The Shorter Poems of Gavin Douglas :: :: University of Virginia Library

The Shorter Poems of Gavin Douglas

Edited by Priscilla J. Bawcutt

Douglas, Gawin (1474?-1522)

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THE PALICE OF HONOUR

[OMITTED]dame flora had ouerfret
[OMITTED]d, powderit with mony a set
[OMITTED]opas, Perle, and Emerant.
[OMITTED]dewe/bathit, and kyndly wet,
[OMITTED]pours hote right fresche and wele ybet
[OMITTED]of odour, of flewour most fragrant
[OMITTED]siluer droppis on dayseis distillant.
[OMITTED]ilk verdour branches ouer the alars ȝet
[OMITTED]moky sence þe mystis reflectant.

[OMITTED]fragrant flouris blomand in theyr seis
[OMITTED]red þe leues of naturis tapestreis.
[OMITTED]ue the quhilk with heuinly armonyis
[OMITTED]irdis sat on twistys and on greis
[OMITTED]elodiously makand thair kyndly gleis
[OMITTED]uhois schill notis, fordinned all the skyis.
[OMITTED]f reparcust ayr the eccon cryis.
[OMITTED]ang the branchis of the blomed treis.
[OMITTED]on the laurers siluir droppis lyis.

[OMITTED]hyll that I rowmed in that paradice
[OMITTED]nnessed and full of all delyce

[OMITTED]

Thaim to preserue fra rewmes p[OMITTED]
The vmbrate treis that Tytan about[OMITTED]
war portrait, and on the erth yschappit[OMITTED]
Be goldin bemes viuificatiue.
Quhois amene hete is most restoratiue.
The gershoppers amangis the vergers gnap[OMITTED]
And beis wrocht materiall for thair hyue[OMITTED].

Richt halsom was the sessoun of the ȝeir.
Phebus, furth ȝet depured bemes cleir
Maist nutrityue till all thinges vigitant.
God Eolus of wynd list nocht appeir.
Nor ald Saturne with his mortall speir.

And bad aspect contrar till euery plant.
Neptunus nold within that Palace hant.
The beriall stremes rynnyng men micht heir
By bonkis grene with glancis variant.

For tyll beholde that heuynly place complet
The purgit ayr with new engendrit hete:
The soyl enbroude with colowr/vre, and stone:
The tender grene, the balmy droppys swete:

[OMITTED]

[OMITTED]ll herb ys con renys tyll encres
O verra y grou nd tyll werkyng of nature.
Quhois hi e curage and assucuryt cure
Cau[OMITTED]ys the erth his frutis tyll expres
Diffundant grace on euery creature.

Thy godly lore/cunnyng incomparabyl
Dantis the sauage bestis maist vnstabyll:
And expellys all that nature infestis.
The knoppit syonys with leuys agreabyll
For tyl reuert and burgione ar maid abyll
Thy myrth refreschys byrdis in thair nestis.
Quhilkis the to pryse and nature neuer restis
Confessand ȝou maist potent and louabyll
Amang the brownys of the olyue twystis.

In the is rute and augment of curage.
In the enforcis martis vassalage.
In the is amourus luf and armony
With incrementis fresch in lusty age
Quha that constrenit ar in luffis rage
Addressand þaim with obseruans ayrly

[OMITTED]

Confort ȝour man that in th[OMITTED]
With sprete arrasyt and eu[OMITTED]
Quakyng for fere baith pun[OMITTED]

My fatal werd my febyl[OMITTED]
My dasyt heid quham lake[OMITTED]
And not sustene so amyabyll[OMITTED]
With ery curage febyll stren[OMITTED]
Bownand me hame and list[OMITTED]
Out of the ayr come ane imp[OMITTED]
Throw quhois lycht in extas[OMITTED]
Amyd the virgultis all in tyll[OMITTED]
As feminyne so feblyt fell I[OMITTED]

And with that gleme so da[OMITTED]
Quhill thair remanyt nothir[OMITTED]
Breth motione/nor hetys nat[OMITTED]
Saw neuyr man so faynt a le[OMITTED]
And na ferly for ouer excellan[OMITTED]
Corruppys the wit and garry[OMITTED]
on tyl the hart that it no dang[OMITTED]

[OMITTED]

[OMITTED]g[OMITTED]me grace)[OMITTED]
[OMITTED]mys rud.[OMITTED] [OMITTED]
[OMITTED]ambyl. And novv nixt efter
[OMITTED]the Palyce of HONOVR
[OMITTED]n. &c.

[OMITTED]

My rauyst sprete in[OMITTED]
Approchit nere th[OMITTED]vgly[OMITTED]fl[OMITTED]
Lyk tyll Cochyte the ryuer[OMITTED]
Wyth vyle wattyr quhilk[OMITTED]

Rynnand ouerhed, blud red[OMITTED]
That it had bene a ryuer na[OMITTED]
with brayis bare, raif rochis[OMITTED]
Quha e on na gers nor herb[OMITTED]
Bot sk uppis brynt, with b[OMITTED]

Thys laythly flude, ru[OMITTED]
In quham the fysche ȝelland[OMITTED]
Thair ȝelpis wylde my heri[OMITTED]
Tha grym monsturis my sp[OMITTED]
Not throu the soyl, bot musk[OMITTED]
Combust, barrant, onblomy[OMITTED]
Ald rottyn runtis quhairin[OMITTED]
Moch/all wast, widdryt wi[OMITTED]
A ganand den, quhair morth[OMITTED]

Quhairfore my seluyn w[OMITTED]
This wyldyrnes abhomyna[OMITTED] [OMITTED]
[OMITTED]mede.
[OMITTED]w me betrasyt?
[OMITTED]all end compasyt?
[OMITTED]be dede
[OMITTED]vther rede.
[OMITTED]est rauanus.
[OMITTED]ry, I plede
[OMITTED]eil contrarius.

[OMITTED]quhat auay[OMITTED]
[OMITTED]hie, and now deualys,
[OMITTED]now magnifyis,
[OMITTED]auchys, now beualys,
[OMITTED]ery, now not alys,
[OMITTED]wetis, and now dryis,
[OMITTED]ycht now þow denyis,
[OMITTED]rm, now freuilus,
[OMITTED]louys, now defyis,
[OMITTED]heil contrarius. [OMITTED]
[OMITTED]ffyans in thy blys?
[OMITTED]erans in this?

THE PROLOGVE.

Qvhen paill Aurora with face lamentabill
Hir Russat Mantill, borderit all with Sabill,
Lappit about the heuinly Circumstance,
The tender bed and Arres honorabill
Of Flora, Quene till floures amiabill,
In May I rais to do my obseruance,
And enterit in a Gardyne of plesance,
With Sol depaint as Paradice amiabill
And blisfull bewis with blomed varyance.

Sa craftely Dame Flora had ouirfret
Hir heuinly bed, powderit with mony a set
Of Ruby, Topas, Perle and Emerant;
With Balmy dew bathit and kyndlie wet,
Quhill vapours hote, richt fresche and weill ybet,
Dulce of odour, of fluour maist fragrant,
The siluer droppis on Daseis distillant;
Quhilk verdour branches ouir the alars ȝet
With smoky sence the mystis reflectant.

The fragrant flouris blomand in thair seis
Ouirspred the leuis of natures Tapestreis;
Abone the quhilk with heuinly Harmoneis
The birdis sat on twystis and on greis,
Melodiously makand thair kyndlie gleis,
Quhais schill noitis fordinned all the skyis.
Of repercust air the Echo cryis
Amang the branches of the blomed treis,
And on the Laurers siluer droppis lyis.

Quhill that I rowmed in that Paradice,
Replenischit and full of all delice,
Out of the sey Eous alift his heid—
I mene the hors quhilk drawis at deuice
The assiltrie and goldin Chair of price

Of Tytan, quhilk at morrow semis reid.
The new collour that all the nicht lay deid
Is restorit, baith foulis, flouris and Rice
Recomfort was throw Phebus' gudlyheid.

The Dasy and the Maryguld vnlappit,
Quhilks all the nicht lay with thair leuis happit
Thame to reserue fra rewmes pungitiue.
The vmbrate treis that Tytan about wappit
War portrait and on the eirth yschappit
Be goldin bemis viuificatiue,
Quhais amene heit is maist restoratiue.
The Gres hoppers amangis the vergers gnappit,
And Beis wrocht materiall for thair Hyue.

Richt hailsome was the sessoun of the ȝeir.
Phebus furth ȝet depured bemis cleir,
Maist nutritiue till all thingis vegetant.
God Eolus of wind list nocht appeir,
Nor auld Saturne, with his mortall speir
And bad aspect contrair till euerie plant.
Neptunus nold within that Palice hant.
The beriall stremis rynning men micht heir
By bonkis grene with glancis variant.

For till behald that heuinly place compleit,
The purgit Air with new engendrit heit,
The Sol enbroude with colour, vre and stone,
The tender grene, the balmy droppis sweit,
Sa reioycit and comfort was my Spreit
I not was it a vision or fantone.
Amyd the buskis rowming myne alone
Within that garth of all plesance repleit,
A voice I hard preclair as Phebus schone,

Singand: “O May, thow Mirrour of soles,
Maternall Moneth, Lady and Maistres,
Till euerie thing adoun respirature,
Thyne heuinlie work and worthie craftines
The small herbis constranis till incres.
O verray ground till working of nature,
Quhais hie curage and assucurit cure
Causis the eirth his frutes till expres,
Diffundant grace on euerie creature.

Thy godly lore, cunning Incomparabill,
Dantis the sauage beistis maist vnstabill
And expellis all that nature infestis.
The knoppit syonis with leuis aggreabill
For till reuert and burgione ar maid abill.
Thy mirth refreschis byrdis in thair nestis,
Quhilks the to prise and nature neuer restis,
Confessand ȝow maist potent and louabill
Amang the brownis of the Oliue twystis.

In the is rute and augment of curage,
In the enforces Martis vassalage,
In the is amorous lufe and Harmonie
With Incrementis fresche in lustie age.
Quha that constranit ar in luifis rage,
Addressand thame with obseruance airlie,
Weill auchtis the till gloir and Magnifie.”
And with that word I raisit my visage,
Soir affrayit, half in ane frenesie.

“O Nature, Quene, and O ȝe lustie May,”
Quod I tho, “how lang sall I thus foruay,
Quhilk ȝow and Venus in this garth deseruis?
Recounsell me out of this greit affray,
That I may sing ȝow laudis day be day.
Ȝe that all mundane creatures preseruis
Comfort ȝour man that in this fanton steruis,
With spreit arraisit and euerie wit away,
Quaiking for feir, baith pulsis, vane and neruis.”

My fatall weird, my febill wit I wary,
My desie heid quhome laik of brane gart vary
And not sustene so amiabill a soun;
With ery curage, febill strenthis sary,
Bownand me hame and list na langer tary.
Out of the air come ane impressioun,
Throw quhais licht in extasie or swoun
Amyd the virgultis all in till a fary
As feminine so feblit fell I doun.

And with that gleme sa desyit was my micht
Quhill thair remanit nouther voice nor sicht,
Breith, motion, nor heiring naturall.
Saw neuer man so faynt a leuand wicht.
And na ferly, for ouir excelland licht
Corruptis the wit and garris the blude awaill
Vntill the hart that it na danger aill.
Quhen it is smorit, memberis wirkis not richt.
The dreidfull terrour swa did me assaill.

Ȝit at the last—I not how lang a space—
A lytle heit appeirit in my face,
Quhilk had tofoir bene paill and voyde of blude.
Tho in my sweuen I met a ferly cace.
I thocht me set within a desert place
Amyd a Forest by a hyddeous flude
With grysly fische, and schortly till conclude,
I sall discryue—as God will giue me grace—
Myne Visioun in rurall termis rude.

Finis Prologi

THE FIRST PART

Thow barrant wit, ouirset with fantasyis,
Schaw now the craft, þat in thy memor lyis.
Schaw now thy schame, schaw now thy bad nystie,
Schaw thy endite, reprufe of Rethoryis,
Schaw now thy beggit termis mair than thryis,
Schaw now thy rymis and thine harlotrie,
Schaw now thy dull, exhaust Inanitie,
Schaw furth thy cure and write thir frenesyis,
Quhilks of thy sempill cunning nakit the.

My rauist spreit in that desert terribill
Approchit neir that vglie flude horribill,
Like till Cochyte the riuer Infernall,
With vile water quhilk maid a hiddious trubil,
Rinnand ouirheid, blude reid, and Impossibill
That it had bene a riuer naturall;
With brayis bair, raif Rochis like to fall,
Quhairon na gers nor herbis wer visibill
Bot swappis brint with blastis boriall.

This laithlie flude rumland as thonder routit,
In quhome the fisch ȝelland as eluis schoutit.
Thair ȝelpis wilde my heiring all fordeifit.
Thay grym monstures my spreits abhorrit and doutit.
Not throw the soyl bot muskane treis sproutit,
Combust, barrant, vnblomit and vnleifit,
Auld, rottin runtis quhairen na sap was leifit,
Moch, all waist, widderit, with granis moutit—
A ganand den quhair murtherars men reifit.

Quhairfoir my seluin was richt sair agast.
This wildernes abhominabill and waist,
In quhome nathing was nature comfortand,
Was dark as Rock the quhilk the sey vpcast.

The quhissilling wind blew mony bitter blast,
Runtis rattillit and vneith micht I stand.
Out throw the wod I crap on fute and hand.
The Riuer stank, the treis clatterit fast,
The soyl was nocht bot Marres, slike and sand.

And not but caus my spreitis wer abaisit,
All solitair in that desert arraisit.
“Allace”, I said, “is nane vther remeid?
Cruell Fortoun, quhy hes thow me betraisit?
Quhy hes thow thus my fatall end compassit?
Allace, allace, sall I thus sone be deid
In this desert, and wait nane vther reid,
Bot be deuoirit with sum beist Rauenous.
I weip, I waill, I plene, I cry, I pleid.
Inconstant warld and quheill contrarious!

Thy transitorie plesance quhat auaillis?
Now thair, now heir, now hie and now deuaillis,
Now to, now fra, now law, now Magnifyis,
Now hait, now cald, now lauchis, now beuaillis,
Now seik, now haill, now werie, now not aillis,
Now gude, now euill, now weitis and now dryis,
Now thow promittis and richt now thow denyis,
Now wo, now weill, now firme, now friuolous,
Now gam, now gram, now lowis, now defyis,
Inconstant warld and quheill contrarious!

Ha, quha suld haue affyance in thy blis?
Ha, quha suld haue firme esperance in this,
Quhilk is allace sa freuch and variant?
Certes, nane. Sum hes! No wicht? Surelie, ȝis.
Than hes my self bene gyltie? Ȝe, I-wis.
Thairfoir, allace, sall danger thus me dant?
Quhidder is becum sa sone this duillie hant?
And Ver translait in winter furious?
Thus I beuaill my faitis repugnant.
Inconstant warld and quheill contrarious!”

Bydand the deid thus in my extasie,
Ane dyn I hard approching fast me by,
Quhilk mouit fra the plague Septentrionall,
As heird of beistis stamping with loud cry.
Bot than God wait how affrayit was I,
Traistand to be stranglit with bestiall.
Amid a stock richt priuelie I stall,
Quhair luikand out anone I did espy
Ane lustie rout of beistis rationall—

Of Ladyis fair and gudlie men arrayit
In constant weid that weill my spreitis payit,
With degest mind, quhairin all wit aboundit.
Full soberlie thair Haiknayis thay assayit
Efter the faitis auld and not forwayit;
Thair hie prudence schew furth and nathing roundit,
With gude effeir quhairat the wod resoundit.
In steidfast ordour, to vesie vnaffrayit,
Thay ryding furth with stabilnes ygroundit.

Amiddis quhome borne in ane goldin Chair,
Ouirfret with perle and stanis maist preclair,
That drawin was by Haiknayis all milk quhite
Was set a Quene, as lyllie sweit of swair,
In Purpour Rob hemmit with gold Ilk gair,
Quhilk Gemmit claspis closit all perfite;
A Diademe maist plesandlie polite
Set on the tressis of hir giltin hair,
And in hir hand a Scepter of delite.

Sine nixt hir raid in granit violate
Twelf damisellis, Ilk ane in thair estait,
Quhilks semit of hir counsell maist secre.
And nixt thame was a lustie rout, God wait,
Lords, Ladyis and mony fair Prelait,
Baith borne of hie estait and law degre.
Furth with thair Quene thay all by passit me;
Ane esie pais thay ryding furth the gait,
And I abaid alone within the tre.

And as the rout was passit, one and one,
And I remanand in the tre alone,
Out throw the wod come rydand Catiues twane,
Ane on ane Asse, a widdie about his mone.
The vther raid ane hiddeous hors vpone.
I passit furth and fast at thame did frane,
Quhat men thay wer. Thay answerit me agane:
“Our Namis bene Achitophel and Sinone,
That by our subtell menis feill hes slane.”

“Wait ȝe,” quod I, “quhat signifeis ȝone rout?”
Synon said “Ȝee”, and gaue ane hiddeous schout.
“We wretchis bene abiect thair fra I-wis.
Ȝone is the Quene of Sapience, but dout,
Lady Minerue, and ȝone twelf hir about
Ar the prudent Sibillais full of blis,
Cassandra, eik Delbora and Circes,
The fatall sisters twynand our weirdis out,
Iudith, Iael, and mony a Prophetis,

Quhilks groundit ar in firme Intelligence;
And thair is als into ȝone Court gone hence
Clerkis diuine with problewmis curius,
As Salomon, the well of Sapience,
And Aristotell, fulfillit of prudence,
Salust, Senek and Titus Liuius,
Pithagoras, Porphyre, Permenydus,
Melysses with his sawis but defence,
Sidrach, Secundus and Solenyus.

Ptholomeus, Ipocras, Socrates,
Empedocles, Feptenabus, Hermes,
Galien, Auerroes and Plato,
Enoch, Lameth, Iob and Diogenes,
The eloquent and prudent Vlisses,
Wise Iosephus and facund Cicero,
Melchisedech with vther mony mo.
Thair veyage lyis throw out this wildernes.
To the Palice of Honour all thay go,

Is situat from hence liggis ten hunder.
Our horsis oft, or we be thair, will founder.
Adew, we may na langer heir remane.”
“Or that ȝe pas,” quod I, “tell me this wonder,
How that ȝe wretchit Catiues thus at vnder
Ar sociat with this Court Souerane.”
Achitophell maid this answer agane:
“Knawis thow not? Haill, eirdquaik and thunder
Ar oft in May, with mony schour of rane.

