University of Virginia Library

THE . 2 . CANT.

NOW NYMPHS IMMORTALL, draw my dyt modest,
And in my spreit sum pregnant propois spair,
That I may sing with suggurit sang celest
That heme of beutie brychtest but compair,
The speciall perle surpassing maist preclair,
The daintie dame, quham I dar not desyn,
The tuynkling star so far Resplendant fair;
I meine the peirles ANGELIQVE deuyn,
Quha vincust all, And vill navayis Inclyn.
The king, the knycht, the suldior, and the slawe,
The auld, The ȝoung, And all ar peirst vith pyn,
Hir perfyt persone gif thay ons persawe;
Thay birne, thay birst, thay duyn, Thay raidge, thay rawe,
firm fettrit fast, And finds no force to flie;
Contending all, be keine combat thay craw
The douce Regard of hir celestiall ie.
Comte Roland best and boldest first did drie
Diseise, vith dolor dalie deip distrest,
Quhill his maist martiall fortitude hir frie
from Orient soile bereft from all the rest;
His confort than And courage bothe Increst.
Bot as the Clouds ar not ay constant cleir,
So pane profound his plesour all supprest,
And cair consumd his former Iocund cheir,
At Mont Pyrens leissing this ladie deir,
Be accident as ȝe sall vnderstand.
At tym quhan his mishap arryuit heir,
Grayt Charlemaine haid thair conveind ane band
Of hardie men, the best in onnie land,
for to Reuenge the former Ancient feed,
Quhilk Agramant did raschelie tak in hand,
To vrak his Realme, And put his men to deed.
Quhan Roland cam, grayt diligens vas meed
To do him honor at his first reuoy;
Him to resiwe the speciall prences geed
Vith na les myrth alacretie and Ioy
Than Hector entring vith triumphe in Troy,
Or Mychtie Cesar vith his laurels greine;
So Raeid the Comte, suspecting na annoy,
Vith glorious face, And courtas aufull eine.
Bot Rennault Raidged as tygar full of teine,
Vith brows vpbend, At bargan vold he be;
Of Angelique he vas so vincust cleine,
That he haid rather in ane moment die
Than this fair ladie vith Lord Roland sie;
Quhilk bred betuix tham ane Immortall baill.
And sen that nane this mateir mycht aggrie,
King Charlemaine did circumspectlie daill:
The battele being radie till assaill,
Vith the aggrement baith of ȝoung and auld,
fair Angelique from Roland did he vaill,
Quhill that his Armie haid gifn battell bauld,
Concluding all Duke Bauiers suld hir hauld,
In to his tent vith tender tretment drest,
And Immolest according as scho vauld,
Quhill of his Camp sum suir succes did rest:
Syn of the knychts The victor and the best
Be dochtines fell force of fois to dant
He promesis thay suld be suir possest
for Recompance vith this precelling sant.
The Comte heirto At the kings vill did grant,
Sen keine combat mycht so the mateir mak,
Not being suir als quhair scho saif mycht hant
Quhan both the armeis suld the gither shak.
Helas, for than succedit all his vrak,
for at deray Quhow soone the vangard gois,
On horse scho lop, And did hir Iournay tak,
And vald be thrall, scho thocht, to none of thois.
This lustie dame obteine culd na repois
for hote persute of euerie vordie knycht;
Hir person peirles, And hir face formois,
Oft hir constrains to tak the feirfull flycht.
And now supposing till escaipe be slycht,
At this hir voyage vtheruayis did chans,
for In the vod befoir hir visage Rycht
Ane knycht scho spyde on fute in armeur glans;
Than dreid of dainger varps hir in ane trans,
As tender faune vithin ane darnit den
Quhan It persaifs the Leopard Auans,
Or compast Close about be craft of men;
for Rennault heir scho did perfytlie ken,
Quha scherst his Bayard bendit from his hand,
Bot to his feit his ȝeill did suiftnes len
fast for to rin fra he the fairrest fand;
He plaints, he cryis, scho vill not stay nor stand,
Bot fleis in feir as from ane Serpent fell,
Scho gifs hir horse both brydle, chak, and vand,
And muifs hir heils, his speid for to compell:
It is vncertan to my toung to tell
Quhilk of the tuo maist feruent ȝelus beine,
Scho for to flie, or he to Intermell,
Thay both assay so schairplie to preueine:
As Daintie Daphne, fleing Phebus scheine
Vith lustie lyms so luiflie, squair, and quhyt,
Quha vas transformit In the laurell greine,
Quhan he approtchd hir persone maist perfyt,
So Rennault, Raidgeing vith na les delyt,
Sped vith sic speid, Quhill scho vas skairslie frie.
