The Works of Sir David Lindsay of the Mount ... Edited by Douglas Hamer |
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HEIR FOLLOWITH ANE SCHORTE DISCRIPTIOUN OF THE FOUR MONARCHIS.
AND QUHOW KYNG NYNUS BEGAN THE FIRST MONARCHIE. |
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 | The Works of Sir David Lindsay of the Mount |  |
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HEIR FOLLOWITH ANE SCHORTE DISCRIPTIOUN OF THE FOUR MONARCHIS. AND QUHOW KYNG NYNUS BEGAN THE FIRST MONARCHIE.
EXPE[RIENCE].
Of Weris (said he) the gret outtrage
Began in to the secunde aige,
Be creuell, prydefull, couytous kyngis,
Reuarris, but rycht, of vtheris ryngis.
Quhowbeit Cayam, afore the flude,
Wes first schedder of saikles blude,
Nynus was first and principall man
Quhilk wrangus conquessing began,
And was the man, withouttin faill,
In erth that straik the first battell,
And first Inuentit Imagerye,
Quhare throw came gret Idolatrye.
Began in to the secunde aige,
Be creuell, prydefull, couytous kyngis,
Reuarris, but rycht, of vtheris ryngis.
Quhowbeit Cayam, afore the flude,
Wes first schedder of saikles blude,
Nynus was first and principall man
Quhilk wrangus conquessing began,
And was the man, withouttin faill,
In erth that straik the first battell,
And first Inuentit Imagerye,
Quhare throw came gret Idolatrye.
We moste knaw, or we forthair wend,
Off quhome king Nynus did discend.
Nynus, gyf I can rycht defyne,
He was frome Noye the fyft, be lyne.
Noye generit Cham; Cham generit Chus;
And Chus, Nembroth; Nembroth, Bellus;
And Bellus, Nynus, but lesing,
Off Assiria the secund king,
And beildar of thar gret Citie,
The quhilk was callit Nyniue,
And wes the first and principall man
Quhilk the first Monarchie began.
Off quhome king Nynus did discend.
Nynus, gyf I can rycht defyne,
He was frome Noye the fyft, be lyne.
Noye generit Cham; Cham generit Chus;
And Chus, Nembroth; Nembroth, Bellus;
And Bellus, Nynus, but lesing,
Off Assiria the secund king,
And beildar of thar gret Citie,
The quhilk was callit Nyniue,
And wes the first and principall man
Quhilk the first Monarchie began.
COUR[TIOUR].
Father (said I) declaire to me
Quhat signifyis one Monarchie.
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The suith (said he) sonne, gyfe thov knew,
Monarchie bene one terme of Grew:
As, quhen one Prouince principall
Had hole power Imperiall,
During thare Dominationis,
Abufe all Kyngis and Nationis,
One Monarchie that men doith call,
Off quhome I fynd four principall,
Quhilk heth rong sen the warld began.
COUR[TIOUR].
Than (said I) Father, gyf ȝe can,
Quhilk four bene thay, schaw me, I pray ȝow.
EXPE[RIENCE].
My sone, said he, that sall I say ȝow.
First, rang the kings of Asserianis;
Secundlye, rang the Persianis;
The Grekis, thridlye, with swerd and fyre
Perfors optenit the thrid Impyre;
The fourte Monarche, as I heir,
The Romanis brukit mony one ȝeir.
Latt vs first speik of Nynus king,
Quhov he began his Conquessing.
Secundlye, rang the Persianis;
The Grekis, thridlye, with swerd and fyre
Perfors optenit the thrid Impyre;
The fourte Monarche, as I heir,
The Romanis brukit mony one ȝeir.
Latt vs first speik of Nynus king,
Quhov he began his Conquessing.
The auld Greik Historitiane
Diodorus he wryttis plane,
Att rycht gret lenth, of Nynus king,
Off his Impyre and conquessing,
And of Semeramis, his wyfe,
That tyme the lustyest one lyfe.
Itt wer to lang to putt in wryte
Quhilk Diodore heth done indyte,
Bot I sall schaw, as I suppose,
Quhilk maist belangith thy purpose.
Diodorus he wryttis plane,
Att rycht gret lenth, of Nynus king,
Off his Impyre and conquessing,
And of Semeramis, his wyfe,
That tyme the lustyest one lyfe.
Itt wer to lang to putt in wryte
Quhilk Diodore heth done indyte,
Bot I sall schaw, as I suppose,
Quhilk maist belangith thy purpose.
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Quhen Nembroth, Prince of Babilone,
Oute of this wrechit warld wes gone,
And his Sonne, Bellus, deid, alswa,
The first Kyng of Asseria,
This Nynus, quhilk wes secunde kyng,
Tryumphandlie began tyll ryng,
And wes nocht satifyit nor content
Off his awin Regione nor his rent.
Thynkand his glore for tyll aduance
By his gret peple and puissance,
Throuch Pryde, Couatyce, and vaine glore,
Did him prepare to conques more,
And gadtherit furth ane gret Armie
Contrare Babilone and Caldie,
Quhareof he had ardent desyre
Tyll Iune that land tyll his Impyre,
Quhowbeit he had thareto no rycht.
Bot, by his tyrranry and mycht,
Withouttin feir of God or man,
His Conquessing thus he began.
Oute of this wrechit warld wes gone,
And his Sonne, Bellus, deid, alswa,
The first Kyng of Asseria,
This Nynus, quhilk wes secunde kyng,
Tryumphandlie began tyll ryng,
And wes nocht satifyit nor content
Off his awin Regione nor his rent.