Richt sa we bene into this companie.
Our wit aboundit and vsit was lewdlie.
My wisdome ay fulfillit my desire,
As thow may in the Bybill weill espy,
How Dauids prayer put my counsell by.
I gart his Sone aganis him conspire,
The quhilk was slane; quhairfoir vp be the swire
My self I hangit, frustrat sa foulelie.
This Synon was a Greik that raisit fire

First into Troy, as Virgill dois report;
Sa tratourlike maid him be draw ouirthort,
Quhill in he brocht the hors with men of Armis,
Quhairthrow the toun destroyit was at schort.”
Quod I: “Is this ȝour destanie and sort?
Cursit be he that sorrowis for ȝour harmis,
For ȝe haue bene schrewis baith, be goddis armis.
Ȝe will obtene na entres at ȝone port
Bot gif it be throw Sorcerie or Charmis.”

“Ingres to haue,” quod thay, “we not presume.
It sufficis vs to se the Palice blume,
And stand on rowme quhair better folk bene charrit.
For to remane, adew, we haue na tume.
This Ilk way cummis the Courtis, be our dume,
Of Diane and Venus, that feill hes marrit.”
With that thay raid away, as thay war skarrit,
And I agane, maist like ane Elriche grume,
Crap in the muskane Aikin stok misharrit.

Thus wretchitlie I maid my residence,
Imagining feill syse for sum defence
In contrair sauage beistis maist cruell,
For na remeid bot deid be violence
Sum time asswagis febill Indigence.
Thus in a part I recomfort my sell,
Bot that sa litle was I dar not tell.
The stichling of a Mous out of presence
Had bene to me mair vgsum than the Hell.

Ȝit glaid I was that I with them had spokin.
Had not bene that, certes my hart had brokin
For megirnes and pusillamitie.
Remanand thus within the tre all lokkin,
Desirand fast sum signes or sum tokin
Of Lady Venus or hir companie,
Ane Hart transformit ran fast by the tree,
With houndis rent, on quhome Diane was wrokin.
Thairby I vnderstude that scho was nie.

Thay had befoir declairit hir cumming
Mair perfitelie, for thy I knew the signe
Was Acteon, quhilk Diane nakit waitit,
Bathing in a well and eik hir Madynnis ȝing.
The Goddes was commouit at this thing,
And him in forme hes of ane Hart translatit.
I saw, allace, his houndis at him slatit.
Bakwert he blent to giue thame knawledgeing.
Thay raif thair Lord, misknew him at them batit.

Sine Ladyis come with lustie giltin tressis,
In habit wilde maist like till fostaressis,
Amiddis quhome heich on ane Eliphant,
In signe that scho in chaistitie Incressis,
Raid Diane, that Ladyis hartis dressis
Till be stabill and na way Inconstant.
God wait that nane of thame is variant.
All chaist and trew virginitie professis
I note, bot few I saw with Diane hant.

Intill that Court I saw anone present
Iephteis douchter, a lustie Lady gent,
Offerit to God in hir virginitie.
Polixena, I-wis, was not absent,
Peanthesile with mannis hardyment,
Effyoin and Virgenius' douchter fre,
With vther flouris of feminitie,
Baith of the new and the auld Testament.
All on thay raid and left me in the tre.

In that desert dispers in sonder skatterit
Wer bewis bair quhome rane and wind on batterit.
The water stank, the feild was odious,
Quhair dragouns, lessertis, askis, edders swatterit,
With mouthis gapand, forkit taillis tatterit,
With mony a stang and spoutis vennemous
Corrupting Air be rewme contagious.
Maist gros and vile enpoysonit cludis clatterit,
Reikand like hellis smoke sulfurious.

My daisit heid fordullit disselie
I raisit vp, half in ane litargie,
As dois ane Catiue ydrunkin in sleip,
And sa appeirit to my fantasie
A schynand licht out of the North eist sky,
The quhilk with cure to heir I did tak keip.
Proportion sounding dulcest hard I peip,
In Musick number full of Harmonie
Distant on far was caryit be the deip.

Farther by water folk may soundis heir
Than be the eirth, the quhilk with poris seir
Vp drinkis Air that mouit is be sound,
Quhilk in compact water of ane Riueir
May nocht enter bot rinnis thair and heir,
Quhill it at last be caryit on the ground;
And thocht throw din be experience is found
The fische ar causit within the Riuer steir,
Inwith the water the noyis dois not abound.

Violent din the Air brekis and deiris,
Sine greit motioun of Air the water steiris;
The water steirit, fisches for feirdnes fleis,
Bot out of dout na fische in water heiris,
For as we se richt few of thame hes eiris;
And eik forsuith, bot gif wise Clerkis leis,
Thair is na Air Inwith waters nor seis,
But quhilk na thing may heir (as wise men leiris)
Like as but licht thair is na thing that seis.

Aneuch of this—I not quhat it may mene.
I will returne till declair all bedene
My dreidfull dreame with grislie fantasyis.
I schew befoir quhat I had hard or sene,
Particularlie sum of my panefull tene.
Bot now, God wait, quhat feirdnes on me lyis.
Langer, I said—and now this time is twyis—
Ane sound I hard, of Angellis as it had bene,
With Harmonie fordinnand all the skyis.

Sa dulce, sa sweit, and sa Melodious,
That euerie wicht thair with micht be Ioyous,
Bot I and Catiues dullit in dispair.
For quhen a man is wraith or furious,
Melancholik for wo or tedious,
Than is all plesance till him maist contrair.
And semblablie than sa did with me fair.
This Melodie Intonit heuinlie thus
For profound wo constranit me mak cair.

And murnand thus as ane maist wofull wicht,
Of the maist plesand Court I had a sicht
In warld adoun sen Adam was creat.
Quhat sang! Quhat Ioy! Quhat harmonie! Quhat licht!
Quhat mirthfull solace, plesance all at richt!
Quhat fresche bewtie! Quhat excelland estait!
Quhat sweit vocis! Quhat wordis suggurait!
Quhat fair debaitis! Quhat luifsum Ladyis bricht!
Quhat lustie gallandis did on thair seruice wait!

Quhat gudlie pastance and quhat menstralie!
Quhat game thay maid! In faith, not tell can I,
Thocht I had profound wit Angelicall.
The heuinlie soundis of thair Harmonie
Hes dynnit sa my drerie fantasie,
Baith wit and ressoun half is loist of all.
Ȝit as I knaw als lichtlie say I sall.
That Angellike and godlie companie
Till se me thocht a thing Celestiall.

Proceidand furth was draw ane Chariote
Be Cursouris twelf, trappit in grene veluote.
Of fine gold wer Iunctures and harnasingis.
The Lymnaris wer of birneist gold, God wote,
Baith aixtre and quheillis of gold, I hote.
Of goldin cord wer lyamis and the stringis,
Festinnit coniunct in massie goldin Ringis,
Euyr Hamis conuenient for sic note,
And raw silk brechamis ouir thair halsis hingis.

The bodie of the Cairt of Euir bone
With Crisolitis and mony precious stone
Was all ouirfret in dew proportioun,
Like sternis in the Firmament quhilks schone.
Reparrellit was that godlike plesand wone,
Tyldit abone and to the eirth adoun,
In richest claith of gold of Purpure broun,
But fas nor vther frenȝeis had it none
Saif claith of gold anamallit all fassioun,

Quhairfra dependant hang thir megir bellis,
Sum round, sum thraw, in sound the quhilks excellis.
All wer of gold of Araby maist fine,
Quhilks with the wind concordandlie sa knellis,
That to be glaid thair sound all wicht compellis.
The Harmonie was sa Melodious fine,
In mannis voice and Instrument diuine,
Quhair sa thay went it semit nathing ellis
Bot Ierarchyes of Angellis ordours nine.

Amid the Chair fulfillit of plesance
Ane Lady sat, at quhais obeysance
Was all that rout, and wonder is to heir
Of hir excelland lustie countenance.
Hir hie bewtie, quhilk maist is to auance,
Precellis all; thair may be na compeir.
For like Phebus in hiest of his Spheir
Hir bewtie schane, castand sa greit ane glance.
All fairheid it opprest baith far and neir.

Scho was peirles of schap and portrature.
In hir had nature finischit hir cure.
As for gude hauingis thair was nane bot scho,
And hir array was sa fine and sa pure
That quhairof was hir Rob I am not sure,
For nocht bot Perle and stanis micht I se;
Of quhome the brichtnes of hir hie bewtie
For to behald my sicht micht not Indure,
Mair nor the bricht Sone may the Bakkis Ee.

Hir hair as gold or Topasis was hewit.
Quha hir beheld, hir bewtie ay renewit.
On heid scho had a Crest of dyamantis.
Thair was na wicht that gat a sicht, eschewit;
War he neuer sa constant or weill thewit,
Na he was woundit and him hir seruant grantis.
That heuinlie wicht, hir Cristall Ene sa dantis,
For blenkis sweit nane passit vnpersewit,
Bot gif he wer preseruit as thir Sanctis.

I wonder sair and fast in mind did stair,
Quhat creature that micht be was sa fair,
Of sa peirles excellent womanheid.
And farlyand thus, I saw within the Chair
Quhair that a man was set with lymmis squair,
His bodie weill entailȝeit euerie steid.
He bair a bow with dartis haw as leid.
His cleithing was als grene as ane Huntair,
Bot he forsuith had na Eine in his heid.

I vnderstude be signes persauabill
That was Cupyd, the God maist dissauabill,
The Lady, Venus his Mother, a Goddes.
I knew that was the Court sa variabill
Of eirdly lufe quhilk sendill standis stabill.
Bot ȝit thair mirth and solace neuertheles,
In Musick tone and menstralie expres,
Sa craftelie with curage aggreabill—
Hard neuer wicht sic Melodie, I ges.

Accompanyit lustie ȝonkeirs with all.
Fresche Ladyis sang in voice virgineall
Concordis sweit, diuers entoned reportis.
Proportionis fine with sound Celestiall,
Duplat, triplat, diatesseriall,
Seque altera and decupla resortis,
Diapason of mony sindrie sortis
War soung and playit be seir cunning Menstrall
On lufe Ballatis with mony fair disportis.

In modulatioun hard I play and sing
Faburdoun, priksang, discant, countering,
Cant Organe, figuratioun, and gemmell
On croud, Lute, Harp, with mony gudlie spring.
Schalmes, Clariounis, portatiues hard I ring,
Monycord, Organe, Tympane, and Cymbell,
Sytholl, Psalttrie, and voices sweit as bell,
Soft releschingis in dulce deliuering,
Fractionis diuide at rest or clois compell.

Not Pan of Archaid sa plesandlie playis,
Nor King Dauid quhais playing, as men sayis,
Coniurit the Spreit, the quhilk Saul confoundit;
Nor Amphion with mony subtell layis,
Quhilk Thebes wallit with harping in his dayis;
Nor he that first the subtell craftis foundit
Was not in Musick half sa weill Igroundit,
Nor knew thair measure tent daill be na wayis.
At thair resort baith heuin and eird resoundit.

Na mair I vnderstude thir numbers fine,
Be God, than dois a greik or a swine,
Saif that me think sweit soundis gude to heir.
Na mair heiron my laubour will I tine.
Na mair I will thir verbillis sweit define,
How that thair Musick tones war mair cleir
And dulcer than the mouing of the Spheir
Or Orpheus' Harp of Thrace with sound diuine.
Glaskeriane maid na noyis compeir.

Thay condiscend sa weill in ane accord
That by na Ioint thair soundis bene discord.
In euerie key thay werren sa expert.
Of thair array gif I suld mak record—
Lustie springaldis and mony gudlie Lord,
Tender ȝounglingis with pieteous virgin hart,
Elder Ladyis, knew mair of Lustis art,
Diuers vthers quhilks me not list remord,
Quhais lakkest weid was silkis ouirbrouderit.

In vestures quent of mony sindrie gyse
I saw all claith of gold men micht deuise,
Purpour colour, punik and skarlote hewis,
Veluot Robbis maid with the grand assyse,
Dames, Satyne, begaryit mony wise,
Cramessie satine, veluot enbroude in diuers rewis,
Satine figures, champit with flouris and bewis,
Damesflure, tere pyle, quhairon thair lyis
Peirle Orphany, quhilk euerie stait renewis.

Thair riche entire maist peirles to behald
My wit can not discriue, howbeit I wald.
Mony entrappit steid with silkis seir,
Mony pattrell neruit with gold I tald,
Full mony new gilt harnasing not ald,
On mony Palfray luifsum Ladyis cleir.
And nixt the Chair I saw formest appeir
Vpon a bardit Curser, stout and bald,
Mars, God of strife, enarmit in birneist geir.

Euerie Inuasibill wapon on him he bair.
His luik was grym, his bodie large and squair,
His lymmis weill entailȝeit to be strang.
His nek was greit, a span lenth weill or mair,
His visage braid, with Crisp broun curland hair,
Of stature not ouir greit nor ȝit ouir lang.
Behaldand Venus, “O ȝe, my lufe,” he sang,
And scho agane with dalyance sa fair
Hir Knicht him cleipis quhair sa he ryde or gang.

Thair was Arcyte and Palemon aswa,
Accompanyit with fair Aemilia,
The Quene Dido with hir fals lufe Enee,
Trew Troilus, vnfaithfull Cressida,
The fair Paris and plesand Helena,
Constant Lucrece and traist Penelope,
Kinde Piramus and wobegone Thysbe,
Dolorous Progne, trist Philomena.
King Dauids lufe thair saw I, Barsabe.

Thair was Ceix with the kind Alcyon,
And Achilles wroth with Agamemnon
For Brissida his Lady fra him tane,
Wofull Phillis with hir lufe Demophoon,
Subtell Medea and hir Knicht Iason.
Of France I saw thair Paris and Veane.
Thair was Phedra, Theseus and Adriane,
The secreit, wise, hardie Ipomedon,
Assueir, Hester, Irrepreuabill Susane.

Thair was the fals vnhappy Dalida,
Cruell, wickit and curst Deianira,
Waryit Biblis and the fair Absolon,
Ypsyphile, abhominabill Sylla,
Tristram, Yside, Helcana and Anna,
Cleopatra and worthie Mark Anthone,
Iole, Hercules, Alcest, Ixion,
The onlie patient wife, Gressillida,
Narcisus that his heid brak on ane stone.

Thair was Iacob with fair Rachel, his maik,
The quhilk become till Laban for hir saik
Fourtene ȝeir bound with hart Immutabill.
Thair bene bot few sic now, I vndertaik.
Thir fair Ladyis in silk and claith of Laik
Thus lang sall not all foundin be sa stabill.
This Venus' court, quhilk was in lufe maist abil,
For till discriue my cunning is to waik.
Ane multitude thay war Innumerabill

Of gudlie folke in euerie kinde and age.
With blenkis sweit, fresche lustie grene curage,
And daliance thay ryding furth in feir.
Sum leuis in hope and sum in greit thirlage,
Sum in dispair, sum findis his panis swage.
Garlandis of flouris and rois Chaipletis seir
Thay bair on heid and samin sang sa cleir,
Quhill that thair mirth commouit my curage
Till sing this lay quhilk followand ȝe may heir:

“Constranit hart belappit in distres,
Groundit in wo and full of heuines,
Complene thy panefull cairis Infinite.
Bewaill this warldis frail vnsteidfastnes,
Hauand regrait sen gane is thy glaidnes,
And all thy solace returnit in dispite.
O Catiue thrall, Inuolupit in syte,
Confes thy fatall wofull wretchitnes,
Deuide in twane and furth diffound all tyte
Aggreuance greit in miserabill Indyte.

My cruell fact, subiectit to pennance,
Predestinate sa void of all plesance,
Hes euerie greif amid mine hart Ingraue.
The slide, Inconstant destenie or chance
Vnequallie dois hing in thair ballance
My demerites and greit dolour I haue.
This Purgatorie redoublis all the laue.
Ilk wicht hes sum weilfair at obeysance
Saif me, bysning, that may na grace ressaue.
Deid, the addres, and do me to my graue.

Wo worth sic strang misfortoun anoyous,
Quhilk hes opprest my spreitis maist Ioyous!
Wo worth this warldis freuch felicitie!
Wo worth my feruent diseis dolorous!
Wo worth the wicht that is not pieteous,
Quhair the trespassour penitent thay se!
Wo worth this deid that daylie dois me die!
Wo worth Cupyd and wo worth fals Venus!
Wo worth thame baith! Ay waryit mot thay be!
Wo worth thair Court and cursit destenie!”

Loude as I mocht, in dolour all distrenȝeit,
This lay I sang and not ane letter fenȝeit.
Tho saw I Venus on hir lip did bite,
And all the Court in haist thair horsis renȝeit,
Proclamand loude, “Quhair is ȝone Poid þat plenȝeit,
Quhilk deith deseruis committand sic dispite?”
Fra tre to tre thay seirching but respite,
Quhil ane me fand, quhilk said—and greit disdenȝeit—
“Auant, veillane, thow reclus Imperfite!”

All in ane Feuir out of my muskane bowre
On kneis I crap and law for feir did lowre.
Than all the Court on me thair heidis schuik,
Sum glowmand grim, sum girnand with visage sowre.
Sum in the nek gaue me feil dyntis dowre.
“Pluk at the Craw,” thay cryit, “deplome the Ruik!”
Pulland my hair, with blek my face thay bruik.
Skrymmorie Fery gaue me mony a clowre.
For chyppynutie ful oft my chaftis quuik.

With pane torment, thus in thair teneful play
Till Venus bound thay led me furth the way,
Quhilk than was set amid a goldin Chair;
And sa confoundit into that fell affray
As that I micht considder thair array.
Me thocht the feild ouirspred with Carpettis fair
(Quhilk was tofoir brint, barrane, vile and bair)
Wox maist plesand, bot all, the suith to say,
Micht nocht ameis my greuous panefull sair.

Enthronit sat Mars, Cupid and Venus.
Tho rais ane Clerk, was cleipit Varius,
Me till accusen of a deidlie crime.
And he begouth and red ane dittay thus:
“Thow wickit Catiue, wod and furious,
Presumpteouslie now at this present time
My Lady heir blasphemit in thy Rime;
Hir sone, hir self, and hir Court amorous
For till betrais awaitit heir sen Prime.”

Now God thow wait me thocht my fortune fey.
With quaikand voce and hart cald as a key.
On kneis I kneillit and mercie culd Imploir,
Submittand me but only langer pley
Venus' mandate and plesure to obey.
Grace was denyit and my trauell forloir,
For scho gaue charges to proceid as befoir.
Than Varius spak richt stoutlie me to fley,
Inioynand silence till ask grace ony moir.

He demandit my answer, quhat I said.
Than as I mocht, with curage all mismaid
Fra time I vnderstude na mair supplie,
Sair abaisit beliue I thus out braid:
“Set of thir pointis of crime now on me laid
I may me quite, giltles in veritie,
Ȝit first agane the Iudge quhilk heir I se,
This Inordinate Court and proces quaid,
I will obiect for causis twa or thre.”

