The Works of Sir David Lindsay of the Mount ... Edited by Douglas Hamer |
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ANE EXCLAMATIOUN TO THE REDAR, TWYCHEYNG THE WRYTTYNG OF UULGARE AND MATERNALL LANGUAGE. |
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 | The Works of Sir David Lindsay of the Mount |  |
215
ANE EXCLAMATIOUN TO THE REDAR, TWYCHEYNG THE WRYTTYNG OF UULGARE AND MATERNALL LANGUAGE.
Gentyl Redar, haif at me non dispyte,
Thynkand that I presumptuously pretend,
In vulgair toung, so heych mater to writ;
Bot quhair I mys I pray the till amend.
Tyll vnlernit I wald the cause wer kend
Off our most miserabyll trauell and torment,
And quhow, in erth, no place bene parmanent.
Thynkand that I presumptuously pretend,
In vulgair toung, so heych mater to writ;
Bot quhair I mys I pray the till amend.
Tyll vnlernit I wald the cause wer kend
Off our most miserabyll trauell and torment,
And quhow, in erth, no place bene parmanent.
Quhowbeit that diuers deuote cunnyng Clerkis
In Latyne toung hes wryttin syndrie bukis,
Our vnlernit knawis lytill of thare werkis,
More than thay do the rauyng of the Rukis.
Quharefore to Colȝearis, Cairtaris, & to Cukis,
To Iok and Thome, my Ryme sall be diractit,
With cunnyng men quhowbeit it wylbe lactit.
In Latyne toung hes wryttin syndrie bukis,
Our vnlernit knawis lytill of thare werkis,
More than thay do the rauyng of the Rukis.
Quharefore to Colȝearis, Cairtaris, & to Cukis,
To Iok and Thome, my Ryme sall be diractit,
With cunnyng men quhowbeit it wylbe lactit.
Thocht euery Commoun may nocht be one Clerk,
Nor hes no Leid except thare toung maternall,
Quhy suld of god the maruellous heuinly werk
Be hid frome thame? I thynk it nocht fraternall.
The father of heuin, quhilk wes & is Eternall,
To Moyses gaif the Law, on mont Senay,
Nocht in to Greik nor Latyne, I heir say.
Nor hes no Leid except thare toung maternall,
Quhy suld of god the maruellous heuinly werk
Be hid frome thame? I thynk it nocht fraternall.
The father of heuin, quhilk wes & is Eternall,
To Moyses gaif the Law, on mont Senay,
Nocht in to Greik nor Latyne, I heir say.
He wrait the Law, in Tablis hard of stone,
In thare awin vulgare language of Hebrew,
That all the bairnis of Israell, euery one,
Mycht knaw the law, and so the sam ensew.
Had he done wryt in Latyne or in Grew,
It had to thame bene bot ane sawrles Iest:
Ȝe may weill wytt God wrocht all for the best.
In thare awin vulgare language of Hebrew,
That all the bairnis of Israell, euery one,
Mycht knaw the law, and so the sam ensew.
216
It had to thame bene bot ane sawrles Iest:
Ȝe may weill wytt God wrocht all for the best.
Arristotyll nor Plato, I heir sane,
Wrait nocht thare hie Philosophie naturall
In Duche, nor Dence, nor toung Italiane,
Bot in thare most ornate toung maternall,
Quhose fame and name doith ryng perpetuall.
Famous Uirgill, the Prince of Poetrie,
Nor Cicero, the flour of Oratrie,
Wrait nocht thare hie Philosophie naturall
In Duche, nor Dence, nor toung Italiane,
Bot in thare most ornate toung maternall,
Quhose fame and name doith ryng perpetuall.
Famous Uirgill, the Prince of Poetrie,
Nor Cicero, the flour of Oratrie,
Wrait nocht in Caldye language, nor in Grew,
Nor ȝit in to the language Saraȝene,
Nor in the naturall language of Hebrew,
Bot in the Romane toung, as may be sene,
Quhilk wes thair proper language, as I wene.
Quhen Romanis rang Dominatoris in deid,
The Ornat Latyne wes thare propir leid.
Nor ȝit in to the language Saraȝene,
Nor in the naturall language of Hebrew,
Bot in the Romane toung, as may be sene,
Quhilk wes thair proper language, as I wene.
Quhen Romanis rang Dominatoris in deid,
The Ornat Latyne wes thare propir leid.
In the mene tyme, quhen that thir bauld Romance
Ouer all the warld had the Dominioun,
Maid Latyne Scolis, thare glore for tyll auance,
That thare language mycht be ouer all commoun,
To that intent, be my Opinioun,
Traistyng that thare Impyre sulde ay Indure:
Bot of fortune alway thay wer nocht sure.
