Poems of John Stewart of Baldyneiss From the MS. in the Advocates' Library, Edinburgh: Edited by Thomas Crockett |
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 | Poems of John Stewart of Baldyneiss |  |
5
ROLAND FURIOVS.
THE DERECTIONE TO HIS BVIK.
HVICTAIN.
fall humyllie first befoir his Royall feit,Quhois semblance sueit I hoip vill not reiect the,
And I derect the to his Prudent spreit,
Quhilk is repleit vith pouer to protect the;
Gif he correct the, Poets sall respect the,
Thocht I neglect the, And thy propos spill:
Of his guidwill Than pray him rycht erect the,
Sa nane sall gect the, that hes onnie skill.
6
THE INTRODVCTION.
No vonder thocht I stand in dout,Quho dois begin to sound and sing
My vaeik and friuole versis out
To ane Maist mychtie Prudent king.
Quho sall toyne vp my tribill string
And mak my feiblit Muse to ryis?
To holie mont Quho sall me bring,
Quhair all the sacred nymphs applyis?
Helas, no vigor in me lyis
To correspond synceir guidwill.
Quhow dar I than my dull deuyis
Present befoir his Prencelie skill?
Quhair vyise Minerua stabill still
Dois serwe, Sall I ane ragment send?
To Quhom obeyis the forkit hill
My pithles speitche sall I pretend?
To him on Quhom the Gods dois spend
All grace, Quhat gift sall I prouyd?
And Quhom this yle from end till end
Expects for Cheif and Natiwe gyd,
Befoir Quhois face all fois sall slyd
Of the Grayt Rychtius God of all,
Quho to the ground sall doune deuyd
Of Rome the strong redouttit vall,
Quhom all the Vorld sall Monarck call,
Quhow sall I clip his Person heir?
My sempill sycht is dim and small
7
I laik sutche pretius vordis deir
As vith My PATRON may compair,
My lispan leid may not vpsteir
Vork vordie for his visdom Rair.
ȝit his maist peirles pen preclair
May best my propos mak perfit,
And of his Pitie pardone spair,
So to his grace I turne my dyt.
8
THE DEDICATION.
MAIST Mychtie Monarck that in erth dois Ring,And to my verse the cheif support expres,
My souueran lord, My Maister, and my King,
Renounit gloir of all this vorld, I dres
Vnto ȝour grace, the cunnyngles succes
Of this my dyt, But eloquence repleit,
And far vnvorthie, Iustlie I confes,
To be presentit to ȝour pregnant spreit;
The Quhilk so full of Helicon dois fleit
In euerie precept pithie and perfyt,
That I dar skairs presum my pen to weit
In sounding out my toynles dull Indyt:
ȝit as the lyon beiris na dispyt
At sempill beists their gesteur for to sie,
Lykuayis, perhaps, ȝour hienes vill delyt
To reid my rym, And syn appordon me.
I not presum to tuitche the Laurell trie,
Nor till ascend the hautie hich degreis
Of VRANIE: My harping may not hie
Lyk Brycht Appollos vith his schyning eis.
No, no, not sa I kneill vpon my kneis,
Doune falling flat befoir his Regale face;
I may not flychter Quhair the PHENIX fleis,
Bot happie var I all my lyfis space
Vith sum conceit for to content ȝour grace.
Vill dois presum to clym Pernassos bank,
Bot Pouer may not occupie the place,
9
And dytters douce deseruith now sic thank
Be curius caruing of thair cunnyng verse,
That for to do I dout, quho neuir drank
In fontan fair quhill PEGASVS did perse.
Bot ȝelus thocht constrains me ȝit to scherse
Sum sempill subiect for my bass Ingyn,
To sport ȝour hienes vith my ruid reherse,
In hoip of pardon thocht sum stots I tyn.
Gif better var, I better suld propyn
Vith better vill Nor now; ȝour grace may knaw
I laik Appelles perfyt pensile fyn
At my desyre this dyt derect to draw:
I schame the sequele so subuert to schaw,
Var not I treist assuirritlie to find
ȝour Royall breath vith fauor for to blaw
Till help my vingles valtring In the vind.
Thocht Momus than vith greif agains me grind,
His tanting toyes sall do my style no tort,
I feir ne storm, gif ȝe the ancker bind,
Bot suir sall saeill to the preparit port.
In hoip heirof to propos I resort,
And in this hoip I sall my harp vpbend,
Vith hoiping hart ȝour maiestie to sport.
Gif to my hoip the Gods sic hap me send,
My hap and hoip sall purches bothe commend
In happie penning of this sequent cace,
Quhilk I beseik ȝour celcitude defend
Be douce distelling of sum drop of Grace;
Than sall It pertlie occupie the place,
Thocht it be framd vith my vnferdie fyle;
Ane onlie vew, Sir, of ȝour Gratius face
Sall all ourgilt the mateir I compyle.
10
SONNET.
Sene vyce oft tyms dois breid be ydle thocht,And I my self Imployd vith litle thing,
Sum myrrie sempill subiect haif I socht
for occupation Instantlie to sing
Vnto ȝour grace, Quhois courtassie bening
So vill accept, I hoip, this meteir myn
Amongs the grawe effeirris of Ane king
As vattir vaeik to mix ȝour mychtie vyn:
Vey not the versis of my dull Ingyn,
Bot schers the center of my secret thocht,
And vith the sueitnes of ȝour Muse deuyn
Reuis this vork, quhilk I haif Raschlie vrocht,
And of ȝour meiknes Al my miss amend,
And not vith me ȝour seruitour offend.
11
THE INVOCATION.
FAIR HEAVENLIE MVSES, Muife me now ane quhyleVith Sacred furie, filling vp my vaine.
Thow lustie lady, Queine of Cypris yle,
Hich heyiss my saeils, And mak my passage plaine;
Dycht and derect my dytment but disdaine,
The quhilk Intends to steir ane staitlie stour.
ȝour Paladein Roland, beild to Charlemaine,
I introduce, And all his dintis dour.
Martche, Mychtie MARS, now from thy birnist bour
Vith clincking sourd, cled in thyn armeur cleir;
Present thy puissant person at this hour,
That heauen, and erth, and hell, and all may heir
This pert pelmell, quhilk present sall appeir.
Thow fyrie vulcane, to my sute Inclyn,
My sensis schairpe, And viwelie tham vpsteir,
And all the roust Roub from my blont Ingyn.
Stout Pucelle Pallas, pouss me to desyn
His grawe attempts in monie dyuerss land
for Angelique, Quhais personage deuyn
Did Intertene him In King Cupids band:
Bot nether force of his victorius hand,
Nor firm effection, feruent and Inteir,
Of hir againe ane spark of fauor fand;
The Bird he bruiks not, thocht he beit the Breir.
The histoir Is lamentabill to heir,
Mad he becam for veirray teinfull noy,
Thocht he surpast all vthers far but peir.
Thus I begin the mateir to convoy.
12
THE . 1 . CANT.
Queins Venus Sone, The subtill smyling boy,(Quhois valȝant valor vincus may ilk vycht),
Schot at this Roland ferslie vith esmoy
Ane feddrit flan, Quhilk in his brest did lycht,
And throch myd center of his hart did dycht,
Ane proper part to place tuo heauenlie eis,
Quhilks meid him thrall for all his mundan mycht
And humylie sute for mercie on his kneis:
No vonder vas, sen celest spreits aggreis,
All to this God of deuetie Inclynd:
Neptunus, dompter of the raging seis,
And prudent Pluto, both he hes constrynd:
Lord Ealus for all his haughty mind,
And bludie Mars, be Cupid beine supprest:
Grayt Iupiter he monie tyms hes pynd:
So Roland, randert vincust vith the rest,
Quho dyuers dochtie deids did manifest,
for till obtein his peirles ladie fair,
In Tartarie triumphantlie Increst
His famus fame. As mychtie Monarck rair,
Sum did him prayse, Sum thocht him but compair:
Throch India, And all the Orient,
Thay celebrat his acts heir and thair;
He onlie hes the vog armipotent.
To france Againe quhan he returning vent,
Persauing Paris seidged, that staitlie toune,
Be Numeds, Mors, and Espangols consent,
13
Conductit all be Agrammant thair boune,
Quhair he In force of armie did confyd
Of france to raif the Sceptor and the Croune,
Quhill Roland stout abaittit all his pryd,
Thair brasche of battell boldlie did he byd,
And in the valor of his hardie hand
Has hich Renoun Inritchit vonder vyd
Abowe his prayse obteind In forran land:
As lyon louse thair did his luik command,
His strenth surmonts so furius and fell,
That strengest steile mycht not his straik gainstand
The loud alarum, quhan his dints did knell:
As sillie Scheip dar not the volf Rebell,
So fants his fois, And from his fechting fleis;
At euerie Chok his courage dois excell:
Quho byds the danger, suddan deth he dreis:
His arms victorius hich auanst: Quho seis,
Bids all beuar, the thudding cums so soir;
And as thay speik, extinguist ar thair eis,
Doune skelps the sourd, And dois thair lyf deuoir:
As terrefeit haeir, that rins the honds befoir,
So troups gois hence, Quhair he begins to fume;
Quhair ans he hits, Remeid thair is no moir,
Deid at ane dint thay gaet no vther dume:
As lustie falcon litle larks dois plume,
So harneis flew, Quhair DVRANDAL discends.
Vas no defens, To flie thair vas no tume,
Gif he approtchd, Bot lyfs constryndlie ends:
The mortall cryis occurd quhair he Intends.
Plaine vas that part; All past and gaif him place.
Nocht suld ȝe heir about him, quhair he bends,
Bot hiddius schouts, cair, clamor, and alace,
His armeur, hands, his vapnis, and his face,
Bebathd in bluid of Campions about.
He cleifs, he cuts, he peirsis, and dois chace.
14
Or lyk bold bubs, quhilk Boreas breath blaws out,
Or boustius Bombards, Quhan thay keinlie crak,
So Roland Rangeit all the Chiftans stout
Vith na les noyes; so staluartlie he strak,
Sum left his scheild, And schortlie turnd his bak;
Sum In Cauerne did creip to be assuird,
At euerie motion feiring ay thair vrak,
for dammest dreid thay thocht his dints Induird.
This pithie Paladeine hes sic prayse procuird
In schairpe persute of his disconfeit fais,
Quhom valȝantlie he in this sort InIuird,
Tham chaceing thence In hirns, in hols, and brais;
for suiftlie so amongs the prese he gais,
As fyrflacht fell from firmament fast flew,
Quhan mychtie Iowe his bittir blasts did rais,
And all the proud contemmyng Gyans slew:
The Bairdit horssis Mycht mak na Reskew
Vnto thair Ryders, all In harneis drest,
Bot both Renuerst, Quhan Dyrandal he drew;
The one Lyis slaine, The vther plaine opprest.
15
THE . 2 . CANT.
NOW NYMPHS IMMORTALL, draw my dyt modest,And in my spreit sum pregnant propois spair,
That I may sing with suggurit sang celest
That heme of beutie brychtest but compair,
The speciall perle surpassing maist preclair,
The daintie dame, quham I dar not desyn,
The tuynkling star so far Resplendant fair;
I meine the peirles ANGELIQVE deuyn,
Quha vincust all, And vill navayis Inclyn.
The king, the knycht, the suldior, and the slawe,
The auld, The ȝoung, And all ar peirst vith pyn,
Hir perfyt persone gif thay ons persawe;
Thay birne, thay birst, thay duyn, Thay raidge, thay rawe,
firm fettrit fast, And finds no force to flie;
Contending all, be keine combat thay craw
The douce Regard of hir celestiall ie.
Comte Roland best and boldest first did drie
Diseise, vith dolor dalie deip distrest,
Quhill his maist martiall fortitude hir frie
from Orient soile bereft from all the rest;
His confort than And courage bothe Increst.
Bot as the Clouds ar not ay constant cleir,
So pane profound his plesour all supprest,
And cair consumd his former Iocund cheir,
At Mont Pyrens leissing this ladie deir,
Be accident as ȝe sall vnderstand.
At tym quhan his mishap arryuit heir,
16
Of hardie men, the best in onnie land,
for to Reuenge the former Ancient feed,
Quhilk Agramant did raschelie tak in hand,
To vrak his Realme, And put his men to deed.
Quhan Roland cam, grayt diligens vas meed
To do him honor at his first reuoy;
Him to resiwe the speciall prences geed
Vith na les myrth alacretie and Ioy
Than Hector entring vith triumphe in Troy,
Or Mychtie Cesar vith his laurels greine;
So Raeid the Comte, suspecting na annoy,
Vith glorious face, And courtas aufull eine.
Bot Rennault Raidged as tygar full of teine,
Vith brows vpbend, At bargan vold he be;
Of Angelique he vas so vincust cleine,
That he haid rather in ane moment die
Than this fair ladie vith Lord Roland sie;
Quhilk bred betuix tham ane Immortall baill.
And sen that nane this mateir mycht aggrie,
King Charlemaine did circumspectlie daill:
The battele being radie till assaill,
Vith the aggrement baith of ȝoung and auld,
fair Angelique from Roland did he vaill,
Quhill that his Armie haid gifn battell bauld,
Concluding all Duke Bauiers suld hir hauld,
In to his tent vith tender tretment drest,
And Immolest according as scho vauld,
Quhill of his Camp sum suir succes did rest:
Syn of the knychts The victor and the best
Be dochtines fell force of fois to dant
He promesis thay suld be suir possest
for Recompance vith this precelling sant.
The Comte heirto At the kings vill did grant,
Sen keine combat mycht so the mateir mak,
Not being suir als quhair scho saif mycht hant
17
Helas, for than succedit all his vrak,
for at deray Quhow soone the vangard gois,
On horse scho lop, And did hir Iournay tak,
And vald be thrall, scho thocht, to none of thois.
This lustie dame obteine culd na repois
for hote persute of euerie vordie knycht;
Hir person peirles, And hir face formois,
Oft hir constrains to tak the feirfull flycht.
And now supposing till escaipe be slycht,
At this hir voyage vtheruayis did chans,
for In the vod befoir hir visage Rycht
Ane knycht scho spyde on fute in armeur glans;
Than dreid of dainger varps hir in ane trans,
As tender faune vithin ane darnit den
Quhan It persaifs the Leopard Auans,
Or compast Close about be craft of men;
for Rennault heir scho did perfytlie ken,
Quha scherst his Bayard bendit from his hand,
Bot to his feit his ȝeill did suiftnes len
fast for to rin fra he the fairrest fand;
He plaints, he cryis, scho vill not stay nor stand,
Bot fleis in feir as from ane Serpent fell,
Scho gifs hir horse both brydle, chak, and vand,
And muifs hir heils, his speid for to compell:
It is vncertan to my toung to tell
Quhilk of the tuo maist feruent ȝelus beine,
Scho for to flie, or he to Intermell,
Thay both assay so schairplie to preueine:
As Daintie Daphne, fleing Phebus scheine
Vith lustie lyms so luiflie, squair, and quhyt,
Quha vas transformit In the laurell greine,
Quhan he approtchd hir persone maist perfyt,
So Rennault, Raidgeing vith na les delyt,
Sped vith sic speid, Quhill scho vas skairslie frie.
Bot Strong ferragus, In the sammyng plyt,
18
Quho In the battell haid sic drouth done drie,
That to the Reuar thair to drink he past,
Quhair scho cam suddan, schoutting for supplie
Vith trembling hands And feirfull hart agast.
The Sarrasin, vith bittir brag and blast,
Hint out his sourd, for he perfytlie knew
The maikles beutie, Quhilk Sic glem did cast
And vith the rest haid done his hart subdew.
He turnit stoutlie Rennault to persew,
So tham betuix bauld bargan did begin;
The plaits and malȝeis from thair harneis flew
Be birnist brands in bristing to the skin,
The fyre outbryms from steile all battrit In
Vith stabill strenth of strong Redoubling dints,
Quhilks far About tham meid ane hiddius din,
As hamers beitting on the firmist flints.
In this mydtyme fair Angelique not stints,
Bot forduart ryds als suiftlie as scho may,
Throch dens and dails maist priuelie scho mints
And left all passage plaine for grayt effray;
for gif ane bird from buse bend In hir vay,
In veirray deid scho suirlie dois suppon
That Rennault Ryns to gif hir ȝit assay,
Quhilks maks hir start at euerie stok and ston:
Grayt dreddor dreing desolat alon,
Scho vilsum vauers vandring vext vith vo,
Hir mirthles mynd, molestit, making mon,
Distrest vith storms, Is tossed to and fro.
Ane day and nycht contineuall ryds scho so,
Quhill scho persaived ane bocage growand greine,
Decorit fair be lustie Reuers tuo,
Quhair It vas priuie situat betueine,
And circuat, so that It mycht skairs be seine,
Be seimlie hils, And blomit brais about,
Quhilks meid the vattir, cleir as christall cleine,
Souche softlie sueit from euerie springing spout:
19
On tender tuists vith flurise freschlie spred.
Heir Angelique, no dainger doing dout,
from horse discends, And till Repois hir sped.
Ane place scho spyis perfyt be Nature cled
Vith Rosis reed, Meduart, And mergeleine,
And couerit so vith leifs of branchis bred,
That nane thairin Mycht be persawed or seine.
Heir gois scho In, quhair smell aboundant beine
Moir sauorus sueit than sempill style may schaw;
Heir scho reposis, closing vp hir eine,
Heir for ane space No persone dois hir knaw;
Heir byds scho blist now, Quhair no storm dois blaw;
Heir do I viss scho mycht Remaine for ay,
Heir than my lyns No longer vold I draw,
Quhilks heir ar poust to tell ane New effray.
Ane Mychtie Noyes Resounds about the spray,
As Men and horse thair haid arryuit beine,
Scho than astonist did hir sleiping stay,
Vprais scho, priuie spying, and hes seine
Ane lustie knycht all harneist on the greine,
Quhilk as ane Darnit Lark did mak hir ly
Attending quhat the accident mycht meine,
Schairs durst scho sob, so subtile dois scho spy.
Vpon The reuer on the bank neir by
Sad Sat he doune, And stupifact as seimd;
One of his hands supporting did apply
To eise his heed, Quhilk full of dolor beimd;
So stairing still he not ane vord expreimd,
Vith peirsit spreit transport in thocht profound,
As sensles vycht from all guid fortoune fleimd,
Quhill bittir birsting baill did so abound,
That sorrow sueld behuifit out to sound
Ane Maist afflictit pitifull lament,
As till extract be force from deedlie vound
The grose And long Intollerabill tent:
Than sychs As fume from Etna Mont out vent,
20
Than vith ane voce Maist sorroufull and lent,
Than he began Redoubling oft alace,
Vith sobs and suerfs ourquhelmit all the space.
“I thocht,” Sayis he, “that both dois birne and freis
My blaiknit brest, Quhilk may No mirth Imbrace.
O Thocht Inchantit be my vickit eis,
O frounyng Thocht, Thocht fauor fremdlie fleis,
O Thocht, that thinks all vther thochts bot vaine,
Except the Thocht, Quhilk vith my Thocht aggreis,
To think on hir, Quha Thochtles maks the paine.
This onlie thocht dois all my Thochts constraine,
This onlie thocht dois gnaw my hart in tuay,
This onlie thocht, Quhilk I may not Refraine,
Dois duyne my dayis In deedlie deip decay.
I souck the sour, schersing the sueit assay,
I fructles feid on fruct Maist fresche and fair,
I dalie dy, ȝit deth he dois delay
To dryfe his dart, And end my dull dispair,
Dispair consums me confortles in cair,
Cair dois ourcum my corps Vith cair confound,
Confound I am, My mychtis may na mair,
Mair ȝit I may, My luif dois Mair abound,
Abounding Luife of all my greife is ground,
Ground find I non, Quhair onnie grace dois grow,
Grow sall I ay Assuirritlie And sound,
Sound thocht I sterue my fauor firm sall flow,
flow as scho vill, ȝit sall I biet the low,
Low quhilk combuirs My ardent douce desyre,
Desyre not douce bot stiff as bendit bow;
Bow of king Cupid so inflams the fyre.
fyre feruent fell, Quhow sall I the expyre?
Expyre the cause, Than sall I pass the paine;
Paine may not pass Except I find my hyre;
Hyre haif I lost, The certantie is plaine,
for scho is reft, Quha dois beraif my braine:
21
I die for duile, Thow Roland reuls the gaine,
Vith velth at vill of all my vorldis vis:
My mad mishap All Recompance dois mis,
Hir fragrant flour fair virginale I meine;
for euir, helas, Thow hes bereft me this.