Inclynand law, quod I with peteous face:
“I me defend, Madame, pleis it ȝour grace.”
“Say on”, quod scho; than said I thus but mair:
“Madame, ȝe may not sit in to this cace,
For Ladyis may be Iudges in na place.
And mairatouir I am na seculair.
A spirituall man—thocht I be void of lair—
Cleipit I am, and aucht my liues space
To be remit till my Iudge ordinair.

I ȝow beseik, Madame, with bissie cure
Till giue ane gratious Interlocuture
On thir exceptiounis now proponit lait.”
Than suddanelie Venus, I ȝow assure,
Deliuerit sone, and with a voice sa sture
Answerit thus: “thow subtell smy, God wait!
Quhat, wenis thow to degraid my hie estait,
Me to decline as Iudge, curst creature?
It beis not sa, the game gais vther gait.

As we the find, thow sall thoill Iudgement.
Not of a Clerk we se the represent
Saif onlie falset and dissaitfull taillis.
First quhen thow come, with hart and haill Intent
Thow the submittit to my commandement.
Now, now, thairof me think to sone thow faillis.
I wene na thing bot folie that the aillis.
Ȝit Clerkis bene in subtell wordis quent,
And in the deid als schairp as ony snaillis.

Ȝe bene the men bewrayis my commandis.
Ȝe bene the men disturbis my seruandis.
Ȝe bene the men with wickit wordis feill,
Quhilk blasphemis fresche lustie ȝoung gallandis
That in my seruice and retinew standis.
Ȝe bene the men that cleipis ȝow sa leill
With fals behest quhill ȝe ȝour purpois steill,
Sine ȝe forsweir baith bodie, treuth and handis.
Ȝe bene sa fals ȝe can na word conceill.

Haue done,” quod scho, “schir Varius alswyith
Do write the sentence. Lat this Catiue kyith
Gif our power may deming his misdeid.”
Than God thow wait gif that my Spreit was blyith.
The fewerous hew intill my face did myith
All my male eis, for swa the horribill dreid
Haill me ouirset; I micht not say my creid.
For feir and wo within my skin I wryith.
I micht not pray, forsuith, thocht I had neid.

Ȝit of my deith I set not half ane fle.
For greit effeir me thocht na pane to die.
Bot sair I dred me for sum vther Iaip,
That Venus suld throw hir subtillitie
In till sum bysning beist transfigurat me
As in a Beir, a Bair, ane Oule, ane Aip.
I traistit sa for till haue bene mischaip
That oft I wald my hand behald to se
Gif it alterit, and oft my visage graip.

Tho I reuoluit in my minde anone
How that Diane transformit Acteone,
And Iuno eik as for a kow gart keip
The fair Yo that lang was wobegone.
Argus hir ȝimmit that ene had mony one,
Quhome at the last Mercurius gart sleip,
And hir deliuerit of that danger deip.
I rememberit also how in a stone
The wife of Loth Ichangit sair did weip.

I vmbethocht how Ioue and auld Saturne
In till ane Wolf thay did Lycaon turne,
And how the michtie Nabuchodonosor
In beistlie forme did on the feild soiurne,
And for his gilt was maid to weip and murne.
Thir feirfull wonders gart me dreid full soir,
For by exempilis oft I hard tofoir
He suld bewar that seis his fellow spurne.
Mischance of ane suld be ane vtheris loir.

And rolland thus in diuers fantaseis,
Terribill thochtis oft my hart did gryis,
For all remeid was alterit in dispair.
Thair was na hope of mercie till deuyis,
Thair was na wicht my freind be na kin wyis.
All haillelie the Court was me contrair.
Than was all maist writtin the sentence sair.
My febill minde seand this greit suppryis
Was than of wit and euerie blis full bair.

THE SECVND PART

Lo thus amid this hard perplexitie,
Awaitand euer quhat moment I suld die
Or than sum new transfiguratioun,
He that quhilk is eternall veritie,
The glorious Lord ringand in persounis thre,
Prouydit hes for my Saluatioun
Be sum gude spreitis Reuelatioun,
Quhilk Intercessioun maid, I traist, for me.
I forȝet all Imaginatioun.

All haill my dreid I tho forȝet in hy
And all my wo, bot ȝit I wist not quhy
Saue that I had sum hope till be releuit.
I raisit than my visage haistelie
And with a blenk anone I did espy
A luik sicht quhilk nocht my hart engreuit.
Ane heuinlie rout out throw the wod escheuit,
Of quhome the bountie, gif I not deny,
Vneith may be intill ane Scripture brewit.

With Lawreir Crownit in Robbis side all new,
Of a fassoun and all of steidfast hew,
Arrayit weill ane Court I saw cum neir
Of wise, degest, Eloquent Fathers trew
And plesand Ladyis, quhilks fresche bewtie schew,
Singand softlie full sweit on thair maneir,
On Poet wise all diuers versis seir,
Historyis greit in Latine toung and grew,
With fresche Indite and soundis gude to heir.

And sum of thame Ad Lyram playit and sang
Sa plesand verse quhill all the Roches rang,
Metir Saphik and also Elygie.
Thair Instrumentis all maist war Fidillis lang,
Bot with a string quhilk neuer a wreist ȝeid wrang.
Sum had ane Harp, and sum a fair Psaltrie
[OMITTED]
Deuydit weill and held the measure lang
In soundis sweit of plesand Melodie.

The Ladyis sang in voices dulcorait
Facund Epistillis, quhilks quhylum Ouid wrait—
As Phillis Quene send till Duke Demophoon,
And of Penelope the greit regrait
Send to hir Lord, scho douting his estait,
That he at Troy suld loisit be or tone.
How Aconius till Cydippe anone
Wrait his Complaint thair hard I weill, God wait,
With vther lustie missiues mony one.

I had greit wonder of thay Ladyis seir,
Quhilks in that airt micht haue na compeir;
Of castis quent, Rethorik colouris fine,
Sa Poeit like in subtell fair maneir
And eloquent firme cadence Regulair.
Thair veyage furth contenand richt as line
With sang and play, as said is, sa deuine,
Thay fast approching to the place weill neir
Quhair I was torment into my greit pine.

And as that heuinlie sort new nominait
Remouit furth on gudlie wise thair gait
Toward the Court quhilk was tofoir expremit,
My curage grew; for quhat caus I nocht wait,
Saif that I held me payit of thair estait,
And thay war folk of knawledge, as it semit.
Als into Venus' Court full fast thay demit,
Sayand, “ȝone lustie Court will stop or meit
To Iustifie this bysning quhilk blasphemit.

Ȝone is, “quod thay, “the Court Rethoricall
Of Poet termis, singand Poeticall,
And constant ground of famous storeis sweit.
Ȝone is the facound well Celestiall,
Ȝone is the Fontane and Originall
Quhairfra the well of Helicon dois fleit.
Ȝone ar the folk that comfortis euerie spreit
Be fine delite and dite Angelicall,
Causand gros leid of maist gudnes gleit.

Ȝone is the Court of plesand steidfastnes,
Ȝone is the Court of constant merines,
Ȝone is the Court of Ioyous discipline,
Quhilk causis folk thair purpois to expres
In ornate wise, prouokand with glaidnes
All gentill hartis to thair lair Incline.
Euerie famous Poeit men may deuine
Is in ȝone rout. Lo, ȝonder thair Princes,
Thespis, Mother of the Musis nine.

And nixt hir sine hir dochter first beget,
Lady Cleo, quhilk craftelie dois set
Historyis auld, like as thay war present;
Euterpe eik, quhilk daylie dois hir det
In dulce blastis of Pypis sweit but let;
The thrid sister, Thalia diligent,
In wantoun writ and Chronikill dois Imprent;
The feird endytis, oft with cheikis wet,
Sair tragedeis, Melpomene the gent.

Terpsichore the fyft, with humbill soun
Makis on Psalteris modulatioun;
The sext Erato, like thir louers wilde
Will sing, daunce and leip baith vp and doun;
Polymnia, the seuint Muse of Renoun,
Dytis thir sweit Rethorick colouris milde,
Quhilks ar sa plesand baith to man and Childe;
Vrania, the aucht sister with Croun,
Writes the heuin and starnis all bedene.

The nynt, quhome to nane vther is compeir,
Calliope, the lustie Lady cleir,
Of quhome the bewtie and the worthines,
Hir vertewis greit schynis baith far and neir;
For scho of Nobill fatis hes the steir
To write thair worschip, victorie and prowes
In Kinglie stile, quhilk dois thair fame Incres,
Cleipit in Latine Heroicus, but weir,
Cheif of all write like as scho is Maistres.

Thir Musis nine, lo, ȝonder may ȝe se,
With fresche Nymphes of water and of sey,
And fair Ladyis of thir Tempillis auld,
Pyerides, Dryades and Saturee,
Nereides, Aones, Napee,
Of quhome the bounteis neidis not be tauld.”
Thus demit the Court of Venus monyfauld;
Quhilk speiche refreschit my perplexitie,
Reioysand weill my Spreit, befoir was cauld.

The suddane sicht of that firme Court foirsaid
Recomfort weill my hew, befoir was faid.
Amid my spreit the Ioyous heit redoundit,
Behalding how the lustie Musis raid
And all thair Court, quhilk was sa blyith and glaid,
Quhais merines all heuines confoundit.
Thair saw I weill in Poetrie ygroundit
The greit Homeir, quhilk in Greik langage said
Maist eloquentlie, in quhome all wit yboundit.

Thair was the greit Latine Virgilius,
The famous Father Poeit, Ouidius,
Dictes, Dares and eik the trew Lucane,
Thair was Plautus, Poggius and Persius,
Thair was Terence, Donate and Seruius,
Francis Petrache, Flaccus Valeriane,
Thair was Esope, Cato and Allane,
Thair was Gaulteir and Boetius,
Thair was also the greit Quintiliane.

Thair was the Satir Poet, Iuuenall,
Thair was the mixt and subtell Martiall.
Of Thebes Brute thair was the Poet Stace,
Thair was Faustus and Laurence of the vale,
Pomponius, quhais fame of lait, sans faill,
Is blawin wide throw euerie Realm and place.
Thair was the Morall, wise Poet, Horace,
With mony vther Clerk of greit auaill,
Thair was Brunell, Claudius and Bocchas.

Sa greit ane preis of pepill drew vs neir,
The hundreth part thair names ar not heir.
Ȝit saw I thair of Brutus' Albyon
Geffray Chauceir, as A per se sans peir
In his vulgare, and morall Iohne Goweir.
Lydgait, the Monk, raid musing him allone.
Of this Natioun I knew also anone
Greit Kennedie and Dunbar ȝit vndeid,
And Quintine with ane Huttok on his heid.

Howbeit I culd declair and weill Indite,
The bounteis of that Court dewlie to write
War ouir prolixt, transcending mine Ingine,
Tuiching the proces of my panefull site.
Beliue I saw thir lustie Musis quhite
With all thair rout towart Venus decline,
Quhair Cupide sat with hir in Throne deuine,
I standand bundin in ane sorie plite,
Bydand thair grace or than my deidlie pine.

Straicht to the Quene thir samin Musis raid,
Maist eloquentlie thair salutatiounis maid.
Venus agane ȝald thame thair salusing
Richt reuerentlie, and on hir feit vpbraid,
Beseikand thame to licht. “Nay, nay,” thay said.
“We may not heir mak na lang tarying.”
Calliope, maist facound and bening,
Inquirit Venus quhat wicht had hir mismaid,
Or quhat was caus of hir thair soiorning.

“Sister,” said scho, “behald ȝone bysning schew.
A subtell smy—considder weill his hew—
Standis thair bound,” and bekinnit hir to me.
“Ȝone Catiue had blasphemit me of new
For to degraid and do my fame adew;
A laitlie Ryme, dispitefull and subtell,
Compylit hes, reheirsand loude and hie
Sclander, dispite, sorrow and velanie
To me, my Sone, and eik our Court for ay.

He hes deseruit deith. He sall be deid!
And we remaine, forsuith, into this steid
To Iustifie that Rebald Rennigait.”
Quod Calliope: “Sister, away all feid!
Quhy suld he die? Quhy suld he lois his heid?
To slay him for sa small ane cryme, God wait,
Greitar degrading war to ȝour estait—
To sic as he to mak conter pleid.
How may ane Fule ȝour hie honour chekmait?

Quhat of his lak? Sa wide ȝour fame is blaw,
Ȝour excellence maist peirles is sa knaw,
Na wretchis word may depair ȝour hie Name.
Giue me his life and modifie the Law,
For on my heid he standis now sic aw
That he sall efter deserue neuer mair blame.
Nocht of his deith ȝe may report bot schame.
In recompence of his missettand saw
He sall ȝour hest in euerie part proclame.”

Than, Lord, how glaid become my febil goist.
My curage grew, the quhilk befoir was loist,
Seand I had sa greit ane Aduocait,
That expertlie but prayer, price or coist
Obtenit had my friwoll actioun almoist,
Quhilk was befoir perischit and desolait.
This quhile Venus stude in ane studie strait,
Bot finallie scho schew till all the Oist
Scho wald do grace, and not be obstinait.

“I will,” said scho, “haue mercie and pietie,
Do slaik my wraith and let all rancour be.
Quhair is mair vice than to be ouir cruell,
And speciallie in wemen sic as me?
A Lady, fy, that vsis tyrannie
Ane vennome is rather and a serpent fell,
A vennemous dragoun or ane deuill of hell.
Is na compair to the Iniquitie
Of bald wemen, as thir wise Clerkis tell.

Greit God defend I suld be one of tho
Quhilk of thair feid and malice neuer ho.
Out on sic gram! I will haue na repreif.
Calliope, sister,” said to Venus tho
“At ȝour requeist this wretche sall frelie go.
Heir I remit his trespas, and all greif
Sall be forȝet, sa he will say sum breif
Or schort ballat in contrair pane and wo,
Tuitching my Laude and his plesand releif.

And secundlie, the nixt ressonabill command
Quhilk I him charge, se that he nocht ganestand.
On thir conditiounis, Sister, at ȝour requeist
He sall gang fre.” Quod Calliope, Inclinand:
“Grant mercie, sister; I obleis be my hand
He sall obserue in all pointis ȝour behest.”
Than Venus bad do slaik sone my arreist.
Beliue I was releuit of euerie band,
Vprais the Court and all the Parlour ceist.

Tho sat I doun lawlie vpon my kne
At command of prudent Calliope,
Ȝeildand Venus thankis ane thousand syith
For sa hie freindschip and mercifull pietie,
Excelland grace and greit humanitie,
The quhilk to me trespassour did scho kyith.
“I the forgiue,” quod scho; than was I blyith.
Doun on ane stock I set me suddanelie
At hir command, and wrait this lay alswyith:

Vnwemmit wit deliuerit of dangair,
Maist happelie deliuerit fra the snair,
Releuit fre of seruice and bondage,
Expell dolour, expell diseisis sair,
Auoid displesure, womenting and cair,
Ressaue plesance and do thy sorrow swage.
Behald thy glaid, fresche, lustie, grene curage,
Reioyce amid thir louers but dispair,
Prouide ane place to plant thy tender age,
In lestand blis to remane and repair.

Quha is in welth? Quha is weill fortunait?
Quha is in pietie disseuerit fra debait?
Quha leuis in hope? Quha leuis in esperance?
Quha standis in grace? Quha standis in firme estait?
Quha is content, reioycit air or lait?
Or quha is he that Fortoun dois auance
Bot thow that is replenischit of plesance?
Thow hes comfort, all weilfair delicait,
Thow hes glaidnes, thow hes the happie chance,
Thow hes thy will, thow be nocht desolait.

Incres in mirthfull consolatioun,
In Ioyous sweit Imaginatioun,
Abound in lufe of perfite Amouris
With diligent trew deliberatioun.
Rander louingis for thy Saluatioun
Till Venus, and vnder hir guerdoun all houris
Rest at all eis, but sair or sitefull schouris.
Abide in quiet, maist constant weilfair
[OMITTED]
Vnwemmit wit deliuerit of all dangeir.

This lay was red in oppin audience
Of the Musis and in Venus' presence.
“I stand content, thou art obedient,”
Quod Calliope, my companioun and defence.
Venus said eik it was sum recompence,
For my trespas I was sa penitent.
And with that word all suddanelie scho went.
In ane Instant scho and hir Court was hence,
Ȝit still abaid thir Musis on the bent.

Inclinand than I said, “Calliope,
My Protectour, my help and my supplie,
My souerane Lady, my Redemptioun,
My Mediatour quhen I was dampnit to die,
I sall beseik the godlie Maiestie
Infinite thankis, laude and benisoun
Ȝow till acquite, according ȝour Renoun.
It langis nocht my possibilitie
Till recompence ten part of this guerdoun.

Gloir, honour, laude and reuerence conding
Quha may forȝeild ȝow of sa hie ane thing?
And in that part ȝour mercie I Imploir,
Submitting me my lifetime Induring
Ȝour plesure and mandate till obeysing.”
“Silence!” said scho, “I haue aneuch heirfoir.
I will thow wend and vesie wonderis moir.”
Than scho me hes betaucht in keiping
Of ane sweit Nimphe, maist faithfull and decoir.

Ane hors I gat maist richelie besene,
Was harneist all with wodbind leuis grene.
Of the same sute the trappours law doun hang.
Ouir him I straid at command of the Quene,
Tho samin furth we ryding all bedene
Als swift as thocht with mony a merie sang.
My Nimphe alwayis conuoyit me of thrang
Amid the Musis to se quhat thay wald mene,
Quhilks sang and playit bot neuer a wreist ȝeid wrang.

Throw countreis seir, holtis and Roches hie,
Ouir vailis, planis, woddis, wallie sey,
Ouir fludis fair and mony strait Montane
We war caryit in twinkling of ane Eye.
Our horsis flaw and raid nocht, as thocht me:
Now out of France tursit in Tuskane,
Now out of Flanders heich vp in Almanie,
Now into Egypt, now into Italie,
Now in the Realme of Trace and now in Spane.

The hie Montanes we passit of Germanie,
Ouir Appennynus deuydand Italie,
Ouir Ryne, the Pow, and Tiber fludes fair,
Ouir Alpheus, by Pyes the riche Cietie
Vnder the eirth that enteris in the see,
Ouir Rone, ouir Sane, ouir France, and eik ouir Lair,
And ouir Tagus, the goldin sandit Riuair.
In Thessalie we passit the Mont Oethe
And Hercules in Sepulture fand thair.

Thair went we ouir the Riuer Peneyus.
In Sicill eik we passit the Mont Tinolus,
Pleneist with Saiffron, Honie and with wyne,
The twa toppit Famous Pernasus,
In Trace we went out ouir the Mont Emus,
Quhair Orpheus leirit his Harmonie maist fyne;
Ouir Carmelus, quhair twa Prophetis deuyne
Remanit, Helias and Heliseus,
Fra quhome the ordour of Carmelites come syne.

