University of Virginia Library

THE . 3 . CANT.

O creuall luif, quho corresponds so rair
To matche tuo mynds vith mutuall desyre,
One thou ourcums, consumyng tham vith cair,
The vther plaine permitting till Impyre.
Thy fickill fancie, And thy feruent fyre,
Dois fram be gaeise of thy tuo blindit eis.
Paine as ve pleis, Repentance is the hyre,
Thocht ve suld serwe the constant on our kneis.
ȝe sie quhat dolor dalie Rennawlt dreis
for hir quha cuirs not of his cair ane myt;
And monie mo disdanit duyning deis,
Vith dew reward quho neuir ar requyt.
The lairge prolixit histoir quhilk I dyt
In this preambill lets me to remaine;
I prosequit: Stout Rennawlt in dispyt
To Sacripant thir vords exprimit plaine,
“false commoune theif, Quhow dar thow in disdaine
So for to steill my ladie, And my steid?
Thow meschant mereits not sic nobill gaine;
I sall beraiwe thame baith be dochtie deid.
Defend the, trateur, And discend with speid.”
The vthers courage hich exceld als far.
“foule feibill beist,” sayis he, “thow dowbill leid,
And is dissemblit as ane theif, And var.
I the defy. Do quhat thow dow or dar,
Betuix vs tuo now sall approuit be
Quho bendid boldest Bragin may debar
Vith burnist brands to bruike my ladie frie.”
As byting barbats quhan thay disaggrie
Vith ardent raidge, And furius fyrie eine;
Or boustius buls ar terrabill to sie,
Quhan thay to bargan boldlie baeittit beine;
So to combat conIoins the knychtis keine.
Bot the Circassian forcit vas to lycht,
for Bayard haid so guid ane natrall meine,
He vald not reullit be In ryding rycht,
Bot beirs his heid vpon his counter tycht,
And rauets bakuart quhan he suld persew.
The spurs nor bit navayis him danton mycht
for to molest his maister, Quhom he knew.
The king, persauing that he so vithdrew,
Maist firelie from him did doune discend.
Ane martiall faet than mychtie did renew
Conform to thair magnificent commend.
Quhyls hiche, Quhyls low, The skelping sourds did bend,
Quhyls thay rebat, And quhyls thay scharplie schair.
As quhan Vulcanus dois his force extend
Vith hammer flasting fyrflacht in the air,
Vp hich to Iowe making the thunder rair,
So stronglie strak the steitlie chiftans stout,
Quhyls schort, Quhyls long, And quhyls thay seime to spair,
Quhyls thay auance, And quhyls thay lychtlie lout,
Quhyls couerit close, And quhyls thay stretche tham out,
Quhyls heir, Quhyls thair, Thay skip from part to part,
Quhyls stif thay stog, And quhyls thay bent about
To schaw tham maisters of the fensing art.
The knycht of clairmont vith couragius hart
On Sacripant Ane ackwart dint did ding,
Quhilk all astonist meed his arme to smart;
As bruckill glass he did aschunder bring
His targe of steil, Quhill all the rocks did ring,
Quhilk quhan the craintiwe Pucelle haid espyit,
Vith vo all vext hir hands began to vring,
And doutfull dreid hir beutie brycht vpdryit;
As the malfactor quhan the treuth is tryit,
Quho seis his deth, And may find no remeed,
So scho to Rennawlt feird to be applyit,
Gif langer scho remanit in that steed;
To Rennawlt quhom scho haits vnto the deed,
Als far as he hir luifit in effect.
Heirfoir besyd tham Scho no moir abeed,
Bot turns hir horse And taks hir vay derect
Throch thikkest vods And vildernes eiect
from euerie passage maist frequentit plaine,
Vith vofull visage spying ay suspect
That Rennawlt rins In hir persute againe.
Bot now approtchis hir profoundest paine,
Quhilk till Indyt dois all my mynd molest,
My reuthfull hart from sychs may not refrain
for to record quhow duilfullie vas drest
This lustie dame, bereft of quiet rest
Now be ane hermet, cause of all hir cair;
Quho meting hir vas vtterlie opprest
Vith Cupids dart As I sall heir declair.