O Cumlie chast virginetie Maist cleine,
Resembling rycht the Recent Rose sereine,
Quhilk sueitlie smels In guidlie garding fair,
So naturall douce vpon the branchis greine;
The tender dew, the snawe, And holsum air,
And Phebus face, Adorns It growand thair,
fresche vith maternall moisture Rubie Reed.
The dams and luifers thinks It most preclair,
Sum In thair brest, Sum to decoir thair heed;
Bot being puld, It soone begins to feed
from former fairnes of so suggurit sap,
Syn vnto Gods And men both lothsum meed
Gif It be borne In ane puir pastors cap.
The virgin So quha dois hir vorschip vrap
Vith venus vyce degraths hir hie Renoune.
for quhat auails formosetie or hap
Quhan that hir honor Is suppressit doune,
The cheif Charbunckle of hir cumlie croune,
Quhilk suld preseruit be moir pretius deir
Than helth or lyf? for luifers ar not boune
Hir till esteme, Quha laiks this perle but peir,
for than conuert Is all hir cair and cheir
To plesoure him, In quhom hir lust all lyis;
Quho first did peirce hir fontan fair Inteir,
To him subdewd hir bodie haill applyis.
Quho sall Remeed, helas, my endles cryis?
Quho sall assuaidge my sorrow that so suels?
My bodie blaiknes, And my bluid vpdryis,
for the, O fair, Quhais pulchritud precels.
Sall I the leiwe for teils that tratlers tels?
That may I not, Deth sall me first deuoir.
22
To liewe my freinds, my cuntrie, and grayt gloir,
Sall I persawe thy Peirles face no moir?
Hes thow na thocht of thy Circassian king?
Vill Thow not ons Thy Seruiteur Restoir,
Quho deirlie luifs the by all erdlie thing?
ȝis, I beliwe Thy beutie sall me bring
from noy to Ioy, In spyt of fortoune feed.
In hoip heirof, Althocht scho me maling,
I sall continew thyn vnto the deed.”
This pitius Plaint In Ampill sort vas meed
Bie Sacripant, The pert And puissant Prence
Of Circassie, Quhom vehement luif did leed
from Orient far, Almaist deprywed of sence.
Sen tym that Roland vith hir haid past hence,
Both day And nycht he diligent did Ryd
In hir persute, puft vp vith proud pretence,
As Duke Pirothous fumit At that tyd
Quhan the Centaurs Perforce bereft his bryd.
And quhair scho vent he so derectlie drest,
That to the camp quhilk Charlemaine did gyd
He first Arrywed, Quhair thay to him exprest
Quhow all the battell vas be hir molest,
And quhow The king Impeschit vas so long
Be the contention creuall Quhilk Increst
Betuix the tuo Redouttit Chiftans strong,
And quhow scho haid eschewit tham among
for feir to be the cheifest victors gaine.
Thus haid he passit, Schersing throche the throng,
And follouit Rycht from part to part so plaine,
Quhill heir he chanst Reposing to remaine
Quhair fortounes So Supports his cairfull cheir
That all the clamor of his vexit braine
His lustie ladie tentelie dois heir.
Scho knaws him veill, And seis his luif Inteir,
Quhilk partlie muifs hir stonie hardnit hart;
Apollo semel Ridet In the ȝeir.
23
His vords, his teirs, his sychs, And all his smart,
And thocht Scho vold not Condiscend at all
for to gif place to luifis Gouldin Dart,
ȝit scho conceits, quhat euir mycht befall,
To chois him now for ane conductor tall.
for Quho that ar In vattir to the chin
for sum supplie perauenture may call,
So scho quha vas this vildernes vithin
Vnto sum Reuth And fauor dois begin,
To serwe hir turne, And for na langer space.
from buse heirfoir vith douce and soubir din
Scho represents hir fair excellent face,
As Goddes brycht Appeiring In that place,
And vith ane sueit And amiabill smyle
Scho visheth till his truiblit thochtis pace,
And cals the hiest to record quhow vyle
Scho ay esteimd hir persone to defyle,
So that of hir he not consauit rycht,
for Roland neuir mycht be luife exyle
Hir Chastitie, Nor ȝit na vther knycht.
The blind long tyme depryuit of his sycht,
Nor the condamnit Captiwe for to die,
Not vith Sic Ioy resaifs thair former mycht
As Sacripant, Quhan he did suddane sie
The veirray viwe formosit figure frie
Of Angelique, hir continance, And grace,
Hir gentill gesture, And precelling ie,
And all the beuteis of hir fragrant face.
Vith feruent fauor Rins he to Imbrace
His luif, his ladie, And his goddes deir,
And scho resaifs him kyndlie in that place
Vith modest myrth, And gratius cumlie cheir.
Sum small Rehersall of his luife Inteir
And former pains, Quhilk he for hir possest,
Scho dois Recompt, Quhairbe to mak appeir
That thankfull mynd In to hir part did lest;
24
In his Protection to be saif and suir,
lyk as lord Roland dochtelie supprest
All accident that mycht hir fame InIuir,
So that hir madinhead flurissing scho buir
for thocht, and deid, Inuitiat and frie.
It mycht be trew, Thocht sum not think it suir;
He credet gaife, for Quho that luifers be
To graytter douts thair fancie vill aggrie
Than to beliwe thair ladie speiking plaine?
And thus he thinks, “O happie tyme to me,
That Roland slippit hes his tyme so vaine;
Sic forton fair he sall not find againe.
I vill not tarie sutting hir consent,
Nor langer frustrat Sall I not remaine;
Pass I this time, I euir may repent.
My stamp sall first vpon the Seale Imprent,
Hir close conclawe I sall at plesour vse,
Thair is no thing may ladeis moir content,
Thocht for the fassone thay mak sum excuse.
Stay vill I not my propois for refuse,
Bot sall Incarnat my Intent till end.
Quho taks his tym, he may vith Reson ruse,
Quhan tym occurs, Quhilk tymlie tym dois send.”
Bould boudin so vith boult And bow bakbend
Quhan till assault he lustelie began,
All vas Impedit quhilk he did pretend;
so lo, Ane Chiftan Quhyt as onnie Suan,
Vith proud appirans of sum mychtie man,
Cled all In armeur fete and ritchlie dycht,
Cam ferslie ryding throch the forrest than
Vith perlit helm, As siluer schyning brycht,
And pannache quhyt hich set In sing of mycht.
kyng Sacripant, Preparing to defend,
Did leice his armet at this suddan sycht,
And on his cursor hautelie did bend;
Vith sum manass began he to contend,
25
The vther na les coueting commend
To battell bould Rycht hardelie arrayt.
The spurs And speirs no longer vas delayt,
Vith horrabill hurle thay so conIoin perfors,
As Ramping lyons miting haid assayt,
Quhill bakuart foundert both thair hardie hors.
Doune falls the king, And mycht not Rais his cors,
Deed vas his steid, Quhilk on him lourdlie lay.
The vther varior, haifing gifn the vors,
Vith victorie dois spur And ryd auay.
The Prence supprest haid not ane vord to say
To his fair ladie, Quha befoir him stands,
And so tormentit he behuift to stay
Beneth his horss, Quhill that hir tender hands
Supplid him vp, And lowsd the sadle bands.
His grayt Regrait Prolixt var to defyn,
Quhill scho sum confort him to tak commands,
And vith hir speitche dois metigat his pyn.
“ȝour horse it vas,” sayis scho, “quhilk did declyn;
Repoise and fuid to him vas neidfull moir
Than the combat; lat not ȝour courage tyne,
I knaw ȝour valeur veill in tym befoir;
All that is lost ȝe schortlie may restoir;
fume neuir so, Sir, for ane sempill fall,
ȝon lustie galland conquest hes na gloir:
In my conceit, the mateir is so small,
for sic ane chance Nane may ȝow vincust call,
The honor rather vith ȝow dois appeir,
Quho keips the camp, And as ane brasin vall
Mycht byd him now Gif he var present heir.”
As scho to confort dois hir man thus steir,
Ane proper page cam galoppan vith speid,
And tham Inquyrd, as he approtchit neir,
Gif thay haid seine ane knycht all quhyt in veid.
“ȝis, as ȝe sie, he dung me doune in deid,”
Sayis Sacripant, “I neuir thold sic schame,
26
I ȝow Request to lat me knaw his name.”
“The name,” sayis he, “appruifs the famus fame,
Quhilk I vill schaw, And put ȝow out of dout:
Ane virgin fair Immaculat but blame
Hes Reft ȝour vorschip vith hir courage stout;
Quhair Scho Intends the hardiest may lout.
This Is the puissant PRADAMENT but peir;
Scherss heir and thair And all this vorld about,
Nane sall ȝe find may matche my ladie cleir.
Sir, fair ȝe veill. Remaine I may not heir.”
And schortlie so his vay frome thame he past.
king Sacripant, vith ane confoundit cheir,
And face Inflamd, stuid stupifact agast;
he neuir heid sic bittir bailfull blast
As be thir news now duilfullie he dreis.
The moir he thinks, The moir his care did cast
Ane feruent furie from his glowing eis;
for dolor deip Almaist he Raidgeing deis,
Because ane maidin raueist hes his gloir
At part Imprompt Quhair as his ladie seis,
Quhilk maks his mone agment the larger moir.
At last, persauing no Remeed thairfoir,
Vpone the horse Quhilk Angelique possest
He did ascend vith spreit perturbit soir,
And hir in crouppe behind him hes he drest;
And superceids to tym of better rest
The sueit Iouissans of his appetyt.
So Ryding thus vith vexit hart molest
Againe Impeschit vas his douce delyt.
Ane murmor raise: My author dois Indyt
That be appirans all the forrest rang:
Sum space heirefter thay persawed perfyt
Ane cursor gross, And all his harneis hang
In fynnest gould brycht garnist ritche and lang;
Ouer dyks and dens, Ouer stanks, and reuers fair,
He braying bends, And sturdelie doune dang
27
Sayis Angelique, “gif that my eis be clair,
ȝon is the strong redouttit dochtie steid,
The bralling bustius BAYARD but compair.
It Bayard Is, I knaw him veill In deid,
My self sum tym In Albrack did him feid;
Heir he repairs In proper tym And place
As haifing sum cognossans of our neid.
My Irkit horse he may Induir na space
To beir vs baith, It var ane happie cace,
Gif that ve mycht ȝon cumlie cursor fang.”
The king discends, And dois begine to chace,
And syn approtching, softlie dois he gang
To catche the brydle, Bot ane loftie bang
The steide presents vith his tuo heils behind,
for he vold turne moir ferdie quhan he flang
Than flame of fyrflacht fleing vith the vind;
At his Reuolts the rockis raird and dind,
Ane mont of mettall mycht tham not Induir.
O Sacripant, Thow happelie did find
Thy fortoune now that from his stricking stuir
So hes eschewit saif vntuitchit suir;
for haid he hit the rycht, vas no Remeed
Throch all the forgit harnes Quhilk thow buir;
Bons flesche And bluid haid bruist beine to the deed:
ȝit Memor graitfull did not in him feed.
for former fauor, Quhilk the Dame haid schawne,
Vith humaine semblance vntill hir he geid
As kyndlie hond, Quhilk haid his maister knawne;
So In hir hand haifing the brydle drawne,
He stabill stands, And dois no stirage mak;
Scho vsis him at plesour as hir awne,
for he sum certane Iudgement did contrak.
Now Sacripant his tym did vyislie tak,
for as the ladie Interteind the steid,
He lychtlie lop abowe his puissant bak,
And suirlie sat veill horsit now In deid.
28
Vpon hir haiknay Ryding at deuyis,
Quhill thay persawed ane armit man vith speid
Auance behind tham vith dispytfull cryis;
For yre and greif his flesche Inflamit fryis.
At the first sycht fair Angelique him knew,
Hir tender heart for feire began to ryis,
And dreid did dim the glansing of hir hew:
Duke Aymon sone It vas, Quho did persew
To Schers his ladie, And his Bayard bald,
Ewen he Quhom Scho did ofbefoir eschew,
The hardie Rennawlt, as I partlie tald,
To quhom hir hart as yce vas frosin cald,
Thocht he hir luifit as his lyf and mair:
To him In speciall vill scho navayis fald,
Bot Rather die, hir haittrend is so sair.
The cause heirof var langsum to declair,
Quhilk did proceid of springing fontans tuo.
Not syndrie far thay ar in Arden fair,
Diwers effect thair liquor vorkis so,
Ane feruent freind becums ane fremmit fo,
To teist the one: The vther dois compell
Ane hardnit hart all haittrend to forgo,
And in the lusts of luiflie raidge to swell.
Knycht Rennault heirof (as my text dois tell)
Did deiplie drink, And Angelique againe
Hir drouthe did quenche At the Inuyous vell.
Befoir that tym, thay say scho suffert paine
for Rennawlts luife, Quho than did hir disdaine,
And now thay cheingeit var throche euerie poir.
So, seing him, scho lyks no moir remaine,
Behind thame rynning as ane brymmyng boir;
Maist feruent dois scho Sacripant Imploir
To flie vith hir, And him no langer byd.
“Esteme ȝe than I may ȝow not restoir,
So sclenderlie do ȝe in me confyd?”
Sayis he againe, “I sall abaite his pryd.
29
Or quhow I was ȝour onlie beild that tyd,
Quhan Agrican vith Armie grayt ȝow socht?
Incontrar him And all his camp I focht
Vith nakit persone, gif ȝe rycht recorde.”
Ane vord till him againe scho ansuerd nocht,
for Rennawlt now so nar approtching schorde
That dout of dainger hes hir langage smorde.
The superbe Persons both thay do prepair
Vith martiall mycht contending to be glorde,
As my nixt cant the maner sall declair.
30
THE . 3 . CANT.
O creuall luif, quho corresponds so rairTo matche tuo mynds vith mutuall desyre,
One thou ourcums, consumyng tham vith cair,
The vther plaine permitting till Impyre.
Thy fickill fancie, And thy feruent fyre,
Dois fram be gaeise of thy tuo blindit eis.
Paine as ve pleis, Repentance is the hyre,
Thocht ve suld serwe the constant on our kneis.
ȝe sie quhat dolor dalie Rennawlt dreis
for hir quha cuirs not of his cair ane myt;
And monie mo disdanit duyning deis,
Vith dew reward quho neuir ar requyt.
The lairge prolixit histoir quhilk I dyt
In this preambill lets me to remaine;
I prosequit: Stout Rennawlt in dispyt
To Sacripant thir vords exprimit plaine,
“false commoune theif, Quhow dar thow in disdaine
So for to steill my ladie, And my steid?
Thow meschant mereits not sic nobill gaine;
I sall beraiwe thame baith be dochtie deid.
Defend the, trateur, And discend with speid.”
The vthers courage hich exceld als far.
“foule feibill beist,” sayis he, “thow dowbill leid,
And is dissemblit as ane theif, And var.
I the defy. Do quhat thow dow or dar,
Betuix vs tuo now sall approuit be
Quho bendid boldest Bragin may debar
31
As byting barbats quhan thay disaggrie
Vith ardent raidge, And furius fyrie eine;
Or boustius buls ar terrabill to sie,
Quhan thay to bargan boldlie baeittit beine;
So to combat conIoins the knychtis keine.
Bot the Circassian forcit vas to lycht,
for Bayard haid so guid ane natrall meine,
He vald not reullit be In ryding rycht,
Bot beirs his heid vpon his counter tycht,
And rauets bakuart quhan he suld persew.
The spurs nor bit navayis him danton mycht
for to molest his maister, Quhom he knew.
The king, persauing that he so vithdrew,
Maist firelie from him did doune discend.
Ane martiall faet than mychtie did renew
Conform to thair magnificent commend.
Quhyls hiche, Quhyls low, The skelping sourds did bend,
Quhyls thay rebat, And quhyls thay scharplie schair.
As quhan Vulcanus dois his force extend
Vith hammer flasting fyrflacht in the air,
Vp hich to Iowe making the thunder rair,
So stronglie strak the steitlie chiftans stout,
Quhyls schort, Quhyls long, And quhyls thay seime to spair,
Quhyls thay auance, And quhyls thay lychtlie lout,
Quhyls couerit close, And quhyls thay stretche tham out,
Quhyls heir, Quhyls thair, Thay skip from part to part,
Quhyls stif thay stog, And quhyls thay bent about
To schaw tham maisters of the fensing art.
The knycht of clairmont vith couragius hart
On Sacripant Ane ackwart dint did ding,
Quhilk all astonist meed his arme to smart;
As bruckill glass he did aschunder bring
His targe of steil, Quhill all the rocks did ring,
Quhilk quhan the craintiwe Pucelle haid espyit,
Vith vo all vext hir hands began to vring,
And doutfull dreid hir beutie brycht vpdryit;
32
Quho seis his deth, And may find no remeed,
So scho to Rennawlt feird to be applyit,
Gif langer scho remanit in that steed;
To Rennawlt quhom scho haits vnto the deed,
Als far as he hir luifit in effect.
Heirfoir besyd tham Scho no moir abeed,
Bot turns hir horse And taks hir vay derect
Throch thikkest vods And vildernes eiect
from euerie passage maist frequentit plaine,
Vith vofull visage spying ay suspect
That Rennawlt rins In hir persute againe.
Bot now approtchis hir profoundest paine,
Quhilk till Indyt dois all my mynd molest,
My reuthfull hart from sychs may not refrain
for to record quhow duilfullie vas drest
This lustie dame, bereft of quiet rest
Now be ane hermet, cause of all hir cair;
Quho meting hir vas vtterlie opprest
Vith Cupids dart As I sall heir declair.
The Subtill hermet mycht resist na mair,
Bot deiplie did greine vound of luife Induir;
Thocht feir did feed hir former fauor fair,
Hir luiflie luiks did all his lusts alluir,
And so constraind his aidgeit brest combuir
In feruent force of furius fumyng fyre,
That Bersabe in bathe I ȝow assuir
Inflamd no moir king Dauid vith desyre:
Bot he vas eildit, And his ase did tyre
Till Imitat hir passing paise be speid,
Vith nigromance heirfoir he did conspire
To satisfie his vitius vilan deid.
His conIurations, And his bakwart creid,
Vith circumstans of monie circle round,
In ceremonius maner did he reid,
Quhill vickit spreits Infernall did abound
from Plutos darckest dungeon maist profound;
33
Quho brocht this dame in danger to be dround:
Hir horse he reuld vith violent effect
Throch Neptuns deips Till ane disert derect
Be this decetfull hermets fraud and slycht;
In the quhilk part he suirlie did expect
for till obteine at vill hir beutie brycht.
And so hir horse to dant Scho haid na mycht,
Bot in the seis perforce he gois coak,
And scho in vo bewrapt ane vereid vycht
To saif hir self sat Suirlie on his bak,
As Iupiter fair Europa did tak
Throch bullering strems his strese for to restoir,
Quhan as Mercurius priuelie did mak
Hir velthie troups for till approtche the schoir
Be the command of gentill Iowe befoir,
Hir beutie so his godheed meed decay,
That in ane bull he did transform his gloir,
And throch the seis so suame vith hir away.
Now Angelique Induring sic effray
Be spreit Inspyrit in hir raidgeing horse,
Hir haer disparplit, And hir ritche array
Spred lyk ane quheile about hir cumlie corse,
Vith pitie perst Protheus haid remorse
To sie this ladie So Impeschd vith pyn;
Both Egeon And Doris did thair forse,
And all the rest of Marin Nymphs deuyn,
To cause the Iaws thair tumbling cours Inclyn;
Bold Boreas And Eurus did abstrak
Thair bubbing blasts, And Tryton vith his tryn
Supplide to hold hir on hir horsis bak.
“I var to blame gif sic ane beutie vrak,”
Sayis Mychtie Neptun, “Quhair I mak repair.”
“And it to me var both grayt schame and lak
for to torment hir vith Intemperat air;”
Quod Eolus. “My pith now sall I Spair,
34
At part apoynt So lands hir haiknay thair,
Quhan Phebus cours till Occident applyis;
All dririe droukit doutsum in deuyis
Quhat for to do in that disert alon
Scho stairing stands But motion, and espyis,
As Image formit of the marbile ston,
Quhair hiddius rocks obscuirlie did depon
Thair feirfull fronts abowe that perrelus part.
All kynd of confort being from hir gon,
Vith stupifact distressit quaking hart
Sich mycht scho not, so suffocat vith smart,
Bot all besueld in sorrow dolor dreis;
Quhill at the last trebusching out did start
Ane fluid of teiris from hir reuthfull eis.
Vith hands vpheld than falling on hir kneis,
Hir trublit toung outbirsts vith grayt lament
Agains the malheur of hir destineis,
Beginning thus hir pitifull complent;
“O mychtie Iowe, Quhy art thow crewall bent
My martrit mynd for to molest so soir?