Bot Strong ferragus, In the sammyng plyt,
At Instant tyme Scho chancit for to sie,
Quho In the battell haid sic drouth done drie,
That to the Reuar thair to drink he past,
Quhair scho cam suddan, schoutting for supplie
Vith trembling hands And feirfull hart agast.
The Sarrasin, vith bittir brag and blast,
Hint out his sourd, for he perfytlie knew
The maikles beutie, Quhilk Sic glem did cast
And vith the rest haid done his hart subdew.
He turnit stoutlie Rennault to persew,
So tham betuix bauld bargan did begin;
The plaits and malȝeis from thair harneis flew
Be birnist brands in bristing to the skin,
The fyre outbryms from steile all battrit In
Vith stabill strenth of strong Redoubling dints,
Quhilks far About tham meid ane hiddius din,
As hamers beitting on the firmist flints.
In this mydtyme fair Angelique not stints,
Bot forduart ryds als suiftlie as scho may,
Throch dens and dails maist priuelie scho mints
And left all passage plaine for grayt effray;
for gif ane bird from buse bend In hir vay,
In veirray deid scho suirlie dois suppon
That Rennault Ryns to gif hir ȝit assay,
Quhilks maks hir start at euerie stok and ston:
Grayt dreddor dreing desolat alon,
Scho vilsum vauers vandring vext vith vo,
Hir mirthles mynd, molestit, making mon,
Distrest vith storms, Is tossed to and fro.
Ane day and nycht contineuall ryds scho so,
Quhill scho persaived ane bocage growand greine,
Decorit fair be lustie Reuers tuo,
Quhair It vas priuie situat betueine,
And circuat, so that It mycht skairs be seine,
Be seimlie hils, And blomit brais about,
Quhilks meid the vattir, cleir as christall cleine,
Souche softlie sueit from euerie springing spout:
The chirming birds againe did skirle and schout
On tender tuists vith flurise freschlie spred.
Heir Angelique, no dainger doing dout,
from horse discends, And till Repois hir sped.
Ane place scho spyis perfyt be Nature cled
Vith Rosis reed, Meduart, And mergeleine,
And couerit so vith leifs of branchis bred,
That nane thairin Mycht be persawed or seine.
Heir gois scho In, quhair smell aboundant beine
Moir sauorus sueit than sempill style may schaw;
Heir scho reposis, closing vp hir eine,
Heir for ane space No persone dois hir knaw;
Heir byds scho blist now, Quhair no storm dois blaw;
Heir do I viss scho mycht Remaine for ay,
Heir than my lyns No longer vold I draw,
Quhilks heir ar poust to tell ane New effray.
Ane Mychtie Noyes Resounds about the spray,
As Men and horse thair haid arryuit beine,
Scho than astonist did hir sleiping stay,
Vprais scho, priuie spying, and hes seine
Ane lustie knycht all harneist on the greine,
Quhilk as ane Darnit Lark did mak hir ly
Attending quhat the accident mycht meine,
Schairs durst scho sob, so subtile dois scho spy.
Vpon The reuer on the bank neir by
Sad Sat he doune, And stupifact as seimd;
One of his hands supporting did apply
To eise his heed, Quhilk full of dolor beimd;
So stairing still he not ane vord expreimd,
Vith peirsit spreit transport in thocht profound,
As sensles vycht from all guid fortoune fleimd,
Quhill bittir birsting baill did so abound,
That sorrow sueld behuifit out to sound
Ane Maist afflictit pitifull lament,
As till extract be force from deedlie vound
The grose And long Intollerabill tent:
Than sychs As fume from Etna Mont out vent,
Than teirs As strems doune tuinklit all his face,
Than vith ane voce Maist sorroufull and lent,
Than he began Redoubling oft alace,
Vith sobs and suerfs ourquhelmit all the space.
