The Original Chronicle of Andrew of Wyntoun printed on parallel pages from the Cottonian and Wemyss mss., with the variants of the other texts: Edited with introduction, notes, and glossary by F. J. Amours |
 | II, III, IV, V, VI. |
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| LXXVII. | CHAPTER LXXVII. |
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 | CHAPTER LXXVII. The Original Chronicle of Andrew of Wyntoun |  |
250
CHAPTER LXXVII.
Off Nero and of his wickitnes
That he did till he regnand wes.
That he did till he regnand wes.
Nero nixt wes successour
To Claudyus, and emperour
Off gret Rome neire xv. ȝere,
For oucht þat wantit to compt cleire.
He pruffit weill of his manheid
Till he wes knycht in his ȝouthheid,
Bot fra he wist him emperour,
Than he excedit all mesoure,
And worschip changeit in tyrandry,
And knychtheid in to fellony;
First he gert sla þe senatouris,
That aucht to be his counsalouris,
And als his brother he gert sla,
And mony vþer lordis ma.
Half Rome he gert set in fyre,
A low there of for to se schyre.
His moder vsit him to repruf,
And snyb him as vnkynd of luf
Till hir þat sufferit thristis saire,
And panys hard quhen scho him baire,
And in gret dout of hir lif ay
In his bering þat nycht or day;
But pete þare for or mercy
He slew hir in his tyrandry.
Syne gert he opin hir and out ta
Hir bowellis, and seik in þa
And rype oure all, baith thik and thyn,
To seik the place þat he lay in.
To Claudyus, and emperour
Off gret Rome neire xv. ȝere,
For oucht þat wantit to compt cleire.
He pruffit weill of his manheid
Till he wes knycht in his ȝouthheid,
Bot fra he wist him emperour,
Than he excedit all mesoure,
And worschip changeit in tyrandry,
And knychtheid in to fellony;
First he gert sla þe senatouris,
That aucht to be his counsalouris,
And als his brother he gert sla,
And mony vþer lordis ma.
Half Rome he gert set in fyre,
A low there of for to se schyre.
His moder vsit him to repruf,
And snyb him as vnkynd of luf
Till hir þat sufferit thristis saire,
And panys hard quhen scho him baire,
And in gret dout of hir lif ay
In his bering þat nycht or day;
252
He slew hir in his tyrandry.
Syne gert he opin hir and out ta
Hir bowellis, and seik in þa
And rype oure all, baith thik and thyn,
To seik the place þat he lay in.
Off Rome syne the masteris all
In his presens he gert call,
And bad with barne thai suld him ma,
Or ellis thai suld thare liffis forga.
Than efter thare avisement
Thai gert him apon ane assent
In till a draucht of drink swelly
A ȝoung paddo, lyand in fry.
Syne gert him in meit and drink
Vse sic thing as thai couth think,
Or be þare sciens vnderstud
Wer to þat paddo gud.
Syne efter it begouth to wax,
And within him rerd and rax,
And in his bowellis gnyp and gnaw,
And gert him oft syse thole hard thraw,
And in gret perell of the dede.
Thare of þan to get remeid
He gert thai gret clerkis all
Agane in till his presens call,
And bad thai suld, apone all pane
Off tormentis seire for to be slane,
Ger þat of his barne þat he
Suld but delay deliuerit be.
Than þai behuffit for to fynd,
All excusationis put behind,
Sum craft to lowss him of that payne,
Or ellis but mercy to be slane.
With a drink þan at the last
Out at his mouth þai gert him cast
That paddo with a bok of blude,
Nane maid of fassoune and nocht gude.
Than askit he be quhat ressoune
His barne sa foull wes of fassoune,
And thai ansuerd all in þat tyde,
For he couþ nocht his tyme abyde,
Na it mycht nocht lang lest in lif,
For quhy it wes ane abortyffe,
And þat wes borne befor the tyme,
And þus þai put till him the cryme.
That paddo deid efter gert he
In till a toure enterit be,
The quhilk wes maid wiþ lyme and stane,
And it wes callit syne Lacarane.
In his presens he gert call,
And bad with barne thai suld him ma,
Or ellis thai suld thare liffis forga.
Than efter thare avisement
Thai gert him apon ane assent
In till a draucht of drink swelly
A ȝoung paddo, lyand in fry.