The Subtill hermet mycht resist na mair,
Bot deiplie did greine vound of luife Induir;
Thocht feir did feed hir former fauor fair,
Hir luiflie luiks did all his lusts alluir,
And so constraind his aidgeit brest combuir
In feruent force of furius fumyng fyre,
That Bersabe in bathe I ȝow assuir
Inflamd no moir king Dauid vith desyre:
Bot he vas eildit, And his ase did tyre
Till Imitat hir passing paise be speid,
Vith nigromance heirfoir he did conspire
To satisfie his vitius vilan deid.
His conIurations, And his bakwart creid,
Vith circumstans of monie circle round,
In ceremonius maner did he reid,
Quhill vickit spreits Infernall did abound
from Plutos darckest dungeon maist profound;
Of the quhilk sort one cheif he did elect,
Quho brocht this dame in danger to be dround:
Hir horse he reuld vith violent effect
Throch Neptuns deips Till ane disert derect
Be this decetfull hermets fraud and slycht;
In the quhilk part he suirlie did expect
for till obteine at vill hir beutie brycht.
And so hir horse to dant Scho haid na mycht,
Bot in the seis perforce he gois coak,
And scho in vo bewrapt ane vereid vycht
To saif hir self sat Suirlie on his bak,
As Iupiter fair Europa did tak
Throch bullering strems his strese for to restoir,
Quhan as Mercurius priuelie did mak
Hir velthie troups for till approtche the schoir
Be the command of gentill Iowe befoir,
Hir beutie so his godheed meed decay,
That in ane bull he did transform his gloir,
And throch the seis so suame vith hir away.
Now Angelique Induring sic effray
Be spreit Inspyrit in hir raidgeing horse,
Hir haer disparplit, And hir ritche array
Spred lyk ane quheile about hir cumlie corse,
Vith pitie perst Protheus haid remorse
To sie this ladie So Impeschd vith pyn;
Both Egeon And Doris did thair forse,
And all the rest of Marin Nymphs deuyn,
To cause the Iaws thair tumbling cours Inclyn;
Bold Boreas And Eurus did abstrak
Thair bubbing blasts, And Tryton vith his tryn
Supplide to hold hir on hir horsis bak.
“I var to blame gif sic ane beutie vrak,”
Sayis Mychtie Neptun, “Quhair I mak repair.”
“And it to me var both grayt schame and lak
for to torment hir vith Intemperat air;”
Quod Eolus. “My pith now sall I Spair,
Permitting pass this peirles perle of pryis.”
At part apoynt So lands hir haiknay thair,
Quhan Phebus cours till Occident applyis;
All dririe droukit doutsum in deuyis
Quhat for to do in that disert alon
Scho stairing stands But motion, and espyis,
As Image formit of the marbile ston,
Quhair hiddius rocks obscuirlie did depon
Thair feirfull fronts abowe that perrelus part.
All kynd of confort being from hir gon,
Vith stupifact distressit quaking hart
Sich mycht scho not, so suffocat vith smart,
Bot all besueld in sorrow dolor dreis;
Quhill at the last trebusching out did start
Ane fluid of teiris from hir reuthfull eis.
Vith hands vpheld than falling on hir kneis,
Hir trublit toung outbirsts vith grayt lament
Agains the malheur of hir destineis,
Beginning thus hir pitifull complent;
“O mychtie Iowe, Quhy art thow crewall bent
My martrit mynd for to molest so soir?
I vofull vretche, quhois vorldlie veill is spent,
May not resist thy malice ony moir.
It not accords vith graytnes of thy gloir
Contrare ane catiwe dourlie to contend;
Thy gratius godheid humyllie I Imploir,
Prolong not lyfe bot Suddan deth me send.
I dalie dies ȝit deth vill navayis end
My lothsum lyfe Quhilk till agment my cair
So situat is, And sorroufull suspend,
As Phaeton vithin Apollos chair
Throch feirfull monsters hurlling heir and thair,
Quhill thow quho reuis abowe the heauenis hie
Thy thudding thunder did vpon him spair.
