University of Virginia Library

THE . 6 . CANT.

Quhair luife dois Reule No Resone may refraine,
Luife for na stres vill lawe his ladie deir,
Thocht dew desert for fauor find disdaine,
Ane luifer leile vill constant perseueir,
As be the sequell plainlie sall appeir
Of hiche renownit Roland quhom I sing;
Quhom nether vinter sesone of the ȝeir,
Great painfull perrels, Nor contrarius thing
Mycht ons againe from former sute him bring;
Bot day and nycht vith ardent deip desyre
for till obteine his luiflie ladie ding
He trauell tuik And at no tym vold tyre,
for force and flame of luifis feruent fyre
So brint in bosume of his secret thocht,
That nether vit nor pouer mycht Impyre,
Bot ay his fancie flowing vas afflocht.
In euerie part Insatiantlie he socht,
Both far, and nar, feild, forrest, hill, and plaine;
As Saddest ceres, Quhan tuo firs scho brocht
To Vulcans fyre, Quhilk did tham so constraine
Incendit thair ay birning to remaine,
Than for na panis did hir persone spair,
In chariot set, Quhilk Serpents but disdaine
Drew eueriquhair, To schers hir dochter fair
Throch buss, And bra, broks, burns, And bankis bair,
Throch all the erth, And seis from end till end;
Sin in this vorld quhan scho culd schers na mair,
To deip tartarien goulf scho did discend.
So Roland na les villing did pretend
To find againe the Rubie of Renoune
Throch Italie vith vonderfull commend;
Quhan he all france haid compast vp and doune,
As Mychtie Monarck boldlie did he boune,
All Almanie he past apertlie plaine
By monie valey, vildernes, and toune,
And all the seis of libia And Spaine;
To Castillon both new and auld againe
He restles raeid on Bridedor his steid:
Thir vayis I wat he neuir vent in vaine
Vith ydle hand Bot doing dochtie deid,
Thocht Inexprimit as thay did succeid,
To lycht vitnes neuir cam his ak,
for quhy him self so secret vas I reid,
Thocht lairge he did, he neuir amplie spak,
So that the most part is obscuird abak
Of all his vorschip vin this vinter last.
Bot quhan brycht Tytan did his cours vptak
Abowe the Bull vpdrying stormes past,
And Ȝephir suawe vith bonie bousum blast
Reuerts againe the blomit branchis greine,
Quhan herbs and flours aboundant dois vpcast
Sueit sauorus smell in sop all soupit scheine,
The pruifs Immortall than of Roland beine
Vpspringing vith the verduir of the ȝeir.
Now as he pansiwe raeid vith stabill eine
In entring at ane forrest did he heir
Ane reuthfull cry. Vith speid he spurd to speir
The menyng of that pitifull complent.
Ane horssit knycht than till him did appeir,
And in his armes ane proper pucelle gent,
Quhamvith perforce trottane away he vent.
Scho quhyns, Scho schrinks, Scho vreyis, Scho vips for vo,
And vith maist dolorus semblant and lament
Imploirs the Comte to saif hir from hir fo.
O vonderfull maist percing vision tho,
for scho resemblit Angelique preclair,
His onlie luife And goddes vexit so;
He seis hir vult, He seis hir ȝallow hair,
Hir heawenlie eis precelling bot compair,
Quhilk from myd ceinter of his brest in baille
haid reft his hart; No longer mycht he spair,
Vith horrabill voce the knycht he dois appaille,
And full of furie feruent till assaille
Drew Durandall As ane Inraidgeit man.
Bold Bridedor, that did him neuir faille,
As thunder thuds vith quhiddrand reard he ran.
The one dois flie, The vther ferss began
To follow fast As euir falcon flew.
The rocks, The reuers, and the forrests thane,
Resoundit all for din and clamor new.
Vith great manasse ay did he pert persew,
Bot ȝit culd not to his desyre attaine,
for suift as vind the vther dois eschew,
Quhill till ane palice he did Roland traine,
Quhair lang he schersit thair his luif in vaine,
for be Inchantment to him did appeir
That in that building scho haid done remaine.
Quhyls vp, Quhyls doune, he seis hir thair and heir,
Vith pitius speitche Saying, “approtche my deir,
Speid and supplie thy onlie paramour.”
Beliwe ȝe veill that than he vas not sueir,
Bot butt and ben he bends from bour to bour,
Vp turnpyks, turats, And from tour to tour,
He restles ran all resonles begyld.
Vithin thois vals vyd vandrand euerie hour
The Iwill Inchantor so deteind him syld,
Vith monie mo of staluart knychts so styld,
As Ariost in hich and vordie verse
The circumstance moir copius hes compyld
Than I may retche vith rasche and ruid reherse.
Stout Sacripant And fell ferragus ferse
In to this ludging both thay meed repair,
The false Illusion lykuayis did them perse,
Thay all presumit till obteine hir thair.
Quhan thay ascend, thay sie hir dounvart fair,
Quhan thay cum doune, thay sie hir vp againe,
And ay approtching, thay find void and bair
The part quhair scho apperit to remaine:
Quhow soone thay Irkit or consawed disdaine,
To tham againe appeird hir fragrant face
And socht supplie; than mycht thay nocht refraine,
Bot dois commence thair coustumabill chace.
So thay abaid all vitchit in this place
Be Atlants nigromancicale Inwent,
Quhill Angelique persawed thair cairfull cace,
As I sall schaw in maner subsequent.