I vofull vretche, quhois vorldlie veill is spent,
May not resist thy malice ony moir.
It not accords vith graytnes of thy gloir
Contrare ane catiwe dourlie to contend;
Thy gratius godheid humyllie I Imploir,
Prolong not lyfe bot Suddan deth me send.
I dalie dies ȝit deth vill navayis end
My lothsum lyfe Quhilk till agment my cair
So situat is, And sorroufull suspend,
As Phaeton vithin Apollos chair
Throch feirfull monsters hurlling heir and thair,
Quhill thow quho reuis abowe the heauenis hie
Thy thudding thunder did vpon him spair.
O Iupiter, extend the lyk to me.
35
Vith sauuage beists heir to persawe me rent,
Cause tham approtche vith speid and lat me die
for to dissolwe my duill Incontinent.
Quhat now awails the beutie excellent
Quhilk thow O Nature did on me dispon?
Of that grayt gift I lairgelie may repent.
for It am I not raueist from my tron?
My bruther Argail lykuayis lost and gon,
To quhom Inchantit harneis not awaild,
And als my father Mychtie Galafron,
To battell kein be Agrican appaild,
All for the beutie quhilk thow in me saild.
Vold god I haid in Ethiopia thair
Beine bred and borne, Quhair fairnes all is faild,
And not in ynd ane maikles maede preclair.
O Philida, thow happi vas and fair,
Quha fed thy flock in pouertie and rest,
Bot I vith Lucrece may lament in cair
My onlie beutie dois my lyf molest.
from part to part I pass persewd and drest
In duyning dolor Quhilk I dalie drie.
And ȝit this thing deteins me maist supprest,
I feir my honor quyt extinguist bie;
for thocht I haif obseruit chastetie,
ȝit vandring as ane volsum vagabound,
Report perhaps vill attribute to me
That sum hes fauor in my fancie found;
for meschant mouths of this malitius mound
Of proper prettick vill vith pert pretens
Prepair sum propos of ane sempill ground
Quhair thay may purches place and audiens;
Agains the quhilk auaillis no defens,
Bot to gif liars liwe ane space to lie;
And than vith tyme, As smell of sueit Incens,
Treuth sall triumphe Immaculat and frie.
36
for preseruation of thair vomanheed,
That nane occasion sic vnseimlie sie,
As ons may muife thair famus fame to feed.
for as the recent rubie Rosis reed
May not abyd all bitter blasts that blaws,
So the renoune of beutie lyith deed
Quhan vickit toungs be sum appirans schaws
That vitius liwing honestie ourthraws,
Quhilk causis beutie odius to bie,
And our estait In dalie dainger draws
To disposses vs of our vorschip hie;
Quhairof gif men thair self ons victors sie,
Thocht thay do flatter for ane space and fengȝie,
Thay think ve ar als copius and frie
To all the rest of that decetfull mengȝie;
Thair teirs distels bot onlie to distengȝie
Our Chastetie Quhilk cheiflie suld precell.
As to my self I sall vith reson rengȝie
Thocht thay suld raidge lyk Cerberus in hell:
And gif that fortoune creuallie compell
My cairfull corps heir but delay to die,
ȝit sall my spreit vith daintie Diane duell,
Quhilk is the onlie hoip reconforts me.”
Lyk as the luiflie lustie Emelie
Did celebrat ane sacrafice maist dew
To this Chast goddes, sutting sum supplie
The theban knychtis both for till eschew,
So scho deuote vith palle And blanchit hew
Hir gost commends in Dame Dianas hands,
Attending tym quhan Deth suld hir persew.
Vith trimbling hart And fixt regard scho stands,
And syn, reteiring sumpart from the sands,
Beneth ane rock abowe the sam scho spyis
The foirsaid hermet bound in Cupids bands,
To quhom vith speid for sum supplie scho cryis,
And said, “O father venerabill vyis
37
Sic teinfull terror on my bodie lyis,
It Interrupts my toung for till explaine
Quhow I in dreid and dolor dois remaine,
As Daniell vith lyons meed repair.
Bot thow Art send to help me vp againe,
As Habacuc vas heysit be the hair;
It me reiosis to persawe the thair.
O holie man, I hartlie the exhort
Of mercie cum and metigat my cair,
for I sustenit hes na litle tort,
Arrywing heir at this vnhappie port.”
And so vith sychs and teirs scho schortlie schew
The summe of thair hir sorroufull resort,
Quhan touarts hir dissimulat he drew,
Be apparance sembling deuotion trew,
As Godlie Ierom, Paull, or Hilaire heir,
And vith perfyt remonstrances anew
He meed his subtill sanctitude appeir.
“Delay ȝour duill my tender dochter deir;”
This hypocreit did rycht demurlie say,
“I haife grayt pitie of ȝour cairfull cheir,
And to persawe ȝour sorroufull array:
Bot sen ve ar Incertane euerie day
Of erdlie Ioy quhilk is so friuole vaine,
Now lat ȝour courage on sum confort stay,
And tak in patience this ȝour present paine;
Quhan vo is past, veill vill returne againe.
As plesis fortoune, so ve most Induir.
My cumlie chyld, all plesour is prophaine
Heir in this vorld, And no thing stabill suir.”
As fraudfull fouller dois the foule alluir
for to be catchit at his craftie call,
So all this speitche peruert vas till procuir
Place till obteine his plesour sensuall.
for in effect the forme did eftir fall
Quhan till Intretment doucelie he began,
38
Syn kyndlie kyssit as ane amorus man,
Quhill that his hand beneth hir vestment than
He hamlie threw, And menit till Imbrace,
As did the Iudgeis to the Chast Susan,
Quhill Scho repulst him vith ane blusching face.
So than persawing till obteine na place
Be dailling douce at hir disdainfull pryd,
In sort sinister ȝit he suttit grace,
Disclosing thair ane beuget at his syd,
Out of the quhilk he did ane phiole slyd
Vith liquor plinist till repress the eine,
And vith ane sparking drop thairof did hyd
The brychtest percing torches to be seine;
The fairest lamps that luife possest, I meine,
The heauenlie eis that chiftans did coak,
Quhilks far preceld thois of the grecian queine,
Quha brocht both Troy and Troians all to vrak.
This foirsaid liquor sic effect did mak,
That sueitlie syn in sleiping sound scho lyis,
So that this vitius vieillard now mycht tak
Of hir his plesour At his awne deuyis.
He kist, he claps, he braist, he tuitchd, he spyis
Hir glansing gorge, And curall lyps perfyt,
Hir cristall paps, As proper perls of pryis,
So dour, so douce, and so transparant quhyt,
far fairer formyt Nor my Muse may dyt,
Vith rubie heeds vpraeist as berreis round,
And tham betuix ane distance of delyt,
Quhair euerie vaine vith beutie did abound.
Hir seimlie skin so sklender soft and sound,
As collorit lileis fresche and flurist fair,
In this disert Inhabitable ground
But molestation he perusis thair.
Bot feiblit corps mycht not vith vill repair;
Do quhat he vold, his Standhard did declyn.
He sayeit all meins, Quhill that he mycht na mair
39
His Roncin sueire the first assault did tyn,
Trebusching doune quhill nether spur nor vand
Mycht onie farder pouse him fordwart; syn
He lurks and lyis, And vill not ryd nor stand.
The moir he spurd, The moir refuse he fand,
He neuir start Nor onie stirage meed,
Thocht oft he hyst him vith his harskie hand.
He dammest drouppit doune againe as deid
Vith panchie mouth als haw as onie leed,
And all his hyd most lyk ane skrimplit ront;
No chap nor chak mycht mak him lift his heed,
His bruisit bit vas vorne so rustie blont;
In vain he forst him to that flowing font,
In vaine he schaiks the brydile to and fro,
In vaine he vrocht for he vold neuir mont,
And vainlie vaine he lang tormentit so,
Quhill hir besyd at last he sleipit tho,
Till now occurs ane new mishap againe
Quhilk varps this ladie, all Inwolwed in vo,
from deip distres to dowbill duill and paine.
So is the cours of friuoll fortoune vaine,
Quha seyndill schoirs vith single sorrow schort,
Bot communlie quhan scho begins disdaine
Cair till agment is all hir game and sport,
As in this cace be pruife I sall report.
And in effect the forme heirof to tell,
Ane litle space from propos I resort
for to dilat quhow that the sam befell.
In hebude yle sum tym ane king did duell,
Quho had ane dochter so surpassing fair,
That be hir beutie brycht quhilk did precell
In the sie landis, as scho meed repair,
Cacht vas Protheus in the fettrit snair
Of ardent luife Amyds the frostie strems;
So that is vattrie brest Inflamit thair
for fauor feruent all in fyrie glems,
40
Hir seing singlie valkand at the schoir,
That of hir madinheed he hir frilie lems,
And left hir so vith chyld but proces moir:
Quhairvith hir father greuit vas so soir,
He kild his dochter but paternall stay,
Quhilk meed this pastor of Neptunus stoir
Becum his mortall ennemie for ay.
Strong ourks And Phoks And monsters euerie day
from seis he send his peuple till annoy,
Quhilks brocht his kingdom greatlie till decay.
Thay did not onlie bestiall distroy,
Bot men and vyfs mycht not thair lyfs InIoy,
Brochs, touns, and citeis, var beseidged about,
And euerie ane constraind to keip tham coy,
for to preserwe tham from this maryn rout.
Enarmed all thay dalie stuid in dout,
Thair fertill feildis var dishantit lang,
Quhill schersing help heirfro to be brocht out
Vnto thair god thay did deuoilie gang.
The reyttis done, The oracle than rang
This subsequent respons apertlie plaine,
That the remeed of this maist vofull vrang
Vas till assuadge Protheus great disdaine
In offring him ane virgin fair againe
from ane till ane, Quhill that is raidge did stay,
Na les of beutie than the former slaine;
So ans contentit vold he be for ay.
The fairest faces suffert first decay
Be sentence said in this mischiwos sort,
Ane beutie brycht present vas euerie day
To this Protheus, till abstract his tort,
Quhilks all susteind ane miserabill mort;
Ane hiddius ourk tham duilfullie deuord.
This law did lang thir landis lest athort.
O lustie ladeis, heir ȝour deth is schord,
for gif ȝour beuteis in thir bounds abord,
41
No mercie may thir menis mynds remord;
Vpon the riuage schers thay nycht and day
Sum fremmit face the perrell till assay;
Sum thay obteine be slycht, And sum be gaine,
Sum thay alluir, And sum thay raife away,
Vith this maist creuall coustume to be slaine;
Thay bussie pass both hautie hill, and plaine,
Sic neidfull prey for till prepair and find,
Quhill quhair the beutie peirles did remaine,
Ewen hir vith quhom the hermet vold haif sind,
Thay cam at last, And did hir firmlie bind.
O diwelische dome for sutche ane seimlie sant,
O frowart fortoune fickle, false, and blind!
Sall now ane monster hir devoir and dant
Quha from the Caldest Caucasus caust hant
Great Agrican to heittest part of ynd:
Hir that the half of Scythia meed vant
Thair lyfs for luife: And fers ferragus pynd:
Hir that the puissant Sacripant constrynd
To leife his velthie kingdome and renoune:
And vordie Roland till rin by his mynd,
And all the Orient turnit vpsyd doune?
So singlie now sall scho in sorrow soune
Bot one to giwe hir confort or relife.
Thay led hir captiwe bound vnto thair toune,
Quhill tym occurrit of this mad mischife;
Than to the monster vas scho brocht in brife,
Quhan thay of pitie haid sum space hir spaird,
Quhair all the peuple, follouing hir in grife,
Vith veping eis vpon hir beutie staird.
Quho may exprime the pitifull regaird,
The cair, the plaint, the clamor, and the mone,
Quhilk to the hichest heauenis percing raird,
Quhan scho vas cheingȝeit to the stabill stone,
Abyding deth bot help of onie one?
for routh I meruell nor the riuage rawe.
42
for verray vo I most the mateir lawe.
Quhat tygar veyld Or Serpent in the grawe
May sie or think, but pitie and lament,
fair Angelique all nakit as ane slawe
Link till ane rock to be deuord and rent?
O gif thy luifers knew, thay vold not stent
To giwe the ayde, Thocht vith extremest deed
Ten thousand tyms Thair bodie vold be bent
Vith hardie hart to mak the now remeed.
43
THE . 4 . CANT.
My plume Imprompt Quho sall perfytlie leedQuhilk so converts from curssit cair to cair?
Quho sall derect my dull forwayit heed
Vith douce Indytment deulie to declair
The grivous gronyngs And the sorrow sair
Of Roland rycht, to quhom I turne againe,
Quho dalie deis in dolor and dispair?
No kynd of rest may in his brest remaine
for egar grife quhilk grwsse in euerie vaine.
O Melpomene, now ayde my daȝed dyt,
And vith thy teirs fill vp my emptiwe braine,
His percing passions till explaine perfyt,
The scorching sychs, the sorrow, and the syt,
Quhilk so vith suerfs oursets his hardie hart,
All distitude of confort and delyt.
Sen tym his ladie did from him depart,
Nocht may remeed this deedlie dolorus dart,
Except Inspection of hir fragrant face.
for sorrow sad he seims to suelt and smart,
That so hir lost, Saying full oft “alace”!
In till his bed he turns from place to place,
Quhyls vp, Quhyls doune, Quhyls hither thair and heir,
Lyk as the schadow befoir Phebus face
Of tuynkling vattir casting clairlie cleir,
Or as the nocturne beams quhilk dois appeir
But rest ay reilling throch the glansing sky.
So Roland raidgeing for his ladie deir
44
Quhyls vold he birst out vith ane reuthfull cry,
And quhyls vith sobs supprest vold hold his pace,
Quhyls vold he fant, Quhyls vold he freise, and fry,
And quhyls vith teirs bebathe he vold his face,
Quhill pinching paine did pousse his speitche ane space
Vith tein, vith terror, torment, and dispyt,
Him self both cursing and his cairfull cace,
To froune, and fume, And in this form to flyt:
“O Thow my onlie darrest douce delyt,
And chefe berawar of my captiwe braine,
Vo vorth the tym that euir I did the quyt;
Vold God that hour I rather haid beine slaine,
for all the force of mychtie Charlemaine
Vas not of strenth to tak the from my hand.
Quhy vas I than so friuoll And so vaine
To rander the althocht he did command?
Quhy vold I not be battell first gainstand?
Quhy vold I not all force for the defy?
Quhy vold I not vith the haif left the land?
Quho mycht or sould haif keipit the as I?
No rycht excuse in to my part may ly.
My onlie luife, My ladie, and my lust
Gois single athort, quhilk maks my flesche to fry,
In my defalt disturbit soir I trust.
I viss my hart haid to the deth beine thrust
Quhan I departit from thy persone puir.
My lyfs releife, I haif occasion Iust
To die for dolour quhilk thow dois Induir.
As meikest lambe gois in the vods obscuir
Bot keipar suir vith vickit volfis fell,
So vanders thow, Quhois beutie vill alluir
Sum vith the flour of thy first fruite to mell;
Quhilk flour I sparit at thy chast repell,
Quhilk flour beraifs me of all erdlie thocht,
Quhilk onlie flour so maks my sorrow suell,
flour dew to me for I it darrest bocht;
45
Hiche vith the Gods quhilk mycht haife giwene me blis,
O famus flour vnto decay now brocht,
Quhow sall I liwe for to remember this?
This onlie flour was all that I did wis,
And vissing it I fretit nycht and day,
Now duilfull day to me that did it mis.
Mishappie man am I for euir and ay,
O vofull vycht, quhois veill is vent away.
for gif this fair fresche flour so feidit bie,
Doung doune in deipest doungeon of decay
Than do I stand, And rather craifs to die.
O god eterne, Convert this cair from me
As plesis the in onie vther pyn,
Sic deedlie dolor dow I navayis drie
But disperation and my saule to tyn.
Quhair art thow now, O lustie ladie myn,
My onlie help, And confort from all cair,
Moir dar to me than dytment may defyn?
Quhair slyds thy self so seimlie sueit and fair
But thy awne trusty Rolands pert repair
Plaine to protect thy proper persone suir?”
So said he, Syn in sorrow syching sair
Inclusit held the duill he did Induir
Vith cairfull corps consumd in canckerd cuir,
Quhill Morpheus displayed his slummering scheild
Abowe his brest, Quhilk partlie did alluir
His hawie hart And veping eis to ȝeild;
Ȝit thocht he sleips, his sleiping is no beild
from his consauit coustumabill cair.
He dremd he vas in ane fair fertill feild
At plesour sporting vith his luife preclair,
Bot barran both this feild becam and bair
Be bittir blast he thocht that boreas blew,
And vith that storme he lost his ladie fair,
And quhair scho gois no maner of vay he knew.
Vith reuthfull cryis he socht and did persew
46
Bot ay from him he thocht scho did eschew,
So that he cud hir navayis comprehend.
Ane vther voce, as he did wauering vend,
Pronuncit syn this sentence sad and Schort:
“Thy veilfair, Roland, now is at ane end,
Moir in this erth thow sall not Ioy nor sport.”
Now vith this vord from sleip he did resort,
His former vois beginning to renew:
“Helas,” thinks he, “my ladie suffers tort,
Quhill I hir sie no solace sall Insew;
The reed, the quhyt, the purpur, greine, and blew,
Heir I renounce, And euerie color fair,
for vofull vychts vold veir no variant hew;
Blak cleithe sould catifs cleine ourcum vith cair.”
from bed he bends, for he mycht byd na mair;
Blak vas his targe, blak vas his speir, and scheild,
And all in blak he dois him self prepair,
Vith truibill, teine, and trauell, tosd and teild.
Throche fellect fois that fumit fast in feild
Both grime and griwous but regard he gois
for till obteine his brychtest blisfull beild,
That sant celest supassing maist formois,
Desyring all thair knawledge to disclois,
Gif in thois bounds they haid hir beutie seine.
Thrie nychts and dayis he neuir did repois,
Bot tryis and spyis thair camp vith restless eine;
The narrest touns that syn adiacent beine,
The hils, the vails, the vods, and vildernes,
He bussie socht as Tygar full of teine
In dalie duyning dolor and distres.
Throch all the parts of france he past expres,
And throch Auuergne and Gasconie also,
Throch Prouance als he did his Iournay dress,
To Britannie and monie cuntreis mo,
Returning syn to Pycardie; thairfro
47
Quho may exprime the bussie sute and vo,
The langsum labor, And the vrgent paine,
Quhilk he susteind In stormie vind and raine,
The cumber clamor, And contineuall cair,
Vith tuynkling teirs from his tormentit braine,
All for the absence of his ladie fair?
It tedius var derectlie to declair
His vilsum vayis vent be sie and land,
Vith exploitis precelling but compair
Vrocht vith his vordie valȝant valurus hand.
Go, reid the histoir, ȝe sall vnderstand
Quhow from distres Olimpe he did restoir
first to hir Croune, And nixt quhan he hir fand
Round quhair ane monster cam hir to devoir,
Than hich abowe thois peuple grew his gloir,
Quhan thay beset him furius round about.
for as the Ours, The Sangleir, or the Boir,
Bald at the bay He stuid amyds the rout;
Nane durst assaill except vith skirll and schout,
Or stand adrich And at him dartis suak,
lyk hunters quhan the lyon Ischis out
for dreid of dainger fleing fast abak.
His sourd so snell Als thick did clinck and clak,
Quhair euir he verts his force And awfull face,
As Schour of hailstains rappan on the thak,
Or drums redoubling battell in that place.
Than no defens auaillit all the space,
His stalwart strenth so stoutlie did surmont,
Quhill euerie Chiftan tuik the feirfull chace.
Be onlie thraw of his victorius front
Both heir and thair At vill he dois tham hont,
And quhair he cums thair keinlie did he kill.
Nane docht Induir quhair Durandall did dont,
Not thow O Hector, Nor the fers Achill.
48
THE . 5 . CANT.
As painfull Pilgrim Pressing to fulfillHis Irksum Iournay passing to and fro
In dririe nycht, So I agains my vill
Dois stot and stummer in my mateir low:
I haif no vay quhairbe derect to go,
Bot as the vycht quho vanders vilsum blind
This vork of myn behuifs me schers it so;
Quhyls heir, Quhyls thair, Quhyls fordwart and behind,
The historie all Interlest I find
Vith syndrie sayings of so great delyt,
That singlie most I from the rest out spind,
As the vnskilfull prentes Imperfyt
Quho fyns the gould frie from the laton quyt.
No vonder thocht my vittis vaueruill;
In flowing feild of sic profound Indyt
My minschit meitir may bot mank and spill.