O Iupiter, extend the lyk to me.
Gif thow hes saift me from the suelling sie,
Vith sauuage beists heir to persawe me rent,
Cause tham approtche vith speid and lat me die
for to dissolwe my duill Incontinent.
Quhat now awails the beutie excellent
Quhilk thow O Nature did on me dispon?
Of that grayt gift I lairgelie may repent.
for It am I not raueist from my tron?
My bruther Argail lykuayis lost and gon,
To quhom Inchantit harneis not awaild,
And als my father Mychtie Galafron,
To battell kein be Agrican appaild,
All for the beutie quhilk thow in me saild.
Vold god I haid in Ethiopia thair
Beine bred and borne, Quhair fairnes all is faild,
And not in ynd ane maikles maede preclair.
O Philida, thow happi vas and fair,
Quha fed thy flock in pouertie and rest,
Bot I vith Lucrece may lament in cair
My onlie beutie dois my lyf molest.
from part to part I pass persewd and drest
In duyning dolor Quhilk I dalie drie.
And ȝit this thing deteins me maist supprest,
I feir my honor quyt extinguist bie;
for thocht I haif obseruit chastetie,
ȝit vandring as ane volsum vagabound,
Report perhaps vill attribute to me
That sum hes fauor in my fancie found;
for meschant mouths of this malitius mound
Of proper prettick vill vith pert pretens
Prepair sum propos of ane sempill ground
Quhair thay may purches place and audiens;
Agains the quhilk auaillis no defens,
Bot to gif liars liwe ane space to lie;
And than vith tyme, As smell of sueit Incens,
Treuth sall triumphe Immaculat and frie.
Bot ȝit fair ladeis circumspect suld bie
for preseruation of thair vomanheed,
That nane occasion sic vnseimlie sie,
As ons may muife thair famus fame to feed.
for as the recent rubie Rosis reed
May not abyd all bitter blasts that blaws,
So the renoune of beutie lyith deed
Quhan vickit toungs be sum appirans schaws
That vitius liwing honestie ourthraws,
Quhilk causis beutie odius to bie,
And our estait In dalie dainger draws
To disposses vs of our vorschip hie;
Quhairof gif men thair self ons victors sie,
Thocht thay do flatter for ane space and fengȝie,
Thay think ve ar als copius and frie
To all the rest of that decetfull mengȝie;
Thair teirs distels bot onlie to distengȝie
Our Chastetie Quhilk cheiflie suld precell.
As to my self I sall vith reson rengȝie
Thocht thay suld raidge lyk Cerberus in hell:
And gif that fortoune creuallie compell
My cairfull corps heir but delay to die,
ȝit sall my spreit vith daintie Diane duell,
Quhilk is the onlie hoip reconforts me.”
Lyk as the luiflie lustie Emelie
Did celebrat ane sacrafice maist dew
To this Chast goddes, sutting sum supplie
The theban knychtis both for till eschew,
So scho deuote vith palle And blanchit hew
Hir gost commends in Dame Dianas hands,
Attending tym quhan Deth suld hir persew.
Vith trimbling hart And fixt regard scho stands,
And syn, reteiring sumpart from the sands,
Beneth ane rock abowe the sam scho spyis
The foirsaid hermet bound in Cupids bands,
To quhom vith speid for sum supplie scho cryis,
And said, “O father venerabill vyis
Lat pitie perce ȝow to Lament my paine;
Sic teinfull terror on my bodie lyis,
It Interrupts my toung for till explaine
Quhow I in dreid and dolor dois remaine,
As Daniell vith lyons meed repair.
Bot thow Art send to help me vp againe,
As Habacuc vas heysit be the hair;
It me reiosis to persawe the thair.
O holie man, I hartlie the exhort
Of mercie cum and metigat my cair,
for I sustenit hes na litle tort,
Arrywing heir at this vnhappie port.”
And so vith sychs and teirs scho schortlie schew
The summe of thair hir sorroufull resort,
Quhan touarts hir dissimulat he drew,
Be apparance sembling deuotion trew,
As Godlie Ierom, Paull, or Hilaire heir,
And vith perfyt remonstrances anew
He meed his subtill sanctitude appeir.