“I thocht,” Sayis he, “that both dois birne and freis
My blaiknit brest, Quhilk may No mirth Imbrace.
O Thocht Inchantit be my vickit eis,
O frounyng Thocht, Thocht fauor fremdlie fleis,
O Thocht, that thinks all vther thochts bot vaine,
Except the Thocht, Quhilk vith my Thocht aggreis,
To think on hir, Quha Thochtles maks the paine.
This onlie thocht dois all my Thochts constraine,
This onlie thocht dois gnaw my hart in tuay,
This onlie thocht, Quhilk I may not Refraine,
Dois duyne my dayis In deedlie deip decay.
I souck the sour, schersing the sueit assay,
I fructles feid on fruct Maist fresche and fair,
I dalie dy, ȝit deth he dois delay
To dryfe his dart, And end my dull dispair,
Dispair consums me confortles in cair,
Cair dois ourcum my corps Vith cair confound,
Confound I am, My mychtis may na mair,
Mair ȝit I may, My luif dois Mair abound,
Abounding Luife of all my greife is ground,
Ground find I non, Quhair onnie grace dois grow,
Grow sall I ay Assuirritlie And sound,
Sound thocht I sterue my fauor firm sall flow,
flow as scho vill, ȝit sall I biet the low,
Low quhilk combuirs My ardent douce desyre,
Desyre not douce bot stiff as bendit bow;
Bow of king Cupid so inflams the fyre.
fyre feruent fell, Quhow sall I the expyre?
Expyre the cause, Than sall I pass the paine;
Paine may not pass Except I find my hyre;
Hyre haif I lost, The certantie is plaine,
for scho is reft, Quha dois beraif my braine:
I bruise in baile, Ane vther baths in blis,
I die for duile, Thow Roland reuls the gaine,
Vith velth at vill of all my vorldis vis:
My mad mishap All Recompance dois mis,
Hir fragrant flour fair virginale I meine;
for euir, helas, Thow hes bereft me this.
O Cumlie chast virginetie Maist cleine,
Resembling rycht the Recent Rose sereine,
Quhilk sueitlie smels In guidlie garding fair,
So naturall douce vpon the branchis greine;
The tender dew, the snawe, And holsum air,
And Phebus face, Adorns It growand thair,
fresche vith maternall moisture Rubie Reed.
The dams and luifers thinks It most preclair,
Sum In thair brest, Sum to decoir thair heed;
Bot being puld, It soone begins to feed
from former fairnes of so suggurit sap,
Syn vnto Gods And men both lothsum meed
Gif It be borne In ane puir pastors cap.
The virgin So quha dois hir vorschip vrap
Vith venus vyce degraths hir hie Renoune.
for quhat auails formosetie or hap
Quhan that hir honor Is suppressit doune,
The cheif Charbunckle of hir cumlie croune,
Quhilk suld preseruit be moir pretius deir
Than helth or lyf? for luifers ar not boune
Hir till esteme, Quha laiks this perle but peir,
for than conuert Is all hir cair and cheir
To plesoure him, In quhom hir lust all lyis;
Quho first did peirce hir fontan fair Inteir,
To him subdewd hir bodie haill applyis.
Quho sall Remeed, helas, my endles cryis?
Quho sall assuaidge my sorrow that so suels?
My bodie blaiknes, And my bluid vpdryis,
for the, O fair, Quhais pulchritud precels.
Sall I the leiwe for teils that tratlers tels?
That may I not, Deth sall me first deuoir.
O Angelique, Quhais beutie me compels
To liewe my freinds, my cuntrie, and grayt gloir,
Sall I persawe thy Peirles face no moir?
Hes thow na thocht of thy Circassian king?
Vill Thow not ons Thy Seruiteur Restoir,
Quho deirlie luifs the by all erdlie thing?
ȝis, I beliwe Thy beutie sall me bring
from noy to Ioy, In spyt of fortoune feed.