Syne gert him in meit and drink
Vse sic thing as thai couth think,
Or be þare sciens vnderstud
Wer to þat paddo gud.
Syne efter it begouth to wax,
And within him rerd and rax,
And in his bowellis gnyp and gnaw,
And gert him oft syse thole hard thraw,
And in gret perell of the dede.
Thare of þan to get remeid
He gert thai gret clerkis all
Agane in till his presens call,
And bad thai suld, apone all pane
Off tormentis seire for to be slane,
254
Suld but delay deliuerit be.
Than þai behuffit for to fynd,
All excusationis put behind,
Sum craft to lowss him of that payne,
Or ellis but mercy to be slane.
With a drink þan at the last
Out at his mouth þai gert him cast
That paddo with a bok of blude,
Nane maid of fassoune and nocht gude.
Than askit he be quhat ressoune
His barne sa foull wes of fassoune,
And thai ansuerd all in þat tyde,
For he couþ nocht his tyme abyde,
Na it mycht nocht lang lest in lif,
For quhy it wes ane abortyffe,
And þat wes borne befor the tyme,
And þus þai put till him the cryme.
That paddo deid efter gert he
In till a toure enterit be,
The quhilk wes maid wiþ lyme and stane,
And it wes callit syne Lacarane.
In all his dedis he wes felloune,
And maid gret persecutioun
Off Cristin men, for that thare fay
Abhominabill wes till him ay.
Off Iacob Iustus in his dais,
And Phillip the appostill, þe buke sais,
With a walkaris perk, but dout,
He gert smyte thare harnys out.
He gert als in his fellony sla
His awne maister Seneca,
That till Sanct Luke wrait letters seire,
And wes his awne familiere.
He tynt þe trewage of Brettane,
That his elderis befor wan,
And vther alsua realmes seire,
That he fand to Rome tributere,
Rane in till prescriptioun
Off þare contributioun.
And maid gret persecutioun
Off Cristin men, for that thare fay
Abhominabill wes till him ay.
Off Iacob Iustus in his dais,
And Phillip the appostill, þe buke sais,
256
He gert smyte thare harnys out.
He gert als in his fellony sla
His awne maister Seneca,
That till Sanct Luke wrait letters seire,
And wes his awne familiere.
He tynt þe trewage of Brettane,
That his elderis befor wan,
And vther alsua realmes seire,
That he fand to Rome tributere,
Rane in till prescriptioun
Off þare contributioun.
He wes hiely and outragiouss,
And of condicionis viciouss;
Sanct Petyr he gert crucify,
And of Sanct Paull in his fellony
He gert ta of þe heid alsua,
To deid he put thai appostillis twa.
And quhen feill ȝeris were cummyn and gane,
Off his empyre þe last bot ane,
The Grekis þan set þaim thraly
Away till haif stollin prevely
The bodyis of thai appostlis twa;
And on þat purposs till þai were sa,
Deuillis that in mawmentis ware,
Throu Goddis will and his powere,
Cryit to þe Romanis: “Succour now,
Ȝoure goddis ar now stollin fra ȝow.”
The Cristin men þat [þan] were gud,
That of þe appostlis vnderstude,
Bot þe paganys wenyt alway
That of thare goddis þat said thai.
With þat þe Romanis halely
Chassit þe Grekis dispitously,
Sa þat þe Grekis at þe last
Behuffit of neid thai bodyis cast
In till a deip stank, quhare thai
Lay hid but witting mony day,
Till þat þe pape Cornelyus,
As þe cornikillis tellis ws,
Drew þaim off þat cisterne deip,
And honorably gert men þaim keip
Till he had maid his orisoune
To God with gret deuocioun,
For to teche him verraly
Quhilk wes of Peter the body,
And quhilk of Sanct Paull mycht be
The body in to properte.
Deuotly sa till þat he sat,
Inspirit of God ansuere he gat
That þe largeare body was
Off þe fischeare, and the less
Off the precheoure; and þis said,
Pape Siluester gert þaim be laid
In till a weyis; sa kend wes þare
Quhilk precheoure wes, and quhilk fischeare;
And of ilk ane a kirk gert he
Honorably syne foundit be,
And of Sanct Peter with honoure
The banys he put in sepulture
In to the kirk wes for him maid,
And the banys of Sanct Paull he had
Wntill his kirk, and þan he
Entyrit þare with solempnyte.