“Delay ȝour duill my tender dochter deir;”
This hypocreit did rycht demurlie say,
“I haife grayt pitie of ȝour cairfull cheir,
And to persawe ȝour sorroufull array:
Bot sen ve ar Incertane euerie day
Of erdlie Ioy quhilk is so friuole vaine,
Now lat ȝour courage on sum confort stay,
And tak in patience this ȝour present paine;
Quhan vo is past, veill vill returne againe.
As plesis fortoune, so ve most Induir.
My cumlie chyld, all plesour is prophaine
Heir in this vorld, And no thing stabill suir.”
As fraudfull fouller dois the foule alluir
for to be catchit at his craftie call,
So all this speitche peruert vas till procuir
Place till obteine his plesour sensuall.
for in effect the forme did eftir fall
Quhan till Intretment doucelie he began,
Oft clapping both hir cheikis quhyt and small,
Syn kyndlie kyssit as ane amorus man,
Quhill that his hand beneth hir vestment than
He hamlie threw, And menit till Imbrace,
As did the Iudgeis to the Chast Susan,
Quhill Scho repulst him vith ane blusching face.
So than persawing till obteine na place
Be dailling douce at hir disdainfull pryd,
In sort sinister ȝit he suttit grace,
Disclosing thair ane beuget at his syd,
Out of the quhilk he did ane phiole slyd
Vith liquor plinist till repress the eine,
And vith ane sparking drop thairof did hyd
The brychtest percing torches to be seine;
The fairest lamps that luife possest, I meine,
The heauenlie eis that chiftans did coak,
Quhilks far preceld thois of the grecian queine,
Quha brocht both Troy and Troians all to vrak.
This foirsaid liquor sic effect did mak,
That sueitlie syn in sleiping sound scho lyis,
So that this vitius vieillard now mycht tak
Of hir his plesour At his awne deuyis.
He kist, he claps, he braist, he tuitchd, he spyis
Hir glansing gorge, And curall lyps perfyt,
Hir cristall paps, As proper perls of pryis,
So dour, so douce, and so transparant quhyt,
far fairer formyt Nor my Muse may dyt,
Vith rubie heeds vpraeist as berreis round,
And tham betuix ane distance of delyt,
Quhair euerie vaine vith beutie did abound.
Hir seimlie skin so sklender soft and sound,
As collorit lileis fresche and flurist fair,
In this disert Inhabitable ground
But molestation he perusis thair.
Bot feiblit corps mycht not vith vill repair;
Do quhat he vold, his Standhard did declyn.
He sayeit all meins, Quhill that he mycht na mair
His dag misga, the snapvark vas not fyn,
His Roncin sueire the first assault did tyn,
Trebusching doune quhill nether spur nor vand
Mycht onie farder pouse him fordwart; syn
He lurks and lyis, And vill not ryd nor stand.
The moir he spurd, The moir refuse he fand,
He neuir start Nor onie stirage meed,
Thocht oft he hyst him vith his harskie hand.
He dammest drouppit doune againe as deid
Vith panchie mouth als haw as onie leed,
And all his hyd most lyk ane skrimplit ront;
No chap nor chak mycht mak him lift his heed,
His bruisit bit vas vorne so rustie blont;
In vain he forst him to that flowing font,
In vaine he schaiks the brydile to and fro,
In vaine he vrocht for he vold neuir mont,
And vainlie vaine he lang tormentit so,
Quhill hir besyd at last he sleipit tho,
Till now occurs ane new mishap againe
Quhilk varps this ladie, all Inwolwed in vo,
from deip distres to dowbill duill and paine.
So is the cours of friuoll fortoune vaine,
Quha seyndill schoirs vith single sorrow schort,
Bot communlie quhan scho begins disdaine
Cair till agment is all hir game and sport,
As in this cace be pruife I sall report.
And in effect the forme heirof to tell,
Ane litle space from propos I resort
for to dilat quhow that the sam befell.