In hoip heirof, Althocht scho me maling,
I sall continew thyn vnto the deed.”
This pitius Plaint In Ampill sort vas meed
Bie Sacripant, The pert And puissant Prence
Of Circassie, Quhom vehement luif did leed
from Orient far, Almaist deprywed of sence.
Sen tym that Roland vith hir haid past hence,
Both day And nycht he diligent did Ryd
In hir persute, puft vp vith proud pretence,
As Duke Pirothous fumit At that tyd
Quhan the Centaurs Perforce bereft his bryd.
And quhair scho vent he so derectlie drest,
That to the camp quhilk Charlemaine did gyd
He first Arrywed, Quhair thay to him exprest
Quhow all the battell vas be hir molest,
And quhow The king Impeschit vas so long
Be the contention creuall Quhilk Increst
Betuix the tuo Redouttit Chiftans strong,
And quhow scho haid eschewit tham among
for feir to be the cheifest victors gaine.
Thus haid he passit, Schersing throche the throng,
And follouit Rycht from part to part so plaine,
Quhill heir he chanst Reposing to remaine
Quhair fortounes So Supports his cairfull cheir
That all the clamor of his vexit braine
His lustie ladie tentelie dois heir.
Scho knaws him veill, And seis his luif Inteir,
Quhilk partlie muifs hir stonie hardnit hart;
Apollo semel Ridet In the ȝeir.
So Ponders scho his peirsing painfull part,
His vords, his teirs, his sychs, And all his smart,
And thocht Scho vold not Condiscend at all
for to gif place to luifis Gouldin Dart,
ȝit scho conceits, quhat euir mycht befall,
To chois him now for ane conductor tall.
for Quho that ar In vattir to the chin
for sum supplie perauenture may call,
So scho quha vas this vildernes vithin
Vnto sum Reuth And fauor dois begin,
To serwe hir turne, And for na langer space.
from buse heirfoir vith douce and soubir din
Scho represents hir fair excellent face,
As Goddes brycht Appeiring In that place,
And vith ane sueit And amiabill smyle
Scho visheth till his truiblit thochtis pace,
And cals the hiest to record quhow vyle
Scho ay esteimd hir persone to defyle,
So that of hir he not consauit rycht,
for Roland neuir mycht be luife exyle
Hir Chastitie, Nor ȝit na vther knycht.
The blind long tyme depryuit of his sycht,
Nor the condamnit Captiwe for to die,
Not vith Sic Ioy resaifs thair former mycht
As Sacripant, Quhan he did suddane sie
The veirray viwe formosit figure frie
Of Angelique, hir continance, And grace,
Hir gentill gesture, And precelling ie,
And all the beuteis of hir fragrant face.
Vith feruent fauor Rins he to Imbrace
His luif, his ladie, And his goddes deir,
And scho resaifs him kyndlie in that place
Vith modest myrth, And gratius cumlie cheir.
Sum small Rehersall of his luife Inteir
And former pains, Quhilk he for hir possest,
Scho dois Recompt, Quhairbe to mak appeir
That thankfull mynd In to hir part did lest;
And now also that scho did firmlie trest
In his Protection to be saif and suir,
lyk as lord Roland dochtelie supprest
All accident that mycht hir fame InIuir,
So that hir madinhead flurissing scho buir
for thocht, and deid, Inuitiat and frie.
It mycht be trew, Thocht sum not think it suir;
He credet gaife, for Quho that luifers be
To graytter douts thair fancie vill aggrie
Than to beliwe thair ladie speiking plaine?
And thus he thinks, “O happie tyme to me,
That Roland slippit hes his tyme so vaine;
Sic forton fair he sall not find againe.
I vill not tarie sutting hir consent,
Nor langer frustrat Sall I not remaine;
Pass I this time, I euir may repent.
My stamp sall first vpon the Seale Imprent,
Hir close conclawe I sall at plesour vse,
Thair is no thing may ladeis moir content,
Thocht for the fassone thay mak sum excuse.
Stay vill I not my propois for refuse,
Bot sall Incarnat my Intent till end.
Quho taks his tym, he may vith Reson ruse,
Quhan tym occurs, Quhilk tymlie tym dois send.”