And of condicionis viciouss;
Sanct Petyr he gert crucify,
And of Sanct Paull in his fellony
He gert ta of þe heid alsua,
To deid he put thai appostillis twa.
And quhen feill ȝeris were cummyn and gane,
Off his empyre þe last bot ane,
The Grekis þan set þaim thraly
Away till haif stollin prevely
The bodyis of thai appostlis twa;
And on þat purposs till þai were sa,
Deuillis that in mawmentis ware,
Throu Goddis will and his powere,
Cryit to þe Romanis: “Succour now,
Ȝoure goddis ar now stollin fra ȝow.”
258
That of þe appostlis vnderstude,
Bot þe paganys wenyt alway
That of thare goddis þat said thai.
With þat þe Romanis halely
Chassit þe Grekis dispitously,
Sa þat þe Grekis at þe last
Behuffit of neid thai bodyis cast
In till a deip stank, quhare thai
Lay hid but witting mony day,
Till þat þe pape Cornelyus,
As þe cornikillis tellis ws,
Drew þaim off þat cisterne deip,
And honorably gert men þaim keip
Till he had maid his orisoune
To God with gret deuocioun,
For to teche him verraly
Quhilk wes of Peter the body,
And quhilk of Sanct Paull mycht be
The body in to properte.
Deuotly sa till þat he sat,
Inspirit of God ansuere he gat
That þe largeare body was
Off þe fischeare, and the less
Off the precheoure; and þis said,
Pape Siluester gert þaim be laid
In till a weyis; sa kend wes þare
Quhilk precheoure wes, and quhilk fischeare;
And of ilk ane a kirk gert he
Honorably syne foundit be,
260
The banys he put in sepulture
In to the kirk wes for him maid,
And the banys of Sanct Paull he had
Wntill his kirk, and þan he
Entyrit þare with solempnyte.
Off Nero ȝit þan emperoure,
That turnit in foull lust his honour,
For na part of a man thocht he
Mycht clene or lufly callit be;
All his men he lowit forthy
In all tyme till vse rebaldry,
And alkin vicis at thare will
He gaif consent and leif thare till.
A robe he wald on na kyne wyss
Put apon his bak twiss,
Bot a new robe ilk day
His vsage wes till array,
And to þe horse þat he on raid
Schone of siluer he gert be maid.
The houssis in till his palace
Large and weill coruyt was
In all poynttis euerilkane
With gold and siluer and preciouss stane,
Euer syne þat na man mycht
Pryss þe cost of it to rycht.
Forouth þe bernyng of the tovne,
And for his dedis þat were felloune,
His barnage set þaim him to ta,
To pyne in presoune or to sla.
For that causs out of his palace
He fled, and slew him self of cass;,
And outwiþ þe erd but sepulture
As a dog lay þe emperour,
Till all the flesche of his body
Wes etyne with wolffis halely.
Off Nero þus wes þe ending,
And is ensample and taknyng
Till all þat drawis thare delite
To lust and to foull appetite,
Throu warldis welth and wantoun will,
Fra vertuouss deid to vicis ill,
But ony ressoune bot revery,
Confoundit pete with fellony,
And will þare hawtane havinnis haif,
And wenys nane may þaim dissaif.
That turnit in foull lust his honour,
For na part of a man thocht he
Mycht clene or lufly callit be;
All his men he lowit forthy
In all tyme till vse rebaldry,
And alkin vicis at thare will
He gaif consent and leif thare till.
A robe he wald on na kyne wyss
Put apon his bak twiss,
Bot a new robe ilk day
His vsage wes till array,
And to þe horse þat he on raid
Schone of siluer he gert be maid.
The houssis in till his palace
Large and weill coruyt was
In all poynttis euerilkane
With gold and siluer and preciouss stane,
Euer syne þat na man mycht
Pryss þe cost of it to rycht.
Forouth þe bernyng of the tovne,
And for his dedis þat were felloune,
His barnage set þaim him to ta,
To pyne in presoune or to sla.
262
He fled, and slew him self of cass;,
And outwiþ þe erd but sepulture
As a dog lay þe emperour,
Till all the flesche of his body
Wes etyne with wolffis halely.