In hebude yle sum tym ane king did duell,
Quho had ane dochter so surpassing fair,
That be hir beutie brycht quhilk did precell
In the sie landis, as scho meed repair,
Cacht vas Protheus in the fettrit snair
Of ardent luife Amyds the frostie strems;
So that is vattrie brest Inflamit thair
for fauor feruent all in fyrie glems,
Quhill on ane day he so this ladie tems,
Hir seing singlie valkand at the schoir,
That of hir madinheed he hir frilie lems,
And left hir so vith chyld but proces moir:
Quhairvith hir father greuit vas so soir,
He kild his dochter but paternall stay,
Quhilk meed this pastor of Neptunus stoir
Becum his mortall ennemie for ay.
Strong ourks And Phoks And monsters euerie day
from seis he send his peuple till annoy,
Quhilks brocht his kingdom greatlie till decay.
Thay did not onlie bestiall distroy,
Bot men and vyfs mycht not thair lyfs InIoy,
Brochs, touns, and citeis, var beseidged about,
And euerie ane constraind to keip tham coy,
for to preserwe tham from this maryn rout.
Enarmed all thay dalie stuid in dout,
Thair fertill feildis var dishantit lang,
Quhill schersing help heirfro to be brocht out
Vnto thair god thay did deuoilie gang.
The reyttis done, The oracle than rang
This subsequent respons apertlie plaine,
That the remeed of this maist vofull vrang
Vas till assuadge Protheus great disdaine
In offring him ane virgin fair againe
from ane till ane, Quhill that is raidge did stay,
Na les of beutie than the former slaine;
So ans contentit vold he be for ay.
The fairest faces suffert first decay
Be sentence said in this mischiwos sort,
Ane beutie brycht present vas euerie day
To this Protheus, till abstract his tort,
Quhilks all susteind ane miserabill mort;
Ane hiddius ourk tham duilfullie deuord.
This law did lang thir landis lest athort.
O lustie ladeis, heir ȝour deth is schord,
for gif ȝour beuteis in thir bounds abord,
This vickit monster most ȝow kill bot stay.
No mercie may thir menis mynds remord;
Vpon the riuage schers thay nycht and day
Sum fremmit face the perrell till assay;
Sum thay obteine be slycht, And sum be gaine,
Sum thay alluir, And sum thay raife away,
Vith this maist creuall coustume to be slaine;
Thay bussie pass both hautie hill, and plaine,
Sic neidfull prey for till prepair and find,
Quhill quhair the beutie peirles did remaine,
Ewen hir vith quhom the hermet vold haif sind,
Thay cam at last, And did hir firmlie bind.
O diwelische dome for sutche ane seimlie sant,
O frowart fortoune fickle, false, and blind!
Sall now ane monster hir devoir and dant
Quha from the Caldest Caucasus caust hant
Great Agrican to heittest part of ynd:
Hir that the half of Scythia meed vant
Thair lyfs for luife: And fers ferragus pynd:
Hir that the puissant Sacripant constrynd
To leife his velthie kingdome and renoune:
And vordie Roland till rin by his mynd,
And all the Orient turnit vpsyd doune?
So singlie now sall scho in sorrow soune
Bot one to giwe hir confort or relife.
Thay led hir captiwe bound vnto thair toune,
Quhill tym occurrit of this mad mischife;
Than to the monster vas scho brocht in brife,
Quhan thay of pitie haid sum space hir spaird,
Quhair all the peuple, follouing hir in grife,
Vith veping eis vpon hir beutie staird.
Quho may exprime the pitifull regaird,
The cair, the plaint, the clamor, and the mone,
Quhilk to the hichest heauenis percing raird,
Quhan scho vas cheingȝeit to the stabill stone,
Abyding deth bot help of onie one?
for routh I meruell nor the riuage rawe.
My pen heirof no farder may expone,
for verray vo I most the mateir lawe.
Quhat tygar veyld Or Serpent in the grawe
May sie or think, but pitie and lament,
fair Angelique all nakit as ane slawe
Link till ane rock to be deuord and rent?
O gif thy luifers knew, thay vold not stent
To giwe the ayde, Thocht vith extremest deed
Ten thousand tyms Thair bodie vold be bent
Vith hardie hart to mak the now remeed.