Bould boudin so vith boult And bow bakbend
Quhan till assault he lustelie began,
All vas Impedit quhilk he did pretend;
so lo, Ane Chiftan Quhyt as onnie Suan,
Vith proud appirans of sum mychtie man,
Cled all In armeur fete and ritchlie dycht,
Cam ferslie ryding throch the forrest than
Vith perlit helm, As siluer schyning brycht,
And pannache quhyt hich set In sing of mycht.
kyng Sacripant, Preparing to defend,
Did leice his armet at this suddan sycht,
And on his cursor hautelie did bend;
Vith sum manass began he to contend,
for creuall Raidge because his plesour stayt;
The vther na les coueting commend
To battell bould Rycht hardelie arrayt.
The spurs And speirs no longer vas delayt,
Vith horrabill hurle thay so conIoin perfors,
As Ramping lyons miting haid assayt,
Quhill bakuart foundert both thair hardie hors.
Doune falls the king, And mycht not Rais his cors,
Deed vas his steid, Quhilk on him lourdlie lay.
The vther varior, haifing gifn the vors,
Vith victorie dois spur And ryd auay.
The Prence supprest haid not ane vord to say
To his fair ladie, Quha befoir him stands,
And so tormentit he behuift to stay
Beneth his horss, Quhill that hir tender hands
Supplid him vp, And lowsd the sadle bands.
His grayt Regrait Prolixt var to defyn,
Quhill scho sum confort him to tak commands,
And vith hir speitche dois metigat his pyn.
“ȝour horse it vas,” sayis scho, “quhilk did declyn;
Repoise and fuid to him vas neidfull moir
Than the combat; lat not ȝour courage tyne,
I knaw ȝour valeur veill in tym befoir;
All that is lost ȝe schortlie may restoir;
fume neuir so, Sir, for ane sempill fall,
ȝon lustie galland conquest hes na gloir:
In my conceit, the mateir is so small,
for sic ane chance Nane may ȝow vincust call,
The honor rather vith ȝow dois appeir,
Quho keips the camp, And as ane brasin vall
Mycht byd him now Gif he var present heir.”
As scho to confort dois hir man thus steir,
Ane proper page cam galoppan vith speid,
And tham Inquyrd, as he approtchit neir,
Gif thay haid seine ane knycht all quhyt in veid.
“ȝis, as ȝe sie, he dung me doune in deid,”
Sayis Sacripant, “I neuir thold sic schame,
And be his strenth hes slaine my staluart steid;
I ȝow Request to lat me knaw his name.”
“The name,” sayis he, “appruifs the famus fame,
Quhilk I vill schaw, And put ȝow out of dout:
Ane virgin fair Immaculat but blame
Hes Reft ȝour vorschip vith hir courage stout;
Quhair Scho Intends the hardiest may lout.
This Is the puissant PRADAMENT but peir;
Scherss heir and thair And all this vorld about,
Nane sall ȝe find may matche my ladie cleir.
Sir, fair ȝe veill. Remaine I may not heir.”
And schortlie so his vay frome thame he past.
king Sacripant, vith ane confoundit cheir,
And face Inflamd, stuid stupifact agast;
he neuir heid sic bittir bailfull blast
As be thir news now duilfullie he dreis.
The moir he thinks, The moir his care did cast
Ane feruent furie from his glowing eis;
for dolor deip Almaist he Raidgeing deis,
Because ane maidin raueist hes his gloir
At part Imprompt Quhair as his ladie seis,
Quhilk maks his mone agment the larger moir.
At last, persauing no Remeed thairfoir,
Vpone the horse Quhilk Angelique possest
He did ascend vith spreit perturbit soir,
And hir in crouppe behind him hes he drest;
And superceids to tym of better rest
The sueit Iouissans of his appetyt.
So Ryding thus vith vexit hart molest
Againe Impeschit vas his douce delyt.
Ane murmor raise: My author dois Indyt
That be appirans all the forrest rang:
Sum space heirefter thay persawed perfyt
Ane cursor gross, And all his harneis hang
In fynnest gould brycht garnist ritche and lang;
Ouer dyks and dens, Ouer stanks, and reuers fair,
He braying bends, And sturdelie doune dang
Stoks, stons, and treis, And meed his passage bair.
