The poems and fables of Robert Henryson ... Edited from the earliest manuscripts and printed texts by H. Harvey Wood |
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The Want of Wyse Men
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 | The poems and fables of Robert Henryson |  |
187
The Want of Wyse Men
189
1
Me ferlyis of this grete confusioun;I wald sum clerk of connyng walde declerde,
Quhat gerris this warld be turnyt up so doun.
Thare is na faithfull fastnes founde in erd;
Now ar noucht thre may traistly trow the ferde;
Welth is away, and wit is worthin wrynkis;
Now sele is sorow this is a wofull werde,
Sen want of wyse men makis fulis to sit on binkis.
2
That tyme quhen levit the king Saturnus,For gudely gouvernance this warld was goldin cald;
For untreuth we wate noucht quhare to it turnis;
The tyme that Octauiane, the monarch, coud hald,
Our all was pes, wele set as hertis wald:
Than regnyt reule, & resone held his rynkis;
Now lakkis prudence, nobilitee is thralde,
Sen want of wyse men makis fulis to sitt on bynkis.
3
Arestotill for his moralitee,Austyn, or ambrose, for dyvine scripture,
Quha can placebo, & noucht half dirige,
That practik for to pike & pill the pure,
He sall cum in, and thay stand at the dure;
For warldly wyn sik walkis, quhen wysar wynkis;
Wit takis na worschip, sik is the aventure,
Sen want of wysemen makis fulis to sitt on binkis.
190
4
Now, but defense, rycht lyis all desolate,Rycht, na resone under na rufe has rest;
youth his but raddour, & age is obystynate,
Mycht but mercy, the pore ar all opprest.
Lerit folk suld tech the peple of the best,
Thouch lare be lytil, fer lesse in tham sinkis:
It may noucht be this warld ay thus suld lest,
That want of wyse men makis fulis sitt on binkis.
5
For now is exilde all ald noble corage,Lautee, lufe, and liberalitee;
Now is stabilitee fundyn in na stage,
Nor degest connsele wyth sad maturitee;
Peas is away, all in perplexitee;
Prudence and policy ar banyst our al brinkis:
This warld is ver, sa may it callit be,
That want of wisemen makis fulis sitt on bynkis.
6
Quhare is the balance of just & equitee?Nothir meryt is preisit, na punyst is trespas;
All ledis lyvis lawles at libertee,
Noucht reulit be reson, mare than ox or asse;
Gude faith is flemyt, worthin fraellar than glas;
Trew lufe is lorne, & lautee haldis no lynkis;
Sik gouvernance I call noucht worth a fasse,
Sen want of wise men makis fulis sitt on binkis.
191
7
now wrang hes warrane, and law is bot wilfulness;quha hes the war Is worthin on him all the wyte,
For trewth is tressoun, and faith is fals fekilness;
Gylle is now gyd, and vane lust is also delyte;
Kirk is contempnit, thay compt nocht cursing a myte;
Grit god is grevit, That me rycht soir forthinkis:
The causs of this ony man may sone wit,
That want of wysmen garis fulis sit on binkis.
8
Lue hes tane leif, and wirschip hes no vdir wane;with passing poverty pryd is Importable;
Vyce is bot vertew, wit is with will soir ourgane;
as lairdis so laddis, daly chengeable;
but ryme or ressone all Is bot heble hable;
Sic sturtfull stering in to godis neiss it stinkis;
Bot he haif rew, all is unremedable,
For want of, &c.
9
O lord of lordis, god & gouvernour,Makar & movar, bath of mare & lesse,
Quhais power, wisedome, & honoure,
Is infynite, salbe, & ewir wes,
As in the principall mencioun of the messe,
All thir sayd thingis reforme as thou best thinkis;
Quhilk ar degradit, for pure pitee redresse,
Sen want of wise [men] makis [fulis] sit in binkis.
Finis.
| The poems and fables of Robert Henryson | |