MY HEARTLY SERVICE

Primus	Secundus
My heartly service to you my Lord	My heartly service to you my Lord
I recommend as I suld accord	I recommend as I suld accord
There is ane ox	There is ane ox
Into your pleugh
	So mot he go
It is richt so
	And he waxed old enough
Ye say the sooth
	He has not a tooth
And he no langer may be drawn	And he no langer may be drawn
Bot he be led
	I dare say well
Bot he was never half so thrawn	Bot he was never half so thrawn
	Nor yet so acwart
But goeth backwart
Now he is weak and wonders sweer	Now he is weak and wonders sweer
	Full sweer is he
I tak on me
Out of ane house he may not stire	Out of ane house he may not stire
Suppose you brod him whil he die	Suppose you brod him whil he die
Whil he die	He doun a doun a doun a doun a die
Yet better it war that some remeid	Yet better it war that some remeid
Were found in tyme or he be dead	Were found in tyme or he be dead
For causes	For sklenting of bawts
And startling of other men's nowts	And startling of other men's nowts
And I am wo your pleugh suld lie	And I am wo your pleugh suld lie
And I might come and be nearby	And I might come and be nearby
To yoke another in his steid	To yoke another in his steid
To drug and draw whil he be dead	To drug and draw whil he be dead
Out of ane uncouth fair laysour	Out of ane uncouth fair laysour
To do your Lordship more plesour	To do your Lordship more plesour
And if it be your proper will	And if it be your proper will
Gar call your hyndis all you till:	Gar call your hyndis all you till:
	Ginken and Wilken
Higgen and Habken
Hankin and Rankin	Hankin and Rankin
	Robert and Colin
Nicol and Colin
Hector and Aiken	Hector and Aiken
Martin Mawer
	Sandy Sawer
Michael and Morice
Falselips Fergus	Falselips Fergus
Reynaud and Guthrey	(Fergus Falselips)
	Symon and Jafrey
Orphus and Arthur
Morice,	Allan, Dounie
Davie, Richard	Robert,
Philpie Foster and Mackey Miller	Philpie Foster and Mackey Miller
Ruffie Tasker and his marrows all,	Ruffie Tasker and his marrows all,
	Straboots
Tarboys and Ganzel
All that hes most domination	All that hes most domination
And pastorie of your comon	And pastorie of your comon
Before you ane and ane present	Before you ane and ane present
And thereto show them your intent	And thereto show them your intent
Hey doun a doun a doun a doun.	Your intent
Speir at them all if they will be	Speir at them all if they will be
Require them all if they will be	Require them all if they will be
Appleasit for to mell with me	Appleasit for to mell with me
And mak me als so fast and sicker	And mak me als so fast and sicker
As I wer bound ev'n with ane wicker	As I wer bound ev'n with ane wicker
For to deliver me be the heid	For to deliver me be the heid
The old ox Trip-free he be dead	The old ox Trip-free he be dead
Than sall I come be robles cocks	Than sall I come be robles cocks
And bring with me my fair fresh ox	And bring with me my fair fresh ox
With all that belongs to the pleugh:	With all that belongs to the pleugh
Soms of iron stark eneugh	Hey, ho now, ho now,
The cowter and the pleugh-head	Hey,
Sok sheet and mowdie bread	Hey
Rack, rest and the gluts and the slee band	Ho now, ho now
The missel and the pleugh bowl , the pleugh staff	Hey, hey
The pleugh shoon, the mell and the stilt and the beam	Ho now, ho now,
and the heel wedge	Hey
The chock, the yolk, the ring, the sling,	Hey
Mine oxen bolls is wreathed and pind	Ho now, ho now
The whole year saw no sun and wind	Hey, hey
The gadwand is both light and sharp	Ho now , ho now
To brod his belly, while he start,	Hey,hey!
	Now in the rood name call about
call about
	Our pleugh so graiths with a shout
with a shout
	and a brod
	Brod about Haken
Wind about Brandie
	Call the broun Hunley
Trowbelly, Trowbelly	Trowbelly
Chowbullock, Chowbullock	Chowbullock
Whytehorn	Whytehorn
	Gray-horn and Cromack
Wind Marrow gaire
Wind about hey;
	Brod futt the further
I sall brod him whill he rair
The rid stot and the dun	The rid stot and the dun
	Wynd about again sune
Wynd about	Wind narrow
Hold, draw him forth in the Rood's name
	Not ane of them for sic draught
In all Scotland is there sic aught	In all Scotland is there sic aught
And if ye please the pleugh of mine	And if ye please the pleugh of mine
Tell me shortly into time	Tell me shortly into time
Or I contract and hired be	Or I contract and hired be
With others that desires me;	With others that desires me;
Not else but the Trinitie	Not else but the Trinitie
Conserve you into Charitie	Conserve you into Charitie
Hey doun a doun a doun a doun. Amen	Amen. Amen. Amen.

The preceeding song, and following notes are taken from "On the Banks of Helicon - Early Music of Scotland" by The Baltimore Consort

"The boistrous late-15th century "My heartly service" has been described as a french "fricassee" (a jumble of ingredients) above an ostinato bass. In this amusing piece, originally associated with an ancient ceremony in which herdsmen dressed as beasts pulled a plow to mark the beginning of the plowing year, two voices call out the names of oxen as well as their fellow herdsmen, and then enumerate the parts of a plow."

I wonder , since this piece is intended for court, if it is possible that there could be hidden jibes at members of court society, disguised as Falselips Fergus, or poor, dead Trip-free . . .

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-Joe Offer-