Ȝit as the painter stairing stedfast still
Vith trimbling hand his dracht perfyt to draw,
So Indevoir I vith my sklender skill
for to do better than my breath may blaw.
Accept guiduill, for I guidwill sall schaw
To fram so furth as I haif done Intend.
fair Angelique vas linckit as ȝe knaw
Close till ane rock hir vofull lyf to end,
As alabast statue Solitar suspend
Vith stabill eis Attending onlie deed.
The Ourk approtching be Protheus send
49
Quhan ewen abow hir at that Instand steed
knycht Rodger keine, on Hypogriphe quho flew,
Cam pricking doune but feir of onie feed
And did this dam vith diligence reskew.
Thocht palle perturbit vas hir heauenlie hew,
Hir glistring eis the dochtiest so dants,
That vith ane blink scho Rodger did subdew,
Sic seid of luife hir persone seine Implants,
Quhilk nakit vas, And no perfectione vants,
Resparsit vith hir gouldin hairs perfyt,
As Phebus beams in guidlie garding hants
On recent rosis And fresche lileis quhyt.
“Quhat crewall hart Inuenemit vith dispyt,”
Sayis he, “hes bound the to this frostie stone?
O doucest dame, thy body of delyt
Vith luiflie leessis sould be link alone.”
Hir cumlie corps, as he did thus propone,
for seimlie schame reed sprinklit mycht be seine,
lyk vermell paintit on the Iwore bone,
Or cramsie silk in satine quhyt and cleine.
His royall ring giwen be his ladie scheine
The sam he placit on hir fingar fair;
Quho It possest Inwisebill thay beine,
Quhan in thair mouth thay buir this ring preclair;
It haid also ane vther virtew rair,
All sorcerie It did extinguise plaine,
So that be It one harmles mycht repair
Of varlow vitche or vickit visione vaine.
The peruers brunnell be his subtill braine
This Ring befoir from Angelique did steile,
And the magnifique Bradamant againe
Reft it from him, Auld Atlant till asseile,
Quhan he Inchantit held hir luifer leile
This foirsaid Rodger captiwe In ane tour.
Syn, quhan his former fortitude did feile
Be byding lang in vickit Alcins bour,
50
Be prudent Melisse, Quha from thence him brocht;
And he preserwed it ay vnto this hour,
Quhill torche of luif now in his hart so vrocht,
That fyre heirof throch all his bodie socht,
And him vpkendlit in ane glowing gleid;
This nakit figure so bereft his thocht,
Quhair ewerie beutie did his fancie feid.
So Rodger raeid, Reiosing as I reid,
Vith this Diana dressit him behind
On Hypogriphe, auancing hich vith speid,
As falcon fair suift fleing in the vind,
Espying quhair sum proper part to find
To raipe the fruite of this his conquest gaine.
Sic birnand brands his bowdin brest did bind,
The moir delay, The moir Agments his paine;
Vith luiflie luiks quhilk he culd not refraine
Oft blinks he bak, And softlie did hir kis;
And seing syn ane situat plesand plaine,
Vith Iofull hart doune he discends in this,
Quhilk montans circuat round as he culd wis
And flurist treis quhairon the birds did sing,
Resembling rycht ane Paradice of blis,
And in the myds ane fontan fair did spring.
from Hypogriphe that did tham hither bring
Thay lycht, And left him linkit at ane staik.
Now Rodger heir single vith this ladie ȝing,
Vncled befoir him quhytter than the laik,
No vonder thocht fair Bradamant his maik
pass from his mynd be sutche ane seimlie sycht.
Quho mycht refraine now for this ladie saik
To mont aloft vith all his members tycht?
Not thow Ȝenocret froisin sillie vycht,
This traine of luif thy continence vold rawe.
Than Rodger birning for hir beutie brycht
So bendit beine, he mycht not byd to crawe
51
Bot be bald battrie vold the blockhouse tak.
The percebill primp port he did persawe,
Quhairof preparing till vpclose the chak,
Both scheild and corslat from him did he suak,
His haberȝsone and harneis all vith speid,
Quhilk as ane barrier held his baȝon bak;
No meruell thocht the fortres schouk for dreid.
Now Angelique eschaming at this neid
Vith eis derectit on hir bodie quhyt
The ring quhilk vrocht so monie vondrus deid
Scho did persawe; And raueist with delyt
Scho knew it veill: And als it vas not quyt
Of vertew great quhilk in it did consist;
from hand till hand scho subtelie perfyt
In till hir mouth it catchit or he vist.
As fyrie glem extinguist at ane flist,
Or glance of Phebus glorius gouldin face
Maist suddan schaddowit vith ane cloud of mist,
So scho evanist from him in that place.
He sychit soir full oft And said “alace,”
far circumvenit quhair he did confid.
Thair did he gaise, Thair did he plaine ane space,
And scho valks vandrand void of vordie gyd,
Quhair vayis vas vilsum vithin voddis vyd,
As Naturall Nymphe, Or lucine lampe of lycht,
Quhill scho approtchd sum Pastors thair besyd,
Quho gaif hir fuid And clothing as thay mycht.
Thocht hir Array did laik the Rubeis brycht
In former fassone set on silks anew,
Quhilk scho vith perle and pretius stonis pycht
Vmquhyle possest of euerie sort and hew,
Quhyt, purpur, sanguine, cramsie, broune, and blew,
Orange, Incarnat, ȝallow, reed, and greine,
Ȝit in this habit pastorall scho schew
The countinance of Emperese Or Queine.
52
Neera brycht, And Calista formois,
Nane of ȝow all so beutifull hes beine
As scho quha heir amongs the schiphirds gois.
In this estait now finds scho maist repois,
In this estait now valks scho saif and frie,
In this estait scho singlie dois reiois;
lang may scho liwe in this estait for me.
Hir sacred Ring Scho dois posses and sie,
Quhilk from Inchantment is preseruatiwe,
And quhan scho lyks Invisebill to bie,
Scho harmles hants, No persone may hir griwe.
Now for ane space from hir I tak my liwe,
And to Comte Roland vill returne againe,
Confessing oft sic mateir till Imbriwe
Vaeik is the vigor of my viddrit vaine.
53
THE . 6 . CANT.
Quhair luife dois Reule No Resone may refraine,Luife for na stres vill lawe his ladie deir,
Thocht dew desert for fauor find disdaine,
Ane luifer leile vill constant perseueir,
As be the sequell plainlie sall appeir
Of hiche renownit Roland quhom I sing;
Quhom nether vinter sesone of the ȝeir,
Great painfull perrels, Nor contrarius thing
Mycht ons againe from former sute him bring;
Bot day and nycht vith ardent deip desyre
for till obteine his luiflie ladie ding
He trauell tuik And at no tym vold tyre,
for force and flame of luifis feruent fyre
So brint in bosume of his secret thocht,
That nether vit nor pouer mycht Impyre,
Bot ay his fancie flowing vas afflocht.
In euerie part Insatiantlie he socht,
Both far, and nar, feild, forrest, hill, and plaine;
As Saddest ceres, Quhan tuo firs scho brocht
To Vulcans fyre, Quhilk did tham so constraine
Incendit thair ay birning to remaine,
Than for na panis did hir persone spair,
In chariot set, Quhilk Serpents but disdaine
Drew eueriquhair, To schers hir dochter fair
Throch buss, And bra, broks, burns, And bankis bair,
Throch all the erth, And seis from end till end;
Sin in this vorld quhan scho culd schers na mair,
54
So Roland na les villing did pretend
To find againe the Rubie of Renoune
Throch Italie vith vonderfull commend;
Quhan he all france haid compast vp and doune,
As Mychtie Monarck boldlie did he boune,
All Almanie he past apertlie plaine
By monie valey, vildernes, and toune,
And all the seis of libia And Spaine;
To Castillon both new and auld againe
He restles raeid on Bridedor his steid:
Thir vayis I wat he neuir vent in vaine
Vith ydle hand Bot doing dochtie deid,
Thocht Inexprimit as thay did succeid,
To lycht vitnes neuir cam his ak,
for quhy him self so secret vas I reid,
Thocht lairge he did, he neuir amplie spak,
So that the most part is obscuird abak
Of all his vorschip vin this vinter last.
Bot quhan brycht Tytan did his cours vptak
Abowe the Bull vpdrying stormes past,
And Ȝephir suawe vith bonie bousum blast
Reuerts againe the blomit branchis greine,
Quhan herbs and flours aboundant dois vpcast
Sueit sauorus smell in sop all soupit scheine,
The pruifs Immortall than of Roland beine
Vpspringing vith the verduir of the ȝeir.
Now as he pansiwe raeid vith stabill eine
In entring at ane forrest did he heir
Ane reuthfull cry. Vith speid he spurd to speir
The menyng of that pitifull complent.
Ane horssit knycht than till him did appeir,
And in his armes ane proper pucelle gent,
Quhamvith perforce trottane away he vent.
Scho quhyns, Scho schrinks, Scho vreyis, Scho vips for vo,
And vith maist dolorus semblant and lament
Imploirs the Comte to saif hir from hir fo.
55
for scho resemblit Angelique preclair,
His onlie luife And goddes vexit so;
He seis hir vult, He seis hir ȝallow hair,
Hir heawenlie eis precelling bot compair,
Quhilk from myd ceinter of his brest in baille
haid reft his hart; No longer mycht he spair,
Vith horrabill voce the knycht he dois appaille,
And full of furie feruent till assaille
Drew Durandall As ane Inraidgeit man.
Bold Bridedor, that did him neuir faille,
As thunder thuds vith quhiddrand reard he ran.
The one dois flie, The vther ferss began
To follow fast As euir falcon flew.
The rocks, The reuers, and the forrests thane,
Resoundit all for din and clamor new.
Vith great manasse ay did he pert persew,
Bot ȝit culd not to his desyre attaine,
for suift as vind the vther dois eschew,
Quhill till ane palice he did Roland traine,
Quhair lang he schersit thair his luif in vaine,
for be Inchantment to him did appeir
That in that building scho haid done remaine.
Quhyls vp, Quhyls doune, he seis hir thair and heir,
Vith pitius speitche Saying, “approtche my deir,
Speid and supplie thy onlie paramour.”
Beliwe ȝe veill that than he vas not sueir,
Bot butt and ben he bends from bour to bour,
Vp turnpyks, turats, And from tour to tour,
He restles ran all resonles begyld.
Vithin thois vals vyd vandrand euerie hour
The Iwill Inchantor so deteind him syld,
Vith monie mo of staluart knychts so styld,
As Ariost in hich and vordie verse
The circumstance moir copius hes compyld
Than I may retche vith rasche and ruid reherse.
Stout Sacripant And fell ferragus ferse
56
The false Illusion lykuayis did them perse,
Thay all presumit till obteine hir thair.
Quhan thay ascend, thay sie hir dounvart fair,
Quhan thay cum doune, thay sie hir vp againe,
And ay approtching, thay find void and bair
The part quhair scho apperit to remaine:
Quhow soone thay Irkit or consawed disdaine,
To tham againe appeird hir fragrant face
And socht supplie; than mycht thay nocht refraine,
Bot dois commence thair coustumabill chace.
So thay abaid all vitchit in this place
Be Atlants nigromancicale Inwent,
Quhill Angelique persawed thair cairfull cace,
As I sall schaw in maner subsequent.
57
THE . 7 . CANT.
Precelling Spreits of Iowe the dochters gent,Apollos Sisters that on Pernass sports,
from fragrant feilds Quhair freschlie ȝe frequent
Supplie me vith ȝour pithie prompt reports.
Ȝe that all cunnyng creaturs conforts
Sum polite propos for my pen prepair,
Quhilk now againe to Angelique resorts.
Blaw in my braine Sum of ȝour holsum air,
Quhilk flows about the famus fontane fair
Of the renownit heauenlie helecone,
Vith dytment douce derectlie to declair
The present plat Quhilk pithles I compone.
I haif exprest quhow Angelique alone
from dochtie Rodger in disert hir drest,
And to sum pastors thair besyd hes gone,
Quhair for ane space this ladie tuik sum rest,
Quhill feruent ȝeill hir hautie hart possest
for to returne in hir paternall land.
Concluding so Scho did esteme it best
That ether Roland, quho vold stoutlie stand,
Or Sacripant, hir luifer at command,
In this hir vilsum voyage lairge and lang
Sould hir conduct, That thair maist hardie hand
Hir persone passing mycht preserue frome vrang.
Ane horse scho fand the schiphirds thair amang,
Syn sped hir throw the flurist feildis fair
By monie citie, toune, And castell strang,
58
Thame haifing all lyk egale in compair.
for nane scho vold in speciall elect,
Bot onlie socht thair conwoy, And na mair,
from perrels plaine hir pertlie to protect,
Refelling all thair fauor in effect.
As brasin bow quhilk vill not bendit bie,
Hir staitlie spreit vill not to luif derect
for onie cair hir cumbrit corps may drie.
So veying thame in equale ballance frie,
Scho schortlie past both forrest, hill, and plaine,
Quhill Scho approtchd be verray chance to sie
The part quhair all the knychtis did remaine,
Most bussie sutting vith perturbit braine
Ane fenȝeit figure be Inchantment drest.
Rycht veill scho spyis the friuole visione vaine,
And all the maner quhow thay var molest,
for quhy hir ring all sorcerie supprest,
Quhilk in hir mouthe schortlie did Inclois.
Amongs tham spying syn as lyks hir best,
And frie of feir Invisebill scho gois,
Long space auysing quhom for gyd to chois.
for this effect the vordiest conding
Scho dois desyre among the sort of thois
That Sold obey hir best in euerie thing.
Scho knew Comte Roland of all knychtheed spring
for to defend hir vas maist strong and stout;
Bot Sacripant hir awne Circassian king
Ay at hir vill Scho mycht him turne about;
By all the rest heirfoir scho socht him out
Hir cheif Conductor for to be erect,
for quhan Scho finds hir fred againe of dout,
As plesit hir scho mycht him ay reiect;
Bot gif scho vold Comte Roland ons elect,
His feruent flame effectionat and fell
Of veirray force behuift to tak effect;
No vayis Nor vaeills his panis mycht expell,
59
for frustrat fauor vith refuise befoir,
That kyndlie Cupid knew scho keine vold kneill
The douce desyrit dint but proces moir.
To Sacripant heirfoir as gleme of gloir
Scho turning than from mouth hir ring abstraks;
Hir portrature him perst throch euerie poir,
In hir persute vith speid he passage taks.
Scho presuppond the rest haid turnd thair baks
And not persawed hir quhair scho did appeir;
Bot Sic ane glance of lycht hir beutie maks,
As Phebus face Quhan it dois scheine most cleir;
Than all the knychts began as Boirs to beir
To horse and harneis dressit but delay.
Now in this palice no thing sould ȝe heir
But hiddius din for diligence that day.
Quho mycht be formest, formest sprent away;
Gif Roland raeid, ferragus ferslie ran,
And Sacripant Quho thocht no tym to stay
Vith speid he spurrit As ane furius man.
Ane suddan chace thus meruelus began,
So that thay did fair Angelique constraine,
All in ane troupe approtching to hir thane,
To place the ring vithin hir mouth againe.
And from hir former thocht scho dois refraine,
Now nane of thir vith hir scho craifs to bie,
Desyrus navayis oblist to remaine,
Bot rather of tham all alyk go frie.
Ȝit Scho ane space abaid besyd to sie
Thair countinance; As hongrie honds agast
Quhane hontit haeir escaips be turnyng slie,
So stuid thay stairing quhan hir presence past:
Or as blind pilots plast behind the mast
To spy the Pol, And may no thing persawe,
Als stupifact full monie vayis thay cast
In hir persute, Quha smyld to sie tham rawe.
Thane fers ferragus, Quho mycht hautie hawe
60
Began agains the vther tuo and strawe,
Reuerting to thame so vith manlie mycht.
“Desist,” sayis he, “sute not my ladie brycht,
Reteir or doutles ȝe sall schortlie die,
for certanlie I vill admit no knycht
for compaignon to scherse my luife vith me.”
Ȝit thocht he buir his glorius heed rycht hie,
Ane helm he laikit be ane former wow
Nane to posses Quhill that he conquest frie
The helmet fyn on Aufull Rolands brow.
The Comte he cryis, “maist beistlie bodie thow,
Var not it mycht sumpart my honor spot
To chasteis the so but ane Armet now,
I sould thois vords ding bakuart in thy throt.”
The proud espangol Ansuerd, “Thow dois dot
To cair for it Quhairof no cuir I tak,
for but ane helm, I sall in euerie Iot
Agains ȝow tuo Approwe quhat euir I spak.
Die sall ȝe both Or schortlie turne abak.”
“Helas,” quod Mychtie Roland to the king,
“Spair him thy helm that I may vork his vrak,
And all this folie from his furie bring.”
Sayis Sacripant, “that var ane fulische thing,
My force is na les vordie than thy awne
To dant the daftnes of ane fole maling.
Gif him thy helm, It sall be schortlie schawne.”
Subioins ferragus, “folis both veill knawne,
Gif plesit me ane heid peice to posses,
I mycht albeit of baith ȝour bragin blawne
Bereft ȝour helms And meed ȝour courage les.
Bot on my heed I neuir ane sall dres
Quhill that my solempn vow accomplist beine
In the obtening of the helme expres
Quhilk Roland beirs. The Staitlie paladeine.”
The Comte than Smyling sayis, “Art thow so keine
61
Quhilk vmquhyls he at Aspermont in teine
To Argolant sone did Quhan the helm he gat?
No, no, not so, Bot rather veill I vat,
Gif thow beheld him ons in to the face,
Vith speid thow vold repent the of thy plat.”
from heid till heile all trimbling in that place,
The vanteur Spangard vousting all the space,
Sayis, “I cognosce be pruif the contrare plaine,
for tym hes beine quhan Roland purchest pace
At my sourd poynt, Quhilk did him so constraine
That in my vill not onlie did remaine
His foirsaid helm (Quhilk than I vold not tak)
Bot all his armeur mycht haif beine my gaine,
Gif I haid plesit disposses his bak;
So than as now my vow vas not coak,
Quhilk seing him I esie may fulfill.”
The Pithie Paladine Than but patience spak,
“false smatchet smaik, knaiwe, loune, loud liar still,
Quhat part or cuntrie chancit this In till?
Vith vapnis quhan haid thow sic martiall mycht?
I am that man of quhom thow vaunts at vill,
Suppoist be the far from thy present sycht.
Tak gif thow dar my birnist Armes brycht,
Quhilk on this trie betuix vs I append,
Not crawing vantage to mainteine my rycht,
Bot bairheed both Quho may meist sall be kend.”
Out Durandal than hints he vith ane bend,
And furius fers As flame of feruent fyre
The fell ferragus forst him to defend.
No hasard mycht his hardiment exspyre,
Vith austeir luik birnand for Inwart yre,
His sourd he drew, And with his tairge him cled.
Thair dochtie hands than draife vith deip desyre
Schairpe sousing skelps So splentis skattrit spred.
As Bustius Boir In vildernes lang fed
62
Quhilk finds him self at strait and heitlie bled,
Bends vp his birss And vill the bargan byd,
So fers ferragus fumyng at that tyd
Claife all aschunder quhair his glawe did lycht;
He ryfs, he breaks, And percis to the hyd
The nails and mailȝeis forgit fyn and brycht.
Bot as ane tour maist vicht and suirlie pycht,
That byds the brasche, And may not branglit bie,
Als strong and stabill vas the Paladein knycht,
Or lyk ane rock firm situat in the sie,
Sustening stres of stormie stouris hie,
Not caring force of wattrie bowdin Iaws;
So he resists, And strak als egarlie
As quhan seuerest thuds of Boreas blaws
On flurist flours And all thair blossoms maws.
So hakkit heir hard hammerit harneis flew,
Quhair dintis dour of Durandal he draws,
Sic schairing schairpe strong steile soone sparplit schew.
Great vonder vas thair vraithe so vod to wew,
Bot Sacripant in this myd tym addrest
To schers his maistres as ane luifer trew,
Tham leifing both in maner thus molest,
So that alon fair Angelique did rest
Than present thair this spectacle to spy,
Vnseine in sort as I haif els exprest.
And farder ȝit desyrus for to try
Quhat thay vold do gif that the helm tham by
Var from thair sycht conwoyit in this cace,
Sen ether vther for it did defy,
In sport scho thocht to tak it for ane space.
