The Works of Sir David Lindsay of the Mount ... Edited by Douglas Hamer |
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ANE SCHORT DISCRIPTIOUN OF THE SECUND, THRID, AND FERD MONARCHE. |
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 | The Works of Sir David Lindsay of the Mount |  |
ANE SCHORT DISCRIPTIOUN OF THE SECUND, THRID, AND FERD MONARCHE.
COUR[TIOUR].Father (said I) quhilk wes the man
That the nyxt Monarchye began?
EXPE[RIENCE].
Cyrus (said he) the kyng of Pers,
As Cronicles hes done rehers,
Prudent, and full of Pollicye,
Began the secunde Monarchye,
For he wes the most godly kyng
That euer in Pers or Mede did ryng.
For he, of his Benyngnitie,
Delyuerit frome Captyuitie,
The hole Peple of Israell,
In to the tyme of Daniell,
The quhilkis had bene presoneris,
In Babilone, sewin score of ȝeris.
Tharefor God, of his grace benyng,
Gaif hym ane diuyne knawleging.
Duryng his tyme, as I heir tell,
He vsit counsall of Daniell.
Carione at lenth doith specifie
Off his maruellous Natyuitie,
And of his vertuus vpbrynging,
And quhow he vincuste Cresus king,
With mony vther vailȝeant deid,
As in to Carione thow may reid,
Quhose Successioun did indure
Tyll the tent Kyng; thareof be sure.
As Cronicles hes done rehers,
Prudent, and full of Pollicye,
Began the secunde Monarchye,
For he wes the most godly kyng
That euer in Pers or Mede did ryng.
For he, of his Benyngnitie,
Delyuerit frome Captyuitie,
The hole Peple of Israell,
In to the tyme of Daniell,
The quhilkis had bene presoneris,
In Babilone, sewin score of ȝeris.
Tharefor God, of his grace benyng,
Gaif hym ane diuyne knawleging.
307
He vsit counsall of Daniell.
Carione at lenth doith specifie
Off his maruellous Natyuitie,
And of his vertuus vpbrynging,
And quhow he vincuste Cresus king,
With mony vther vailȝeant deid,
As in to Carione thow may reid,
Quhose Successioun did indure
Tyll the tent Kyng; thareof be sure.
Bot, efter his gret conquessyng,
Rycht miserabyll wes his endyng.
As Herodotus doith discryfe,
In Scythia he lost his lyfe,
Quhare the vndantit Scethianis
Uincuste those nobyll Persianis.
And, efter that Cerus wes dede,
Quene Tomyre hakkit of his hede,
Quhilk wes the quene of Scethianis,
In the dispyte of Persianis.
Scho kest his heid, for to conclude,
In tyll ane vessell full of blude,
And said thir wourdis, creuellye:
Drynk, now thy fyll, gyf thow be drye,
For thow did aye blude schedding thryste.
Now drynk at laser, gyf thow lyste.
Efter that, Cyrus successioun
Off all the warld had possessioun,
Rycht miserabyll wes his endyng.
As Herodotus doith discryfe,
In Scythia he lost his lyfe,
Quhare the vndantit Scethianis
Uincuste those nobyll Persianis.
And, efter that Cerus wes dede,
Quene Tomyre hakkit of his hede,
Quhilk wes the quene of Scethianis,
In the dispyte of Persianis.
Scho kest his heid, for to conclude,
In tyll ane vessell full of blude,
And said thir wourdis, creuellye:
Drynk, now thy fyll, gyf thow be drye,
For thow did aye blude schedding thryste.
Now drynk at laser, gyf thow lyste.
Efter that, Cyrus successioun
Off all the warld had possessioun,
Tyll Allexander, with swerd and fyre,
Obtenit, perfors, the thrid Impyre,
Quhilk wes the king of Macedone,
With vailȝeant Grekis mony one,
In battell fell and furious,
Uincuste the mychtie Darious,
Quhilk wes the tent and the last kyng
Quhilk did efter king Cyrus ryng.
As for this potent Empriour,
Allexander the Conquereour,
Geue thow at lenth wald reid his ryng,
And of his creuell conquessyng,
In Inglis toung, in his gret buke,
Att lenth his lyfe thare thow may luke:
Quhow Allexander, that potent Kyng,
Wes twelf ȝeris in his Conquessyng,
And quhow, for all his gret conquest,
He leuit bot ane ȝeir in rest,
Quhen be his Seruand secretlye
He poysonit wes, full pietuouslye.
Obtenit, perfors, the thrid Impyre,
Quhilk wes the king of Macedone,
With vailȝeant Grekis mony one,
In battell fell and furious,
Uincuste the mychtie Darious,
Quhilk wes the tent and the last kyng
Quhilk did efter king Cyrus ryng.
As for this potent Empriour,
Allexander the Conquereour,
308
And of his creuell conquessyng,
In Inglis toung, in his gret buke,
Att lenth his lyfe thare thow may luke:
Quhow Allexander, that potent Kyng,
Wes twelf ȝeris in his Conquessyng,
And quhow, for all his gret conquest,
He leuit bot ane ȝeir in rest,
Quhen be his Seruand secretlye
He poysonit wes, full pietuouslye.