And nixt vnto the land of Amaȝon
In haist we past the Flude Termodyon,
And ouir the hudge hill that hecht Mynas.
We raid the hill of Bacchus, Citheron,
And Olympus, the Mont of Macedon,
Quhilk semis heich vp in the heuin to pas.
In that countrie we raid the flude Melas,
Quhais water makis quhite scheip blak anone.
In Europe eik we raid the flude Thanas.

We raid the swift Riuer Sparthiades,
The flude of Surry, Achicorontes,
The hill sa full of wellis cleipit Yda,
Armenie hillis and flude Euphrates,
The flude of Nyle, the precious flude Ganges,
The hill of Sicill, ay birnand Ethna,
And ouir the Mont of Phrigie, Dindama,
Hallowit in honour of the Mother goddes.
Cauld Caucasus we past in Sythia.

We past the fludis of Tigris and Phison,
Of Thrace the Riuers Hebrun and Strymon,
The Mont of Modan and the flude Iordane,
The facund well and hill of Helicon,
The Mont Erix, the well of Acheron,
Baith dedicate to Venus, in certane.
We past the hill and desert of Libane,
Ouir Mont Cinthus quhair god Appollo schone,
Straicht to the Musis Caballine Fontane.

Beside that Cristall well sweit and degest
Thame to repois, thair hors refresche and rest,
Alichtit doun thir Musis cleir of hew.
The companie all haillelie, leist and best,
Thrang to the well to drink, quhilk ran southwest
Throw out ane meid quhair alkin flouris grew.
Amang the laif ful fast I did persew
To drink, bot sa the greit preis me opprest,
That of the water I micht not taist a drew.

Our horsis pasturit in ane plesand plane,
Law at the fute of ane fair grene Montane
Amid ane Meid schaddowit with Ceder treis;
Saif fra all heit thair micht we weill remane.
All kinde of herbis, flouris, frute and grane
With euerie growand tre thair men micht cheis.
The beriall stremis rinnand ouir stanerie greis
Maid sober noyis; the Schaw dinnit agane
For birdis sang and sounding of the beis.

The Ladyis fair on diuers Instrumentis
Went playand, singand, dansand ouir the bentis.
Full Angellike and heuinlie was thair soun.
Quhat creature amid his hart Imprentis
The fresche bewtie, the gudelie representis,
The merie speiche, fair hauingis, hie Renoun
Of thame, wald set a wise man half in swoun.
Thair womanlines wryithit the Elementis,
Stoneist the heuin and all the eirth adoun.

The warld may not considder nor discriue
The heuinlie Ioy, the blis I saw beliue,
Sa Ineffabill, abone my wit sa hie.
I will na mair thairon my foirheid riue
Bot breiflie furth my febill proces driue.
Law in the Meid ane Palȝeoun picht I se,
Maist gudliest and richest that micht be.
My Gouernour ofter than times fiue
Vnto that hald to pas commandit me.

Swa finallie straicht to that Royall steid
In fellowschip with my leidar I ȝeid.
We enterit sone, the Portar was not thra,
Thair was na stopping, lang demand nor pleid.
I kneillit law and vnheildit my heid,
And tho I saw our Ladyis, twa and twa,
Sittand on deissis, familiars to and fra
Seruand thame fast with Ypocras and Meid,
Delicait meitis, dainteis seir alswa.

Greit was the preis, the Feist Royall to sene.
At eis thay eit with Interludis betwene;
Gaue Problewmis seir and mony fair demandis,
Inquyrand quha best in thair times had bene,
Quha traist louers in lustie ȝeiris grene.
Sum said this way, and sum thairto ganestandis.
Than Calliope Ouide to appeir commandis.
“My Clerk,” quod scho, “of Register bedene
Declair quha war maist worthie of thair handis.”

With Lawrere crownit at hir commandement
Vpstude this Poeit digest and eloquent;
And schew the fatis of Hercules the strang,
How he the grislie hellis hounds out rent,
Slew Lyounis, Monsturis and mony fell Serpent,
And to the deith feil michtie Gyantis dang.
Of Theseus eik he schew the weiris lang
Agane the Quene Ypolita, the sweit,
And how he slew the Minotaur in Creit.

Of Perseus he tauld the knychtlie deidis,
Quhilk vinquischit, as men in Ouide reidis,
Cruell tyrantis and Monstures mony one;
Of Dianis Bair in Callidon the dreidis,
How throw ane Ladyis schot his sydis bleidis,
The bretheris deith and sine the sisters mone.
He schew how King Priamus' sone, Yssacone,
Efter his deith, bodie and all his weidis
Intill ane Skarth transformit was anone.

He schew at Troy quhat wise the Greiks lands,
How feirs Achilles stranglit with his handis
The vailȝeant Cygnus, Neptunus' sone maist deir,
Quhilk at Greikis arriuall on the strandis
A thousand slew that day vpon the sandis,
Faucht with Achill, and bluntit all his speir.
Na wapin was that micht him wound or deir
Quhill Achilles brist of his Helme the bandis,
And wirryit him be force for all his feir.

He schew full mony transmutatiounis
And wonderfull new figuratiounis,
Be hundrethis mo than I haue heir expremit.
He tauld of lufis meditatiounis,
The craft of lufe and the Saluatiounis,
How that the furie lustis suld be flemit.
Of diuers vther maters als he demit,
And be his prudent, schairp Relatiounis
He was expert of all thing as it semit.

Vprais the greit Virgilius anone
And playit the sportis of Daphnis and Corydone.
Sine Terence come and playit the Comedy
Of Parmeno, Thrason and wise Gnatone.
Iuuenall like ane mowar him allone
Stude scornand euerie man as thay ȝeid by.
Martiall was Cuik till roist, seith, farce and fry,
And Poggius stude with mony girne and grone
On Laurence Valla spittand and cryand fy!

With mirthis thus and meitis delicait
Thir Ladyis feistit according thair estait;
Vprais at last, commandand till tranoynt.
Retreit was blawin loude, and than, God wait,
Men micht haue sene swift horsis haldin hait,
Schynand for sweit as thay had bene anoynt.
Of all that rout was neuer a prik disioynt
For all our tary; and I furth with my mait,
Mountit on hors, raid samin in gude point.

Ouir mony gudelie plane we raid bedene,
The vaill of Hebron, the Camp Damascene,
Throw Iosaphat and throw the lustie vaill,
Ouir waters wan, throw worthie woddis grene,
And swa at last in lifting vp our Ene
We se the finall end of our trauaill,
Amid ane plane a plesand Roche to waill,
And euerie wicht, fra we that sicht had sene,
Thankand greit God thair heidis law deuaill.

With singing, lauching, merines and play
Vnto this Roche we ryden furth the way.
Now mair to write for feir trimblis my pen.
The hart may not think nor mannis toung say,
The Eir nocht heir nor ȝit the Eye se may,
It may not be Imaginit with men
The heuinlie blis, the perfite Ioy to ken
Quhilk now I saw; the hundreth part all day
I micht not schaw thocht I had toungis ten.

Thocht all my members toungis war on raw
I war not abill the thousand fauld to schaw;
Quhairfoir I feir ocht farther mair to write,
For quhidder I this in saull or bodie saw
That wait I nocht, bot he that all dois knaw,
The greit God wait, in euerie thing perfite.
Eik gif I wald this auisioun Indite,
Ianglaris suld it bakbite and stand nane aw,
Cry, “Out on dremis quhilks ar not worth ane mite!”

Sen this till me all veritie be kend,
I repute better thus to mak ane end
Than ocht to say that suld heiraris engreif.
On vther side thocht thay me vilipend
I considder prudent folk will commend
The veritie and sic Iangling repreif;
With quhais correctioun, support and releif
Furth to proceid this proces I pretend,
Traistand in God my purpois to escheif.

Howbeit I may not euerie circumstance
Reduce perfitelie in remembrance,
Myne Ignorance ȝit sum part sall deuise
Tuitching this sicht of heuinlie sweit plesance.
Now, emptie pen, write furth thy lustie chance,
Schaw wonderis feill; suppois thow be not wise,
Be diligent and ripelie the auise,
Be quick and schairp, voidit of variance,
Be sweit and caus not gentill hartis grise.

THE THRID PART

Ȝe Musis nine, be in my adiutorie,
That maid me se this blis and perfite glorie.
Teiche me ȝour facund castis Eloquent,
Len me a recent, schairp, fresche memorie,
And caus me dewlie till Indite this storie.
Sum gratious sweitnes in my breist Imprent
Till mak the heirars bowsum and attent,
Reidand my writ, Illuminate with ȝour loir,
Infinite thankis randerand ȝow thairfoir.

Now breiflie to my purpois for till gone:
About the hill lay wayis mony one,
And to the hicht bot ane passage Ingraue,
Hewin in the Roche of slid, hard Marbell stone.
Agane the Sone like to the glas it schone.
The ascence was hie and strait for till consaue,
Ȝit than thir Musis, gudelie and suaue,
Alichtit doun, and clam the Roche in hie
With all the rout, outtane my Nimphe and I.

Still at the hillis fute we twa abaid.
Than suddanelie my keipar to me said,
“Ascend, Galland!” Than for feir I quoik.
“Be not affrayit,” scho said, “be not dismaid,”
And with that word vp the strait rod abraid.
I followit fast, scho be the hand me tuik,
Ȝit durst I neuer for dreid behind me luik.
With mekill pane thus clam I neir the hicht,
Quhair suddanelie I saw ane grislie sicht.

As we approchit neir the hillis heid,
Ane terribill sewch birnand in flammis reid,
Abhominabill and how as hell to se,
All full of Brintstane, Pick and bulling Leid,
Quhair mony wretchit creature lay deid
And miserabill catiues ȝelland loude on hie,
I saw—quhilk den micht weill compairit be
Till Xanthus, the flude of Troy sa schill,
Birnand at Venus' hest contrait Achill.

Amid our passage lay this vglie sicht,
Nocht braid bot sa horribill to euerie wicht
That all the warld to pas it suld haue dreid.
Weill I considderit na vppermair I micht,
And to discend, sa hiddeous was the hicht,
I durst not auenture for this eird on breid.
Trimbland I stude, with teith chatterand gude speid.
My Nymphe beheld my cheir and said, “let be.
Thow sall nocht aill, and lo, the caus,” quod sche.

“To me thow art commit; I sall the keip.
Thir pieteous pepill amid this laithlie deip
War wretchis quhilks in lustie ȝeiris fair
Pretendit thame till hie honour to creip.
Bot suddanelie thay fell on sleuthfull sleip,
Followand plesance, drownit in this Loch of cair.”
And with that word scho hint me be the hair,
Caryit me till the hillis heid anone,
As Abacuk was brocht in Babylone.

“As we bene on the hie hill situait,
Luik doun,” quod scho, “consaue in quhat estait
Thy wretchit warld thow may considder now.”
At hir command with mekill dreid, God wait,
Out ouir the hill sa hiddeous, hie and strait
I blent adoun, and felt my bodie grow.
This brukill eird, sa litill till allow,
Me thocht I saw birne in ane fyrie rage
Of stormie sey quhilk micht na maner swage.

That terribill tempest, hiddeous wallis huge
War maist grislie for to behald or Iudge,
Quhair nouther rest nor quiet micht appeir.
Thair was ane perrellous place folk for to ludge.
Thair was na help, support nor ȝit refuge.
Innumerabill folk I saw flotterand in feir,
Quhilk pereist on the walterand wallis weir.
And secundlie I saw ane lustie Barge
Ouirset with seyis and mony stormie charge.

This gudelie Carwell, taiklit traist on raw,
With blanschite saill, milk quhite as ony snaw,
Richt souer, ticht and wonder stranglie beildit,
Was on the bairdin wallis quite ouirthraw.
Contrariouslie the busteous wind did blaw
In bubbis thik, that na schipis sail micht weild it.
Now sank scho law, now hie to heuin vpheildit.
At euerie part swa sey and windis draif
Quhill on ane sand the schip did brist and claif.

It was ane pieteous thing, alaik, alaik,
To heir the dulefull cry quhen that scho straik;
Maist lamentabill the pereist folk to se,
Sa fameist, drowkit, mait, forwrocht and waik,
Sum on ane plank of Fir tre, and sum of Aik.
Sum hang vpon a Takill, sum on ane tre,
Sum fra thair grip sone weschin with the see.
Part drownit, part to the Roche fleit or swam
On raipis or burdis, sine vp the hill thay clam.

Tho at my Nimphe breiflie I did Inquire
Quhat signifyit that feirfull wonders seir.
“Ȝone multitude,” said scho, “of pepill drownit
Ar faithles folk, quhilks quhill thay ar heir
Misknawis God and followis thair pleseir;
Quhairfoir thay sall in endles fire be brint.
Ȝone lustie schip thow seis pereist and tint,
In quhome ȝone pepill maid ane perrellous race,
Scho hecht the Carwell of the state of grace.

Ȝe bene all borne the sonnis of Ire, I ges,
Sine throw Baptisme gettis grace and faithfulnes.
Than in ȝone Carwell surelie ȝe remane,
Oft stormested with this warldis brukilnes,
Quhill that ȝe fall in sin and wretchitnes.
Than schip brokin sall ȝe droun in endles pane,
Except be faith ȝe find the plank agane
Be Christ, wirking gude warkis, I vnderstand.
Remane thairwith, thir sall ȝow bring to land.

This may suffice,” said scho, “tuitchand this part.
Returne thy heid, behald this vther art.
Considder wonders, and be vigilant
That thow may better endyten efterwart
Things quhilkis I sall the schaw or we depart.
Thow sall haue fouth of sentence and not scant.
Thair is na welth nor weilfair thou sall want.
The greit Palice of honour thow sall se.
Lift vp thy heid, behald that sicht,” quod sche.

At hir command I raisit hie on hicht
My visage till behald that heuinlie sicht,
Bot to discriue this mater, in effek,
Impossibill war till ony eirdlie wicht.
It transcendis far abone my micht
That I with Ink may do bot paper blek.
I mon draw furth, the ȝok lyis on my nek,
As of the place to say my leude auise,
Pleneist with plesance like to Paradice.

I saw ane plane of peirles pulchritude
Quhairin aboundit alkin thingis gude,
Spice, wine, corne, oyle, tre, frute, flour, herbis grene,
All foullis, beistis, birdis and alkin fude.
All maner fisches, baith of sey and flude,
War keipit in pondis of poleist siluer schene,
With purifyit water as of the Cristall clene.
To noy the small the greit beistis had na will,
Nor Rauenous foulis the Iytill Volatill.

Still in the sessoun all things remanit thair
Perpetuallie but outher noy or sair.
Ay rypit war baith herbis, frute and flouris.
Of euerie thing the names to declair
Vnto my febill wit vnpossibill wair.
Amid the Meid, repleit with sweit odouris,
A Palice stude with mony Royall Towris,
Quhair kyrnellis quent, feil turrettis men micht find,
And goldin Thanis waifand with the wind.

Pinnakillis, Fyellis, Turnpekkis mony one,
Gilt birneist torris, quhilk like to Phebus schone,
Skarsment, Reprise, Corbell and Battellingis,
Fulȝery, bordouris of mony precious stone,
Subtile muldrie wrocht mony day agone
On Buttereis, Ialme, pillaris and plesand springis,
Quick Imagerie with mony lustie singis,
Thair micht be sene, and mony worthie wichtis
Befoir the ȝet arrayit all at richtis.

Furth past my Nimphe; I followit subsequent.
Straicht throw the plane to the first waird we went
Of the Palice, and enterit at the port.
Thair saw we mony staitlie tornament,
Lancis brokin, knichtis laid on the bent.
Plesand pastance and mony lustie sport
Thair saw we als, and sumtime battell mort.
“All thir,” quod scho, “on Venus' seruice vaikis
In deidis of armis for thair Ladyis saikis.”

Vesyand I stude the principall place but peir,
That heuinlie Palice all of Cristall cleir,
Wrocht as me thocht of poleist beriall stone.
Bosiliall nor Oliab, but weir,
Quhilk Sancta Sanctorum maid maist riche and deir,
Nor he that wrocht the Tempill of Salomon,
Nor he that beildit the Royall Ylion,
Nor he that forgit Darius' Sepulture,
Culd not performe sa craftelie ane cure.

Studiand heiron my Nimphe vnto me spak:
“Thus in a stair quhy standis thow stupifak,
Gouand all day, and nathing hes vesite.
Thow art prolixt, in haist returne thy bak.
Ga efter me and gude attendance tak.
Quhat now thow seis, luik efterwart thow write.
Thow sall behald all Venus' blis perfite.”
Thairwith scho till ane garth did me conuoy,
Quhair that I saw aneuch of perfite Ioy.

Amid ane Throne with stanis riche ouirfret
And claith of gold Lady Venus was set.
By hir hir Sone, Cupide, quhilk nathing seis.
Quhair Mars enterit na knawledge micht I get,
Bot straicht befoir Venus' visage, but let,
Stude emeraut stages, twelf grene precious greis
Quhairon thair grew thre curious goldin treis,
Vpstandand weill the Goddes' face beforne,
Ane fair Mirrour be thame quentlie vpborne.

Quhairof it makit was I haue na feill—
Of beriall, Cristall, glas or birneist steill,
Of Diamant or of the Carbunkill Gem.
Quhat thing it was define may I not weill,
Bot all the bordour, circulair euerie deill,
Was plait of gold, cais, stok and vtter hem,
With verteous stanis picht that blude wald stem;
For quha that woundit was in the Tornament
Wox haill fra he vpon the Mirrour blent.

This royall Relick, sa riche and radious,
Sa poleist, plesand, purifyit and precious,
Quhais bounteis half to write I not presume,
Thairon to se was sa delitious,
And sa excelland schaddowis gracious,
Surmounting far in brichtnes, to my dome,
The coistlie subtell spectakill of Rome
Or ȝit the Mirrour send to Canace,
Quhairin men micht mony wonders se.

In that mirrour I micht se at ane sicht
The deidis and fatis of euerie eirdlie wicht:
All thingis gone like as thay war present,
All the creatiounis of the Angellis bricht,
Of Lucifer the fall for all his micht,
Adam first maid and in the eirth ysent,
And Noyes flude thair saw I subsequent,
Babylon beild that Towre of sic Renoun,
Of Sodomes the feill subuersioun.

Abraham, Isaac, Iacob, Ioseph I saw,
Hornit Moyses with his auld Hebrew Law
Ten Plaiges in Egypt send for thair trespas,
In the reid sey with all his Court on raw
King Pharao drownit, þat God wald neuer knaw.
I saw quhat wise the sey deuydit was
And all the Hebrewis dry fute ouir it pas,
Sine in desert I saw thame fourtie ȝeiris.
Of Iosue I saw the worthie weiris.