Heirvith possest ane quhyle in to that place
Abaising on thair boldnes did scho byd,
Syn from tham both reuerting thence hir face
But saying vord vith diligence did ryd,
Supposing alwayis so for to prouyd
63
The knychtis keine so plinist var vith pryd,
And in sic raidge and rancor restles strawe,
That far thairfra thair luife haid done tham lawe
Or thay did miss the foirsaid helmet fyn.
ferragus first for it began to crawe,
And start abak, Saying, “our tym ve tyn,
Sen that the guerdon for the quhilk ve pyn
The vther knycht be slycht hes taine away.
He being past, quhat gains the victor syn?
O Subtelie hes he delt vith vs tuay.”
The Comte for vraith haid not ane vord to say,
Quhan on the brainche he did his eis erect,
Bot vith The spangard tuik the radie vay
To chace the knycht Quhom thay did both suspect.
It langsum var to schaw ȝow in effect
Quhow thay at last dissouering fordwart sped:
The Comte he chancit on the trasse derect
Quhilk The Circassian vith his horse haid tred:
The ladeis vent againe ferragus fred,
Quhill he approtchit quhair scho did repois,
At ane fair fontan cleir And cumlie cled
Vith holsum herbs and flurist flours formois.
The Sarrasein than raueist did reiois,
Hir till obteine he sped at vtter mycht,
Bot but delay the ring scho did vpclois
In till hir mouth And wanist from his sycht.
Departing thair scho loist the armet brycht,
Quhilk, schersing hir, ferragus did obteine,
And buir it ay quhill that the paladein knycht
Reft it againe, And slew This pagan keine.
O vofull vandrit now this ladie scheine,
That so haid loist the helm, for haist to flie.
Scho sayis, “helas, I vtherwayis did meine
Than meed this meschant spangard speid to me.
I onlie tuik it till mak tham aggrie,
64
In randring it vnto The Comte als frie
As ofbefoir he did the sam posses.”
Lamenting so Scho did hir Iournay dres
Derectlie to the Orient againe
Alon but gyd, And plainlie dois profes
In vontit sort to beir luife at disdaine.
65
THE . 8 . CANT.
Perturbit Prence Opprest vith pansiwe paine,Thy dochtines And dolor do I dyt.
Quho sall supplie me promplie till explaine
Thy duyning dayis denud of all delyt,
Vith puissant peirles exploitis perfyt
Vrocht all this tyme vnto this hich commend?
I do bot mix the poppill vith guid quhyt,
The one, or vther, ether till Intend.
Ȝit sen I haif Sic perrels past and pend
In the saif conduict of his Grace to pass,
Quho pouer hes my propos to defend,
Thocht skairse it vey the valeur of ane fass,
The rest I sall compact it in ane mass
Vith nales speid than this my pen may sprent.
My versis vauers, And my braine is bass,
Lang bendit byding at this lybell bent,
Quhilk new effect againe dois represent.
Ane vther helm the Compte hes done prouyd,
And in his ladies quest so bussie vent
That in no part he permanent vold byd.
Sueit vas the seson, And the feildis vyd
At Instant tym did all In flouris fleit,
Quhan that approtching Paris he did ryd,
Beseidgeit than about in euerie streit,
Quhair vondrus signe of his magnanime spreit
Appirit plainlie at his passing by.
Quhat potent prowess in him vas repleit
66
Throch all the camp vprais the cairfull cry,
And euerie man amaȝed vas about,
Quhan that the Valȝant Alciode did ly
Deed bullerand in his bluid all busching out
At the first dint of this our Chiftan stout.
The companeis did than till armeur rin
On horss and fute vith monie suddan schout
And syndrie vapnis for to hold him In,
As quhan ane troup of porcks vith hiddius din
from hautie montan dounvart dois discend,
Vith grewous gruntling quho may formest vin,
Quhan volf or tygar from cauern dois bend,
And taks thair ȝoungling quhilk may not defend,
Bot plains and quhryns vith pitius bruit and beir,
Quhilk girls the rest maist egarlie to tend
for sum reuenge: So all the peuple heir
Agains The paladeine pertlie dois compeir,
Befoir, behind, and vpon euerie syd;
Thay boist and strick Quhill in his hawbert cleir
Ane thousand vapnis fastnit at that tyd:
Bot he, quho boldlie did the bargan byd
Vith glansing glawe in till his dochtie hand,
The grossest speirs aschunder did deuyd
As sempill reids: Soone than the formest fand
The pesant vecht of his victorius brand,
Guuernd be vigor of his hardie hart,
Quhilk at assay did stout and stabill stand
But onie feir of force or fyrie dart.
Both hoit and pertlie in till euerie part
Amongs the preise he proudlie did persew,
Quhill heaps of men vnto the deed did smart,
And all the feilds in bluid bebathit schew.
Vith trimbling terror than vas skrychs anew
for till eschew this varior of renoune.
Heeds, spalds, arms, thies, and legs, dissouerit flew
from metelit bluidie bodies tumbling doune;
67
Mycht the redoubling dochtie dints defend,
Quhair he as Mars on Brededor did boune
Vith thundring sourd quhilk thiklie did discend.
Sum part heirof in my first cant I pend
for Introduction: Bot I laik the loir
To schaw at lenth his martiall commend
Obtenit heir vith hich Immortall gloir.
for as fell thunder dois strong montans toir,
And maks the erth and firmament to quell,
Renwersing rocks vith ruid and rumling roir,
And passand throch the elements pelmell,
So force and furie of this knycht vas snell
Amongs the rout mertchant from place to place.
Sum did he kill, And sum he did compell
fast for to flie from his audatius face.
As litill lambe, The quhilk haid sein percace
The Radgeing lyon In ane bocage greine
Ryfe and deuoir hir mother in that place
Vith bluidie mouth And fyrie creuale eine,
Vill, till eschew the bittir beist in teine
As it best may, fast skip away vith speid,
Absconding it in busse not to be seine;
So all this barborus sort dismayde vith dreid
Did flie confustlie at this Instant neid.
Sum quyts his sourd, And sum dois leif his lance,
And sum abiects thair helm And harneist veid
In vods and strenths vith speid for till awance,
Tham self conwoying from this crewale chance.
And he, firm following fast as fyrflacht fell,
Vith bluidie brand amyds the rout did glance,
Quhill nane of all appirit to rebell.
This being done heir mycht he no moir duell
for deip and ancient vond of amorus smart,
Quhilk so aboundant in his brest did suell
That it constraind him in the sute depart
Of hir againe quha did posses his hart.
68
Be mychtie merit in till ewerie part
Obtenit he, And euir moir and moir
His hautie honor deulie did decoir.
It var prolixt gif I at lenth vold tell
Quhow his miraculus mycht did weill restoir
The pudic lustie virgin Isobell,
Quha doloruslie did vith the brigans duell
In close cauerne, quhill that he brocht hir out
And vincust all thois bludie boutchers fell,
Quho lyk bold barbats bendit him about.
(Bot to declair mair amplie of this rout,
As Ariost my author dois report,
Sum lyncht, Sum gleyid, Sum haid ane keppand snout,
Vith luik obscuir And phisnomie detort.)
O, In quhat neidfull tym did he resort,
And saift the valȝant ȝerbin from the deed,
Doune dompting all that multitude at schort,
Quhilks buir this Strong renownit knycht at feed.
At Instant hour in dowbill sort remeed
He randrit him, for quhy this ladie fair,
Quham he from brigans dochtelie did leed,
Vas onlie luif vnto this prence preclair,
Quho than resauit now this beutie rair.
O, quhow audatius terrabill and keine
Did he vith Mychtie Mandricard repair.
O strange and crewall combat tham betueine.
Thay both abound in to sic prydfull teine,
That thair maist pithie speris vith ane crak
At the first chok fla spelkit on the greine;
So it behuift for at that suddan clak
Thair bodies bold no thing recuild abak.
And now thir tuo dois vapinles remaine,
for Mandricard na sourd in hand vold tak
Be solempn vow from his presumptius braine,
Quhill Durandall he haid obtenit plaine.
69
He hang it frilie for the victors gaine
Vpon ane trie quhill pruif thair prowess schew.
Thair ardent yre did moir and moir renew,
And thay haif no thing bot thair hardie hands
To end combat: So vechtie newels threw
Brawe birnist plaits breaking thair boucklit bands:
Lang battrit both thir knychtis bold but brands,
Quhill Interlest thay strictlie strawe at last,
And ether vther stiff as steile gainstands;
Thay suak and poulsis to and fro full fast.
As Iupiter Strong Antheon did cast,
To do the lyk This Pagan did suppone,
Bot all in vaine; Our Chiftan not agast
Sat stabill suir As strenthie vall of stone,
And brest to brest so bruist him euerie bone,
Quhill of his brydle he no cuir did tak,
Quhilk Roland hintit from his horse anone,
Supposing soone to cause him fall and wrak.
Bot ȝit the vther be him stoutlie stak,
And pertlie puls the Comte, quho vold not fald,
So that his girddis vas constraind to crak.
The freinles horse no langer tarie vald,
Bot hence he rinnis vith his maister bald:
The vther knycht behuiffit to prepair
Againe his sadle: So as I haif tald
Thay did dissouer now but proces mair.
Bot the precelling Paladeine preclair
In sutting him vith diligence did tend
Quhair thair occurs sic cursit canckerd cair,
That for ane space my spreit abhorrs to pend.
70
THE . 9 . CANT.
I turne againe the fatall veird till endOf Angelique, Quha dois to luife resist,
Quhois fyrie force the fellest may offend,
Thair dournes dompting vith his amorus mist.
The strongest men, deificat and blist,
Hes law Inclynit till his luiflie laws.
O, than excuise this ladie or scho vist
Quha nar approtching to the dainger draws.
Ȝit I except all thois quho reson knaws
And may protect tham be that puissant scheild;
Thocht we be veak, as pruife maist amplie schaws,
Grace may guuerne ws for to vin the feild.
Bot we sould not our self esteme for beild
To beir this Mychtie monarck at disdaine;
Quho pryds tham so perchans may suddan ȝeild,
Quhan thay suppois at fredome to remaine.
Exemples monie occupies my braine
This till appruife be pretticks plainlie past,
Bot tham I pass, And onlie vill explaine
Quhow thrallit vas this ladie at the last;
Quhilk all rebelling brests may mak agast,
That dois agains the links of luife contend;
Thocht one thair be quho sits in hichest mast,
Ane traine may cum to mak his flycht discend.
Sum vill perhaps think this ourpertlie pend,
Quhois musing mynds my menir may not meis;
I cair no thing thocht Rurall Pan offend,
Gif I do veill my Brycht Apollo pleis,
71
Hich to Pernasse, thocht vthers it deiect,
And euerie courtas cunnyng reidar eis,
Quhan he vith proper gillit pen correct
All miss sall mend, Quhilk I haif done neglect.
Thir vrigling werse Than plaine sall pass perfyt,
Quhilk to my mateir tends againe derect,
Indewlie daschit be my dullit dyt.
The lustie Peirles Angelique maist quhyt,
Of gyd now quyt, Bent in hir Iournay ryds;
Quha of hir ring hes vonderful delyt,
And be great vertew of the sam confyds
To pass alon saife quhair hir father byds;
for quhan scho lyks no creature hir knaws.
So quhylis seine, And quhyls vnseine, scho slyds
Throche flurist feilds And seimlie schaddowit schaws,
Detesting vyce of all venerian laws,
Quhill that the Amorus goddes fround for yre,
And Cupid keine vith wraith his visage thraws
So for to sie ane vorldis vycht Impyre.
He and his mother both thay do conspyre
Abowe this dame to be superior,
And hir Inflamd vith furius feruent fyre,
Quhilk spred hir throche all parts Interior
for luife onlie of ane Inferior,
Quho in the vod lay vondit to the deed,
And was no valȝant vordie verior
To beir the croune of laurell on his heed.
O Angelique, quhais fame begins to feed,
The quhilk sa lang hes flurist far and fair,
I do lament thir lothsum lyns to leed
Of thy betrappit persone in this snair.
Thy luifers all And Chastetie preclair
Quhy sould thow for ane sempill suldart lois?
Quhair is thy prudence now to mak the spair
Thy vanton will so schortlie to disclois?
Thow puls the vyd And leifs the fragrant rois;
72
The gouldin lyn, helas, quhy dois thow lois
To catche ane frog And tyns the perle but peir?
The Troiane Creseid thow presentis heir,
Quhais treuth to Trustie Troyalus vas pycht;
Scho for ane king did chainge hir luifer deir.
Bot thow elects ane vofull sempill vycht,
Quhois puir oppressit persone deedlie dycht
Vith pitius ie thy presens dois espy,
As Tisbie did Sir Pirramus hir knycht,
Quhair Scho persawed him deedlie bleiding ly.
73
THE . 10 . CANT.
FAIR ANGELIQVE No longer may defyThe schot seueir quhilk thrals hir hautie hart;
The lord of luife victoriuslie dois cry
On all the gods to sie this ladie smart,
Quha pullith holsum herbs in euerie part
To stem the bleiding of hir luifer new,
Imploying all hir diligence and art
At vtter mycht his lyf for to reskew,
Reiosing so in his sanguinian hew
As Philles of Demophoon haid delyt,
Or Ariadne quhan Scho pitie schew
On Theseus from deth his lyf to quyt.
Quhat sall I say? Quhat sall I do Indyt?
Moir amorus vas not Medea seine
Of gentill Iasons luiflie vult perfyt,
Quhan Scho beheld the beutie of his eine,
Nor vas this ladie, deiplie vondit greine
Of this diseissit deedlie manglit man,
All brint in baile. As Dido duilfull queine,
Quhan scho socht counsele at hir sister An
Concerning both the cumlines and clan
Of hir Ene, Quhomvith scho thocht to mell,
So Angelique Is vext as scho vas than
Vith restles thochts And may thame not expell.
Both hote and cauld, Vith feuir new and fell,
In syndrie sorts assoupit dois scho smart,
And ȝit hir sorrow all in ȝeill did suell
74
Moir pain for him than for hir propir part
Vith dowbill pains Scho painfull dois posses,
And moir and moir Ingrawed the fyrie dart
As he in bewtie moir did conueles;
The lyf maist chast, the quhilk scho did profes,
Hir faithfull freinds, hir fredome, and hir fame
Scho lossis quyt for luife of him expres,
This Ganymede that Medor hecht to name.
Syn at the last laying asyd all schame,
Sic pinching paine did poulse hir percit hart,
Quhill for to sute scho did esteme na blame
Ane suggurit syrop till assuadge hir smart.
So dammest vas scho vith the foirsaid dart,
That be support of sum puir pastors thair
Scho tenderlie convoyd him from that part,
And in ane bowhouse vith him meed repair
Tuo moneths space, quhair scho no pains did spair
Him to restoir, And quhan his vonds decayt,
As snaw dissolwes, So scho consumd in cair,
Persauing him vith beuteis all arrayt.
Scho duils and duyns that he so lang delayt
To crawe the banquet quhilk prepaird abeed,
And be all moyens possibile assayt
Quhow that scho mycht in luifis leice him leed.
The curling ȝallow hair vpon his heed
Scho Interteind vith hir maist tender hand,
And stairing on his beutie quhyt and reed
All stupifact as statue dois scho stand.
No velth awails except scho fauor fand,
Hir ferturit flesche dois for effection fry,
Constraind to say, “I am at ȝour command,
Virk as ȝe vill I do ȝow mercie cry;
luif, langor, lust, and all dois on me ly
Beset vith sorrow as ȝour eis may sie
Sen first I did ȝour portrateur espy;
75
O puissant Paladeins, thocht ȝe peirles bie,
Now serwes for nocht ȝour fortitude and mycht;
The great distres and dolor ȝe did drie
Vas ay disdaind bot now estemde maist lycht.
O Roland stout, Thou rather lose thy sycht
Than to persawe quhow this succes Increst.
O valȝant king of circassie this nycht
Thow art depryuit of all erdlie rest;
Thy vasall lyf It may no longer lest,
Thow art bot deed for veirray amorus yre.
Renounit Rennawlt, vith great paine opprest,
lost is the sueit sould slaik thy deip desyre.
ferragus, flammyng all in luifis fyre,
Quenchd is the spring that may thy murning meise.
Sic pitifull spreit thy ladie dois Inspyre,
That Medor to hir fragrant garding geise
And dois hir prime Rose be the ruit vpreise;
At plesour planting in hir fertill feild
He saws his seid, And eits the fruite at eise,
Quhilk neuir man befoir him self haid teild.
Quhyls in his armes Scho dois hir bodie ȝeild
Vith rosie reed gilting hir visage quhyt,
And quhyls hir mouthe abyds bebathd and beild
On his tuo lips preportionat perfyt.
Quhyls scho resaifs, And quhyls scho dois requyt
The luiflie sound assaultis soft and sueit;
As tender delicat daseis of delyt
Vith bodies Ionit plesandlie thay meit;
Thir persone both vith proper sports repleit,
Bair of all baile, Abounding into blis,
In luiflie liquor lustelie did fleit
And onlie raueist vith the Ioy of this.
So Medor now possessith at his vis
Bot onie merit or occasion Iust
The Recompans Quhilk campions did mis,
76
He fauor finds, Thay die for luife and lust,
The hiche triumphe quhilk did thair stait decoir
Is disapoynt And of na grace may gust,
For Medor gains the guerdone and the gloir,
Quho hes his ladie radie him befoir
In euerie thing bent till assuadge his smart.
He onlie reuls hir thochts but proces moir,
Hir saull, hir lyfe, hir bodie, and hir hart.
In tym Quhan Cupid thus delascht his dart,
Sueit vas the sesone seimlie to be seine,
The feilds annamelit vas in euerie part
Vith dyuers hews be lustie flora queine,
All bogs thay blumd, And vods vas growand greine,
Quhairin thir luifers dalie meed repair;
Quhyls vnder schaddow solitar thay beine,
Quhair birds outbirstit doulcest verblis rair,
Quhyls in the dails, the dens, And midows fair
besyds the fontans, And the plesand parks.
And as thay pass sum vacant tym thay spair
To Interleice vith craftie curius varks
Thair names in syphers in the tender barks,
Vith sum deuysis formd in facund dyt;
And Angelique vith hir awne hand thame marks
In signe of stedfast ametie perfyt.
And to decoir this dalie douce delyt
The nuptiall band bound vp vas tham betueine,
Vith na les plesour to thair appetyt,
Althocht that thair na pompe Imperiall beine
Than Mychtie Mars vith venus did conveine,
Quhan Subtile vulcan did tham both arraist
In craftie net, Syn throche the heawenis meed seine,
Quhan Phebus cam, Quhow thay lay Interlaist.
So thir tuo luifers luifinglie Imbraist,
Quhair brycht Apollo mycht thair persons spy,
Quho glanst abowe hir gowldin hairs Intraist
In silkin threid lyk Iris In the sky.
77
Bebathd in bliss, As luifers oft hes beine,
Quhill Cleir Aurora darknit clouds schot by,
Vpwarping vyd the firmament sereine
Vith purpure sprayings from portis christalleine.
Quhan pastors sped thair floks vnto the plaine,
Vith monie sang And Interlude betueine,
Thay glaidlie go to glansing feilds againe.
Thair vas ane spelunc quhair thay did remaine,
Quhan lampe of day maist vehement hote did scheine,
Tham seruing so As it, quhilk in the raine
Did eise The TroIane And The Cartage queine.
The litile lambis bendit on the greine,
As thay best mycht thir luifers to content,
Pan And his troupe thair seimlie did conveine
Vith plesand pyping And vith quhissils quent.
Vith dulcorat voce celestiall and lent
fair Philomela And dame Progne flew
In suawe soft souching of the Ȝephir vent,
Quhilk fresche amongs the blomit brainchis blew.
Both Driades, And Demigods anew,
Vith Echo schill, And Nymphis monie one,
All till agment this mirth sum solas schew.
That day from seis outIscht the great Triton
for to salute lord Phawnus In his tron,
Magnific set in his Robbe royale doune.
And flora franklie did fair gifts dispon,
Expressing thair hir puissant ritche renoune,
Quha buir parfumd ane odoriferus croune,
Vith varient cumlie colors hich auanst,
Sum Reed, And greine, Quhyt, Blew, And Purpour, Broune;
As topas scheine Or diamonts thay glanst.
The vyfs, The schiphirds, And thair barnis danst,
Cled in thair cleine and costliest array,
Vith Iofull harts thay lop and no thing panst,
Blyth as Dameta Or Menalcas gay.
Not Tyterus did on his quhissill play
78
Nor Coridon sang not so sueit I say
for till alluir Alexis luife formois.
O Paladeins, As Tantalus ȝe lois
This recreation turning to ȝour noy,
And Medor lyk the knycht Clariadus gois,
Quhan he did Meik Meliades conwoy
from fontan quhair thay haid conweind vith Ioy.