Ouer all the warld had the Dominioun,
Maid Latyne Scolis, thare glore for tyll auance,
That thare language mycht be ouer all commoun,
To that intent, be my Opinioun,
Traistyng that thare Impyre sulde ay Indure:
Bot of fortune alway thay wer nocht sure.
Off Languagis the first Diuersytie
Wes maid be Goddis Maledictioun.
Quhen Babilone wes beildit in calde,
Those beildaris gat none vther afflictioun:
Affore the tyme of that punyssioun
Wes bot one toung, quhilk Adam spak hym self,
Quhare now of toungis thare bene thre score and twelf.
Wes maid be Goddis Maledictioun.
Quhen Babilone wes beildit in calde,
Those beildaris gat none vther afflictioun:
Affore the tyme of that punyssioun
Wes bot one toung, quhilk Adam spak hym self,
Quhare now of toungis thare bene thre score and twelf.
Nochtwithstandyng, I thynk it gret plesour,
Quhare cunnyng men hes languagis anew,
That, in thare ȝouth, be deligent laubour,
Hes leirnit Latyne, Greik, and ald Hebrew.
That I am nocht of that sorte sore I rew:
Quharefore I wald all bukis necessare
For our faith wer in tyll our toung vulgare.
Quhare cunnyng men hes languagis anew,
217
Hes leirnit Latyne, Greik, and ald Hebrew.
That I am nocht of that sorte sore I rew:
Quharefore I wald all bukis necessare
For our faith wer in tyll our toung vulgare.
Christ, efter his glorious Ascentioun,
Tyll his Disciplis send the holy Spreit
In toungis of fyre, to that intentioun,
Thay, beand of all languagis repleit,
Throuch all the warld, with wordis fair and sweit,
Tyll euery man the faith thay suld furth schaw
In thare awin leid, delyuerand thame the Law.
Tyll his Disciplis send the holy Spreit
In toungis of fyre, to that intentioun,
Thay, beand of all languagis repleit,
Throuch all the warld, with wordis fair and sweit,
Tyll euery man the faith thay suld furth schaw
In thare awin leid, delyuerand thame the Law.
Tharefore I thynk one gret dirisioun
To heir thir Nunnis & Systeris nycht and day
Syngand and sayand psalmes and orisoun,
Nocht vnderstandyng quhat thay syng nor say,
Bot lyke one stirlyng or ane Papingay,
Quhilk leirnit ar to speik be lang vsage:
Thame I compair to byrdis in ane cage.
To heir thir Nunnis & Systeris nycht and day
Syngand and sayand psalmes and orisoun,
Nocht vnderstandyng quhat thay syng nor say,
Bot lyke one stirlyng or ane Papingay,
Quhilk leirnit ar to speik be lang vsage:
Thame I compair to byrdis in ane cage.
Rycht so Childreyng, and Ladyis of honouris,
Prayis in Latyne, to thame ane vncuth leid,
Mumland thair matynis, euinsang, & thare houris,
Thare Pater Noster, Aue, and thare Creid.
It wer als plesand to thare spreit, in deid,
God haue mercy on me, for to say thus,
As to say Miserere Mei, Deus.
Prayis in Latyne, to thame ane vncuth leid,
Mumland thair matynis, euinsang, & thare houris,
Thare Pater Noster, Aue, and thare Creid.
It wer als plesand to thare spreit, in deid,
God haue mercy on me, for to say thus,
As to say Miserere Mei, Deus.
Sanct Ierome in his propir toung Romane
The Law of God he trewlie did translait,
Out of Hebrew and Greik, in Latyne plane,
Quhilk has bene hid frome ws lang tyme, god wait,
Onto this tyme: bot, efter myne consait,
Had Sanct Ierome bene borne in tyll Argyle,
In to Yrische toung his bukis had done compyle.
The Law of God he trewlie did translait,
Out of Hebrew and Greik, in Latyne plane,
Quhilk has bene hid frome ws lang tyme, god wait,
Onto this tyme: bot, efter myne consait,
Had Sanct Ierome bene borne in tyll Argyle,
In to Yrische toung his bukis had done compyle.
218
Prudent sanct Paull doith mak narratioun
Twycheyng the diuers leid of euery land,
Sayand thare bene more edificatioun
In fyue wordis that folk doith vnderstand,
Nor to pronunce of wordis ten thousand
In strange langage, sine wait not quhat it menis:
I thynk sic pattryng is not worth twa prenis.