Of Iudicum the battellis strang anone
I saw of Iephte and of Gedeone,
Of Amalech the cruell Homicide,
The wonderfull workis of douchtie Duke Samsone,
Quhilk slew a thousand with ane Asses bone,
Rent Tempillis doun and ȝettis in his pride,
Of quhais strenth merwellis this warld sa wide.
I saw Duke Sangor thair with mony a knok
Sex hundreth men slew with ane Pleuchis sok.

The prophet Samuel saw I in that glas,
Anoyntit King Saull, quhais sone Ionathas
I saw vincus ane greit Oist him allane,
Ȝoung Dauid sla the grislie Golyas
Quhais speir heid wecht thre hundreth vnces was.
Iesbedonab, the Gyant mekill of mane,
Lay be the handis of michtie Dauid slane,
With fingers sex on ather hand but weir.
Dauid I saw sla baith Lyoun and Beir.

This Dauid eik at ane onset a-stound
Aucht hundreth men I saw him bring to ground.
With him I saw Banayas the strang,
Quhilk twa Lyounis of Moab did confound
And gaue the stalwart Ethiop deidis wound
With his awin speir that of his hand he thrang.
Vnabasitlie this Campioun saw I gang
In a deip cisterne, and thair a Lyoun sleuch
Quhilk in ane storme of snaw did harme aneuch.

Of Salomon the wisdome and estait
Thair saw I, and his riche Tempill, God wait,
His sone Roboam quhilk throw his helie pride
Tint all his liegis hartis be his fait.
He was to thame sa outrageous Ingrait,
Of twelf Tribes ten did fra him deuide.
I saw the Angell sla be nichtis tide
Four scoir thousandis of Sennacheribs Oist,
Quhilk come to weir on Iowrie with greit boist.

I saw the life of the King Eȝechy
Prolongit xv. ȝeir, and the Prophet Hely
Amid a fyrie Chair to Paradice went.
The storyis of Esras and of Neemy,
And Daniell in the Lyounis Caue saw I,
For he the Dragoun slew, Bel brak and schent;
The Children thre amid the Fornace sent.
I saw the transmigratioun in Babylon,
And baith the buikis of Paralipomenon.

I saw the halie Archangell, Raphaell,
Marie Sara, the douchter of Raguell,
On Thobias for his Iust Fathers saik,
And bind the cruell Deuill that was sa fell,
Quhilk slew hir seuin first husbands as thay tell;
And how Iudith Holiphernes' heid of straik
Be nichtis tyde, and fred hir toun fra wraik.
Ionas in the Quhaillis wombe dayis thre,
And schot furth sine I saw at Niniue.

101

Of Iob I saw the patience maist degest,
Of Alexander I saw the greit conquest,
Quhilk in twelf ȝeiris wan neir this warld on breid,
And of Anthiocus the greit vnrest,
How tyranlie he Iowrie all opprest;
Of Machabeus full mony ane Knichtlie deid,
That gart all Grece and Egypt stand in dreid,
In quiet brocht his Realme throw his prowes.
I saw his brether, Symon and Ionathas,

Quhilks war maist worthie quhil thair dayis rang.
Of Thebes eik I saw the weiris lang,
Quhair Tydeus allone slew fiftie Knichtis;
How finallie of Grece the Campiounis strang,
All haill the flour of Knichtheid in that thrang,
Destroyit was, quhill Theseus with his michtis
The toun and Creon wan for all his slichtis.
Thair saw I how, as Statius dois tell,
Amphiorax the Bischop sank to hell.

The faithful Ladyis of Grece I micht considder
In claithis blak all bairfute pas togidder
Till Thebes sege, fra thair Lordis war slane.
Behald, ȝe men that callis Ladyis lidder
And licht of laitis, quhat kindnes brocht them hidder,
Quhat treuth and lufe did in þair breists remane.
I traist ȝe sall reid in na writ agane
In ane Realme sa mony of sic constance.
Persaue thairby wemen ar till auance.

Of Duke Pirichous the spousage in þat tide,
Quhair the Centauris reft away the bride,
Thair saw I, and thair battell hudge to se;
And Hercules, quhais Renoun walkis wide,
For Ixiona law by Troyis side
Faucht and ouircome a Monstour in the sey,
For quhilk (quhen his rewaird denyit was) he
Maid the first seige and the destructioun
Of michtie Troy, quhylum that Royall toun.

103

To win the fleis of gold tho saw I sent
Of Grece the Nobillis, with Iason consequent,
Haill thair conqueist, and all Medeas slichtis,
How for Iason Ypsiphile was schent,
And how at Troy as thay to Colchos went
Greikis tholit of King Laomedon greit vnrichtis,
Quhairfoir Troy destroyit was be thair michtis,
Ixiona reuist and Laomedon slane,
Bot Priamus restorit the toun agane.

The Iudgement of Paris saw I sine
That gaue the Apill, as Poetis can define,
Till Venus, as goddes maist gudlie,
And how in Grece he reuischit Quene Helene;
Quhairfoir the Greikis with thair greit Nauie
—Full mony thousand Knichtis haistelie—
Thame till reuenge saillit towart Troy in hy.
I saw how be Vlixes with greit Ioy
Quhat wise Achill was found and brocht to Troy.

The cruell battellis and the dintis strang,
The greit debait and eik the weiris lang
At Troyis seige, the Mirrour to me schew,
Sustenit ten ȝeiris Greikis Troianis amang,
And ather partie set full oft in thrang,
Quhair that Hector did douchtie deidis anew
Quhill feirce Achil baith him and Troylus slew.
The greit hors maid I saw, and Troy sine tint,
And fair Ylion all in flambis brint.

Sine out of Troy I saw the Fugitiues,
How that Eneas, as Virgill weill discriues,
In countreis seir was be the seyis rage
Bewauit oft, and how that he arriues
With all his Flote, but danger of thair liues,
And how thay war resset, baith man and page,
Be Quene Dido, remanand in Carthage,
And how Eneas sine, as that thay tell,
Went for to seik his Father doun in hell.

105

Ouir Stix the Flude I saw Eneas fair,
Quhair Charon was the busteous Ferriar.
The Fludes four of hell thair micht I se,
The folk in pane, the wayis circulair,
The welterand stone wirk Sisipho mich cair,
And all the plesance of the Camp Elise,
Quhair auld Anchises did commoun with Enee
And schew be line all his successioun.
This Ilk Eneas, maist famous of Renoun,

I saw to Goddes mak the Sacrifice,
Quhairof the ordour and maner to deuise
War ouir prolixt, and how Eneas syne
Went to the schip, and eik I saw quhat wise
All his Nauie greit hounger did supprise,
How he in Italie finallie with greit pyne
Arryuit at the strandis of Lauyne,
And how he faucht weill baith on landis and seyis
And Turnus slew, the King of Rutileis.

Rome saw I beildit first be Romulus,
And eik how lang, as writes Liuius,
The Romane Kingis abone the pepill rang;
And how the wickit, proud Tarquinius
With wife and barnis be Brutus Iunius
War exylit Rome for thair Insufferabill wrang.
Bot all the proces for to schaw war lang
How chaist Lucrece, the gudliest and best,
Be Sextus Tarquine was cruellie opprest.

The Punik battellis in that Mirrour cleir
Betwene Carthage and Romanis mony ȝeir
I saw, becaus Eneas pieteous
Fled fra Dido be admonitiounis seir.
Betwene thir pepill rais ane langsum weir.
I saw how worthie Marcus Regulus,
Maist vailȝeand, prudent and victorious,
Howbeit he micht at libertie gone fre,
For commoun profite cheisit for to die.

107

Tullus Seruilius, douchtie in his daw,
And Marcus Curtius eik in the Mirrour I saw,
Quhilk throw his stoutnes in the fyrie gap
For commoun profite of Rome him self did thraw;
Richt vnabaisitlie hauand na dreid nor aw,
Mountit on hors, vnarmit thairin lap.
And Hanniball I saw be fatall hap
Win contrair Romanis mony fair victorie,
Quhill Scipio eclipsit all his glorie.

This worthie Scipio, cleipit Aphricane,
I saw vincus this Hanniball in plane
And Carthage bring vnto finall ruine,
And sine to Rome conquerit the Realme of Spane.
How King Iugurtha hes his brether slane
Thair saw I eik, and of his weir the fine.
Richt weill I saw the battellis Intestine
Of Catilina and of Lentulus,
And betwene Pompey and Cesar Iulius.

And breiflie euerie famous douchtie deid
That men in storie may se or Chronikill reid
I micht behald in that Mirrour expres,
The miserie, the crueltie, the dreid,
Pane, sorrow, wo, baith wretchitnes and neid,
The greit Inuy, couetous dowbilnes,
Tuitchand warldlie vnfaithfull brukilnes.
I saw the Feind fast folkis to vices tyst,
And all the cumming of the Antechrist.

Plesand debaitmentis, quha sa richt reportis,
Thair micht be sene, and all maner disportis,
The Falcounis for the Riuer at thair gait,
Newand the foullis in periculo mortis,
Layand thame in be companeis and sortis.
And at the plunge part saw I handillit hait,
The werie Hunter besie air and lait
With questing Houndis seirching to and fra
To hunt the Hart, the Bair, the Da, the Ra.

109

I saw Raf Coilȝear with his thrawin brow,
Craibit Iohne the Reif and auld Cowkewyis sow,
And how the Wran come out of Ailssay,
And Peirs plewman that maid his workmen fow,
Greit Gowmakmorne and Fyn Makcoull, and how
Thay suld be Goddis in Ireland, as thay say.
Thair saw I Maitland vpon auld beird gray,
Robene Hude and Gilbert with the quhite hand,
How Hay of Nauchtoun flew in Madin land.

The Nigromansie thair saw I eik anone
Of Benytas, Bongo and Freir Bacone,
With mony subtill point of Iuglary;
Of Flanders peis maid mony precious stone,
Ane greit laid sadill of a siching bone,
Of ane Nutemug thay maid a Monk in hy,
Ane Paroche Kirk of ane penny py.
And Benytas of ane Mussill maid ane Aip,
With mony vther subtill mow and Iaip.

And schortlie to declair the veritie,
All plesand pastance and gammis that micht be
In that Mirrour war present to my sicht,
And as I wonderit on that greit farlie
Venus at last in turning of hir Eye
Knew weill my face, and said, “Be Goddis micht,
Ȝe bene welcum, my presonar, to this hicht.
How passit thow,” quod scho, “this hiddeous deip?”
“Madame,” quod I, “I not mair than ane scheip.”

“Na force thairof,” said scho, “sen thow art heir.
How plesis the our pastance and effeir?”
“Glaidlie,” quod I, “Madame, be God of heuin.”
“Rememberis thow,” said scho, withouttin weir
“On thy promit, quhen of thy greit dangeir
I the deliuerit?—as now is not to neuin.”
Than answerit I agane with sober steuin:
“Madame, ȝour precept, quhat sa be ȝour will,
Heir I remane all reddy to fulfill.”

111

“Weill, weill,” said scho, “thy will is sufficient.
Of thy bowsum answer I stand content.”
Than suddanelie in hand ane buik scho hint,
The quhilk to me betaucht scho or I went,
Commandand me to be obedient
And put in Ryme that proces than quite tint.
I promisit hir, forsuith, or scho wald stint,
The buik ressauand, thairon my cure to preif.
Inclinand sine, lawlie I tuik my leif.

Tuitchand this buik perauenture ȝe sall heir
Sum time efter, quhen I haue mair laseir.
My Nimphe in haist scho hint me be the hand,
And as we samyn walkit furth in feir,
“I the declair,” quod scho, “ȝone Mirrour cleir,
The quhilk thow saw befoir Dame Venus stand,
Signifyis na thing ellis to vnderstand
Bot the greit bewtie of thir Ladyis facis,
Quhairin louers thinks thay behald all graces.”

Scho me conuoyit, finallie to tell,
With greit plesance straicht to the riche Castell,
Quhair mony saw I preis to get Ingres.
Thair saw I Sinon and Achitophell
Preissand to clim the wallis, and how thay fell.
Lucius Catiline saw I thair expres
In at ane windo preis till haue entres,
Bot suddanelie Tullius come with ane buik
And straik him doun quhill all his chaftis quoik.

Fast climmand vp thay lustie wallis of stone
I saw Iugurtha and tressonabill Tryphone,
Bot thay na grippis thair micht hald for slidder.
Preissand to clim stude thousandis mony one
And to the ground thay fallin euerie one.
Than on the wall ane Garitour I considder,
Proclamand loud that did thair hartis swidder:
“Out on falsheid, the Mother of euerie vice!
Away, Invy and birnand couetice!”

113

That Garitour tho my Nimphe vnto me tald,
Was cleipit Lawtie, keipar of that Hald
Of hie Honour; and thay pepill outschet,
Swa preissand thame to clim, quhylum war bald;
Richt verteous, ȝoung, bot fra time þai wox ald,
Fra Honour haill on vice thair minde is set.
“Now sall thow go,” qoud scho, “straicht to the ȝet
Of this Palice and enter but offence,
For the Portar is cleipit Patience.

The michtie Prince, the greitest Empreour
Of ȝone Palice,” quod scho, “hecht hie Honour,
Quhome to dois serue mony traist Officair,
For Cheritie, of gudlines the flour,
Is Maister houshald in ȝone Cristall Towr.
Firme Constance is the Kingis Secretair
And liberalitie hecht his Thesaurair.
Innocence and Deuotioun, as effeiris,
Bene Clerkis of Closet and Cubiculairis.

His Comptrollar is cleipit Discretioun.
Humanitie and trew Relatioun
Bene Ischaris of his Chalmer morne and ewin.
Peice, quiet, rest oft walkis vp and doun
Intill his Hall, as Marschellis of Renoun.
Temperance is Cuik his meit to taist and preif,
Humilitie Carwer, that na wicht list to greif,
His Maister Sewar hecht Verteous discipline.
Mercie is Copper and mixis weill his wine.

His Chancelair is cleipit Conscience,
Quhilk for na meid will pronounce fals sentence.
With him ar Assessouris four of ane assent,
Science, Prudence, Iustice, Sapience,
Quhilks to na wicht listin commit offence.
The Chekker Rollis and the Kingis rent,
As Auditouris, thay ouirse quhat is spent.
Lauborous diligence, Gude warkis, Clene leuing
Bene Outstewartis and Catouris to ȝone King.

115

Gude hope remanis euer amang ȝone sort,
Ane fine Menstraill with mony mow and sport,
And Pietie is the Kingis Almoseir.
Sine Fortitude, the richt quha list report,
Is Lieutenand all wretchis to comfort.
The Kingis Minȝeoun roundand in his Eir
Hecht Verite, did neuer leill man deir;
And schortlie euerie vertew and plesance
Is subiect to ȝone Kingis obeysance.

Cum on,” said scho, “this ordinance to vesite.”
Than past we to that Cristall Palice quhite,
Quhair I abaid the entrie to behold.
I bad na mair of plesance nor delite,
Of lustie sicht, of Ioy and blis perfite,
Nor mair weilfair to haue abone the mold
Than for to se that ȝet of birneist gold,
Quhairon thair was maist curiouslie Ingraue
All naturall thingis men may in eird consaue.

Thair was the eirth enuironit with the sey,
Quhairon the schippis sailland micht I se,
The Air, the Fire, all the four Elementis,
The Spheiris seuin and Primum mobile,
The Signes twelf, perfitelie euerie gre,
The Zodiak haill as buikis representis,
The Pole Antartick that euer him self absentis,
The Pole Artick and eik the Vrsis twane,
The seuin Starnis, Phaton and the Charlewane.

Thair was Ingraue how that Ganamedes
Was reft till heuin, as men in Ouide reidis,
And vnto Iuppiter maid his cheif Butlair;
The douchteris fair into thair lustie weidis
Of Driada, amid the sey but dreidis
Swymmand, and part war figurit thair
Vpon ane Craig dryand thair ȝallow hair,
With facis not vnlike, for quha thame seing
Micht weill considder that thay all sisters being.

117

Of Planeitis all the coniunctiounis,
Thair Epistillis and oppositiounis
War portrait thair, and how thair coursis swagis.
Thair naturall and daylie motiounis,
Eclipsis, aspectis and digressiounis
Thair saw I, and mony gudlie personages
Quhilks semit all lustie quick Images,
The warkmanschip exceding mony fold
The precious mater, thocht it was fynest gold.

Wonderand heiron, agane my will but let
My Nimphe in greif schot me in at the ȝet.
“Quhat deuill,” said scho, “hes thow nocht ellis ado
Bot all thy wit and fantasie to set
On sic doting?” And tho for feir I swet
Of hir langage. Bot than anone said scho,
“List thow se farleis, behald thame ȝonder, lo!
Ȝit studie nocht ouir mekill, a dreid thow varie,
For I persaue the halflingis in ane Farie.”

Within that Palice sone I gat ane sicht,
Quhair walkand went full mony worthie wicht
Amid the clois, with all mirthis to waill.
For like Phebus with fyrie bemis bricht
The wallis schane, castand sa greit ane licht
It semit like the heuin Imperiall,
And as the Ceder surmountis the Rammall
In perfite hicht, sa of that Court a glance
Exceidis far all eirdlie vane plesance.

For lois of sicht considder micht I nocht
How perfitelie the riche wallis war wrocht.
Swa the reflex of Christall stanis schone,
For brichtnes scarslie blenk thairon I mocht.
The purifyit siluer surelie, as me thocht,
In steid of Symont was ouir all that wone,
Ȝit round about full mony ane Beriall stone,
And thame coniunctlie Ionit fast and quemit.
The Clois was pachit with siluer as it semit.

119

The durris and the windois all war breddit
With massie gold, quhairof the fynes scheddit.
With birneist Euir baith Palace and Towris
War theikit weill, maist craftelie that cled it,
For sa the quhitlie blanschit bone ouir spred it,
Midlit with gold anamalit all colouris,
Importurait of birdis and sweit flouris,
Curious knottis and mony hie deuise,
Quhilks to behald war perfite Paradise.

And to proceid, my Nimphe and I furth went
Straicht to the Hall throwout the Palice gent,
And ten stages of Topas did ascend.
Schute was the dure; in at a boir I blent,
Quhair I beheld the glaidest represent
That euer in eirth I, wretchit Catiue, kend.
Breiflie this proces to conclude and end,
Methocht the flure was all of Amatist,
Bot quhairof war the wallis I not wist.

The multitude of precious stanis seir
Thairon sa schane my febill sicht but weir
Micht not behald thair verteous gudlines.
For all the Ruif, as did to me appeir,
Hang full of plesand lowpit Sapheiris cleir,
Of Dyamontis and Rubeis, as I ges.
War all the buirdis maid of maist riches,
Of Sardanis, of Iasp and Smaragdane.
Traistis, Formis and benkis war poleist plane.