Lucane doith Allexander compair
Tyll thounder, or fyreflaucht in the air,
One creuell Planeit, A mortall weird
Doun thryngand peple with his sweird.
Ganges, that most famous flude,
He myxit with the Indianis blude,
And Euphrates, with the blude of Pers.
Quhose creueltie for to rehers,
And saikles blude quhilk he did sched,
War rycht abhominabyll to be red.
Efter his schort prosperitie,
He deit with gret miseritie.
Tyll thounder, or fyreflaucht in the air,
One creuell Planeit, A mortall weird
Doun thryngand peple with his sweird.
Ganges, that most famous flude,
He myxit with the Indianis blude,
And Euphrates, with the blude of Pers.
Quhose creueltie for to rehers,
And saikles blude quhilk he did sched,
War rycht abhominabyll to be red.
Efter his schort prosperitie,
He deit with gret miseritie.
Itt wer to lang for to dissydit
Quhow all his realmes wer deuydit.
Aye quhill that Cesar Iulyus,
Quhen he had vincust Pompeyus,
Wes chosin Emperiour and kyng,
Abufe the Romanis for tyll ryng,
That potent Prince wes the first man
Quhilk the ferd Monarche began,
And had the hole Dominioun
Off euerilk land and Regioun,
Quhose successouris did ryng, but weir,
Ouer the warld, mony one hundreth ȝeir.
Bot gentyll Iulyus, allace,
Rang Empriour bot lytill space,
Quhilk I thynk petye tyll deplore.
In fyue Moneth and lytill more,
By fals exhorbitant treasoun,
That prudent Prince wes trampit doun
And murdrest, in his counsall hous,
By creuell Brutus and Cascius.
Quhow all his realmes wer deuydit.
Aye quhill that Cesar Iulyus,
Quhen he had vincust Pompeyus,
Wes chosin Emperiour and kyng,
Abufe the Romanis for tyll ryng,
That potent Prince wes the first man
Quhilk the ferd Monarche began,
And had the hole Dominioun
Off euerilk land and Regioun,
Quhose successouris did ryng, but weir,
Ouer the warld, mony one hundreth ȝeir.
Bot gentyll Iulyus, allace,
Rang Empriour bot lytill space,
Quhilk I thynk petye tyll deplore.
In fyue Moneth and lytill more,
309
That prudent Prince wes trampit doun
And murdrest, in his counsall hous,
By creuell Brutus and Cascius.
Efter that Iulyus wes slane,
Did ryng the gret Octauiane,
Off Empriouris one of the best.
Duryng his tyme wes peace and rest
Ouer all the warld, in ilk regioun,
As storyis makith mentioun.
And als I mak it to the plane,
Duryng the tyme of Octauiane,
The Sonne of God, our Lord Iesew,
Tuke mankynd of the Uirgine trew,
And wes, that tyme, in Bethelem borne,
To saif mankynde, quhilk wes forlorne,
As Scripture makith narratioun
Off his blyst Incarnatioun.
Did ryng the gret Octauiane,
Off Empriouris one of the best.
Duryng his tyme wes peace and rest
Ouer all the warld, in ilk regioun,
As storyis makith mentioun.
And als I mak it to the plane,
Duryng the tyme of Octauiane,
The Sonne of God, our Lord Iesew,
Tuke mankynd of the Uirgine trew,
And wes, that tyme, in Bethelem borne,
To saif mankynde, quhilk wes forlorne,
As Scripture makith narratioun
Off his blyst Incarnatioun.
Now haif I tald the, as I can,
Quhow the four Monarchyis began.
Bot, in thy mynde, thow may consydder
Quhow warldly power bene bot slydder,
For all thir gret Impyris ar gone.
Thow seis thare is no Prince allone
Quhilk hes the hole Dominioun,
This tyme, of euery Regioun.
Quhow the four Monarchyis began.
Bot, in thy mynde, thow may consydder
Quhow warldly power bene bot slydder,
For all thir gret Impyris ar gone.
Thow seis thare is no Prince allone
Quhilk hes the hole Dominioun,
This tyme, of euery Regioun.
COUR[TIOUR].
Father, quhat reasone had those kyngis
Reuarris to be of vtheris ryngis,
But ony rycht or Iuste querrell,
Quhairthrouch that thay mycht mak battell,
And commoun pepyll to dounthyrng?
To this (said I) mak answeryng.
My Sonne (said he) that sall be done,
As I best can, and that rycht sone.
Reuarris to be of vtheris ryngis,
But ony rycht or Iuste querrell,
Quhairthrouch that thay mycht mak battell,
And commoun pepyll to dounthyrng?
To this (said I) mak answeryng.
310
As I best can, and that rycht sone.
Thir Monarcheis, I vnderstand,
Preordinat wer by the command
Off God, the Plasmatour of all,
For to doun thryng and to mak thrall
Undantit Peple vitious,
And als for to be gratious
To thame quhilk vertuous wer and gude,
As Daniell heth done conclude
At lenth, in tyll his Propheseis,
Quhow thare suld be four Monarcheis.
