And of Joseph.
Item. The purpois that he and I had togidder.
Of the desyre that he has to pleis me, and of his repentance.
Of the interpretatioun of his letter.
Of Willie Hiegaite's mater {business}, of his departing.
Of Monsiure de Levingstoun.
I had almaist forzet, that Monsiure de Levingstoun said in the Lady Reres eir at supper he said to me, quhen I was lenand upon him warming me at the fyre. Ze have { fair sair } going to se seik folk,[46] zit ze cannot be sa welcum to thame as ze left sum body this day in regrait, that will never be blyth quhill he se zow agane. I askit at him quha that was. With that he thristit my body, and said, that sum[47] of his folkis had sene zow in fascherie; ze may ges at the rest.
I wrocht this day quhill {till} it was twa houris upon this bracelet, for to put the key of it within the lock thairof, quhilk is couplit underneth with twa cordounis. I have had sa lytill tyme that it is evill maid; bot I sall mak ane fairer in the meane tyme. Tak heid that nane that is heir se it, for all the warld will knaw it, becaus for haist it was made in yair presence.
I am now passand to my fascheous {hateful} purpois.[48] Ze gar (force) me dissemble sa far that I haif horring thairat; and ye caus me do almaist the office of a traitores. Remember how gif {if} it wer not to obey zow, I had rather be deid or I did it;[49] my hart bleidis at it. Summa, he will not cum with me, except upon conditioun that I will promeis to him, that I sall be at bed and buird with him as of befoir, and that I will leif him na ofter:[50] And doing this upon my word, he will do all thingis that I pleis, and cum with me. Bot he has prayit me to remane upon him quhil uther morne[51] {till tomorrow}.
He spak verray bravely[52] at ye beginning, as yis beirer will schaw zow, upon the purpois of the Inglismen, and of his departing; Bot in ye end he returnit agane to his humilitie.