Baith to and fro amid the Hall thay went,
Royall Princes in plait and Armouris quent,
Of birneist gold couchit with precious stanis.
Enthronit sat ane God Omnipotent,
On quhais glorious visage as I blent,
In extasie be his brichtnes atanis
He smote me doun and brissit all my banis.
Thair lay I still in swoun with colour blaucht,
Quhill at the last my Nimphe vp hes me caucht.

121

Sine with greit pane, with womenting and cair
In hir armis scho bair me doun the stair,
And in the Clois full softlie laid me doun;
Vpheld my heid to tak the hailsum air,
For of my life scho stude in greit despair.
Me till awalk ay was that Lady boun,
Quhill finallie out of that deidlie swoun
I swyith ouircome, and vp mine Ene did cast.
“Be merie, man,” quod scho, “the worst is past.

Get vp,” scho said, “for schame be na Cowart.
My heid in wed, thow hes ane wyifes hart,
That for a plesand sicht was sa mismaid.”
Than all in anger vpon my feit I start,
And for hir wordis war sa apirsmart
Vnto the Nimphe I maid a busteous braid.
“Carling,” quod I, “quhat was ȝone that thow said?”
“Soft ȝow,” said scho, “thay ar not wise that stryifis,
For kirkmen war ay gentill to thair wyifis.

I am richt glaid thow art worthin sa wicht.
Lang eir me thocht you had nouther force nor micht,
Curage nor will for till haue greuit ane Fla.
Quhat aillit the to fall?” Quod I: “the sicht
Of ȝone Goddes grim fyrie visage bricht
Ouirset my wit and all my spreitis swa,
I micht not stand.” “Bot was that suith?” “Ȝa, ȝa!”
Than said the Nimphe richt merilie and leuch,
“Now I considder thy mad hart weill aneuch.

I will na mair,” quod scho, “the thus assay
With sic plesance quhilk may thy spreit affray.
Ȝit sall thow se surelie sen thow art heir
My Ladyis Court in thair gudlie array.
For to behald thair mirth cum on thy way.”
Than hand in hand swyith went we furth in feir
At a Posterne towart the fair Herbeir.
In that passage full fast at hir I franit,
Quhat folk thay war within that Hall remanit.

123

“Yone war,” said scho, “quha sa the richt discriues,
Maist vailȝeand folk and verteous in thair liues.
Now in the Court of Honour thay remane
Verteouslie, and in all plesance thriues.
For thay with speir, with swords and with kniues
In Iust battell war fundin maist of mane.
In thair promittis thay stude euer firme and plane.
In thame aboundit worschip and lawtie,
Illuminat with liberalitie.

Honour,” quod scho, “to this heuinlie King
Differris richt far fra warldlie gouerning,
Quhilk is bot Pompe of eirdlie dignitie,
Geuin for estait of blude, micht or sic thing.
And in this countrie Prince, Prelate or King
Allanerlie sall for vertew honourit be.
For eirdlie gloir is nocht bot vanitie
That as we se sa suddanelie will wend,
Bot verteous Honour neuer mair sall end.

Behald,” said scho, “and se this warldis glorie,
Maist Inconstant, maist slid and transitorie.
Prosperitie in eird is bot a dreme,
Or like as man war steppand ouir ane scoir.
Now is he law that was sa hie befoir,
And he quhylum was borne pure of his deme,
Now his estait schynis like the Sone beme.
Baith vp and doun, baith to and fra, we se,
This warld walteris as dois the wallie sey.

To Papis, Bischoppis, Prelatis and Primaitis,
Empreouris, Kingis, Princes, Potestatis,
Deith settis the terme and end of all thair hicht.
Fra thay be gane, let se quha on thame waitis.
Nathing remanis bot fame of thair Estaitis,
And nocht ellis bot verteous warkis richt
Sall with thame wend, nouther thair Pompe nor micht.
Ay vertew ringis in lestand Honour cleir.
Remember than that vertew hes na peir.

125

For vertew is a thing sa precious,
Quhairof the end is sa delicious,
The warld can not considder quhat it is.
It makis folk perfite and glorious,
It makis Sanctis of pepill vitious,
It causis folk ay liue in lestand blis,
It is the way to hie Honour, I-wis.
It dantis deith and euerie vice throw micht.
Without vertew, fy on all eirdlie wicht.

Vertew is eik the perfite sicker way,
And nocht ellis, till lestand honour ay.
For mony hes sene vitious pepill vphieit,
And efter sone thair glore vanische away,
Quhairof exampillis we se this euerie day.
His eirdlie pompe is gone quhen that he deit.
Than is he with na eirdlie freind suppleit
Saifand vertew; weill is him hes sic a feir.
Now wil I schaw,” quod scho, “quhat folk bene heir.

The strangest Sampsoun is into ȝone hald,
The forcie puissant Hercules sa bald,
The feirs Achill and all the Nobillis nyne,
Scipio Affricane, Pompeius the ald,
Other mony quhais Namis befoir ar tald,
With thousandis ma than I may heir defyne,
And lustie Ladyis amid thay Lordis syne—
Semiramis, Thamar, Hippolita,
Penthessilea, Medea, Zenobia.

Of thy Regioun ȝonder bene honourit part,
The Kingis Gregour, Kenneth and King Robart,
With vther ma that beis not heir reheirsit.
Waryit,” quod scho, “ay be thy megir hart!
Thow suld haue sene, had thow biddin in ȝone art,
Quhat wise ȝone heuinlie companie conuersit.
Wa worth thy febill brane, sa sone was persit.
Thow micht haue sene remanand quhair thow was
Ane hudge pepill puneist for thair trespas;

127

Quhilks be wilfull manifest Arrogance,
Inuyous pride, pretendit Ignorance,
Foull dowbilnes and dissait vnamendit,
Enforcis thame thair selfis to auance
Be sle falsheid, but lawtie or constance,
With subtelnes and slichtis now commendit,
Betraisand folk that neuer to thame offendit,
And vpheis thame self throw fraudefull lipps,
Thocht God caus oft thair eirdlie gloir eclipps.

And Nobillis cummin of honorabill Ancestry
Thair verteous Nobilitie settis nocht by,
For dishonest vnlefull warldlie wayis,
And throw corruptit couetous Inuy.
Bot he that can be dowbill, nane is set by.
Dissait is Wisdome; Lawtie, Honour away is.
Richt few or nane takis tent thairto thir dayis,
And thair greit wrangis to reforme but let
In Iudgement ȝone God was ȝonder set.

Remanand ȝonder thow micht haue hard beliue
Pronouncit the greit sentence diffinitiue,
Tuitchand this Actioun, and the dreidfull pane
Execute on trespassouris ȝit on liue,
Swa that thair malice sall na mair prescriue.”
“Madame,” quod I, “for Goddis saik, turne agane.
My spreit desyris to se thair torment fane.”
Quod scho: “Richt now thair sall thow be reioisit,
Quhen thow hes tane the Air and better appoisit.

Bot first thow sall considder commoditeis
Of our garding, lo, full of lustie treis!
All hie Cypres, of flewer maist fragrant.
Our Ladyis ȝonder, bissie as the beis,
The sweit flureist flouris of Rethoreis
Gadderis full fast, mony grene tender plant;
And with all plesance pleneist is ȝone hant,
Quhair precious stanis on treis dois abound
In steid of frute chargeit with peirlis round.”

129

Vnto that gudelie garth thus we proceid,
Quhilk with a large Fowsie far on breid
Inueronit was, quhair Fisches war anew.
All water Foullis war swemand thair gude speid.
Als out of growand treis thair saw I breid
Foullis that hingand be thair nebbis grew.
Out ouir the stank, of mony diuers hew,
Was laid ane tre, ouir quhilk behouit vs pas,
Bot I can not declair quhairof it was.

My Nimphe went ouir, chargeand me follow fast.
Hir till obey my spreitis wox agast,
Sa perrellous was the passage till espy.
Away scho went, and fra time scho was past
Vpon the Brig I enterit at the last,
Bot sa my harnis trimblit besily
Quhill I fell ouir and baith my feit slaid by,
Out ouir the heid into the stank adoun,
Quhair as me thocht I was in point to droun.

Quhat throw the birdis sang and this affray
Out of my swoun I walknit quhair I lay
In the Garding quhair I first doun fell.
About I blent, for richt cleir was the day,
Bot all this lustie plesance was away.
Me thocht that fair Herbrie maist like to Hell
In till compair of this ȝe hard me tell.
Allace, allace, I thocht me than in pane,
And langit sair for to haue swemit agane.

The birdis sang nor ȝit the merie flouris
Micht not ameis my greuous greit dolouris.
All eirdlie thing me thocht barrane and vile.
Thus I remanit into the Garth twa houris,
Cursand the feildis with all the fair coluris,
That I awolk oft wariand the quhile.
Alwayis my minde was on the lustie Ile.
I purpoisit euer till haue dwelt in that art,
Of Rethorik cullouris till haue found sum part.

131

And maist of all my curage was aggreuit,
Becaus sa sone I of my dreme escheuit,
Not seand how thay wretchis war torment,
That Honour mankit and honestie mischeuit.
Glaidlie I wald amid this writ haue breuit,
Had I it sene, how thay war slane or schent.
Bot fra I saw all this weilfair was went,
Till mak ane end, sittand vnder a tre,
In laude of Honour I wrait thir versis thre:

O hie Honour, sweit heuinlie flour degest,
Gem verteous, maist precious, gudliest,
For hie Honour thow art guerdoun conding,
Of worschip kend the glorious end and rest,
But quhome, in richt, na worthie wicht may lest.
Thy greit puissance may maist auance all thing
And pouerall to mekill auaill sone bring.
I the require, sen thow but peir art best,
That efter this in thy hie blis we ring.

Of grace thy face in euerie place sa schynis,
That sweit all spreit baith heid and feit Inclynis
Thy gloir afoir, for till Imploir remeid.
He docht richt nocht, quhilk out of thocht the tynis.
Thy name, but blame; and royal fame diuine is.
Thow port, at schort, of our comfort and reid,
Till bring all thing till glaiding efter deid.
All wicht but sicht of thy greit micht ay crynis.
O Schene, I mene, nane may sustene thy feid.

Hail rois, maist chois til clois thy fois greit micht!
Haill stone, quhilk schone vpon the throne of licht!
Vertew, quhais trew, sweit dew ouirthrew al vice,
Was ay, Ilk day, gar say, the way of licht.
Amend offend, and send our end ay richt.
Thow stant ordant, as sanct, of grant maist wise,
Till be supplie and the hie gre of price.
Delite the tite, me quite of site to dicht,
For I apply, schortlie, to thy deuise.

133

The Author directis his buik to the richt Nobill and Illuster Prince Iames the Feird King of Scottis.

Trivmphovs laud with palme of victorie,
The Lawrer Crowne of Infinite glorie,
Maist gracious Prince, our souerane Iames the Feird,
Thy Maiestie mot haue Eternallie—
Supreme Honour, Renoun of Cheualrie,
Felicitie perdurand in this eird
With Eterne blis in heuin by fatall weird.
Ressaue this Roustie rurall Rebaldrie,
Laikand Cunning, fra thy pure leige vnleird;

Quhilk in the sicht of thy Magnificence,
Confidand in sa greit beneuolence
Proponis thus my vulgair Ignorance,
Maist humbillie with dew obedience
Beseikand oft thy michtie Excellence
Be grace to pardoun all sic variance
With sum bening respect of firme constance,
Remittand my pretendit negligence,
Thow quhais micht may humbill thing auance.

Breif buriall quair, of Eloquence all quite,
With russet weid and sentence Imperfite
Till cum in plane se that thow not pretend the.
Thy barrant termis and thy vile Indite
Sall not be mine. I will not haue the wite!
For as for me, I quitclame that I kend the.
Thow art bot stouth—thift louis licht but lite—
Not worth ane mite, pray Ilk man til amend the.
Fair on with site, and on this wise I end the!

FINIS

135

CONSCIENCE

137

Quhen halie kirk first flurist in ȝouthheid,
Prelatis wer chosin of all perfectioun;
Off conscience than the brydill had to leid,
And conscience maid the hale electioun.
Syn eftir þat come schrewit correctioun,
And thocht þat conscience had our large ane weid,
And of his habite out cuttit thay ane skreid.

And fra conscience þe con thay clip away,
And maid of conscience science and na mair;
Bot ȝit the kirk stude weill full mony day,
For it wes rewlit be mene of wit and layre.
Syn eftir þat sciens began to payr,
And thocht at sciens was our lang ane iaip.
The sci away fast can thay rub and scraip.

And fra sci of science wes adew,
Than left þai nocht bot this sillab ens,
Quhilk in our language signifies þat schrew,
Riches and geir, þat gart all grace go hens;
For sciens both and faythfull conscience
So corruptit ar with this warldis gude
That falset ioukis in everie clerkis hude.

O hungrie ens, cursit with caris calde!
All kynd of folk constrenis thow to wirk:
For the that theif Iudas his maister sald,
For the Symon infectit halie kirk.
To poysoun Iustis þow dois never irk.
Thow fals ens, go hens, thow monsture peralous!
God send defens with conscience in till ws.

Finis quod bischop douglas of dunkelden etc.

139

KING HART

141

King Hart, in to his cumlie castell strang

Cor in [corpore] homini[s] hart in [body] of ma[n]

Closit about with craft and meikill vre,
So semlie wes he set his folk amang
That he no dout had of misaventure;
So proudlie wes he polist, plane and pure,
With ȝouthheid and his lustie levis grene;
So fair, so fresche, so liklie to endure,
And als so blyth as bird in symmer schene.

For wes he never ȝit with schouris schot,
Nor ȝit ourrun with rouk or ony rayne;
In all his lusty lecam nocht ane spot,
Na never had experience in to payne,
Bot alway in to lyking, nocht to layne.
Onlie to Love and Verrie Gentilnes
He wes inclynit cleinlie to remane,
And woun vnder the wyng of Wantownnes.

Ȝit wes this wourthy, wicht king vnder warde,
For wes he nocht at fredome vtterlie.
Nature had lymmit folk, for þair rewarde,
This godlie king to governe and to gy;
For so þai kest þair tyme to occupy
In welthis for to wyne; for thay him teichit
All lustis for to lane and vnderly.
So prevelie thai preis him and him preicheid.

First Strenth, Lust and Wantownnes,
Grein Lust, Disport, Ielousie and Invy,
Freschnes, Newgate, Waistgude and Wilfulnes,

Iuuentus et quot nomina habet ȝouthheid and quhat names he [hes]

Delyuernes, Fulehardenes; thairby
Gentrice, Fredome, Price previe I espy,
Wantwyt, Vanegloir, Prodigalitie,
Vnrest, Nichtwalk, and Full of Glutony,
Vnricht, Dyme Sicht, with Slicht and Subtilitie.

142

Thir war the inwarde, ythand seruitouris,
Quhilk gouernouris war vnto this nobill king,
And kepit him inclynit to þair curis.
So wes þair nocht in erde þat ever micht bring
Ane of thir folk away fra his duelling.
Thus to þair terme thai serve for þair rewarde,
Dansing, disport, singing, revelling,
With bissines all blyth to pleis the lairde.

Thir folk with all the femell þai micht fang

Desideria cordis Iuuentute The desyris of hart in ȝouth

(Quhilk nummerit ane milȝon and weill mo)
That wer vpbred as seruitouris of lang,
And with this king wald woun in weill and wo,
For favour nor for feid wald found him fro,
Vnto the tyme þair dait be run and past—
That gold nor gude micht gar þame fro him go,
No greif nor grame suld grayth þame so agast.

Fyve seruituris this king he had without,
That teichit war ay tressoun to espy.
Thai watchit ay þe wallis round about
For innemeis þat of hapning ay come by:
Ane for the day, quhilk iugeit certanly,
With cure to ken the colour of all hew;
Ane for the nicht, þat harknit bissely,
Out of quhat airt that ever the wyndis blew.

Syn wes þair ane to taist all nutriment
That to þis king wes seruit at the deis;
Ane wther wes all sovellis for to sent,
Of licour or of ony lustie meis;
The fyft þair wes quhilk culd all, but leis,
The heit, the cauld, the harde and eik the soft—
Ane ganand seruand, bayth for weir and pece.
Ȝit hes thir folk þair king betrasit oft.

143

Honour persewit to the kingis ȝet.
Thir folk said all, þai wald nocht lat him in,
Be caus, thai said, þair lord to feist wes set,
With all his lustie seruandis, more and myn.
Bot he ane port had enterit with ane gyn,
And vp he can in haist to the grit toure,
And said he suld it parall all with syn
And fresche delyt with mony florist floure.

So strang this king him thocht his castell stude,
With mony towre and turat crownit hie.
About the wall þair ran ane water void,
Blak, stinkand, sowr, and salt as is the sey,
That on the wallis wiskit, gre be gre,
Boldning to ryis the castell to confound.
Bot thai within maid sa grit melody,
That for þair reird thay micht nocht heir the sound.

With feistis fell and full of iolitee,
This cumlie court thair king þai kast to keip,
That noy hes none, bot newlie novaltee,
And ar nocht wount for wo to woun and weip;
Full sendill sad or soundlie set to sleip,
No wandreth wait, ay wenis welth endure,
Behaldis nocht nor luikis nocht þe deip,
As þame to keip fra all misaventure.

Richt as the rose vpspringis fro the rute,
In ruby colour reid, most ryik of hew,
Nor waindis nocht the levis to outschut,
For schyning of the sone þat dois renew
Thir vther flouris, greyne, quhyt and blew,
Quhilk hes na craft to knaw the wynter weit,
Suppois þat sommer schane dois þame reskew,
That dois þame quhile ourhaill with snaw and sleit.

144

Dame Plesance had ane pretty place besyd,
With fresche effeir and mony folk in feir,
The quhilk wes parald all about with pryde,
So precious þat it prysit wes but peir;
With bulwerkis braid and mony bitter beir;
Syn wes ane brig, þat hegeit wes and strang;
And all þat couth attene the castell neir,
It maid þame for to mer amis and mang;

With touris grit and strang for to behald,
So craftlie with kirnellis kervin hie;
The fitschand faynis, floreist all of gold,
The grundin dairtis, scharp and bricht to se,
Wald mak ane hart of flint to fald and fle
For terrour, gif þai wald þe castell saill;
So kervin cleir, that micht na crueltee
It for to wyn in all this warld avale.

Servit this quene, dame Plesance, all at richt,
First Hie Apporte, Bewtie, and Humilnes,
With mony vtheris, madinis fair and bricht,
Reuth and Gud Fame, Fredome and Gentilnes,
Constance, Patience, Raddour and Meiknes,
Conning, Kyndnes, Heyndnes and Honestie,
Mirth, Lustiheid, Lyking and Nobilnes,
Blis and Blythnes, Plesance and pure Pietie.