His secund Chepture thow maye see,
Quhow, efter the first Monarchie,
Quhen Nabuchodonosor kyng
Ane Ymage sawe, in his slepyng,
With austeir luke, boith heych and breid
And of fyne pure Gold wes his heid,
His breist and armes of syluer brycht,
His wamb of Copper, hard and wycht,
His loynis and lymmis of Irne rycht strong,
His feit of clay Irne myst among.
Frome A montane thare come allone,
But hand of man, A mekle stone,
Quhilk on that Figouris feit did fall,
And dang all doun in poulder small.
Preordinat wer by the command
Off God, the Plasmatour of all,
For to doun thryng and to mak thrall
Undantit Peple vitious,
And als for to be gratious
To thame quhilk vertuous wer and gude,
As Daniell heth done conclude
At lenth, in tyll his Propheseis,
Quhow thare suld be four Monarcheis.
His secund Chepture thow maye see,
Quhow, efter the first Monarchie,
Quhen Nabuchodonosor kyng
Ane Ymage sawe, in his slepyng,
With austeir luke, boith heych and breid
And of fyne pure Gold wes his heid,
His breist and armes of syluer brycht,
His wamb of Copper, hard and wycht,
His loynis and lymmis of Irne rycht strong,
His feit of clay Irne myst among.
Frome A montane thare come allone,
But hand of man, A mekle stone,
Quhilk on that Figouris feit did fall,
And dang all doun in poulder small.
Off quhose Interpretatioun
Doctouris doith mak Narratioun.
The hede of gold did signifye,
First, of Asserianis Monarchye.
The syluer breist thay did apply
To Persianis quhilk rang secundly.
The wambe, of copper or of brasse,
Thridly, to Grekis comparit wasse.
His loynis and lymmis of Irne and steill,
Clerkis hes thame comparit weill
To Romanis, throuch thare diligence
To haue the Feird Preemynence
Abufe all vther Natioun.
Be this Interpretatioun,
The myxit feit with Irne and clay
Did signifye this letter day,
Quhen that the warld sulde be deuydit,
As efterwart salbe disydit.
To Christ is signifyit the stone,
Quhose Monarche sall neuer be gone;
For vnder his Dominioun
All Princis sall be trampit doun.
Quhen that gret kyng Omnipotent
Cumis to his generall Iugement,
His Monarche, than, salbe knawin,
As efter sall be to the schawin.
Doctouris doith mak Narratioun.
The hede of gold did signifye,
First, of Asserianis Monarchye.
The syluer breist thay did apply
To Persianis quhilk rang secundly.
The wambe, of copper or of brasse,
Thridly, to Grekis comparit wasse.
His loynis and lymmis of Irne and steill,
Clerkis hes thame comparit weill
311
To haue the Feird Preemynence
Abufe all vther Natioun.
Be this Interpretatioun,
The myxit feit with Irne and clay
Did signifye this letter day,
Quhen that the warld sulde be deuydit,
As efterwart salbe disydit.
To Christ is signifyit the stone,
Quhose Monarche sall neuer be gone;
For vnder his Dominioun
All Princis sall be trampit doun.
Quhen that gret kyng Omnipotent
Cumis to his generall Iugement,
His Monarche, than, salbe knawin,
As efter sall be to the schawin.
And als the Scripture sall the tell
Quhow, in the aucht of Daniell,
He saw, in to his visioun,
Be ane plane expositioun,
Quhow that the Grekis sulde wyrk vengeence
Upone the Medis and Persience;
Comparand Grekis tyll ane Gote
With ane horne, fers, furious, and hote,
Quhilk slew the Ram with hornis two,
Comparit tyll Pers and Mede, all so.
And so, be Daniellis prophesyis,
All thir gret mychtie Monarchyis,
The quhilkis all vther realmes supprysit,
Be the gret God thay wer deuysit.
As he of Tytus, the Romane,
Sonne and Air to Uespasiane,
Maid hym ane Furious Instrument,
To put the Iowis to gret torment,
Quhilk I purpose, or I hyne fair,
Schortlie that processe to declair.
Quhow, in the aucht of Daniell,
He saw, in to his visioun,
Be ane plane expositioun,
Quhow that the Grekis sulde wyrk vengeence
Upone the Medis and Persience;
Comparand Grekis tyll ane Gote
With ane horne, fers, furious, and hote,
Quhilk slew the Ram with hornis two,
Comparit tyll Pers and Mede, all so.
And so, be Daniellis prophesyis,
All thir gret mychtie Monarchyis,
The quhilkis all vther realmes supprysit,
Be the gret God thay wer deuysit.
As he of Tytus, the Romane,
Sonne and Air to Uespasiane,
Maid hym ane Furious Instrument,
To put the Iowis to gret torment,
Quhilk I purpose, or I hyne fair,
Schortlie that processe to declair.
FINIS.
| The Works of Sir David Lindsay of the Mount | |