins at last:  
I answered not, bot ran incontinent,  
Out over them all, and so the pain was passed.   

Quhen this was done my heart did dance for joy,  
I was sa near, I thocht my voyage endit:  
I ran befoir, and socht not his convoy,  
Nor spirit the way, because I thocht I kend if:  
On stately steps mayst stoutly I ascendit,  
Without his help I thocht to enter their:  
He followed fast and was riched fair offendit,  
And hastily did draw me down the stair,   

Quhat haste said he, quhy ran thou so befoir?  
Without my help, thinks thou to climb sa hie?  
Cum down again, thou ȝit mon suffer moir,  
Give thou desires that dwelling place to sie:  
This stately stair it is not maid for thee,  
Hauled thou that course, thou shall be thrust aback:  
Alas said I, long wandering weiriet me,  
Quhilk maid me run the neirest way to take.   

Than he began to comfort me again,  
And said my friend thou mon not enter their:  
Lift up thy heart, thou ȝit mon suffer pain,  
The last assault perforce it money be fair.  
This godly way althocht it seem sa fair,  
It is to hie thou cannot climb so stay:  
Bot luik belaw beneath that stately stair,  
And thou shall sie one uther kind of way.   

I luikit down and saw one pit most black,  
Most full of smuke and flaming fire most fell:  
That ugly sicht maid me to fly aback,  
I feared to heir so many shout and yell:  
I him besocht that he the truth walled tell,  
Is this said I, the Papists purging place?  
Quhair they affirm that silly saulles do dwell,  
To purge their sin, befoir they rest in peace?   

The brain of man mayst warly did invent  
That Purging place, he answered me again:  
For greediness together they consent,  
To say that saulles in torment mon remain,  
Till gold and goods relief them of their pain,  
O spytfull spreits that did the same begin:  
O blindit beists your thochts are all in vain,  
My blood alone did saif thy saul from sin.   

This Pit is Hell, quhairthrow thou now mon go.  
Thair is thy way that leids the to the land:  
Now play the man thou neids not trimbill so,  
For I shall help and hauled thee be the hand.  
Alas said I, I have na force to stand,  
For feir I faint to see that ugly sicht?  
How con I come among that bailfull hand,  
Oh help me now, I have na force nor mucht.   

Oft have I heard, that they that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  
In this great golf, shall never come again:  
Courage said he, have I not bought thee deir,  
My precious blood it was not shed in vain.  
I saw this place, my saul did taste this pain,  
Or ever I went into my fathers gloir:  
Throw mon thou go, bot thou shall not remain,  
Thou neids not feir, for I shall go befoit.   

I am content to do thy hail command,  
Said I again, and did him fast embrace:  
Then lovingly he held me be the hand,  
And in we went into that fearful place.  
Hauled fast thy grip said he, in any care,  
Let me not slip, quhat ever thou shall sie:  
Dreid not the deith, bot stoutly forwart preiss,  
For Deith nor Hell shall never vanquish thee.   

His words sa sweit did cheir my heavy heart,  
Incontinent I cuist my cair aside:  
Courage said hee-play not one cowarts part,  
Thocht thou be waik, ȝit in my strength confided.  
I thocht me blessed to have sa good one guide,  
Thocht I was waik, I knew that he was strange:  
Under his wings I thocht me for to hide,  
Give any their fold preiss to do me wrang.   

Into that Pit quhen I did enter in,  
I saw one sicht, quhilk maid my heart aghast:  
Poor damnit saullis, tormentit sair for sin,  
In flaming fire, war frying wouder fast:  
And ugly spreits, and as we thocht them past,  
My heart grew faint, and I begouth to tire:  
Or I was war, one gripit me at last,  
And held me heich above one flaming fire.   

The tire was g●●●, the h●… did 〈…〉.  
My faith grew waik, my grip was wondrous sin●l,  
I trimbellit fast, my feir grew mair and mair,  
My hands did shaik, that I him hold withal.  
At length they lousit, than they begouth to fall,  
I cryit O Lord, and caucht him fast again:  
Lord jesus cum, and red me out of thrall,  
Courage said he, now thou art passed the pain.   

With this great feir, I stackerit and awoke  
Crying O Lord, Lord jesus cum again▪  
Bot after this, no kind of rest I took,  
I preisit to sleep, bot that was all in vain.  
I walled have dreamit, of pleasure after pain,  
Because I knaw, I shall it find at last:  
God grant my guide may still with me remain,  
It is to come that I beleifit was passed.   

This is one dream, and yet I thocht it best.  
Towryte the same, and keip it still in mind:  
Because I knew, their was na earthly rest,  
Preparit for us, that hes our hearts inclined  
To seik the Lord, we mon be purged and find,  
Our dros is great, the fire mon try us fair:  
Bot yet our God is merciful and kind,  
He shall remain and help us ever mair.   