Twycheyng the diuers leid of euery land,
Sayand thare bene more edificatioun
In fyue wordis that folk doith vnderstand,
Nor to pronunce of wordis ten thousand
In strange langage, sine wait not quhat it menis:
I thynk sic pattryng is not worth twa prenis.
Unlernit peple, on the holy day,
Solemnitlye thay heir the Euangell soung,
Nocht knawyng quhat the preist dois sing nor say,
Bot as ane Bell quhen that thay heir it roung.
Ȝit, wald the Preistis in to thare mother toung
Pas to the Pulpitt, and that doctryne declare
Tyll lawid pepyll, it wer more necessare.
Solemnitlye thay heir the Euangell soung,
Nocht knawyng quhat the preist dois sing nor say,
Bot as ane Bell quhen that thay heir it roung.
Ȝit, wald the Preistis in to thare mother toung
Pas to the Pulpitt, and that doctryne declare
Tyll lawid pepyll, it wer more necessare.
I wald Prelattis and Doctouris of the Law
With ws lawid peple wer nocht discontent,
Thocht we in to our vulgare toung did knaw
Off Christ Iesu the lyfe and Testament,
And quhow that we sulde keip commandiment.
Bot in our language lat ws pray and reid
Our Pater Noster, Aue, and our Creid.
With ws lawid peple wer nocht discontent,
Thocht we in to our vulgare toung did knaw
Off Christ Iesu the lyfe and Testament,
And quhow that we sulde keip commandiment.
Bot in our language lat ws pray and reid
Our Pater Noster, Aue, and our Creid.
I wald sum Prince of gret Discretioun
In vulgare language planelye gart translait
The neidfull lawis of this Regioun:
Than wald thare nocht be half so gret debait
Amang ws peple of the law estait.
Geue euery man the veryte did knaw,
We nedit nocht to treit thir men of law.
In vulgare language planelye gart translait
The neidfull lawis of this Regioun:
Than wald thare nocht be half so gret debait
Amang ws peple of the law estait.
Geue euery man the veryte did knaw,
We nedit nocht to treit thir men of law.
Tyll do our nychtbour wrang we wald be war,
Gyf we did feir the lawis punysment.
Thare wald nocht be sic brawlyng at the bar,
Nor men of law loup to sic royall rent.
To keip the law gyf all men war content,
And ilk man do as he wald be done to,
The Iugis wald get lytill thyng ado.
Gyf we did feir the lawis punysment.
Thare wald nocht be sic brawlyng at the bar,
Nor men of law loup to sic royall rent.
To keip the law gyf all men war content,
And ilk man do as he wald be done to,
The Iugis wald get lytill thyng ado.
219
The Propheit Dauid, Kyng of Israell,
Compyld the plesand Psalmes of the Psaltair
In his awin propir toung, as I heir tell.
And Salamone, quhilk wes his sone and air,
Did mak his buke in tyll his toung vulgare.
Quhy suld nocht thare sayng be tyll ws schawin
In our language? I wald the cause wer knawin.
Compyld the plesand Psalmes of the Psaltair
In his awin propir toung, as I heir tell.
And Salamone, quhilk wes his sone and air,
Did mak his buke in tyll his toung vulgare.
Quhy suld nocht thare sayng be tyll ws schawin
In our language? I wald the cause wer knawin.
Lat Doctoris wrytt thare curious questionis,
And argumentis sawin full of Sophistrye,
Thare Logick, and thare heych Opinionis,
Thare dirk Iugementis of Astronomye,
Thare Medecyne, and thare Philosophye;
Latt Poetis schaw thare glorious Ingyne,
As euer thay pleis, in Greik or in Latyne;
And argumentis sawin full of Sophistrye,
Thare Logick, and thare heych Opinionis,
Thare dirk Iugementis of Astronomye,
Thare Medecyne, and thare Philosophye;
Latt Poetis schaw thare glorious Ingyne,
As euer thay pleis, in Greik or in Latyne;
Bot lat ws haif the bukis necessare
To commoun weill, and our Saluatioun,
Iustlye translatit in our toung Uulgare.
And als I mak the Supplicatioun,
O gentyll Redar, haif none Indignatioun,
Thynkand I mell me with so hie matair.
Now to my purpose fordwart wyll I fair.
To commoun weill, and our Saluatioun,
Iustlye translatit in our toung Uulgare.
And als I mak the Supplicatioun,
O gentyll Redar, haif none Indignatioun,
Thynkand I mell me with so hie matair.
Now to my purpose fordwart wyll I fair.
FINIS.
| The Works of Sir David Lindsay of the Mount | |