Not thow quho famus Helena possest
Obteind sic plesour As this sempill boy
In his Renounit Angelique modest.
His fortoune so be accident Increst,
That he surpast lord Amadis of france,
In rewling thus ane beutie Immolest,
Quhilk did abowe fair Oriane auance.
for till depaint at lenth thair full plesance
My langage laiks all Ciceronian dyt;
I neuir smeld sic luiflie recompance.
Heirfoir to vichts venerian I quyt
To form in verse virgilian perfyt
Thair facund fassons, And thair freindlie cheir,
Thair kynd conceits, And dalie douce delyt,
In firm effectione feruent and Inteir.
Now quhan thay so haid left Ingrauit heir,
As I haif said, dictums perfyt Indent,
That in thois parts maist plainlie mycht appeir
In thousand sorts thair amorus consent,
Quhilk proper poyntit pensile haid done prent
On fontans, Rocks, Cauerns, And plesand treis,
To schaw thair stabill permanent Intent
Maist patentlie to all beholders eis;
The Curius knots so circuat quho seis
In monie vayis about the letters plet,
Thairbe the bands of Cupid notifeis,
Quhilk haid thair amorus hartis Interknet:
And heir abowe vas sum flour panseis set,
79
That in that proper place haid luifers met,
And offrit Venus thankfull sacrafyis.
Now from this part to pass thay Interpryis,
Thair Iournay tending to the Orient bent,
Quhair hir Imperiale kingdome velthie lyis,
That Medor mycht posses hir royale rent.
Bot hir great vorschip vold Befoir scho vent
Present the pastors vith sum recompance,
Quho haid declaird thair seruiable Intent
In euerie thing mycht haif done hir plesance.
Ane Braslat rair, Quhilk gloriuslie did glance
Vith diamonts decorde And Rubeis fyne,
Quhilk Roland gaife hir In remembrance,
Scho randrit tham the sam In ane propyne.
Vith humyle thanks the Pastors did Inclyne
And knelit law to kis hir cumlie hands,
And scho againe vith sembelance deuyne
hir freindlie freindchipe to tham recommands.
So Scho departs vith Medor from thais lands,
Ascending vp the hautie great montaine,
Quhilk to thois pastorall parts approtching stands,
And dois deuyd the famus france from spaine:
for thay consult vithin thair amorus braine
In Valence Or In Barcelone to byd,
Quhill thay the portage of sum schip mycht gaine,
Quhilk did derectlie to the Orient gyd.
Thay pass the hicht, syn on the vther syd
Beneth the mont thay spy the seis appeir.
Alongs the riuage Iofullie thay ryd,
Bot ȝit or thay to Barcelone cam neir,
Ane furius fole did Interchainge thair cheir,
Quho on the grawell As ane sow did ly;
And lyk ane Mastiu Or Malicious Beir
He raidgeit on thir luifers that cam by.
80
THE . 11 . CANT.
Perplexit Pen againe to paine apply,
Denunce the teirs that from thy dyt distels.
Now for ȝour ayde Ramnusia I cry
To reule arycht the rancor Intermels.
This trublous teine my tyrit toung compels
To dry for drouth that I may not declair,
Vithin this goulf, Quhair source of sorrow suels,
My sensis so suffuscat ar vith cair.
Vold god Bocace mycht in my place repair
This tragedie perfytlie to compyle;
Or Reuerent Ouid vold the sammyng spair
In Metamorphois of his steitlie style.
for lyk as myrth dois mak the visage smyle,
Or plesand lycht reiosis moir the ie
Than deip perbrouilȝeit dungeons dark and vyle,
So vanton verse moir aptlie dois aggrie
To pouse the pithles spreit vith sum supplie,
Quhilk I posses, laiking the curius vaine,
Than mirthles mateirs that amaȝis me,
And doubill duls my dolorus dullit braine.
Ȝit sen the burding dois on me remaine
To sport My Prence, Quhois courtasie bening
May mak me aide, As meed the gowldin graine,
Quhilk did Eneas to his Iournay bring,
I Indeuoir the remanent to sing
Of Rolands fall in furie at the last.
Help at this neid, O greiȝlie ghests maling,
Vith spedie pen to mak this propose past,
Compact in breiff this bailfull bittir blast,
Quhilk dois my style renwerse in disaray,
And all my sensis na les maks agast
Than Nabuchodonosors great decay.
The Monarck Ninus that in preson lay,
Of croune bereft, And captiwe to the deed,
The puissant Cyrus, king of perse, I say,
Quho vincust Cresus, Syn did lose his heed,
Great Alexander poysand but remeed,
Nor Mychtie Cesar, Quho vas schortlie slaine,
Skairse represents so lairge of fortouns feed
As Our Comte Roland quho did lose his braine.
O friuole fortoune fikile false and vaine,
Quhy dois thow vex this vorld vith sic annoy?
Thow hich exalts law to deiect againe,
Thy quheile ay tumbling vith decetfull toy.
All that suppons maist suirlie till InIoy
Thy hawtie vauering hairis vith the vind,
Vith subtile smyle oft tyms thow dois distroy,
And for reuard presents thy pow behind;
No force auails thy fikilnes to bind.
Dame Indiscreit, I sute of the no grace;
Thow art my fo, for I culd neuir find
No kynd of fauor in thy fenȝeit face.
His maiestie hes pouer in this cace
Vith sueit regarde Thy sournes till assuadge,
Quhois Royale feit Maist humylie I Imbrace
To saif me from thy rancor and thy radge.
Thy course Inconstant in till euerie adge
Pruife dois recorde, Thocht I not specifie.
Great Baiacet that turk thow did Incadge,
Quhom Tamberlan maist duilfullie meed drie
Ane extreme slawrie till that he did die;
The one thow did from bass estait awance,
And dang the vther doune from hich degrie,
So is the coustume of thy fatall chance.
for to record that potent king of france,
Quho in the sporting of his manlie spreit
Vnto the deed vas percit vith ane lance,
Is pruife that thow in variance dois fleit.
King Alexander is exemple meit,
Quho reuld abowe the Antique Scottis keine;
The hardie force quhairvith he vas repleit,
Nor ȝit the prudence quhilk did in him scheine,
Could not eschew the rigor of thy teine,
Bot creuallie be the he vas forlorn
In picking of his horse as mycht be seine
Abowe the rock thair situat at kingorn.
for, as the rose annexit to the thorn,
So is thy plesour vith sum paine prepaird:
Or as the vyde Increscis vith the corn,
So thow perturbs the cheifest but regaird:
Quho valks at vill vithin thy vauering ȝaird,
And dois delyt to smell thy suggurit gall,
Vith suddan storm his stait sall not be spaird;
Bot as Pompey Or hardie Hanniball
So sall occur In fin thair fatale fall.
The strong redouttit dochtie Darius,
Quho lang did dant his mychtie nychtbours all,
Be venim of thy visage varius,
Quhan force of fois he fand contrarius,
New battell thryse he bauldlie did conveine,
Bot ruittit out he vas as Arius;
first did he lose his kingdome and his queine,
His mother, guids, And childrine all vas seine
In the possession of his enemie;
Syn lost his lyf, And mycht na vayis obteine
At his last breath so meikile laser frie
As natiwe freind Or seruiteur to sie,
Bot in his chariot vondit to the deed
He thocht it did his painfull spreit supplie,
Quhan till his fo his last regrait he meed.
Queine Semerame Thow lang did velthie leed,
Quha in hir courage disaguisde hir kynd,
Bot all thy fauor turnit in to feed
At hir last battell vith the king of ynd.
Dame Panthasile, quhais hich magnanime mynd
Dill thrall the boldnes of the grecians stout,
Thocht for ane space thow prosperus Inclynd
Vith blast of fame to sound hir praisis out,
In tragedie aluayis thow brocht about
Hir proud attempt And mychtie mundan gloir;
Scho and hir ladies All that seimlie rout
Did vincust die, Quhilk dewlie I deploir.
Ȝenobia, Quham beuteis did decoir,
Hir profund prudence Nor hir hardie hand
Mycht not resist thy malice onie moir
fra ans scho did Aurelius gainstand,
Quho brocht hir captiw from hir natiwe land
And till triwmphe abowe this cairfull queine
Hir persone fixit at ane chariot band
And drew hir so throch Rome apertlie seine;
O crewall fortoune, noysum vas thy teine;
Thocht scho presumd all Asia to gyd,
Thy recompance maist freuch and friuole beine:
So all are serwed that dois in the confyd.
Thy slipprie solas dois als schortlie slyd
As yse dissolues vith flam of feruent fyre:
Thy douce delyt vith dolor is dewyd,
Quhan we beliwe to find our harts desyre:
Vith fikile fassone so thow dois Impyre
Quhill euerie stait may sie the facill flot:
Thow gifs no gaine to him quho merits hyre,
Bot at thy lust dois attribute the lot:
Thou maks the giltie sum tyme seime but spot,
And guid desert in to the dust dings doune:
Vit valkith oft in till ane raggit cot,
And folie set vp in ane veluet goune:
Ane laird be the becums ane meschant lowne,
Ane lowne againe be the is meed ane laird:
So In all things thow art ay blindlie bowne
To rycht nor resone haifing no regaird.
Thow rakles rins, As rasche and restles baird,
Both vp, and doune, befoir, and now abak;
I knaw no puissant erdlie pomp prepaird
Thy friuole frailnes firmlie to coak.
Gif ether visdome, force, or vordie fak,
Mycht haif rebellit quhaire thy baile is boune,
Than Roland haid be the susteind na lak,
Bot euir hichlie borne the palmie croune;
Quhom thy deceit degressis na les doune
Nor Hector, traillit At Achylles steid,
Vas changeit from that hector of renoune,
Quho umquhyle reft Achylles of his veid.
Impolist pen to Propose new proceid,
Returne to text And dyt of Roland rycht.
He most Induir, And I most schaw Indeid,
This alteration quhilk did on him lycht.
Now eftir that this Strong redouttit knycht
Be ampill pruife all vthers did precell,
Quhill all the vorld abaisit of his mycht,
At last in schersing Mandricard so fell
He seis ane christall reuere douce distell
About the bordour of ane mydow fair,
Quhair flouris fresche maist sauoruslie did smell,
And monie seimlie frondise trie preclair,
Obumbrat all this situation rair.
Doune he descends amyds the blossoms greine
for to refresche him in the temperat air;
Sen dayis tuo he haid in trauell beine
In sutting of the foirsaid Sarraseine.
Bot heir depryuit vas he of repois,
And all his confort turnit in to teine,
Quhan that his vofull eine haid done disclois
The viwe handwreting of his onlie chois,
Ingrauit thair on monie growand graine;
for this vas ewen the veirray place formois,
Quhair scho and Medor vont vas to remaine.
In thowsand wayis that part did all explaine
Thair schyphert nams, As I haif schawne befoir,
Bot euerie lettir bruist his bailfull braine,
And percit throch his vondit hart als soir
As duilfull deedlie dart him to deuoir.
Vith monie vayis maist cairfullie he socht
till schift the sorrow that so did him schoir,
And not to credit sic ane noysum thocht,
Efforcing him vith feirfull spreit afflocht
for to beliwe that Scho, of hir guid grace,
In his remembrance haid thois vordis vrocht,
Him so surnaming Medor in this place;
Or that sum vther Angelique percace
So in this sort haid done thair luif furthschaw.
Bot full assuirit vas he ȝit alace,
for the characters suirlie did he knaw,
Quhilk his awne ladie vsit ay to draw,
Bot could navayis him self beliwe at all.
So vith opinions he the treuth did thraw,
As doutfull trust did in his fancie fall
Him self to suadge vith sum assurance small.
Bot as hote collis vith sum vattir cold
first seims to slaik, ȝit eftiruart thay sall
Vpblais in fyre moir feruentlie and bold,
Ewen so the moir that he extinguise vold
His glowing greif, the sam the moir did ryis.
As feltert foule, quhilk glew Or girn dois hold,
The moir scho flychters, Scho the faster lyis,
The moir also that he did deip dewyis
This mortall pansiwe terror till eschew,
The moir profound his paine did him suppryis,
Quhilk force nor visdom mycht navayis reskew.
In this estate approtching neir he drew
Till the cawerne, Abowe ane fontane cleir,
Quhair vodbind and vyn brainchis linkit threw
Ane plesand tortur at the entress heir,
Decoring all this proper part so deir
To both the foirsaid luifers euerie day;
for quhan fair Phebus vith his heit seueir
Did brymlie byrne, heirin Imbrast thay lay;
Quhairfoir thair nams both in and out I say
Heir drawne vas ofter than in onie place.
Vith cake, vith coll, And pensile scharp alway,
Both heir, and thair, vas schawne thair happie cace.
The Cairfull Comte vith sad deiectit face
full monie luiflie dictums heir did vew
Be Medor vrocht, Quhilks at the sammyng space
Als recent fair and viwelie formit schew
As Instantlie thay haid beine forgit new.
And for the feruent vonderfull delyt
That heir did to this Adonis Insew,
In verse he drew this subsequent Indyt,
Quhilk vretin vas maist plainlie and perfyt
In his awne langage, As I do suppois,
Quhairof the sentence I sall heir recyt,
Thocht I exactlie may it not disclois.
Denunce the teirs that from thy dyt distels.
Now for ȝour ayde Ramnusia I cry
To reule arycht the rancor Intermels.
This trublous teine my tyrit toung compels
To dry for drouth that I may not declair,
Vithin this goulf, Quhair source of sorrow suels,
My sensis so suffuscat ar vith cair.
Vold god Bocace mycht in my place repair
This tragedie perfytlie to compyle;
Or Reuerent Ouid vold the sammyng spair
In Metamorphois of his steitlie style.
for lyk as myrth dois mak the visage smyle,
Or plesand lycht reiosis moir the ie
Than deip perbrouilȝeit dungeons dark and vyle,
So vanton verse moir aptlie dois aggrie
To pouse the pithles spreit vith sum supplie,
Quhilk I posses, laiking the curius vaine,
Than mirthles mateirs that amaȝis me,
And doubill duls my dolorus dullit braine.
Ȝit sen the burding dois on me remaine
To sport My Prence, Quhois courtasie bening
May mak me aide, As meed the gowldin graine,
Quhilk did Eneas to his Iournay bring,
I Indeuoir the remanent to sing
Of Rolands fall in furie at the last.
Help at this neid, O greiȝlie ghests maling,
Vith spedie pen to mak this propose past,
81
Quhilk dois my style renwerse in disaray,
And all my sensis na les maks agast
Than Nabuchodonosors great decay.
The Monarck Ninus that in preson lay,
Of croune bereft, And captiwe to the deed,
The puissant Cyrus, king of perse, I say,
Quho vincust Cresus, Syn did lose his heed,
Great Alexander poysand but remeed,
Nor Mychtie Cesar, Quho vas schortlie slaine,
Skairse represents so lairge of fortouns feed
As Our Comte Roland quho did lose his braine.
O friuole fortoune fikile false and vaine,
Quhy dois thow vex this vorld vith sic annoy?
Thow hich exalts law to deiect againe,
Thy quheile ay tumbling vith decetfull toy.
All that suppons maist suirlie till InIoy
Thy hawtie vauering hairis vith the vind,
Vith subtile smyle oft tyms thow dois distroy,
And for reuard presents thy pow behind;
No force auails thy fikilnes to bind.
Dame Indiscreit, I sute of the no grace;
Thow art my fo, for I culd neuir find
No kynd of fauor in thy fenȝeit face.
His maiestie hes pouer in this cace
Vith sueit regarde Thy sournes till assuadge,
Quhois Royale feit Maist humylie I Imbrace
To saif me from thy rancor and thy radge.
Thy course Inconstant in till euerie adge
Pruife dois recorde, Thocht I not specifie.
Great Baiacet that turk thow did Incadge,
Quhom Tamberlan maist duilfullie meed drie
Ane extreme slawrie till that he did die;
The one thow did from bass estait awance,
And dang the vther doune from hich degrie,
So is the coustume of thy fatall chance.
for to record that potent king of france,
82
Vnto the deed vas percit vith ane lance,
Is pruife that thow in variance dois fleit.
King Alexander is exemple meit,
Quho reuld abowe the Antique Scottis keine;
The hardie force quhairvith he vas repleit,
Nor ȝit the prudence quhilk did in him scheine,
Could not eschew the rigor of thy teine,
Bot creuallie be the he vas forlorn
In picking of his horse as mycht be seine
Abowe the rock thair situat at kingorn.
for, as the rose annexit to the thorn,
So is thy plesour vith sum paine prepaird:
Or as the vyde Increscis vith the corn,
So thow perturbs the cheifest but regaird:
Quho valks at vill vithin thy vauering ȝaird,
And dois delyt to smell thy suggurit gall,
Vith suddan storm his stait sall not be spaird;
Bot as Pompey Or hardie Hanniball
So sall occur In fin thair fatale fall.
The strong redouttit dochtie Darius,
Quho lang did dant his mychtie nychtbours all,
Be venim of thy visage varius,
Quhan force of fois he fand contrarius,
New battell thryse he bauldlie did conveine,
Bot ruittit out he vas as Arius;
first did he lose his kingdome and his queine,
His mother, guids, And childrine all vas seine
In the possession of his enemie;
Syn lost his lyf, And mycht na vayis obteine
At his last breath so meikile laser frie
As natiwe freind Or seruiteur to sie,
Bot in his chariot vondit to the deed
He thocht it did his painfull spreit supplie,
Quhan till his fo his last regrait he meed.
Queine Semerame Thow lang did velthie leed,
Quha in hir courage disaguisde hir kynd,
83
At hir last battell vith the king of ynd.
Dame Panthasile, quhais hich magnanime mynd
Dill thrall the boldnes of the grecians stout,
Thocht for ane space thow prosperus Inclynd
Vith blast of fame to sound hir praisis out,
In tragedie aluayis thow brocht about
Hir proud attempt And mychtie mundan gloir;
Scho and hir ladies All that seimlie rout
Did vincust die, Quhilk dewlie I deploir.
Ȝenobia, Quham beuteis did decoir,
Hir profund prudence Nor hir hardie hand
Mycht not resist thy malice onie moir
fra ans scho did Aurelius gainstand,
Quho brocht hir captiw from hir natiwe land
And till triwmphe abowe this cairfull queine
Hir persone fixit at ane chariot band
And drew hir so throch Rome apertlie seine;
O crewall fortoune, noysum vas thy teine;
Thocht scho presumd all Asia to gyd,
Thy recompance maist freuch and friuole beine:
So all are serwed that dois in the confyd.
Thy slipprie solas dois als schortlie slyd
As yse dissolues vith flam of feruent fyre:
Thy douce delyt vith dolor is dewyd,
Quhan we beliwe to find our harts desyre:
Vith fikile fassone so thow dois Impyre
Quhill euerie stait may sie the facill flot:
Thow gifs no gaine to him quho merits hyre,
Bot at thy lust dois attribute the lot:
Thou maks the giltie sum tyme seime but spot,
And guid desert in to the dust dings doune:
Vit valkith oft in till ane raggit cot,
And folie set vp in ane veluet goune:
Ane laird be the becums ane meschant lowne,
Ane lowne againe be the is meed ane laird:
So In all things thow art ay blindlie bowne
84
Thow rakles rins, As rasche and restles baird,
Both vp, and doune, befoir, and now abak;
I knaw no puissant erdlie pomp prepaird
Thy friuole frailnes firmlie to coak.
Gif ether visdome, force, or vordie fak,
Mycht haif rebellit quhaire thy baile is boune,
Than Roland haid be the susteind na lak,
Bot euir hichlie borne the palmie croune;
Quhom thy deceit degressis na les doune
Nor Hector, traillit At Achylles steid,
Vas changeit from that hector of renoune,
Quho umquhyle reft Achylles of his veid.
Impolist pen to Propose new proceid,
Returne to text And dyt of Roland rycht.
He most Induir, And I most schaw Indeid,
This alteration quhilk did on him lycht.
Now eftir that this Strong redouttit knycht
Be ampill pruife all vthers did precell,
Quhill all the vorld abaisit of his mycht,
At last in schersing Mandricard so fell
He seis ane christall reuere douce distell
About the bordour of ane mydow fair,
Quhair flouris fresche maist sauoruslie did smell,
And monie seimlie frondise trie preclair,
Obumbrat all this situation rair.
Doune he descends amyds the blossoms greine
for to refresche him in the temperat air;
Sen dayis tuo he haid in trauell beine
In sutting of the foirsaid Sarraseine.