The way to heaven, I see is wonderons hard,  
My Dream declairs, that we have far to go:  
We mon be stout, for cowards are debarred,  
Our flesh on force mon suffer pain and wo.  
Their grivelie gaits, and many dangers more  
Awaits for us, we cannot live in rest:  
Bot let us learn, sense we are wairnit so,  
To cleave to Christ, for he can help us hest.   

〈…〉 opp●●●●  
That love the Lord and long for Heaven sa his:  
Change not your mind, for ye have chesen the best,  
Prepair your selves, for troblit mon ye be.  
Faint not for feir in your adversity,  
Althocht that ye long luiking be for life:  
Suffer one quhyle and ye shall shortly sie  
The Land of rest, quhen endit is your strife.   

In wilderness quhen ye mon be tryit a quhyle,  
Ȝit fordwart preiss and never fly aback:  
Like pilgrims poor and strangers in exile,  
Throw fair and foul your journay ye mon take.  
The Devil, the world and all that they can make,  
Will send their force to stop yow in your way:  
Ȝour flesh will faint and sometime will grow slack,  
Ȝit climb to Christ and he shall help yow ay.   

The thorny cares of this deceitful life,  
Will rend your heart, and make your saul to bleid:  
Ȝour flesh and spreit will be at deadly strife,  
Ȝour cruel foe will hauled yow still in dreid.  
And draw yow down, ȝit rise again with speid,  
And thocht ye fall ȝit lie not loitering still:  
Bot call on Christ to help yow in your need.  
Quha will not fail his promeiss to fulfil.   

In floods of woe quhen ye are like to drown,  
Ȝit climb to Christ and grip him wonder fast.  
And thocht ye sink and in the deip fall down,  
Ȝit cry aloud and he will heir at last.  
Dreid not the death nor be not fair aghast,  
Thocht all the eirth against yow sold conspire:  
Christ is your guide, and quhen your pain is past,  
Ȝe shall have joy above ȝont hearts desire.   

Thocht in this earth ye sall exaltit be,  
Feir salve left to humble yow withal:  
For give ye climb on tops of Montaines high,  
The heicher up the nearer is your fall.  
Ȝour honey sweit sall mixit be with gall,  
your short delight shall end with pain and great:  
Ȝit trust in God for his assistance call,  
And he shall help and send yow sum relief.   

Thocht waters great do compass yow about,  
Thocht tyrants fret, thocht Lyouns rage & roir▪  
Defy them all and feir not to win out,  
Ȝour guide is near to help yow evermore.  
Thocht prick of Iron do prick yow wondrous soir,  
As noysuin lusts that seik your saul to slay:  
Ȝit cry on Christ and he shall go before,  
The nearer Heaven, the harder is the way.   

run out your race ye mon not faint nor tire,  
Nor sit nor stand, nor turn aback again:  
Give ye desire to have your hearts desire,  
Preis fordwart still althocht it be with pain.  
Na rest for yow sa long as ye remain,  
Ane pilgrim poor into thy loathsum life:  
Fetched on your fought it shall not be in vain,  
Ȝour rich reward is worth one gritter strife   

Give after teires ye leif one quhyle in joy,  
And get one taste of that Eternal gloir,  
Be not secure nor slip not your convoy,  
For give ye do ye shall repent it soir.  
He knows the way, and he mon go before,  
Clim ye alane ye sall not miss one fall:  
Ȝour humblit flesh it money be troublit moir.  
Give ye forget upon your guide to call.   

Give Christ be gain, althocht ye ●elint to ●is,  
With golden wings above the firmament:  
Come down again, ye shall not better be.  
That pride of yours ȝe sall riched sair repent.  
Than hauled him fast with humble heart ay bent,  
To follow him, althocht throw Hell and Death:  
He went befoir, his saul was torn and rend  
For your deserts he felt his father's wrath.   

Thocht in the end ye suffer torments fell,  
Clim fast to him, that felt the same befoir:  
The way to Heaven, mon be throw Death and Hell,  
The last assault will trouble yow full soir.  
The Lyoun than mayst cruelly will roir,  
His time is short, his forces he will bend:  
The gritter strife, the gritter is your gloir,  
Ȝour pain is short, your joy shall never end.   

Rejoice in God, let not your courage fail,  
Ȝe chosen Sancts that are afflictit heir:  
Thocht Satan rage, he never shall prevail,  
Fetched to the end and stoutly persever.  
Ȝour God is true, your blood is to him deir,  
Feir not the way sense Christ is your convoy:  
Quhen Clouds are passed the weather will grow clear,  
Ȝe saw in tears, bot ye shall reap in joy.   

Baith deith and hell, hes lost their cruel sting,  
Ȝour Captain Christ, hes maid them all to ȝeild:  
Lift up your hearts and praises to him sing,  
Triumph for joy, your enemies are keilde.  
The Lord of Host that is your strength and shield  
The Serpents h●id h●s stoutly trampit down:  
Trust in his strength, pas fordwart in the field,  
Ouercum in fetched and ye shall wear the Crown.