This war the staitis worthyest and ding,
With mony mo þat servit to this quene.
Ane legioun liell war at hir leding,
Quhen hir court leist semble, fair and clein.
In þair effeir fayr seruice micht be sene,
For wes þair nocht þat semit be a vyse,
That no man micht the poynting of ane prene
Repreve, nor pece bot payntit at devyse.

145

Hapnit this wourthy quene vpon ane day,
With hir fresche court, arrayit weill at richt,
Hunting to ryd, hir to disport and play,
With mony ane lustie ladie, fair and bricht.
Hir baner schene, displayit and on hicht,
Wes sene abone þair heidis, fayr quhair þai ryd.
The grene ground wes illuminyt of the lycht.
Fresche Bewtie had þe vangarde and wes gyde.

Ane legioun of thir lustie ladeis schene
Folowit this quene, trewlie this is no nay.
Harde by this castell of this king so kene
This wourthy folk hes walit þame a way,
Quhilk did the dayis watcheis to effray,
For seildin had þai sene sic folkis befoir.
So mirrelie þai muster and thai play,
Withoutin outher brag or bost or schore.

The watcheis of the sicht wes sa effrayit,
Thai ran and tauld the king of þair intent.
“Lat nocht this mater, schir, be lang delayit.
It war speidfull sum folk ȝe outwarde sent,
That culd rehers quhat thing ȝone peple ment,
Syn ȝow agane þairof to certifie;
For battell byd þai bauldlie on ȝon bent.
It war bot schame to feinȝe cowartlie.”

Ȝouthheid vpstart and cleikit on his cloik,
Was browdin all with lustie levis grene.
“Ryse, fresche Delyte, lat nocht this mater soke.
We will go se quhat may this muster mene.
So weill we sall ws it cope betwene,
Thair sall nothing pas away vnspyit.
Syn sall we tell the king as we haue sene,
And þair sall nothing trewlie be denyit.”

146

Ȝouthheid furth past and raid on Innocence,
Ane mylk quhyt steid, þat ambilit as the wynd;
And fresche Delyt raid on Benevolence,
Throw-out the meid þat wald nocht byd behind.
The beymes bricht almost had maid þame blind,
That fra fresche Bewtie spred vnder the cloude.
To hir thai socht and sone thai culd hir find.
No saw þai nane never wes half sa proude.

The bernis both wes basit of the sicht,
And out of mesour marrit in þair mude.
As spreitles folkis on blonkis hvffit on hicht,
Both in ane studie starand, still þai stude.
Fayr Calling freschlie on hir wayis ȝuid,
And both þair reynȝeis cleikit in hir handis,
Syn to hir castell raid as scho war woude,
And festnit vp thir folkis in Venus' bandis.

Becaus thair come no bodwarde sone agane,
The king outsent Newgate and Wantownnes,
Grene Luif, Disport, Waistgude, that nocht can lane,
And with þame freschlie feir, Fule-hardynes.
He bad þame spy the cais, quhow þat it wes,
And bring bodwart, or him self outpast.
Thay said þai suld and sone þai can þame dres.
Full glaid þai glyde as gromes vnagaist.

On grund no greif quhill þai the grit ost se;
Wald þai nocht rest, þe rinkis so thay ryde;
Bot fra thay saw þair sute and þair sembly,
It culd þame bre, and biggit þame to byd
Dreid of Disdane, on fute ran thame besyde;
Said þame, “Be war, sen Wisdome is away,
For and ȝe prik amang thir folk of pryde,
A-pane ȝe salbe restit be the way.”

147

Full-hardynes full freschlie furth he flang,
A fure leynth fer befoir his feiris fyve;
And Wantones, suppois he had þe wrang,
Him followit on als fast as he micht dryve.
So thai wer lyk amang þame self to stryve.
The fouresum baid and huvit on the grene.
Fresche Bewtie, with ane wysk, come belyve
And þame all reistit, war þai never so kene.

With þat the foursum fayn thay wald haue fled
Agane vnto þair castell and þair king.
Thai gave ane schout and sone thai haue þame sched,
And bisselie thay kan þame bundin bring
Agane vnto þair quene and bandis thring
About thair handis and feit so fast
Quhill þat þai maid þame, with þair tormenting,
Haly of þair lyvis half agast.

The watchis on the kingis wallis hes sene
The chassing of the folk and þair suppryse.
Vpstart king Hart, in propir yre and tein,
And baldlie bad his folk all with him ryse.
“I sall nocht sit,” he said, “and se þame thryse
Discomfit clein my men and put at vnder.
Na, we sall wrik ws on ane vther wys,
Set we be few to thame be fifty hounder.”

Than out thay raid, all to ane randoun richt,
This courtlie king and all his cumlie ost,
His buirelie bainer brathit vp on hicht,
And out thay blew, with brag and mekle bost,
That lady and hir lynnage suld be lost.
Thay cryit on hicht thair seinȝe wounder lowde.
Thus come thay keynlie, carpand one the cost.
Thay preik, þai prance, as princis þat war woude.

148

Dame Plesance hes hir folk arrayit weill,
Fra þat scho saw þai wald battell abyde.
So Bewtie with hir wangarde gane to reill,
The greitest of thair ost scho can our-ryde.
Syn fresche Apport come on the tother syd.
So bisselie scho wes to battell boune,
That all þat ever scho micht ourtak þat tyde,
Hors and men, with brount scho straik all doun.

Richt þair king Hairt he wes in handis tane,
And puirlie wes he present to the quene.
And scho had fairlie, with ane fedderit flayne,
Woundit the king, richt wonderfull to wene;
Delyuerit him deme Bewtie vnto sene,
His wound to wesche, in sobering of his sair;
Bot alwayis as scho castis it to clene,
His malady incressis mair and mair.

Woundit he wes and quhair ȝit he na wait,
And mony of his folk hes tane the flicht.
He said, “I ȝeild me now to ȝour estait,
Fayr quene, sen to resist I haue no micht.
Quhat will ȝe saye me now? For quhat plycht?
For þat I wait I did ȝow never offence,
And gif I haue done ocht þat is vnrycht,
I offer me to ȝour beneuolence.”

Be this battell wes neir vincust all.
The kingis men ar tane and mony slane.
Dame Plesance can on fresche Bewtie call;
Bad hir command the folk to presoun plaine.
King Hairt sair woundit was, bot he wes fayne,
For weill he traistit þat he suld recure.
The lady and hir ost went hame agane,
And mony presoner tak in vnder hir cure.

149

King Hart his castell levit hes full waist,
And Hevenes maid capitane it to keip.
Radour ran hame, full fleyit and for-chaist;
Him for to hyde crap in the dungeoun deip.
Langour he lay vpon the wallis but sleip,
But meit or drink the watche horne he blew.
Ire wes the portour that full sayr can weip,
And Ielousy ran out—he wes never trew.

He said he suld be spy and bodwart bring,
Bayth nicht and day, how þat his maister fure.
He followit fast on fute eftir the king
Vnto the castell of dame Plesance puire.
In the presoun fand he mony creatuire,
Sum fetterrit fast and vtheris fre and large,
Quhair ever þame list within the wallis fure.
Sone Ielousy him hid vnder ane targe.

Thar saw I Lust ly law vnder lok,
In streinȝe strong, fast fetterrit, fute and hand.
Grene Luif lay bund with ane felloun blok,
About the crag wes claspit with ane band.
Ȝouthheid wes lous and ay about waverand;
Desyre lay stokkit by ane dungeoun dure,
Ȝit Honestie keipit him fair-farrand,
And Waistgude followand him quhair euer he fure.

Discretioun wes as than bot ȝoung of age.
He sleipit with Lust, quhair ever he micht him find,
And he agane wes crabbit at the page.
Ane ladill full of Luif, stude him behind,
He swakit in his ene and maid him blind;
Sua fra that tyme furth he micht nocht se.
“Speik þow ane wourde, thy four feit sall I bind,
Syn swak the our the wallis in the se.”

150

Bissines, Newgate, Freschnes and syn Disport,
Fredome, Gentrice, Cuning and Fair Maner,
All thir wer lous daylie and ȝeid ouerthort,
To clois befoir the dungeoun windo neir,
Quhair wynnit fair dame Plesance, þat wes cleir;
Quhilk hes espyit richt weill þair gouernance,
And lauchan he, commandit tymes seir,
Thame to await vpone þair observance.

This lustie quene within hir dungeoun strong
Coud dysyde ay hir ladeis hir about,
And, as scho list, scho leirit þame to mang
That wald be in—all folk þat wer without.
For Hie Apport scho is hir capitane stout;
Bewtie hir baner beris hir beforne;
Dame Chaistetie hir chalmarere bot dout,
And Strangenes hir portare can weill scorne.

Fayr Calling is grit garitour on hicht,
That watchis ay the wallis hie abone;
And Sweit Semblance is merschale in hir sicht;
As scho commandis, so swyth all is done.
Sa is þair nocht of mvsik nor of tvne
(The ladeis sweit, þai mak sic melodie)
Quhat wicht þat micht it heir suld iuge sone
To angell song and hewinlie armony.

King Hart in till ane previe closet crappe,
Was neir the dungeoun wall neir by the ground.
Swas he micht heir and se—sic wes his happe—
The meikle mirth, þe melodie and sound,
Quhilk fra the wallis sweitlie can redound
In at his eir, and sink vnto his hart,
And þairin wirkis mony previe wound,
That dois oftsys him strang with stoundis smart.

151

Ay seik he is and ever he hes his heill,
In battale strang and hes both pece and rest;
The scharpe and als the soft can with him deill,
The sweit, the sour, both rewle and als vnrest.
Dame Danger hes of Dolour to him drest
Ane pallioun that na proudnes hes without,
With teiris weit ar rottin, may nocht lest,
Fast brikand by þe bordouris all aboute.

Bot Ȝouthheid had him maid ane courtlie cote,
Als grene as gers, with goldin stremis bricht
Broudin about, fast bukkillit to his throte,
A wourthy weid, weill closand and full licht;
Ane wysar, þat wes payntit for the sicht
As ruby reid and pairt of quhyt amang.
Off coulouris micht þair nane be freschar dicht,
Bot Hevines had fassonit it all wrang.

This wourthy king in presoun thus culd ly
With all his folk, and culd þair nane outbrek.
Full oft þai kan vpone dame Pietie cry,
“Fair thing, cum doun a quhyle and with ws speik.
Sum farar way ȝe micht ȝour harmes wreik
Than thus to murdour ws þat ȝoldin ar.
Wald ȝe ws rew, quhair euir we micht our-reik,
We suld men be to ȝow for euirmare.”

That ansuerd Danger and said, “That wer grete doute,
A madin sweit amang sa mony men
To cum alane, bot folk war hir about.
That is ane craft my self culd never ken.”
With that scho ran vnto hir lady kene;
Kneland, “Madame,” scho said, “keip Pietie fast.
Syth scho ask, no licence to hir len.
May scho wyn out, scho will play ȝow a cast.”

154

The lustie quene scho sat in the mid the deis.
Befoir hir stude the nobill, worthy king.
Servit þai war of mony dyuers meis,
Full sawris, sweit, and swyth thai culd þame bring.
Thus thai maid ane mirrie merschelling.
Bewtie and Loue ane sait burde hes begoin.
In wirschip of that lustie feist so ding
Dame Plesance hes gart perce dame Venus' tun.

Quha is at eis quhen bayth ar now in blis,
Bot fresche king Hart that cleirlie is aboue,
And wantis nocht in warld þat he wald wis,
And traistis nocht that euir he sall remove.
Sewin ȝeir and moir schir Lyking and schir Loue
Off him þai haue the cure and gouernance,
Quhill at the last befell and sua behuif
Ane changeing new that grevit dame Plesance.

A morrowingtyde, quhen at the sone so schene
Out raschit had his bemis frome the sky,
Ane auld, gudlie man befoir þe ȝet was sene,
Apone ane steid þat raid full easalie.
He rappit at the ȝet but courtaslie,
Ȝit at the straik the grit dungeoun can din.
Syn at the last he schowtit fellonlie,
And bad þame rys, and said he wald cum in.

Sone Wantownnes come to the wall abone,
And cryit our, “Quhat folk ar ȝe þairout?”
“My name is Age,” said he agane full sone.
“May thow nocht heir langar how I culd schout?”
“Quhat war ȝour will?” “I will cum in, but dout.”
“Now God forbid, in fayth, ȝe cum nocht heir.”
“Rin on thy way, or thow sall beir ane route,
And say the portar he is wonder sweir.”

155

Sone Wantownnes he went vnto the king,
And tald him all the cais, quhow þat it stude.
“That taill I traist be na leissing.
He wes to cum; þat wist I, be the rude.
It dois me noy, be God, in bone and blude,
That he suld cum sa sone. Quhat haist had he!”
The quene said, “To hald him out war gude.”
“That wald I fayne war doin, and it micht be.”

Ȝouthheid vpstart and knelit befoir the king.
“Lord, with ȝour leif, I may na langar byd.
My warisoun—I wald þat with me bring—
Lord, pay to me and gif me leif to ryde;
For micht I langer resyde ȝow besyde,
Full fayne I wald, no war my felloun fa.
For dout of Age, schir king, ȝe latt me slyde,
For and I byde, in fayth, he will me sla.”

“Sen þow man pas, fair Ȝouthheid, way is me.
Thow wes my freynd and maid me gude seruice.
Fra thow be went, never so blyth to be
I mak ane vow, thocht þat it be nyce.
Off all blythnes thy bodie beiris the pryce.
To warisoun I gif þe, or thow ga,
This fresche visar, wes payntit at devyse.
My lust alway with the, se that thow ta.

For saik of the I will no colour reid
Nor lusty quhyt vpone my bodie beir,
Bot blak and gray alway quhill I be deid.
I will none vther wantoun wedis weir.
Fayr weill, my freynd, thow did me never deir.
Vnwelcum Age, thow come agane my will.
I lat the wit, I micht þe weill forbeir.
Thy warisoun suld be small, but skill.”

156

Than Ȝouthheid said, “Disport and Wantounes,
My brether both, dispone ȝow with me ryde.”
Vpstart on fute lyflie Delyuernes,
Said, “Schirris, I pray ȝow, tak me for ȝour gyde.
Trow ȝe þat I sall ly heir in to hyde
This wourthy craft þat Nature me to gaif?
Na, na, this cowartnes sall nocht betyde.
Fair on! I salbe formest of the laif.”

Out at ane previe postrome all thai past,
And wald nocht byd all out to tak þair leif.
Than fresche Delyte come rynnand wonder fast,
And with ane pull gat Ȝouthheid be the sleif.
“Abyd, abyd, gud fallow, the nocht greif.
Len me thy cloke to gys me for ane quhyle.
Want I þat weid, in fayth, I will mischeif;
Bot I sall follow þe within ane myle.”

Delyte come in, and all þat saw his bak,
Thay wenit it had bein Ȝouthheid bundin still.
Bot eftirwart, quhen þat thai with him spak,
Thay knew it wes ane feinȝe maid þame till.
Sone quhen he had disportit him his fill,
His courtlie cloke begouth to fayd of hew,
Thriftles, threidbair, and reddy for to spill,
Lyk failȝeit blak, quhilk wes befoir tyme blew.

Ȝit wald he nocht away alluterlie,
Bot of retinew feit he him as þan,
And or he wist he spendit spedellie
The flour of all the substance þat he wan.
So wourde he pure and powrit to the pane.
Ȝit Appetyt, his sone, he bad duell still.
Bot, wit ȝe weill, he wes ane sory man;
For falt of gude he wantit all his will.

157

Be þat wes Age enterit, and ȝit first
His branchis braid out bayr at mony bore.
Vnwylkum was the cry quhen þat thai wist,
For followand him thair come fyve hundreth score
Off hairis þat king Hart had none befoir.
And quhen þat fayr dame Plesance had þame sene,
Scho grevit and scho angerit weill more.
Hir face scho wryit about for propir teyne.

Scantlie had Age restit him þair ane quhyle,
Quhen Conscience come cryand our the wall,
“How lang think ȝe to hald me in exile?
Now, on my saule, ȝe ar bot lurdanis all,
And sum of ȝow, be God, sall haue ane fall,
May I him meit fra presence of the king.
All fals tratouris I may ȝow full weill call,
That seruit weill be draw, both heid and hing.”

Fra Age harde þat Conscience was come-ing,
Full sone he rais belyve and leit him in.
Sadnes he had; ane cloik fra meture mvming
He had vpon, and wes of Ageis kin.
It war richt harde thay tua in sunder twin.
Thairfoir at his bak he ran anone.
In mid the clois, þair Conscience met with Syne,
Ane felloun rout he layde on his rig-bone.

Conscience to Syn gave sic ane dunt,
Quhill to the erde he flaw and lay at vnder.
Ȝit Conscience his breist hurt with the dynt.
Bot Sadnes hes put this tua in sunder.
Folie and Vyce in to thair wit thay wounder,
Quhow sic ane maister man so sone suld rys,
In mid the clois, on luikand neir fyve hunder,
The kingis folk to ding and to suppryse.

158

Thai war adred and sone hes tane the flicht,
Syn in ane hirne to hyd sone can þame hy.
Than Conscience come to the kingis sicht.
Out at ane dore ran Falset and Inuy,
Gredie Desyr and gamsome Glutony,
Vant and Vanegloir, with new grene Appetyte.
For Conscience luikit sa fellonlie,
Thay ran away out of his presence quyte.

“God blis the, lord,” thus Conscience can say.
“This quhyle bygane thow has bene all to glaid.”
“Ȝa, Consience, and ȝit fayne wald I play,
Bot now my hart waxis wounder sad.”
“Thai haue bene wickit counsalouris thow had,
Wist thow the suth, as thow sall eftir heir;
For, wit thow weill, þair buirding wes bad.
The rute is bitter, scharp as ony breir.

Thy tresour haue thay falsle fra the tane,
Thir wickit folk thow wenit had bene trew,
And stowin away fra the, ane and ane;
For think, thay never cum the for to glew.
Quhair is thy garment grene and gudlie hew?
And thy fresche face þat Ȝouthheid to the maid?
Thow bird think schame and of thy riot rew,
Saw þow thy self in to thy colour sad.

Now mervale nocht, suppois I with the chyde,
For, wit þow weill, my hart is wounder wa.
Ane vther day, quhen thow may na thing hyde,
I man accuse the as thy propir fa;
Off thy vane werk first witnes thow me ta,
Quhen all thy iolitie beis iustifeit.
It grevis me þat thow suld graceles ga,
To waist thy weilfair and thy welth so wyde.”