Bot heir depryuit vas he of repois,
And all his confort turnit in to teine,
Quhan that his vofull eine haid done disclois
The viwe handwreting of his onlie chois,
Ingrauit thair on monie growand graine;
for this vas ewen the veirray place formois,
Quhair scho and Medor vont vas to remaine.
85
Thair schyphert nams, As I haif schawne befoir,
Bot euerie lettir bruist his bailfull braine,
And percit throch his vondit hart als soir
As duilfull deedlie dart him to deuoir.
Vith monie vayis maist cairfullie he socht
till schift the sorrow that so did him schoir,
And not to credit sic ane noysum thocht,
Efforcing him vith feirfull spreit afflocht
for to beliwe that Scho, of hir guid grace,
In his remembrance haid thois vordis vrocht,
Him so surnaming Medor in this place;
Or that sum vther Angelique percace
So in this sort haid done thair luif furthschaw.
Bot full assuirit vas he ȝit alace,
for the characters suirlie did he knaw,
Quhilk his awne ladie vsit ay to draw,
Bot could navayis him self beliwe at all.
So vith opinions he the treuth did thraw,
As doutfull trust did in his fancie fall
Him self to suadge vith sum assurance small.
Bot as hote collis vith sum vattir cold
first seims to slaik, ȝit eftiruart thay sall
Vpblais in fyre moir feruentlie and bold,
Ewen so the moir that he extinguise vold
His glowing greif, the sam the moir did ryis.
As feltert foule, quhilk glew Or girn dois hold,
The moir scho flychters, Scho the faster lyis,
The moir also that he did deip dewyis
This mortall pansiwe terror till eschew,
The moir profound his paine did him suppryis,
Quhilk force nor visdom mycht navayis reskew.
In this estate approtching neir he drew
Till the cawerne, Abowe ane fontane cleir,
Quhair vodbind and vyn brainchis linkit threw
Ane plesand tortur at the entress heir,
Decoring all this proper part so deir
86
for quhan fair Phebus vith his heit seueir
Did brymlie byrne, heirin Imbrast thay lay;
Quhairfoir thair nams both in and out I say
Heir drawne vas ofter than in onie place.
Vith cake, vith coll, And pensile scharp alway,
Both heir, and thair, vas schawne thair happie cace.
The Cairfull Comte vith sad deiectit face
full monie luiflie dictums heir did vew
Be Medor vrocht, Quhilks at the sammyng space
Als recent fair and viwelie formit schew
As Instantlie thay haid beine forgit new.
And for the feruent vonderfull delyt
That heir did to this Adonis Insew,
In verse he drew this subsequent Indyt,
Quhilk vretin vas maist plainlie and perfyt
In his awne langage, As I do suppois,
Quhairof the sentence I sall heir recyt,
Thocht I exactlie may it not disclois.
O herbis greine, And prettie plants formois,
O limpid vattir springing suawe and cleir,
O cawe obscuir aggriabill to thois
Quho vold tham cuile in thy fresche vmber deir,
Quhair Angelique maist beutifull but peir,
In vaine desyrd be vthers monie mo,
Oft nakit lay betuix my armes heir,
I medor puir, quhom ȝe haif esit so,
May not requyt ȝow moir, Bot quhair I go
Ȝour praise sall euir stedfastlie Induir.
Lords, ladies, knychts, And lustie luifers tho,
And euerie gentle hart I will procuir
To viss ȝow veill And frie of dainger suir.
Both sone, and mone, and Nymphs ȝow saif from tort,
And neuir Pastor vith his troup InIuir
Ȝour verduir ritche, O seimlie fair resort.
Bot ay about ȝow birdis blythlie sing,
And vnmolestit be ȝour siluer spring.
O limpid vattir springing suawe and cleir,
O cawe obscuir aggriabill to thois
Quho vold tham cuile in thy fresche vmber deir,
Quhair Angelique maist beutifull but peir,
In vaine desyrd be vthers monie mo,
Oft nakit lay betuix my armes heir,
I medor puir, quhom ȝe haif esit so,
May not requyt ȝow moir, Bot quhair I go
Ȝour praise sall euir stedfastlie Induir.
Lords, ladies, knychts, And lustie luifers tho,
And euerie gentle hart I will procuir
To viss ȝow veill And frie of dainger suir.
Both sone, and mone, and Nymphs ȝow saif from tort,
And neuir Pastor vith his troup InIuir
Ȝour verduir ritche, O seimlie fair resort.
Bot ay about ȝow birdis blythlie sing,
And vnmolestit be ȝour siluer spring.
87
In toung Arabic vretin vas this thing,
Quhilk langage Roland rycht expertlie knew,
And oft he red it contrarie to vring
The veirray sentence from the mening trew.
Bot ay the moir that he did so persew,
Moir plaine and ampill did the text appeir,
Quhilk to the death his thirlit hart neir threw.
Assault of sorrow socht him so seueir,
That staring still he stuid astonist heir,
for vo almaist void of his vittis all,
Vith hawie fixit eis And cairfull cheir,
Vpon the stone As sensles stonie vall.
His chin declyning on his brest did fall,
And cloud of cair held doune his cumlie front,
Quhair left vas no audacitie to brall,
for boyling baile his boudin braine haid blont.
Great egar greif so griwous did surmont,
That he onnavayis mycht relasche his vo
Vith vofull vords as vmquhyle he vas vont;
Nor ȝit no teiris from his eine could go,
His liquid humor suffocat vas so,
As quhan in veschell vyd vith narrow throt
The vattir choks And may not flow thairfro
for great aboundance that dois in it flot.
No vonder now althocht his brest be blot
Vith dainger deip of deedlie duill in deid,
Bot ȝit his hoip could not dissolue the knot
Quhilk in his ladies loyaltie did breid.
So vith sum trust betosd and meikill dreid
He scherst his thochts to think this thocht vntrew,
(Quhairon his fancie for ane space did feid
And feruentlie dois viss it till Insew),
That sum ewillviller all thois dictums drew
for to diffame his constant ladie frie,
And be sic bittir blame his baile to brew,
That suddanlie quhan he the same suld sie
for percing paine mycht at that Instant die.
“O lord,” sayis he, “quhat vehement dispyt
hes he declaird, Quhom euir so it be.
Veill Imitat hes he hir hand perfyt
In drawing of this nochtie noysum dyt.”
So vith this feibile esperance at last
sum thing assuagit vas his former fyt,
And thus againe on Bridedor he past.
The day declynd And nycht approtchit fast;
fair tytans steids haid rune thair vtter race,
Quhois giltit hairs disparpling bak did cast
Throche asurit sky quhilk elss obscuird his face,
Till his palle sister Phebe giffing place,
Quhan that the pynit Paladeine did tend
His course na les Incertaine at this space
Than schip but rudder quhilk dois vilsum vend.
Bot ȝit or he his voyage far did spend,
from tops of houssis till him did appeir
The smok of fyrie vapeur vp ascend.
Bald barking doggis also did he heir,
And monie flokis making meikill beir,
sum routting loud, And sum did semplie blait.
Vnto the village quhan the Compt cam neir,
He lychtit doune because it vas so lait,
Quhair radelie ane boy discreit and fait
Did tak the gydment of his horse in cuir;
Sum did desarme his person of estait,
Sum loust the giltit spurris quhilk he buir,
And Sum attending stuid vpon the fluir
for till obey as plesit him command.
Now this vas ewen the verray ludging suir,
Quhair vondit Medor all his veilfair fand.
The stressit knycht All stupefact did stand,
And wold to bed but onie kynd of fuid;
Sic gripping greif about his bosom band,
That appetyt from meit vas far excluid.
for fillit full of hawie rancor ruid,
He did behold vith goustlie visage palle
The vofull vreat, quhilk friȝit vp his bluid;
Depaint on posts And vindocks of the hall,
On durs, on tabils, And on euerie vall,
Both Angelique and Medor schyphert beine,
Vith luiflie knottis Interlasit small,
In thousand sorts apertlie to be seine.
The trublit Comte could not abstract his eine
from sycht of that quhilk vrocht him greatest paine,
And tending oft to crawe quhat it sould meine,
feir for to find his feirfull thocht meed plaine
Caust him againe his lippis close restraine.
So from him self he vold the treuth oscuir
Vith trembling dreid in his perturbit braine
sum suadgement schersing be consait vnsuir.
Bot Crewall fortone at sic feid him buir,
That Scho no paine vold from his persone spair,
Bot tuik delyt this Chiftan till InIuir,
His musing mynd mischiwing mair and mair.
No thing awalit his obfuscat cair
Vith cloud of dout quhairin he held his pace,
for ane at lenth did all the trewth declair
But Inquisition of this cairfull cace;
Quhilk vas the pastor, Quho in to that place,
Be broikin sychis did persawe his vo,
And till appaise his pansiwe spreit ane space,
Began the histoir of the luifers tuo;
first quhow that Medor, deedlie vondit so,
He thair did bring at Angeliques desyre,
Quha cuird his hurt; Than quhow that scho did go,
for him consuming all in luifis fyre,
Sua that of honor thochtles or Impyre
Scho to this sempill souldart did Inclyn,
And Band wp mariage for to quenche desyre.
Thus he the histoir rycht in euerie lyn
Did so discus Quhill that hir braslat fyn
He representit at that Instant steed.
This vas the ax at last descendan syn
Vith deedlie dint quhilk did ding of his heed.
Lang speitchles lay he strukin almeist deed,
Quhill source of sorrow mycht no moir susteine,
Bot furiuslie outbirstit but remeed
Sobs from his mouth And teiris from his eine.
Bot most of all quhan solitar he beine,
Ane fluid aboundant bouting out besprent
His boudin brest all suellit vp In teine,
And both his cheaks bebathing but relent.
Deip in him now vas cauld dispair Imprent,
Ȝit from his birnand bosome fast did flow
Hote flammyng sychs quhilk neuir could be spent;
So fell and feruent vas the fyrie low,
Quhilk in his hart ay moir and moir did grow,
But onie slaiking thocht it fumit out,
his breath bot onlie did as belleis blow
To kindle all his bodie round about,
And als his eine did serue bot for ane spout
The vitale humeur from his lyf to draw.
for sorrow suir not cled vith former dout
did all his arters view aschunder thraw.
Quho may the strese Intolerabile schaw
Quhilk did this valȝant varior so torne?
leile lychtleit luifers onlie may it knaw,
Quho haples fruite of Ielousie hes schorne.
In bed he restles tumblit thus forlorne,
Quhilk did moir dour than dourest stone appeir;
Ilk softest fedder vas as poyntit thorne
To prick his persone, or the scharpest breir.
The valkryf thochtis of his cair seueir
Permits him nocht to sleip ane moment space;
Turne as he vold both hither thair and heir,
Raidge of his rancor did him ay Imbrace,
And in his torment he bethocht, alace,
That his vnkyndlie darrest ladie quhyt
Haid Interteind hir Medor in this place;
Heirfoir the sammyng (plinist vith dispyt)
He did abhorre, And from it bendit quyt.
As quhan ane pastor schersing eisment lyis
Amongs the tender flouris of delyt,
Syn at his feit ane yssing serpent spyis,
Maist quyklie and astonist vp vill ryis,
So Roland full of dolor and desdaine
Vith diligence for all his harneis cryis,
And in that ludgeing vold no moir remaine,
Bot montit on his Bridedor againe,
And vold not tarie quhill Aurora brycht
Haid spred hir siluer schaddow on the plaine,
Bot throch the feilds ryds all this vilsum nycht.
He plains, he pains, and as ane furious vycht
Blasphems the heawens, the stars, and gods deuyn,
Vith trickling teirs beblubring all his sycht,
And syching ay Insatiantlie for pyn.
Ȝea, thocht the morrow cleir arryuit syn,
But Interwall his sorrow did Induir.
from brochs and citeis far he did declyn,
Eschewing sycht of euerie creatuir,
To dern deserts And partis maist obscuir
Vith vofull vult he vandrit all the day,
But onie knawleidge quhair his horse him buir;
And with maist griwous great regraitting ay
Did fill the heawen, the air, and feilds alway.
He fround for furie, feilling in his heed
The storms of raidge pelmell about fast play.
In vinter Bald Neptunus neuir meed
Moir motion fell In fomie fluidis reed,
As tumults strong tormoyling to and fro
Of braying baile quhilk in his brest abeed,
Vith trublit tempest him tormenting so.
Than In the nycht quhan all to rest did go
He doune descendit in ane bocage greine,
Vith cairfull skrychis euir valtring tho;
And sic scharp schours of sorrow did susteine,
That sleip mycht neuir close his veping eine,
Quhairfra ten thowsand teiris did distell,
As Quhan from bourn that lang hes dammit beine
streams breaks aboundant quhilk thairin did suell.
Him self astonit could not think nor tell
Quhow possibill so monie teiris mycht
Poure from his eis, quhilks lyk ane springing vell
Did neuir stay thair rynning day nor nycht.
Than syching soir he said, “this liquor brycht
Is no moir teirs; Teirs may not end my vo,
Quhilk bot begins; And spent ar from my sycht
My teiris all. This source quhilk springis so
I knaw it is viwe vapor fleing fro
The feruent flams, quhilk birns my hart to deed,
Vp throch my soddin brest, syn out dois go
At my tuo eis, And sall draw but remeed
My lyf and dolor both at ons to feed;
Bot sen so is, Sched out thy course vith speid,
And my vnhappie dayis to end soon leed.
And ȝe, O sychs, quhairwith my cair dois feid,
Ȝe are no sychs: Sychs may not ay proceid
But onie cease As thois that I exspyre.
The moir I sych, Moir panting breath dois breid.
The lord of luife, Quho birns me all in fyre,
Maks vith his vings this vind, And will not tyre
To cause my kendlit flammes euir flow
Quhill I destroyit be both bon and lyre.
Bot O great meruell, that my hart now dow
So long Induir in luifis feruent low,
And vnconsumit vtterlie to nocht!
Bot quhom am I in quhom sic raidge dois grow?
am I that Roland quho hes vonders vrocht?
No. Roland treulie in his grafe is brocht;
His dame Ingrait hes vranguslie him slaine.
I am bot onlie his puir spreit afflocht
In vildernese heir forcit to complaine.
My desperat maist great Infernale paine
To beir record be my profoundest vo,
Quhat euerie ane may hoip for till attaine,
Quho thrallit in the links of luife dois go.”
This nycht till end Roland lamentit so,
And quhan the vermell Matutina sched
In celest hews hir adgeit husband fro,
Him lewing sleipand in his donckie bed,
And quhan the vorldis lycht began to spred
Brycht rubie sparkis throch the purpur sky,
Be destenie the Comte haid so beine led
That in the part he him persauit ly
Besyd the rock, Quhilk he befoir did spy
Vith Angelique And Medor grauit all.
for force of furie than his flesche did fry;
Be dints and stogs of dochtie Durandal
The craig and wreat he claiwe in skelpis small.
So dois he go hich radgeing in dispyt,
And suddanlie to ground renwersit all
Quhair onie trait vas of the luiflie dyt.
The sauuage pastor And his troup may quyt
Cauld cumlie vmbrage of this cawe for ay,
And that fair fontan, springand siluer quhyt
Vith restles rumor throch the sprutand spray.
Thocht recent liquor, clarifeit alway,
It spoutit out as colorit christall cleine,
Ȝit could the same in nothing quenche I say
The coler fell quhilk in him birnand beine.
Great stoks, and stons, And monie brainchis greine
Thairin he suackit, And did neuir spair,
Quhill all that vattir cleir as Saphir scheine
Vas drumlie trublit in ilk conduict clair.
Than Irkit full of suet and hawie cair
But poust he breathles on the mydow fell,
In sorrou sowpit syching sad and sair,
Concluding heir continewallie to duell.
No heit, No cauld, No raine, Nor vindis snell
Mycht mak him ons to leif againe this place,
Quhairin he lay (as dois the histoir tell)
But speitche, And euir vith affixit face
The firmament beholding all the space;
And so but meet or drink did still Induir,
Quhill that the dririe nycht haid rune hir race
Thryse cled in till hir clouddie robbe obscuir,
And quhill Apollo thryse haid montit suir
In gouldin cart to luminat the day.
And grewous rigor Quhilk his bodie buir
In feibling him It moir agmentit ay,
Quhill at the last all vincust quhair he lay
Be paine heirof out of his sens he start,
And all his Iudgement from him fled away.
Than the fourt day vorking his proper smart,
His hands outragius did his visage skart
Maist horribile, And vith ane hiddeus brall
for raidge he roird, And restles did dispart
His scheild, his gantlat, and his corslat tall;
Heir fell the brassats, Thair lyis Durandal,
Strong nails he breaks, His Cuissots aff did slyd;
His helm, His gorget, And his harneis all
In thousand peicis he disparplit vyd.
Ay moir And moir his furie did him gyd
from hour till hour, Quhill It Increscit so
That in no part he permanent vold byd,
Bot, rawand vodlie, suift and rasche did go.
His clothing all And sark he reft him fro,
And nakit schew his vombe, his brest, and bak,
Vith flyring face his mouth did morgeon tho
And syndrie sounds maist terribile did mak,
Ay clawerand loud, And not to propose spak.
Syn quhan his raidge vold reull him moir seueir,
He at ane pull vold suddanlie vptak
The greatest oike Or fir that he cam neir
As bled of buss Or berrie aff the breir.
Great rocks, cawerns, And montans all about
He meed resound, And vith ane luik austeir
Abaist the pastors, Chaceand euerie rout
That for to spy his folie Ischit out;
And quhair he cam but mercie or remeed
Vprais amongs tham ane maist feirfull schout:
Sum vith his fist lay fellit in that steed,
Sum dammest doune, Sum bruisit to the deed,
Sum gat thair brest quyt broikin, or thair bak,
fra sum he puld the arme, the leg, or heed:
Syn in his hand the bluidie boulk vold tak,
And at ane vther egarlie it suak.
Tham ranging thus vith ronklit front vpbend
He meed great heaps of this vnhappie pak,
And nane of all agains him durst pretend.
for as the veyld and furius Ours dois stend
But onie feir or sussie for to sie,
The Russians hunters tym and trauell spend
for to persew hir throche the montans hie;
Thocht than approtche hir ane great cumpanie
Of litle hounds, Quhowsoon scho blinks about,
That feibile sort all skattrit bak dois flie;
Ewen so quhan Raging Roland ruschit out
The peuple all fast fled in deedlie dout
Vith all the speid and diligence thay mycht,
And so dissowerit vas this rakless rout.
Sum closit tham In ludgeings strong and vycht,
Sum montit vp on tours or templs hicht,
And sum low spying vnder couuert lay
Of this maist sensles fole till haif ane sycht,
Quho on the feilds dismembrit euerie day
Bauld Buls And Beufils in his sport and play.
He raifs, he rugs, he bruisis, breaks, and ryfs
Vith hands, vith feit, vith nails, and teith aluay;
He byts, he stricks, he tumbls, he turns, he stryfs,
He glaiks, he gaips, he girns, he glours, he dryfs
Throw moss, and montane, forrest, firth, and plaine,
The birds, the beists, the boyes, the men, and vyfs,
Vith bruit moir hiddeus from his trublit braine
Than force of fluidis hurlland in great raine.
foull glar and dust his face all filthie meed,
Quhairin no former beutie did remaine,
And both his eis for vraith vas boudin reed,
Quhilks vp and doune ay turnit in his heed,
Vith fearce regard vpcasting all the quhyt.
Both nycht and day he in the feilds abeed,
And for to fill his houngrie appetyt
fuid quhair he mycht he reft vith great dispyt.
Suyft harts and hynds he also vold deuoir,
And to the death in rageing furie smyt
The sangler strong, The Tygar, Or the Boir,
And tham in gobbats gredelie all toir,
Thair bluid vpsucking, Quhairvith blubbrit beine
His visage quhilk appeird so bawld befoir.
far mycht he now defigurat be seine
from that Renownit vordie Chiftane keine,
Vmquhyle the beild and piller firm of france.
In this estate perbrouilȝit all vncleine
Vpon the bounds of Spaine he cam be chance,
Quhair Angelique and Medor did awance
Thair Iournay rycht alongs the riuage fair;
Bot quhan the fole beheld hir beutie glance
Hir to persew he did vith speid prepair;
Not that he knew hir persone maist preclair,
Bot as ane chyld sum bonie bird vold crawe
To sport thairwith, And kill it syn but mair,
for sic effect fast efter hir he drawe,
And Medor all astonist did he lawe,
Quhois horse lay fellit vith his fist so snell.
Bot be the ring quhilk did sic vertew hawe
The ladie fred vas from his furie fell.
This vas the fole of quhom I erst did tell
That rageit on the luifers passand by,
Vith the quhilk tuo no moir I vill me mell.