Off Nero þus wes þe ending,
And is ensample and taknyng
Till all þat drawis thare delite
To lust and to foull appetite,
Throu warldis welth and wantoun will,
Fra vertuouss deid to vicis ill,
But ony ressoune bot revery,
Confoundit pete with fellony,
And will þare hawtane havinnis haif,
And wenys nane may þaim dissaif.
Gabba of Rome þan emperour
To Nero neist wes successour;
Off that stait ȝit neuerþeless
Bot vii. monethis emperour he wes.
Quhen Nero herd of Surry tell
That þai agane him raiss rabell,
Waspasiane he send of weire
In Surry with a gret powere;
Thare in the kinrike of Iude
Lyand apon weire wes he,
And herd weill Nero wes dede,
And Gabba syne intill his steid.
And Witaill efter þaim regnand,
And Oto als throu stalwart hand,
All in þat ȝere were emperouris,
And throu covatice of honouris
Ilkane slew oþer of caiss;
Off þaim sa the ending was.
To Nero neist wes successour;
Off that stait ȝit neuerþeless
Bot vii. monethis emperour he wes.
Quhen Nero herd of Surry tell
That þai agane him raiss rabell,
Waspasiane he send of weire
In Surry with a gret powere;
Thare in the kinrike of Iude
Lyand apon weire wes he,
And herd weill Nero wes dede,
And Gabba syne intill his steid.
And Witaill efter þaim regnand,
And Oto als throu stalwart hand,
264
And throu covatice of honouris
Ilkane slew oþer of caiss;
Off þaim sa the ending was.
That tyme Lynus king of Tuskane
Borne, and sone of Esculane,
Alevin ȝere and monethis thre
And xxx. dais held þe se
Off Rome a pape, and ordanit þan
That thare suld cum na woman
Within þe kirk, as Peter bad,
Bot gif hir heid scho couerit had.
Borne, and sone of Esculane,
Alevin ȝere and monethis thre
And xxx. dais held þe se
Off Rome a pape, and ordanit þan
That thare suld cum na woman
Within þe kirk, as Peter bad,
Bot gif hir heid scho couerit had.
Quhen þat pape Lyne wes deid
Clete succedit in his steid,
And held þe papis se xi. ȝere
In Rome; bot ȝit thai twa were,
As sum men sayis, in to thare lif
Nouthir papis successive,
Bot thai were to Sanct Peter ay
Helparis in his lattyr day,
Quhen he gaif his vacatioun
Alhaill till his deuocioun;
Baith Lyne and Clete thai papis twa
He dispensit with to ma,
And for to do þe seruice all
That to þe pape of rycht suld fall;
In till the nomer þare of þai
Ar reknyt of haly papis ay.
Clete commendit rycht gretly
All thai that vsit deuotly
Haly pilgrimage to ma,
And maist ay he commendit þai
That Sanct Peter and Paull vesyte,
For that he callit maire meryt
Than for to fast twa ȝeris or thre;
All thai thare for cursit he
That lettit þaim of þare viage
To Petyre and Paull in pilgrymage.
Clete succedit in his steid,
And held þe papis se xi. ȝere
In Rome; bot ȝit thai twa were,
As sum men sayis, in to thare lif
Nouthir papis successive,
Bot thai were to Sanct Peter ay
Helparis in his lattyr day,
Quhen he gaif his vacatioun
Alhaill till his deuocioun;
Baith Lyne and Clete thai papis twa
He dispensit with to ma,
And for to do þe seruice all
That to þe pape of rycht suld fall;
In till the nomer þare of þai
Ar reknyt of haly papis ay.
Clete commendit rycht gretly
All thai that vsit deuotly
Haly pilgrimage to ma,
266
That Sanct Peter and Paull vesyte,
For that he callit maire meryt
Than for to fast twa ȝeris or thre;
All thai thare for cursit he
That lettit þaim of þare viage
To Petyre and Paull in pilgrymage.
In to the papis letters he
Gert first Salutem writtin be,
Et Apostolicam Benedictionem alsua;
And fra he deit syne all thai
That succedit in that stait
Thai wordis in thare bullis wrait.
Gert first Salutem writtin be,
Et Apostolicam Benedictionem alsua;
And fra he deit syne all thai
That succedit in that stait
Thai wordis in thare bullis wrait.
| CHAPTER LXXVII. The Original Chronicle of Andrew of Wyntoun | |