Thynkand his glore for tyll aduance
By his gret peple and puissance,
Throuch Pryde, Couatyce, and vaine glore,
Did him prepare to conques more,
And gadtherit furth ane gret Armie
Contrare Babilone and Caldie,
Quhareof he had ardent desyre
Tyll Iune that land tyll his Impyre,
Quhowbeit he had thareto no rycht.
Bot, by his tyrranry and mycht,
Withouttin feir of God or man,
His Conquessing thus he began.
His peple beand in arraye,
To Caldia tuke the reddy waye.
Quhen that the Babilonianis,
To gidther with the Caldianis,
Hard tell Kyng Nynus wes cumand,
Maid proclamationis throuch the land,
That ilke man, efter thare degre,
Sulde cum, and saif thare awin cuntre.
Quhowbeit thay had no vse of weir,
Thay past fordwart, withouttin feir,
And pat thame selfis in gude order,
To meit kyng Nynus on the border.
In that tyme, ȝe sall vnderstande,
Thare wes no harnes in the lande,
For tyll defende nor tyll Inuaid,
Quharethrow more slauchter thare wes maid.
Thay faucht, throw strenth of thare bodeis,
With gaddis of Irne, with stonis, and treis.
To Caldia tuke the reddy waye.
Quhen that the Babilonianis,
To gidther with the Caldianis,
Hard tell Kyng Nynus wes cumand,
Maid proclamationis throuch the land,
That ilke man, efter thare degre,
Sulde cum, and saif thare awin cuntre.
Quhowbeit thay had no vse of weir,
Thay past fordwart, withouttin feir,
And pat thame selfis in gude order,
To meit kyng Nynus on the border.
In that tyme, ȝe sall vnderstande,
Thare wes no harnes in the lande,
For tyll defende nor tyll Inuaid,
Quharethrow more slauchter thare wes maid.
Thay faucht, throw strenth of thare bodeis,
With gaddis of Irne, with stonis, and treis.
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With sound of horne, and hydduous cry,
Thay ruschit to gidther rycht rudly,
With hardy hart and strenth of handis,
Tyll thousandis deid lay on the landis.
Quhare men in battell nakit bene,
Gret slauchter, sone, thare may be sene.
Thay faucht so lang and creuellie,
And with vncertane victorie,
No man mycht Iuge, that stude on far,
Quho gat the better nor the war,
Bot, quhen it did approche the nycht,
The Caldianis thay tuke the flycht.
Than the kyng and his cumpanye
Wer rycht glaid of that victorye,
Because he wan the first battell
That strykkin wes in erth, but faill,
And peceably of that Regioun
Did tak the hole Dominioun.
Than wes he king of Caldia,
Alsweill as of Asseria;
As for the king of Arrabie,
In his conquest maid hym supplie.
Thay ruschit to gidther rycht rudly,
With hardy hart and strenth of handis,
Tyll thousandis deid lay on the landis.
Quhare men in battell nakit bene,
Gret slauchter, sone, thare may be sene.
Thay faucht so lang and creuellie,
And with vncertane victorie,
No man mycht Iuge, that stude on far,
Quho gat the better nor the war,
Bot, quhen it did approche the nycht,
The Caldianis thay tuke the flycht.
Than the kyng and his cumpanye
Wer rycht glaid of that victorye,
Because he wan the first battell
That strykkin wes in erth, but faill,
And peceably of that Regioun
Did tak the hole Dominioun.
Than wes he king of Caldia,
Alsweill as of Asseria;
As for the king of Arrabie,
In his conquest maid hym supplie.
Off this ȝit wes he nocht content,
Bot to the Realme of Mede he went,
Quhare Farnus, king of that cuntre,
Did meit hym, with one gret armie.
Bot king Nynus the battell wan,
Quhare slane wer mony nobyll man,
And to that king wald gyf no grace,
Bot planelie, in one publict place,
With his sewin Sonnis and his Ladie,
Creuellie did thame Crucifie.
Off that tryumphe he did reiose;
Syne fordwart to the feilde he gose.
Than conquest he Armenia,
Perce, Egypt, and Pamphelia,
Capadoce, Leid, and Maritane,
Caspia, Phrigia, and Hyrcane,
All Affrica and Asia,
Except gret Ynde and Battria,
Quhilk he did conques efterwart
As ȝe sall heir, or we depart.
Now wald I, or we forther wend,
That his Ydolatrye wer kend:
Syne, efter that, withoute sudiorne,
Tyll our purpose we sall returne.
Bot to the Realme of Mede he went,
Quhare Farnus, king of that cuntre,
Did meit hym, with one gret armie.
Bot king Nynus the battell wan,
Quhare slane wer mony nobyll man,
And to that king wald gyf no grace,
Bot planelie, in one publict place,
With his sewin Sonnis and his Ladie,
Creuellie did thame Crucifie.
Off that tryumphe he did reiose;
Syne fordwart to the feilde he gose.
Than conquest he Armenia,
Perce, Egypt, and Pamphelia,
Capadoce, Leid, and Maritane,
Caspia, Phrigia, and Hyrcane,
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Except gret Ynde and Battria,
Quhilk he did conques efterwart
As ȝe sall heir, or we depart.
Now wald I, or we forther wend,
That his Ydolatrye wer kend:
Syne, efter that, withoute sudiorne,
Tyll our purpose we sall returne.
FINIS.
| The Works of Sir David Lindsay of the Mount | |