Sum spreits poetique moir perfyt than I
To paint expertlie may thair pen apply
Quhow thay did both from thence directlie dres
Quhair hir great kingdome velthelie did ly,
That Medor mycht the croune thairof posses.
I lawe also for to declair expres
His faictes all that did sic furie drie,
for Imperfyt and tedius I confes
The mateir els all manckit is be me.
Vaeik creȝit barge vpon the suelling sie
To euerie vind vill not hir saell vpbend,
So may I not expone in ilk degrie
The histoir veill As it at lenth is pend.
Quhilk langage Roland rycht expertlie knew,
And oft he red it contrarie to vring
The veirray sentence from the mening trew.
Bot ay the moir that he did so persew,
Moir plaine and ampill did the text appeir,
Quhilk to the death his thirlit hart neir threw.
Assault of sorrow socht him so seueir,
That staring still he stuid astonist heir,
for vo almaist void of his vittis all,
Vith hawie fixit eis And cairfull cheir,
Vpon the stone As sensles stonie vall.
His chin declyning on his brest did fall,
And cloud of cair held doune his cumlie front,
Quhair left vas no audacitie to brall,
for boyling baile his boudin braine haid blont.
Great egar greif so griwous did surmont,
That he onnavayis mycht relasche his vo
Vith vofull vords as vmquhyle he vas vont;
Nor ȝit no teiris from his eine could go,
His liquid humor suffocat vas so,
As quhan in veschell vyd vith narrow throt
The vattir choks And may not flow thairfro
for great aboundance that dois in it flot.
No vonder now althocht his brest be blot
Vith dainger deip of deedlie duill in deid,
Bot ȝit his hoip could not dissolue the knot
Quhilk in his ladies loyaltie did breid.
So vith sum trust betosd and meikill dreid
He scherst his thochts to think this thocht vntrew,
(Quhairon his fancie for ane space did feid
And feruentlie dois viss it till Insew),
That sum ewillviller all thois dictums drew
for to diffame his constant ladie frie,
And be sic bittir blame his baile to brew,
That suddanlie quhan he the same suld sie
for percing paine mycht at that Instant die.
“O lord,” sayis he, “quhat vehement dispyt
88
Veill Imitat hes he hir hand perfyt
In drawing of this nochtie noysum dyt.”
So vith this feibile esperance at last
sum thing assuagit vas his former fyt,
And thus againe on Bridedor he past.
The day declynd And nycht approtchit fast;
fair tytans steids haid rune thair vtter race,
Quhois giltit hairs disparpling bak did cast
Throche asurit sky quhilk elss obscuird his face,
Till his palle sister Phebe giffing place,
Quhan that the pynit Paladeine did tend
His course na les Incertaine at this space
Than schip but rudder quhilk dois vilsum vend.
Bot ȝit or he his voyage far did spend,
from tops of houssis till him did appeir
The smok of fyrie vapeur vp ascend.
Bald barking doggis also did he heir,
And monie flokis making meikill beir,
sum routting loud, And sum did semplie blait.
Vnto the village quhan the Compt cam neir,
He lychtit doune because it vas so lait,
Quhair radelie ane boy discreit and fait
Did tak the gydment of his horse in cuir;
Sum did desarme his person of estait,
Sum loust the giltit spurris quhilk he buir,
And Sum attending stuid vpon the fluir
for till obey as plesit him command.
Now this vas ewen the verray ludging suir,
Quhair vondit Medor all his veilfair fand.
The stressit knycht All stupefact did stand,
And wold to bed but onie kynd of fuid;
Sic gripping greif about his bosom band,
That appetyt from meit vas far excluid.
for fillit full of hawie rancor ruid,
He did behold vith goustlie visage palle
The vofull vreat, quhilk friȝit vp his bluid;
89
On durs, on tabils, And on euerie vall,
Both Angelique and Medor schyphert beine,
Vith luiflie knottis Interlasit small,
In thousand sorts apertlie to be seine.
The trublit Comte could not abstract his eine
from sycht of that quhilk vrocht him greatest paine,
And tending oft to crawe quhat it sould meine,
feir for to find his feirfull thocht meed plaine
Caust him againe his lippis close restraine.
So from him self he vold the treuth oscuir
Vith trembling dreid in his perturbit braine
sum suadgement schersing be consait vnsuir.
Bot Crewall fortone at sic feid him buir,
That Scho no paine vold from his persone spair,
Bot tuik delyt this Chiftan till InIuir,
His musing mynd mischiwing mair and mair.
No thing awalit his obfuscat cair
Vith cloud of dout quhairin he held his pace,
for ane at lenth did all the trewth declair
But Inquisition of this cairfull cace;
Quhilk vas the pastor, Quho in to that place,
Be broikin sychis did persawe his vo,
And till appaise his pansiwe spreit ane space,
Began the histoir of the luifers tuo;
first quhow that Medor, deedlie vondit so,
He thair did bring at Angeliques desyre,
Quha cuird his hurt; Than quhow that scho did go,
for him consuming all in luifis fyre,
Sua that of honor thochtles or Impyre
Scho to this sempill souldart did Inclyn,
And Band wp mariage for to quenche desyre.
Thus he the histoir rycht in euerie lyn
Did so discus Quhill that hir braslat fyn
He representit at that Instant steed.
This vas the ax at last descendan syn
90
Lang speitchles lay he strukin almeist deed,
Quhill source of sorrow mycht no moir susteine,
Bot furiuslie outbirstit but remeed
Sobs from his mouth And teiris from his eine.
Bot most of all quhan solitar he beine,
Ane fluid aboundant bouting out besprent
His boudin brest all suellit vp In teine,
And both his cheaks bebathing but relent.
Deip in him now vas cauld dispair Imprent,
Ȝit from his birnand bosome fast did flow
Hote flammyng sychs quhilk neuir could be spent;
So fell and feruent vas the fyrie low,
Quhilk in his hart ay moir and moir did grow,
But onie slaiking thocht it fumit out,
his breath bot onlie did as belleis blow
To kindle all his bodie round about,
And als his eine did serue bot for ane spout
The vitale humeur from his lyf to draw.
for sorrow suir not cled vith former dout
did all his arters view aschunder thraw.
Quho may the strese Intolerabile schaw
Quhilk did this valȝant varior so torne?
leile lychtleit luifers onlie may it knaw,
Quho haples fruite of Ielousie hes schorne.
In bed he restles tumblit thus forlorne,
Quhilk did moir dour than dourest stone appeir;
Ilk softest fedder vas as poyntit thorne
To prick his persone, or the scharpest breir.
The valkryf thochtis of his cair seueir
Permits him nocht to sleip ane moment space;
Turne as he vold both hither thair and heir,
Raidge of his rancor did him ay Imbrace,
And in his torment he bethocht, alace,
That his vnkyndlie darrest ladie quhyt
Haid Interteind hir Medor in this place;
Heirfoir the sammyng (plinist vith dispyt)
91
As quhan ane pastor schersing eisment lyis
Amongs the tender flouris of delyt,
Syn at his feit ane yssing serpent spyis,
Maist quyklie and astonist vp vill ryis,
So Roland full of dolor and desdaine
Vith diligence for all his harneis cryis,
And in that ludgeing vold no moir remaine,
Bot montit on his Bridedor againe,
And vold not tarie quhill Aurora brycht
Haid spred hir siluer schaddow on the plaine,
Bot throch the feilds ryds all this vilsum nycht.
He plains, he pains, and as ane furious vycht
Blasphems the heawens, the stars, and gods deuyn,
Vith trickling teirs beblubring all his sycht,
And syching ay Insatiantlie for pyn.
Ȝea, thocht the morrow cleir arryuit syn,
But Interwall his sorrow did Induir.
from brochs and citeis far he did declyn,
Eschewing sycht of euerie creatuir,
To dern deserts And partis maist obscuir
Vith vofull vult he vandrit all the day,
But onie knawleidge quhair his horse him buir;
And with maist griwous great regraitting ay
Did fill the heawen, the air, and feilds alway.
He fround for furie, feilling in his heed
The storms of raidge pelmell about fast play.
In vinter Bald Neptunus neuir meed
Moir motion fell In fomie fluidis reed,
As tumults strong tormoyling to and fro
Of braying baile quhilk in his brest abeed,
Vith trublit tempest him tormenting so.
Than In the nycht quhan all to rest did go
He doune descendit in ane bocage greine,
Vith cairfull skrychis euir valtring tho;
And sic scharp schours of sorrow did susteine,
That sleip mycht neuir close his veping eine,
92
As Quhan from bourn that lang hes dammit beine
streams breaks aboundant quhilk thairin did suell.
Him self astonit could not think nor tell
Quhow possibill so monie teiris mycht
Poure from his eis, quhilks lyk ane springing vell
Did neuir stay thair rynning day nor nycht.
Than syching soir he said, “this liquor brycht
Is no moir teirs; Teirs may not end my vo,
Quhilk bot begins; And spent ar from my sycht
My teiris all. This source quhilk springis so
I knaw it is viwe vapor fleing fro
The feruent flams, quhilk birns my hart to deed,
Vp throch my soddin brest, syn out dois go
At my tuo eis, And sall draw but remeed
My lyf and dolor both at ons to feed;
Bot sen so is, Sched out thy course vith speid,
And my vnhappie dayis to end soon leed.
And ȝe, O sychs, quhairwith my cair dois feid,
Ȝe are no sychs: Sychs may not ay proceid
But onie cease As thois that I exspyre.
The moir I sych, Moir panting breath dois breid.
The lord of luife, Quho birns me all in fyre,
Maks vith his vings this vind, And will not tyre
To cause my kendlit flammes euir flow
Quhill I destroyit be both bon and lyre.
Bot O great meruell, that my hart now dow
So long Induir in luifis feruent low,
And vnconsumit vtterlie to nocht!
Bot quhom am I in quhom sic raidge dois grow?
am I that Roland quho hes vonders vrocht?
No. Roland treulie in his grafe is brocht;
His dame Ingrait hes vranguslie him slaine.
I am bot onlie his puir spreit afflocht
In vildernese heir forcit to complaine.
My desperat maist great Infernale paine
To beir record be my profoundest vo,
93
Quho thrallit in the links of luife dois go.”
This nycht till end Roland lamentit so,
And quhan the vermell Matutina sched
In celest hews hir adgeit husband fro,
Him lewing sleipand in his donckie bed,
And quhan the vorldis lycht began to spred
Brycht rubie sparkis throch the purpur sky,
Be destenie the Comte haid so beine led
That in the part he him persauit ly
Besyd the rock, Quhilk he befoir did spy
Vith Angelique And Medor grauit all.
for force of furie than his flesche did fry;
Be dints and stogs of dochtie Durandal
The craig and wreat he claiwe in skelpis small.
So dois he go hich radgeing in dispyt,
And suddanlie to ground renwersit all
Quhair onie trait vas of the luiflie dyt.
The sauuage pastor And his troup may quyt
Cauld cumlie vmbrage of this cawe for ay,
And that fair fontan, springand siluer quhyt
Vith restles rumor throch the sprutand spray.
Thocht recent liquor, clarifeit alway,
It spoutit out as colorit christall cleine,
Ȝit could the same in nothing quenche I say
The coler fell quhilk in him birnand beine.
Great stoks, and stons, And monie brainchis greine
Thairin he suackit, And did neuir spair,
Quhill all that vattir cleir as Saphir scheine
Vas drumlie trublit in ilk conduict clair.
Than Irkit full of suet and hawie cair
But poust he breathles on the mydow fell,
In sorrou sowpit syching sad and sair,
Concluding heir continewallie to duell.
No heit, No cauld, No raine, Nor vindis snell
Mycht mak him ons to leif againe this place,
Quhairin he lay (as dois the histoir tell)
94
The firmament beholding all the space;
And so but meet or drink did still Induir,
Quhill that the dririe nycht haid rune hir race
Thryse cled in till hir clouddie robbe obscuir,
And quhill Apollo thryse haid montit suir
In gouldin cart to luminat the day.
And grewous rigor Quhilk his bodie buir
In feibling him It moir agmentit ay,
Quhill at the last all vincust quhair he lay
Be paine heirof out of his sens he start,
And all his Iudgement from him fled away.
Than the fourt day vorking his proper smart,
His hands outragius did his visage skart
Maist horribile, And vith ane hiddeus brall
for raidge he roird, And restles did dispart
His scheild, his gantlat, and his corslat tall;
Heir fell the brassats, Thair lyis Durandal,
Strong nails he breaks, His Cuissots aff did slyd;
His helm, His gorget, And his harneis all
In thousand peicis he disparplit vyd.
Ay moir And moir his furie did him gyd
from hour till hour, Quhill It Increscit so
That in no part he permanent vold byd,
Bot, rawand vodlie, suift and rasche did go.
His clothing all And sark he reft him fro,
And nakit schew his vombe, his brest, and bak,
Vith flyring face his mouth did morgeon tho
And syndrie sounds maist terribile did mak,
Ay clawerand loud, And not to propose spak.
Syn quhan his raidge vold reull him moir seueir,
He at ane pull vold suddanlie vptak
The greatest oike Or fir that he cam neir
As bled of buss Or berrie aff the breir.
Great rocks, cawerns, And montans all about
He meed resound, And vith ane luik austeir
Abaist the pastors, Chaceand euerie rout
95
And quhair he cam but mercie or remeed
Vprais amongs tham ane maist feirfull schout:
Sum vith his fist lay fellit in that steed,
Sum dammest doune, Sum bruisit to the deed,
Sum gat thair brest quyt broikin, or thair bak,
fra sum he puld the arme, the leg, or heed:
Syn in his hand the bluidie boulk vold tak,
And at ane vther egarlie it suak.
Tham ranging thus vith ronklit front vpbend
He meed great heaps of this vnhappie pak,
And nane of all agains him durst pretend.
for as the veyld and furius Ours dois stend
But onie feir or sussie for to sie,
The Russians hunters tym and trauell spend
for to persew hir throche the montans hie;
Thocht than approtche hir ane great cumpanie
Of litle hounds, Quhowsoon scho blinks about,
That feibile sort all skattrit bak dois flie;
Ewen so quhan Raging Roland ruschit out
The peuple all fast fled in deedlie dout
Vith all the speid and diligence thay mycht,
And so dissowerit vas this rakless rout.
Sum closit tham In ludgeings strong and vycht,
Sum montit vp on tours or templs hicht,
And sum low spying vnder couuert lay
Of this maist sensles fole till haif ane sycht,
Quho on the feilds dismembrit euerie day
Bauld Buls And Beufils in his sport and play.
He raifs, he rugs, he bruisis, breaks, and ryfs
Vith hands, vith feit, vith nails, and teith aluay;
He byts, he stricks, he tumbls, he turns, he stryfs,
He glaiks, he gaips, he girns, he glours, he dryfs
Throw moss, and montane, forrest, firth, and plaine,
The birds, the beists, the boyes, the men, and vyfs,
Vith bruit moir hiddeus from his trublit braine
Than force of fluidis hurlland in great raine.
96
Quhairin no former beutie did remaine,
And both his eis for vraith vas boudin reed,
Quhilks vp and doune ay turnit in his heed,
Vith fearce regard vpcasting all the quhyt.
Both nycht and day he in the feilds abeed,
And for to fill his houngrie appetyt
fuid quhair he mycht he reft vith great dispyt.
Suyft harts and hynds he also vold deuoir,
And to the death in rageing furie smyt
The sangler strong, The Tygar, Or the Boir,
And tham in gobbats gredelie all toir,
Thair bluid vpsucking, Quhairvith blubbrit beine
His visage quhilk appeird so bawld befoir.
far mycht he now defigurat be seine
from that Renownit vordie Chiftane keine,
Vmquhyle the beild and piller firm of france.
In this estate perbrouilȝit all vncleine
Vpon the bounds of Spaine he cam be chance,
Quhair Angelique and Medor did awance
Thair Iournay rycht alongs the riuage fair;
Bot quhan the fole beheld hir beutie glance
Hir to persew he did vith speid prepair;
Not that he knew hir persone maist preclair,
Bot as ane chyld sum bonie bird vold crawe
To sport thairwith, And kill it syn but mair,
for sic effect fast efter hir he drawe,
And Medor all astonist did he lawe,
Quhois horse lay fellit vith his fist so snell.
Bot be the ring quhilk did sic vertew hawe
The ladie fred vas from his furie fell.
This vas the fole of quhom I erst did tell
That rageit on the luifers passand by,
Vith the quhilk tuo no moir I vill me mell.
Sum spreits poetique moir perfyt than I
To paint expertlie may thair pen apply
Quhow thay did both from thence directlie dres
97
That Medor mycht the croune thairof posses.
I lawe also for to declair expres
His faictes all that did sic furie drie,
for Imperfyt and tedius I confes
The mateir els all manckit is be me.
Vaeik creȝit barge vpon the suelling sie
To euerie vind vill not hir saell vpbend,
So may I not expone in ilk degrie
The histoir veill As it at lenth is pend.
98
THE . 12 . CANT.
fast throch the deip vnto the port I tend,far haifing compast monie vilsum schoir.
Thow Cleo cleir, sum confort to me send
Now at the last my dytment to decoir.
I change my sang, quhilk soundit sad befoir,
from dolent dyt to Ioyfull verse againe.
Mirth nixt approtchithe eftir sorrow soir,
Thocht fortoune frowne, Scho vill not ay disdaine;
Bot I beliwe it is ane mateir vaine
for to suppone that quhirling of hir quheill
May cast vs ether in to Ioy or paine,
Bot onlie God, quho vorking for our veill,
Of his paternall fauor lats ws feill
Sum tym correction of his holie hand,
That resonles we not but reingȝie reill,
Bot in his godlie feir may stabile stand;
And be his prudence he prepairs the vand
As best accordis for the sam effect,
Quhilk his awne chosine children euir fand,
Quhan that thay did thair deweteis neglect.
As Roland now, Quho vas be him elect
The Christians from trubill to defend,
Syn did his course to vanitie derect,
for the quhilk cause God Iustlie did extend
His punisment, And him sic vodnes send
That as ane Oule he singlie meed repair
In vildernes, Of all his freinds miskend,
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Amongs bawld beistis, Quhair he did misfair
His fortitud vith monie brainles brall,
And all his fois reiosing les and mair
To spy or heir of his vnhappie fall.
Bot our Guid God Quho rycht guuernis all
Vill veill delyuer from maist deip distres:
Quhan force and Iudgement of all men is small
In onie vayis for to prepair redres,
By expectation than his mycht expres
Maist suddanlie dissoluith strongest snair.
Heirfoir in goulf of greatest hawines
Of his refuge ve neuir sould despair.
Exempls monie mycht I heir declair
for till appruif this propose patent plaine.
The Godlie Ioseph vrappit vas in cair
Quhom all his brethir dalie did disdaine,
Ȝit thocht in presone long he did remaine,
far from his freindis, And with fremmit fois,
God meed of him ane Instrument againe
for to reconfort both the sorts of thois.
The Holie Dauid vas at poynt to lois
His lyf oft tyms be Saulis feruent feed,
Bot at the last he did obteine repois
And from distres Ane sacred king vas meed.
Quhan the Bethulians vas in dreid of deed,
God fred tham frilie from that mortall dout
Be sempill Iudith, that strak aff his heed
Quho did beseidge thair citie round about.
Quhat neids me schers sic deuyn histoirs out
To testifie of Gods eternale mycht?
This onlie subiect of Our Chiftan stout
Dois schaw the sam: for first his vigor vycht,
And exploitis abowe all vther knycht,
His great decay, And guid releif at last
I say dois giwe vs perfyt knawledge rycht
That God extoll may hichlie, And doune cast,
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Heirfoir vith velth we sould be humyle still,
And in distres not vtterlie agast,
for God may change tham both at his guidwill:
As in great mercie he dois so fulfill
On Roland now, vith vodnes vexit soir,
That he not onlie send his sens him till,
Bot visdome, force, and vertew, meikill moir
Nor euir he did posses in tym befoir;
His former fancie from him vas excluid,
And all his strenth Imployd he to restoir
The Churche of God, quhilk in great dainger stuid
Be pert persute of Sarrasins so ruid,
Quhom he be battels bold oft pat abak,
And schew him self ane mychtie member guid
for to preserwe the Christians from vrak.
My pen omittis for till vndertak
Quhow Astolphe did to Paradice ascend,
And with the Godlie vyss Apostle spak
The maladie of Roland for till mend.
My bruisit braine dar not so hich pretend,
Bot in this beild now frie from bittir blast
I vill but moir, My longsum course till end,
Pull in my saell, And heir my anckir cast.
FINIS.
| Poems of John Stewart of Baldyneiss | |