159

As Conscience wes chydand thus on hicht,
Reassoun and Wit richt at the ȝet thay rang;
With rappis lowd, for it drew neir the nicht,
Bad lat thame in, for thai had standing lang.
Said Conscience, “In gude fayth, this is wrang.
Gif me the key, I sall be portar now.”
So come thai in; ilkane throw-vþer thrang.
Syn, with ane wisk almost, I wait nocht how,

Ressoun ran on quhair at Discretioun lay,
In to ane nuke quhair na man culd him find,
And with his kniyf he schure the flesche away
That bred vpone his ene and maid him blind.
Syn gaif he him the thuide ewin behind.
“Now may þow se. Get vp, no langar ly,
And scouner nocht to ryd in rane and wynd.
Quhair euir I be, se þat thow be neir by.”

The king begouth to speik vpone this wyse:
“Fayr Conscience, ȝe ar to crabbit now,
Ȝour souerane and ȝour lord for to suppryse.
Thair is no man of gude will ȝow allow.
Quhat haue I done, þat thus hes crabbit ȝow?
I followit counsale alway for the best,
And gif thai war vntrew, I dar avow,
Natur did mis, sic folk apone me cast.

Nature me bred, ane beist in to my nest,
And gaif to me Ȝouthheid, first seruitour,
That I no fut micht find, be eist nor west,
Bot euir in warde, in tutourschip and cure.
And Wantownnes, quha wes to me more sure?
Sic Nature to me brocht and first devysit,
Me for to keip fra all misaventure.
Quhat blame serve I, thus way to be supprysit?

160

Ȝe did greit mis, fayr Conscience, be ȝour leif,
Gif þat ȝe war of kyn and blude to me,
That sleuthfullie suld lat ȝour tyme oursleif,
And cum this lait. How suld ȝe ask ȝour fee?
The steid is stollin. Steik the dure! Lat se,
Quhat may avale. God wait, the stall is tume.
And gif ȝe be ane counsalour sle,
Quhy suld ȝe sleuthfullie ȝour tyme forsume?

Off my harme and drerie indigence,
Gif þair be ocht amys, me think, parde,
That ȝe ar caus verray of my offence,
And suld sustene þe bettir part for me.
Mak answer now. Quhat can ȝe say? Lat se.
Ȝour self excuse and mak ȝow foule or clene.
Ressoun, cum heir. Ȝe sall our iuge be,
And in this caus gif sentence ws betwene.”

“Schir, be ȝour leif, in to my propir caus
Suppois I speik, ȝe suld nocht be displesit,”
Said Conscience. “This is ane villaneis caus,
Gif I suld be the caus ȝe ar disesit.
Na, Ȝoung Counsale in ȝow sa lang wes seasit,
That hes ȝour tressour and ȝour gude distroyit.
Richt fayne wald I with mirrour it war mesit,
For of ȝour harme, God wait gif I be noyit.

Ȝe put grit wyt þat I so lang abaid,
Gif þat I culd with counsale ȝow avale.
Schir, traist weill ane verrie caus I had,
Or ellis war no ressoun in my taile.
My terme wes set by ordour naturall;
To quhat work, alway I most obey.
No dar I nocht be noway mak travale,
Bot quhair I se my maister get a swy.

161

For stand he on his feit and stakkir nocht,
Thir hundreth ȝeir sall cum in to his hald;
Bot nevirtheles, schir, all thing ȝe haue wrocht,
With help of Wisdome and his willis wald,
I sall reforme ȝow it blythlie, be ȝe bald,
And Ȝouthheid sall haue wit of ȝour misdeid.
Thairfoir requyr ȝe Ressoun monyfald
That he his rollis raithlie to ȝow reid.”

Ressoun rais vp and on his rollis he brocht.
“Gif I sall say, the sentence sall be plane:
Do never the thing þat ever may scayth the ocht.
Keip mesour and treuth for þairin lyis na trayne.
Discretioun suld ay with king Hart remane;
Thir vthir ȝoung folk seruandis ar bot fulis.
Experience mais knawlege new agane,
And barnis ȝoung suld lerne at auld mennis sculis.

Quha gustis sweit and feld nevir of the sowre,
Quhat can he say? How may he seasoun iuge?
Quha sittis hate and feld nevir cauld ane hour,
Quhat wedder is þairout, vnder the luge,
How suld he wit? That war ane mervale huge!
To by richt blew þat nevir ane hew had sein,
And servand be þat nevir had sein ane fuge,
Suppois it ryme, it accordis nocht all clene.

To wis the richt and to disvse the wrang:
That is my scule to all þat list to leyr.
Bot, Wisdome, gif ȝe suld duell vs amang,
Me think ȝe duell our lang. Put doun ȝour speir.
Ȝe micht weill mak ane end of all this weir,
Wald ȝe furthschaw ȝour wourthy document.
For is þair none þat can forbeyr
The work of vice withoutin ȝour assent.”

162

Wit said, “Schir king, be war or ȝe be way,
For Foirsicht hes full lang bein flemit,
Vnto knaw thy freynd for-be thy fa.
Gif thow will haue thy cuntre all weill ȝemit,
And be thow weill to hald the so it semit
[OMITTED]
Eftir thy deith thy deidis mon be demit,
Be thy desert, outher to baill or blis.”

Honour he raid the castell round about,
Vpon ane steid þat wes als quhyt as milk.
“Is Eis thairin?” cryit he, with ane schout.
Dame Plesance spak; hir face hid with ane silk.
“He is ane gouernour of ouris, þat ilk.”
Wit said, “Cum in, full welcum to thir wanis!”
“I compt nocht all ȝour werkis wirth ane wilk.
Ȝe sall nocht herbrie me and Eis at anis.”

Wirschip of Weir come on the tother syde,
Vpon ane steid rampand, wes reid as blude.
He cryit on Strenth, “Cum out, man, be my gyde!
I can nocht ryde out our this water woude.”
Dame Plesance harde, and on hir wayis scho ȝuid
Richt to the king, and bad him Strenth arreist.
“I wald nocht, schir, for mekle warldlie gude,
Want Strenth ane hour quhen euir we go to feist.

In all disport he may ws gritlie vaill.
Gif him na leif, bot hald him quhill ȝe may.”
The king full weill had harde dame Plesance' taill,
And Strenth he hes arreistit be the way.
“Abyde,” he said, “we sall ane vther day
Seik Wirschip at our will and ws avance.
I dreid me sair, schir Strenth, of þat delay,
For armes hes both happie tyme and chance.”

163

Strenth said, “Now I am grene and in my flouris,
Fayne wald I follow Wirschip, and I micht,
For gif I byde, in fayth, the falt is ȝouris.
I man obey to ȝow, sen þat is richt.
Now se I weill dame Plesance hes grit slicht,
And fy on Eis, þat haldis Honour out.
He is the man, micht bring ws all to hicht.
Lo, quhair he rydis bakwart with his route!”

With this Bewtie come in the kingis sicht.
Full reverendlie scho knelit in his presence.
“Dame Plesance sayis, schir, þat ȝe do vnricht,
Durst I it say vnto ȝour hie reuerence.
Ȝe haue displesit hir hie magnificence,
That suld lat Conscience in hir castell cum.
He is hir fo and dois hir grit offence,
And ofttymes can hir seruitouris ouercome.”

Thairwith the king vpstart and turnit abak
On Conscience and all his court in feir,
And to the quene the richt way can he tak;
Full suddanlie in armis hint the cleir.
Scho wryit about; to kys scho wes full sweir.
Than he agane full fayrlie to hir spak:
“No, be no wraith with me, my lady deir,
For as I may I sall ȝow mirrie mak.

Thocht Conscience and Wisdome me to keip
Be cunning both, I sall thame weill begyle.
For trewlie, quhen thai ar gone to sleip,
I salbe heir within ane bony quhyle.
My solace sall I sleylies thus our-syle.
Richt sall nocht rest me alway with his rewle.
Thocht I be quhylum bowsum as ane waile,
I salbe cruikit quhill I mak rewle.”

164

Dame Plesance said, “My freyndis now ar flede,
The lusty folk þat ȝe furth with ȝow brocht.
Methink thir carlis ar nocht courtlie clede.
Quhat ioy haue I of þame? I compt thame nocht.
Ȝouthheid and fresche Delyte, micht thai be brocht,
For with thair seruice I am richt weill kend.
Fayne wald I that ȝe send men and þame socht,
All thocht it war vnto the warldis ende.”

The quene wourde wrayth; the king wes sore addrede,
For hir disdane he culd nocht gudlie beir.
Thai sowpit sone and syn thai bownit to bede.
Sadnes come in and rownit in his eir.
Dame Plesance hes perceauit hir new feyr,
And airlie, affoir the sone, scho gan to ryse
Out of the bed, and turst vp all hir geir.
The king wes sound on sleip and still he lyis.

Hors and harnes hint scho hes in haist.
With all hir folk scho can hir wayis fayr.
Be this it wes full neir myd day almaist.
Than come Diseis, in rydand with ane rair,
“The quene is went, allace, I wait nocht quhair!”
The king began to walk, and harde the beir.
Than Ielosie come strekand vp the stair
To serve the king, and drew him wounder neir.

Ressoun come: “Schir king, I reid ȝe ryse.
Thair is ane grit pairt of this fayr day run.
The sone was at the hicht, and dounwarde hyis.
Quhair is the thesaure now þat ȝe haue woun?
This drink wes sweit, ȝe fand in Venus' tun:
Sone eftir this it salbe staill and soure.
Thairfoir of it I reid no moir ȝe cun.
Lat it ly still and pleis ȝour paramour.”

165

Than Wisdome sayis, “Schape for sum governance,
Sen fayr dame Plesance on hir wayis ar went.
In ȝour last dayis ȝe may ȝour self avance.
Gif þat ȝe wourde of thesaure indigent,
Go to ȝour place and ȝow þairin present.
The castell ȝet is strang aneuche to hald.”
Than Sadnes said, “Schir king, ȝe man assent.
Quhat haue ȝe now ado in this waist fald?”

The king hes harde thair counsale at the last,
And halelie assentit to thair saw.
“Mak reddie sone,” he sayis, “and speid ȝow fast.”
Full suddanlie thai can the clarioun blaw.
On hors thai lap and raid on, all on raw,
To his awin castell, thairin he wes brede.
Langour, the watche, attour the kirnale flaw,
And Hevines to the grit dungeoun flede.

He cryit, “Schir king, welcome to thy awin place!
I haue it keipit trewlie, sen thow past.
Bot I haue meikill mervale of thy face,
That changeit is lyk ane winter blast.”
“Ȝe, Havines,” þe king said at the last,
“Now haue I this with fer mo harmes hint,
Quhilk grevis me quhen I my comptis kast,
How I fresche Ȝouthheid and his fallowis tynt.”

Strenth wes as than fast fadit of his flouris,
Bot still ȝit with the king he can abyde,
Quhill at the last in the hochis he cowris;
Than prevelie out at the ȝet can slyde.
He stall away and went on wayis wyde,
And socht quhair Ȝouthheid and his feiris wound.
Full suddanlie, suppois he had na gyde,
Behind ane hill he hes his feiris funde.

166

Swa on ane day þe dayis watchis tua
Come and said thai saw ane felloun mist.
“Ȝa,” said Wisdome, “I wist it wald be wa.
That is ane sing befoir ane hevie trist.
That is parell to cum, quha it wist,
For on sum syd þair sall ws folk assaill.”
The king sat still. To travaill he nocht list,
And herknit Syn ane quhyle to wit his taill.

Desyre wes dalie at the chalmer dure,
And Ielousie wes never of his presence.
Ire kepit ay the ȝet with meikle cure,
And Wretchitnes wes hyde in to the spence.
Sic folk as thir he had to mak defence,
With all thair familie fullie hundrethis fyve.
Schir Eis he was the gritest of reuerence,
Best lovit with the king of leid on lyve.

To the ȝet come rydand on ane day
Wirschip of Weir, quhilk sawis honouris hie.
“Go to the king,” with sture voce can he say.
“Speir gif ony office he hes for me,
For and him list I will him serve for fee.”
Wysdome come to the wall, cryand our agane,
“Man, seik thy fortoun with Aduersitie!
It is nocht heir sic thing as the suld gane.

Strenth is away outstolling lyk ane theif,
Quhilk keipit ay the thesaure of estait.
Thair is na man suld cheris the sa leif.
Thir vther folk of Wirschip ar full blait.”
Wirschip of Weir agane with Wisdome flate:
“Quhy wald ȝe nocht me se quhen Strenth ȝe hade?”
Thairwith come Eis, sad, “I sit warme and hait,
Quhen þai þairout salbe with stouris stade.”

167

Wirschip sayis, “Ware, I wait, ȝe haue at hand,
Quhilk sall assailȝe ȝour wallis hie and strong.”
Than Wisdome said, “Dame Plesance, sweit sembland,
In ȝouthheid wald nocht thole ws wirschip fang.”
“Adew, fayrweill!” Wirschip sayis, “now I gang
To seik my craft vnto the warldis ende.”
Wisdome sayis, “Tak ȝow diseis amang,
And wait on me als quhylum quhair ȝe wend.

For do ȝe nocht, ȝe may nocht weill escheif.”
“Quhat is ȝour name?” “Wisdome, forsuyth, I hecht.”
“All wrang, God wait, ofttymes, schir, be ȝour leif,
Myn aventure will schape out of ȝour sicht.
Bot nevirtheles may fall þat ȝe haue richt.
Rent haue I none outtak fortune and chance,
That man I ay persew, both day and nicht.
Eis I defy, so hingis in his ballance.”

Richt as thir two ware talkand in feir,
Ane hiddous ost thai saw come our the mvre.
Decrepitus—his baner schane nocht cleir—
Was at the hand, with mony chiftanis sture.
A crudge bak þat cairfull cative bure,
And cruikit was his lathlie lymmis bayth;
But smirk or smyle, bot rather for to smvre;
But scoup or skift, his craft is all to scayth.

Within ane quhyle the castell all about
He seigit fast with mony sow and gyne,
And thai within gaif mony hiddowus schout,
For þai war wonder wa king Hart to tyne.
The grundin ganȝeis and grit gunnis syne
Thai schut without, within thai stonis cast.
King Hart sayis, “Had the hous, for it is myne.
Gif it nocht our, als lang as we may lest.”

168

Thus thai within had maid full grete defence,
Ay quhill thai micht þe wallis haue ȝemit,
Quhill at the last thai wantit þame dispence,
Ewill purvayit folk for weir, and sa weill stemit.
Thair tunnis and thair tubbis war all temit,
And failȝet was the flesche þat wes þair fude,
And at the last Wisdome the best hes demit
[OMITTED]

“And he be tynt, in parell put we all.
Thairfoir had wait, and lat him nocht away.”
Be this thai harde þe meikle fore-tour fall,
Quhilk maid þame in the dungeon to effray.
Than rais þair meikle dirdum and deray.
The barmekin birst, thai enterit in at large.
Heidwerk, Hoist and Parlasy maid grit pay,
And Murmouris mo with mony speir and targe.

Quhen þat thay saw na bute wes to defend,
Than in thay leit Decripitus full tyte.
He socht king Hart, for he full weill him kend,
And with ane swerde he can him smertlie smyte
His bak in twa, richt pertlie, for dispyte,
And with the brand brak he both his schinnis.
He gaif ane cry, than Comfort fled out quyte;
And thus this bailfull bargane he begynnis.

Ressoun forfochtin wes and ewill drest,
And Wisdome wes ay wanderand to the dure.
Conscience lay doun ane quhyle to rest,
Becaus he saw the king wourd waik and pure;
For so in dule he micht no langar dure.
“Go, send for Deid!” thus said he verament,
“Ȝit, for I will dispone of my thesaure,
Vpon this wyse mak I my testament:

169

To fayr dame Plesance, ay quhen sche list ryde,
My prowde palfray, Vnsteidfastnes, I leif,
With Fikkilnes, hir sadill set on syde.
Thus aucht þair none of reassoun hir to reve.
To fresche Bewtie, becaus I culd hir heve,
Grein Appetyte hir servand for to be,
To crak and cry alway quhill he hir deve,
That I command him straitlie, quhill he de.

Grein Lust, I leif to the, at my last ende,
Of Fantisie ane fostell fillit fow.
Ȝouthheid, becaus þat thow my barneheid kend,
To Wantounnes ay will I þat thow bow.
To Gluttony, þat oft maid me our fow,
This meikle wambe, this rottin levir als,
Se þat ȝe beir, and þat command I ȝow,
And smertlie hing both abone his hals.

To Rere Supper, be he amang þat route,
Ȝe me commend—he is ane fallow fyne.
This rottin stomak, þat I beir aboute,
Ȝe rug it out and reik it to him syne,
For he hes hinderit me of mony dyne,
And mony tyme the mes hes gart me sleip.
Myn wittis hes he waistit oft with wyne,
And maid my stomak with hait lustis leip.

Deliuerance hes oft tymes done me gude,
Quhen I wes ȝoung and stede in tendir age.
He gart me ryn full rakles, be the rude,
At ball and boull. Thairfoir greit weill þat paige.
This brokin schyn, þat swellis and will nocht swage,
Ȝe beir to him—he brak it at the ball—
And say to him þat it salbe his wage.
This breissit arme ȝe beir to him at all.

170

To Chaistite, þat selie innocent,
Heir leif I now my Conscience, for to scour
Off all the wickit roust þat throw it went,
Quhen scho for me the teiris doun culd powre,
That fayr, sweit thing, bening in everie bour,
That never wist of vyce nor violence,
Bot euirmore is mareit with Mesour,
And clene of Lustis curst experience.

To Fredome sall ȝe found and fairlie beir
This threidbair cloik, sumtyme wes thik of wow,
And bid for my saik that he it weir,
Quhen he hes spendit of þat he hes now.
Ay, quhen his purs of penneis is nocht fow,
Quhair is his fredome than? Full far to seik!
A, ȝon is he, wes quhylum till allow.
Quhat is he now? No fallow wourth ane leik!

To Waist-gude luk, and beir Neid, þat I lefe.
To Covatice syn gif this bleis of fyre.
To Vant and Voky ȝe beir this rowm slef.
Bid þame þairin þat thai tak þair hyre.
To Bissines, þat nevir wes wont to tyre,
Beir him this stule and bid him now sit doun,
For he hes left his maister in the myre,
And wald nocht draw him out thocht he suld droun.

Fule-hardines, beir him this brokin brow,
And bid him bawldlie bind it with ane clout;
For he hes gottin morsellis on the mow,
And brocht his maister oft in meikle dout.
Syn sall ȝe eftir faire dame Dangeir schout,
And say, becaus scho had me ay at feid,
This brokin speir, sum tyme wes stiff and stout,
To hir I leif, bot se it want the heid.”

Finis