Sayis Angelique, “gif that my eis be clair,
ȝon is the strong redouttit dochtie steid,
The bralling bustius BAYARD but compair.
It Bayard Is, I knaw him veill In deid,
My self sum tym In Albrack did him feid;
Heir he repairs In proper tym And place
As haifing sum cognossans of our neid.
My Irkit horse he may Induir na space
To beir vs baith, It var ane happie cace,
Gif that ve mycht ȝon cumlie cursor fang.”
The king discends, And dois begine to chace,
And syn approtching, softlie dois he gang
To catche the brydle, Bot ane loftie bang
The steide presents vith his tuo heils behind,
for he vold turne moir ferdie quhan he flang
Than flame of fyrflacht fleing vith the vind;
At his Reuolts the rockis raird and dind,
Ane mont of mettall mycht tham not Induir.
O Sacripant, Thow happelie did find
Thy fortoune now that from his stricking stuir
So hes eschewit saif vntuitchit suir;
for haid he hit the rycht, vas no Remeed
Throch all the forgit harnes Quhilk thow buir;
Bons flesche And bluid haid bruist beine to the deed:
ȝit Memor graitfull did not in him feed.
for former fauor, Quhilk the Dame haid schawne,
Vith humaine semblance vntill hir he geid
As kyndlie hond, Quhilk haid his maister knawne;
So In hir hand haifing the brydle drawne,
He stabill stands, And dois no stirage mak;
Scho vsis him at plesour as hir awne,
for he sum certane Iudgement did contrak.
Now Sacripant his tym did vyislie tak,
for as the ladie Interteind the steid,
He lychtlie lop abowe his puissant bak,
And suirlie sat veill horsit now In deid.
Syn singlie scho againe supplid hir neid,
Vpon hir haiknay Ryding at deuyis,
Quhill thay persawed ane armit man vith speid
Auance behind tham vith dispytfull cryis;
For yre and greif his flesche Inflamit fryis.
At the first sycht fair Angelique him knew,
Hir tender heart for feire began to ryis,
And dreid did dim the glansing of hir hew:
Duke Aymon sone It vas, Quho did persew
To Schers his ladie, And his Bayard bald,
Ewen he Quhom Scho did ofbefoir eschew,
The hardie Rennawlt, as I partlie tald,
To quhom hir hart as yce vas frosin cald,
Thocht he hir luifit as his lyf and mair:
To him In speciall vill scho navayis fald,
Bot Rather die, hir haittrend is so sair.
The cause heirof var langsum to declair,
Quhilk did proceid of springing fontans tuo.
Not syndrie far thay ar in Arden fair,
Diwers effect thair liquor vorkis so,
Ane feruent freind becums ane fremmit fo,
To teist the one: The vther dois compell
Ane hardnit hart all haittrend to forgo,
And in the lusts of luiflie raidge to swell.
Knycht Rennault heirof (as my text dois tell)
Did deiplie drink, And Angelique againe
Hir drouthe did quenche At the Inuyous vell.
Befoir that tym, thay say scho suffert paine
for Rennawlts luife, Quho than did hir disdaine,
And now thay cheingeit var throche euerie poir.
So, seing him, scho lyks no moir remaine,
Behind thame rynning as ane brymmyng boir;
Maist feruent dois scho Sacripant Imploir
To flie vith hir, And him no langer byd.
“Esteme ȝe than I may ȝow not restoir,
So sclenderlie do ȝe in me confyd?”
Sayis he againe, “I sall abaite his pryd.
Is Albrack Battels passit from ȝour thocht,
Or quhow I was ȝour onlie beild that tyd,
Quhan Agrican vith Armie grayt ȝow socht?
Incontrar him And all his camp I focht
Vith nakit persone, gif ȝe rycht recorde.”
Ane vord till him againe scho ansuerd nocht,
for Rennawlt now so nar approtching schorde
That dout of dainger hes hir langage smorde.
The superbe Persons both thay do prepair
Vith martiall mycht contending to be glorde,
As my nixt cant the maner sall declair.